Reshit Chochmah by Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas: what it is and structure

October 18, 2026

Reshit Chochmah (ראשית חכמה), “The Beginning of Wisdom,” is a 16th-century work by Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas, a disciple of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak. It belongs to Kabbalah and to mussar literature, and it is based largely on the Zohar.

Quick facts

The title

The name means “the beginning of wisdom” and alludes to the biblical verse “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Structure

Sefaria lists, in this order, these sections of the work:

• an introduction;
• five gates: fear, love, repentance, holiness and humility;
• chapters on the commandments, raising children, honest commerce, jurisprudence and ethics;
• other sections, among them Chupat Eliyahu Rabbah, Or Olam, Or Gadol and “Great Is Peace.”

Near the end there is a chapter on derech eretz (conduct and good manners): the author writes that whoever is careful about good manners “is destined to prolong his life.”

Content

Wikipedia sums it up as a book that combines ethical teaching with Kabbalah and introduces the uninitiated to its wisdom. It describes a method of meditation that combines visualization and permutation of Hebrew letters, and that, studied regularly, is meant to inspire a sense of purity and holiness.

Spread

According to Sefaria, the book was published by the author’s nephew, Rabbi Eliezer HaKohen, and was later reprinted in more than fifty editions and translated into several languages. Wikipedia notes that it “has continued to be popular ever since its publication.” The sources consulted do not give the date of the first printing.

Relation to other works

It shares with his teacher’s work the interest in uniting ethics and mysticism: see the guide to Tomer Devorah.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Reshit Chochmah?

Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas, a disciple of the Ramak, in the 16th century.

What gates does it have?

Fear, love, repentance, holiness and humility, in addition to other chapters.

What is it based on?

Above all on the Zohar.