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Astounding letter over 600 years old...

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rhayat1:
I found this letter in its original manuscript at the Hebrew University.  It is very old, as stated, and was written by R. Meir haMme'ili, who lived in Spain and wrote it just as the Zohar was being dispersed.  It is part of a book called "Milhemeth haShem" and, to the best of my knowledge, it has never been published.  In this letter, as you will see, we find that the authors of the Kabbalistic work "Bahir" were caught red-handed forging the signatures of various local rabbis in Spain in order to give an air of legitimacy to their recently forged work "Bahir".  The Zohar is also mentioned in passing but not by name.  The historic significance of this letter is very great and, as far as I know, this is the first time it will be translated into English.  It is somewhat long so I'll post it in several parts.

   "...to counter those who speak evil about G-d and about the hakhamim who follow the ways of the pure Torah and who fear G-d.  They are wise in their own eyes and they invent things from their hearts, and they lean toward heresy.  They imagine to bring proof for their words from the texts of the Hagadoth, which they interpret according to their errors.  G-d forbid!  G-d forbid that it was ever the intention of the sages who said (those hagadoth) to mean these things.  May G-d help us so that we may teach them a good lesson.  Amen, amen selah.
   It has been many days for Israel without the true G-d and without Torah and without a teaching cohen.  The truth has become lost and poisonous roots and bitter herbs have blossomed from the those who bless themselves in their own hearts.  For they have not found seeing prophets (?)... And verily from the kindness of G-d upon us, He gave us the written Torah and the Oral Torah, and he raised among us prophets and righteous men, pillars of the world.  When they saw Torah being forgotten  from Yisrael from great suffering and from the burden of exile and persecution, they wrote the Oral Torah and the secrets of G-d by way of their broad wisdom.  Some of them by hints and secrets and some of them as their plain meaning.  Neither great nor small was hidden from them.  And the main tenets of Torah regarding faith in G-d, that through it those who reach it will acquire the paths of life in the world that is entirely life...
   Some days have passed and suddenly fools went forth and revealed opinions, in the faith of haShem, that are not according to Halakha.  In matters of the prayers and benedictions that were instituted by the sages - things that have no source or basis, that are not of the Torah of Moshe and not of the prophets or of Scripture, and are not from the Talmud which is set in our hands from Rabina and Rav Ashe.  In short, not from either tradition or logical deduction, and not even from the external Hadadoth...that they are corrupt and incorrect.  And they cannot bring proofs or ask questions, as Hazal said "any Mishna that was not learned by the house of R. Hiyya and R. Hosh'iya has no validity and we don't use it to resolve anything in the study halls.
   And those fools have said to not give Torah, prayer or benedictions to Almighty G-d, who has no beginning or end.  Oy for their souls!  What has happened to them that they have rejected the Holy One of Yisrael?  They have fallen backward and they have distanced themselves from the Founder of the Earth... He is G-d in heaven above and on Earth below and there is none other besides Him, and He does not experience change.  (He is) a true one in complete oneness, without any partner or mixture or sephiroth.  Our blessed G-d is the cause of all causes... This is the proper faith for all of Yisrael who are believers.  Anybody who strays from this, he is a heretic and a non-believer.  Why should we continue speaking of these fools for whom all their prayers and benedictions are to false gods, they say these are created and "neesalim", that they have a beginning and an end.  For they say, in their twisted minds, that anything that is called "first" and "last" has a beginning and an end.  And it says "I am first and I am last and before me there is no other god".  Such did we find in one of their books of errors - whose name they called "Bahir".  Such did we hear, from some of our Hakhamim who quoted them.  They say to pray by day to on created god and by night to another god who is above him, but he is also created just like the first one.  And on the holy days, after the ten days of penitence, their days became confused and vexed to pray to yet another created one and others to lesser created ones beneath him on other days of the year.  They've created many divisions in their prayers, in their defective minds and they are a disgrace to all flesh.  The worms of their foolishness with not die and the fire of their folly will never be extinguished.  For they have desired many gods and have said, in their small minds, that they are all attached one to the other and that they are all one.  But these fools' ears cannot hear what their mouths speak.  For in truth, the one G-d who is worthy of believe, to to Him is worthy to pray and to serve and to bless and to thank, He is one.  If they say He is more than one, they have already denied the Torah that says "The Lord our G-d, the Lord is one".  And He said "there is no other than Him".  If they agree he is one, then why do they divide their prayers to one by day and to another by night?  Why do they divide the holidays and work days?  Why do they distinguish between the days of penitence and the rest of the year?  How are all those divisions justified?  Also, in truth, they should know that our holy G-d is one and his oneness has no beginning or end, without change, as is written "I am G-d.  I have not changed".  If so, he is one before were created or "neeslu" the sephiroth - that have a beginning and an end.  And to those sephiroth are their intentions when they say their benedictions and prayers.  Does this not prove that their heart is not right?
   
