Or Yaqar on the Oral Torah and the Secrets of Metatron

I have been working on translating some small sections of Cordovero's texts that I will be posting on here.  I'm finding that a literal translation would be unintelligible, as there are many Rabbinic idioms that must be decoded through intense contemplation.  So my translations will be in the style of "elucidations" as found, for example, in the volumes published by ArtScroll.

Here follows Or Yaqar Tikkunei HaZohar vol. 1 p. 135 last paragraph:

"All the work that is done in comprehending and applying the teachings of the Oral Torah is deeply involved with the secrets of Metatron.

"And one who begins this work will initially acquire many interpretative difficulties to their theoretical framework. This will bring the student into the secret of the exile in the depths of the Klippot, wether they know it or not.

"And the reason that there are no major disputations or interpretative difficulties except the ones that came from the students of Hillel and Shammai is due to their scattering into obscurity after the destruction of the temple. And for the purpose of understanding the secrets of exile and redemption, the scholars of the Oral Torah immersed themselves in many of these interpretative difficulties and tried to clarify them for future generations of Torah scholars."

Rabbi Cordovero's Kabbalistic Commentary on the First Verse of the Shema

Here is a translation I have put together from Tefillah LeMoshe.  It is Rabbi Cordovero's commentary on the first verse of the Shema.  This is a wonderful little snippet to contemplate regularly.  It is a good practice to prepare for praying the Shema by setting the mystical intention (kavannah) to realize the sefirotic dynamics of the verse as one is praying it.

In the verse "Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad" (Deuteronomy 6:4), there are six words: each word is like rain.  As a totality, they are six sefirot that are in Tif'eret.  And in the verse "Baruch Shem Kavod Malkhuto LeOlam VaEyd", there are six words: they are like containment vessels of the rain.  As a totality, they are six sefirot that are in Yesod.

"Shema" : With this word, he shall make preparations for Malkhut, that it be the opening of the assemblage of the words of the prayer.

"Yisrael" : And he shall supplicate to Tif'eret, and he will enter into Malkhut, to dwell with her.

"Adonai" : The first mention of the Tetragrammaton is in Hokhmah.

"Eloheinu" : With this word, he shall bind Hokhmah with Binah.

"Adonai" : The next mention of the Tetragrammaton is in Tif'eret.

"Echad" : If one has recited the Shema with this kavannah, then after the mention of the last word "echad", Malkhut will have united with Tif'eret.

"Baruch Shem Kavod" : Yesod is a receiver of the sefirot and pours them into Malkhut.

"Malkhuto" : And Malkhut is the conduct of the world with the power of Ain Sof.

"LeOlam" : It is said simultaneously with an overflowing of the six ends of the throne of glory.

"VaEyd" : The "Va" of this word represents six of the heikhalot (heavenly palaces).  The "Eyd" of this word represents the other heikhal which is in them all.

Eilimah Rabbati - Ein Kol HaAretz chapter 1.1

Eilimah Rabbati - Ein Kol HaAretz - chapter 1.1 (transl. S.A.O.)

The foundation of Emunah (Faith):

In every area of the Torah, there is always something necessary for Emunah (Faith).  Anyone who does not even believe in one letter of all the letters of Torah is called a heretic.  And the same is true for one who believes in the Written Torah and not in the Oral Torah.  And even if he rejects some portion thereof, or in even some matter thereof.  In the sayings of our Rabbis of blessed memory and their later commentators, the denier who maintains those sorts of opinions on the Oral Torah is called a heretic.  This is the case, unless our Rabbis of blessed memory were themselves divided on an issue from the issues that could have been ruled as a specific halakhah, or else if they ceased the halakhic discussion in the Talmud.  Or else in other areas that are not halakhah but are from the Midrashic literature, where they were investigating the uncertain things in the Torah, and the Rabbis themselves were in disagreement in their inquiry.  This statement is a complaint and it is a lament!  It is directed to the Intellect of man - a matter from those conceptual matters, one from those parts.  Once he comprehends this idea he will no longer be called a heretic.

