Introduction of Rabbi Chaim Vital, may his merit protect us, to Sha‘ar haHakdamot (continuation)

(הקדמת מוהרח״ו זיע״א על שער ההקדמות (המשך

An introduction that I, the young one Chaim Vital, received from my teacher and master, the holy luminary, the divine, pious, and humble Rabbi, our master Rabbi Yitzḥak Luria Ashkenazi, who studied with Eliyahu, of blessed memory (הַקְדָּמָה שֶׁקִּבַּלְתִּי אֲנִי הַצָּעִיר חַיִּים וִיטָאל מִמּוֹרִי וְרַבִּי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא הָרַב הָאֱלֹהִי הֶחָסִיד הֶעָנָו כַּמָּהוֹר״ר יִצְחָק לוּרְיָא אַשְׁכְּנָזִי שֶׁלָּמַד עִם אֵלִיָּהוּ ז״ל). And he also joined to them some intentions of the prayers and intentions of the unifications and intentions according to the way of truth (גַּם חִבְּרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם קְצָת כַּוָּנוֹת הַתְּפִלּוֹת וְכַּוָּנוֹת הַיִּחוּדִים וְכַּוָּנוֹת עַל דֶּרֶךְ אֱמֶת), which I called Peri Etz Chayim, to unify the supernal luminaries as will come later, with the help of Hashem (אֲשֶׁר קָרָאתִיו פְּרִי עֵץ חַיִּים לְיַחֵד מְאוֹרוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא לְפָנִים בְּעֶזְרַת ה׳).

And also some explanations of statements of the Zohar and explanation of verses according to the way of truth and according to the plain meaning, and discourses of souls and reincarnations (וְקְצָת בֵּאוּרֵי מַאֲמָרֵי הַזֹּהַר וּבֵאוּר פְּסוּקִים עַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת וְעַל פִּי הַפְּשָׁט דְּרוּשֵׁי נְשָׁמוֹת וְגִלְגּוּלִים), which we called by the name Nof Etz Chayim (אֲשֶׁר קָרָאנוּ בְּשֵׁם נוֹף עֵץ חַיִּים).

And concerning the authentic books of Kabbalah that are extant, my teacher, of blessed memory, told us (וּבְעִנְיַן סִפְרֵי הַקַּבָּלָה הָאֲמִתִּיִּים הַנִּמְצָאִים אָמַר לָנוּ מוֹרִי זִלְלָה״ה), that the chain of transmission of the Ra’avad and his son Rabbi Yitzḥak Sagi Nahor and his disciples, until the Ramban, of blessed memory, his disciple’s disciple, all of them are an authentic reception from the mouth of Eliyahu, of blessed memory, who was revealed to them (כִּי שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת קַבָּלַת הָרַאֲבַ״ד וּבְנוֹ הָר׳ יִצְחָק סַגִּי נְהוֹר וְתַלְמִידָיו עַד הָרַמְבַּ״ן ז״ל תַּלְמִיד תַּלְמִידוֹ כֻּלָּם קַבָּלָה אֲמִתִּית מִפִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ ז״ל שֶׁנִּגְלָה אֲלֵיהֶם).

And the commentary of the Ramban that he composed on the Torah is exceedingly deep, and there is no one who can understand it, for his words are sealed exceedingly, and it is a precious and delightful book for those who understand it (וּבֵאוּר הָרַמְבַּ״ן שֶׁעָשָׂה עַל הַתּוֹרָה הוּא עָמוֹק מְאֹד וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהָבִינוֹ שֶׁדְּבָרָיו סְתוּמִים עַד מְאֹד וְהוּא סֵפֶר יָקָר וְנֶחְמָד מְאֹד לַמְּבִינִים אוֹתוֹ). And the commentary on Sefer Yetzirah attributed to the Ra’avad is not by the Ra’avad, of blessed memory, mentioned above, but by one great sage, and he was great in the wisdom of Kabbalah (וּבֵאוּר סֵפֶר יְצִירָה לַרַאֲבַ״ד אֵינֶנּוּ לַרַאֲבַ״ד ז״ל הַנַּזְכָּר אֶלָּא חָכָם גָּדוֹל אֶחָד וְהָיָה גָּדוֹל בְּחָכְמַת הַקַּבָּלָה). And the book called Berit Menuchah is authentic, and it was composed by a great sage in Torah and in wisdom, and he was faithful of spirit, and he covered his words in depth, and it was composed according to the soul of one ancient righteous person who was revealed to him, and Eliyahu, of blessed memory, taught him (וְהַסֵּפֶר הַנִּקְרָא בְּרִית מְנוּחָה הוּא אֲמִתִּי וְחִבְּרוֹ חָכָם גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַּחָכְמָה וְנֶאֱמָן רוּחַ וְכִסָּה אֶת דְּבָרָיו בְּעֹמֶק וְנַעֲשָׂה עַל פִּי נִשְׁמַת צַדִּיק אֶחָד קַדְמוֹן שֶׁנִּגְלָה אֵלָיו אֵלִיָּהוּ ז״ל וְלִמְּדוֹ). And the rest of the books of Kabbalah that came after the Ramban, of blessed memory, do not send your hand toward them, for they are built upon human intellect and are not received—neither from later ones nor from earlier ones (וּשְׁאָר סִפְרֵי הַקַּבָּלָה שֶׁלְּאַחַר הָרַמְבַּ״ן ז״ל אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֲלֵיהֶם כִּי הֵם בְּנוּיִים בְּשֵׂכֶל אֱנוֹשִׁי וְלֹא מְקוּבָּלִים לֹא מִפְּנֵי אַחֲרוֹנִים וְלֹא מִפִּי רִאשׁוֹנִים). Some say: neither from earlier ones nor from supernal ones (נ״א: לֹא מִפִּי רִאשׁוֹנִים וְלֹא מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹנִים).

