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The Zohar Deviates
from our blessed Torah
By Rabbi Moshe Ben Chaim.
... of Mesorah.org
יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה
אֶחָד שְׁמַע
“Shema Yisrael YaH’Vah Eloheinu YaH’Vah ECHAD”.
“Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is
ONE”.
Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim has been an exceptional Jewish educator for a good 25 years or so. He is the founder of www.Mesora.org and a publisher of the ‘JewishTimes’. He continues to write and lecture on the Torah, assisting us Hebrew’s and Gentiles who have a desire to live a rich and fulfilling life as our beloved Elohim (God) intended!
Introduction:
אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim (God) is perfectly clear, that אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim is one. He is certainly not many. There is a single, indivisible cause
of the universe. Yet, despite this clarity, and as demonstrated by the Golden
Calf worshippers, man has difficulty worshipping a metaphysical אֱלֹהִים. His insecurities
catapulted them towards an idol creation, worship, and the invention of
theories and practice’s that conflict with אֱלֹהִים (God’s)
words. Sadly, Trinitarian’s, polytheism and all forms of idolatry are
additional expressions of man’s fantasies; thus so far from the clear words in
the Torah! Even
when אֱלֹהִים tells
Moshe - Moses to His attributes of Mercy (Shemot - Exodus 34:6-7) these
attributes are not independent beings, אֱלֹהִים (God)
forbid.
אֱלֹהִים refers to His “mercy, appeasement, long-suffering, abundant kindness and truth … etc” as attributes, not as “separate beings”. He holds no discourse with these attributes, for in fact, יְהוָה - YaH’VaH is One!
These references to acts that man calls “mercy” and “kindness” are merely concessions to man's feeble nature. We need to know that אֱלֹהִים (God) is not cruel, so He tells us that He is “kind”. We need to understand that God does not seek quick punishment, so He tells us He is long-suffering, offering man time to repent prior to punishment. And we must know that these are not positive traits, “for man cannot know אֱלֹהִים while alive (Shemot - Exodus 33:20)”. There is nothing positive we can understand about the Almighty. Maimonides and other minds have discussed this.
In contrast, the Zohar attempts to describe אֱלֹהִים, despite His words to Moshe - Moses above that He is unknowable. Zohar pays no attention to אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה warning, and corruptly invents “sephiroth” (godly emanations) and views them as independent beings:
“The king (Abba) said to Imma: ‘Did I not say to you that Adam is destined to sin?’ At that time he (Abba) drove man away, and he drove away Imma with him (Zohar, based on Bereshit - Genesis 22)”.
Here, Zohar depicts אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה emanations or ‘Sephiroth’ as both Abba and Imma, two distinct beings with their own opposing wills. But ‘sephiroth’ are not found in אֱלֹהִים words, or in the words of His Prophets. Therefore, ‘sephiroth’ is an invention of human fantasy, with no reflection on Torah or even reality.
The occultic Kabbalists attempt to gain credibility for the Zohar by attributing it to Rav Shimon bar Yochai, as if anything any Rabbi says is a validation of reality. In fact, the Rabbis themselves argue throughout the Talmud, admitting the countless errors of their peers. Therefore, the tactic of attribution is of no value, as truths must be proven based on their own merit, and fallacy rejected by the same token. Furthermore, the attribution to Rav Shimon bar Yochai has already been rejected. Chassam Sofer, who was not an anti-kabbalist, said the following to the students of his Yeshiva:
“Of the vast Zohar, only a small portion that would make up a very small book of few pages, is attributable to R. Shimon ben Yohai”. (As quoted by talmidim of the Chassam Sofer, as stated by Gaon haRav Eliezer Lippman Nizetz, "Mei Menachot", daf 43 ammud 2).
An even stronger statement is found by Rav Eliezer Pilklush, the outstanding talmid of the Nodeh BeYehudah, and subsequently the Rav of Prague:
“I swear by Hashem's Torah that in the Zohar there are many forgeries and destructive statements that have been added. One page of the Talmud Bavli (containing) the discussions of Abaye and Rava is better than the entire Zohar, the (authenticating) seal of R. Shimon ben Yohai is not affixed to them (i.e., to the words of the Zohar) ... Anyone with half a mind must admit this, for a number of Tannaim and Amoraim are mentioned who lived many years after R. Shimon ben Yohai ... (This has been) explained by the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Emden who declared that (unidentified) hands have been at work on it (i.e., the Zohar)”.
