Rabbi
Yehudah Ashlag, It is Time
to Act [1]
For a long
time, I have been inexorably haunted by daily pangs of conscience, inducing me
to go outside of my boundary, and to compose some fundamental treatise on the
innermost part of Judaism and faith, reflecting genuine knowledge of Kabbalistic wisdom,
and disseminate it among the people, so that the people may properly attain
awareness and common understanding of these very sublime and fundamental
things, their true nature and character.
If we turn to the past of the people of Israel before the advent of printing
in the world, then there were no spurious books in our midst on the innermost
part of Judaism and similar topics, because among us we almost did not have a
single author who was not responsible with his words, and so it was for one
simple reason that such an irresponsible person in most cases was not famous.
Therefore, if someone suddenly appeared who had the shamelessness to compose
such a writing, it would not make sense for any scribe to copy his book, since
for his work he would not be paid a reward corresponding to his labor costs,
which, as a rule, amounted to significant money. And consequently, he was
automatically sentenced to get lost to the community [of Israel] [2]. And at
the same time, experts on the subject were also completely uninterested and did
not need to write books of this type, since such knowledge was not needed by
the masses. On the contrary, they took care to hide it in the innermost
chambers [3], because “The honor of G-d is to conceal a matter” [4], since we
are commanded to hide the innermost part of the Тоrah and the service
[to the Almighty] from those who do not need it or are not worthy of it, and
also [we are commanded] not to desecrate it and not to flaunt, tempting
rubbernecks or braggarts, for the Honor of G-d obliges us to behave this way.
However, from the
time printing spread throughout the world and authors no longer needed people
to copy their works, and the high cost of the book has decreased, it has become
possible for authors who are not responsible for their deeds to produce as many
books as they please, for the sake of money, fame, etc., and they do not take
into account what exactly they do with their own hands, and they are completely
indifferent to the results of their deeds.
.
And since
that time, books began to multiply, including those of the type
discussed above: [authored] without any study of the subject and without
obtaining knowledge mouth to mouth from an authorized Rav, and even with
insufficient acquaintance with all previous books of that same category, their
authors continue to draw their wild conjectures from their own flesh and blood
and from all sorts of nonsense (similar to a barren tree), and attribute them
to very sublime and fundamental things, attempting to depict with this the soul
of the people and all of its most important treasures. And, like fools, they
did not know to be careful. And they do not have a foundation to know that they
are bringing mistaken ideas to entire generations, and that because of their
petty desires, they sin themselves and cause many people to sin for generations.
And lately their
stench has risen ever higher, for they plunged their claws into the wisdom of Kabbalah, despite
the fact that this wisdom has been kept strictly closed behind a thousand locks
until today, to such an extent that there is no way to understand even a single
word in its true sense, not to mention the connection between neighboring
words. For in all authentic books written until now, there are only meager
hints, barely sufficient for a student who is capable of understanding by
himself, provided that he is given explanations from the lips of a
sage-Kabbalist who has the appropriate authority. And “there an owl has made
his nest and laid eggs, and hatched them, and gathered its young under its
shadow” [Yeshayahu 34:15]; and
masters of evil began to multiply in our days, making a name for themselves
from motives disgusting for anyone who looks at them.
And there
are among them those who are trying to climb to the very top
and arrogate to themselves a place befitting the heads of generations; and they
pretend that they can choose between the texts of the books of the early sages and the Rishonim of blessed memory in order to instruct the community
which book is worth studying, and which is not worthy of their time because it,
G-d forbid, is full of delusional ideas, and there is much contempt and wrath
[5]. For until now the work of selecting between such books was a privilege of
only one of ten heads of generations, but now it will become an abuse of the
ignorant.
And for
this reason, the understanding of these matters by the community has
been distorted greatly. Moreover, an atmosphere of frivolity has been created,
whereby everyone thinks that it is enough for him to get acquainted with these
lofty matters in his free time and evaluate them, and they pass hurriedly over
the whole world of that sublime wisdom and the origin of the innermost part of
Judaism, with one flight, like the known angel [6], and each, therefore, draws
conclusions according to his mood.
And these are the
reasons that prompted me to go outside of my boundary, and I have decided that
it is time to act for the sake of haShem [1] and save everything
that could still be saved. And I have taken it upon myself to reveal to a
certain extent this origin, touching on the subject that has already been
discussed, and to disseminate it among the people.
