Bidspirit auction | The great polemic against the

The great polemic against the Sabbatean Nehemiah Ḥiyya Ḥayon – Tochachas Megulah veTzid Nachash, by the mekubal Reb Yosef Ergas – London, 1715. Sole edition. - Extremely rare polemical pamphlet! Sefer Tochachas Megulah veTzid Nachash — a sharp polemic against the “infamous heretic” the Sabbatean Nehemiah Ḥiyya Ḥayon. Composed by the holy mekubal Reb Yosef Ergas, author of the early Shomer Emunim, one of the great sages and rabbis of Italy. The first part of the work contains a small pamphlet titled Tochachas Megulah, dealing with matters of Kabbalah and polemic against Ḥayon. This pamphlet was first printed independently, and in response Ḥayon composed the pamphlet Shelahaves Yeh. To this, Reb Yosef Ergas responded with an additional work — the main body of the present book — titled HaTzad Nachash, in which he demonstrates how Ḥayon distorted his words and corrupted the foundations of Kabbalah. At the beginning of the book appears an introduction by the renowned polemicist Reb Moshe Chagiz (the Meni’ach), who proofread the book at the author’s request. The divine mekubal Reb Yosef Ergas (5445–5490), author of Shomer Emunim, was among the greatest sages of Italy and one of the leading scholars of his generation in both revealed and hidden Torah. Leading Acharonim — the author of Mishneh LaMelech and the author of Machaneh Efraim — greatly praised him, writing: “And all the people at the gate shall not turn from him to the right or left” (Teshuvos Divrei Yosef, end of siman 39). Reb Yosef Ergas stood firmly and forcefully against Nehemiah Ḥayon and his Sabbatean doctrine, and this work — Tochachas Megulah veTzid Nachash — is among the central texts written in that struggle. London, 1715. Sole edition. A particularly fine copy of this important polemical work against Sabbateanism and one of its leaders. Printed on high-quality, thick, light paper. Collation: [2], 62 leaves. Collation: [2], 62 leaves. Original binding missing one side. Very good condition.