What commentaries are there on sefer hazohar

Question

What are the main commentaries on sefer hazohar. What are the main rishonim and achronim and even lesser well known pirushim.

Answer 1

The most popular commentary on the Zohar today is `the Matok MiDevash, by Rabbi Daniel Frisch. There are those who oppose its use, much like the Artscroll series translations of the Gemarra, on the grounds that it's not truly Zohar study if the commentary gives you all the explanations. Nonetheless, it is a very popular commentary and widely used.

Answer 2

The Israeli scholar Isaiah Tishby offered a great introduction to Zoharic commentaries in his anthology, Mishnat HaZohar (translated into English as The Wisdom of the Zohar.) He writes:

The scope of Zohar interpretation is extremely wide, and there are scores of commentaries, either partial or complete, in print. There are in addition a large number of unpublished commentaries still in manuscript...

The most important commentary, one that convers the whole Zohar to the Torah, is the Sefer Or ha-Ḥamah (The Light of the Sun) by Rabbi Abraham Azulai [c.1570 - 1643]. Three commentaries are assembled together in this book: (1) A shorted version of the great commentary by Rabbi Moses Cordovero [1522-1570], entitled Sefer Or ha-Yakar (The Precious Light); (2) The commentary by Rabbi Hayyim Vital [1543-1620], which, according to Rabbi Abraham Azulai's preface, he wrote before he learned Torah from Rabbi Isaac Luria; and (3) The comments of an anonymous kabbalist that rabbi Abraham Azulai discovered in the margins of Rabbi Abraham Galante [d. 1583], under the title Sefer Zohorei Ḥamah, and this also contains some notes of great value for the understanding of the Zohar. However, only the section on Genesis and Exodus have been printed.

The Sefer Ketem Paz (Fine Gold), the extensive and profound commentary by Rabbi Simeon Labi [1486–1585], is acknowledged to be of great importance. This commentary was written in Tripoli about 1550, and so antedates the printing of the Zohar. It is therefore helpful in correcting the printed text...

Of the commentaries that were written after the spread of Lurianic kabbalah, three are noteworthy, in that thye still throw light on the literal meaning of the text: (1) Sefer Mikdash Melekh by Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo [c. 1700 – 1780]. This extensive commentary, although based on Lurianic kabbalah, does contain many explanation that are very near to the literal meaning of the Zohar. (2) Sefer Ispaklarya ha-Me'ira by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Horowitz [17th century], a brief commentary that does not follow in the footsteps of Lurianic kabbalah. The author's notes contain valuable textual emendations. (3) Sefer Yahel Or by Rabbi Elijah of Vilna [the Vilna Gaon], whose comments elucidate many of the most obscure points in the Zohar.