The Kabbala cites the order of the progressive emanation of the ten ‘Sephiroth’, generally presented by the Kabbalists as follows: Kether, Binah, Hokhmah, Gevurah, Hesed, Tifereth, Hod, Netzah, Yesod, and Malkhuth, also called ‘Shekhinah’. According to Zohar III, llb, 70a: “He is they, and they are He.” This trinitarian/polytheistic approach does not explain ‘sephiroth’, but incoherently says a plurality equates to a singularity. However, אֱלֹהִים said, “יְהוָה is One”. Unlike the Zohar, we have these words as part of our Mesora (Tradition). And unlike the Zohar, God’s words make absolute sense!
Purpose of this Study;
The purpose of this study is to determine what
אֱלֹהִים said,
to make it clear that His words are limited, and that we must accept His words
over man’s words. To this end, I intend to offer arguments to bolster your
intellectual conviction and courage in this truth, so it overpowers your
emotional need to be accepted by your peers, who may deviate. Please be
sensitive to your feelings as you read on. No doubt, you will read ideas that
conflict with your present views, and the views of many of your peers and
perhaps teachers and rabbis. I urge you be open to accepting that you may
harbour incorrect ideas. Torah study requires a commitment to honesty first, not to men,
Rabbis, books, no matter how old or widely accepted they might be. Clearly,
throughout time, the Zohar and Kabbala have met with strong opposition. Both
sides cannot be correct. The only method to arrive at truth is first, to desire
it and search for it until it is found, to be diligent in your search, and to
follow reason and proof over emotional tendencies or following what is familiar
or popular. If you can dedicate yourself to this search, to seeking a
conclusion and not abandoning the search or tiring … please read on. But if you
have already made up your mind, you need not waste your time.
What is True and What is Not:
We are not bound to accept as Torah truths, any matter, except those found in Moshe – Moses’ Five Books (Chumash), Prophets and Writings. For these alone did אֱלֹהִים (God) give to Moshe at Horeb; these alone are absolute Torah truths. Therefore, notions located in the Zohar, Kabbala or other human works, do not impose obligatory acceptance. In all works other than the those mentioned above, we must agree only to what is proven and true, regardless of its author. Everything false, or unproven, must be rejected, regardless of its author. Regarding this, Maimonides wrote:
"Know, my masters, that it is not proper
for a man to accept as trustworthy anything other than one of these three
things. The first is a thing for which there is a clear proof deriving from
man’s reasoning, such as arithmetic’ geometry, and
astronomy. The second is a thing that a man perceives through one of the five
senses, such as when he knows with certainty that this is red and this is black
and the like through the sight of his eye; or as when he tastes that this is
bitter and this is sweet; or as when he feels that this is hot and this is
cold; or as when he hears that this sound is clear and this sound is
indistinct; or as when he smells that this is a pleasing smell and this is a displeasing
smell and the like. The third is a thing that a man receives from the prophets
or from the righteous. Every reasonable man ought to distinguish in his mind
and thought all the things that he accepts as trustworthy, and say: “This I
accept as trustworthy because of tradition, and this because of
sense-perception, and this on grounds of reason.” Anyone who accepts as
trustworthy anything that is not of these three species, of him it is said:
“The simple believes everything” (Proverbs 14:15)”. (Letter
to the Community of Marseilles, a Letter on Astrology).
"We accept as our “Mesora” only those authentically-proved transmissions, that are traceable to Horeb. However, what is not in our Mesora from Horeb, is not obligatory. Something without proven origin from Horeb is not part of the Mesora. Zohar and Kabbala are not traceable to Mt Horeb, and is less than 1,000 years old. Thus, calling an idea “part of Zohar or Kabbala”, does not validate it as true. Certainly, when an idea in Zohar or Kabbala, or any work, contradicts the three works above, we must reject it!
All Commands are not Equally Vital:
You must understand that Torah ideas are not all on the same level of importance. This explains the different levels of punishment for violations, and the varying levels of sacrifices. Truths about monetary damages are not as vital as our idea of what אֱלֹהִים is. This explains why the Ten Commandments commence with the command “to know אֱלֹהִים”, and why monetary laws are towards the end. Observing all the commands while possessing an incorrect notion of אֱלֹהִים God, we might forfeit our souls.
It is not as we think, that all אֱלֹהִים - God asks is that we attend shul, Daven three times daily, give Tzedaka, celebrate holidays, send kids to Yeshiva and attend Simchas. Without the diligent search to understand אֱלֹהִים Torah, to learn what we can and cannot know about Him, we miss the core of Judaism, and no other act can compensate for this loss. I understand this is rarely discussed, and why you must be thinking, “Does this really matter?” since it is unpopular. However, Torah says this is both central and vital. This explains why our greatest minds like Maimonides and Rabbi Bachya (Duties of the Heart) wrote extensively on our notions of אֱלֹהִים: what He is, and what He is not. And they derived their ideas of אֱלֹהִים from His words, and not from man's words. They adhered to the three works as stated above, the Chumash, Prophets and the Writings.
