אות - קפח

Once his grandson o.b.m. was lying ill with smallpox, may the Merciful One protect us (372). And he was complaining much before me that he has great pain from this. And he told me then and said that there are ways of Hashem that are impossible to understand. For it is brought that by the Ari o.b.m. a certain son passed away. And he said it was because of the secret he revealed to his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital o.b.m. (373). But truly the Ari was compelled to reveal to him — for Rabbi Chaim Vital pressured him greatly. And when he pressured him he was compelled to reveal to him, for he said that he came to the world only to rectify the soul of Rabbi Chaim Vital o.b.m. It is found that he was compelled from heaven to reveal to him the secret — and even so he was punished through this as mentioned. And this is a way of Hashem that is impossible to understand through any reasoning (374). And what is understood from his words regarding his own matter — that all his pain and suffering and the pain of his children, may they live — all of it is only because he engages with us to draw us near to Hashem Yisburach. And even though he is compelled to do so — for certainly Hashem Yisburach wants this, for He blessed He thinks thoughts so that no outcast be banished from Him — and even so he had very great and hard suffering because of this, for these are the ways of Hashem as mentioned. And he was going and telling before me his great pain that he had from his grandson's illness as mentioned. And he said he wants that he himself should be sick instead of that child. And he said he feels all the moans of the child (what is called "krechtsn") in his heart etc. Afterward he said: But this will be reckoned as good for me — that even when another person has a sick one within his house and brings me a pidyon or asks me to pray for him, I have such pain exactly as all the mentioned above. Also when one of our close followers distances himself, Heaven forbid — I have exactly such pain in my heart as all mentioned. And he told then about one who had distanced himself in those days, and said he has from him all the aforementioned pain. I then heard again from one of his followers who also heard from Rabbainu o.b.m. this matter at the time when his young son Shlomo Efraim, may his memory be for blessing, passed away (375): he said that he has suffering for us — has not the Ari o.b.m. suffered punishment for revealing only one secret — all the more so that I revealed to you so many great secrets! 372. RAK: See Yemei Moharnat 41. 373. RAK: Rabbainu's primary disciple and the one who wrote down his teachings. (5303-5380.) It is brought in Shaar HaKavanos, discourse 12: "And on the day my master explained this statement to us etc., a raven passed and called out in its manner, and my master answered after it: Blessed is the True Judge. I asked his mouth, and he told me: the raven told him that because he explained this teaching to us in such detail, punishment was decreed upon him." 374. RAK: See Likutay Moharan 56. And see Chayai Moharan, Discourses Connected to the Teachings, 24. 375. RAK: See above 375. Yemei Moharnat 7: 9.