On this parable they were divided in the Gemara and in the Midrash.  Some say it was Job, others say it was not.  And there are sayings from Israel and there are sayings from the peoples of the world.  Here is a choice in the hand of man: to comprehend each opinion from all these views, provided that he ascends in his inner knowledge as much as possible, and to reconcile between the opinions of the sages.  And he does not say 'this is my opinion and this is just like how so-and-so viewed the matter'.  There is not in us the power to determine true knowledge from speculation or from the knowledge of the philosophers and so on.

The Origins of Mussar Literature and the Writing of an Oral Tradition

Introduction

Mussar literature has played a key role in bringing about the success of Kabbalah as a system of spiritual development.  But Kabbalah, originally a strictly oral teaching, is nowadays primarily a written teaching.  The vast majority of seekers today do not have direct access to a teacher of Kabbalah.  How was this oral tradition made accessible to those who do not have a teacher?  The Mussar literature made this possible.  In a sense, it provided the oral instruction in written form, giving the student general principles and methods which would work if applied with great care.

The word Mussar is generally taken to mean things such as, "discipline, ethics" but with the wider connotation of "education, training, discipleship".  Although there is a specific genre of Mussar literature, the concepts and principles of Mussar can be found throughout the general literature on Jewish spirituality.

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (1522-1570)

The genre of Kabbalistic Mussar literature can be seen to stem from the writings of one Mequbal in particular: Rabbi Moshe Cordovero.  This is exemplified in his two small treatises, Tomer Devorah and Or Ne'erav.

Tomer Devorah

Before these were written, Kabbalistic writings did not usually present themselves in formal style, with clear organization and explicit instructions from the author.  The older texts preferred instead an enigmatic style in which the text was encrypted by the author.  The the chapters of Tomer Devorah are organized around the 13 Attributes of Mercy and the 10 Sefirot.  There are clear instructions to the reader: he explains how a person can emulate the divine attributes of Mercy, and the Sefirot.  By following these instructions diligently, the reader is assured of definite progress towards developing consciousness of the Sefirot.

The first chapter of Tomer Devorah opens, "It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the secret of the Supernal Form in both image (tzelem) and likeness (demut)... It is proper that man's actions imitate the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy."  Cordovero explains how the 13 Attributes are derived from the biblical text of Michah 7:18-20.  He comments on each one of the attributes, with such direct instructions as, "This is a fitting attribute for a person to acquire in his conduct towards his fellow...", and such as "a person should emulate this attribute in his conduct...", and such as "so, too, should a person improve his conduct towards others."

At the conclusion of the commentary on the 13 Attributes, Cordovero explains the practical application of the entire system:

"These are the Supernal Attributes of Mercy, and their special property is that just as a person conducts himself here below, so will he be worthy of opening up the channel of the same Supernal Attribute Above for himself.  Exactly according to his behavior will the outflow of mercy be bestowed from Above, and he will cause this attribute to shine in the world.

"For this reason, he should not ignore these Thirteen Attributes or allow these verses to depart from his mouth.  Rather, they should be a constant reminder to him when the occasion for making use of one of these attributes arises.  He should remember and say to himself, 'This situation requires this particular attribute.  I will not budge from it, lest this attribute become concealed or disappear from the world.'"

The rest of the text is similar, but now covers the Ten Sefirot.  Cordovero begins, "For a person to emulate his Creator according to the secret of the attributes of Keter, he must possess several qualities, which characterize the way God conducts His world..."

Each chapter begins in a similar fashion, a teaching device used to initiate the reader's interest.  Following chapters begin, "How should a person train himself in the attribute of Chokhmah?",  and "How should a person train himself in the attribute of Binah?", and so on.  Note carefully the language: He is saying how a person "trains themselves", evidence that the author is providing the oral instruction that would ordinarily be absent in Kabbalistic texts.

Or Ne'erav

The straightforward program given in Tomer Devorah is taken apart and generalized in the text Or Ne'erav.  It is presented in textbook style, and gives general methods to the serious student of Kabbalah

The translator of Or Ne'erav writes in the Introduction:

"In the late summer of 1587, Moses Cordovero's treatise Or Ne'erav ("The Pleasant Light") was published in Venice.  It was a book with several aims.  First of all, it was written as a justification for the study of Kabbalah.  As well, it contained detailed instructions for beginners on how to commence their Kabbalistic studies... Taken as a whole, Or Ne'erav was clearly meant to serve as an elementary text for beginners in Kabbalah."

