The Sabbath in the Classical Kabbalah

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements It is a pleasure to be able to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to the many people who have contributed to this work, who have challenged and encouraged me, and brought me to this season. An earlier version of the present study, here substantially revised , was a doctoral dissertation under the direction of Arthur Green. Art has been a teacher and friend for many years; it is difficult to express how much I have learned from him. He introduced me to the field of Kabbalah and its symbolic universe and helped me refine my skills in textual interpretation. I thank Art for his painstaking and insightful reading of this work, for warmly but firmly pushing me to clarify my ideas, for his numerous helpful suggestions. He has given valiantly of his time, thought, and effort; I am ever grateful. Two other members of my dissertation committee, Anne Matter and Laurence Silberstein, contributed a good deal as well. I have gained much from Larry's methodological acumen and from his friendship over the years. Anne has encouraged me throughout and has added a specially valuable perspective as a scholar of medieval Christian spirituality. Several colleagues have been especially helpful in the recent stages of writing. Dr. Elliot Wolfson has shared his numerous insights into Sefer ha-Rimmon and Professors Moshe Idel, Ze'ev Gries, and Mark Yerman have called several important sources to to my attention . My good friends Jeffrey Dekro and Dr. Morris Faierstein also deserve a note of gratitude. I thank Jeffrey for introducing me to the Tolacat Yacaqov, a work that looms large in these pages, and for his comments in the early stages of writing. I have learned much from studying with him. I thank Moish for sharing his vast knowledge and for his special brand of humor, which both enlightened and helped put matters in perspective. Most of this book was written at Oberlin College. I am grateful to my colleagues in the Department of Religion and the Judaic and Near Eastern Studies Program, and to the wonderful students there, as well. Together they helped create a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating intellectual environment, ideally suited to productive work. I also wish to thank the following institutions for use of rare manuscripts and first editions of key works: the Jewish Theological xiii xiv Acknowledgements Seminary of America, the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the Schocken Institute in Jerusalem, and especially, the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts and the Gershom Scholem Library, both housed at the Jewish National and University Library at the Hebrew University . To their staffs: yavo'u kullam cal ha-berakhah. The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, by granting me a dissertation fellowship for 1981-83, enabled me to lay the groundwork for this study. Two generous research grants from Oberlin College in the summers of 1985 and 1986 permitted me to travel to research libraries, here and abroad. Finally, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities enabled me to complete this and several related studies, while the National Foundation for Jewish Culture supplied a subvention grant facilitating publication. I acknowledge their support with gratitude. William Eastman, my publisher at SUNY Press, has been consistently supportive and understanding, and Judy Block and Marilyn Semerad, my editors at SUNY Press, precise and discerning. David Green, friend and editor, offered additional advice and Professor Luis Fernandez, dear friend and computer-maven, shared his time and expertise just when it was most needed. Finally, five people have contributed to this study in unique ways. My parents, Rose and Bernard Ginsburg, kindled within me the desire to learn and taught me the virtues of perseverance. Their love and untold sacrifice have cheered and sustained me. My two little boys, Jacob Uri and Noah Eitan, were born while this book was being written; they have been a constant source of surprise and delight, cerev va-voqer ve-~ohorayim! My wife Terri has shared with me this labor from beginning to end. She has proof-read significant parts of this work and helped me with organization. But those not inconsid.erable tasks are but a small measure of her contribution. Without her understanding, her patience and her love, this work would be unthinkable. Without her sense of humor and her wisdom, it would have been far less bearable. This book is in many ways mattenat bikkurim, an offering of first fruits. It is in love and gratitude that I dedicate it to Terri, 'ahoti khallah. Tam ve-nishlam, done...