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This is one of the books very few people read but it’s incredibly important. Often translated as “the preacher of righetousness”, it is essentially a compilation of the conversations between R’ Yosef Karo (compiler of the Shulchan Aruch) and his angel (the maggid) who taught him secrets of Kabbalah and Avodat Hashem.
Below is the translation with my comments. For the original work in Hebrew, you can check Sefaria.
The introduction is essentially
Praise of the Master
On the eve of Shabbat, the 22nd of Adar Aleph, [the divine message from the Maggid begins]:
“The Lord is with you… provided that you cleave to Me and to My awe, and that your thoughts do not depart from My teachings, not even for a single moment. Behold, I have appointed you as a leader over My people… yet I have warned you: Do not let your thoughts separate from My fear and My teachings, even for an instant. You must neither eat nor drink for the sake of pleasure, for what benefit is there in worldly enjoyment? Rather, your thoughts should be that if it were possible to sustain the body without any form of pleasure, you would desire it greatly.
Chaim’s commentary: this is the greatness of Devekut. More one invests his mind in Hashem, the greater he is elevated. And as we mentioned many times before, one of the principles of the soul is that it is always oscillating between the spiritual and material realms. This is why the angel told R’ Yosef Karo to abstain from all pleasures, there’s no way around it
Thus, you shall always be attached to Hashem, and through this, you will merit to perform miracles as the ancients did. Then the people will know that there is a God in Israel, for currently, the Name of Heaven is not sanctified, as people do not see miracles performed by the sages. But when they witness miracles through you, My Name will be sanctified.
Beware, therefore, of Samael (not to be pronounced), the serpent, and the evil inclination, who pursue you to disrupt your intentions and distract you from prayer. Instead, focus your heart on serving Me, and you will draw closer to Me. I have already informed you how much humility you must adopt, never succumbing to anger over anything in this world. Learn from Moshe, the master of all prophets: whenever he succumbed to anger, it led to error. Therefore, never let anger overcome you, not even regarding matters of Heaven. You must demonstrate and practice this trait at all times.
Chaim’s commentary: there’s no such a thing as “holy anger” in the works of Mussar and Kabbalah. Anger destroys the soul and according to the Zohar one can lose parts of it depending on how angry he gets. In Sefer HaChezionot, R’ Chaim Vital writes he was rebuked by the Arizal for being angry at his brother. Even for a Mitzvah one must NEVER be angry. Therefore, it must be uprooted completely (as difficult as it might be).
Take heed never to separate yourself from Me, My teachings, My awe, and My Torah, not even for an instant. For if you understood how many worlds are disrupted when you cease reflecting on words of Torah, you would not stop for even a moment. When you walk through the marketplace and reflect on My teachings, My heavenly realms announce and proclaim before you: ‘Give honor to the image of the King!’ Countless legions accompany you, and many worlds tremble to hear the proclamation.
They ask, ‘Who is this man whom the King of kings desires to honor?’ And they respond, ‘This is the elder sage of the Land of Israel, the head of the yeshivah of the Land of Israel, the great teacher of the Land of Israel.’
If you conduct yourself according to My guidance, I will enable you to complete all your works, commentaries, and compositions without error, and to publish and spread them throughout all of Israel, as you have asked of the Lord your God. Additionally, I will bless you to fulfill the verse, “This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth.” I will also grant you a proper, modest wife, who will bear you a pious and wise son.
By distancing yourself from worldly pleasures as I have instructed and sanctifying yourself in purity during intimacy, as was said of Rabbi Eliezer, who was likened to one compelled by a demon, you will merit to draw down a pure and holy soul from Gan Eden. He will be a great scholar and a pious man.
After her passing, you will marry two additional women, one after the other, fulfilling the verse, “Virgins after her, her companions brought to you.” From them, you will beget wise sons, all of whom will be knowledgeable of My Name and will study My Torah for its own sake. I will expand your yeshivah in both quantity and quality.
After all this, I will grant you the merit to sanctify My Name. All your debts and sins will be consumed by the fire, and you will emerge as pure as refined wool. All the righteous of Eden will come to greet you, with the Shechinah at their head. They will receive you with songs and praises, speaking of you as a groom walking before them. All will accompany you to your canopy. I have prepared for you seven canopies, each within the other, and another seven above them. In the innermost and highest canopy are seven rivers of pure balsam oil.
