This isn't just some dusty historical document. This is a raw, unfiltered response to someone wrestling with complex ideas about God, the universe, and the role of Jewish tradition. The writer, clearly a learned scholar, is reacting to a letter filled with questions – and, it seems, some sharp criticisms – regarding the wisdom of the sages and the teachings of Kabbalah. Kabbalah, meaning "reception," is the Jewish mystical tradition, exploring the hidden dimensions of God and creation.
The letter opens with a flourish, almost a proverb: "Answering a person according to the thoughts of his heart, and responding to him from the mouth of God." It's a powerful statement, suggesting that true wisdom comes from understanding where someone else is coming from, and then answering them with divine guidance. The writer admits to being "astonished and bewildered" by the recipient's yearning to explore "the depths of genius" within the Torah. He acknowledges the questioner's respect for "the great pillars of knowledge," from ancient scholars to the "wise ones of the West, Ashkenaz, Spain, and Yemen" – representing a vast tapestry of Jewish thought across geography and time.
But beneath the polite opening, there's a clear challenge. The writer accuses the recipient of using "deception and false reasoning," even of seeking favor from "kings and rulers" with these flawed arguments. Ouch! He questions the very path the recipient is on, hinting at a dangerous departure from tradition. He implies that the recipient is being swayed by naive beliefs, trusting too much in their own intellect.
"Heaven forbid!" he exclaims, "This is not credible and should not even cross the mind except for the naive, who believe everything they hear, relying solely on their intellect." Strong words!
Now, the writer makes a crucial disclaimer. He feels unqualified to delve into these matters, saying he hasn't "inherited" the right kind of understanding. But, driven by a sense of duty to God, he will answer based on the teachings of the sages. He invokes their merit as a protective shield, hoping to avoid error. It's a reminder that engaging with these profound topics comes with a sense of responsibility and even vulnerability.
The core of the writer's defense revolves around the recipient's criticisms of the sages. He accuses the recipient of diminishing their wisdom and attributing "error and heresy" to them. He warns against striking the sages "with their own coals," emphasizing that "righteous individuals are greater in their death than in their life," a concept found in the Talmud.
A key point of contention seems to be the recipient's questioning of Halacha, Jewish law. The writer retorts, "Where do we find that evidence is brought to refute a Halacha given to Moses at Sinai?" He's drawing a line in the sand, asserting the immutability of divinely ordained law. He also challenges the recipient's authority to "investigate and seek after their words," implying a lack of proper training or understanding.
The letter then addresses specific criticisms, likely related to Kabbalistic concepts. The recipient apparently accused the Kabbalists of attributing divinity to "physical appearances." The writer denies this, explaining that the "ascent" described in blessings and prayers relates to the Sefirot (the divine emanations). The Sefirot are the ten emanations of God, understood as attributes or vessels through which the divine manifests in the world.
The writer also defends the Kabbalistic idea of "thousands upon thousands of worlds," arguing that their existence poses no threat to the oneness of God. He explains that depicting God in human form is a metaphorical representation, used by prophets to convey divine power. And regarding the "248 organs" mentioned in Kabbalistic texts, he clarifies that these represent the "216 letters of the name 'Ben A'b'" and the "32 paths," alluding to divine forces. These numbers and configurations are deeply symbolic within Kabbalistic thought.
He directly refutes the recipient's claim that he believes prayer is irrelevant to the "cause of all causes." He clarifies that prayer is directed to the Ein Sof, the Infinite, but influences the Ten Sefirot. He emphasizes the importance of directing intentions to specific Sefirot during prayer, but always with the understanding that everything is ultimately for the sake of the One God. He cites the Kisei Eliyahu (Throne of Elijah) as a source for understanding these complex ideas.
The letter concludes by reiterating that all prayers are directed towards the Infinite One, even though we cannot address Him directly by name. Instead, we pray through the Sefirot, which encompass all the divine names and attributes.
What are we left with after reading this powerful exchange? It's a reminder that grappling with faith and tradition is rarely a passive exercise. It involves questioning, challenging, and sometimes even heated debate. But it also requires humility, respect for those who came before us, and a deep commitment to seeking truth. This letter isn't just an argument; it's a testament to the enduring power of Jewish thought and the ongoing search for meaning in a complex world.
