Bidspirit auction | Shefa Tal. By Rabbi Shabtai

Shefa Tal. By Rabbi Shabtai Segal Horowitz. Frankfurt am Main, 1719. Kabbalistic Illustrations - Shefa Tal. By Rabbi Shabtai Segal Horowitz. Frankfurt am Main, 1719. Kabbalistic Illustrations. Shefa Tal, a key to the secrets of Kabbalah, including Iggeret HaTa’amim, sections from Sefer Yetzirah, passages of the Zohar and Tikkunim, with most of its content based on the writings of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero. By Rabbi Shabtai Segal Horowitz of Prague. Frankfurt am Main, 1719. Second and important edition of this foundational Kabbalistic work. With numerous kabbalistic illustrations. At the beginning is a lengthy introduction entitled Ben Me’ah Shanah, dealing with metaphysical subjects such as the perception of Divinity, the nature of the worlds, man, exile and redemption. Includes the Printer’s Preface, unique to this edition. Ben-Yehuda (Ben-Jacob) erroneously records the date as 1714, but at the end of the printer’s preface the year 1719 is clearly noted. At the head of the title page appears the printer’s emblem: Hermes-Mercury, cloaked and hatted, holding the caduceus staff, with small wings attached to his ankles. This emblem is known to be that of the printer Johann Kelner; however, the title page states that it was printed by R. Shimon Trier Katz, though evidently it was indeed produced at Kelner’s press (see Yitzhak Yudlov, Printer’s Marks, Jerusalem 1999, p. 64). Owner’s inscription on title page: “Shmuel Nachum…” [2], 74, 76–80 leaves. 31 cm. Fair condition. Some worming. Tears and defects to the title page and the following three leaves. Simple detached binding.