Manuscript, Sefer HaDerushim – Sha'ar HaPesukim – Kabbalistic homilies of the teachings of the Ari and his disciple, R. Chaim Vital, arranged according to Biblical order. [North Africa, ca 17th/18th century].
Western-Sephardi script, with titles written in calligraphic cursive script. Marginalia by a number of writers, with sources, novellae and supplements.
The top of the first leaf is titled Sefer HaDerushim and another title was added beneath in a different handwriting: Sha'ar HaPesukim. On p. 44b: "I will begin to write these novellae from R. Chaim Vital". On the last five pages is a commentary on the Zohar titled at the end of p. 84a: "I will begin to write a few commentaries on sayings from the Zohar".
Parallels to the content of this manuscript appear in the books of the Arizal: Likutei Torah, Sha'ar Ma'amarei Rashbi, Sha'ar Ma'amarei Chazal and Sefer HaLikutim [we have not found some of the homilies in the book and perhaps they were never printed].
The first leaf bears a calligraphic signature: "Ya'akov Alchayech" and ownership inscriptions in his handwriting: "Ya'akov Alchayech, Sivan 1762, bought from books from Egypt from Binyamin Dayan". A dynasty of rabbis descended from the renowned Alchayech family, members of the Portuguese community in Tunis [the El Grana community in Tunis which arrived there from Livorno in the 17th century]. Among the more renowned rabbis of that family are R. Mordechai Alchayech who died in 1778, his son R. Uziel Alchayech, author of Mishkenot HaRo'im (1740-1818) and R. Ya'akov Alchayech (1846-1914), a dayan in Tunis is the early 1900s.
86 leaves. Leaves 34 and 35 were interchanged during binding. 19.5 cm. Thick paper. Good-fair condition. Many stains and wear. Worming. New binding, fabric with vellum spine.