Bidspirit auction | Sifra D’Tzniuta D’Yaakov, a commentary

Sifra D’Tzniuta D’Yaakov, a commentary on the Torah according to the teachings of Kabbalah, by the kabbalist and ascetic Rabbi Yaakov Temirles. Amsterdam, 1669. First edition. - A rare and early kabbalistic work, among the important mystical texts printed in Amsterdam during the seventeenth century, containing Torah commentaries based on the esoteric traditions of Jewish mysticism. The book was published with remarkable approbations from some of the leading Ashkenazic rabbis of the era, including Rabbi Naftali Katz, author of Berachat HaZevach, and Rabbi Gershon Ashkenazi, author of Avodat HaGershuni. Their endorsements reflect exceptional esteem for the author and his mastery of Kabbalah, and even suggest that they themselves benefited from his teachings in the mystical tradition. Particularly noteworthy is the approbation of Rabbi Gershon Ashkenazi, who strongly advocates the publication and dissemination of kabbalistic literature among Torah scholars. The title page is adorned with an elaborate artistic border depicting five different biblical scenes, making it one of the more attractive title pages found in seventeenth-century kabbalistic printing. The author, Rabbi Yaakov Temirles, was born in Worms, later lived in Kremnitz and subsequently in Vienna, where he passed away in 1666. Contemporary accounts describe him as an outstanding kabbalist, ascetic, and saintly figure who spent much of his life engaged in fasting, spiritual devotion, and rigorous self-discipline. The present copy possesses particular significance because of the statement printed at its conclusion. Rabbi Eliezer Lipman, the author’s son, who brought the work to press, records that his father left behind a vast treasury of manuscripts, including commentaries on the entire Torah, the Five Megillot, the holy Idrot, both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, passages of the Zohar, and the writings of the Ari. Yet despite this extensive literary legacy, the present work is the only one of his writings ever printed. This volume therefore represents the sole surviving printed remnant of the teachings of an important seventeenth-century Ashkenazic kabbalist, making it a rare and highly significant source for the study of Ashkenazic Kabbalah and Jewish mystical literature. [1], 40 leaves. 18 cm. Very good condition, aside from a small tear at the upper portion of the title page with minor loss to the decorative illustration. Light age staining. Simple binding.