Bidspirit auction | Sha'arei Orah Sefer Yesod in

Sha'arei Orah Sefer Yesod in Kabbalah from the Period of the Zohar’s Revelation Mantua, 1561 * A work intended for those beginning the study of Kabbalah, authored by Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, one of the great Kabbalists of Spain in the 13th century. Sefer Sha'arei Orah is regarded as the sefer yesod for the study of Kabbalah. It explains the nature of the Ten Sefiros and the Holy Names. This sefer is among the earliest works of Kabbalah, composed during the period of the Zohar’s revelation, and perhaps even the very first of them (see introduction to the Jerusalem edition, 2005). In several places, the author cites the words of “Chazal, ” and their only known source is the Zohar. Gedolei Yisrael and Chassidic greats recommended studying Sefer Sha'arei Orah. The Michtav Sofer recounts that his father, the Chasam Sofer, instructed him that if he should begin the study of Kabbalah, he should stick to Sefer Sha'arei Orah (She’eiris Tziyon at the end of Shem HaGedolim by Rabbi M. M. Krengel, entry 115). The same is cited in the name of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin (Keser Rosh §60). Mantua, 1561. Whether this is the first edition – see below. Page Count: 92 leaves. Size: 20.7 cm. Condition : Fair to fair–good. Holes, repairs, and old fungus stains in the lower margin of many leaves (with damage affecting a few words on several leaves). Signs of use. New leather binding. Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, no. 340. ----------------------- This copy belonged to Italian Kabbalists from the early 1600s. Throughout the sefer, headings and review citations were written by a Kabbalist who studied it with great diligence, leaving not even a single page blank (!). In several places, he recorded for himself: “Understand and remember and do not forget”; “Examine and remember and guard, ” and the like. In several places, he marked references to the Zohar and content notes. On the title page appear three early signatures: A – The signature of the Kabbalist Rabbi Chananiah Fintzi, close friend of the Rema of Pano, who together signed a letter in praise of Rabbi Menachem de Lonzano. He was a primary disciple of Rabbi Moshe Provenzalo, Av Beis Din of Mantua, and served as Rav in Gazzuolo and Mantua. He passed away in 1630. B – The signature of Rabbi Mazal Tov Shalit, a Rav and Kabbalist and one of the scholars of Modena in the 17th century. C – The signature of Rabbi Hoshea Rafael of Colonia. We found a single reference to this name in a ruling of the Beis Din of Bologna in 1518, where he is mentioned as a son-in-law. If this is indeed the same person, the signature is likely dated very close to the time of printing. Following his signature, he notes that he acquired the sefer on behalf of his uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak of Porto, likely Rabbi Yitzchak, son of Rabbi David Rafael of Mintura Porto, who possessed a large and important collection of sefarim in the early 1600s. Throughout the sefer, there are more than 15 marginal notes in the handwriting of Rabbi Chaim Hirschenson of Jerusalem and the United States from the 1800s, some of which are signed. Bound at the end of the sefer are two pages in his handwriting, one dated 1886. -------------------- Which is the first edition of Sefer Sha'arei Orah? There are two editions of the sefer printed in 1561: one in Mantua (the present copy), and one in Riva di Trento. It is not known with certainty which preceded the other, though it seems the Riva di Trento edition appeared slightly earlier (see our notes on the Riva di Trento edition in Auction 6, Item 80. ) In any case, since both were printed from different manuscripts, each holds the significance of a first edition.