잠언 1:34의 Kabbalah

Rabbi Aba said, "Serve Hashem in fear" 1. What fear is meant here? As we have established, it is written, "The fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" (Mishlei 1:7) and "the fear of Hashem is the beginning of wisdom" (Tehilim 111:10), so the Holy One, blessed be He, is referred to in this name, "Fear of Hashem," Rabbi Elazar said: "Serve Hashem in fear," he who wishes to perform the service of his Master, from what point should he begin and to which area should he aim his service in order to unify the name of his Master? He repeats his words "with fear," because fear (which corresponds to Malchut) is the start (of service) going from below upwards.

Thus it is written, Then they will call to Me, and I will not answer (Prov. 1:28).

The preceding verse states, Wisdom [cries out] in the streets (Prov. 1:20). This verse refers to the recondite secrets of our holy Torah. [Wisdom] states, How long will you simple ones love simplicity? (Prov. 1:22). In other words, you who follow after the simple meaning³²Peshat. This refers to the simple, literal meaning of a given text. deceive yourselves with your love of simplicity—the part of the Torah you do believe in—which contains nothing beyond the simple meaning. And scoffers [be eager] to scoff. This has reference to [King] Manasseh [son of Hezekiah], who would expound [difficult haggadot and say, “Did Moses have only to write The sister of Lotan was Timna (Gen. 36:22)]?”³³Sanhedrin 99b.

The preceding verse states, Wisdom [cries out] in the streets (Prov. 1:20). This verse refers to the recondite secrets of our holy Torah. [Wisdom] states, How long will you simple ones love simplicity? (Prov. 1:22). In other words, you who follow after the simple meaning³²Peshat. This refers to the simple, literal meaning of a given text. deceive yourselves with your love of simplicity—the part of the Torah you do believe in—which contains nothing beyond the simple meaning. And scoffers [be eager] to scoff. This has reference to [King] Manasseh [son of Hezekiah], who would expound [difficult haggadot and say, “Did Moses have only to write The sister of Lotan was Timna (Gen. 36:22)]?”³³Sanhedrin 99b.

Who has caused these people to chase after the simple meaning [of Scripture] and ignore the esoteric portions? It is you dullards [who] hate knowledge (Prov. 1:23), meaning the knowledge of hidden things. What is written [in the verse] after that? You are indifferent to my rebuke, I will now speak my mind to you. This means that the soul which is enwrapped in the simple meaning [is now addressed]: I will now speak my mind to you and let you know my thoughts concerning the secrets which I possess. And you spurned [my counsel](Prov: 1:25) … Then they will call upon me [but I will not answer (Prov. 1:28). This is why [the passage] states, “This concerns one who removes Kabbalah and wisdom. [Kabbalah] means the written Torah, [which symbolizes] Tiferet, and [wisdom] refers to the oral Torah, which is Malkhut. This is the mystery of the vav heh in which the yod heh is concealed,³⁴Cf. n. 18 above. as it is written, The hidden things are for the Lord our God. There the secret of God is revealed—to us and our children forever (Deut. 29:28).

Who has caused these people to chase after the simple meaning [of Scripture] and ignore the esoteric portions? It is you dullards [who] hate knowledge (Prov. 1:23), meaning the knowledge of hidden things. What is written [in the verse] after that? You are indifferent to my rebuke, I will now speak my mind to you. This means that the soul which is enwrapped in the simple meaning [is now addressed]: I will now speak my mind to you and let you know my thoughts concerning the secrets which I possess. And you spurned [my counsel](Prov: 1:25) … Then they will call upon me [but I will not answer (Prov. 1:28). This is why [the passage] states, “This concerns one who removes Kabbalah and wisdom. [Kabbalah] means the written Torah, [which symbolizes] Tiferet, and [wisdom] refers to the oral Torah, which is Malkhut. This is the mystery of the vav heh in which the yod heh is concealed,³⁴Cf. n. 18 above. as it is written, The hidden things are for the Lord our God. There the secret of God is revealed—to us and our children forever (Deut. 29:28).

