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Are there any responses by Rishonim or Aharonim (even contemporaries) against those who criticize the Kabbala and the Zohar done by many people? Like this accusation (NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE).

Some people claim the Zohar doesn't fit into the Torah. They claim it contradicts the Torah. They claim the Eser Sefirot are against the Torah because it Has WeHalila "split Kudsha Berich Hu into ten." Are there any Gedolim who discuss this topic?

Al Berko
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Hacham Gabriel
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  • Could you clarify in what way the criticisms you seek are "like" the one you link to? – msh210 Dec 30 '11 at 01:18
  • @msh210 I did but I'm not really looking for anything specific. – Hacham Gabriel Dec 30 '11 at 01:29
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    see the Rivash where this "issue" is addressed. – ertert3terte Dec 30 '11 at 01:53
  • I watched that video you linked, and although he is clearly going too far, I can't help but sort of feel his pain. It can be very frustrating when people put too much emphasis in kabbala, so much so that they seem to be totally separated from traditional Judaism. – jake Dec 30 '11 at 04:33
  • @jake please explain how people put too much emphasis on Kabala. – Hacham Gabriel Dec 30 '11 at 04:34
  • @HachamGabriel, If you are around now, would you mind if we visited the chat room instead? – jake Dec 30 '11 at 04:36
  • @jake I'm around and sure – Hacham Gabriel Dec 30 '11 at 04:37
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    @msh210 Why the "heterodox" tag? – Double AA Dec 30 '11 at 06:05
  • @DoubleAA, "They claim it contradicts the Torah", etc., sounds to me like they claim heterodoxy. What do you think? – msh210 Dec 30 '11 at 07:33
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    @msh210 Although the majority of opinions do seem to accept the Zohar's authenticity, some (such as Rav Yaakov Emden and many Teimanim among others) do reject its authenticity. I find it hard to call them non-Orthodox. – Double AA Dec 30 '11 at 13:34
  • @Double, R' Yakov Emden raised many difficult questions BUT did not doubt its authenticity as he writes clearly. – Barry Dec 30 '11 at 14:37
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    @Barry "As the Shabbethaians referred much to the Zohar, Emden thought it wise to examine that book, and after a careful study he concluded that a great part of the Zohar was the production of an impostor." http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5730-emden-jacob-israel-ben-zebi-ashkenazi – Double AA Dec 30 '11 at 14:59
  • @DoubleAA, I didn't say someone who doubts the Zohar's authenticity is unorthodox. I said they claim heterodoxy (of the Zohar). – msh210 Dec 30 '11 at 19:10
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    It's important to understand that we view the sefiros as creations of Hashem, not as Hashem Himself. – Naftuli Kay Dec 30 '11 at 22:01
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    Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/8925/why-is-the-idea-of-sefirot-not-shituf – WAF Dec 31 '11 at 22:32
  • @Double, let me reword: he states clearly that it is a holy book and everything it contains is correct (Mitpachat Sofrim, ch. 1). – Barry Jan 05 '12 at 17:19
  • This is a defense of the Zohar against Dr. Gershom Scholem (mostly disproving that unique words in the Zohar are not Spanish like Dr. Scholem says but rather Aramaic used also in other works of Chazal) – b a Feb 03 '13 at 04:46
  • @ba That article has shown to contain deliberate lies. The authors only deface is that the mistakes were accidental. The lengthy back and forth can be found on the Parshablog. – mevaqesh Apr 01 '16 at 18:11
  • Just keep in mind that Rambam would be the first to deny the authenticity and veracity of Zohar and Torat Hakabalah in general. The fact that the Zohar popped up suddenly right in the middle of the Rabbinical debates on Rambam's views needs a second thought. The question was largely political - between the two schools. please read this research: http://moreshetsepharad.org/media/Anti-Maimonidean_Demons.pdf – Al Berko Aug 19 '19 at 08:53
  • Rabbi Natan Slifkin has an appendix in his recent book 'rationalism vs mysticism' that summarises many points from the debate about authenticity of the Zohar, also with various responses over the ages – bondonk Jul 27 '21 at 06:39
  • @AlBerko "Just keep in mind that Rambam would be the first to deny the authenticity and veracity of Zohar" - no "Torat Hakabalah in general" - also no, Sefer Yetzira and the Bahir were known by rishonim and there's no reason to think he didn't. Additionally the Rambam also likely knew of the Zohar towards the end of his life. – Dude Jan 31 '23 at 18:44
  • R' Yaakov Emden questioned the autenticity of the Zohar as being from R Shimon bar yochai, but not it being a legitamate sefer. He brings it as a source in his sefarim and includes portions in his siddur – Saon Apr 20 '23 at 15:37
  • See http://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2011/12/marc-shapiro-on-question-of-obligation.html ans all the links therein. – Reb Chaim HaQoton Dec 30 '11 at 07:59

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Look in Derech Mitzvosecha [Mitzvas Ha'amanas Elokus (Mitvah of Belief in G-d) Chapter 3 and onwards] where the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch discusses the question concerning unity of Hashem and the Sfiros.

Menachem
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ertert3terte
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You might want to check out "Iggeret Chamudot", by R' Eliyahu Chaim Genazzano, an Italian Kabbalist of the 15th century. Part of the main focus of this work (actually a letter, I think) is to rant against those who employ "speculative reasoning" and philosophy in their quest for religious truth instead of kabbalstic tradition. The sefirot come up, of course, as well as other kabbalistic concepts, but I don't think it is much of a detailed defense of kabbalisitc ideas found in the Zohar.

If you're looking for explanations of how the sefirot don't contradict God's "indivisibility", I have come across explanations for this in the works of Rishonim, but I can't point to exact sources at the moment. The general idea is that the sefirot express God's attributes, not His essence. The same way we would be able to say "God is kind" without necessarily saying that "kindness" is "part of" God's essence as a separable part of His being.

Also what comes to my mind is Abarbanel's lengthy defense of the Zohar's concept of reincarnation (which, incidentally, is one of the ideas that the linked video calls antithetical to Judaism) from those followers of Aristotle who denied its veracity.

jake
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  • Also, just food for thought, but consider that both the Baal Shem Tov and Vilna Gaon were renowned kabbalists. By extension, both the Litvish/yeshivish leaders as well as the "founder" of Chassidus held by the Zohar and by kabbalah. Nachmanides and many other rishonim did as well. – Naftuli Kay Dec 30 '11 at 22:00
  • @TKKocheran The Besht and Gra I agree, but it is quite unlikely that Nachmanides ever saw the Zohar which was only available in Europe starting in ~1270. – Double AA Aug 27 '12 at 04:19
  • The Rivash quoted in this question approvingly quotes a contemporary kabbalist about why Sefiros are not a contradiction to G-d's unity (although he disagrees with the point of having such intentions in prayer). – Yishai Jan 28 '15 at 18:29