Within, I have arranged for you a golden throne in seven tiers, adorned with precious gems. All the righteous will accompany you, singing before you until you reach the first canopy, where they will clothe you in a second garment of honor. So it will be in each canopy, until you ascend to the final canopy and are adorned with fourteen garments of splendor. At that point, two of the righteous, your escorts will stand, one to your right and one to your left, as attendants to a groom.
They will bring you to the throne, and when you sit upon it, you will be crowned with the diadem of the King. All the righteous will sit around you, engaging with you in words of Torah.
This will continue for 180 days, paralleling the verse, “When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty for many days, even 180 days.” Afterward, you will deliver teachings to the righteous in Gan Eden for seven days, expounding on the Torah you studied in this world and during those 180 days. Following this, all the righteous will speak of you as a groom, accompanying you with songs and praises until you arrive at the site of the thirteen rivers of balsam oil.
There, you will immerse yourself, and as you do so, the garments you were previously clothed in will be removed. This process will repeat for each of the thirteen rivers. After the final immersion, the river of fire will flow forth, and you will immerse in it as well, shedding your fourteenth garment. Upon emerging, you will be clothed in a new garment of radiant splendor. Then, Michael, the great priest, will bring your soul before the Holy One, blessed be He. From that point on, no revelation is permitted, as it is written: “No eye has seen, O God, besides You, what He has prepared for those who await Him.”
Chaim’s Commentary: throughout the Zohar, the angel Michael of Chessed is called Kohen Gadol (translated as “great priest”) just as the Kohen is rooted in Chokhmah (above Chesed).
These secrets have been sent to me by the Holy One, blessed be He, and His heavenly academy to inform you, so you may attain this level. Thus, you will not sin, not even in thought. If the inclination rises against you, rebuke it, saying: ‘Can someone like me, destined for all these lofty heights, sin even in thought?’
Beneath these revealed mysteries lie countless higher and hidden secrets. Open your eyes, therefore, and know that all the sages of Torah advocate on your behalf before the Holy One, blessed be He, the Rif, Rambam, and Rosh, for your engagement with and elucidation of their words and rulings. The same applies to other decisors whose rulings you expound and follow on occasion.
From the days of Moshe, master of all prophets, the Oral Torah was not written until the time of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, who compiled the Mishnah. From his time until that of Rav Ashi, the entirety of the Mishnah was not fully elucidated until Rav Ashi compiled and explained it in the Talmud. Since then, the rulings of halachah have been derived by great figures such as the Rif, Rambam, and Rosh, who clarified the entire Gemara. The Rambam performed an extraordinary task by encompassing the entire Torah. From his time until now, no one has arisen to compile all matters as you have begun to do.”
Chaim’s Commentary: This is a tremendous level of R’ Yosef Karo that is revealed in the Maggid Mesharim: that he was able to consolidate the rulings of the Rishonim the way he did.
This is the language of R’ Yosef Karo.
It happened on Friday night, the 27th of Iyar, Parashat Bamidbar Sinai. I ate very little, as well as drank minimally, and I studied Mishnayot at the beginning of the night. Then, I slept until daybreak. When I awoke and the sun had risen over the land, I was deeply distressed, saying to myself, “How did I not rise while it was still night so that I could receive the word (revelation) as is my custom?” Nevertheless, I began to study Mishnayot, and I read five chapters.
While I was reading the Mishnayot, a voice began to resonate through my mouth, as though it were singing on its own. It started and said:
**”The Lord is with you wherever you go, and in everything you have done and will do, the Lord will make successful in your hands, provided that you adhere to Me, My fear, My Torah, and My Mishnayot constantly. Do not do as you did this night, for even though you sanctified yourself in your eating and drinking, you slept the sleep of a sluggard. As the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy person on their bed. You did not rise to study Mishnayot as is your virtuous custom.
