חֲקִירוֹת וְחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת

The primary intellect is the true intellect of true righteous individuals. Through this intellect, one merits the apprehension of Divinity and to instill the apprehension of Divinity in all those who attach themselves to them. All external wisdoms are utter foolishness compared to this intellect. Sometimes, due to our many sins, when this aforementioned intellect falls to them—namely, to the idol-worshippers, astrologers, and the Other Side—then they grow strong in their wisdom and dominion, and thus, G-d forbid, the dominion of the idol-worshippers strengthens. Who can bear the sound of the great outcry and clamor when this intellect falls to them, when the fool desires to act wisely, and they grow strong to draw into their wisdoms, which are truly foolishness, the aspect of true wisdom, which is the aforementioned intellect of the apprehension of Divinity? They claim that only they are wise, and there is no wisdom greater than their mistaken wisdom, which entirely derives from the fall of the aforementioned intellect. The Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself, as it were, roars over this. Every individual must strive to cut off, separate, and elevate the aforementioned wisdom and intellect from them and restore it to its root. This is achieved through charity and kindness that one performs. This kindness is merited by accepting rebuke from true admonishers (30:6). Wisdom is the root of all things; therefore, every individual must guard their intellect from external foolishness, for the primary wisdom to acquire perfection is only divine wisdom.

All other wisdoms are nullified wisdoms and are not wisdoms at all (35:1). At the time of birth, the intellect is constricted for each and every individual. When one begins to use it in contemplation of the service of the Blessed Name, then their intellect grows and expands.

However, when a person introduces external thoughts, which are external wisdoms, into their intellect, then the holiness of their intellect diminishes according to the space occupied by the external wisdom. Upon this external intellect, all desires and all evil and contemptible traits gather and connect (ibid.). Therefore, every person must greatly guard their intellect and thought, so that no external thought or external wisdom enters their thought. For all evils, all blemishes, and all sins come from a blemish of thought, G-d forbid, by allowing, G-d forbid, external wisdoms and external thoughts to enter the thought.

The primary repentance and rectification for all sins is when one strengthens themselves to expel all external thoughts from their mind and intellect. For wisdom and intellect are the soul, which is the root of everything. When one sanctifies their intellect, that is, their soul, through this, they elevate and restore everything to its root, and this is the essence of repentance (ibid.). When Israel, G-d forbid, engages in the external wisdoms of the nations, then the righteous one falls from their apprehension, and their apprehension becomes concealed and covered (49). The abundance of wisdoms, particularly the wisdom of philosophy, is extremely harmful, for the primary strengthening of the heart to acquire true wisdom and intellect is only through good deeds. But one whose intellect exceeds their good deeds lacks the strength in their heart to contain their intellect, and then the intellect causes them to sin further.

These are the philosophers who lack a pure heart, and their heart cannot receive the intellect in holiness, truly and appropriately, because their heart is weak and deficient.

Especially those who commit adultery and engage in the wisdom of philosophy—it is extremely harmful to them, for through adultery, their heart is greatly deficient, and their heart lacks the capacity to contain the intellect within it, to distance themselves from sins and cleave to the Blessed Name through it, which is the essence of true intellect. On the contrary, through their intellect, they cause further sin, harming themselves and the entire world more than snakes, scorpions, and all kinds of harmful and evil creatures in the world, G-d save us. For they blaspheme and curse upward with their wisdom, against the holy Torah, particularly against the sages of the Talmud and the righteous ones who follow them, may their memory be a blessing, as is known and widely recognized. May the Master of Mercy protect the remnant of Israel from them and their multitude (55:6). What the Blessed Name has designated for the human intellect to understand is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect to comprehend the matter clearly. However, there are questions that the human intellect cannot possibly understand the resolution to, and their resolution will only be revealed in the future. It is forbidden for a person to investigate them, and anyone who relies on their intellect, investigates, and probes into them, about them it is said: "All who enter it will not return," for on such a question it is forbidden to rely on one's intellect but rather to stand on faith.

Even those questions that have answers, sometimes the paths of the intellect are blocked, and one does not know how to respond to the heresy in their heart. The rectification for this is the study of halachic decisors [see Torah Study]. As long as one does not merit to rectify and open their intellect to understand the resolution, they must rely solely on faith even with these questions. For the essence is faith (62:2). Through evil speech, the wisdoms of philosophy grow stronger and spread in the world, which is the aspect of the impurity of the serpent, and it greatly harms the world, G-d save us (63). It is a great prohibition to investigate books of inquiry, for there are several questions that stem from the aspect of the vacant space, for which it is impossible to find any resolution whatsoever, and their resolution will only be revealed in the future. But in this world, it is impossible to resolve them with any intellect.

