NEFESH HACHAYIM VOLOZIN GRA KABBALAH 1st Edition 1824 ITSKOWITZ HASSIDIM VILNA

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NEFESH HACHAYIM VOLOZIN GRA KABBALAH 1st Edition 1824 ITSKOWITZ HASSIDIM VILNA:
$3300.00

One of the most monumental Hebrew books every printed. This copy of Nefesh HaChayim by Rav Haim of Volozin, the founder of the Yeshiva movement, was printed for the first time (THIS COPY!) in Vilna in 1824.
Condition: Printed on rag paper. Unbound copy, pages loose, wormholes and pencil markings of corrections some of which do not appear in the corrections page. On the other side of the title page, there are a few letters missing from the censors remarks about the book.
What\'s so important about this book?
Nefesh HaChaim is a semi-Kabbalistic book written by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, the greatest student of the Vilna Gaon. He was the head of the Volozhin Beit Din and founder of the Volozhiner Yeshiva.The content of the book revolves around the greatness of God and his relation to the world, the greatness of man, the nature of the soul, the virtue of prayer and the importance of Torah study, to the point of placing it as a supreme value. The book is an important expression of the Lithuanian-opposing view and the rabbi of Brisk called it a \"Shulhan Aruch for the Soul\".
It includes quite a few overt and covert arguments against Hassidut. Some claim that he mainly argues with the Book of Tanya by Rav Shneur Zalman of Ladi and some claim that his arrows seem to be aimed mainly at the path of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritz.
The book was first published in Vilnius (Vilna) in 1824, and again in Vilnius in 1867. In this later edition were added to the book \'Intermediate Chapters\' (sometimes called\' Eight Chapters\', following Maimonides\' composition of the same name), which were printed between the third and fourth chapters, including R. Chaim\'s frontal criticism of Hasidism.
Rabbi Chaim sharply criticizes Hassidic ideas, such as the glorification of the Tzaddik, the supremacy of emotional devotion and reverence for God over Torah study, contempt for those who study Torah not for its own sake, and preference of worshipping G-d emotionally rather than over the strict observance of mitzvos. The book is based on the Book of Zohar, Etz Chaim of Rabbi Hayim Vital, and other Kabbalah books, and in particular on the teachings of the great Vilna Gaon, the authors main Rabbi.
I highly recommend for the future owner of this monumental book to have it professionally bound and cleaned.