Answering a person according to the thoughts of his heart, and responding to him from the mouth of God. And when I saw your letter, I sat astonished and bewildered. How your heart yearns to seek and explore the depths of genius, which are faithful in the Torah, the great pillars of knowledge like the descendants of the mighty, and after many rulings and interpretations, as well as the early scholars. And after many rulings and also the early interpreters, along with the later sages, the wise ones of the West, Ashkenaz, Spain, and Yemen. And the rest of the holy congregations, the descendants of faithful parents, this is their desire, more precious than gold and many pearls. And if trouble should arise, from the hands of faithful righteous ones, knowledgeable in the wisdom of the sages, intelligent, God-fearing, and turning away from evil with zeal. With their wisdom, they have defeated many adversaries and opponents who stood against them at all times. And when you received merchandise with deception and false reasoning, which, due to the majority of your wisdom, found favor in the mouths of singers and poets, you presented yourselves before kings and rulers. But did they walk on a path that was not good, both fathers and sons? How many centuries is this? And how outstanding they are in every wisdom and renowned scholars, accepted in philosophy and reasoning, medicine and healing, and innovations. They are wise day and night, calm and content, enjoying the fruit of their good deeds, fresh and invigorated. Heaven forbid! This is not credible and should not even cross the mind except for the naive, who believe everything they hear, relying solely on their intellect. It is not fitting for me to respond to you. For what am I to delve into matters that I haven't inherited to contemplate, let alone to answer questioners. However, for the sake of fulfilling my duty to God, I will respond to you based on what I have found written in the words of our sages (may their memory be a blessing). And may their merit stand for me, that no harm will befall me through it. Here, what you have written that you do not belittle the sages of Israel, there are already several witnesses against you, which you cannot deny. And what led you to such a conclusion that you attribute to them error and heresy. But it's because they are despicable in your eyes. However, a person should be cautious not to strike them with their own coals, for righteous individuals are greater in their death than in their life, as it is said in the Talmud. And what you wrote, that if we were to discover the place of contradiction and the Talmud also brings evidence to refute the words of those great individuals, the comparison is not appropriate. Where do we find that evidence is brought to refute a Halacha given to Moses at Sinai? And the scholars of Kabbalah say that this is how they received it from the mouth of Moses. Who is this person and where is he who gave you the authority to investigate and seek after their words? And what you wrote, that they attribute divinity, God forbid, to physical appearances, is not what they say. And as for what you wrote, go and learn from the intent of the blessings and prayers. It has already been explained that the purpose of all ascent is contained in a certain Sefirah known as such. And in the specific Sefirah known as such.And as for what you wrote, that the Kabbalists explained that there are thousands upon thousands of worlds, and so on, and even if there were millions upon millions, since they all originate from the same Creator and He sustains them all, what loss is there in this? And as for what you wrote, that they are depicted as a human figure, it has already been stated by the great strength of the prophets that they portray the sublime form of power from above in the shape of a human. And as for what you wrote about the 248 organs, it has already been explained what these organs are. For they are the 216 letters of the name "Ben A"b" and the 32 paths, which allude to the divine forces. And regarding what you wrote, that I have already admitted that in my opinion there is no prayer relevant to the cause of all causes, you are speaking falsehood. But didn't the beginning of your question inquire about the words of the Mishrafa that I addressed? Refer to the Kisei Eliyahu. However, our tradition is that prayer is directed to the Ein Sof and influences the Ten Sefirot, as stated in the writings of Shelomo HaMelech (King Solomon). And what I told you is to look into the Kisei Eliyahu (the Throne of Elijah) so that you will know that the words of the Mesharef (the heretic) are truly words of denial and should be rejected. Heaven forbid that they can be found in any book, but the words of the Kabbalistic tradition are not like his words, heaven forbid. For the words of the Kisei Eliyahu, the "Zeir Anpin" are nothing but vessels for the actions of the Creator. And what is stated on page 25 in our scriptures, that we read the Tetragrammaton as "Adonai," we attribute to all faces with the concealed soul within them, which is the endless one, blessed be He. It is not meant to imply that prayer is not directed towards the Divine Presence, God forbid. Rather, it means that the ascent of prayer to the Divine Presence, blessed be He, occurs through this method or attribute. And the proof of this is what is stated in page 17b, may it be blessed, and what is written in the intentions of prayer and blessings, to direct in each blessing a specific intention to a specific sefirah, God forbid, to the essence of the sefirah. For it is a severance, God forbid, and it is forbidden to direct to any specific power or particular sefirah. Rather, everything is for the essence of the One, blessed be He, encompassing all the powers together. Furthermore, it is also stated in page 25a that all our prayers are directed towards the Infinite One. However, we cannot address Him by any title or name. That is why we pray through the sefirot, for in the sefirot all the appellations and names are included.
