Illustrated Mansuscript, Pri Etz Chaim – Brody, 1743 – Copy of Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Gershon of Kitov ...

Illustrated Mansuscript, Pri Etz Chaim – Brody, 1743 – Copy of Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Gershon of Kitov, Brother-in-Law of the Baal Shem Tov

Illustrated manuscript, Pri Etz Chaim, teachings of the Arizal by R. Chaim Vital, compiled by R. Meir Poppers; scribed by R. Moshe son of R. Yosef of Liuboml. [Brody?], 1743.

Copy of kabbalist R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov (Kitover), the famous brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov (see at length below).

Written and illustrated artistically, in neat Ashkenazic cursive script, with decorations and illustrations. Minute flower and leaf decorations throughout the manuscript. Two large and impressive illustrations – resembling rugs – on pp. 178a and 252b: The illustration on p. 178a covers most of the page and is headed by the Biblical title "This is the table that is before the Lord". Two colors of ink are used in it, and it is decorated with closely drawn symmetric vegetal patterns – twisting vines, leaves and flowers – some minute. In the upper half is a square frame with six medallions containing letters of the four-lettered Name of G-d, topped by a decoration of a jug with a spout designed as a bird head. In the bottom half is a pair of erect lions hissing, between which is a large vase set upon a stylized base. The decorations are bordered by a wide rectangular frame, which incorporates a cartouche and thirteen medallions, all blank.

The illustration on p. 252b depicts the seven lower Sefirot in circles, between them fine illustrations with symmetrical vegetal patterns, including twisting vines, jugs and large flowers. On either side of the Sefirah of Yesod appear illustrations of a predatory bird (eagle) and rabbit.

Several other small illustrations (illustration of tefillin bayit on leaf 35; illustration of shofar on leaf 224).

At the top of the first leaf: "For the unification of the Holy One Blessed is He and His divine presence by that which is concealed and hidden, I begin to write the book of weekday Kavanot".

On p. 151b, at the end of Shaar Tikun Chatzot, colophon of scribe in rhyming prose: "I raise my feeble arms in prayer… May He grant us the merit to attain high levels… and complete repentance, to be a faithful servant of G-d by day and night; so says the writer Moshe son of R. Yosef of Liuboml, and it was completed Friday, 23rd Elul 1743…".

On the front endpaper appear inscriptions by another writer, including two kabbalistic passages, headed by an ownership inscription: "Pri Etz Chaim, belongs to the great rabbi… R. Avraham Gershon" – apparently referring to R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov, one of the kabbalists of the Brody Kloiz and brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov.

We know of two other manuscripts attributed to this scribe, which demonstrate that he was active in Brody and Yampil in the years 1744-1750. The first manuscript is the Siddur Kavanot HaAri which he wrote in Yampil, 1750; this siddur was published in facsimile in 1998 by R. Shlomo Yisrael Mehudar. The date and location appear on the title page, and the scribe's colophon on p. 204a of the siddur: "…Moshe son of R. Yosef of Liuboml". Notably, at the end of the above manuscript appear inscriptions, apparently by another writer, including a kabbalistic kavanah for immersion by the Baal Shem Tov. The second is the manuscript Derech Etz Chaim (formerly of the collection of R. David Frankel of Bnei Brak), a facsimile of the title page of which appears in the abovementioned facsimile edition, which attributes it to him, although the scribe's name does not appear in the facsimile (the attribution is likely, judging by the style of writing and title page decorations). The above manuscript of Derech Etz Chaim was written in Brody, as mentioned on the title page; the chronogram and thus date of writing should apparently be read 1744. The latter manuscript contains the signature of R. Yechezkel Landau, the Noda BiYehudah (notably, the other manuscript, the Kavanot HaAri, was written in Yampil during the Noda BiYehudah's tenure as city rabbi).

The scribe of the manuscript, R. Moshe son of R. Yosef of Liuboml, would then have been active in Brody and Yampil, and in addition to the present manuscript (R. Meir Poppers' recension of Pri Etz Chaim), he also scribed another volume of the Arizal's writings (Derech Etz Chaim, also in R. Meir Poppers' recension), which was in the possession of the Noda BiYehudah. Significantly, the Noda BiYehudah was a close friend of R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov, and both were members of the Brody Kloiz, where they stayed until 1744, when they were expelled from the city along with R. Meir Margaliot, author of Meir Netivim (see below).

