The First Edition of the Sacred Piyut Bar Yochai!!
Sefer Heichal Hashem – A Collection of Essays in Kabbalah
Venice, 1601
"Bar Yochai, blessed is the one who birthed you,
Blessed are the people who learn from you,
And blessed are those who understand your secrets,
Who are illuminated from your “Urim V’Tumim” [a reference to the Urim V’Tumim on the breastplate of the Kohen Gadol]." (From the piyut)
Sefer Heichal Hashem contains a collection of important essays in Kabbalah by the greatest Kabbalists – Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, the Ramak and the Arizal. It was compiled by Rabbi Yechiel Luria Ashkenazi.
For the very first time, the famous piyut of Bar Yochai was printed in the sefer!!
The piyut was composed in honor of Rabbeinu Shimon Bar Yochai by the Kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Lavi. It is sung by Jews on his yahrtzheit, Lag B’Omer, and is one of the most prominent Jewish piyutim of all times!
"Anyone upon whom Hashem has illuminated His spirit…. and who is a master of Kabbalah, should chant this pizmon (song), for it is a wonderful segulah for the illumination of the soul." (Tikkunei Shabbos by the Arizal, Krakow c. 1613, p. 6-7).
The poem was printed on p. 44b – 45a, under the title: "A Pizmon for Rashbi for Kabbalas Shabbos". It is written according to the order of the ten Sefiros.
Because of its importance in the eyes of Kabbalists, it was printed as part of the "Tikkunei Shabbos" by the Arizal. The Shlah HaKadosh and Baal ‘Semichas Chachamim’ included it in their siddurim.
Venice, c. 1601. First edition.
Page Count: 47 leaves.
Condition: Good; small adhesion on margins of title page; a few punctures and a few stains. Handsome new leather binding.
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The sefer contains the following collection of important Kabbalistic works:
- Sefer Heichal Hashem – Sefer Hashem (pages 1-35). An ancient work from the period of the Rishonim; some attributed it to Rabbi Moshe de Leon, but it is not his.
- "Shmuah B’Inyan HaGilgul Leda’as – Rashbi z"l and Pythagoras" of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (36-37)
- "Sodos L’Chacham HaMekubal Moreinu Harav Yosef Gikatilla z"l" (38-41b)
- "Peirush Lekutim" by Rabbi Shem Tov ben Gaon from the Rashba, on the commentaries of Ramban (41 leaf 2 – 44 leaf 1)
- "Peirush Shel HaKadosh Mahari Luria Ashkenazi z’l" (44)
- Piyut Bar Yochai (44b – 45a)
- "Kina Al Shommemus HaHeichal", "Vidui", kavanos of "Maran Rabbi Yitzchak Luria" (45a – 47a)
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The compiler of the sefer, the Kabbalist Rabbi Yechiel Luria Ashkenazi, renowned as the "Ish Yerushalayim”, the “Man of Jerusalem”, traveled to Europe as an emissary and printed in Venice several Kabbalistic works of the sages of Eretz Yisrael: Sefer Charedim of Rabbi Elazar Azikri (1601); Sefer Asis Rimonim of Rabbi Shmuel Galiko (1601); as well as the present sefer Heichal Hashem, which is presumed to have also been printed that year.
Some speculate that Rabbi Yechiel was a relation of the holy Arizal. (See: Toldos Chachmei Yerushalayim, ch. 1, p. 109.)