Whoever investigates these wisdoms that stem from there will sink and be lost there forever, for about them it is said: "All who enter it will not return." For it is impossible to find the Blessed Name in them to resolve the questions and confusions within them with any intellect.

Only Israel, through faith, transcends all wisdoms and all confusions in the world, for they believe in the Blessed Name and His holy Torah without any investigation or wisdom, but with complete faith. For this reason, Israel is called "Hebrews," because through their faith, they transcend and rise above all kinds of wisdoms and investigations, for they do not need to investigate after the truth at all, since they know the truth truly through their complete faith, believing in the truth as they received it from our ancestors and teachers, may their memory be a blessing. Through this, they transcend and rise above all wisdoms entirely (64:2). Know that there are great righteous individuals who specifically need to investigate these wisdoms, for through their investigation of them, they elevate and extract several souls that fell and sank into them. Therefore, do not bring proof from the fact that we find several great sages of earlier generations who engaged in these wisdoms, for they were compelled to do so, as mentioned above. Due to their immense holiness, they elevated the souls that fell into them, as mentioned above. However, people who are not so great in their righteousness, and all the more so simple people, especially in these generations, G-d forbid that they should look into or engage in them, for they will sink and be lost there forever, G-d save us (ibid., 3).

Through the melody of the great, true righteous individual, they elevate the souls that fell into the aforementioned heresy, for which there is no repentance (ibid., 5). The scholars of nature who seek to demonstrate through their mistaken wisdom that everything is according to nature, G-d forbid, are evil beasts that trample and devour many of our people. For many souls from Israel have sunk into this, G-d save us. These souls are like birds caught in a trap. Therefore, anyone who cares for their soul must flee and save their soul from them, lest their soul be devoured and trampled, G-d forbid, by the aforementioned evil beasts. Therefore, G-d forbid that one should even glance at these books that speak of investigations, even those authored by great Jewish sages, for there is no greater evil than this (Part II, 4:6).

The abundance of wisdoms, particularly the wisdom of philosophy, is extremely harmful, for the primary strengthening of the heart to acquire true wisdom and intellect is only through good deeds. But one whose intellect exceeds their good deeds lacks the strength in their heart to contain their intellect, and then the intellect causes them to sin further. These are the philosophers who lack a pure heart, and their heart cannot receive the intellect in holiness, truly and appropriately, because their heart is weak and deficient. Especially those who commit adultery and engage in the wisdom of philosophy—it is extremely harmful to them, for through adultery, their heart is greatly deficient, and their heart lacks the capacity to contain the intellect within it, to distance themselves from sins and cleave to the Blessed Name through it, which is the essence of true intellect. On the contrary, through their intellect, they cause further sin, harming themselves and the entire world more than snakes, scorpions, and all kinds of harmful and evil creatures in the world, G-d save us. For they blaspheme and curse upward with their wisdom, against the holy Torah, particularly against the sages of the Talmud and the righteous ones who follow them, may their memory be a blessing, as is known and widely recognized. May the Master of Mercy protect the remnant of Israel from them and their multitude (55:6). Through the melody of the great, true righteous individual, they elevate the souls that fell into the aforementioned heresy, for which there is no repentance (ibid., 5).

What the Blessed Name has designated for the human intellect to understand is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect to comprehend the matter clearly. However, there are questions that the human intellect cannot possibly understand the resolution to, and their resolution will only be revealed in the future. It is forbidden for a person to investigate them, and anyone who relies on their intellect, investigates, and probes into them, about them it is said: "All who enter it will not return," for on such a question it is forbidden to rely on one's intellect but rather to stand on faith. Even those questions that have answers, sometimes the paths of the intellect are blocked, and one does not know how to respond to the heresy in their heart. The rectification for this is the study of halachic decisors [see Torah Study]. As long as one does not merit to rectify and open their intellect to understand the resolution, they must rely solely on faith even with these questions. For the essence is faith (62:2). Through charity, one nullifies the power of the serpent, which is the root of the wisdom of nature, and through this, one is automatically saved from the aforementioned evil beasts, who are the scholars of nature.

