Manuscript, Footsteps of Avraham Avinu – Renowned Kabbalistic Essay Handwritten by the Kabbalist Rabbi Chaim ...

Manuscript, Footsteps of Avraham Avinu – Renowned Kabbalistic Essay Handwritten by the Kabbalist Rabbi Chaim HaKohen of Aleppo, Author of Tur Bareket (Disciple of Rabbi Chaim Vital) – Copying of a Letter Sent by His Teacher Rabbi Chaim Vital – Preliminary Version – Venice, 17th Century
Manuscript (six written pages), kabbalistic essay entitled Pesiotav shel Avraham Avinu – Footsteps of Avraham Avinu, copying of a letter by R. Chaim Vital, handwritten by the kabbalist R. Chaim HaKohen of Aleppo, author of Tur Bareket (close disciple of R. Chaim Vital). Semi-cursive Sephardic script. [Venice? between 1620-1655].
In the heading of the present manuscript, R. Chaim HaKohen writes: " Essay copied from the letter sent by the G-dly, holy man R. Chaim Vital to Shlomo who asked him about the saying of R. Yose that the footsteps of Avraham Avinu were 3 mil long [Bereshit Rabba 43:3], and this is what he wrote". The present essay by R. Chaim Vital offers important introductions to the teachings of the Arizal, and includes many novellae by R. Chaim Vital which are based on the fundaments of the teachings of the Arizal on various topics. Amongst other topics, he explains here the concept of "Kefitzat HaDerech" (miraculous shortening of a journey) and how this takes place.
This essay was first published, in its expanded version, at the end of the book Chessed LeAvraham, by R. Avraham Azulai (Amsterdam 1685, from there it was copied to the Slavita 1794 edition) and again in Shaar Maamarei Razal, by R. Shmuel Vital (Salonika 1862), based on an inaccurate copying of the manuscript of his father R. Chaim Vital, and a third time in the book Maamar Pesiotav shel Avraham Avinu, published by the Ahavat Shalom institute (Jerusalem 1998), based on the manuscript of R. Meir Poppers. The above-mentioned editions were presumably printed based on a later edition of the essay, since they contain many additions not appearing in the present manuscript (it is unclear whether they were added by the author R. Chaim Vital, or by one of the copyists and editors). The text found in the present manuscript is presumably a preliminary, abridged version, which contains in a condensed form all the principles found in the printed editions.
R. Avraham Simcha Rabbi of Omtchislav describes the great significance of this essay in a letter, where he writes that his prominent uncle, R. Chaim of Volozhin, once told him that the Gaon of Vilna at one time thought that R. Chaim Vital didn't plumb the depth of the meaning of the teachings of the Arizal, but rather only explained in his writings the allegory of the Arizal's teachings. Yet "he [the Gaon of Vilna] later realized that in one place it is evident that R. Chaim Vital understood the full meaning, and just concealed it very well". R. Avraham Simcha further relates: "I told him [R. Chaim of Volozhin] that the Gaon of Vilna was presumably referring to the letter of R. Chaim Vital named Maamar HaPesiot, which is printed at the end of the Amsterdam [1685] edition of Chesed LeAvraham… he [R. Chaim of Volozhin] replied joyfully: So it is, the Gaon of Vilna was referring to this letter" (first printed at the end of Derech Tevunot by the Ramchal, Jerusalem 1880 edition).
The kabbalist R. Chaim HaKohen of Aleppo (1585?-1655) was a close disciple of R. Chaim Vital in the latter's final years in Damascus. After his teacher's passing, R. Chaim served as one of the rabbis of Aleppo. For twenty years, he toiled on composing many works. Upon completing them, he took all his compositions and travelled by ship to Venice, Italy to have them published, yet during the course of the voyage, his ship was attacked by pirates, and R. Chaim escaped the ship together with his son, leaving all his works behind. When R. Chaim reached Venice, he began reconstructing from memory some of the compositions he had lost. In his final years, he printed some of his works, including Tur Bareket, Mekor Chaim and Torat Chacham. In his works, R. Chaim explains the laws in the four parts of Shulchan Aruch according to Kabbalah, Derush, Musar and inspiration to service of G-d (in a somewhat similar style to Likutei Halachot by R. Natan of Breslov). Many of his works are still unpublished. In his final year, he settled in Livorno to oversee the printing of his books. There, he made acquaintance with the kabbalist R. Natan Natta Hanover, author of the famous kabbalistic siddur Shaarei Tzion. In his preface to his siddur, R. Natan Natta writes: "and a holy man, R. Chaim, close disciple of R. Chaim Vital came here, and I received from him this splendid wisdom first hand, and he transmitted to me several good topics, novellae which he received from his teacher which are not recorded in Etz Chaim, and all his teachings are as if written from Sinai". The Chida quotes the manuscript writings of R. Chaim HaKohen extensively in his books, and even purchased some of his manuscripts (see for instance Ms NY JTS 1185, autograph of R. Chaim HaKohen which was in the possession of the Chida, and compare to Shem HaGedolim in the Ateret Zahav entry). The Chida refers to him as an exceptionally holy kabbalist.
[3] leaves (6 written pages). 20.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Minor wear. Open tears and worming, affecting text, repaired with paper. The manuscript was bound in a fine leather binding.