We know nothing else of the scribe R. Moshe of Liuboml, but he was evidently the scribe of several kabbalistic manuscripts used by members of the Brody Kloiz, and he himself may have also been a member of the kabbalistic circle of the Kloiz.

In Shaar Shabbat, the scribe integrated glosses by the kabbalist R. Yaakov Tzemach (with the opening word "Tzemach") and by a kabbalist named "Elchanan" (leaves 159-160), in "windows" in the main text. Apparently, the latter is the kabbalist R. Elchanan of Brody (about whom no biographical details are known; his name appears in his Leket HaPardes which is preserved in several manuscripts. An autograph of his written in 1714 is known, and his name indicates he was from Brody).

Several marginal glosses by writers we were unable to identify.

The original manuscript breaks off in the middle of Shaar Yemei HaPurim (chapter 4), at the end of which appears a fragment of another leaf. At the end of the manuscript are bound three more leaves by another scribe, including sections of the introduction printed at the beginning of Pri Etz Chaim (Korets 1785). These leaves contain many inscriptions and pen trials (particularly to margins), partially deleted, including drafts of salutations for letters.

R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov (Kuty; d. Adar 1761), a prominent Torah scholar and kabbalist, was a member of the Kloiz in Brody. He was the famous brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov, and one of the first Chassidim to immigrate to Eretz Israel. Shivchei HaBesht recounts wondrous tales of his relationship with his brother-in-law, the Baal Shem Tov. At first, he did not recognize the stature of the Baal Shem Tov and thought him to be an unlearned simpleton, but eventually he clung to him wholeheartedly and joined his circle. The Baal Shem Tov revealed esoteric secrets to his brother-in-law and showed him the way to elevate souls during the Minchah prayer on Erev Shabbat. R. Avraham Gershon lived in Brody, where he studied in the well-known Brody Kloiz. At the Kloiz, he served as prayer leader, and there he became acquainted with the Noda BiYehudah, a friendship which lasted for many years. The Noda BiYehudah later called him "The apple of my eye and desire of my heart… a sage who is greater than a prophet, a lion, my beloved, dear friend… expert and excellent in Torah and piety…" (from the beginning of a letter sent to R. Avraham Gershon when he was in Constantinople; Noda BiYehudah Kama, Even HaEzer, 73).

In 1744, the Noda BiYehudah, R. Avraham Gershon of Kitov and R. Meir Margaliot author of Meir Netivim, were forced to leave Brody after they published a halachic decision ruling that the wife of a powerful member of the Brody community is forbidden to him. This act cost them dearly; R. Yechezkel was heavily fined, forcing him to hand over all his money and property; the Meir Netivim was lashed; and R. Gershon of Kitov managed to escape before being punished (on the affair, see Kedem Catalogue 63, Lot 13). According to Chassidic tradition, when the Baal Shem Tov heard of the incident, he stated that "these three were allotted greatness for sanctifying G-d's name publicly, R. Yechezkel will be Rabbi of Prague, R. Meir Margaliot will be Rabbi of Lviv and Ostroh, and R. Avraham Gershon will be in the Holy Land… and so it was" (Emunat Tzaddikim, Warsaw 1900, p. 19; see also Kedem Catalogue 69, Part 1, Lot 16).

After escaping Brody, R. Avraham Gershon stayed for two years by his brother-in-law the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh (Medzhybizh), teaching the Baal Shem Tov's son, R. Tzvi. In 1746, R. Gershon began his journey to Eretz Israel. Some say that he was sent to Eretz Israel by the Baal Shem Tov, who hoped to disseminate Chassidut in the Orient. The letters exchanged between the Baal Shem Tov and R. Gershon while living in Eretz Israel attest to the deep spiritual and emotional ties between them. Especially well known is the letter from the Baal Shem Tov telling of his conversation with the Messiah: "'When are you coming, my master?' 'When your wellsprings spread outward'". R. Gershon first settled in Hebron, and in ca. 1754 he moved to Jerusalem, where he became a leading Torah scholar and head of the developing Ashkenazi community. He joined the kabbalistic Beit El yeshiva and studied under the great kabbalist, the Rashash. R. Yitzchak Zerachiah Azulai, father of the Chida, was his close friend during that period.

[2], 3-164, [1], 165-258 leaves (misfoliated) + [3] leaves in another hand. 36 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dark stains. Dampstains with ink smudging to several leaves. Browning to some leaves. Damage, ink erosion and ink fading in several places, slightly affecting text. Tears to several leaves, affecting text (including open tear to leaf 252, affecting illustration). New leather binding.