Through evil speech, the wisdoms of philosophy grow stronger and spread in the world, which is the aspect of the impurity of the serpent, and it greatly harms the world, G-d save us (63). Through charity, one nullifies the power of the serpent, which is the root of the wisdom of nature, and through this, one is automatically saved from the aforementioned evil beasts, who are the scholars of nature. Sometimes, even when they are subdued, they return and cast some doubt regarding the Divine Will, whether everything is conducted solely by the Will of the Blessed One. Then one must return and increase in charity. For charity always subdues and humbles the wisdom of nature and reveals that everything is conducted solely by the Will of the Blessed One (ibid., 9).

It is a great prohibition to investigate books of inquiry, for there are several questions that stem from the aspect of the vacant space, for which it is impossible to find any resolution whatsoever, and their resolution will only be revealed in the future. But in this world, it is impossible to resolve them with any intellect. Whoever investigates these wisdoms that stem from there will sink and be lost there forever, for about them it is said: "All who enter it will not return." For it is impossible to find the Blessed Name in them to resolve the questions and confusions within them with any intellect. Only Israel, through faith, transcends all wisdoms and all confusions in the world, for they believe in the Blessed Name and His holy Torah without any investigation or wisdom, but with complete faith. For this reason, Israel is called "Hebrews," because through their faith, they transcend and rise above all kinds of wisdoms and investigations, for they do not need to investigate after the truth at all, since they know the truth truly through their complete faith, believing in the truth as they received it from our ancestors and teachers, may their memory be a blessing. Through this, they transcend and rise above all wisdoms entirely (64:2). Sometimes, even when they are subdued, they return and cast some doubt regarding the Divine Will, whether everything is conducted solely by the Will of the Blessed One. Then one must return and increase in charity. For charity always subdues and humbles the wisdom of nature and reveals that everything is conducted solely by the Will of the Blessed One (ibid., 9). The primary service is only through complete sincerity and simplicity without any wisdoms whatsoever. This is the essence of the true purpose, and G-d forbid that anyone called by Hashem of Israel should engage in books of inquiry, G-d forbid, for these are not the portion of Jacob. For in all these wisdoms, there is a stumbling block, the aspect of Amalek, through which one falls and stumbles and can lose their world in a moment, G-d forbid.

Know that there are great righteous individuals who specifically need to investigate these wisdoms, for through their investigation of them, they elevate and extract several souls that fell and sank into them. Therefore, do not bring proof from the fact that we find several great sages of earlier generations who engaged in these wisdoms, for they were compelled to do so, as mentioned above. Due to their immense holiness, they elevated the souls that fell into them, as mentioned above. However, people who are not so great in their righteousness, and all the more so simple people, especially in these generations, G-d forbid that they should look into or engage in them, for they will sink and be lost there forever, G-d save us (ibid., 3). Regarding the questions that are difficult concerning the Blessed Name: Anyone who has even a small amount of true understanding should comprehend that, on the contrary, it is precisely fitting that there be questions about the Blessed Name, and this is appropriate and beautiful for Him, Blessed be He, according to His greatness and exaltedness. For it is certainly impossible for us to understand and apprehend His conduct, Blessed be He, with our intellect, and therefore, it is necessary that there be questions about Him, Blessed be He, according to our deficient human understanding. Look within and understand the truth (52). This is the greatest evil of all evils, and even Jewish books that speak of investigations should not be looked at at all, for they greatly harm the holy faith, which is the foundation of everything. Praise be to G-d, there are now many holy books, filled with ethics and fear of G-d without any investigations, which are not founded on the opinions of the Greek sages, may their name be erased, but their foundation is on the holy mountains, based on the words of our sages, may their memory be a blessing, in the Talmud and Midrashim, and especially those founded on the words of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai and his colleagues—delve into them and delve into them. Through the dances of a wedding, judgments are sweetened (32). In these specifically, and not in books mixed with the opinions of the nations, who deny the essence. From them, save your soul, from them and their multitude, and your soul will be yours as a spoil for eternal life, for worlds everlasting, and for eternity of eternities (19). Regarding the questions that are difficult concerning the Blessed Name: Anyone who has even a small amount of true understanding should comprehend that, on the contrary, it is precisely fitting that there be questions about the Blessed Name, and this is appropriate and beautiful for Him, Blessed be He, according to His greatness and exaltedness. For it is certainly impossible for us to understand and apprehend His conduct, Blessed be He, with our intellect, and therefore, it is necessary that there be questions about Him, Blessed be He, according to our deficient human understanding. Look within and understand the truth (52). Through praise and thanksgiving to the Blessed Name and through studying halachot, one merits to find their true mate, for all those who need to find their mate (Part II, 2). Through a blemish of the covenant, it is difficult to find one’s mate, and the intentions of Elul are a rectification for this [see Elul] (87).