Today, unfortunately, Judaism has been steered off the focus of אֱלֹהִים – God’s three works, towards the popularity of a man-made work called Zohar and Kabbala, 2,500 years after אֱלֹהִים complete Torah was given at Horeb and accepted as His undisputed, entire transmission to mankind. Until the invention of Zohar, no Prophet, Rabbi or Sage would heretically suggested אֱלֹהִים – God’s Torah was incomplete. Until that ‘Zohar’, no mention of ‘sephiroth’ was ever heard, the notion that אֱלֹהִים has ten “emanations”. But like all movements, with enough followers, the remaining members of that culture feel obligated to accept the movement, lest they be ostracized and lose popularity, as if personal fame outweighs following אֱלֹהִים.
Many Rabbis, from Zohar’s rise, and throughout time, vocalized opposition to its writings, and for good reason. Here are Zoharic quotes, and I will follow by quoting אֱלֹהִים - God’s words to illustrate the deviant nature of these portions of Zohar:
Zohar: Genesis 22
“When coming to the world of separation which
is the world of separated things, the builder said to the master of the
edifice: Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. The master of
the edifice said: ‘Indeed it would be good to make him, but he is destined to
sin before you, for he is a foolish son,’ as it is written (Proverbs 10:1): A
wise son maketh glad a father, but a foolish son is
the grief of his mother. Whereupon she (Imma) said:
“Since his sin relates to Imma, and not to Abba, I
want to create him in my image”, as it is written: And אֱלֹהִים created
man in His image; but Abba did not want to participate in man’s creation. At
the time that man sinned what is written: and for your transgression was your
mother sent away (Yeshayahu - Isaiah 50:1). The king (Abba) said to Imma: “Did I not say to you that he is destined to sin?” At
that time he (Abba) drove him (man) away, and he drove away Imma
with him”.
The portion of Zohar
quoted above “Let us make” surely was said of two beings, and goes on to
explain that Imma said to Abba “Let us make man”, and
she did as she wished and created man without the agreement of Abba. This is
the heretical view that there are multiple divinities, and each does as he/she
wishes. Zohar includes additional corruptions stemming from it's
author’s inability to extricate himself from a physical understanding of אֱלֹהִים, the source of all
idolatry. Zohar’s author rejects Maimonides clear
explanation in his 13 Principles, that אֱלֹהִים is not comparable to His
creations. His creations are subject to division and parts, while He is not:
“To what shall you equate Me, so that I shall be similar (Yeshayahu - Isaiah 40:25)”. Yet,
Zohar suggest אֱלֹהִים has ten parts. which sinfully equates אֱלֹהִים to His creations.
In philosophy, anything any Rabbi says is not binding, as we see the Rabbis argued on each other. Now, if every Rabbinic statement was binding, how could one Rabbi oppose another? We never see any Rabbi throughout time, waiting for a “majority rule” to agree with him before he voiced his opinion! In the Chumash, for example, Ramban argues on Maimonides, who argued on others. Ibn Ezra constantly voices opposition to many Rabbis. The same applies to all thinkers. Had majority rule been obligatory in philosophy, no Rabbi would have been able to voice his "sole" opinion. But, they all do. Majority rule applies only to Halacha.
Agreement can only take place by an individual who actually agrees, and this cannot be coerced. Halacha can be coerced, since the courts and Bet Din can coerce men to act. But force is inapplicable to one's convictions. And while one thinking God is physical, can have Halachik ramifications, the “belief” of any notion is outside Halachik jurisdiction.
אֱלֹהִים Desires we Each Think for Ourselves:
It is for this very reason, that אֱלֹהִים gave each human being an intellect. He clearly desires that each person engage his/her intellect, so as to arrive at truths independently. Rabbi Bachya, author of Duties of the hear says the following:
“If, however, you possess intelligence and
insight, and through these faculties you are capable of verifying the
fundamentals of the religion and the foundations of the commandments which you
have received from the sages in the name of the prophets, then it is your duty
to use these faculties until you understand the subject, so that you are
certain of it - both by tradition and by force of reason. If you disregard and
neglect this duty, you fall short in the fulfillment
of what you owe your Creator”.
Devarim - Deuteronomy 17:8-10 states:
“If a case should prove too difficult for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, between (leprous) mark and mark, or other matters of dispute in your courts, ... you must act in accordance with what they tell you”.
Regarding this passage, Rabbi Bachya states: “the verse does not say ... simply accept them on the authority of Torah sages ...and rely exclusively on their tradition. Rather, (Scripture) says that you should reflect on your own mind, and use your intellect in these matters. First learn them from tradition - which covers all the commandments in the Torah, their principles and details - and then examine them with your own mind, understanding, and judgment, until the truth become clear to you, and falsehood rejected, as it is written: “Understand today and reflect on it in your heart, יְהוָה is the אֱלֹהִים in the heavens above, and on the Earth below, there is no other”. (Ibid, 4:39)”.
