The Wars of God Reader

27) Now, take heed and deeply contemplate the words of Rabbi Tzadok ben Yechiel as brought in the book "Ravid HaZahav" and quoted above in Section 13. He stated that the Mishnah and Talmud are the true and universally accepted tradition from every perspective, such that there is no room for any doubt. However, regarding the books of the Kabbalah, there are several uncertainties. Many scholars, well-versed in Jewish literature, have expressed concerns about relying on them in any legal matter, contrary to the Talmud and the decisors, as written by the authors of the Klalim in the methodologies of the decisors.

Certainly, a fortiori, this applies to the Divine Name and its worship, as we have been warned in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, as explained by our sages in numerous admonitions, as elaborated earlier. And as we have learned, why did the Mishnah prioritize the recitation of the Shema before the blessings? As the Rambam states in his Mishneh Torah, Chapter 1 of the Laws of Kri'at Shema, one recites the portion of Shema first because it contains the commandment regarding the unity of God's name, His love, and His study, which are the fundamental principles upon which everything depends.

Additionally, as I previously mentioned in Section 32, our sages were extremely meticulous about any matter derived from it, emphasizing the belief in the two authorities and stating that one should remain silent. And what more can be said? They said "Kal HaD" after they already said "V'Hashav Lanu" and considered many reasons that grant permission to each individual based on the reason that is higher than them, as if we were commanded to say the same thing with our lips, while in our hearts, there are many deities.

This is the language of the Rambam in the Guide for the Perplexed, Chapter 3, to the first point. Understand, O inquirer into these matters, that faith is not a matter that is expressed verbally, but rather it is a state that exists within the soul. When we believe in it, we believe that it is as it is described, and if you are satisfied with true opinions or their reliable foundations when you articulate them without forming mental images and believe in them, how much more so when you seek from them the truth.

It is very easy, just as you will find that many simple individuals preserve their faith without forming any conception of it. However, if your intellect is capable of ascending to this elevated level, which is the degree of inquiry, and if it is established to you that God's name is truly One, to the extent that you find no composition in Him whatsoever. And it should not be thought in any way that there is any division or distinction in any sense.

Know that God does not have any intrinsic attribute or quality in any way or in any matter. Just as He is devoid of corporeality, so He is devoid of possessing any intrinsic attribute. However, one who believes that He is One with many attributes has already stated that He is One in His essence. And one who believes that He is multiple in thought, this is like the saying of the Nazarenes, that He is One.

But He is three, and the three are One. Similarly, the saying that He is One, but He possesses multiple attributes, and He and His attributes are One. With the removal of corporeal conceptions and the acceptance of absolute simplicity, it is as if our intention and inquiry are directed towards how it is said, not towards what we believe. And faith is nothing but the form of conception, for faith is the belief in that which is conceived by the intellect.

And if there is with this faith that it is impossible to conceive any alternative or find any room for rejection of that faith, it will be true. And when you free yourself from desires and customs, and possess understanding, and ponder what is stated in the following chapters regarding the removal of attributes, you will find that what we have said is necessarily true. And then you will have grasped the conception of the unity of God, not from one who merely utters it with their mouth but does not conceive it.

And you will be close to their speech and far from their kidneys, meaning you will not rely solely on their verbal expression but will seek to grasp the truth even if it is not articulated. Just as the important ones commanded and it was said to them, "Speak in your hearts upon your beds, and be silent" (Psalms 4:5), etc., as explained by the revered teacher.

38) Now, my friend, let me clarify to you that our contemporary Kabbalistic sages made many inadvertent mistakes when they attempted to depict and describe the Almighty using various different shapes and forms. They portrayed Him in circular and straight shapes, with different faces, one within another, and one above another, despite the received tradition of our Sages that it is forbidden to contemplate or speculate on such matters, as they are beyond our comprehension, whether they are related to what is above, below, in front, or behind.