These are the matters that I heard from my holy teacher, our master Rabbi Yitzḥak Luria (הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הֵם שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מִמּוֹרִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ כַּמָּהוֹר״ר יִצְחָק לוּרְיָא), and each and every discourse contains introductions and principles differing one from another, from the particulars of the ten Sefirot of A"B"Y"A (וְכָל דְּרוּשׁ וּדְרוּשׁ יֵשׁ בּוֹ הַקְדָּמוֹת וּכְלָלִים שׁוֹנִים זֶה מִזֶּה מִפְּרָטֵי י׳ סְפִירוֹת דְּאֲבִי״ע). And it arose in my mind not to separate and divide the discourses, and to arrange the introductions and generalities that are in each and every discourse—each introduction by itself—according to the order of the ten Sefirot of A"B"Y"A (וְעָלָה בְּדַעְתִּי שֶׁלֹּא לְפָרוֹד וּלְחַלֵּק הַדְּרוּשִׁים וּלְסַדֵּר הַקְדָּמוֹת וּכְלָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל דְּרוּשׁ וּדְרוּשׁ מֵהֶם כָּל הַקְדָּמָה וְהַקְדָּמָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ עַל סֵדֶר י׳ סְפִירוֹת דְּאֲבִי״ע), for in this way it will be easy in the eyes of the reader to find the words of delight that his desire seeks (כִּי בָזֶה יִהְיֶה נָקֵל בְּעֵינֵי הַמְּעַיֵּן בָּהֶם לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי חֵפֶץ תַּאֲוַת מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ).

However, I trembled and feared (אָכֵן זָחַלְתִּי וְאִירָא), because there are in these discourses many matters that the one who sees them will think are matters that contradict one another (לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּדְּרוּשִׁים הַלָּלוּ דְּבָרִים רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר הָרוֹאֶה יַחְשֹׁב שֶׁהֵם דְּבָרִים הַמְּנַגְּדִים זֶה אֶת זֶה). And due to lack of time, I had no opportunity after hearing them to ask the mouth of my teacher, of blessed memory (וּלְאֶפֶס הַפְּנַאי לֹא הָיָה לִי זְמַן אַחֲרֵי שׁוֹמְעָם לִשְׁאֹל אֶת פִּי מוֹרִי זִלְלָה״ה), that he guide me in the paths of righteousness concerning these discourses, and remove and lift the stumbling block that is in them for one who enters and does not exit (יַנְחֵנִי בְּמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק הַדְּרוּשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה וּלְסַלֵּק וּלְהָרִים מִכְשׁוֹל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם לְמַאן דְּעָאל וְלָא נָפֵיק). And if a person wishes to deepen the depth of his thought in them and to establish correctly, who is it whose heart dares to add or subtract even a single small letter, when he neither heard nor received from his master (וְאִם יִרְצֶה הָאָדָם לְהַעֲמִיק אֶת עֹמֶק מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ בָּהֶם וּלְהַעֲמִיד עַל נָכוֹן מִי הוּא אֲשֶׁר עָרַב לִבּוֹ לְהוֹסִיף וְלִגְרֹעַ כִּמְלֹא אוֹת אַחַת קְטַנָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמַע וְלֹא קִבֵּל מֵרַבּוֹ), for his sin is too great to bear (כִּי עֲו‍ֹנוֹ גָּדוֹל מִנְּשֹׂא), as mentioned in the introduction of the Zohar and in Parashat Yitro, on “You shall not make for yourself a graven image,” and in other places besides them (כְּנִזְכָּר בְּהַקְדָּמַת הַזֹּהַר וּבְפָרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ בְּפָרָשָׁת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶּסֶל וּבְמָקוֹם זוּלָתָם), where one who sees the words of the Zohar—his fleshly hairs stand on end (אֲשֶׁר הָרוֹאֶה דִּבְרֵי הַזֹּהַר הֵמָּה תִּסְמַר שַׂעֲרוֹת בְּשָׂרוֹ), as mentioned in the Midrash on the verse “Let the lying lips be made dumb,” etc., “they shall be silenced, they shall be stilled” (כַּנִּזְכָּר בַּמִּדְרָשׁ עַל פָּסוּק תֵּאָלַמְנָה שִׂפְתֵי שָׁקֶר וְכוּ׳ יִתְפָּרְכוּן יִשְׁתַּתְּקוּן וְכוּ׳). Therefore my resolve arose not to add and not to subtract even the breadth of a hair, even in the matter of the order itself, exactly as I heard from the mouth of my teacher, of blessed memory (עַל כֵּן עָלְתָה הַסְכָּמָתִי שֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹסִיף וְשֶׁלֹּא לִגְרֹעַ כִּמְלֹא נִימָה אֲפִלּוּ בְּעִנְיַן הַסֵּדֶר עַצְמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּי מוֹרִי זִלְלָה״ה), and afterward I shall compile a table of references, each introduction by itself, in this composition (וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֲחַבֵּר מַרְאֵה מָקוֹם כָּל הַקְדָּמָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ בְּחִבּוּר זֶה). And this is how I began, with the help of my Rock and my Redeemer (וְזֶה הַחֵלִי בְּעֶזְרַת צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי). Thus [ends] from the handwriting of Rabbi Chaim Vital, of blessed memory (עַל כֵּן מִכְּתַב יַד הָרַח״ו זִלְלָה״ה).