Paul B Fenton Chapter 45, The Jewish Philosohical Tradition
Sufism, the Islamic Mysticism, which began in the 8th century but truly flowered in the 9th century predates Jewish Kabbalah. Rabbi Bachye ibn Paquda who wrote Chovos HaLevovos was inspired by Sufism. This book was a great inspiration to many generations of Jews, especially Chassidic Jewry. Notably, is a quote from Rav Yaakov Yosef the great talmid of the Holy Besht, which said “Ye have returned from the lesser war, now prepare for the greater war (with ones nature)” which is straight from Rav Bachye is actually a quote from none other than Muhammad himself. Rav Avraham ben HaRambam, son of the great rationalist, was a Sufi inspired Jewish community leader and his book HaMaspik LaAvodas Hashem is also based off Sufi teachings.
The crazy thing in the article is that Abulafia and the Arizal himself may have interacted with Sufi masters which may have led them to certain teachings that they applied to Jewish Kabbalah. AMAZING.
سلام سلام، قد نعمة الله معنا جميعا. آمين
ReplyDeleteYou write that Sufism predates Jewish Kabbalah. But do you know when Jewish kabbalah actually started? Kabbalah was studied quite a bit in the second Temple period, even before Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (author of the Zohar). It was also probably known to King Solomon, and certainly to Moses. What it pre-dated was public kabbalah, i.e. the study was only for select individuals, and came out in public only much later. However, even Chrisianity (which also predates Sufism) took many ideas from Kabbalah - and then perverted them for their own ends.) As for the quote about one returning from the smaller war to the greater war (against the evil inclination)- this is based on the mishnah in Pirkei Avos which says that "Who is strong, he who conquers his evil inclination", and then brings a verse to prove it which says that one who overcomes the evil inclination is stronger than one who conquers a city. This idea was then expressed as you quoted it by many others, but the original idea is from the mishna, and really from the pasuk (verse). Rabeinu Yonah brings the quote you brought in the name of the "chacham". He doesn't say which chacham he is referring to, but Chazal say that anyone who brings true words of wisdom is called a chacham. This is true even if the chacham is not Jewish, as Chazal say about the chachamim of Haman. Chazal also said that it chochma (wisdom) is found amongst the gentiles. Therefore there would be nothing wrong with using this quote even if it comes from sofism. It is not plagerism since the quote was really based on the teachings of Torah (the verse and the mishnah).
ReplyDeleteThe Rambam and many others did study the wisdom of their period as the Rambam says himself. He even wrote ideas against some of Aristotle's teachings. It is therefore possible that some ideas of Sofism could appear in midievel Jewish sources. However, the Jewish sources which teach the same ideas (as explained above) preceeded the Sofism.
Anyone wishing to discuss this point further with me should contact me at fastag.df@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
D. Fastag
author of The Moon's Lost Light, published under the pen name D. Heshelis