Intellect and Folly

שֵׂכֶל וְסֶכֶל

And now I return to my subject (וְעַתָּה אָשׁוּב אֶל עִנְיָנִי), for intellect is the source of the composition of the attainment of the Torah (כִּי שֵׂכֶל הוּא מְקוֹר הַרְכֶּבֶת הַשָּׂגַת הַתּוֹרָה), and about it is said (וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר) (Isaiah 52:13) “Behold, My servant shall act wisely” (הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי). For when, in the time of exile, this power is diminished from him (כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר בִּזְמַן הַגָּלוּת זֶה הַכֹּחַ נִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ), and therefore he is lacking all the other powers as well (וְלָכֵן הוּא חָסֵר גַּם כֵּן כָּל שְׁאָר הַכֹּחוֹת), behold, in the time of redemption it shall return to him (הִנֵּה בִּזְמַן הַגְּאֻלָּה יָשׁוּב אֵלָיו), and all the others will return as well (וְיָשׁוּבוּ כָּל הָאֲחֵרִים).

And therefore it says (ibid) “He shall be exalted and lifted up and become very high” (וְלָכֵן [שָׁם, שָׁם] "יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד). However, you must know (אֲבָל צָרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע), that there is intellect (שֵׂכֶל), and its opposite is folly (וְהֲפַכּוֹ – סִכְלוּת), and its root is Fool (וְשָׁרְשׁוֹ – סָכֵל). And the distinction between intellect and sakel is only in one letter (וְנִמְצָא הַחִלּוּף בֵּין שֵׂכֶל לְסָכֵל רַק בְּאוֹת אַחַת). And you should also know (וְגַם תֵּדַע), that intellect is written with a left-facing shin (כִּי שֵׂכֶל הוּא בְּשִׁין שְׂמָאלִית), which is adjacent to the Samekh (הַקְּרוֹבָה אֶל הַסָּמֶ״ךְ). And I shall explain to you this entire matter in detail (וַאֲפָרֵט לְךָ כָּל זֶה הָעִנְיָן הֵיטֵב), and you will understand very great and mighty secrets (וְתָבִין סוֹדוֹת גְּדוֹלִים וַעֲצוּמִים).

Know (דַּע), that just as intellect is the matter of attainment (כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר שֵׂכֶל הוּא עִנְיַן הַשָּׂגָה), so folly is the matter of covering and concealing attainment (כָּךְ סִכְלוּת הוּא עִנְיַן כִּסּוּי וְהֶעְלֵם הַשָּׂגָה). And all other related concepts are drawn from it (וְכָל שְׁאָר הָעִנְיָנִים נִמְשָׁכִים מִמֶּנּוּ): which is to say: Stupidity, Madness, and all other names such as these. (דְּהַיְנוּ כְּסִילוּת, הוֹלֵלוּת, וְכָל שְׁאָר הַשֵּׁמוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה). And the secret of the matter is (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן), that the illumination of the Luminaries [Me'orot] flows from one of two aspects (כִּי הַאֲרַת הַמְּאוֹרוֹת נִמְשֶׁכֶת מֵאַחַת מִשְּׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת): either in the aspect of revelation (אוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי), or in the aspect of concealment (אוֹ בִּבְחִינַת כִּסּוּי). In the aspect of revelation, it is intellect (וּבִבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי – הוּא שֵׂכֶל); and in the aspect of concealment, it is folly (וּבִבְחִינַת כִּסּוּי – הוּא סִכְלוּת).

And understand well (וְהָבֵן הֵיטֵב): the action is one, namely, the drawing forth of the lights (כִּי הַפְּעוּלָה אַחַת, וְהִיא הִמְשָׁךְ הָאוֹרוֹת); only the difference lies in the manner of the drawing forth (רַק הַשִּׁנּוּי הוּא בְּדֶרֶךְ הַהִמְשָׁכָה). And the secret of the matter is thus: as it is written, “And He withholds their light from the wicked” (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן כָּךְ, כַּדְּכָתִיב ט״ו, וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם), and it does not say, “from the wicked, light” (ohr), but rather, “their light” (oram) (וְאֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹר, אֶלָּא אוֹרָם).

And the secret is (וְהַסּוֹד הוּא) that the lights must be drawn forth continually (כִּי הָאוֹרוֹת צְרִיכִים לְהִמָּשֵׁךְ תָּמִיד), and they cannot be nullified (וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶם לִיבָּטֵל), for you have already heard that all the shefa [influx] is Torah (כִּי כְּבָר שָׁמַעְתָּ שֶׁכָּל הַשֶּׁפַע הִיא הַתּוֹרָה), and it must not be nullified (וְהִיא צְרִיכָה שֶׁלֹּא לִיבָּטֵל), for were it nullified, existence itself would be nullified (כִּי יִבָּטֵל הַקִּיּוּם). Rather, it may be drawn forth either in revelation or in concealment (רַק שֶׁהִיא יְכוֹלָה לְהִמָּשֵׁךְ בְּגִילּוּי אוֹ בְּהֶעְלֵם).

Therefore it says, “And He withholds their light from the wicked” (וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר "וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם")—the very light that was coming to them is withheld from them (הָאוֹר עַצְמוֹ הַבָּא לָהֶם – הוּא נִמְנָע מֵהֶם), being drawn forth in concealment (לִהְיוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ בְּכִסּוּי).

And behold, the source of the spreading of the lights (וְהִנֵּה מְקוֹר הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת הָאוֹרוֹת), as I already said (כְּבָר אָמַרְתִּי), is the secret of intellect (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד שֵׂכֶל), only that when it spreads in revelation, it is thus (רַק שֶׁבְּהִתְפַּשְׁטוֹ בְּגִילּוּי – הוּא כָּךְ), and when it spreads in concealment, it is folly (וּבְהִתְפַּשְׁטוֹ בְּכִסּוּי – הוּא סִכְלוּת).