Ḥayyim (Chaim Vital (1542/43–1620): life, works and teachings — complete study

“The soul is a spark of the Infinite Light; his desire is to return to its source.”
— Based on Etz Ḥayyim (The Tree of Life).

1) Identity and context

Ḥayyim ben Joseph Vital —known as Chaim Vital or Ḥayyim Vital Calabrese (for the origin of calabria to his father)— was the main disciple and editor the mystical system of Isaac Luria (the Arizal). He was born in Safed (Tzfat)in Palestine, ottoman, 1542/1543, and died in Damascus the May 6, 1620. He studied first with Moshe Alsheij and Moshe Cordovero (Remak); from 1570 became linked to Luria until the latter's death (1572). Their authority derives from having registered, organized and systematized Kabbalah luriánica.

2) Chronology essential

• 1542/43: birth in Safed, family of origin calabrian.
• 1560s: the training of rabbinic and early raids in the Kabbalah with Alsheij and Cordovero.
• 1570-1572: disciple immediately Isaac Luria; begins to record his teachings.
• After 1572: consolidation as depositary of the doctrine luriánica in Safed/Jerusalem and later in Damascus.
• c. 1590s: episode famous unauthorized copy of their manuscripts during an illness; his son later Shmuel (Samuel) Vital reorganizes the corpus Shemone Shearim (Eight Doors).
• 1620: dies in Damascus.

“Nothing is destroyed: all spark falling into the darkness, waiting to be raised.”

3) Corpus and major works

much of what we attribute to life, are compilations/essays teachings of the Arizal, more own material (diaries, responsa, mystical).

• ʿEtz Ḥayyim (the Tree of Life): a systematic exposition of the cosmos luriánico (of Adam Qadmon to partzufim), the emanation and the dynamics of sephiroth. Circulated in manuscript; later editions are derived from the reorganization in Shemone Sheʿarim (Eight Doors) made by Shmuel Vital.
• Peri ʿEtz Ḥayyim / Pri Etz Ḥayyim: manual liturgical and mystical that it compiles kavanot (intentions) for prayers, Shabbat and holidays; tradition printed early: Korets/Koretz, 1782.
• Shaʿar ha-Gilgulim (The Gate of Reincarnations): doctrine of gilgul (metempsychosis), profiles of souls and specific repairs.
• Shaʿar ha-Kavanot and Shaʿar Ruach ha-Kodesh: instructions for meditation, yijudim and use devotional of the divine Names in the liturgy.
• Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot (Book of Visions): autobiography mystical (dreams, visions, diagnostics of the soul); the source key to your inner life and practice ecstatic.

“The thought is more powerful than the action, when both are pure.”
— Sha'ar ha-Kavanot (The Door of the Intentions).

4) Core doctrinal

The Kabbalah luriánica —that Vital fixed in writing— is based on three axes teogónicos and their application in practice:

1. Tzimtzum (contraction): the Infinite “contracts” your light to enable a space of otherness.
2. Shevirat ha-Kelim (breaking of the vessels): the excess of Light fracture containers primordial; sparks divine fall on the reality below.
3. Tikkun (repair):- historic task cosmic reintegrate those sparks via mitzvot, kavanot, yijudim and ethical life.
   Vital systematizes these ideas with the language of partzufim, sephiroth and a cartography of the soul (root, branch, levels nefesh-ruach-neshama) applied to reincarnation and corrections personal.

Practical methodology according to Vital

• Kavanot: intentionality, technical-contemplative (permutações of letters, Names, yijudim) synchronized with the daily liturgy, Shabbat and moadim.
• Avodat ha-Middot: work ethics as a condition of the effectiveness of mystical.
• Diagnosis of the soul: for dreams/visions (Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot) and the map of gilgulim (Shaʿar ha-Gilgulim).

“Anyone who knows the root of that soul knows its destination.”
— Sha'ar ha-Gilgulim.

5) Input the original Vital

Although the “transmitter” of the Arizal, Vital provides:

• Structuring system luriánico in treaties and orders study.
• Protocols devotionals detailed for each section of the prayer and to practice extra-liturgical (fasts, tikunim specific).
• Self-criticism, and examination visionary the mystical (Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot), rare in sources prior.

6) Transmission of textual and disputes

• Forced copy: in Damascus, a remarkable hired scribes to copy the notebooks of Vital during her convalescence; these copies circulated with errors. Your child Shmuel rearranged and corrected in Shemone Sheʿarim; later he published extracts as Pri ʿEtz Ḥayyim.
• Status of authority: Vital is considered single depositary authorized by the Arizal, which explains the strong dependence of the subsequent tradition in respect of their versions.
• Print late: a large part of the corpus would circulate in manuscript for more than a century; the standardization printed EIGHTEENTH century (that's why there are local variants).

7) historical Influence

• Safed → sephardic world and mizrají: the kavanot of Vital modeled rites and nusaj (e.g., schools of Jerusalem and Damascus) and penetrated sidurim and customs (minhagim) from the XVII century onwards.
• Hasidismo and piety modern: category tikkun, lift sparks, devekut and the intentionality they went to the speech hasídicoeven when your technique is different. (Synthesis-based handbooks of modern dissemination of scholarship.)
• Reception contemporary: critical editions and studies (Scholem and followers) reinforced the centrality of Vital to understand the Kabbalah post-zohárica.

“The truly wise do not look for the mystery, but the purification of the heart to receive it.”
— Inspired by Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot (Book of Visions).

8) Doctrines specific highlights (with references of study)

• Structure of worlds, partzufim: from Adam Qadmon to Atzilut–Beriá–Yetzirá–Asian with Zeʿeir Anpín and Nukvá as the axis of the sacred history. (An overview in ʿEtz Ḥayyim and modern translations).
• Reincarnation (gilgul): mapping roots of souls, repair tasks and explanation of lives and tests individual. (Shaʿar ha-Gilgulim).
• Kavanot liturgical: coded cycles (daily/Shabbat/holidays) and by sections of prayer; base of Pri ʿEtz Ḥayyim and Shaʿar ha-Kavanot.
• Autobiography mystical: Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot as a laboratory spiritual (dreams, fasts, diagnostics, symbolic).

What else you need to know

1. Vital it is not a mere copyist: built the scaffold literary with the jewish world knew the Arizal.
2. Your corpus is divided, roughly, into: (a) system theosophy (ʿEtz Ḥayyim/Eight Gates), (b) manuals devotionals (Pri ʿEtz Ḥayyim/Shaʿar ha-Kavanot), (c) gilgulim, (d) autobiography mystical (Sefer ha-Ḥezyonot).
3. The practice luriánica in life is liturgical and ethics: kavanot techniques + work traits of character; not “magic”, but repair of the world and of the soul.
4. The transmission text was rugged (unauthorized copies, variants), so that it is appropriate to consider critical editions/reliable and modern guides.
5. Your impact crosses rites sephardic/mizrajíes and nourishes categories hasidismo and spirituality modern jewish.

“The soul is not afraid of judgement, afraid of not having completed its correction.”
— Compendium of the vital sense of the tikkun: liability of the soul in his mission on earth.