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הצג בעברית
Part 3:
Examples of the Kabbalah Maasit are known in tradition from the children of Jacob who sometimes created with it a sheep (or some other animal) and ate it still alive; and sometimes they created pretty women with whom to expel natural passions, and afterwards the women were no more. It is known in tradition that Joseph came complaining to his father, Jacob, that his older brothers were transgressing the will of God by eating the blood of living animals and by laying with women at random.
The Tzadik Haim would explain that, as in the other instances of our father Jacob’s favouritism shown to Joseph, a favouritism well criticised by the Sages, of blessed memory, also here Jacob, our father, allowed Joseph to think he was right, instead of explaining to him that his older brothers had received a secret of the Kabbalah Maasit from him and that they knew what they were doing.
This demonstrates the antiquity of ‘secrets’ known to the Patriarchs and passed on to the children of Israel. Ours is a tradition of miraculous powers known to the chosen of Israel. Joshua held the sun in its place for 24 hours with it. Elijah, of blessed mentioning, and Elisha’ performed miracles with it. Its existence is known but it is hidden because relatively only a few have received it. And those who receive it will not tell. The Tzadik Haim told me that Yemenite Jewry would have been destroyed by the Arabs in various phases of its history, if not for the Kabbalah Maasit known by them and used for the sake of physical salvation from enemies.
Secrets of the Torah. The Mystical Doctrines of the Zohar claim to be secrets of the Torah. The truth is that they are total distortions of the words of the Torah. There is, of course, much material stolen from previous sources in the Talmud and midrashim, whose meanings are subtly changed to fit into the Emanated Scheme of things. These are then passed off for ‘secrets’ and ‘hidden meanings’ of the Torah. They are all equal to the Christian application of the three angels visiting Abraham as the manifestation of the Trinity in the Torah. Ibn Ezra, peace be with him, commented that they have forgotten that afterwards the angels were separated; the announcer of Isaac went above while the other two went on to Sodom.
So too every explanation of the Zohar, after they seem to be in the ‘unity’ of the Sfirot, become separated Godheads when taken by themselves, leaving their explanations on the ‘0ther Side’ (Sitra Ahhra) of the Torah, the side which gives Satan his portions while it sucks away the true life of Torah substance.
The only other example from which a Jewish reader might understand the concept of the ‘other side’ is by way of comparison to Christianity. Traditional Christianity has been the great blood-sucker of the true life of Torah substance since its inception. It has sucked up life from the holy and true words of the Torah while clamping them into a false and idolatrous theology and an abominable deification. This is what is meant by the ‘Other Side’ of the Torah. They did not use the Koran to find their spiritual portions because the Koran doesn’t answer to the Messianic prophecies. Nor did they suck up the religious texts of Hindus or Buddhists etc. The Other-Side has both this closeness and its diametrically-opposed distance. It has attached itself to the true source but only for its own purposes.
So too the Zohar and the kabbalists have sucked up the sources of tradition only to plaster them into the Format of the Emanated Sfirot in order to bind Zeir Anpin to Nukvei. Using the words of tradition and binding them in such a way, according to the ‘intentions’ of the Sfirot, are called by them Secrets of the Torah. The oinking of pigs is closer to the truth than their mystical explanations of the Torah. The Torah has been desecrated by their commentaries. From the highest to the lowest reasons for which this has come about, the result is the same; the Sin of the Last Days found its way into the Jewish world, so that it be revealed in the end and destroyed forever. This is the truth.
And yet Aaron too, when he saw how they danced around the golden calf and adored it, realised that the people had fallen into idolatry. This was just before Moses returned from the Mountain. Aaron, however, at that point could do nothing. It was too late. His voice would not be heard; especially since it was he himself who had asked for gold to make it and who had built for it an altar and who had proclaimed ‘It is a Feast unto God tomorrow’. In taking gold for it, Aaron did not understand; in building an altar for it, Aaron did not understand; in proclaiming ‘It is a Feast unto God tomorrow’, Aaron did not understand. When, however, he saw the idolatrous services that they began offering the golden calf, he knew that the people was sinning, but he could do nothing.
