“My renowned brother-in-law, the G-dly man for whom Heavenly paths open” (the Besh”t)
Kabbalistic manuscript – the Ar”i’s intentions fot the words “Baruch Attah” at the beginning of Shemoneh Esreh, from Sha’ar HaKavvanot by Rabbi Chaim Vital. Copy that belonged to the Besh”t’s brother-in-law and his closest associate, the G-dly Kabbalist Rabbi Gershon Kitov, teacher of the rebbe Rabbi Tzvi, son of the Besh”t. Four lines [hundreds of words!] of deep Kabbalistic glosses on the first page of the manuscript handwritten by Rabbi Gershon of Kitov himself. The words ‘great light’ [‘אור גדול’] appear in their midst in large letters!
Aside from the incomprehensible segulah value of this sacred manuscript, from which the wonder-worker and closest person to the light of the seven seas, the Besh”t, prayed, and aside from the sacred Names and the upper sephirot in his own hand, about which will elucidate later on, the Kabbalistic-Chassidic value of this manuscript is more precious than gold. The deepest and unknown Kabbalistic insights from Rabbi Gershon Kitov, one of the patriarchs of Chassidism and the closest associate of the Ba’al Shem Tov. Nothing of his Torah was printed, except a few famous letters to his brother-in-law, the Ba’al Shem Tov, and to his disciple, Rabbi Tzvi ben HaBesh”t, which certainly contain the deepest secrets – but explicit Kabbalistic novellae – or any of his novellae at all – have never been printed.
The is much told in Chassidic histories about the friendship between Rabbi Gershon Kitov and the leading Kabbalists of Jerusalem, and that he was one of the Rasha”sh’s primary disciples. This is explicit documentation of this – in his deep Kabbalistic novellae on the Ar”i’s writings, in his own hand! We will note the moving tarstains along the length of the leaf, from tears she by Rebbe Gershon Kitover during Shemoneh Esreh. The researcher Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber, in his series of articles on Rabbi Gershon of Kitov, who concluded from this manuscript that Rabbi Gershon of Kitov was the one who served as the shaliach tzibbur at the Rasha”sh’s yeshivah, Beit E-l. ( MeShulchano shel Yechiel Goldhaber , article 2, Parashat Achrei-Kedoshim, 2015)
Kabbalists in our days pray according to the Rasha”sh’s intentions, which are different and wider that the Ar”i’s usual intentions. However, the Ar”i HaKadosh, the Besh”t and all Kabbalists up to the time of the Rasha”sh, as appears inthe siddurim of the Besh”t’s disciples, such as Siddur Rebbe Shabtai and Siddur Rabbi Avraham Shimshon son of the Toldot . Rabbi Gershon of Kitov certainly also pryaed with the standard Kavvnot HeAr”i , as can be observed from the many usage marks and tear remnants on this sacred manuscript. But is may be that in his glosses in the margins of the manuscript, he already adds to the Ar”i’s intentions from the words of his teacher, the Rasha”sh.
More than anything else, the very fact of Rabbi Gershon Kitov being the colsest person to the Light of the Seven Seas, the Besh”t, attests to his greatness and stature. It was not for naught that the Besh”t selected him from among all his disciples to send his famous letter, known over time as the Chassidic Manifesto, to him, in which he asked Mashiach “When are you coming?” and Mashiach responds “When your spring bursts forth” and there are those who consider this to be the most important of the Besh”t’s doctrines, as he wrote it himself.
And even more so, Rabbi Gershon Kitov, was one of those who pave the path of prayer intentions for the Besh”t, as related by the Maggid of Kozhnitz in his sefer Avodat Yisrael (Metzora p. 159, second column): “I heard it said that the sacred Rebbe Rabbi Gershon once said to his brother-in-law, the Besh”t, z”l, when he was as yet unaware of his stature, “As long as you can still recite Barch Attach in your prayer according to your wishes, know that you have reached the intention of prayer because a person must extend himself until he has not more strength or mental ability to speak the prayer and this is true.” It is very interesting to note that this manuscript indeed discusses these two words – “Baruch Attah.”
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Avraham Gershon Kitov .
[2] pages, 20.5×15.5 cm. The text of the kavvanah is in cursive Sephardic script. The glosses by Rabbi Gershon of Kitov are in Rash”i script.
Fine condition. Aging and tear stains. Restored worming perforations. New leather binding.
