Manuscript, Hadrat Kodesh, commentary on the Zohar, attributed to R. Avraham Pinto of Marrakesh. [Cursive Western script, Morocco, ca. late 18th century].
Handwritten by the author, with additions and erasures. The manuscript contains the first edition of the composition with the Mahadura Batra (second edition) bound at its end. Noted in several titles in the Mahadura Batra is that this is a different edition of the composition. In many passages, this manuscript contains accurate versions of the Zohar, copied from ancient manuscripts.
This manuscript often cites the Mikdash Melech, Hadrat Melech and Kevod Melech [written by R. Shalom Buzaglo, from the same city and close disciple of the author's father, R. Ya'akov Pinto. R. Buzaglo wrote his books together with a group of R. Pinto's holy disciples]. Many sections of the manuscript end with the signature "A.A." [=Ani, Avraham].
The well-known bibliographer Naftali Ben Menachem identified the author of Hadrat Kodesh and of this manuscript as R. Avraham Pinto the first, according to these signatures - see enclosed material. In another place in the manuscript, commenting on the inverted Nuns in Parshat Be'Ha'alotcha, the author attests that he is a professional scribe and cites an early tradition explaining these inverted Nuns in the name of the Rishonim and in the name of the scribe R. Moshe Zabra [a sage from Castile from the 1470s who settled in Fez after the Spanish Expulsion].
The kabbalist R. Avraham Pinto the first (died on Sukkot 1803), son of kabbalist R. Ya'akov Pinto the first [who belonged to the group of kabbalists who wrote the series of the Mikdash Melech books]. Served in the Marrakesh rabbinate, a major center of Moroccan Jews, and was esteemed as a foremost sage of his times. His kabbalistic glosses on Otzrot Chaim were printed in the books Mekom Binah and Sha'arei Binah. He wrote Mor Dror on the Talmud and many halachic responsa. Most of his writings are still in manuscripts and have not been printed. This composition too, has never been printed. The volume is lacking the beginning, and begins at leaf 10. From there on, the pagination continues inconsecutively. Mahadura Batra begins with a new pagination. Total of 279 leaves: [174] of Mahadura Kama and [99] of Mahadura Batra and the remainder are blank leaves. At the end of the volume is a colophon: Blesses is G-d the Merciful, who assisted me from the beginning until now.
15.5 cm. Good-fair condition, wear and stains. Detached leaves. Ancient leather binding, slightly worn.
See: article by Naftali Ben Menachem: Descriptions of 20 manuscripts, Areshet, Vol. 2, Jerusalem 1960, Manuscript no. 11, pp. 390-391 [apparently, this manuscript is the same as the one he describes in his article, but it seems that the notes of the pagination at the end of the volume are erroneous - see enclosed material].