Learning Torah to Destroy Others
Reader: Regarding whether God is subject
to “parts”; what is your understanding of the Sefirot? After all, God has no
parts. Dan
Mesora: I never studied the area yet. The Rabbis teach, “One must
fill his belly before he walks in the garden”. Meaning, one must master the
Talmud, before entering higher areas...and I have plenty of Talmud to study
yet. There is an
order to study: one, who jumps to the metaphysical areas before mastering lower
areas, will only harm himself, and others.
Reader: So why don’t you just stick to
Talmud and talk about what you know!
Mesora: You should be aware that the Rabbis warn, “One who learns to
simply destroy another person is better off never having been born.” (Rashi,
Talmud Berachos 17a) You just exemplified this behavior; asking a question in a
manner which hid your true intent…to set me up for a fall. However, you are
incorrect. Knowledge of God being one, that He is not physical and not subject
to parts, are matters all derived from Torah and reality, primary areas we must
commence with, and not wait until our “bellies are full”. This is not a matter of understanding
Sefirot, as you assumed. We can and must understand these fundamentals, as
Maimonides teaches. This is not part of metaphysical Sefirot, but acknowledged
though or very capable intelligences, and obligatory, based on many Torah
verses. I would also question why you are personally disturbed about this
topic. Perhaps you are functioning from your emotions, and not from reason.