The plea is intense: "My soul yearns to hear profound words, tightly sealed, burning from the lofty heavens... quench my thirst like a parched land." Wow. This isn't just casual curiosity; it's a desperate search for truth.
But then, a twist! The teacher responds, and the student...pushes back. He accuses the teacher of being harsh, of not following the gentle path of the Torah. He even throws shade, comparing the teacher's words to "discipline and a scorching flame." Ouch!
The student invokes Hillel, a towering figure of Jewish tradition, quoting his famous dictum: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." He accuses the teacher of "belittling the sages of Israel." Strong words indeed!
So, what's going on here? Why this fiery debate?
The teacher, understandably, defends himself. He denies any intention of belittling anyone, "even a gentile, let alone Israel!" He points out that questioning and debate are actually integral to Jewish learning. The Talmud itself is full of arguments, with sages raising objections and contradicting each other. He even brings up an example of Rabbi Abahu, who mocked a common practice. It's all about seeking deeper understanding. But here's the kicker: The core of the disagreement seems to revolve around the mystical teachings of Kabbalah. Specifically, the student is accusing the teacher of calling certain personifications "deities." The teacher's response? "Haven't the Kabbalists themselves said so?"
He then delves into the complex world of Sefirot (divine emanations) and the various realms described in Kabbalistic texts. The Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah, even asks, "Who is the God who did so and so?" He explains that Kabbalists speak of countless worlds, each with its own intricate structure, but they only delve deeply into the world of Atzilut (the World of Emanation) because it is more revealed.
He emphasizes that when Kabbalists use terms like "our God and the God of our ancestors" in prayer, they're referring to specific, known measures within these divine realms. He mentions Arikh Anpin, Abba, Ima, Zeir Anpin, and Nukva – complex personifications within the Kabbalistic framework.
In essence, the teacher is saying: "I'm not inventing anything! These concepts are already present in Kabbalistic teachings. If you have a problem, take it up with the Kabbalists themselves!"
So, what are we to make of this exchange? It highlights the tension that can arise when grappling with complex, mystical ideas. It's a reminder that even within a tradition that values learning and debate, there can be disagreements about interpretation and emphasis. It also showcases the profound depth and complexity of Kabbalah, a tradition that invites us to explore the hidden dimensions of reality and the nature of the Divine. Perhaps, most importantly, it reminds us that the pursuit of truth is rarely a smooth, comfortable journey, and it may even involve a little scorching flame.
Response to the inquirer: My soul yearns to hear profound words, tightly sealed, burning from the lofty heavens. For I, with all humility, search for the shadow of the ultimate truth. And by your answer, may you enlighten me and quench my thirst like a parched land. You have made me a harlot in the marketplace, and my human soul laments in exalted praises (like the curse of the wicked Balaam). Your words resonate like a striking harp, but to a wild and untamed man, they are discipline and a scorching flame. Truly, this is not the way of the Torah. Our holy Torah has pleasant paths, and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. So said Hillel, the leader of Israel! The head of the Sanhedrin said, 'What I have explained is to belittle the sages of Israel and utter words that are not according to the law.' Heaven forbid for me to belittle any person, even a gentile, let alone Israel. And I do not know any place in my words that would lead you to claim they contain belittlement. And if you find difficulty with their words of the sages and seek to expose their hidden intentions, there is no prohibition in that. In the Talmud, they even raise objections against greater sages and bring evidence to contradict their words, saying, 'This is the refutation of Rabbi So-and-so.' Here, Rabbi So-and-so is of different opinion (as stated in the Aruch Baruchta version), and in Sanhedrin and Berachot, we say: 'One who sees a rainbow should bow down,' for it is written, 'Like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds,' etc., 'and I fell upon my face.' Rabbi Abahu mocked it and so on. Now, in your letter, I found your complaints, but I did not find an answer. Am I the one who called these personifications 'deities'? Haven't the Kabbalists themselves said so? Learn from the intent of the blessings and prayers, who is our God and who is the God of our ancestors. And in the Zohar, they ask, 'Who is the God who did so and so?' Furthermore, the Kabbalists explained that countless worlds, thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads, were emanated, created, and formed, yet they did not delve into them extensively due to their concealment. For they are extremely subtle lights. Each world consists of ten Sefirot, and each Sefirah contains ten individual details, as we explained in the world of Atzilut. And all these worlds, each one of them contains two general and specific configurations, round within round, one within another. And the same applies to the configurations of the upright Sefirot, which depict the human form with its 248 organs, etc. All these worlds, each one of them includes two configurations, general and specific, in round and upright. All the words of the Kabbalists and their explanations refer only to the world of Atzilut, which has already become clearer and revealed more, and therein they explained all the matters of the personifications that comprise five: Arikh Anpin, Abba, Ima, Zeir Anpin, and Nukva. And once it has become clear to you from their words that they said that these personifications are called deities by saying 'our God and the God of our ancestors' in prayer and blessings, and they aim at a known measure in every word, there is no complaint left for you against them, neither.