The fourth manifestation of an idolatrous sin corresponds to the hated fourth generation. Crude idolatry issues from it, the sins of the three generations having come unto their manifest result. In the case of the 400 years of the sin of the Zohar and the four generations (one may say Spain, Zefat, Poland-Russia, United States), the epitome of idolatrous practices, the inner arrogance, the disgusting ways of regarding others, the sickening cult that they make to their Rebbe, even after his death, the total distortion of anything truly redemptional or messianic, the insincerity, the teaching of hatred to all who are not as they, etc. etc. have all come out in the Habad movement, especially as it developed in the United States.
All false, idolatrous doctrines eventually lead to fanatical behaviour, to hatred, to disgusting manners and to idolatrous practices. As the sin of the Zohar had to come out in order to become recognised, so that it’s destruction be everlasting, so too Habad and its false messianic movement had to come out and become recognised as idolatrous and false, so that such a false messianism never again find place to raise its head in the Jewish world.
The Tzadik Haim, however, knew , while he was yet in this world and how much more so afterwards, all the secrets of stars known in ancient times to the Babylonians and Egyptians. In general no one living person in the world, at least in the last 20 centuries, reached the level of the hidden knowledge of the stars as did the Teacher of Life, Haim.
There were several things told to me directly by the Tzadik Haim which he revealed to me with the expression, “You will need to know this fact afterwards”. Such, for example, was the Teacher’s explaining to me in detail the fact of his being born circumcised.
The question of the immense and powerful level of ha-Moreh Haim in the secret knowledge of the stars, as stated here, is in this category. The Tzadik himself told me, in secret, that no one had reached the level of knowledge of the stars and of understanding from the stars, as had been given to him to know.
The hidden knowledge of the stars, properly speaking, is not considered a category of secrets of the Torah, but secrets of the world. Among the secrets of the world are the secrets concerning the Sheddim or demons, as they are rough-shoddily called. Also the knowledge of the spirits, of which there are many categories, are secrets of the world. The knowledge of the souls ( neshamot), on the other hand, does not pertain to secrets of the Torah but are higher secrets known only to the Hidden Tzadikim. Here are a few words of explanation from the original introduction:
Secrets of the Torah and secrets of the world are two extremely general and inclusive categories. In general, a true Tzadik knows what is above, what is below and what is in the world. The Tzadikim have no permission to speak about higher levels. The Hidden Tzadikim possess:
The knowledge of the souls or neshamot; this includes the knowledge of how many times a neshama was in the world before, when, where, what it had done in its other lives and how it had been judged etc.
The knowledge of the ruhhot or spirits; this includes being able to see them and to speak with the spirits of the deceased; it also includes the knowledge of exorcising them from the body of a person who has become possessed by one.
The knowledge of the Sheddim (sing.Shedd) or roughly translated demons; these are the inhabitants of the lower worlds, that is, the Shiva Adamot or 7 Lands ‘below’ this world, each level being inhabited by a different category or groups of categories of Sheddim. This knowledge includes the secrets of how to summon them, to speak with them or to command them, if necessary, and to know from which level they derive etc.
Secrets of the Torah and Secrets of the World meet in such categories as the ‘Secrets’ of creation, the Secrets of the Higher Chariot and Secrets of the serving angels. The true Tzadikim cannot speak about these levels or write about them, for they are outside of the nature of this world and attempting to speak about or to describe them in human language would falsify them. Any attempt at description would ultimately confuse people and lead them into temptation to reach what cannot be reached by any contemplation or pious behaviour.
Ha-Moreh Haim gave us merit on several occasions to let us hear his holy words concerning these subjects. We also merited on several occasions to be present when he exorcised spirits or demons from someone.* The Teacher Haim told us that when he was living in Cairo, it happened that a young Jewish girl had become possessed by a spirit. The desperate parents, after having consulted the best doctors and spent much money in vain, had asked some of the ‘known kabbalists’ to come and try to cure her of this ruah (spirit). The three kabbalists who came were very pious Jews, knowledgeable in Talmud but dedicated to the Zohar and Etz Haim etc. When they came to the house of the unfortunate girl, they began pronouncing names and combinations of names and special prayers found in their books. The evil spirit, as soon as they began their exorcism started to shout at them and he finally struck them. One of them received a wound on his face before he was able to escape from the room with others.
