Shefa Tal – Hanau, 1612 – First Edition / Ginat Egoz – Hanau, 1614 – First Edition – Dozens of Important ...

Shefa Tal – Hanau, 1612 – First Edition / Ginat Egoz – Hanau, 1614 – First Edition – Dozens of Important Handwritten Kabbalistic Notes
Two Kabbalistic works bound together, with dozens of early Kabbalistic notes:
· Shefa Tal, introductions and fundamentals of Kabbalistic teachings, by R. Shabtai Sheftel Horowitz. [Hanau: Joannis Jacobi Hennei, 1612]. First edition. One of the renowned basic Kabbalistic works. The Chassidic leaders and Ashkenazi Kabbalists quote it in their books and build upon its foundations. The Noam Elimelech refers to it as a holy book.
Bound with:
· Ginat Egoz, introductions and fundamentals of Kabbalistic teachings, by R. Yosef Gikatilla. Hanau: Eliezer ben Chaim and Eliyahu ben Seligman Ullman, [1614]. First edition. An early, basic Kabbalistic work. This edition contains the approbation of the Shlah HaKadosh (approbations of the Shlah are rare and were given to very few books).
The book contains dozens of important Kabbalistic notes, in early Ashkenazic script (from the period close to the printing), some of them lengthy. The majority of the notes were written on Shefa Tal, four of them on Ginat Egoz.
The notes contain elaborations, additions, explanations and novellae, and sometimes also difficulties and objections to the words of the author, testifying that the writer was a great, profound and novel Kabbalist. Some of the notes seem to be from a different writer. One of the notes (on p. 25b) ends with: "N.L.Sh." [it seems to me Sh---?]. The notes do not contain any mention or reference to the teachings of the Ari, a fact attesting to how early these notes are.
Traces of early signatures are discernable on the binding remnants: "so says… son of Yosef Segal", "I, Shimo…", "…Yehuda Leib… from the community of…".
On the first leaf: "G-d granted me… Yosef Hil-[?] Bums[la]".
Two books bound together. Shefa Tal: [3], 87, 89-94 leaves. Missing seven leaves at the beginning of the book, including the title page. Ginat Egoz: 44, 43-58, 58-75 leaves. Mispaginated. Some of the letters on the title page are printed in red ink. 30 cm. Poor condition. Severe worming. Holes and tears affecting text. Significant loss to last leaves, affecting text. Stains and extensive wear. Remnants of binding, disintegrating.