Concealment and Transmission

(1) They may not expound upon the subject of forbidden relations in the presence of three. Nor the Work of Creation in the presence of two. Nor [the Design of] the Chariot in the presence of one, unless he is a sage and understands of his own knowledge. Whoever speculates upon four things, it would have been better had he not come into the world: what is above, what is beneath, what came before, and what came after. And whoever takes no thought for the honor of his creator, it would have been better had he not come into the world.

The Gemara comments: Until here, you have permission to speak; from this point forward you do not have permission to speak, as it is written in the book of Ben Sira: Seek not things concealed from you, nor search those hidden from you. Reflect on that which is permitted to you; you have no business with secret matters.

(5) Rabbi Hunna in the name of Bar Kafra opened with (Psalms 31:19): "Let the lying lips be dumb, that speak against the righteous arrogantly with pride and contempt." Let them be bound, made dumb, and silenced. "Let them be bound and made dumb"--as it says (Exodus 4:11): "Or who made one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Was it not I, God?" and it says (Genesis 37:7): "We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose." (The word for 'sheaf' is similar to 'mute'.) "Let them be silenced"--as it sounds. "Which speak against the righteous"--the life of all worlds (God). "Arrogantly"--[on matters] he has hidden from his creatures (The word for 'arrogant' is similar to 'hidden'). "In pride"--to boast and say: "I can explain creation." "And contempt"--to hold My glory in contempt. As Rabbi Yossi Bar Chanina said: One who honor's oneself at the expense of one's friend has no share in the World to Come. How much more so with the honor of God! And it says afterward (Psalms 31:20): "How abundant is Your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear You." Those who fear You and not for those who hold Your awe in contempt. When a king builds a palace in a place of sewers, dunghills, and garbage, everyone who says: "This palace is built on sewers, dunghills, and garbage" discredits it. So too, everyone who says the universe was created from nothingness discredits it. Rabbi Hunna in the name of Bar Kafra said: If it were not written, it would be impossible to say it. "In the beginning God created" from what? "And the earth was empty."

Because of his sins, a human being is unable to know what is the image of what is above; for were it not so, the keys would have been given them, and they would know how heaven and earth were created.

(3) R. Judah the son of Shalum maintained: Moses desired to write down the Oral Law (Mishnah) as well, but the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that in the course of time nations would translate the Written Law and read it in the Greek language. They would then assert: “We, too, are Israelites.” Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses: Should I write for him never so many things of My Law (Hos. 8:12), the result being: They (Israel) are accounted as strangers (ibid.). Why to this extent? Because the Oral Law contains the mysteries of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He reveals His mysteries only to the righteous, as it is said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:14). Similarly you find that after the Sodomites angered the Holy One, blessed be He, and He was moved to destroy them, He consulted only Abraham, as it is said: Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?

(1) One may not expound upon the subject of forbidden relations but they may expound before two. They may not expound concerning the Work of Creation before two but they may expound before one. They may not expound on the [Work of] the Chariot before one unless he is wise and understands of his own accord. A story of R. Yochanan ben Zaccai who was riding on his donkey and Rabbi Ele'azar ben Arakh was riding behind him. He said to him: "Rabbi, teach me one paragraph concerning the Work of the Chariot. He said to him: "No. Have I not said to you from the beginning that one does not teach concerning the [Work of] the Chariot before one unless he is wise and understands of his own accord? He said to him: "Now give me permission to expound before you." He said to him: "Speak!" Rabbi Ele'azar ben Arakh began to expound on the Work of the Chariot. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zaccai alighted from his donkey and wrapped himself in his tallit and the two of them sat on an outcropping of rock under an olive tree and he presented the subject before him. Rabbi Yochanan stood up and kissed him and said: "Blessed is Adonai, God of Israel, who gave a son to Abraham our father that knows and understands how to expound on the glory of our Father in Heaven! There are those suited to expound and who are not suited to fulfill, those who are suited to fulfill and who are not suited to expound. Ele'azar ben Arakh is suited to expound and to fulfill. Happy is Abraham our father, that Ele'azar ben Arakh, who came forth from your loins, knows and understands well enough to expound on the glory of our Father in heaven! Rabbi Yosi bar R. Yehuda says: "Rabbi Yehoshua expounded before R. Yochanan ben Zaccai, Rabbi Akiva expounded before Rabbi Yehoshua and Hananiah ben Chachinai expounded before before Rabbi Akiva.

(1) The sages taught in the language of the Mishnah. Blessed be He who chose them and their teaching. Rabbi Meir said: Whoever occupies himself with the Torah for its own sake, merits many things; not only that but he is worth the whole world.He is called beloved friend; one that loves God; one that loves humankind; one that gladdens God; one that gladdens humankind. And the Torah clothes him in humility and reverence, and equips him to be righteous, pious, upright and trustworthy; it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to merit. And people benefit from his counsel, sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine” (Proverbs 8:14). And it bestows upon him royalty, dominion, and acuteness in judgment. To him are revealed the secrets of the Torah, and he is made as an ever-flowing spring, and like a stream that never ceases. And he becomes modest, long-suffering and forgiving of insult. And it magnifies him and exalts him over everything.

