Introduction to the Kabbalah

of their parents, so that they may be nurtured and destined to take their place after them; yet it often happens that far from representing them in any way, they degenerate so far into the opposite that they extinguish their parents' virtue original: virtutemque; the Latin virtus implies not just moral goodness but also excellence, courage, and the distinct power of an individual. with their own vices. Physical perfections likewise preserve in posterity only a simple memory of those who excelled in them.

But those things that arise from the soul, and are contained in the writings of books, represent a person in such a way that he seems not only to dwell continuously with all posterity, but also to be of the greatest benefit to them. For books express all his virtues, which his descendants strive to imitate; the sciences, which they desire to know; the sharp wit, from which they draw delight; the counsel and wisdom, by which they are guided in difficult matters. They clearly set forth whatever is best in him; so much so that, even if the man himself were present and safe before their eyes—and thus retained his whole way of life, which is so desired to be preserved and which we share even with brute animals—he could in no way be so clearly understood. This is because the physical presence and appearance of a person cannot reveal the treasure and beauty contained within the soul.

Through books, all his thoughts and his very manner of speaking are also widely known. By these means, as if with his own mouth, he seems to converse back and forth with future generations. Through his kindness humanitas: A core Renaissance value referring to the development of human virtue, refinement, and learning, often achieved through the study of the liberal arts. and honorable character, he seems to win the goodwill of all—which we strive for with all our might as the supreme sweetness of life—and to obtain honor, which is the true ornament of life, accompanied by a certain admiration. Indeed, he seems to be absent from them in no other way than that which pertains to this remarkable...