Oy vey! Have we, in our zeal for hidden wisdom, inadvertently stumbled into idolatry? It's a question that weighs heavily, especially when considering the influence of the Zohar and the Tikkunim.
You see, some argue that our fascination with these mystical texts has made us resemble those ancient peoples – the Indians, Egyptians, Chaldeans, Persians, and Medes – whose religions were built upon esoteric studies and arcane secrets. These secrets, some believe, are rooted more in imaginative fancy than in solid, received tradition. A sage named Kalman Solomon makes this very point in his book, Divrei Olam.
The concern is that we haven’t fully "come out from the upheaval," meaning that we haven't sufficiently grounded ourselves in the clear, straightforward knowledge passed down from the Scribes and found in the books of our Rabbis, may their memory be a blessing. These are the texts that are meant to teach knowledge and understanding of our holy Torah.
And what happens if we stray? We risk transgressing God's command, "And you shall stray after your hearts" (Numbers 15:39). This, the tradition warns, is the path to heresy.
It's a serious charge, and it's one rooted in a specific interpretation of texts like the Zohar. The fear is that through misinterpreting Kabbalistic ideas, we risk fulfilling a prophecy found in Sanhedrin 39b and the Yalkut Shimoni on Kings 226. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi points out a contradiction in Ezekiel. It’s written, "You have done according to the statutes of the nations that are round about you," (Ezekiel 11:12) but it also says, "nor have you done according to the statutes of the nations that are round about you" (Ezekiel 5:7).
His resolution? "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."
The worry is that this is what's happening to us now concerning the belief in God's oneness and worship. We are not acting like the "proper" monotheists, but like the flawed ones. Specifically, the critique is aimed at the Kabbalistic concept of worshiping the Zeir Anpin, the "small face," and unifying it with its divine consort, the Goddess, its mate – a concept seen by some as a deviation from pure monotheism.
This is strong stuff, isn't it? It challenges us to consider the fine line between exploring the depths of our tradition and potentially veering off course. It begs the question: How do we embrace the richness of Kabbalah while remaining firmly rooted in the core principles of Jewish belief? It's a conversation we need to keep having, always with humility and a deep respect for the wisdom of our Sages.