Zohar Chadash and Midrash HaNe'elam, two parts. Venice: Bragadin, 1658.

Personal copy of the kabbalist R. Moshe Zacuto, the Ramaz, the proofreader of this edition, with over one hundred glosses, including especially lengthy glosses, in his handwriting, in the margins and between the lines. This copy came into the possession of R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai (the Chida) in Livorno, who signed his name on the title page.

The present edition contains two parts. Part I – Zohar Chadash on the Five Books of the Torah, and Part II (with divisional title page) – on Shir HaShirim, Ruth and Eichah, with "Tikunim by R. Shimon bar Yochai". This edition was published by R. Yosef Camis and proofread by his colleague R. Moshe Zacuto. It additionally contains printed glosses of the kabbalist R. Menachem de Lonzano.

The present book is the personal copy of R. Moshe Zacuto, with especially wide margins (R. Moshe Zacuto received it from the press before trimming). On the leaves of the book, in the margins and between the lines, are many glosses and additions handwritten by R. Moshe Zacuto, some especially long. Some contain corrections or additions to the text that he received after the printing, and some contain expansive interpretations of various concepts (for example, a particularly long passage on pp. 9a-b of the second sequence, on the prohibition of wearing tefillin on Shabbat and festivals). These glosses and comments of R. Moshe Zacuto have never been published.

Many handwritten glosses of R. Moshe Zacuto begin with his initials. In a gloss on the first page, R. Moshe Zacuto writes: "In 1668, I received the actual Zohar of R. Menachem de Lonzano, printed in Cremona… and I found in it a few more glosses and ideas, which I will cite with the initials for 'large Zohar'".

On p. 15a of the second sequence is a diagram hand-drawn by R. Moshe Zacuto, who writes beforehand: "After printing the Zohar I came to possess an image of all four pillars, as follows…".

This copy later came to be owned by R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai – the Chida, while he was in Livorno. On the title page of Part I appears an inscription and signature handwritten by the Chida: "Purchased by me for the service of my Creator. Chaim Yosef David Azulai, Livorno, 28th Tevet [1783]".

The present copy, containing the glosses and comments of R. Moshe Zacuto, is documented several times in the works of the Chida, whose citations and quotations match R. Moshe Zacuto's glosses here. For example, in Machazik Berachah (Orach Chaim 495:3), the Chida writes: "And now G-d granted me the merit to have the Zohar Chadash with the autograph glosses of R. Moshe Zacuto, and I saw that he writes on p. 60b…". The Chida likewise cites R. Moshe Zacuto's glosses in his Chaim Shaal (section 1), Chomat Anach (Mishlei 22) and Nachal Kedumim (Shemot 21:1).

Notably, in Livorno the Chida came to own several manuscript works by R. Moshe Zacuto, in some cases the autograph, including: Shibolet Shel Leket, cited several times in the Chida's works, handwritten by a disciple of R. Moshe Zacuto, R. Aharon Meza, with autograph glosses by R. Moshe Zacuto (NLI Ms. 400) – which the Chida received from the son of R. Eliyahu HaKohen of Livorno; a volume of autograph letters of R. Moshe Zacuto which reached the Chida in Livorno in 1789 (British Library Or. 9165); in Shem HaGedolim (entry Chesed LeAvraham) the Chida writes that in Livorno he came to own a manuscript Chesed LeAvraham which had belonged to R. Moshe Zacuto.

The present leaves also contain glosses in another hand, characteristic of Livorno, mostly with other texts or various emendations (some conjectural). In one of the glosses (p. 35b of the second sequence), the writer mentions a statement made by his teacher in the latter's manuscript glosses.

Signature on p. 65a: "Chaim son of Eliyahu" (perhaps the son of R. Eliyahu HaKohen of Livorno; in that case, the Chida would have also received this book from R. Eliyahu HaKohen's son, in the same way he received the manuscript Shibolet Shel Leket mentioned above).