Bidspirit auction | Shiv'im Tikkunei HaZohar with the

Shiv'im Tikkunei HaZohar with the Commentary Chemdat Tzvi – Amsterdam, 1706. Only Edition. Exceptionally Magnificent Engraved Title Page - Shiv'im Tikkunei HaZohar with the commentary Chemdat Tzvi by Rabbi Tzvi Hutsch. Amsterdam, 1706. Only edition. A rare and highly sought-after work, representing one of the most intriguing and controversial Kabbalistic publications of the early eighteenth century. The volume contains the text of Tikkunei HaZohar accompanied by the commentary of Rabbi Tzvi Hutsch and was printed only once, never to be reissued. The book occupies a distinctive place in the history of the Sabbatean controversy. Already in the generations following its publication, suspicions arose concerning the author's possible association with the Sabbatean movement. Rabbi Yaakov Emden (the Yaavetz) later referred to both the book and its author in the course of his well-known campaign against the remnants of Sabbateanism. Scholars and bibliographers have also pointed to symbolic elements on the title page—including the repeated depictions of deer—as possible allusions to the author's name and the intellectual milieu in which he operated. Printed at the beginning of the volume are approbations from leading rabbinic authorities of the era, including that of the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Naftali HaKohen Katz, author of Semichat Chachamim. Significantly, Rabbi Naftali Katz later wrote in the introduction to another edition of Tikkunei HaZohar that he had withdrawn the approbation he had granted to this work, a fact that adds another layer of historical and polemical interest to the volume. The title page is among the most impressive produced by the Hebrew presses of Amsterdam. Executed entirely in elaborate copper engravings, it ranks among the masterpieces of Hebrew book art from the early modern period. At its center appears the Crown of Torah supported by two deer, above which stand angelic figures. Surrounding the composition are richly engraved biblical scenes, including the Binding of Isaac, Isaac blessing Jacob, Moses, Aaron the High Priest, King David playing the harp, King Solomon seated upon his throne, and the Prophet Elijah. This remarkable iconographic program has made the title page one of the most celebrated and desirable ever produced in Amsterdam Hebrew printing. Beyond its Kabbalistic and bibliographical significance, the volume reflects a fascinating chapter in the spiritual and ideological struggles that followed the Sabbatean movement, combining rarity, controversy, mysticism, and outstanding Hebrew book art in a single work. 8, 164 leaves. 32.5 cm. Condition: Very good. Minor age staining. Simple binding.