Obj. ID: 39182
Jewish printed books  Shomer Emunim by Yosef ben Emmanuel Ergas, Żółkiew, 1766

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Italian rabbi and Kabbalist; born in Leghorn 1685; died May 19, 1730. He is frequently mentioned by Meldola in his responsa "Mayim Rabbim," by Morpurgo in his "Shemesh Ẓedaḳah," and in the "Milḥamah la-Adonai" (p. 48).
Ergas wrote: "Tokaḥat Megullah," a polemical work against Nehemiah Ḥayyun's "'Ozle-Elohim," accusing the author of Shabbethaian heresy, London, 1715; "Ha-Ẓad Naḥash," another polemic, against Ḥayyun's "Shalhebet Yah," ib. 1715; "Shomer Emunim," a dialogue between a philosopher and a cabalist, Amsterdam, 1736; "Mebo Petaḥim," an introduction to the "true Cabala" and a warning against "heretical Cabala," with some responsa at the end, Amsterdam, 1736; "Dibre Yosef," a collection of sixty-eight responsa, Leghorn, 1742; "Minḥat Yosef," containing ethical precepts and sayings of ancient authors, ib. 1827. Ergas' letters about the Cabala to his contemporaries Abraham Segré and Aryeh Löb Finzi were in the possession of Ghirondi.
This book concerning Kabbalah also contains an appendix "Mevo Petachim" which is a lexicon of Lurianic Kabbalistic terms. The book itsefl is a dialogue concerning the Kabbalistic tradition between two interlocutors "She'altiel" (literally "I questioned God") and "Yehoyada" (literally "knows God"). In recent decades the work is referred to a "Shomer Emunim HaKadmon" (the early Shomer Emunim) to differentiate it from the 20th century "Shomer Emunim" of R. Arehle Roth of Satmar-Jerusalem.
Fourth edition of the book of Kabbalah, and second time printed in Zolkiew. At the lower section of the title page is printed Amsterdam.