Sefer HaZohar – Mantova, 1548-1560 – the Copy from the Beit Midrash of the Maharitz of Yemen in His Lifetime – ...

Sefer HaZohar – Mantova, 1548-1560 – the Copy from the Beit Midrash of the Maharitz of Yemen in His Lifetime – Important Handwritten Glosses from the Time of Printing

Sefer HaZohar on the Torah, by the Divine Tana Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Bereshit, Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim. Mantova, 1548-1560. First edition of the Zohar. Printed by Meir Ben Efrayim of Padova and Ya'akov Ben Mafatli HaCohen of Gazzuolo.

In the book of Bereshit, leaf 33/1, an inscription that book belongs to the Beit Midrash of Rabbi Yichyeh Tzalach – the Maharitz. The two volumes contain important glosses in Yemenite script and Oriental script from the time of printing and shortly after it.

We have already noted that there is great importance to glosses on the first edition of the Zohar, since until its printing, the greatest Kabbalist would study manuscripts of the Zohar, and those would be the most authorized and proofread. When the Zohar was printed for the first time, the Kabbalists proofread it, comparing it to the manuscripts they owned.

Rabbi Yichyeh the son of Rabbi Yosef Tzalach – the Maharitz (1715-1805) one of the greatest rabbis of Yemen in the 18th century and Rosh Av Beit Din of San'a. One of greatest Poskim Ahcronim. In his 40s he was appointed Chief Rabbi and Rosh Av Beit Din of all the communities of Yemen, a position he held for more than forty-five years. He was the supreme authority in Yemen and his halachic rulings and customs are a symbol of the members of the Yemenite community. His compositions: "Pe'ulat Tzaddik" Responsa, "Zevach Todah", "Sha'arei Kedusha", "Sha'arei Tahara", the "Etz Chaim" commentary on the Siddur Tiklal.

Lacking copies: Originally: Bereshit: [8], 251 leaves. Vayikra: 115 leaves. Bamidbar and Devarim: [2], 118-300 leaves. Bereshit: lacking the following leaves: title page, 6-7; 29-32; 41-44; 244-251. Some of the missing leaves were complete by hand, and they include: 29-32; 41-44; 244-250. Leaves 37-40 are double. Vayikra: begins on leaf 6 to 115. The first six leaves are missing. Bamidbar and Devarim: lacking the following leaves: 155-158; 176-177; 285-288; 291-300.

Condition varies between the leaves. Good-fair. Wear and tear. Text omission, some completed by hand. No binding. Detached leaves.