For this, you deserved to be abandoned and forsaken, for you strengthened Samael, the serpent, and the evil inclination through your sleep until the day broke. But in the merit of the six orders of Mishnah that you know by heart, and in the merit of the afflictions and mortifications you have undertaken in recent days, and continue to uphold, even now, the Heavenly Assembly has decreed that I shall return to speak with you as before and shall not abandon or forsake you.
As you can see now, I am speaking with you as a person speaks with their companion, and your eyes behold that for many generations no one has attained this great level, except for a select few.
Therefore, My son, heed My voice as I command you: be constantly engaged in My Torah day and night, without interruption. Do not reflect on worldly matters but only on Torah, fear of Heaven, and My Mishnayot.”**
Chaim’s commentary: while this is great Mussar, it’s certainly not for everyone but only for very high souls. Many people have attempted to take upon themselves the routines of the great Tzaddikim only to suffer afterward.
After this, I slept for about half an hour. When I awoke, I was distressed, saying to myself, “How was the communication cut off because I fell asleep?” I resumed studying Mishnayot and had not completed even two chapters when a voice again resonated through my mouth, saying:
**”Do you think I have abandoned or forsaken you? Do not think that. I will not forsake you until I have fulfilled what I have spoken to you. From My goodness, I will not withhold from your mouth, provided that you adhere to Me and My fear, as I have instructed. You shall then ascend, be elevated, and exalted before all the Heavenly Assembly, for they all send you greetings because you constantly engage in Torah and rulings, connecting them one to another.
You also afflict your soul, as I have commanded, so that you may merit seeing Eliyahu HaNavi awake, face-to-face, and speaking with him directly. He will greet you with peace and serve as your master and teacher to instruct you in all the secrets of the Torah.
Therefore, open your eyes and dedicate all your thoughts to My service and My fear. Minimize your eating, and drink only one cup of wine each night, provided it is heavily diluted. Eat meat only once or twice a week, and even then, in small amounts. Even if you leave the broth uneaten, it will be considered unworthy (as if impure). Your thoughts and meditations must be on My Torah, and even during meals, think of My Mishnayot. In this way, your eating will be considered offerings and sacrifices before the Holy One, blessed be He.
Do not be distressed that you left the Kehilah (congregation or synagogue), for you left for your own good, as I decreed that the Kehilah would be destroyed. It is better that you were not among them. Even though you will endure many hardships, these are to refine your soul so that you remain pure of sin. The members of the Kehilah will suffer even greater hardships than you. The secret of the matter is that the members of the Kehilah sinned against Me by speaking defiantly towards Heaven, mocking those who prayed in ruins. This angered the Holy One, blessed be He, greatly, and He measured for them measure for measure.
I decreed that you should not remain among them until after some days pass. Now you see that I have provided you with a new congregation in their place. They will uphold your position with great honor. Therefore, do not be distressed, for all your needs are upon the Holy One, and you will witness His providence. He orchestrates all causes and will arrange matters so that the members of the Kehilah will come to beg and plead for you to return and teach Torah among them, even for just one day a week.
You will wait for the days I have spoken of to pass, and then you will witness the works of the Holy One and marvel.
Therefore, do not be distressed at all, for the Holy One, blessed be He, will arrange your affairs. You must always engage in Torah study without interruption, and He will manage your needs without effort on your part. Know that soon great wealth will come to you from abroad to provide for your students, who will multiply and become great sages who issue rulings. Any student who does not study in your yeshiva will not be considered knowledgeable. You will rise and be exalted, for I will elevate and glorify you and make you a leader over My people, Israel. Your yeshiva will grow greater than that of Yitzchak Abuhab.
You will study and teach, and your descendants will become members of the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, teaching the laws of the handful offering (Kemitza). Your son will be a great rabbi, a scholar of both Talmud and Kabbalah. In his time, no Kabbalist will be greater than him. He will attain wisdom in Kabbalah greater than anyone in 500 years, surpassing even my beloved Shlomo (King Solomon) by tenfold. He will compose a commentary on the Zohar and offer corrections to your writings. His soul stems from the attribute of Chokhmah (spiritual wisdom), so he will grasp hidden wisdom and be a teacher in Israel.
