Or ha-ḥayim (The Light of Life)

I wrote and compiled bit by bit, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10), that which I was able to understand. Some of these provide an explanation of verses by analyzing their words themselves, in accordance with the plain meaning of the text [peshat]. Others offer homiletical interpretations [derash]; yet others trace the various allusions of the text [remez], while some delve into the esoteric level of meaning [sod], as I conceal some of these secrets and reveal other aspects to perceptive individuals.

On occasion, I will trace out the plain meaning of a verse in a different direction from that of the rabbinic midrashim. As I have already stated, I do not disagree with the earlier rabbis—heaven forfend—not even by a hair’s breadth; however, permission is granted to those who expound the Torah to toil and sow it. Light is sown for the righteous (Psalms 97:11) and the land of life is full of fruit, from all types of sowing seed which are sown (Leviticus 11:37) therein by its owner, if he is a student of the Torah. It is only with regard to a matter of halakhah that whither the spirit was to go (Ezekiel 1:12), as established by the earlier sages, those who come after them may not change it. Nor may they invent new ideas of their own in this regard, which were not contemplated by those who inherited the Torah by word of mouth. Rather, they must follow those who preceded them, who received the waters of the Torah from one pail to another, that water which the man of God drew out for us [see Exodus 2:19]. Of these they may take, from the portion they received from their forerunners, the Torah scholars, and then they may toil to build for the verses a path, route, road, track, and lane, in order to insert into the text those teachings which were formulated orally.

In the short time that was available to me, I examined two or three berries [see Isaiah 17:6] from each chapter, which I gathered together and placed in my sack. But the stormy waters of the protestors rushed against me, and the pursuers did not return [see Joshua 2:22]. I had hoped for peace but behold there was war; one runner came after another, to besiege [tsar] and act with hostility [tsorer], with each trouble [tsarah] overlapping the other, until they reached the neck [tsavar]. I had to wander from one city to another, and in me the verse was fulfilled: he who escapes from the terror shall fall into the pit (Isaiah 24:18), while the oppressor and the golden kingdom has not ceased [see Isaiah 14:4]. Those who usually measure out in large quantities [see m. Demai 2:5] have come and judged me, and the sound of “give! give!” (Proverbs 30:15) has not stopped, even though the money and property have been depleted, and the status of the man has been established. There was none who had mercy, and the doors of the Torah were closed, for the base fellows grew increasingly stronger, and they continuously drew the men of Israel into sin, God forbid.

Then the Lord enlightened the eyes of my intellect, and I realized that the intention of all this must be in order to encourage me to arise and ascend to the place of my thoughts, the place of the divine presence, that city on a high place, the city that is beloved to the God of the universe, who reigns over the upper and lower worlds. I girded my loins like a man [see Job 38:3], and I placed myself in great dangers as I traveled through the desert, until God brought me here to the city of Livorno, may the Lord protect it, from whence I can ascend to the land of my desire. I took a look at the local inhabitants, and I thereby fulfilled the talmudic teaching: Let us live either in Your shadow or in the shadow of the descendants of Esau (b. Gittin 17a).¹ For I found there some special individuals, whom the Lord will seek for the good. They volunteered to do good, with a generous spirit, a spirit of support, and they chose life: this one to love, this one to honor, and this one to help, all for the benefit of the dear children of Zion. To further this precious mission, they persuaded me to stay with them for a few days—may days be added to their days [see Psalms 61:7], and may their years be years of life and peace, forever.

There are four of them who proceed stately [see Proverbs 30:29] on the path of the good: they were leaders among those who offer their services and attend to the cries of the poor in the congregations of Livorno. They merited to receive their portion in the land of life, by adding much good to the world, and they are as follows: The first of them is the son of holy ones, from a noble family, he is a lordly and charitable man, exalted, noble and lofty—the honorable R. Refael, may the Merciful One protect and redeem him, son of that righteous man who combined Torah and greatness in one place [see b. Gittin 59a], the honorable R. Immanuel Ergas, may his memory be for a blessing, for the life of the world to come.

