Jerusalem (Israel), The National Library of Israel: Ms. Heb. 4=9822
About the Ilan
TextGrid URI of the Editiontextgrid:4m1kf
FamiliesGreat Tree (Lurianic) ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot in this Family
Surfaces of the Ilan
Recto
About the Manuscript
Identifiers and Titles
IdentifierJerusalem (Israel), The National Library of Israel: Ms. Heb. 4=9822
Alternative IdentifiersTel Aviv, GFC, Ms. 028.012.024
Primary Manuscript TitlesTree of Circular and Linear Emanations
Alternative Manuscript TitlesJerusalem, NLI, Ms. Heb. 4=9822
NLI ID997012314164905171
Manuscript History
Origin
CreatorJoseph Siprut de Gabay ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot by this Creator
Date Informationc. 1734
Creation PlacesAmsterdam (The Netherlands)
Physical Description
MaterialParchment ๐Translucent or opaque material made from calf, sheep, or goat skin which has been limed, dehaired, scraped, and dried under tension to produce a thin, strong material for writing, bookbinding, or other uses. For finer quality calf parchment, use "vellum." The terms parchment and vellum sometimes have been and still are both confused and used interchangeably. ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot with this Material
FormRotulus ๐A roll of parchment or paper unrolled vertically for reading. ๐๏ธSearch for Ilanot with this Form
Dimensions Description87 ร 69.5
Hand DescriptionSephardic
Content Description
SummaryThis uniquely structured Great Tree was created by Joseph Siprut de Gabay in Amsterdam around 1734. Gabay made three such ilanot: a second is also held by the NLI (Ms. Heb. 4=1045) and a third is in the Lehmann Collection (K85, this witness being the only one bearing the author's signed colophon).
Gabay took a novel approach to fashioning a Great Tree that included Vital's concentric circles (V). Instead of opening a long rotulus with V, which would then be followed by the other components, Gabay inserted a modified Great Tree within roughly 40 large circlesโall on a single membrane. In doing so, he created the most ramified โIggulim ve-yosherโ (circles and straight [line]) diagram in the corpus.
The use of phrases including โlight that contains no thoughtโ in the inscriptions suggests that Gabay was familiar with concepts associated with Nathan of Gaza.
Gabay took a novel approach to fashioning a Great Tree that included Vital's concentric circles (V). Instead of opening a long rotulus with V, which would then be followed by the other components, Gabay inserted a modified Great Tree within roughly 40 large circlesโall on a single membrane. In doing so, he created the most ramified โIggulim ve-yosherโ (circles and straight [line]) diagram in the corpus.
The use of phrases including โlight that contains no thoughtโ in the inscriptions suggests that Gabay was familiar with concepts associated with Nathan of Gaza.
Further Information
Research LiteratureJ. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree: Ha-Ilan ha-Kabali (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 249โ251, 355, 378.
J. H. Chajes, "And Now I Will Draw You a Circle: Kabbalistic Diagram as Epistemic Image," Peโamim: Studies in Oriental Jewry 150โ2018 (152): 235โ288, esp. 271โ273. [In Hebrew]
J. H. Chajes, "And Now I Will Draw You a Circle: Kabbalistic Diagram as Epistemic Image," Peโamim: Studies in Oriental Jewry 150โ2018 (152): 235โ288, esp. 271โ273. [In Hebrew]
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