This is possibly the best shiur I’ve ever heard from Rabbi Triebitz (I know I said that last week, but this one was even better)! He shows that almost everyone was influenced by Mahari Sarug, and one of the most common ‘kabbalistic’ phrases we hear nowadays can only be based upon Olam HaMalbush.
He also explains why Rav Chaim Vital did not include the concept of Olam HaMalbush in the Etz Chaim, and has a radically new understanding of the second chakira which opens that book.
Here are the sources for this amazing shiur:
Nefesh HaChaim perek 4 shaar 10
Unfortunately the Leshem: Hakdamos u-Shearim is still not available online, but if you have access to it look at p. 123 and 124
I also can’t find Rav Tzadok’s Sefer HaZichronos online (I can only find the second volume, which I’m pretty sure is the wrong book – but definitely worth going through if you have a lot of spare time)
Rav Chaim Vital’s introduction to Etz Chaim
The second chakira of Rav Chaim in Etz Chaim
(If you prefer, here is a text version of Etz Chaim, rather than the pdf)
Enjoy this wonderful shiur
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[flv:/kaballah/kaballah_02_1.flv 240 180]
Video of History and Philosophy of Kaballah 02
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History and Philosophy of Kaballah 02
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History and Philosophy of Kaballah 02
First of all, very good shiur!
You say in minute 21 that you could read Rav Tzadok as if he was saying that Rav Chaim Vital was speaking against the Mahari Sarug. But Rav Tzadok says mefurash not like that, in fact he says that Rav Chaim Vital was davka NOT speaking of Mahari Sarug… that probably kills the vort?
Also it seems to me that the Gaon wouldn´t have any claim against Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim is very clear in the whole shaar guimel that the problem is to infer things, to use our logic, from the upper worlds to our world. And that is what Rav Chaim is attacking on the chassidim and probably what the Gaon was attacking too. By the way Higgs boson is not more fundamental than many other particles, like the electron or the quarks or other bosons…