Cordovero begins the text by taking up and answering such questions as: What type of mindset must a person have in order to become a student of Kabbalah?  Who is allowed to study and what are the basic requirements?  When and how often should one study?  Who is qualified to teach?  This is all answered along with detailed proofs from the text of the Zohar.

The issues surrounding the teaching of Kabbalah are specifically addressed.  In chapter III.3, he takes up the question: "From whom shall the student learn?" While Cordovero says a few things about the character traits of the teacher, he mainly focuses on methods of self-study. In a particularly brilliant passage, Cordovero writes:

"These are the books which one should stick to, reading them is praiseworthy.  They are the Zohar, the Tikkunim, Ra'aya Mehemna, Sefer Yetzirah, Sefer Bahir, and the Hekhalot literature.  The student should stick with these works lovingly, and he will then succeed in mastering this science on condition that he will delve deeply into them and devote to them exceptional study."

Cordovero indicates that it is possible for the independent student to come to a high level of knowledge:

"He will then find explanations for most of what is to be found in the books of the latter commentators, which he need not consult.  It is not our intention to declare these latter works unfit, God forbid, but rather to indicate for the student the path which is short, though it seems to be long."

He next spells out explicity in clear detail the method of study, which presumably was one that he used himself:

"The reader should approach these books in two ways.  First of all, he should review the texts many times, making notes in order to remember his studies fluently.  He should not delve too deeply at first.  Secondly, he should study the material with great concentration according to his ability.  Thus the reader should have two permanent rules: (1) To study with concentration.  (2) To study with fluency according to his ability."

If one follows this carefully, this is not simply a guide towards being a good student who knows the contents of a text, but this is specifically addressing the student's character traits and mental skills that will be exercised during study.  This is again something that would only have been given in an oral teaching and not written prior to Cordovero's time.

Cordovero continues with advice to the student:

"Though it may seem to the student that he does not understand the material, he should nevertheless not cease studying, for his Master will faithfully cause him to discover esoteric wisdom.  For just as a father trains his son, so does the Holy One, blessed be He, grant merit to one who pursues this science bit by bit."

This is a highly illuminating passage.  He is saying that one does not really need an external teacher, because in truth it is God who is the real inner teacher.  One does not run off to seek his teacher for help when he is puzzled by his Kabbalistic studies.  Instead he persists despite the relative ignorance:

"Should any subject in this science seem doubtful for the student, he should wait, for in the course of time the matter will be revealed to him.  The essential reward for the study of this science is derived from waiting for the revelation of the mysteries which will be revealed to him in the course of time."

Cordovero is definitely implying that the mystical experience of discovering droplets of wisdom and knowledge that result from dedicated study is not available to those who need an external teacher to explain everything to them.  The goal of study is not to acquire facts and knowledge, but to unlock the hidden secrets of the texts.  We are told clearly that the hard-working student can gain this knowledge for themselves: "It occurs to those who succeed in this science, that when they search these treatises many times, their knowledge will increase.  There is no investigation without new knowledge resulting."

Development of a New Genre

Kabbalistic Mussar literature then develops with the students of Rabbi Cordovero.  Two works stand out here: Rabbi Eliyahu DeVidas' Reshit Chokhmah (Beginning of Wisdom), and Rabbi Chayyim Vital's Sha'arei Qedushah (Gates of Holiness).  Reshit Chokhmah is similar in style to Tomer Devorah, but very much longer.  It is organized around five ethical principles: Awe, Love, Repentance, Holiness, and Modesty.  In this text, DeVidas refers to Cordovero as, "my master".

