Studying the teachings of Kabbalah

[א] (הלכה 151)

Presented in honor of Yud-Tes Kislev, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus

Question: Regarding the study of the Torah of Kabbalah, the Arizal wrote¹ that in these final generations it is permitted and a mitzvah to reveal this wisdom. How does this reconcile with the restrictions our Sages placed on this Torah, as explained in the Gemara in Tractate Chagigah² and in the Rambam³ and brought in the Shach⁴ as halacha?

Answer: The Rebbe explains⁵ that the restriction on the study of Kabbalah is not on account of the cheftza (object) of the hidden Torah — that is, it is not a type of Torah that must be concealed — rather, the restriction is only on account of the gavra (person) — that is, that a person who is not fit should not study it. According to this, it is understood why in these generations every Jewish man and woman is commanded and obligated to study the inner dimension of the Torah, just as they are obligated to study the entire Torah. And this is for two reasons:

Reason A) "It is a time to act for Hashem" — [based on the words of the Rambam in the introduction to Moreh Nevuchim] that as the generations descend and more people become perplexed, there is no choice but to reveal the secrets of the Torah, in order to illuminate the hidden and concealed powers within the soul so that it will succeed in coping with the difficulties from within and without, and to be aroused in love and fear of Hashem etc. and to serve Him with a whole heart.

Reason B) Preparation for the days of Mashiach — [and in the language of the Rambam⁶: 'to set Israel straight and to prepare their hearts' — for the days of Mashiach], since the primary matter of the days of Mashiach is that they will be free to engage in the Torah and its wisdom to attain 'knowledge of their Creator,' therefore it is understood that Israel must prepare their hearts for this through the study of the inner dimension of the Torah.

And after the directive of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid was given to the Alter Rebbe, that not only should he not cease, G-d forbid, from saying words of Chassidus, but on the contrary, that he should add even more — it is understood that this is a directive to each and every one of Israel, who is obligated to prepare himself for that time 'when the occupation of the entire world will be solely to know Hashem' — through the study of the inner dimension of the Torah specifically in a manner of understanding and comprehension.

And so too is it a clear halachic ruling in practice in the revealed dimension of the Torah (in the Hilchos Talmud Torah of the Alter Rebbe⁷) that every soul of Israel is obligated to study the entire Torah, both in the plain meanings of the halachos and in the allusions, expositions, and secrets.'

Question: Is it advisable to study directly from the books of Kabbalah and the writings of the Arizal?

The Tzemach Tzedek wrote⁸:

'And for this reason the Baal Shem Tov commanded not to study the books of Kabbalah, for one who does not know how to abstract matters from their physicality becomes greatly coarsened through this study, when in his poverty of understanding he ascribes a form to His blessed Divinity according to particular attributes; and even though the words of the Arizal are faithful and true, and when they called the attribute of Malchus "Shechinah" it is truly so, and so too it is truly so that the Name "Kel" is in Chesed and the Name "Elokim" is in Gevurah etc.

And so too the Rebbe wrote⁹: "What you wrote concerning so-and-so son of so-and-so proposing to him to study the book Eitz Chaim — although it is understood that one who studies this is studying the Torah of the living G-d, the inner dimension of the Torah, but when the matters are studied in the books of Chabad Chassidus — one understands them and rejects improper interpretations, G-d forbid, which is not the case when one studies without the aforementioned explanation etc., where caution is required, and as is the case with what he also copies in his letter from what is written in the Root of the Mitzvah of Tefillah, ch. 2, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov (and with this his question is also resolved — how to interpret the aforementioned words of the Baal Shem Tov together with what is explained in many places concerning the necessity to study the Torah of Chassidus)."

If so, in practice one must study the inner dimension of the Torah with understanding and comprehension as explained in the Torah of Chabad Chassidus.

Gut Yom Tov🍷

¹ הקדמת הרח"ו לשער ההקדמות. נדפסה בהוספה לקונטרס עץ חיים לאדמו"ר הרש"ב ↩

² דף יא, ב ואילך ↩

³ הל' יסודי התורה ספ"ב. פ"ד הי"א ↩

⁴ יו"ד סי' רמו ס"ק ו ↩

⁵ לקו"ש ח"ל ע' 170 ואילך ↩

⁶ הל' מלכים פי"ב ה"ב ↩

⁷ פ"א ס"ד ↩

⁸ דרך מצוותיך שרש מצות התפלה קטו, ב ↩

⁹ אג"ק חי"א ע' רעו ↩

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