Preface of the Proofreader

B - ehold, this is something new that has already existed for ages * through it one may know all the science of hidden and secret things.
E - xamine this book of the generations of man, in which he searched and established the Caller of Generations * from the beginning, the end from the start.
H - onest are the ways of the Lord; the righteous shall walk in them to find a remnant and a legacy.
O - ut shall break their light like the dawn, to illuminate their eyes to see in the Illuminating Mirrors original: "Aspaklaryot HaMeirot" — a mystical term for clear prophetic vision.
L - et no harm befall the righteous, that they may understand pure utterances * which emanate from the Ten Sephirot The ten creative powers or attributes of God in Kabbalistic thought.

This book has been with me, sealed in my storehouses for several years. My fellow countrymen urged me to print it, but I was unwilling, for in all my days I have never said a thing and then retracted it, wishing my words not to be heard until I saw two clear proofs. First, I saw that the majority of the structure and the majority of the content had already been printed in a book called Illustrations of Letters original: "Tziyur Otiyot" — possibly a reference to a European work on alphabets or ciphers from the whole world in the language of France. Second, I saw that this holy and honored book which I possess was held by those poor in Torah knowledge, who abandoned it to be copied for one another for great sums of money. Surely, such copying leads to great outcry and poor workmanship, for error follows error until the mistakes outnumber the core text without end. Through this, they might—God forbid—"cut the shoots" An idiom for committing heresy or causing spiritual damage.

I investigated and searched thoroughly to see if the book in my possession was properly corrected. I spent much money to borrow two books from other countries, and I saw that the Shelah Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (c. 1565–1630), a famous Kabbalist and author of the "Shney Luchot HaBrit" was the source for all of them, and all were copied from my own book, as I proved to my countrymen. It was signed by the small one, Aiezer? son of the honorable Rabbi Yichud, who received the Work of the Chariot original: "Ma'aseh Merkavah" — the deepest mysteries of the Divine realm from our teacher Judah the Pious, who received it from his father, our teacher Simeon the Pious. Surely he himself was the proofreader. It was also signed by the Great Teacher Rabbi Tevele, a resident of the "Land of Beauty" original: "Eretz Tzvi" — often referring to the Land of Israel, whose name was known from one end of the world to the other. Surely these men would not have violated the negative commandment "let not injustice dwell in your tents" Job 11:14, which applies to one who keeps an uncorrected book in his house.

I also found great benefits in this book for exalted prayer. As it is written: Why were the early ones able to pray and be answered immediately, while we cry out all day and no one pays us heed? It is because they knew the Name, as it is written: "Because he has known My Name, he shall call upon Me and I will answer him." Many prophets only prophesied by first looking into this book, as stated on page 3, for this book is a preparation for prophecy. For God gives wisdom to the wise; every thing in this world requires preparation. For Elijah, it was the cake of flour; for Elisha, the jar of oil; and for Israel, they "went up armed" Exodus 13:18. So it is in every place. Through the preparation of this book, the verse shall be fulfilled: "For the earth shall be full of knowledge."

It is also written inside the book on page 3, column 2: "Whoever merits it, happy is he and it is good for him," etc., for it was given for the masses original: "le'uchlossa", yet not all men will understand it or be wise because of it. And I said: if this holy, honored, and awesome book should fall into the hand of one who is from the Impure Side original: "Sitra De'masaba" — the realm of evil, a fool will not understand this, nor will a wise man understand it solely of his own accord. It contains all the virtues as written in the ethical rebuke in the book of Raziel the Angel. Surely no mishap, injustice, obstacle, or deficiency shall arise through this holy book; only good for those who merit it, and great benefit for petitions and prayers, as it says: "Everyone who is called by My Name," etc.

I also looked upon the poverty of my generation, my people who are in Egypt Likely a metaphor for spiritual exile or a specific Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire, dwelling in the "Straits of the Sea" original: "Metzar Yam" — a play on "Mitzrayim" (Egypt), sitting upon the fullness of the Kelipot literally "shells" or "husks" — the spiritual forces that conceal the Divine light. They drink from the dregs of the supernal princes; they are in the "Straits of the Shekhinah" which is called the "Sea of Solomon," in which the building was completed. The shadows of evening have stretched out, creating confusion in the worlds. Israel has descended very low in matters of Torah and prophecy, for "Death has come up into our windows"—these are the Kelipot that cover our windows, as it is said: "He covered Himself with a cloud so that prayer could not pass through." The vision has grown dark in the "lattices"—these are the prophets—as it is said: "Where is the Seer?" They could no longer see through prophecy, but they still made use of the Holy Spirit Divine inspiration through the "hole," as it is said: "He put his hand through the hole." Formerly, the finger was in the palace; now the finger is in the pot A metaphor for the coarsening of spiritual perception, for it has become thicker, and the hole is blocked due to the multitude of our sins. We have become like donkeys, tilting toward materiality a pun on "chamor" (donkey) and "chomer" (matter). Even though their bellies are full of all the world's wisdom, they do not desire to learn the wisdom of Kabbalah, for they rely on the Mishnah which says: "One does not expound... nor the Work of the Chariot alone."

But I have branched out based on the Talmud: "One does not expound to one person [alone] UNLESS he is wise and understands of his own knowledge." This implies that even expounding is permitted [to such a person]. But without expounding, it is certainly permitted for anyone to study, even if he does not fully understand, such as through a book. Did not Ezekiel write? And the other prophets? And if you say it is "bound and sealed," even in this book it is bound and sealed in its place.

And there are some who say the angels were swapped at the time of the Destruction, as found in the Midrash on the verse: "He cast down from heaven to earth." They do not understand the plain meaning. For all practical Kabbalah requires aligning with the cycles, months, days, and hours, for every hour the angel changes, as stated inside the book. The Holy One, Blessed be He, made darkness, and they could not align the hours, as it says in the Midrash on Lamentations: "A king of flesh and blood puts out the lamps; so too did I," as it is written: "The sun and moon grew dark." The angels were "swapped" only in the perception of the people, but the angels themselves stood at their watch as they have since the beginning of the world.

And there are some who say: "Who has gone up to heaven to tell us these things?" Such people are deniers of the Torah of Moses and the prophets. Woe to the ears that hear such things and woe to the eyes that see them! Their ears are too heavy to hear and their eyes are shut from seeing. For the ultimate purpose of Kabbalah is the essence of the Torah, for it is contained within the two Tablets of the Covenant.

The order of the levels is thus: an ignorant person cannot be God-fearing; rather, one must learn the 613 commandments, and the Talmud leads us to action. Thus, when one reaches this level, action is a ladder for his eyes toward the "hidden part" the mystical secrets, and he shall merit to behold the pleasantness of the Lord. It is known that the end is greater than the beginning, as it is said: "The end of a matter is better than its beginning." Since every beginning is for the sake of the end, the "hidden" is better than the "revealed," and the mystical meaning of the commandments is better than the physical action. This is the meaning of the verse: "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light." The "hidden" Torah is the light of a torch. We cannot say the "revealed" Torah is the "light," for the commandment is greater—how then could the "revealed" be called light and the commandment only a lamp? Rather, "Torah is light" refers to the Hidden Torah.

It is known that if one tries to bring a small candle into a great bonfire, the candle is extinguished by the intensity of the bonfire before it even arrives. But a bonfire can be brought to its sister bonfire. So too, the Holy One, Blessed be He, is a "consuming fire," and the "lamp of God is the soul of man." Our main purpose is to cling to the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written: "But you who cling to the Lord your God..."