Zohar & Kabbala: Notions Alien to Torah
It is clear; Zohar presented new notions not found in Tanach. For had Tanach contained references to ‘sephiroth’, our Rishonim would not view Zohar as "new." What did these objecting Rishonim find so distasteful in Zohar, that they did not find elsewhere? It is the discussion of matters one cannot prove, and the heretical notions of divisibility of God into many sephiroth; praying to varying sephiroth; and the gross humanization of God (Zohar, Vayeitze 106b).
The Zohar Violates the Torah’s Restrictive Nature.
The approach to determining truths about אֱלֹהִים - God's essence must be relegated to the Mesora, since אֱלֹהִים Himself falls outside, 1) what our mind can grasp, and 2) what we can perceive. Yes, we perceive “evidence” of the Creator in His world, but we never perceive “Him”. To make statements about what אֱלֹהִים is, i.e., ‘sephiroth, when not having found such statements in the Torah, is an incorrect approach, for it cannot be validated!
Furthermore, אֱלֹהִים told the wisest man, Moshe, the following: “For man cannot know Me while alive (Exod. 33:20)”. If Moshe cannot know what אֱלֹהִים is, a discussion of ‘sephiroth’ as “parts of אֱלֹהִים falls outside human knowledge.
The Torah was Complete at Mt Horeb.
On the other hand, אֱלֹהִים - God's Torah is said to be that which the other nations will marvel at:
"And you shall guard the commands and
perform them for they will be your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of
other nations, for when they hear all these statutes they will say, ‘What a
wise and understanding people is this great nation’. For what great nation has אֱלֹהִים close
to them, as the Lord our אֱלֹהִים whenever we call upon
Him. And what great nation possesses statutes and laws so
righteous as this Torah that I place before you today (Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:6-8)?”
These verses make it
clear that unintelligible (and heretical) notions of sephiroth
cannot be part of Torah. True Torah ideas can be understood by all nations, as
God says. And those ideas (i.e., what God is) that are beyond our capacity to
grasp, is where Zohar has fraudulently and irresponsibly has ventured to speak.
Summary.
In conclusion, it is more reasonable to reject the view that many Rabbis agreed with Zohar, as it contains unintelligent and heretical positions. So we need not even engage the inapplicable use of “majority rule”. It's defenders have not voiced any explanations for ‘sephiroth’ or other erroneous claims. And Rav Eliezer Pilklush and Rabbi Yaakov Emden's position that Zohar is a forgery, retains our ancient Rabbis in an intelligent light, which maintains Kavod Hatorah.
אֱלֹהִים gave each of us intelligence. Rabbi Bachya explained in Duties of the Heart so clearly, that this gift demonstrates אֱלֹהִים - God's desire that we each use our intelligence. Our opinions of what אֱלֹהִים is and is not, are at the core of our life's purpose. To leave this area unexamined, and merely follow the crowd, is against His will. If you strive to follow אֱלֹהִים - God's Torah, you must start with a clear understanding of אֱלֹהִים Himself, as far as humanly possible. You must be clear about the guidelines for accepting and dismissing beliefs, and these rules are all within your grasp, if you engage your intellect.
Can אֱלֹהִים truly equate to His creation, by having parts? What did He say?
“To what shall you equate Me,
so that I shall be similar”. Yeshayahu -Isaiah 40:25.
What makes sense to you, אֱלֹהִים is one, or many? What did He say?
“ Hear O Israel, יְהוָה our אֱלֹהִים, יְהוָה is ONE”. (Davarim -
Deuteronomy. 6:4).
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In
Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:
Which part of this study or a line within it
has touched you the most? And how do you feel about spending more
time on your Tanakh study time? I pray that you are you doing well as a
faithful Jew, and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing
you are upholding as many of our blessed Mitzvoth’s?
I am well aware that the modern world sadly
contains far too many deviations as well as problems that tend’s to get in the way. More than that, sadly there
are all sorts of enticements, which is able to throw so many off track. Thus, if there are various struggles that may be
taking place in your life at this or any time, I am well aware that it can have
sad and cruel effects upon your life? Remember this, pray for peace,
and then work on keeping as calm as possible and learn to improve your life in אֱלֹהִים. This site is also for
those who need to return to our wonderful faith, thus work on your faith and
pray and always seek אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance,
blessed be He!
Remember
what אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim, blessed be He, said
“Return unto Me, and I will return
unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of
hosts”. Mal’a’chi 3:7. MEC).
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your God); walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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