Furthermore, these contemporary Kabbalistic sages claim that initially, the Almighty filled the entire space of the world and then contracted Himself and withdrew to the surrounding sides, altering His essence in order to create space for the entire world. This is the language of the author Rabbi Chaim Vital in his book "Etz Chaim," Gate of Circles and Straight Lines, Branch 2. After the contraction, which left space empty and void, through the light of the Infinite Ein Sof, there was already a place where the emanated beings, creations, formations, and actions could exist.

Then, a single straight line extended from the upper circular light, descending through that space, and it is the uppermost part of the line that extends from the Ein Sof itself and touches it. However, the end of that line below does not touch the Infinite Light below, and in that space, the Emanator created and formed all the worlds. This line is like a thin tube through which the light of the upper Infinite extends to all the worlds that exist in that space of air and emptiness.

Now, the matter of the Kabbalists' investigation regarding how there can be a beginning and an end in the spheres is explained. While the beginning of that line touches the Infinite Light from the upper side, its end does not extend downward to the place of the surrounding Infinite below the worlds, and it is not attached to it. Therefore, it is justified to have a beginning and an end in it, because if there were two opposite receiving ends through which the Infinite Light would flow, the two ends would be equal to each other, and there would be no distinction between higher and lower.

Similarly, if the Infinite were to extend from all sides of that space, there would be no higher or lower, no front or back. Not east, nor west, not north, nor south, but when the light of the Infinite extends through a single line and a thin tube alone, the distinction between higher and lower, front and back, east and west is justified (these words are not based on intellect, for the distinction between higher and lower is understandable, but how can we justify front and back, east and west?).

And behold, when the light of the Infinite extends in the form of a straight line within the space, it does not immediately extend and spread downward, but rather it gradually extends. I mean to say that initially, the line of light began to spread there, and immediately at the beginning of its spread, in the secret of the line, it expanded, extended, and became like a circular wheel around it. And this circle was not attached to the Infinite that surrounds it from all sides, for if it were to adhere to it, the matter would return to its original state and be nullified in the light of the Infinite, and its power would not be seen at all, and everything would be solely the light of the Infinite as it was at first. (Regarding these words, there is room for questioning his statement, for he will mention later that through this line descends an inner light, which is the soul of the spheres, and a encompassing light, which is their garment.

Why doesn't it mix and adhere to the substance of the spheres, and cause the essence of the spheres, along with their garments and souls, to become one entity, nullifying the vessel and mingling with the inner light and the outer light?) Therefore, this circle is close to the Infinite and does not adhere to it. And the entire essence of the connection and attachment of that emanation with the Infinite Emanator is through that line through which the light from the Infinite, which influences that circle, descends and extends.

And the Infinite surrounds and encompasses it from all sides, distant from it in equal measure from all sides. For it, too, is in the form of a circle surrounding it, for it is necessary that the illumination of the Infinite Emanator reaches the emanations only through that line. For if that light were to extend to them from all their surroundings, the emanations would be in the state of the Emanator itself without limits and boundaries.

Moreover, even that line is extremely thin and not thick, so that the light that extends to the emanations would have a measure and dimension, which is why these emanations are called the ten attributes and the ten spheres, for they have a measure, dimension, and fixed number. And behold, this first circle that is most closely attached to the Infinite is called the Crown of Adam Kadmon. And after that, this line spread out and extended a little, then returned to form a second circle within the first circle.

This is called the Circle of Wisdom of Adam Kadmon. It further spread downward, returned to form a third circle within these two circles, and is called the Circle of Understanding of Adam Kadmon. In this manner, it continued to revolve and form circles until the tenth circle called the Circle of Kingdom of Adam Kadmon, and so on. However, it is clear and evident that many types of worlds emanated, were created, formed, and made, numbering thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads, and all of them, as one, exist within the aforementioned empty space, and there is nothing outside of it.

And in each world, there are ten specific spheres. And each sphere within each world contains ten individual sub-spheres. Now, let us further explain the second aspect, which exists within the ten spheres. It is the aspect of straightness in the form of the Supernal Adam.

