Bidspirit auction | Book of Segulah for Protection,

Book of Segulah for Protection, Parnasah and Naches! Polemic: Arba Me'ot Shekel Kesef by Rabbi Chaim Vital - Second Edition Krakow, 1886 - Sefer Arba Me'ot Shekel Kesef, a famed Kabbalistic book introducing the Torah of Rabbi Chaim Vital, the leading disciple and Ma'atik Hashmu'ah of Rabbeinu the Ari. ”Printed once with many errors and now re-edited by the Rabbinic Moshe [Friedman], the son of the late Rav Abba Zolka... and may it be for excellent protection in your homes”. The Press of Yosef Fischer, Krakow, 1886. [2], 79, [1] leaves. Old binding with leather spine. Taping to spine. Minor blemishes. Stains and some moth perforations. Good overall condition.  Sefer Segulah The book contains Chassidic approbations including by Rabbi Yechezkel Sheraga Halberstam of Shinova, the eldest son of Rabbeinu the Divrei Chaim of Sanz and by his brother, Rabbi David Halberstam of Kshanov (Chrzanów) who writes that the book is an excellent Segulah for protection , and by Rabbi Eliezer Sofrin of Komarno, who writes that anyone who purchases the book will have good and peaceful life ” בחיי נחת בבני חיי ומזוני רויחא ...”.  The dispute over the book and its author's identity Contemporary Kabbalah scholars tend to say that the book was not authored by Rabbi Chaim Vital as written on it. Gershom Scholem (Kiryat Sefer, 19, 1942-1943, p. 188) states that ”this entire book is not by Rabbi Chaim Vital himself, but a forger of the 17th century intentionally added here some things in the name of Rabbi Chaim Vital, whose content indicate their being forged”. According to Yosef Avivi (Kitvei Rabbi Chaim Vital, Hama'ayan, Tamuz 1978, pp. 67-68), this book is a compilation from varied sources including the book Adam Yashar by Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach and additional works by Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach,   to which a forged introduction was added in the name of Rabbi Chaim Vital.  The Chassidim Misnagdim polemic A dispute between Chassidim and Misnagdim arose about this book leading to the publishing of two variants of the first edition (Koretz, 1804), one for the Chassidim with approbations by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Voltishsk and the other for the Misnagdim with approbations by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and Rabbi Mordechai Av Beit Din of Koretz. See more: Kohelet Moshe, I, 876; H. Liebrman, Sefer Ohel Rachel, New York, 1980, pp. 129-170). Added to this edition were varied Chassidic approbations [see above] and the approbations by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and Rabbi Mordechai Av Beit Din fo Koretz were copied from the first edition yet not the Chassidic ones of the Koretz 1804 edition.