Therefore, My son, always engage in My Torah without interruption, dedicate all your thoughts to My service, and entrust all your needs to Me. I will arrange your affairs. Cling to Me and My Mishnayot, without turning your mind from them for even a moment, and you will be greatly exalted. Do not be distressed at all, for everything the Holy One, blessed be He, does is for your benefit.
Open your eyes to My Torah and My fear, and make your heart a nest and dwelling for My Torah. Sanctify yourself and all your limbs to My service day and night. Let your limbs become the encampment of the Shechinah for My service and fear. Strengthen yourself in repentance.
And now, peace to you. Peace to your Mishnayot. Peace to your writings. Peace to your Talmud. Peace to your soul. Peace to your spirit. Peace to your ruach. And peace to all that is yours. Peace.”**
This too is moral guidance imparted by his mother on Shabbat, the 7th of Adar, the year [denoted] by Shin, Parashat Terumah. May God be with you, etc. Only cleave to Me and My Torah, etc. Do not let your thoughts wander as you currently do, and do not pursue the pleasures of food and drink as you have been doing.
Since you have merited to conduct yourself in holiness by fasting every day, you should not be drawn after the pleasures of food and drink. Rather, your intention in eating and drinking should be as though you are offering a sacrifice, as alluded to by the angels eating with Abraham, of whom it is said: “Each portion is absorbed immediately.
The secret is that all created things are constantly transforming from one state to another, and through this, they ascend. As it is said: “Fire consumes fire,” through which the consumed object ascends and is absorbed into another. Similarly, in eating and drinking, there is the secret that our sages taught: “There is no blade of grass below that does not have a spiritual force above.” When angels appeared to eat, the forces appointed over that food were absorbed into the angels, as it says, “Each portion is absorbed immediately,” meaning the spiritual force (the angel) assigned to that food ascended and was elevated.
This is the secret of the delight of Shabbat through eating and drinking: the angel appointed over the food on Shabbat is holy, while the one appointed during the weekdays is mundane. When one delights in Shabbat with food and drink, they ascend through the holy angel appointed over that food. This is the secret of the holy sacrifice. On a weekday, one ascends through the mundane angel appointed over the food.
The secret of fasting during the day lies in the fact that the day’s attribute is more spiritual. When a person fasts, they render the day entirely spiritual. However, the night symbolizes the attribute of Malchut (sovereignty), which is associated with eating and drinking, and it is fitting to give it its portion, as hinted at in the verse, “Do not muzzle the ox while it threshes.” One who also fasts at night achieves a great elevation, as they transform the physical into the spiritual.
All things, as mentioned, are in a constant cycle of transformation. Similarly, souls are always undergoing cycles of reincarnation, and this process is always aimed at elevation. When a soul returns to this world, it is for the purpose of ascension. Even when things seem to descend to a lower level, it is for the sake of eventual elevation. All things strive and yearn to cleave to the First Cause.
Therefore, everything – including souls – continues to revolve and transform until they merit to ascend and cleave to the First Cause, as it is written about Daniel: “You will rest and then arise…” Similarly, you must clear all extraneous thoughts from your mind during prayer, focus on what emerges from your mouth, and be mindful of your spiritual level.
Do not allow your heart to wander from thoughts of Torah and the service of God, even for a single moment. For when you go out to the marketplace, the seven celestial worlds and their forces accompany you and proclaim before you: “Give honor to the holy image of the King and make way for the holy image of the King.” This is our condition, our teaching, our reasoning. Many camps, forces, and worlds are shaken by this proclamation, and all inquire, “What is this sound?” The answer is given: “This is so-and-so, in whom God takes pride every day.”
Every time you finish learning with your companions, a sound goes forth resembling the first proclamation. Recognize your spiritual level, strengthen yourself in awe of your Master, and do not allow your thoughts to stray from reflections on Torah and the service of God. Reduce your indulgence in food and drink, direct your intention in prayer, clear all extraneous thoughts from your heart, and dedicate your heart wholly to My service. May you have peace, your household have peace, and all that is yours have peace. “May God give strength to His people; may God bless His people with peace.”
So concludes the first chapter of Maggid Mesharim by the holy Maran Yosef Karo.
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