Handwritten & autographed by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal)
Foundations of kabbalah.
“Clalos Shorshei Hachochmah,
‘Guide to the Sources of the Sacred Wisdom’.
Long, handwritten and autographed letter by the famed kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal) to his master Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan. Mantua, 1730.
In this eye-opening letter, which is regarded as possibly the most wondrous of essays written by the Ramchal, he expertly abridges and summarizes the foundational principles of the wisdom of kabbalah into a concise outline with exceptional clarity.
At the close of the letter, the Ramchal himself inscribes, “Within this essay, your honor shall see the ‘Rules of Sources of Wisdom’ precisely clarified in great depth.”
The following principles are clearly presented and explained in this letter:
1. Creator’s intention in the Universe
2. Secret of G-d minimizing His Presence, and the Attributes of Judgment and Lovingkindness
3. Secret of the Lights and Spheres
4. Essence of the Evil Inclination
5. Secret of Fulfillment of Mitzvos, Conduits and Bounty
Mantua, 1730. 3 sides, each measuring 20×14 cm. Handwritten & autographed by Ramchal. Small marginal tear due to wax seal. Well-kept in ornate leather binding.
This letter was first printed in Kovetz Kerem Chemed (Vienna, 1836) Vol. 2 p. 56-60.
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Kabbalah of the Ramchal
Throughout history, our nation has produced many a pious scholar and genius, yet only on very rare occasions is a generation blessed with a spiritual luminary who shines with the radiance of the heavenly spheres and whose spirit of wisdom and holiness span the four corners of the world. One of these men was Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, the Ramchal.
As one of the greatest kabbalists of all time, the Ramchal grasped all hidden aspects of Torah on such a profound level that he was described as “He speaks of lofty, exalted matters as if he were standing beside the worlds at the hour that they were created.”
In his writings, the Ramchal exhibited that the wisdom of kabbalah is not dissimilar to other wisdoms, and that it too must have its own rules, schedule of study, limits and foundations.
The Ramchal opened a vast window into the Torah of the Arizal, authoring an extensive commentary on Kisvei Ha’Ari. His writings were so prolific that the Vilna Gaon once commented, “The writings of the Arizal are a parable, and the writings of the Ramchal are their interpretation.”
History
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto was born in 1707 in Padua, Italy, where he studied in the Padua Yeshivah under the esteemed guidance of Harav Yeshayahu Bassan, author of Shu”t Lachmei Todah and son-in-law of the Rabach (a disciple of the Ramaz, one of the leading Italian kabbalists).
Before long, he’d surpassed all his peers and was fluent in all realms of Torah, including the Oral Torah of the Arizal which he knew by heart by the age of fourteen. At an exceedingly young age, he joined a chaburah of kabbalists known as Mevakshei Hashem where he soared in Torah and piety until a Maggid descended to clandestinely teach him profound secrets in kabbalah.
His contemporaries exalted him with praises as “He conducted himself with holiness and piety, purity and abstention; and his appearance was as a heavenly angel, truly awe-inspiring, and his holiness is miraculous” (Kerem Chemed Vol. 67).
In 1743, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of journeying to Eretz Yisrael. However only several years later, on 26 Iyar, 1747, he passed away at the age of forty in Acco and was laid to rest near the tomb of the Tanna Rabbi Akiva in Teveria.
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