The Sha'are Qedushah of Rabbi Vital is another early Kabbalistic Mussar text.  It is divided into 4 parts, although the printed editions only contain the first 3.  Vital clearly states that the text is intended for instruction: "I decided to show them the road they should walk in.  Therefore, I composed this treatise, in which I will explain secrets that even our predecessors did not imagine."  He organizes the text as follows:

1. "The first part instructs one about the ways of the Chasidim." It discusses these topics: the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah, improving character traits, the virtues of the Tzadiq and the Chasid and their way of life.  At the conclusion of the first part, Vital writes, "Whoever wishes to become a Tzadiq or a Chasid should follow the above instructions."
2. "The second part presents the reward and the punishment for the positive Mitzvot and the negative Mitzvot."  It discusses these topics: Reproofs of discipline, rewards for Torah and Mitzvot observance, punishments for transgression, repentance.
3. "The third part deals with Ruach HaQodesh."  It also discusses these topics: the nature of the worlds, the nature of man, prophecy, methods for attaining divine inspiration.

The fourth part of Sha'are Qedushah is"The ways of Yechudim (Unifications)".  It explains how to work with the divine names, so it is not printed with the standard editions.

When Rabbi Moshe Chayyim Luzzatto wrote his masterpiece of Kabbalistic Mussar, Mesillat Yesharim (Ways of the Upright), the genre had already been well established.  This work was so direct and clear that it became a Jewish classic, as it was not written intentionally for the Kabbalist, but for anyone who is interested in connecting to God through the Torah and its teachings.

Although inspired by the Kabbalistic tradition of Cordovero, DeVidas and Vital, Rabbi Luzzatto wrote in non-Kabbalistic language so as to create a Mussar guidebook that would be accessible to all students of Torah.  And while it has been read and studied by many non-Kabbalists, it is still very deep and profound and thus treasured by Kabbalistic students most especially.  The Mesillat Yesharim is organized into 26 chapters, dealing with topics such as: the development of character traits, vigilance, alacrity, cleanliness, abstinence, purity, piety, humility, fear of sin, holiness.

The Significance of Mussar Literature

The literature of Kabbalistic Mussar is today very popular.  This is found to be a good way to help people learn about Kabbalah without getting immersed in Kabbalistic texts which take years of study to get into.  This idea of a book in which the author gives instructions to the reader, who is treated as a student, is very familiar.  Many Kabbalistic books nowadays are written in a style of teaching how to begin and carry out a program of personal spiritual development.

Kabbalah started off as an oral tradition that was not written down.  Only later were Kabbalistic mystical texts written, such as the Zohar.  But still, unless the reader had access to a teacher, the reader would easily be completely lost and give up.  There were many early commentaries, and even Cordovero himself wrote a massive commentary on the Zohar, but still there was not much of a precedent for Kabbalistic Mussar literature.

Mussar literature made it possible for those without access to a teacher to be able to become authentic students of Kabbalah.  In Cordovero's time, writing a book that explained how to work a program of self-development that would lead to real Kabbalistic power was seen as a dangerous undertaking, and was held in contempt by those who did not want this power to be unleashed.  We must appreciate the risks that these early Kabbalists took in writing their works, and we must also greatly appreciate the fact that they went ahead and wrote them anyway.

A new book on Kabbalah nowadays has little chance of survival if it does not include core Mussar themes of self-development.  The Mussar literature has been the primary reason for the success of Kabbalah as an independent spiritual path by moderns seekers.

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The following books were mentioned in this article:

Bibliography for the Study of Cordoverian Kabbalah - Part 1: English translations of Cordovero's works

To begin our study of Cordoverian Kabbalah, we will make a bibliography of study materials.  This list is not intended to be comprehensive of all scholarly aspects of Cordoverian Kabbalah, but just the sources that myself am studying and find useful.  As I continue my research and as the status of these publications changes, I will update this list accordingly. 

First, the primary texts that are available in English.  Only a small percentage of Cordovero's original work has been translated into English.  Let's begin by looking at those works that have been fully translated.

Tomer Devorah - The Palm Tree of Deborah

Tomer Devorah is a very short ethical treatise that is probably Cordovero's most successful work, in terms of its popularity today.  It begins with the idea that to cleave to the sefirot, we must imitate the qualities of the sefirot in our daily actions, especially in our interaction with others.  It consists of a lengthy first chapter on the 13 attributes of Mercy, followed by chapters on each of the sefirot.