To be continued...

muman613:


--- Quote ---http://www.jewfaq.org/movement.htm
Chasidim and Mitnagdim

In the 1700s, the first of the modern movements developed in Eastern Europe. This movement, known as Chasidism, was founded by Israel ben Eliezer, more commonly known as the Baal Shem Tov or the Besht. Before Chasidism, Judaism emphasized education as the way to get closer to G-d. Chasidism emphasized other, more personal experiences and mysticism as alternative routes to G-d.

Chasidism was considered a radical movement at the time it was founded. There was strong opposition from those who held to the pre-existing view of Judaism. Those who opposed Chasidism became known as mitnagdim (opponents), and disputes between the Chasidim and the mitnagdim were often brutal. Today, the Chasidim and the mitnagdim are relatively unified in their opposition to the liberal modern movements. Orthodoxy and even the liberal movements of Judaism today have been strongly influenced by Chasidic teachings.

Chasidic sects are organized around a spiritual leader called a Rebbe or a tzaddik, a person who is considered to be more enlightened than other Jews. A Chasid consults his Rebbe about all major life decisions.

Chasidism continues to be a vital movement throughout the world. The Lubavitcher Chasidim are very vocal with a high media presence (see their website, Chabad.org), but there are many other active Chasidic sects today. For a simple, plain English introduction to Chasidism written by a modern Breslover Chasid, check out this FAQ on Hasidic Culture and Customs.
--- End quote ---

I dont know to whom he refers when he says "And those fools have said to not give Torah, prayer or benedictions to Almighty G-d, who has no beginning or end. ". The Chassidim to whom it seems he is talking about have always stressed Torah study, strict observance of Tefilla and go beyond the letter of the law in Halacha.

Also regarding this authors questioning of the various minhagim of davening.... I don't share his opinion. The fact that the siddur is so well layed out and the basic prayers are said in virtually every Orthodox Ashkenaz , Sephardic, and Chassidic siddur is awesome. I currently daven in a minyan with many minhagim, including Persian, Ashkenaz, and Sephardic minhagim. All of the prayers which I read in the Artscroll siddur are the original prayers which were written by the Men of the Great Assembly.

I also find this part interesting :


--- Quote ---  Why should we continue speaking of these fools for whom all their prayers and benedictions are to false gods, they say these are created and "neesalim", that they have a beginning and an end.  For they say, in their twisted minds, that anything that is called "first" and "last" has a beginning and an end.  And it says "I am first and I am last and before me there is no other G-d".  Such did we find in one of their books of errors - whose name they called "Bahir"
--- End quote ---

The quote "I am the first and I am the last..." comes from the Tanach, the book of Naviim called Isaiah, from Chapter 44 line 6 :

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et1044.htm

--- Quote ---6 Thus saith the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no G-d.
--- End quote ---

Am I misunderstanding this? I have never heard any quoted Zohar which discusses anything like what is being accused here.


PS: I just realized that this letter is supposed to be written before the Bal Shem Tov... Some of my opinions therefore may be misplaced.

Sorry

PPS: I also still don't agree with the idea that anyone actually prays to the sephirot. To what is he talking about?

Kahane-Was-Right BT:

--- Quote from: muman613 on February 05, 2010, 12:12:58 AM ---

--- Quote ---http://www.jewfaq.org/movement.htm
Chasidim and Mitnagdim

In the 1700s, the first of the modern movements developed in Eastern Europe. This movement, known as Chasidism, was founded by Israel ben Eliezer, more commonly known as the Baal Shem Tov or the Besht.