Together with him there rose and stood [see Job 29:8] two golden chains [see Exodus 28:14], the excellent brothers who ride upon the heights of charity. They are the lofty noblemen Abraham and the honorable R. Moses, may the Merciful One protect and redeem them, the sons of the great benefactor, regarding whom it is said that he would forfeit his holdings in order to lend a hand to those bowed over. This is the lord who was wonderfully blessed with wealth, the honorable R. Jacob Barukh Carvalho, may his rest be in the Garden of Eden.

They were joined by the most upright of men, who delights in kindness [see Micah 7:18], whose spirit willed him to take hold of the branches of the Torah: the lofty lord, the honorable R. Mordechai Bassan, may the Merciful One protect and redeem him. They were supported by a man who showed mercy with his own arms and in his generosity recited a blessing over incense [see b. Mo‘ed Katan 27a]—the distinguished lord, the exalted and noble, the honorable R. Refael, may the Merciful One protect and redeem him, son of that lord who was good toward heaven and toward people [see b. Kiddushin 40a], Moses ḥayim Ergas, may he rest in peace.

These four kings in their performance of kindness to people raised their voices to assist me in their compassion. They chose what I wished to do [see Isaiah 56:4], to the extent that they said to me: speak and ask, what can I give you etc. [see 1 Kings 3:5]. I considered the matter, and I felt that this was a good opportunity to publish my new explanations of the plain meanings of scripture; these princely individuals could print all that I have written down for posterity. But I was too overcome with shame before them even to formulate this request after all the previous favors they had done for me, and it was too much for me to tell them what I wanted.

However, there was a man at my side who girded his loins, an individual who loved God and showed compassion and great affection to those who loved Him. May he receive his recompense from the Lord—Solomon, my companion and my familiar friend [see Psalms 55:14]. He took the task on his shoulders, and he was as good as his word, for he spoke on my behalf and restored my life to me [see Ruth 4:15]. For this is what I wanted, to publish all that I had written on God’s Torah, for life [le-ḥayim]. A wind of generosity blew from the four directions; with a soothing tongue [see Proverbs 15:4] their eyes lit up and they declared: “this is what we must do—we must pay the expenses for publishing all that is written for life.” They were motivated to carry out this mission with care and devotion—may they receive their full payment from the Lord. The merit of the masses is owed to them, and their righteousness endures forever [see Psalms 112:9], in the light of life [or ha-ḥayim]. I then decided that I would publish my new interpretations alongside the text of the Torah, the Aramaic targum and the commentary of that foremost of the commentaries and their light, Rashi—may he rest in peace—for the benefit of those who might read it, that they should not lack anything from the bread of the mighty (Psalms 78:25).

I selected from my material the explanations of the plain meanings of the text, which I had written in short form, and the inferences that resolve difficulties in the verses, while I set aside those lengthy passages which analyze in depth the ideas of the verses and interpret the statements of our sages, and instead I wrote down the conclusions of my analyses in brief.

I entitled the book Or ha-ḥayim [The Light of Life], for the Torah is called light, as it is written: For a mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light (Proverbs 6:23). Since there are many kinds of light—such as the light of a lamp, or the light of the sun and the moon and the stars—I called it the light of life. This name refers to the Creator of the world, who is called life, as it is written: the King of life (Proverbs 16:15), and also to the Torah, for it too is called life, as it is written: the Torah of the wise is a fountain of life (Proverbs 13:14), as well as to the righteous, who are likewise called life, as it is written: But you that cleave [to the Lord your God] are alive every one of you (Deuteronomy 4:4).

Blessed be the Lord, who assigns our portion in life. My palms are spread out heavenward to the Creator of the world, in prayer that this composition will be accepted favorably before Him, that it will shine light upon the holy boughs. If I erred in any matter, may my efforts and involvement in the task be accepted by Him, for everything that I did was in order to bring joy to my God, my Creator, the delight of my heart, and the light of my eyes—He is my lord, the God of life.

This labor of heaven was completed in the month of Av, on the festive day which Israel established for the completion of the labor for the arrangement of the wood [of the Temple altar],² in the year 5502 [August 15, 1742] in Zion, to where I am ascending, a servant of God, a servant of the Torah, a servant of Israel.

Other works by Atar: ḥefets ha-shem (1742); Peri to’ar (1742); Ri’shon le-Zion (1750).