The book is available in English translation by Moshe Miller (1993).  It features an introduction and endnotes, as well as the original Hebrew text.  Unfortunately, scholars have pointed out many factual errors in the introduction, so it is not very useful.  There is no notation in the text to indicate which lines have been comment on in the endnotes.  It is out of print, but fortunately there are copies available through Amazon.




There is another translation of Tomer Devorah available on the web.  The host reports that he does not know who the translation is by, but suspects it is by Louis Jacobs (1960).  Here is the link:

http://www.digital-brilliance.com/contributed/deborah/deborah.htm



Or Ne'erav - A Pleasant Light

Described as "an introduction to Kabbalah", Or Ne'erav serves several purposes.  First, there are two main parts to the book.  Part one intends to guide new students who are getting started on the Kabbalistic path.  It first deals with some of the opinions regarding the study of Kabbalah that were current in RaMaK's day, and to give the student the right perspective from which to approach his studies.  There is a chapter on the manner and time of study, dealing also with the consideration of qualified teachers and independent study.  Next follows a chapter on the virtues that can be attained through these studies.  Part two is a very concise summary of essential Kabbalistic teachings, dealing with the main theoretical and philosophical approaches that RaMaK deals with much more extensively in other works.  It is organized by the chapters in Pardes Rimonim, but leaves out some of the more technical systems altogether.  Also at the end is a kind of Kabbalistic dictionary, where much of the technical vocabulary found in Kabbalistic writings is shown in its symbolic correspondences with various sefirot, worlds, angels, and divine names and attributes.

Or Ne'erav is a good way to see how Cordovero studies Kabbalah, but in many ways it is not really an "introduction to Kabbalah".  It could somewhat be called an "introduction to Cordoverian Kabbalah" but even that is misleading.  One of its main purposes in being written was to address the issues of Kabbalistic education that were pressing in his mind at the time, and also to give a kind of "reader's digest" version of the much larger and more complete Pardes Rimonim.

Or Ne'erav is available in English translation by Ira Robinson (1994).  It features a fairly thorough introduction and many scholarly footnotes throughout the text.  There is a bibliography and index of passages quoted by Cordovero in the text.






Pardes Rimonim - The Garden of Pomegranates

Pardes Rimonim is Cordovero's most valuable work among the hardcore Kabbalists.  It could very well be given the subtitle "The Textbook of Kabbalah".  In 32 separate treatises, he attempts to bring together all aspects of Kabbalistic tradition, drawing from source texts such as Sefer Yetzirah, Sefer Bahir, and Sefer haZohar, as well as the writings of many of the great Kabbalists from the previous generations.

The Pardes is organized thematically, dealing first with the doctrines of the sefirot, their ordering and structure, ways of representing them, and their qualities.  It later moves into very technical considerations of letters, vowels, vocalizations, and permutations.  There is also a much more complete Kabbalistic dictionary than what is given in Or Ne'erav, and runs over 100 pages in the Hebrew text.

I will have much more to say about Pardes and its contentson this blog.  Let me point out here the availability of P.R. in English translation.  It is currently in the process of being translated by Elyakim Getz from Providence University.  Their plan is to publish the work in 12 separate volumes.  Currently the first four are available, but I don't know exactly when the remaining volumes will be released.  I will say that the quality of the translation is very readable, although it is lacking many features that would be present in a top-notch scholarly translation.  Regardless, I highly recommend the translation from Providence University as a primary source text for studying Cordoverian Kabbalah.  The publisher is operating on a fairly low budget, so their books are quite expensive.  It is still worth getting, and those who support their efforts are helping to fund future translation projects.  Here are the links to the first four volumes on Amazon:




In the next post, I will list the Hebrew editions of Cordovero's works.  After that, we will look at a few scholarly studies of Cordovero and some other books that deal with aspects of Cordoverian Kabbalah.  To wrap up the bibliography, we will look at some of the works that directly influenced Cordovero, as well as works that Cordovero had a direct influence on.

