Sefer Mitpachat Sefarim by Rabbi Yaakov Emden. Altona, 1768 – First and rare edition printed in the author’s home.
In this Sefer, the author comes out to dispute the attribution of the holy Zohar to the holy Tanna, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The main portion of it is a detailed and genius research work, in which he tries to sort out what are the ancient parts of the Zohar which were written at the time of the Tannaim and Amoraim, and which are latter portions, written many generations later. According to him, even the ancient sections are rife with corrections and changes introduced by generations of transcribers. The Sefer is also full of diatribes against Rabbi Yehonatan Eibshutz.
When published, the Sefer caused an incredible controversy amongst Orthodox Jewry, and the “Maskilim” embraced it warmly and even printed another edition of it (Lemberg, 1870). The conclusions of the Sefer were not accepted by the Gedolim of the generations, and it was never printed again in any Orthodox press, only through researchers and Maskilim.
Surprisingly, the Sefer was accepted (at least partially) by the Teacher of all Israel, Maran the Chassam Sofer, as were all of the Yaavetz’s Seforim. (See e.g. what he wrote in responsa Chassam Sofer, vol. VI, §59: “In your vicinity is the Sefer Mitpachat Sofrim by the Rabbi Yaavetz, you will find there that the prophet OBM spoke a great thing on this topic”.)
The Chida, in Shem Hagedolim (Seforim, under ‘Zohar’) writes in astonishment about this Sefer: “Recently I have obtained ‘Mitpachat Sefarim’ and just skimming through I have seen that he has done a criminal thing in that he wrote that it (the Zohar) is not from a Tanna but from a latter, and he disputed the greatness and awe which is in the Zohar. And in my way I was wondering greatly about his words in general and especially when our Rabbis, the lions of the Torah, Maran Rabbi Moshe Cordoveiro and the Arizal, who had Ruach Hakodesh and to whom Eliyahu Hanavi revealed himself, and their words span the earth are against him and they are followed by several exalted holy people”.
At the end of the section, the Chida writes to attempt to justify why the Yaavetz did this, as follows: “Therefore, it appears to me that even the Rav OBM knew in truth the worth of the holy Zohar, but in his wrath against the cursed sect (the Sabbateans) who transgress severe Issurim of Kares and Capital punishment, by claiming they found this in the words of the Zohar in all sorts of falsehoods; therefore he went out to shake their belief and to raise doubts because of “time to do”, and he means the glory of heaven”.
50pp. 19cm. Adhesive tape on the inner margin of the title page for strength. New binding. Most pages in good condition.
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