Translator’s
Notes
----------------------
[1] The Babylonian
Talmud, tractate Brachot, page 63А reads: And
{the verse Tehilim 119:126} states: “It is time to act for the sake of haShem, they
transgressed Your Тоrah”. Rava said:
“This verse is interpreted from beginning to end and from end to beginning”. It
is interpreted from beginning to end as follows: “It is time to act for the sake of haShem”;
what is the reason? Because “they transgressed Your Тоrah” {so it must be remedied}. It is
interpreted from end to beginning as follows: “They transgressed Your Тоrah”; what is the reason? Because “it is time to act for the
sake of haShem”. {By means of violating the Torah, it
is possible to fundamentally rectify the situation}. End of quotation (in curly
brackets comments by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz). Both
interpretations apply to this article: 1) “It is time to act for the sake of haShem”. What is the reason? Because the printing of books
on Kabbalah and other religious books is in the hands of charlatans,
they also teach people which books to study and which not. 2) The author
violated a prohibition that had existed before and revealed part of the secret
teaching. What is the reason? Because “It is time to act for the sake of haShem”.
[2] To get
lost to the community [of Israel]. It is said in Bamidbar 16:33: And
they were lost to the community [of Israel]. Baal HaSulam
compares the oblivion of an irresponsible author with the death of rebels,
under whom the earth opened up.
[3] “In
the innermost chambers” is a well-known expression from the Talmud and midrash. See for
example Babylonian
Talmud, tractate Shabbat, p. 64B.
[4] The
honor of G-d is to conceal a matter - Mishlei 25:2.
[5] And
there is much contempt and wrath – Esther 1:18.
[6] With
one flight, like the known angel – The Babylonian Talmud, tractate Brachot, page
4B reads:
Rabbi Elazar bar Avina said: Greater is that which is said with regard
to Michael
than that which is said with regard to Gavriel.
For with regard to Michael it is written: And one of seraphim
flew (ויעף) to me [Yeshayahu 6:6] – whereas with regard to Gavriel it is written: And the man Gavriel,
whom I saw in the earlier vision, flew in flight (מועף
ביעף) […][Daniel 9:21]. How does imply that this “one” is
Michael? Rabbi Yochanan said: There is [the word] “one” [in one place
of Tanach and the word] “one” [in
another place of Tanach]. It is written here: And one of seraphim flew to me – and
it is written elsewhere: And behold Michael, one of the foremost
heavenly princes came to help me [Daniel 10:21]. A baraita teaches: Michael [reaches his destination] with
one [flight], Gavriel – with two, Eliyahu
– with four, the angel of
death – with eight, but in a time of plague with one.
The expression “with one
flight” (בטיסה
אחת) is used in the book by Elazar
of Worms Sodei Razaya
(Secrets of Secrets), part one, chapter ש (see the original of the
cited fragment on the site responsa.co.il, make search בטיסה
אחת):
It is
written (Yeshayahu 6:8, 6:6): “’Who will I send, and who will go
for us?’ And one of seraphim flew to me”. And since Michael is on
the right, he flies through the world with one flight, because it is
said “and … flew to me” [in Hebrew the words “and flew” are written as one word (ויעף,
therefore one flight is needed)]. And Gavriel being on
the left flies with two flights, since it is said (Daniel 9:21): flew in flight (מועף
ביעף) [with two
words, therefore two flights are needed].
Michael
is on the right, Gavriel is on the left – on the
right (as a sign of being mightier and of a higher rank) and on the left from
the throne of haShem. In Targum
Iyov
to verse 25:2
(Dominion and fear are with Him; He makes peace in His heights) it
is said:
Michael is on the right, and
he consists of fire. Gavriel is on the left, and he consists of water.
And Holy created beings are mixing the fire and water. And by reigning and
sowing fear, He makes peace on His Heaven of Heaven
In midrash Hagadat Shma Yisrael
(Narrarive on Shma
Yisrael), the midrash is published in two collections, the links refer
to the cited fragment: Beth
haMidrash (play on words: here this
means “the house of midrash”, and usually – a place where the Тоrah is studied), compiled
by Rabbi Aaron
Jellinek, and Otzar Midrashim (the treasury of midrashim), compiled
by Yehudah David
Eisenstein, it is said:
I saw
Michael, great prince, standing on the right from the throne, and Gavriel, standing on the left.
After reading Bedtime Shma we say: “At My right [hand] Michael, at My left [hand] Gavriel”.