Tomer Devorah by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero: what it is, structure and how to read it
Tomer Devorah (תומר דבורה), “The Palm Tree of Devorah,” is a brief ethical treatise written by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak, in Safed in the mid-16th century. Its thesis fits in one sentence: man was created in the image of G-d, and for that reason his life must imitate the attributes with which G-d conducts Himself toward the world. It was first printed in Venice, in 1588.
Quick facts
| Title | Tomer Devorah (“The Palm Tree of Devorah”) |
| Author | Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak |
| Written in | Safed, in the mid-16th century |
| First edition | Venice, 1588 |
| Genre | Jewish ethics (mussar) with a kabbalistic foundation |
| Length | A short book, in ten chapters |
The title
The name comes from the book of Judges: the prophetess Devorah judged Israel “under the palm tree of Devorah” (Judges 4:5). Cordovero reads the palm tree as an image of the flow of divine mercy along the central axis of the sefirot.
The central idea: imitating G-d
Tomer Devorah develops one conviction: a person must make himself like his Creator not in what He is, but in what He does. Each chapter takes a divine attribute and asks how it is reflected in a concrete human conduct. One who forgives because G-d forgives, one who gives expecting nothing in return because G-d gives, is serving in practice.
The work is not a kabbalistic theory but a book of conduct. That is why it fits in the mussar movement, which makes work on character, trait by trait, the center of religious life.
Structure
The book is organized in ten chapters, one for each sefirah, in descending order. Each chapter explains how the quality corresponding to the divine attribute of that sefirah is cultivated in a person.
The first chapter is the best known. It starts from Keter and sets out the teaching of the thirteen attributes of mercy from the verses of Micah 7:18–20, which Cordovero understands as a list of thirteen ways in which G-d behaves toward man. It is the most studied chapter: it deals with how G-d forgives and, therefore, with how man must learn to forgive.
How to read it
- Begin with the first chapter. It contains the core of the work and can be understood with very little background.
- Read it slowly and often. It is a short book meant to be returned to, not to be read straight through.
- There is no need to master the sefirot. The chapters name the sefirot to organize the subject, but the content is conduct.
Its place in mussar
Today it is a book read more in the field of mussar than in that of speculative Kabbalah. Its teachings on compassion, kindness and forgiveness have made it attractive to those seeking ethical work with a spiritual root. English translations exist, among them those of Louis Jacobs (1960) and Moshe Miller.
Relation to other works
- It is the Ramak’s briefest and most practical work, in contrast to Pardes Rimonim and Or Yakar: see his biography.
- It shares the spirit of mussar with Shaarei Kedusha, by his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital: see the guide to the gates.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Tomer Devorah” mean?
“The palm tree of Devorah,” from Judges 4:5, where Devorah the prophetess judged Israel under a palm tree.
Do I need to know Kabbalah to read it?
No. It is a book of conduct that uses the scheme of the sefirot as a structure, but whose content is practical and accessible.
How many chapters does it have?
Ten, one for each sefirah.
When was it printed?
In Venice, in 1588. It was written in Safed in the mid-16th century; the exact year of composition is not known.
Sources
- Tomer Devorah, reference article (English Wikipedia) and the sources it cites
- Moses ben Jacob Cordovero, reference article (English Wikipedia)
- Summary of structure and chapters: satyori.com, “Tomer Devorah (The Palm Tree of Deborah)”; Henry Abramson, “People of the Book”