* Although the Tzadik was totally hidden in Italy, there were Jews from Cairo who knew ha-Moreh Haim from the time he had worked as vice-Rabbi of the Cairo Jewish Comunity alongside of Rav Nahhum. They also knew that he was the Head Shohhet and teacher of 70 shochetim in Cairo. They, of course, did not know the true identity of the Tzadik but they did know that he was of the elevated Yemenite tradition and some knew that he possessed many secrets and ‘segullot’ (such as the knowledge of the virtues of herbs and stones etc) of that tradition. Ha-Moreh Haim told me that he had cast out sheddim and exorcised spirits and saved many people in Cairo. Thus some of these Jews from Cairo who had settled in Milan, when something happened, knew whom to ask for help. Generally the Tzadik never refused, but he took many precautions to keep the interventions under a veil of silence, given the difficulty of many people to hold their tongues quiet.
One of the close relatives of the girl’s family knew ha-Moreh Haim (who then worked in the Jewish Community of Cairo, as vice-Hhacham of the known Rav Nahhum) and came to ask that he please intervene because the girl was causing great anguish to her by now desperate parents and the situation grew worse and worse every day. Ha-Moreh Haim agreed to visit the girl the next morning. When he arrived he found a small group of the family’s relatives and friends, among which were the three kabbalists, all waiting.
When ha-Moreh entered the ante-chamber where the girl was sitting, she immediately stood up with her head slightly bowed in silence. Then the Tzadik called to the ruah. The expression on the girl’s face changed completely and her eyes bulged. “What is your name, rasha’!” the Tzadik said with a fixed looked of power. Through the girl’s voice came a distinctly male voice who answered the question and the further questions of ha-Moreh Haim as to when he had died and where he was buried (later verified), the reason for his punishment and the mistake of the girl reason for which the ruah had had permission to enter her. The ruah then began crying and pleading with the Tzadik not to expel him. The Teacher answered that the girl had been sufficiently punished and ordered the ruah to leave the girl and to give a sign for everyone to see: when the ruah left her body, there arose a terrible wind inside the room, until ha-Moreh Haim said, “Enough”! The ruah left, the wind stopped and all was still. The girl returned to her nature, as if awakening from a dream and did not understand why she was there and why all the people were standing about. She did not know what had happened or how much time had passed.
The 3 kabbalists sought forgiveness from ha-Moreh Haim who rebuked them to this effect: It would be better for you to abandon all this foolishness. It is forbidden and dangerous to attempt to cast out a ruah , unless one knows what he is doing and such a knowledge is not to be found in books. It is not from me that need ask forgiveness but from Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu, because you have transgressed the commandment of the Torah to guard your own health. You have also used names mentioned in those books which are prohibited even to think about. Furthermore, you are wasting precious time.
The Tzadik Haim taught us that even the ‘secrets’ of true magic, a thousand separations, which are strictly prohibited by the Torah, could never be studied from books. Even if someone reads the vast literature on magic, he will be no closer to those secrets than he was at the beginning. Those who practice true magic have an oral tradition, a thousand separations, which they generally give over to one pupil after years of virtual servitude to his master.
True magic always employs ‘impure names’ (shemot tumah) through which ‘sheddim’ are conjured up and ‘commissioned’ to do the bidding of the magus (mechashef). To do this the mechashef must be extremely exact and courageous because the appearance of a shedd is outside of the nature of this world. The mechashef will see, for example, that the wall before him opens up and the shedd enters, or the shedd may appear to him in the size of a large building. In our times, however, the Tzadik, Haim, explained, virtually all of the true magi (there are also many false ones and charlatans) do not have the power to see the shedd but only to speak to him. The shedd comes without showing himself because he knows that if he shows himself, the mechashef might either die of fright or go insane, and the shedd wishes not to lose his sacrificial portion.
The reasons for which the Torah prohibited magic (kishuf) are mainly two. The first is that the mechashef (or female mechashefet) must repay the ‘commissioned’ shedd with whatever ‘service’ the shedd desires. Most often this is the blood of a cat or rabbit etc. ‘Sacrificed’ in the name of the shedd. This is considered idolatry because the mechashef must serve and obey the shedd in this. (Note- the blood is a great ‘delicacy’ to the sheddim, reason for which all pagan cults as well as magic rites needed blood sacrifices whether animal or human. The ‘priests’ of those cults were in fact the mechashfim who performed ‘miracles’ through the employment of sheddim who in return for their benefits would require of the priest the sacrifice of their choice. Thus the priest, to the same measure that he was a servant of the shedd had his power enhanced by the benefits of the shedd. With this knowledge the reader will be ableto understand the underlying reason for which, in all ancient history, the power of the priest was so dominant and why the force of idolatry was so incredibly potent. The people received benefits for their services and sacrifices but they would have those benefits only if the priest agreed. The priest would agree only on the condition that he be rewarded for his services and obeyed at word. We may also note here that among the many reasons for which the Torah prohibited the consummation of blood, one of the essential underlying principles is that the person must refrain from partaking of that portion which is the food of the sheddim etc. ).
