An especially rare book of kabbalah: Erkei Hakinuyim – first edition Koretz, 1782

An especially rare book of kabbalah: Erkei Hakinuyim – first edition Koretz, 1782
The book Erkei Hakinuyim that deals with the value of the holy names and their combinations, from the works of the Ari “by the true genius Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach.” An extremely rare basic book – first edition Koretz 1782. Originally printed without a title page [“The pages are marked from 10 to 19 and it therefore appears that it was originally together with another book” – Friedberg, Toldot Hadfus B’Polania, section edition, p. 74. According to Gershom Shalom: It was apparently printed without a title page as a continuation of another book, as can be seen from the page numbers! It is referred to by the author as Brachot B’cheshbon in his introduction to Idra]. The copy before us is bound with a title page of the book Tikkun Sofrim with an unidentified ownership signature. 38 leaves. Stains and worming holes, restored tears, moderate general condition. Rabbi Yaakov son of Chaim Tzemach, a member of the marrnao community in Portugal, studied medicine in Lisbon. At the age of thirty he moved to Salonika where he began to live openly as a Jew. He studied Torah there and moved to Safed. He later moved to Damascus where he studied from Rabbi Shmuel Vital, the son of Rabbi Chaim Vital. He wrote many books of kabbalah including Nagid U’Mitzva, Kol Berama, Tiferet Adam and many more books. He saw the works of Rabbi Chaim Vital and used them to arrange his books. In his introduction to the commentary of the Idra he talks about the books of kabbalah he had seen. Unfortunately, he left many other works in manuscript that we do not have. At the end of his life he lived in Jerusalem and was one of the main opponents of Shabtai Zvi. His son is Rabbi Avraham, author of Brit Avraham.