Who has caused these people to chase after the simple meaning [of Scripture] and ignore the esoteric portions? It is you dullards [who] hate knowledge (Prov. 1:23), meaning the knowledge of hidden things. What is written [in the verse] after that? You are indifferent to my rebuke, I will now speak my mind to you. This means that the soul which is enwrapped in the simple meaning [is now addressed]: I will now speak my mind to you and let you know my thoughts concerning the secrets which I possess. And you spurned [my counsel](Prov: 1:25) … Then they will call upon me [but I will not answer (Prov. 1:28). This is why [the passage] states, “This concerns one who removes Kabbalah and wisdom. [Kabbalah] means the written Torah, [which symbolizes] Tiferet, and [wisdom] refers to the oral Torah, which is Malkhut. This is the mystery of the vav heh in which the yod heh is concealed,³⁴Cf. n. 18 above. as it is written, The hidden things are for the Lord our God. There the secret of God is revealed—to us and our children forever (Deut. 29:28).

These are [Names] that a wise man will hear and increase knowledge (Prov. 1:5). Brevity in this [subject] will not satisfy the yearning soul. [It constitutes] but a modest beginning to teach the ways of our sanctified language, which in its entirety hints at upper [forces].¹Cf. Naḥmanides, who stated, in the introduction to his commentary on the Torah, that the Torah in its entirety is a divine Name. We have expatiated [on this] in the book Pardes [Rimmonim].²Pardes Rimmonim, sec. 23.

And now my child, listen to my voice and may your ears be attentive to my advice (cf. Psalms 130:2). My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield (Prov. 1:10). If they say: Come with us and we will give in your hand names and invocations [of the Tetragrammaton] so you can make use of them, my child, do not go in the way with them. Prevent your feet from going in there ways, because all those names and uses are a net and a trap to capture souls and to go to perdition. And if truly the early sages had the Received Sacred Names from the Prophets, such as the 72, or 42, or 12, and the other many Sacred Names, and they were able to renew with them the signs and portents in the world, they wouldn't have used them for their personal needs, only in the times of oppression according to the moment, or for the Sanctification of the Name. For example, rabbi Meir that saved his sister-in-law from being in the whorehouse, and said to the Kuti that was the guard of the door: "every time that you see yourself in trouble say: 'God of Meir, answer me!' an you will be saved." (Avodah Zarah 18b). And even though he said so to the Kuti, at the time that Rabbi Meir himsekf was in danger he did not make use of the Name, rather, he fled, as it is told in the first chapter of Avodah Zarah. Or in the case of Choni Hameag'el (Taanit 23a); or in the case of Rava with King Shabur (Taanit 24b) as in the chapter Seder Taaniot; or as in the case of David when he dug the drainpipes and the depths arose to flood the world (Sukkah 53b) as it is told in the chapter HaChalil and in Sanhedrin.

Rabbi Shimon began with the verse, "Wisdoms cry aloud in the streets; she utters her voice in the squares (Heb. רְחוֹבוֹת)" (Mishlei 1:20). This verse contains a deep mystery. Why "wisdoms"? They are the upper wisdom, and the lower wisdom that is included and dwells within the upper one, the lower Chochmah.

Anakim (giants) (are) the fifth group. They belittle the value of those about whom it is written: "And chains (Heb. anakim) about your neck" (Prov. 1:9). About them, it is written: "Who also were considered Refaim as the Anakim" (Devarim 2:11), so they are on a level with each other. These are the ones who bring the world back to a condition of "without form and void." The secret of this matter is the destruction of the Temple, which is described by the words: "And the earth was without form and void," because (the Temple) is the essence of the world and the settling thereof. As quickly as the light, which is the Holy One, blessed be He, appears (to the Jewish people), they shall be wiped out of the world and perish. Nevertheless, the redemption does not depend (on the destruction of the Refaim), but on Amalek, that is, until he who was referred to in the oath is destroyed, which has already been explained.

בְּרִאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים. "In the beginning. Elohim created" (Gen. 1:1). This is the first and foremost precept of all. And this precept is called "the fear of the Hashem," which is called the "beginning." As it is written, "The Fear of Hashem is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 111:10); "The fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7). Because this fear (or awe) is called a beginning. And it is the gateway through which one enters into Faith. So based on this precept, the whole world is able to exist.