Manuscript, "Mitpachat Sefarim" by R. Yaakov Emden, the "Ya'avetz". [Europe, ca. 1840s].
Complete copy of the book in Ashkenazi cursive script (two columns per page), from the first edition printed by the Ya'avetz in his printing house in Altona in 1768 (including the title page, indices and colophon). This book was printed by the Ya'avetz in a limited number of copies and was considered rare until its reprinting in 1870.
Mitpachat Sefarim is a critique of the Zohar and an attempt to authenticate its authorship and date of composition. As is well known, the Ya'avetz declared war on the Sabbateans and their sects. The rationale behind this publication (as explained by the Ya'avetz in his introduction), was the inappropriate use of the Zohar and Kabbalah by the Sabbateans. In this work Ya'avetz attempts to discredit the Zohar by claiming that it was not written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai as is commonly accepted, that parts of it were written at a later date, and that, "It includes dubious material of uncertain and false authorship…". The Chida (Shem Hagedolim, Maarechet Sefarim, Zohar entry) is critical of this analysis of the Ya'avetz, but attempts to advocate that "it seems to me that even the great Rabbi [Ya'avetz] recognized the truth of the Zohar. However, in his zeal to eradicate the cursed Sabbateans who base their inappropriate acts on the words of the Zohar, he attempted to uproot the basis of their actions, and his intent was for the sake of Heaven…".
[33] leaves (with many more blank pages). 20.5 cm. Good condition. Few stains. Several comments in pencil. Original binding, damaged.