Physical Description

Detail Description

Kabbalsitic encompassing such subjects as cryptic writing and liturgy by R. Moses ben Jacob of Kiev (Moses ha-Goleh). On the title page he is described as a student of the Ramban. According to H. Lieberman, Shushan Sodot contains 656 kabbalistic entries, equal to Shushan שושן the first word of the title. However, only 463 were printed, the remainder of the book being on the Sefer Yezirah. Folios 31-32 contains a letter the author says he found sent from the Rambam to his student R. Joseph. Shushan Sodot also contains a small number of diagrams and charts.<p>R. Moses ben Jacob of Kiev (Moses ha-Goleh, 1449–c. 1520), biblical exegete, talmudic scholar, paytan, linguist, kabbalist, and author, born in Seduva (Shadov). At that time there were no important Torah institutions in Poland and Russia, and R. Moses traveled to Constantinople becoming friendly with both Rabbanites and Karaites, studing astronomy there under the Karaite Elijah ha-Shayazi (Adderet Eliyahu). R. Moses settled in Kiev where he wrote a polemical work against Gan Eden, the book of precepts of the Karaite scholar Abraham ben Elijah. In 1482 the Tatars attacked Kiev. R. Moses’ escaped, but his children were taken captive. He journeyed to various communities to collect money for their ransom. When passing through Karaite communities he disputed with their works. In 1495 the Jews of Lithuania and the Ukraine were expelled, and R. Moses again was forced to wander. It was during these wanderings that he wrote Shushan Sodot, Ozar ha-Shem and Sha’arei Zedek on the upper Sefirot, the latter two no longer extant. In 1506, while in the Belorussian town of Lida, R. Moses was taken captive by the Tatars and taken to the Crimea city of Salkhat. Ransomed by the Jews he settled in Kaffa in the Crimea R.  Moses filled an important cultural role as rabbi and head of the community. He united the members of the community who had come from different countries, compiled a prayer book for them known as Minhag Kaffa, that was adopted by all the communities of the Crimea, and compiled special regulations for the community. It was there that he completed Ozar Nehmad, a supercommentary to the Pentateuch commentary of R. Abraham ibn Ezra.

Hebrew Description

והוא חיבור... [על] סודות עליונות... והוא מתלמידי הרמב"ן... <p>מחבר הספר אינו "מתלמידי הרמב"ן" אלא ר' משה ב"ר יעקב, המכונה ר' משה הגולה מקיוב. בספר תרנ"ו "סודות", כמניין שוש"ן, מהם נדפסו כאן תס"ג הסודות הראשונים. שאר הסודות הם פירוש לספר יצירה, שנדפס קודם יחד עם ספר יצירה, קארעץ תקל"ט.

עיין:  חיים ליברמן, דפוסי קארעץ- סיני, כרך סח, תשל"א, עמ' קפב-קפז.  דף [1,א]: מודעא רבא... שהספרי שושן סודות המובאים לפנינו [בכתב-יד] מקומות יש שאינם מדוייקין. וגם ערוב פרשיות שנו בו... אך שבמקצת הספר עשינו לו סדר למען יהיה כשלחן הערוך.

על הסדר המקורי והנכון של הספר, עיין: ליברמן, שם. 

דף לא - לב: "אמר המחבר מצאתי אגרת ... שלוחה מהרמב"ם ... לתלמידו ... רבי יוסף (ברבי יהודה [אבן שמעון]) זלה"ה וקראה מגלה עמוקות". נדפסה בשם: "מגילת סתרים", בתוך: קובץ תשובות הרמב"ם ואיגרותיו, לפסיא תרי"ט.

Reference