Bidspirit auction | Chesed Le’Avraham. A Kabbalistic work

Chesed Le’Avraham. A Kabbalistic work by Abraham Azulai. Amsterdam, 1685. First edition - One of the foundational works of Kabbalah, upon which numerous later editions were based. Rabbi Abraham Azulai (1570–1643), great-grandfather of the Chida, was born in Morocco, immigrated to the Land of Israel, and passed away in Safed, where he is buried. The eminent scholar and renowned kabbalist writes in his introduction that he composed the work in the city of Gaza while fleeing a plague, “to remember the kindnesses of the Lord who dealt graciously with me and delivered me from the sword.” At the end of the volume is printed Birkat Avraham—an abridgment of Tomer Devorah by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (the Ramak)—together with a commentary on the discourse Pesiyotav shel Avraham Avinu by Rabbi Chaim Vital. Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, no. 363. [5], 65, 28 leaves; with kabbalistic diagrams. 20 cm. Condition: very good. Light age-staining. Fine early vellum binding.