The line mentioned earlier, which extends from above to below, from which the circles emanate, that very line also extends straightly from above to below, from the highest point of the upper circle to the lowest point at the conclusion of all the circles. It includes ten spheres in the secret of the image of the upright human form, consisting of 28 organs, and so on. This second aspect is called the Image of God, as alluded to in the verse, "And God created man in His image, in the image of God, He created him," etc. And since most of the teachings of the Zohar and the Tikkunim (corrections) deal with this second aspect, which is the aspect of straightness, etc. And in the branch of Chesed, there is another multiplication of things that are higher and superior to the ten spheres of the world of Atzilut.

For several worlds of ABY"A (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Assiyah) preceded them. And due to their sublime nature, they were not explicitly mentioned in the Zohar and the Tikkunim, but rather alluded to in a wondrous manner. And it further explains there how far the feet of Adam Kadmon of straightness reach, and how far the feet of Ancient of Days reach, and the feet of Long Countenance, and the feet of Abba and Ima, and the feet of Nukva of Zeir Anpin.

And Abba and Ima are of short stature, and their height is only from the throat of Long Countenance to the navel of Long Countenance. And these matters are also explained in the Gate of Introductions, in the book "Kisei Eliyahu," and in "Mikdash Melech" in the portion of Bereshit. See there for more details.

39) Now, from all of this, it is thoroughly explained that the body of the Sefirot extends and unfolds through the subtle line from the essence of the Ein Sof (the Infinite), both the circles and the straightness. Thus, it is understood that the body of the Sefirot, along with their inner light, which is their soul, and their encompassing light, which is their garment, all emanate and extend from the very same essence of the Ein Sof.

This matter is explicitly stated in detail in the book "Shushan Sodot" in the order of prayer, as well as in the order of the seven days of Passover. And know that the ten Sefirot are not created entities but rather a concept that extends from the essence of the Creator, and they are not separate from Him. He continuously exists within them, just as a spark is always found in its garment, and so on.

This is stated in this folio by Rabbi Moshe Zacuto in the name of the RAMAZ (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto), in the portion of Behar, page 109, that the vessels of Atzilut have a divine aspect. Similarly, Rabbi Menachem HaMeiri wrote at the end of Tractate Asiyah that even the entire Atzilut, whether in the aspect of lights or in the aspect of vessels, and even their garments, are all complete divinity. (Likewise, Rabbi Uzziel Elohim wrote in Beit Kodesh HaKodashim that the body and the soul are unified, and so it is written in the book "Heichal HaBerachah" in the section of Vayikra in the treasury of life, page 4.)

However, in the levels of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Assiyah, from their spirit and below, even the spirit, as a whole, is not complete divinity. This is stated in the teachings of the Chassidim. Furthermore, it is also evident from the language of the Zohar that I mentioned earlier in section 21, where it refers to each of the faces as the "uppermost of the upper." This is because it is an elevation above the lower levels.

However, Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man) is called the "uppermost of all the upper," as it is the initial elevation for all the faces, as mentioned above. And from this, there is a response to your statement where you denied and said, God forbid, that the Kabbalists said so. On the contrary, they said that one should not believe or entertain the thought that the Sefirot are part of the Ein Sof (the Infinite).

Rather, it emerged and unfolded from an upper elevation to a lower one, and so on. Your words contradict the teachings of the Zohar, the Maharal of Prague, Shushan Sodot, and the RAMAZ (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto). They also contradict the teachings of the Chassidim who explained the quality of their unfolding from the essence of the Ein Sof and that they are complete divinity. Thus, you admit that their statements, which you claimed to be erroneous, are in fact a grave error.

And I have already mentioned earlier the words of the Zohar, which refer to the Abba and Imma as "the Lord of Hosts" and to Ze'eir Anpin as the son of Abba and Imma. And in this regard, it is said that all our service and prayers are directed specifically to Ze'eir Anpin, who is the son of Abba and Imma. And all the Kabbalists agree with this. As I mentioned earlier, quoting the works "Mikdash Melech," "HaRashba," "Yosher Levav," "Sefer HaBrit," "Maharsha," "Etz Chaim," "Ha'ari" in "Likutei Amarim," "Kisei Eliyahu," "Matzref HaEmunah," and "Nachalat Yosef," all of them unanimously affirm that all praises and blessings are specifically for Ze'eir Anpin.

