Tomer Devorah



Tomer Devorah or The Palm Tree of Deborah (תומר דבורה) was written in Hebrew in the middle of the 16th century by Moses ben Jacob Cordovero, a Jewish kabbalist in Safed, Ottoman Syria. This short text deals mostly with the Imitation of God through the acquisition of divine traits, especially those of the sephirot. The first edition was published in Venice in 1588. Although not widely read among Jews today, it is popular in the musar movement, which focuses on the individual cultivation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy of God.

The title is borrowed from Judges 4:5.

Online Resources

 * English Translation
 * Jewish Encyclopedia: Moses Cordovero
 * On-Line Learning from TeachItToMe.com
 * Ten Keys to Understanding Human Nature - based on Cordovero's system.