אות - ה

He extremely denigrated the books of the naturalists and the philosophers,[33] and he said that there isn't any complete abstraction there as there is in any piece of the commentary on the Talmud by the Maharsha or Maharam Shif[34] and so forth from our holy books, which have in them depth and extremely wondrous and pleasant intellect. But in these books there is not found this intellect at all. Because they speak just in the way of self-evident association until they come to some postulate, but the intellect that there is in our holy Torah lihavdil (to distinguish between the holy and what is not) — it's not there at all whatsoever.[35]

And he said: Fortunate is someone who does not know at all from their books,[36] just goes with timeemus (wholesomeness, sincerity) and he has fear of punishment (yiras hu-oanesh). Because the main devotion in the beginning[37] is just on account of fear of punishment,[38] and without fear of punishment it is impossible to begin at all in the service of Hashem. And even tzadikim need as well[39] fear (of punishment), because those who serve Hashem from love are very, very few.[40] And the main thing is fear of punishment, because the supernal fear (yiruh eelu-uh) — because He is great/master and ruler etc., that is, yiras haroamimus (fear of the exaltedness of Hashem) — not every person merits to this fear,[41] rather, the main devotion is just through fear of punishment by most people.

And someone who learns Heaven forbid from the books of the naturalists and the philosophers, there is infused in his heart doubt and heresies. Because every person is born with wickedness,[42] because the nature of every person has a tendency for wickedness, that is, for bad desires of this world, may the Merciful One save us. Just on account of his fear of punishment, he breaks his desire and enters in the ways of Hashem. However, when he learns those books of chakeeros (theoretics and postulations of the naturalists) Heaven forbid, then he discovers for himself doubts and heresies which help his wickedness that he has in his nature.[43] Therefore, we did not find at all that some person becomes a kosher and G-d-fearing man through the books of the naturalists, even though there are found in their words some words about good character and so forth — even still it is all emptiness, because their losses are greater than their benefits, because they extremely confuse a person's mind. And see elsewhere about this, of the great prohibition of studying these books, may the Merciful One save us.[44] And he said: Fortunate are we that Moshe Rabbainu r.i.p. chose for us a very good portion, and gave us the Torah, and opened it with "In the beginning G-d creating the heavens etc." [Genesis 1:1] without any of their chakeeros (theoretics or analysis) or postulations; he just commanded us to believe in Hashem Yisburach with faith alone, and therefore it is forbidden for us to enter in chakeeros whatsoever, Heaven forbid. And even though in the holy Zohar[45] it denigrates fear of punishment,[46] there are already answers in the books of ethics to explain this,[47] because in truth the main devotion of Hashem is just through fear of punishment as explained above.[48][49]

And he said that these contraptions and inventions that the philosophers invented with their knowledge — like wondrous weapons and other devices which are made tactically based on science, and similarly the rest of the concepts of their inventions which each and every one of their scholars invented — he said, that it is all from above, because it was not possible for them to come up with it, just by their intellect being flared up in that science, that there came to that scholar inspiration from above. Because when the instance and the time came for the revelation of that science or tactic in the world, on account of this they were sent from above into their intellect this contrivance so that it should be revealed in the world. Because certainly the primeval scholars who preceded them also analyzed this as well, and why didn't they come up with this contrivance and invention? Just the reality is that it is all from above, and when the time comes for this thing to be revealed, then his intellect flares up, then that scholar comes up with that contrivance, because it was sent to him from above from the place that reached out to him. (Because certainly they do not receive by ways of holiness, just by ways of the other side — realms of evil — and this is obvious/basic.)[50]

And also lihavdil (to distinguish between the holy and what is not) those that say interpretations and novelties on the Talmud, the commentary of Rashi, and Tosfos — if it would not have been sent to them from above, from the heavens, it would be completely impossible for them to come up with the novelty. Just in reality everything is from above. (And everyone receives from the place that they receive, and see elsewhere about this.[51]) Because certainly there is in this matter thousands and myriads of levels from where each and everyone receives the illumination and inspiration in his intellect, and from what place they present him with the novelty or the knowledge. However, the general principle is that all types of novelties that the scholars come up with — be it in holiness, like interpretations and homilies and so forth, be it lihavdil in matters of their sciences — everything is presented to them and sent to them in their intellect from above, to each and every one from the place that is befitting to him, as explained above.