Manuscript, Etz Chaim by R. Chaim Vital – Sephardic Lands,...

Manuscript, Etz Chaim by R. Chaim Vital – Sephardic Lands, 18th Century – Glosses by Charshak

Manuscript, Etz Chaim, kabbalah of the Arizal by R. Chaim Vital. [Sephardic lands, 18th century].
Cursive Oriental script (characteristic of the Ottoman regions, perhaps from Eretz Israel). The present volume begins from gate 25 – Shaar Derushei HaTzelem, until the end of the book (gate 48, normally called Shaar HaKelipot, here called Shaar Derushei HaKelipot; gate 49, normally called Shaar Kelipat Nogah, here called Shaar HaKelipot; and gate 50, normally called Shaar Kitzur Abia, here [mistakenly?] called Shaar Kelipat Nogah).
The scribe included glosses and references in parentheses within the text, and sometimes in "windows" inside the text, including a small number of glosses from R. Yaakov Tzemach and R. Moshe Zacuto.
Among others, there appear several glosses attributed to "Charshak".
It is unclear who "Charshak" is and what the initial letters of "Charshak" stand for. We know that R. Avraham Meyuchas, author of Sedeh HaAretz, cites him often in his work Diglei Ahavah (commentary on Etz Chaim), where he usually calls him "M. D. Charshak" (see preface to the work, Ahavat Shalom edition, Jerusalem 2003, p. 26, and p. 50, note 96). The Sedeh HaAretz is effectively the only source that cites him, apparently based on a manuscript he had. The present manuscript is an additional source for the glosses of this "Charshak" (which was written in the same period and perhaps in the same region; the writing resembles the handwriting of the Sedeh HaAretz).
In one place appears a gloss beginning "it appears to me, Chanan…". The identity of this writer is unclear to us.

[235] leaves. 21 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains (with ink fading in several places). Worming, affecting text in several leaves. New binding.