First Post - Introduction to this Blog

Welcome to Cordoverian Kabbalah!  This blog is dedicated to the study of Kabbalah in the spirit of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (1522-1570).  Cordovero is well-known as "The RaMaK", an acronym formed from the letters of his name in Hebrew.

We will be drawing heavily from RaMaK's writings, but also from primary source texts in the Kabbalah, such as Sefer Yetzirah, Sefer haZohar, and Sefer haBahir.  The posts will not be exclusive to the original work of Cordovero and his teachings, but we will be studying these primary source texts in the spirit of the RaMaK, using the style of Kabbalistic analysis and synthesis that he initiated and perfected.

We will also be studying those Kabbalists and Rabbis whom Cordovero himself studied, such as Abraham Abulafia, Yosef Gikatilla, Maimonides, and many others, as well as RaMaK's students, such as Eliyahu de Vidas, and others of the Safed circle, such as Yosef Karo, Isaac Luria, Chayim Vital, and many others.

If one were to briefly define Cordoverian Kabbalah, we will say that it is a system of maps of spiritual realities.  The primary elements are the Ten Sefirot and the Four Worlds (Olamot), but then this immediately extends to ten sefirot within each of the four worlds, and ten sefirot within each sefirah.  This continues infinitely, but for most practical purposes, it suffices to work with only the first few layers.  Also fundamental to Cordoverian Kabbalah are the 22 Letters (Otiyot) of the Hebrew Alef-Bet (alphabet), especially as these letters relate to the Divine Names (Shemot Qadoshot). 

Note: my use of the term "Cordoverian Kabbalah" is not restricted to the scholarly study of the life and writings of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, but is intended to conceptualize his method and style of Kabbalah.  Thus, we may end up proposing things that he didn't write, or that are directly contrary to things he wrote, but the overall theme of this blog will be in spiritual harmony with the RaMaK.

Cordoverian Kabbalah can be used as a practical toolkit for analysis of Torah, scripture, and Kabbalistic source texts.  It uses the system of maps to identify correspondences between the sefirot and verses.  There is no limit to the technique: we could identify a correspondence between a sefirah and a whole verse of the Torah, or just one word, or just one letter.  Once such a correspondence is found, we could elaborate on its depth: in which world does this sefirah correspond?  Which of the ten sefirot within this particular sefirah?

The method of correspondences between various elements of the system should not be based on the student's own personal intellectual analysis, but on the facts of the spiritual realities themselves.  This can only be established through vibrational resonance testing, which I will explain in more detail in a later post.  Vibrational resonance is the practical method used to create maps of spiritual realities, and thus then the basis of the method of textual analysis that Cordovero applied successfully in his studies of Kabbalistic texts, especially the Torah, Sefer Yetzirah, and Sefer haZohar.

Whether or not Cordovero himself had direct method of resonance testing, such as the one I use and will describe later, or if he was 'just' spiritually adept enough to be able to determine the correct correspondence is not an important question for us.  The fact remains that RaMaK mapped out a very large number of correct correspondences, as I myself have verified.  Exactly how he was able to determine these correspondences is not knowable by us; but this blog is not focused on academic questions of propriety, but on the theoretical and practical ramifications of this method of Kabbalistic study

Cordoverian Kabbalah is also well equipped as a foundation for Kabbalistic theurgy.  Theurgy is a  system of activites that use spiritual maps and correspondences for achieving practical results.  The desired results could be many and various, and the methods for achieving them sundry.  It is primarily based on laws of spiritual energy ─ if one understands how the events of the physical world are prefigured in the spiritual worlds, and one knows how to configure the settings in the spiritual worlds, then one can influence the unfoldment of events in the physical world.  Cordoverian theurgy builds on the teachings of the Zohar ─ the spiritual worlds can become out of balance, but can be rebalanced by sacred actions performed by the righteous (tzaddiqim).

Only a small percentage of Cordovero's original writings are available in English translation.  I will write a detailed post on his written work and will point out the status of each of these works, as far as availability and contents.  I will say how we will be studying RaMaK's books, and how they will be applied.  It will also be necessary to provide a biographical context for these.  All this will be coming soon.  Please subscribe to the Cordoverian Kabbalah blog to stay updated.