Commentary on the book of the Zohar on Vayikra, edited by Rabbi Avraham Azoulay. Salonica, 1842. Especially rare book.
Specifications: [2] 114 leaves, 28 cm. Printing was not completed. Large kabbalistic sketch.
Content: Commentary on the book of the Zohar which is a summary of the words of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero – the Ramak, and Rabbi Chaim Vital. Written by the famous kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Azoulay [1570-1645] who immigrated to Israel and settled in Hebron. Author of Chessed L’Avraham , the great grandfather of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Azoulay – the Chida. It is written in the introduction that the manuscript was in the possession of Rabbi Nissim Zarchia Azoulay from Safed, who tried to print it but passed away before the printing. Rabbi Nissim Zarchia Azoulay was the Chida’s grandson, who immigrated to Israel, settled in Safed and was killed in the earthquake of 1837.
Unique Features: Due to lack of funds, only the work on the book of Vayikra was printed, but the printing was not completed, and the copy before us contains all that was printed. Additionally, many of the copies were burned in a fire in Salonica.
Gerhsom Scholem wrote about the book: Extremely unusually rare. To the best of our knowledge, the book has not been up for auction in recent decades.
Condition: Very fine. Minimal aging stains. Original reinforced binding.