Gates of Light: Sha'are Orah 2oz Pipe Tobacco

Fans of Cornell and Diehl may not be familiar with William Serad, but they may know his work. A longtime friend of C&D founder Craig Tarler, the two were frequent collaborators. Serad is responsible for creating several classic blends such as Cross-Eyed Cricked and Red Carpet. William was also a friend of the rabbi Ira Stone, who loved Burley, Oriental and Perique mixtures and asked Serad to put together some blends for him. Those blends eventually became the Hebraica series, each featuring the rabbi's favored components. Each blend in the series was named by Stone, inspired by the language and spirituality of Jewish tradition.

Sha'are Orah, or Gates of Light, is named after a book of the same name by Rabbi Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla, widely regarded as a foundational text in the history of Kabbalah. This mixture combines a base of cube-cut Burley and stoved Red Virginias with touches of Perique and Orientals, creating a delicate and satisfying balance of sweetness and spice. In 2022, Cornell and Diehl established an exclusive partnership with 31 Farms to provide smokers with access to 100% St. James Perique, now included in every blend that contains the unique varietal.