Meʼir Tsabaḥ goralot, segulot, and amulets.
מאיר צבאח גורלות, סגולות, וקמעות.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Tsabaḥ, Meʼir, author, scribe.

Contributor:

Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.

Language:

Arabic

Hebrew

Judeo-Arabic

Subjects (All):

Tunisia--Tunis.

Jewish magic.

Cabala.

Amulets (Judaism).

Angels--Judaism.

Angels.

Jews--Tunisia--Tunis--History--Sources.

Jews.

Manuscripts, Hebrew--Tunisia--Tunis--20th century--Specimens.

Manuscripts, Hebrew.

Manuscripts, Judeo-Arabic--Tunisia--Tunis--20th century--Specimens.

Manuscripts, Judeo-Arabic.

Genre:

Sources.

Codices (bound manuscripts)

Diagrams.

codices (bound manuscripts)

diagrams.

History.

Penn Provenance:

Inscription of Jacob Halfa in French (f. 48v, circa 1950).

Sold by Mizrahi Bookstore (Brooklyn, New York) to Jacob Djmal.

Sold by Jacob Djmal (Brooklyn, New York), 2018.

Physical Description:

1 volume (48 leaves) : paper ; 220 x 155 mm

Language Note:

In Hebrew, with sections in Arabic (for example, f. 19r) and with sections of Judeo-Arabic (for example, f. 19r-23v, 24r-26v).

Biography/History:

Kabbalist and miracle worker of Moroccan descent, active in Tunis in the early 20th century.

Summary:

This is a manuscript of the practical kabbalah (קבלה המעשית, Ḳabalah ha-maʻasit). It appears newer than UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 518, another manuscript of practical kabbalah by R. Tsabaḥ with broader themes of practical kabbalah subject matter. It opens with a number and letter table for the selection of goralot, or lots predicting the future, followed by the goralot represented by line and dot configurations (f. 6r-7v); the goralot are accompanied by divine name configurations (shemot) following the number selection system (f. 2v-6r). Following are segulot (charms) and ḳemeyʻot (amulets), seemingly against the evil eye; each illustration has the superscription "ḥotam le-motse ḥen" (seal to find kindness), likely against the evil eye. Following are amulets against sickness with formations and charms (f. 12r-19r). The manuscript text finishes with a Hebrew text prescribing fanciful remedies and protections, including ... "placing a rabbit's tongue under one's tongue will make all words be accepted", or "[to see] fascinating men missing heads, bring saffron and sulfur (זעפרן וגופרית) and weave it in wax, and create a wick, and when it is lit, one will see men without heads", and "putting a tsuʻa () (צועא) under one's head [while sleeping] and their dreams will become true"; this portion is in a different color ink and smaller script (f. 26v-27r). The folios are worn and brittle commercial paper printed with a grid, never bound and kept together with staples. Written in square script typical of Tunisian and Moroccan hands of the late 19th or early 20th centuries. References in this record are to the modern foliation and not to the contemporary pagination (f. 1v-19r paginated 1-36 in ink, upper outer corners).

Cited as:

UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 519.

OCLC:

1124926061

Online:

http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/1229047