A rare 18th-century prayer book, based on the teachings of 16th-century mystic Rabbi Isaac Luria and offering a glimpse into the hidden world of Jewish mysticism, will go on display for the first time at the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, beginning just before the Lag Ba’omer holiday.
The holiday, which is observed this year starting in the evening of May 4 and which is traditionally associated with the figure of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, as well as with the world of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, will be marked at the museum with the unveiling of a unique siddur, or prayer book, containing the kavanot, or mystical intentions, from Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as Ha'ari.
The siddur was copied by hand in 1749 in the town of Satanov, then in Poland, and today in Ukraine, by the scribe Israel ben Raphael Segal. Written in ink on paper and bound in leather decorated with colored leather panels and gold leaf, the book reflects a profound spiritual tradition in which prayer is not only a text to be recited but also a practice in which every word is believed to have the power to influence both this world and the next.
Ha'ari lived and taught in Safed in the 16th century and is considered one of the greatest Kabbalists in Jewish history. His teachings revolutionized the world of Kabbalah and continue to influence Jewish thought and practice to this day. He viewed prayer as a means of tikkun, or repair, of both the human world and higher spiritual realms.
To this end, he developed kavanot intended to guide the worshipper’s thoughts during prayer or the performance of commandments.
The text of this siddur was edited by Ha’ari’s disciples, foremost among them Rabbi Chaim Vital, and it offers a fascinating window into Ha’ari’s teachings and into the inner world of Kabbalists. The prayers are arranged according to the order of the worlds in Kabbalistic thought: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah.
The manuscript includes combinations of holy names and instructions for the intentions worshippers should have while reciting the prayers. It also contains visual elements, including diagrams and tables.
Ha’ari’s kavanot influenced the Rashash
The version of the prayer service with Ha’ari’s kavanot became the basis for the development of other prayer traditions, among them the siddur of the Rashash, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, in the 18th century. It also influenced the shaping of prayer traditions in the Hasidic movement in Eastern Europe.
One of the striking aspects of the siddur is that it was copied by hand nearly 300 years after the invention of printing. This was due to a prohibition among Kabbalists against printing the teachings of Ha’ari, a measure intended to limit the circulation of these writings. As a result, such texts were copied by hand within communities of Kabbalistic circles.
The siddur was donated to the museum by René Schreiber, who requested that, after his death, it should be given a suitable home in Israel. It is being displayed in the section devoted to the development of Jewish faith, thought, and creativity.
Oded Revivi, director-general of ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, which is located on the Tel Aviv University Campus, said the display was especially meaningful ahead of Lag Ba’omer.
“Ahead of Lag Ba’omer, a holiday in which spiritual light and Jewish identity are expressed through the figure of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, we are proud to reveal a unique item that illuminates a deep and intriguing chapter in the history of the Jewish spirit,” he said.
“The siddur before us is not only a historical object, it is a fascinating testimony to a tradition of thought, intention, and meaning, passed down from generation to generation, which continues to resonate in the reality of our lives today,” Revivi added.
Dr. Orit Shaham Gover, chief curator of the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, said that Lag Ba’omer provides a fitting context for the manuscript's display.
“Lag Ba’omer, which is identified with the doctrine of the secret and Kabbalah, gives a unique context to the presentation of this siddur, an item that embodies within it the tension between the hidden and the revealed,” she said.
“Through the delicate manuscript and the intentions embedded in it, visitors are exposed to a world in which prayer is not only a text, but a deep and directed spiritual experience that seeks to connect the person, faith, tradition, and the world of Kabbalah,” Gover added.
According to modern Kabbalah tradition, Lag Ba'omer is the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a second-century sage known as Rashbi, who was one of the most important disciples of Rabbi Akiva. It is also believed to be the day the plague that killed Akiva's disciples ended. In modern Israel, it is marked by bonfires and pilgrimages to Meron, which, according to some traditions, is the tomb of Shimon bar Yochai.