(3) R. Judah the son of Shalum maintained: Moses desired to write down the Oral Law (Mishnah) as well, but the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that in the course of time nations would translate the Written Law and read it in the Greek language. They would then assert: “We, too, are Israelites.” Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses: Should I write for him never so many things of My Law (Hos. 8:12), the result being: They (Israel) are accounted as strangers (ibid.). Why to this extent? Because the Oral Law contains the mysteries of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He reveals His mysteries only to the righteous, as it is said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:14). Similarly you find that after the Sodomites angered the Holy One, blessed be He, and He was moved to destroy them, He consulted only Abraham, as it is said: Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?

§ It is taught in the mishna, according to the Gemara’s explanation: Nor may one expound the Design of the Divine Chariot to an individual. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: But one may transmit to him, an individual, the outlines of this topic, leaving him to comprehend the rest on his own. Rabbi Zeira said: One may transmit the outlines of the Design of the Divine Chariot only to the president of the court, who needs to know them due to his wisdom and meritorious deeds, and to anyone whose heart inside him is concerned, i.e., one who is concerned about his sins and desires to achieve full repentance. There are those who say that this does not refer to two separate individuals, but to the president of the court, whose heart inside him is concerned. Rabbi Ami said: The secrets of the Torah may be transmitted only to one who possesses the following five characteristics: “The captain of fifty, and the man of favor, and the counselor, and the cunning charmer, and one who understands things said in a whisper” (Isaiah 3:3). And Rabbi Ami said further: The words of Torah may not be transmitted to a gentile, as it is stated: “He has not dealt so with any nation, and as for His ordinances, they have not known them” (Psalms 147:20).

[Interpreting Isaiah 3:3 Captain of fifty, Magnate and counselor, Skilled artisan and expert enchanter; (Isa. 3:3 TNK)]

“The counselor”; this is referring to one who knows how to intercalate years and determine months, due to his expertise in the phases of the moon and the calculation of the yearly cycle. “skilled artisan”; this is a student who makes his rabbis wise through his questions. “enchanter [ḥarashim]”; this is referring to one so wise that when he begins speaking matters of Torah, all those listening are as though deaf [ḥershin], as they are unable to comprehend the profundity of his comments. “The skillful”; this is one who understands something new from something else he has learned.“Enchanter [laḥash]”; this is referring to one who is worthy of having words of the Torah that were given in whispers [laḥash], i.e., the secrets of the Torah, transmitted to him.

If a man reads but he does not study, he is still standing outside. If he studies but he does not read, he is still standing outside. If he reads and studies but does not serve the scholars, he is like one from whom the mysteries of Torah are hidden. As it says, "Now that I have turned back, I am filled with remorse; Now that I am made aware, I strike my thigh. I am ashamed and humiliated, For I bear the disgrace of my youth. (Jer. 31:19). However, if a man studies Torah, Prophets and Writings, and he studies Mishnah, the exegetical works on halakhah and aggadah, and he serves the scholars, even if he dies or is murdered for His sake, he is eternally happy. Thus it says: Your ointments yield a sweet fragrance, Your name is like finest oil -- Therefore do maidens love you. (Song of Songs. 1:3 TNK)

Rabbi Simeon ben Chalafta and Rabbi Chaggai said in the name of Rabbi Samuel ben Nachman: "The lambs will provide you with clothing...." It is written, כבסים, for when your students are small you should conceal, מכבש, from them words of Torah, but when they grow and become accomplished students, you should reveal to them the secrets of Torah.

(3) Rabbi Elazar then asked, what is the meaning of "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand?" He told him, when the Torah was given to Moses, many tens of thousands of angels on high were about to burn him with the flames of their mouths, but the Holy One, blessed be He, protected him. So now, when the new explanation on the Torah is uttered, the saying rises up, is crowned, and then stands before the Holy One, blessed be He. And He guards that saying and shelters the person who said it so that it may be known only to Him and to stop the angels from envying him until a new heaven and earth are made from that saying. So it says, "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant heavens, and lay the foundations of earth." And from this we learn that everything which is hidden from the eye has a supernal advantage, as expressed in "I have covered you in the shadow of My hand." But why should it be covered and hidden out of sight? So that it may receive the supernal advantage. As it says, "that I may plant heavens and lay the foundations of earth," as we have learned.

(1) WE have stated several times that it is our primary object in this treatise to expound, as far as possible, the Biblical account of the Creation (Ma‘aseh bereshit) and the description of the Divine Chariot (Ma‘aseh Mercabah) in a manner adapted to the training of those for whom this work is written.