They are not directed towards the Ein Sof or any other higher faces in the world of Atzilut, nor towards the faces below Ze'eir Anpin in the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, even though it is acknowledged and stated that within each of the three aforementioned worlds, there exist all the faces of the world of Atzilut, and they originate from the same essence of the Ein Sof, extending and unfolding through the line that emerges from it and descends downward, as explained earlier.

However, they are not considered complete divinity to pray to them or to invoke them in times of distress unless the source of the matter reveals itself through their words. And regarding these matters and the aforementioned beliefs, our sages said in Sanhedrin, page 91b: "From the gods of the nations that are near you or far from you." Why do I need both "near" and "far"? Rather, it means to say that just as you learn the goodness of those who are near, learn from them the goodness of those who are far.

And Rashi explained: "Therefore, I say to you, look at the idols that are close to you and see that they have no substance. And from them, learn the nature of those that are far." Thus, our sages showed us a way to understand the nature of the idols: by examining the goodness of the idols that are close, we can discern the goodness of the distant idols. Based on this, we can analyze and discuss all the faces of the New Kabbalistic Tradition, which states that within each world of the four worlds, the mentioned faces can be found.

Accordingly, the worship is directed only to Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut. Just as the entities near us in the worlds of Assiyah, Yetzirah, and Beriah are not to be worshipped as they have no substance and are not gods, so too Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut, who is distant, has no substance, and there is no deity besides our God. And since we have clarified that the consensus of all the new Kabbalists is that all worship, praises, and blessings are directed to Ze'eir Anpin of Atzilut, all your claims against us and all your denials are mere empty words and ill intentions, akin to saying that a man is a woman or that a pillar of marble is made of gold, and so on.

And in your response, you acted as a golem, as the Tanna said in Pirkei Avot, Chapter 5: "Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath... with a golem, with the appearance and characteristics of a golem." And from this principle, the wise one asks according to halacha and answers accordingly, with a golem in this exchange. And you have done the same, for the question posed to you regarding who we should worship according to the New Kabbalah, whether it is Atik, Arich Anpin, Abba and Ima, etc. And your response is not relevant, as if you were asked about your acceptance, etc., as if you were asked about your acceptance.

And you have also multiplied words and extended by bringing hints and gematria from the words of Chavat Ya'ir that did not understand the words of his father. And you mentioned hints that any person can do like them without any acceptance, as Rabbi Shmuel did when he composed the book "Koach Hashem," which is filled with combinations, gematria, and hints in one night from his own knowledge without any acceptance, only to demonstrate his power and ability to create combinations, gematria, and hints effortlessly, as written in the book "Alef Bet of Nachmanides."

Now, hints and combinations that do not touch upon the honor of the Holy Blessed One, or worshiping other gods, or belittling the importance of Mishnah, Talmud, and the Midrashim that describe the praises of our holy Torah, there is nothing wrong with them not being hinted at in the Torah. But in particular, you have extended to mention the hints mentioned in the "Ba'al Menorat HaMa'or" regarding their locations, and you did not answer what was requested from you, and your lips have not reached the measure of a golem, as the Tanna mentioned that he does not know how to respond as requested from him.

