Meirat Einayim, Jacob Emden, [Amsterdam or Altona]: 1753

2 leaves (8 5/8 x 5 3/4 in.; 220 x 148 mm). Lightly browned. Modern blind tooled goatskin; title stamped in brown ink on upper board.

Vinograd, Amsterdam 1673; Mehlman 1710; Raphael, Emden, 273-4

The bitter controversy concerning the Sabbatean leanings of Jonathan Eybeshuetz resurfaced in February of 1751 when Jacob Emden accused Eybeschuetz of having been the author of several amulets that included Sabbatian elements. In the ensuing weeks, months, and years the question of whether or not Eybeschuetz was a Sabbatian resulted in a flurry of acrimonious proclamations, denunciations, and excommunications by the protagonists themselves as well as by their supporters.

This pamphlet was published by Emden to help marshal support for his position. It includes:

1) Testimony from the rabbis of Brod (dated =16 April 1753) that indicates Eybeschuetz' authorship of the Sabbatian tract ve-Avo ha-Yom el ha-'Ayin.

2) Three letters from the Moroccan kabbalist, Shalom Buzaglo. (In point of fact, both sides attempted to influence Buzaglo to endorse their particular points of view but he tried to remain neutral. While he consistently maintained that Eybeschuetz' amulets were Sabbatian in character, he accepted the argument that they had been falsified.)

3) A copy of a letter from the rabbis of the Yeshiva of Venice, confirming their earlier judgement (published by Emden in his Sefat Emet ve-Lashon Zehorit the previous year) that the amulets were Sabbatian.