(2) We have also stated that these subjects belong to the mysteries of the Law. You are well aware how our Sages blame those who reveal these mysteries, and praise the merits of those who keep them secret, although they are perfectly clear to the philosopher. In this sense they explain the passage, "Her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently" (Isa. 23:18), which concludes in the original with the words ve-li-me-kasseh ‘atik, i.e., that these blessings are promised to him who hides things which the Eternal has revealed [to him], viz., the mysteries of the Law (Babyl. Talmud, Pesaḥim 119a). If you have understanding you will comprehend that which our Sages pointed out. They have clearly stated that the Divine Chariot includes matters too deep and too profound for the ordinary intellect. It has been shown that a person favoured by Providence with reason to understand these mysteries is forbidden by the Law to teach them except viva voce, and on condition that the pupil possess certain qualifications, and even then only the heads of the sections may be communicated. This has been the cause why the knowledge of this mystery has entirely disappeared from our nation, and nothing has remained of it. This was unavoidable, for the explanation of these mysteries was always communicated vivâ voce, it was never committed to writing. Such being the case, how can I venture to call your attention to such portions of it as may be known, intelligible, and perfectly clear to me? But if, on the other hand, I were to abstain from writing on this subject, according to my knowledge of it, when I die, as I shall inevitably do, that knowledge would die with me, and I would thus inflict great injury on you and all those who are perplexed [by these theological problems]. I would then be guilty of withholding the truth from those to whom it ought to be communicated, and of jealously depriving the heir of his inheritance. I should in either case be guilty of gross misconduct.

Rabbi Shimeon Ben Yehotzadak asked Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman: Since I heard that you are a master of aggadot, tell me from where was the light created? He answered: [the text] teaches that the Holy One of Blessing enveloped Himself [in it] as [one does with] a cloak, and made the splendor of His glory shine from one end of the world to the other. He told him this aggadah in a whisper: he said to him - there is even a full verse [about it] 'He wears light as a cloak' (Ps. 104:2). [Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said] And you are telling this to me in a whisper? This is surprising! He told him: Just as I heard it in a whisper, I'm telling you in a whisper. Said Rabbi Berachia said: If Rabbi Yitzchak had not taught it in public, it would be forbidden to say it! Before this, what was said? Rabbi Berechiyah said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak who said: The light was created from the place of the Beit Hamikdash, as it is written: "And behold the glory of the God of Israel comes from the way of the East (Ezekiel 43:2)" and God's glory is nothing less than the Beit Hamikdash, as it is said: "A throne of glory, on high from the beginning, the place of our sanctuary' (Jeremiah 17:12)...."

(7) Rabbi Chanina said, "There were windows in the Temple, and light would go out from them to the world, as it is stated (in I Kings 6:4), 'And for the house, he made windows broad and narrow.' They were broad and narrow, narrowing on the interior and widening on the exterior - so as to give out light to the world." Rabbi Levi said, "[There is a relevant] parable of a king who built a palace for himself and made its windows narrowing on the exterior and widening on the interior to bring in light into it. But the windows of the Temple were not like this. Rather they were narrowing on the interior and widening on the exterior - so as to give out great light." Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotsadak asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman, "Since I have heard about you that you are a master of aggadah (homelitics), from where does light come out to the world?" He said to him, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wraps Himself as [with] a garment and all of the entire world shines from the splendor of His glory." He said [this] to him in a whisper. Rabbi Shimon [responded to] him, "It is a an explicit verse - as it is stated (Psalms 104:2), 'Wrapped in a garment of light; You spread the heavens like a tent cloth' - and you say it to me in a whisper?" He said, "In the same way that they said it to me in a whisper, so [too] did I say [it] to you in a whisper." Rabbi Berakhiah said, "Were it not that Rabbi Yitschak expounded [the above teaching] in public, it would not have been possible (permitted) to say it."

Another interpretation: "Bless my soul Adonai, Adonai, my God, you are very great." Rabbi Barchiyah said in the name of Rabbi Eleazar, and Rabbi Yehoshua: Even before you created your world you were great in the universe but after you created your world, you were very great. You were great before the Prophets praised you, when they praised you, you were very great. Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: How did the Holy One of Blessing create the light? He said to him: "He wraps himself in a white tallit and the world basks in the light. He answered him in a whisper. He said: Does not a full verse say "he wraps in light like a garment"? He said to him: "Just as I received this tradition in a whisper, so I spoke to you in a whisper." Rabbi Berachiyah said, were it not that Rabbi Yitzkhak expounded on the matter in public, I would not have spoken of it in public. From where does the Holy One of Blessing bring the light? Rabbi Berachiyah in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak says, from the Temple he brings it, as it is said: "And there, coming from the east with a roar like the roar of mighty waters, was the Presence of the God of Israel, and the earth was lit up by His Presence (Ezek. 43:2 TNK)."