And the new kabbalists that formed the Ein Sof (Infinite) that circles around the Contraction like a round sphere and a hollow in his middle, and inside it thousands and myriads of circles that extend from himself, may he be blessed, also Faces of straightness there is no end to their amount that extend and chain from himself the way of the line that comes out from him, from the first man that he is above the world of Emanation (Atziluth) and until the end of the Faces of all the four worlds, of them said our teacher and our master the Rambam (Guide for the Perplexed Part 1 50:4), "Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their kidneys" (jer. 12:2) because with their mouth they say that he is one, and with all their minds and all their soul and their thoughts - that he is partitioned into many Faces and levels one above the other, and they need to take permission one from the other like it was made clear before and it is almost that this belief is worse than the beliefs of the "Akum", and like the Rivash wrote in the name of one of the philosophizers. "as the nazarethites say that they are three and the three is one, the kabbalists say that they are five in the world of Atziluth and the five are split into twelve, and the all is one". and i remember that in the book "beith yehuda" it is written that the words mentioned in the Rivash from one of the philosophizers, is a matter from himself, but he attributed them to "one of the philosophizers" lest one of the runners after honor encounter him and harm him, therefore he attributed the matter to others, and to this he concludes that he doesn't hold himself to study the new kabbalah, as it is enough for him in the old kabbalah that it is in the mishnah and the talmud. and the new kabbalists metophorize His Existence Blessed is He to the body of man that is made up of 248 limbs and 365 sinews and he is called...

And I will quote here a little of the principles that are required for our topic from the Thirteen Principles that the Rambam wrote in the Commentary on the Mishnah in the chapter [entitled] Chelek and which is brought by the Rabbi of Shvilei Emunah. And [these are his words]: The first principle is to believe that the Creator, may He be blessed, exists with complete existence, that He is the cause of the existence of all that exists and that the source of their existence is from Him.

And if we could imagine the cessation of His existence, the existence of all that exists would be nullified. But if we were to imagine the nullification of totally everything that exists besides Him, His existence would not be nullified on their account, nor would it [even] be lacking. For the Creator, may He be blessed, is abounding; as He does not need the existence of anything else. And everything besides Him of intelligences, planetary bodies and that which is in them all need Him, may He be blessed, for their existence. [But] He does not need them.

And this principle is hinted in the phrase, "I am the Lord, your God." And the second principle is His unity, may He be blessed. And that is to know that the Cause of everything is one. Not one that is a composite specie, like the human species which includes many individual people.

Nor is He like one that is an individual within the specie, as you would say about an individual person, yet you would include 248 limbs in him. Nor is He one that is constructed, which can be divided into many ones. Nor is He like a simple (unconstructed) body which is unique, but can [still] be divided without end. For each one of these is called, "one," by way of borrowing [from the true meaning of the word].

For these things that are grouped together by that word are [only actually unified by being] the same regarding [that] one matter, but they are not truly one. Indeed, the true One is the unity of the Creator, may He be blessed, about whom there is no oneness like Him in any fashion. And that is His, may He be blessed, saying, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4). To here are his [words].

Oy! For with the mistaken book of the Zohar and the Tikkunim, we have become akin to idolatrous peoples (Indians, Egyptians, Chaldeans, Persia and Medea and other religions that are built upon hidden studies and strange secrets, the foundation of which is from the imaginative faculty, as can be seen by one who looks into the book, Divrei Olam by the sage, Kalman Solomon). As they have not 'come out from the upheaval,' such that they have an argument with the straight and revealed knowledge received from the mouth of Scribes and books, the books of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, that teach knowledge to man and understanding of our holy Torah.

Lest we stray and err from [these] ideas that come to an empty heart, to transgress the statement of God, may He be blessed, "and you shall stray after your hearts" - that is heresy. And through the Zohar, the statement of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, in Sanhedrin 39b and in the Yalkut Shimoni on Kings 226 is fulfilled: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradiction: It is written (Ezekiel 11:12), "You have done according to the statutes of the nations that are round about you," but it is also written (Ezekiel 5:7), "nor have you done according to the statutes of the nations that are round about you."

And he answered, "You did not act like the proper ones among them (who believe in the oneness of the Creator), but you did act like the flawed ones among them," mentioned above. That is what happened to us concerning the belief in [God's] oneness and worship - we did not act like the proper ones among them, but we did act like the flawed ones among them, to worship the small face (Zeir Anpin) and unify it with the Goddess, its mate.