Manuscript, Anthology of Practical Kabbalah – Scribed by Rabbi Immanuel Mansano and His Son Rabbi Eliyahu Mansano ...

Manuscript, Anthology of Practical Kabbalah – Scribed by Rabbi Immanuel Mansano and His Son Rabbi Eliyahu Mansano (Disciple of the Or HaChaim) – Fez, 1766

Manuscript, anthology of practical kabbalah, including: Sefer Taalumot UMekorot HaChochmah, Sefer HaShemot – with additions by Moroccan rabbis, and other selections; scribed by R. Immanuel Mansano and his son R. Eliyahu Mansano (disciple of the Or HaChaim). Fez, [1766].
Complete volume, in neat (square and cursive) Sephardic-Maghrebi script. Ornamented words; kabbalistic diagrams and illustrations.
The main part of the manuscript comprises Sefer HaShemot – the book Shorshei HaShemot by R. Moshe Zacuto, the Remez, in its full, expanded version, as it was copied in Maghrebi countries, with additions by Moroccan rabbis (see below). This part was scribed by R. Immanuel son of R. Yehonatan Mansano, a prominent 18th century Torah scholar in Fez. Title page text at the beginning of the work, signed by his son R. Eliyahu Mansano, attesting that the work was scribed by his father: "…copied here in Fez by my father, the expert scribe R. Immanuel Mansano son of R. Yehonatan. I, Eliyahu son of R. Immanuel Mansano" (calligraphic signature).
The beginning of the manuscript contains a copying of the book Taalumot UMekorot HaChochmah, based on the Venice 1667 printed edition. This part was copied by R. Eliyahu Mansano. Concludes with a colophon, dated Friday 26th Av 1766, with his calligraphic signature (the part written by his father may have been scribed earlier). At the end of the manuscript, additional selections of Goralot (lots), segulot and hashbaot, presumably scribed by R. Eliyahu Mansano.
Sefer HaShemot contains in-text glosses, notes and additions (some in brackets and smaller script), including additions by Moroccan Torah scholars (such as R. Yosef ibn Tzur, R. Yeshaya Bakish, and others). Some of them may be R. Immanuel Mansano's own glosses. Additional marginalia by other writers. On p. 31b, marginal gloss signed: "In the name of R. Efraim Ankava (Alnaqua)… so says Immanuel". Addition in the name of R. Yaakov ibn Danan on p. 27a. In several places, additions in the name of the Yaavetz – R. Yaakov ibn Tzur.
Sefer HaShemot, better known as Shorshei HaShemot, is a comprehensive work on the Holy Names, with a detailed description of their functions and use in hashbaot and amulets. The work is formatted as an alphabetical encyclopedic lexicon, and includes thousands of Holy Names and kabbalistic name combinations, as well as much practical kabbalah. The core of the work was composed by the kabbalist R. Moshe Zacuto – the Remez, and it includes kabbalistic secrets he received from his teachers. The work of the Remez was of limited scope, but it was later expanded upon significantly by R. Eliyahu Shapira. The Chida in Shem HaGedolim (Maarechet HaGedolim in the entry about R. Moshe Zacuto), lists Shorshei HaShemot amongst his works, relating that he saw a manuscript of the work. In Maarechet Sefarim, he mentions two additional manuscripts of Shorshei HaShemot: one with many additions by R. Eliyahu Shapira, and the second: "A remarkable manuscript in quantity and quality, from Maghrebi Torah scholars".
R. Eliyahu Shapira, author of Birkat Eliyahu on the Talmud (Wandsbek 1728) and a Polish kabbalist. Served as rabbi of Ulanów and Kulczyny. Due to a libel against him, he escaped to Amsterdam and later reached Italy, where he met the Chida (who writes about him in Shem HaGedolim: "…this rabbi told me that he finished the Talmud seven times, and he is a pious, holy and ascetic man"). Towards the end of his life, he travelled to Tunis, where he passed away ca. 1760. His writings, including the present work, thereby reached the Torah scholars and kabbalists of North Africa. As mentioned, R. Eliyahu Shapira expanded upon the work Shorshei, inserting many additions. A copying of the work, which was in the possession of the Chida, is extant (Los Angeles University, Ms. 779 bx. 1.1), with a note from the Chida describing the additions of R. Eliyahu Shapira. R. Eliyahu Shapira is also mentioned on the title page of the work in the present manuscript: "This holy book was copied in short by the Torah scholar, complete in Torah, wisdom and piety… R. Eliyahu Shapira Ashkenazi… from the writings of R. Moshe Zacuto… it contains many wonders for one who executes them in holiness and purity…".
This is an early, expanded copying of the work (made several years after the passing of R. Eliyahu Shapira in Tunis; and before the Chida's second trip to Europe), with additions by leading Moroccan Torah scholars and kabbalists.
The scribe, R. Immanuel Mansano (the second) son of R. Yehonatan, was a leading Fez Torah scholar. He authored a book of homilies in 1734, as well as memoirs describing the troubles and sufferings which befell Moroccan Jewry in the first half of the 18th century (published by Benayahu, Divrei HaYamim shel Fez, Tel Aviv 1993, p. 133 onwards). He was a kabbalist and pious person (in his memoirs, he relates that he fasted six consecutive days, and posed a dream question whether to continue fasting on Shabbat, after hearing that a Torah scholar from Tafilalt passed away after such a fast; he was then told to cease his fast; see: Benayahu, ibid, p. 45). He also served as the Beit Din scribe in Fez, and his impressive penmanship is apparent in the present manuscript. One of the synagogues of Fez was named after him.
The second scribe, R. Eliyahu Mansano, son of R. Immanuel, was also a prominent Torah scholar of Fez. The book Malchei Rabbanan (p. 21b) quotes a letter he wrote in which he describes studying under the Or HaChaim (this was after the Or HaChaim returned from Amsterdam where he had published his book Chefetz Hashem in 1734; he settled for a while in Fez where he studied Torah with the yeshiva dean R. Shmuel ibn Elbaz, also mentioned in the aforementioned letter).

Taalumot UMekorot Chochmah: 1-8, 10-12 leaves (lacking leaf 9); Sefer HaShemot: 14-97 leaves; Selections: 98-102 leaves (later, penciled foliation). Approx. 21 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dark stains and dampstains. Tears, worming and wear, including open tears (primarily to inner margins), slightly affecting text, repaired with paper. Some marginal glosses slightly trimmed. New leather binding.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.087.