Collection ID: 0021 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Ets Hayyim

Authors

• Vital, Hayyim ben Joseph, 1542-1620 (http://viaf.org/viaf/53241285)
• Poppers, Meir ben Judah Loeb, ha-Kohen, -1662 (http://viaf.org/viaf/53241285)
• Ẓemaḥ, Jacob ben Ḥayyim active 17th century (http://viaf.org/viaf/18664254)
• Shapira, Natan ben Reuven David (http://viaf.org/viaf/66342902)

Other related names

• Black, W.H., former owner
• Ettingen, Nathan, Chief Rabbi of Hamborough, former owner
• Crawford, James Ludovic Lindsay, Earl of, 1847-1913, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/9985420)

Call number

Hebrew MS 32
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Hebrew

Origin

Place

Europe?

Summary

Large manuscript on thick paper containing the first thirty-six gates (שערים) of Hayyim Vital's Tree of Life, an extensive Kabbalistic work in the Lurianic tradition. The work is preceded by several prefaces by the author himself and by Meir ben Judah Leib Poppers. The main text is accompanied by glosses from several scholars, among whom Jacob ben Hayyim Zemah. The manuscript, which records several recensions of Vital's magnum opus, is incomplete, and only runs up to the first part of gate 36. A second hand completes chapter 2 of that gate on folio 202a and adds the beginning of chapter 3. Variant recensions (see e.g. folio 8b מהדורא תנינא, folio 48b מהדורא קמא) are recorded in the text. Various glosses (הגהות) by several later scholars are inserted into Ets Hayyim in smaller letters in clear text blocks separated from the main text, e.g. by Jacob ben Hayyim Zemah. The Aleph catalogue of the National Library of Israel also suggests the text contains some glosses by Nathan ben Reuben David Spira and others.

Notes

• Marginal notes in pencil on folios 185a, 192a, and 202a.
   

Watermark

Watermarks on last 15 blank folios from the paper maker Jean Villedary (1668-1758): crown shield with lily and L.V.G. and IVILLEDARY.

Extent

202 ff. (202+xv); 375 x 242 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the top outer corner of side a of each folio, starting from fly-leaf. Second set of foliation in Arabic numerals at the bottom outer corner of side a of folios 2-11 (from 1 to 10).Occasional numbering in Arabic numerals of she'arim is found in the outer margin.

Support

Paper

Binding

Quarter binding with brown leather on spine and marbled paper on boards. Sewn on four raised cords.

Layout

Long line with between 44 and 49 written lines. Written dimensions: 308 x 178 mm.

Decoration

Folio 10b: concentric circles sketch; folio 28b: twice the word אב written in a decorative way with ink stripes; folio 48a: tetragrammaton; folio 58a: schematic representation of the ten sefirot, also known as the Tree of Life ("Ets Haim").

Script

Ashkenazi cursive script; Ashkenazi semi-cursive script for headings and Ashkenazi square script for intial words.

Provenance

• Acquired by Enriqueta Rylands in 1901 from James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford of Haigh Hall, and later bequeathed to the John Rylands Library.
   

Subjects topical

• Cabala
• Mysticism--Judaism

Keywords

• 17th century
• Jewish
• Ashkenazi
• Gloss
• Watermark
• Paper
• Diagrams
• Kabbalah

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of University of Manchester Library, Hebrew MS 32: Ets Hayyim are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2017 The University of Manchester Library Special Collections and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• 2a — Several prefaces by Hayyim Vital, followed by a preface by Meir ben Judah Leib Cohen Poppers [ff.2a-5b].
• 6a — Ets Hayyim, or Tree of Life, by Hayyim Vital [ff.6a-201b].
• 202a — Sha'ar 36, Perek 3 (incomplete) added by a later hand. According to W. H. Black [former owner] this was in the hand of Rabbi Nathan Ettingen.

Decorations

• 10b — Concentric circles sketch with the words אדם קדמון, א"מ, יושר אדם קדמון עיגולי in reference to primordial man ("Adam Qadmon").
• 28b — Twice the word אב written in a decorative way with ink stripes.
• 48a — Tetragrammaton written in a decorative way, with small ink circles and stripes.
• 58a — Schematic representation of the ten sefirot, also known as the Tree of Life ("Ets Haim").
• Inside back cover — Bookplate of the Bibliotheca Lindesiana.