--- End quote ---

--- End quote ---


Muman:  What you quote here has no relevance to what rhayat posted.   His letter is from 600 years ago.  So that predates chasidism or their "mitnagdim" by at least 300 years.  It doesn't make sense to classify his letter as part of the dispute between Chassidim and Mistagdim.     Your own quote shows that Chassidism originated in the 1700's (with Baal Shem Tov).   "Over 600 years ago" would be the 1300's.

rhayat1:
I knew the letter would cause confusion.  In the next, and last, installment I get to the part where he discovers they had forged the signatures.  Also, I was wrong about the age of the letter.  It's more like 700 years old.  As for praying to the sephiroth, I'm only quoting the man and the main point here is historical.

rhayat1:
   But their eyes are blocked from seeing as is their intellect from understanding.  In the end, all of their words are like chaff before the wind and they sought chaotic words that have no substance, destruction of the Torah and contradicting it, words of heresy and denial.  How could any wise person consider that the truth is as their words, that it is not proper to bless or pray to the First G-d who has no beginning or end, the cause of all causes - who they call, in their language, "Ein Sof".   That whoever does so is, in their eyes "Meqases bineti'oth" and does not merit to see the wonders of redemption that awaits those who know G-d and fear Him... - How could this not be explained in the Pure Torah, that G-d gave us to live by forever?  In which it says, "You have been shown to know that the Lord is G-d.  There is no other".  If so, how would we know the thing that G-d did not speak?  Where, then, did He tell us these things?  How then could Rabenu haQqadosh, who compiled the Mishna, have neglected to explain them to us?  And Rabina and Rav Ashe, who compiled the Talmud which is set before us, that they are the main body of the oral Torah?  How could they leave all of Yisrael in error and losing out on the world to come - as "Meqasese bineti'oth"?  Oy to the eyes that thus see!  Oy to the ears that thus hear!  Oy to the generation that had this happen in its days!...  Do we have in our days, in the midst of all the false beliefs of the nations, those who deny the unity of G-d as these?  And if they say that he who blesses and prays to G-d, blessed be He, the cause of all causes, creator of all, will be cut off from the world.  (But that) he merits the world to come, and is not called "meqases beneti'oth" - but they think, in their foolishness, that this is the belief of the masses, but they are privy to secrets of G-d and are among those who fear Him.  And they wait to rise to higher level than others, in this faith of theirs.  These idiots are abandoning, even according to their own words, that which is certain and grasping that which is only a possibility.  Certainly they are destroyed with this, and their souls are destroyed and they are descending to the lowest level - opposite of their hopes and intentions, which are not correct.

   In the end, every man who has knowledge is required to distance himself from their foolishness.  And behold we have written everything before you, our rabbis who are in every city, to reveal to everybody all these things - for we feared because of the signatures that were upon them.  Also that it was told us that they forged many signatures of the Hakhamim of this land, who did not actually sign them, that many might be led astray after this, and they will pride themselves in false things and say "in the land of the people of Torah and wisdom did we find strength and might".  Lest they say "our hands are raised high."

   Heaven forbid that they err after this evil, after these heretical words - let it not be so in Yisrael.
   
   And I have heard that they have already composed a book, they called its name "Bahir", which I have mentioned earlier, and it will not see light.  That book has already arrived in our possession and we found that they attributed it to R. Nehuniya ben haQqaneh.  G-d forbid!  Such things never were and never were created and that righteous man would never have sinned so, nor would he be counted amongst criminals.  And the language of this book, and all of its concepts, prove that it came from a man who was not very literate nor educated.  It contains words of heresy and minuth in many places.

   We have also heard that they have also authored a commentary on the Song of Songs and the Book of Yesirah and Heikhaloth, and that within are written heretical things, and a commentary on Ecclesiastes and other books.  Inquire and search well and if they are in your midst, burn them from the Earth so that they will not be a stumbling block.  Search for them well, for we have burned those that were found amongst us.  And the Lord, in His mercy, will send us a redeemer and will gather the dispersed of Yehudha and Yisrael, and will remove doubts and confusion from amid His people and will return the hearts of fathers to their sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers.

   We have written all this with the approval of our master, the great rav, candle of Yisrael, our teacher R. Meshulam ben harav haGgadol Moshe (?) and the other Hakhamim of the land, some of whom privately know the matter that caused us to write.  And the wise will be careful "KaZzohar haRaqia' umasdiqe harabim kaKkokhavim la'olam wa'edh".  Amen amen selah.




That is all.  There is little doubt that his words, toward the end refer to the Zohar.  I do not believe that his choice of verse, at the end of this letter, is a coincidence.  The original is longer than what I have translated - because the author was quite long-winded in his descriptions of the pure faith of the Torah.  My translation is accurate if not professional.  If anybody wishes to see the original Hebrew, just let me know and I'll be happy to scan it in and post it.  When I wrote this book, all I had was one of the earliest home computers (very primitive by today's standards) and an early dot matrix printer and so it remains.

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