Bidspirit auction | Sha’ar HaKavanos of Rabbi Chaim

Sha’ar HaKavanos of Rabbi Chaim Vital – Unique Copy with Glosses of the Leading Kabbalists: Rabbi Shimon Aharon Agassi of Baghdad, the Chassid Rabbi Shem Tov HaKohen, Rabbi Aharon Moshe Ferreira, and Rabbi Nissim Ani.  Salonika, 1852. First Edition. *   One of the foundational works of the Arizal's Kabbalah: Sha’ar HaKavanos, the sixth section of the sefer Shemoneh She’arim by the Arizal, as recorded by his foremost disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital, together with additional material by him and his colleagues. It was edited by Rabbi Shmuel Vital (Maharshu), son of Rabbi Chaim Vital. This section contains the Arizal's kabbalistic intentions (kavanos), the names of angels, and the sacred mystical combinations to be contemplated during the prayers of weekdays, Shabbos, the festivals and the Yamim Nora'im. These meditations have been used by the greatest kabbalists throughout the generations in their prayers, as they poured out their hearts and opened the gates of Heaven. - - - - - - - An exceptionally important and valuable copy, sent by the saintly kabbalist Rabbi Sasson ben Rabbi Moshe Peresiado, head of the Beis El yeshiva of kabbalists in Jerusalem, to Baghdad in 1873, to the young kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Aharon Agassi, author of Bnei Aharon, a close friend of Rabbi Yehuda Fatiya, who would later become one of the leading kabbalists of his generation. Rabbi Yehuda Fatiya said of the two great kabbalists of Baghdad — the Ben Ish Chai and Rabbi Shimon Aharon Agassi — that “through their merit and righteousness they protected the city” (see below for further discussion). Rabbi Shimon Aharon was only about twenty-two years old when he received this sefer, and he was so excited that he composed an enthusiastic and heartfelt inscription of no fewer than twenty-nine lines, which he wrote on the opening page: “My soul rejoices on this blessed day, the day on which these precious sefarim arrived from the West, from Jerusalem of Gold... the sacred works of our master... the lion of the Heavenly Academy, our master and king, the holy Arizal...” In this inscription, Rabbi Shimon Aharon describes several sefarim of Kabbalah that he received from Jerusalem from Rabbi Sasson ben Rabbi Moshe, “whose name is already known worldwide through his holy work entitled Shemen Sasson.” He then offers a heartfelt prayer that Hashem should “illuminate our eyes with the Torah of Truth [the Torah of Kabbalah], and open for us the gates of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, enabling us to comprehend and grasp the profound depths of the secrets of His Torah in their true meaning...” He continues with a kabbalistic prayer and concludes: “These are the words of the young one... signed on Thursday of Shabbos Kodesh, the 25th day of Tishrei, 1873, who trusts in my Rock and refuge, the young Shimon Aharon Agassi, may he live, and may his name endure forever, Amen.” Throughout the sefer there are more than thirty glosses in Rabbi Shimon Aharon's distinctive fine handwriting. One gloss is signed: “S.B.A. [Shimon ben Aharon], may Hashem protect and sustain him” (leaf 125a). Some of his glosses are excerpts copied from the notes of Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach on the siddur. (In a sample comparison, we found these notes printed in Siddur Kavanos HaTefillah BiKtzarah (Jerusalem, 1986), where they are noted as appearing there for the first time from manuscript.) In addition to Rabbi Shimon Aharon’s glosses, the sefer contains additional glosses in the handwriting of several of Jerusalem’s leading scholars of Kabbalah and Roshei Yeshiva of the renowned Beis El yeshiva of Kabbalists in Jerusalem, who apparently studied from this sefer before it was sent to Baghdad: Rabbi Shem Tov HaKohen – More than 10 glosses. Known as “the Chassid, ” he was one of the kabbalists of Salonika and later one of the Roshei Yeshiva of the Beis El Yeshiva of Kabbalists. He passed away in 1888. For more information about him, see: Min HaGenazim, vol. 12, pp. 400–401. Rabbi Aharon Moshe Ferreira – Several brief glosses on leaves 137–138. Author of Toldos Aharon U’Moshe and other sefarim. He too was one of the kabbalists of Salonika. In 1848, he immigrated to Eretz Yisrael, where he was recognized as one of the members of the circle of kabbalists. He passed away in 1887. Rabbi Nissim Ani – A gloss on leaf 15a. A disciple of Rabbi Abdallah Somech and a childhood friend of Rabbi Eliyahu Mani, Av Beis Din of Chevron, with whom he delved into the secrets of Kabbalah. He traveled with him from Baghdad to Jerusalem in 1857 and became one of the leading scholars of the renowned Beis El beis medrash of kabbalists. He prepared for publication the sefer Divrei Shalom by the grandson of the Rashash and also wrote numerous glosses on works of Kabbalah. He passed away in 1900. The saintly kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Aharon Agassi, author of Bnei Aharon (1852–1913), was one of the leading kabbalists of the Sephardi world in the previous century.