The second reason is that the ‘names of impurity’, since they are impure, cannot be recited in cleanliness. Therefore the mechashef must render himself impure which he does by way of urine or excrement or male sperm or menstrual blood. Thus the Torah prohibited all magic in as much as its impurity is in direct contrast to the cleanliness and sanctity (kedusha) in which every Jew is commanded.
If not for these two reasons the calling up of sheddim would not be prohibited. We find in fact in the Talmud that the Hachamim sometimes called up a particular shedd to serve them when they had need. So too the Tzadik may call into service any shedd if he so wishes and to order him as he desires. The shedd is completely subservient to the will of the Tzadik and not vice versa.
Of necessity the Tzadik must know the secrets of kishuf. Occasions arise in which magic must be destroyed in order to save a person on whom the magic was made. There are a thousand categories of kishuf and the Head of the Hidden Tzadikim* knows them all in detail. Many times, thank God, we had the privilege to witness the cases of persons who had been victims of magic and for whom no remedy was possible had ha-Moreh Haim not intervened. It was sufficient for the Tzadik Haim to look at the person and immediately he would know what level and what kind of kishuf had been employed and who the mechashef was.
* All of the 36 Hidden Tzadikim can destroy any form of magic by the power of the sanctity (kedusha) upon them, but the Tzadik Haim had the complete knowledge of exactly how each kind of kishuf was made etc.
Here is an example of one case: The Teacher Haim told me about a girl from a well-to-do family, (in Cairo, I believe) very beautiful and intelligent, with whom a young and well-to-do Arab had fallen desperately in love. The young Arab had commissioned a young a well-known mechashef to have her fall in love with him and to follow him. The mago accepted his request for a large sum of money, explaining that this required an extremely strong kishuf with many precise preparations. After less than a week, the girl, who was of a traditional Jewish background, had suddenly decided to leave the University where she was studying and she began to spend all her time in the company of her Arab boy-friend.
The good fortune of this family had it that a close friend of the girl’s father knew ha-Moreh Haim, who, on the condition that it be kept a secret, agreed to intervene. In brief, the Tzadik came to visit the girl and knew immediately that she was under the effect of a ‘difficult’ kishuf in which a particular ‘impure name’ is written with menstrual blood on the skin of a cat and placed under the head of a dead person already buried. The Tzadik Haim went directly to the mechashef and threatened him with total destruction of his powers if he would not undo the kishuf. Ha-Moreh Haim said to him, “If I want, I can destroy your kishuf in one minute but I want you to tire yourself out in digging it up as you did in burying it”. The mechashef went and undid the kishuf. The girl returned to her normality, abandoned the young Arab and returned to her university studies.
Obviously, aside from the knowledge, great courage and strength are needed to enter such matters.
Also the ancient star-worshippers (‘ovdei kochavim u-mazalot - those who do service to the stars and to the constellations - also known as kosmim) possessed secrets which were passed on from teacher to pupil orally. The Teacher Haim explained that if the kosem was not expert in his science of obtaining from the star its desired influence, he put himself into vital danger. The kosem had to know, for example, the exact moment and place in which words had to be said while dressed in certain vestments of a particular colour etc. He had, that is, to know all the conditions by which the influence of the star could be received. The conditions differ for each star. Let not the science of the ancient star-worshippers, such as the magusi and sages of the Caldeans, Babilonians and Egyptians be light in the eyes of the modern reader. Those secrets were extremely precise and complicated formulas, a received knowledge concerning the characteristics of individual stars. The kosem in fact rendered himself servant to the star of his worship in order to receive of its influence. His secret was to know precisely which service pertained to that particular star. He had also to bow down to the star and to praise it for which reason the Torah prohibited such practices. Only the Creator, Blessed is He, is worthy of all service and praise.
It is not, however, of itself forbidden to know about the particular influences, powers and functions of individual stars. It is only that such a knowledge is completely secret (and is received by the Tzadik in a manner totally different from that of the ancient star-worshippers, a thousand separations) and cannot be given to anyone who is not under the protection of the kedusha. The Tzadik through his power and hidden knowledge can know and dominate these celestial influences but, except for extremely rare and particular cases, never does such. One reason for this is that the influence which derives from the stars is in any case in direct relation to the nature of this world and therefore the Tzadik will not interfere unless there is sufficient reason.
In general, the Talmud did not enter questions of the stars to a great extent. There is one concise expression, however, often quoted by the Teacher Haim for the immensity which it contains: Everything concerning children, life (longevity) and livelihood (work and earnings) depends on the star (banei hhayei u-mezonei ba-mazala talya).* The questions of one’s marriage and one’s children (also how many and what sex), of the length and general health of one’s life and the manner in which one sustains himself are 3 large categories in the life of every person hardly to be minimised. Yet the influence which every person receives directly from the unique star under which he was born are already written in these 3 categories and all that is related to them.
*The Tzadik also quoted often the well-known talmudic expression ‘All is in the hands of heaven (the stars) except for the fear of God’. (Ha-kol bidei shamaim hhutz mi-yirat shammaim).
Ha-Moreh Haim explained to us that the influence of the person’s star may sometimes be impeded by the negative actions of a person and even by ‘acquired’ negative characteristics (the natural character, however, depends directly on the particular star under which the person was born). To give an example, a person may have it ‘written’ in his star that he is ‘allotted’, let us say, 30 thousand dollars for a particular year. It is not, however, written, in which way this person will spend his money (especially the money left over after the necessary expenses). The person is free, for example, to benefit others, or to use it exclusively for himself, or to waste it uselessly or to employ it for some evil purpose etc. It is no longer the direct influence of the star that decides but is subject to the person’s free will. Negative actions may impede the influence of the star itself. Suppose, for example, this same person quit his job for some completely foolish reason. He might well find himself with less than 30 thousand dollars that year. The Teacher Haim compared it to rain-water blocked in roof-gutter by some impediment, not allowing the rain-water to descend. So too the influence may be ready todescend but is blocked and impeded by negative actions and unworthy decisions.
The knowledge of the astrologers will always be in reference to these 3 above mentioned classifications ‘children, years and work’. This knowledge, however, which they gain from the 12 signs of the Zodiac is of a general influence, each sign covering the generality of a month. The type of information, therefore, is general and often vague. No specifics, such as the person whom you will meet in five days from now, can be known from it.
In the ancient past, however, there existed a hidden science known only to the highest astrologers and magi in each generation. It was also known to a restricted number of Hhachamim before the destruction of the First Temple. This is the hidden knowledge of the unique star under which the person was born and which follows and governs over him or her from the moment of birth until his last breathe. The star is different for each person in relation to the place and to the exact moment of birth. This very hidden tradition, retained only in the Yemenite line of the Hidden Tzadikim, reached the Tzadik Haim who from the individual star was able to know everything about the person, past, present and future, if he so desired.
The tradition of astrology in Jewish sources refers back to Abraham himself who is known to have been a great expert in the science of the stars. It was through this knowledge that he was able to know that he, Avram and Sarai, could not generate offspring. Ha-Shem, Blessed is He, at first told Abraham to leave Hharan and to go the place that He would show him. ‘A change in place represents a change in the star (fortune)’ (shinui makom, shinui mazal). Secondly, He told Abraham to exit from the astrological calculation from which he had seen that he and Sarai could not bear children. Even though Abraham’s calculation was correct in itself, the Holy One, Blessed is He, is ‘meshaded ha-ma’arachot’ (changes the celestial orders as He wills). The Lord then changed the name Abram to Abraham and the name Sarai to Sarah and through this the influence was no longer impeded.
Our intention with this brief introduction is to awaken one’s attention to several points. The secrets of the true Tzadikim are given over in secret and the manner of their being given over and received is itself part of that secret. They are never written down. The true secrets incur a responsibility which corresponds to the level of that secret. All the secrets written in the Zohar and Tikkunim and in all the kabbalistic and hhassidic commentaries are figments of intellectualised imagination and have nothing at all to do with the higher knowledge of the true Hidden Tzadikim in whose merit the world stands. These are the selected Men of the Ascent who suffer immensely for the others and whose suffering is compensated only by their great and secret knowledge. These are the true servants of God who walk in humbleness before all men, who disdain honor and despise money. These are the hidden perpetrators of God’s will in the world whose identity is kept a complete secret.