Introduction to the Kabbalah

...finished or adorned with an end original: fine by him; and for the most part, they should not be called "works" so much as certain paths and preparations toward the consummation of the works he had conceived in his mind. They are mutilated traces of his thoughts, rather than distinct images. And thus, they defend themselves from death by a certain remarkable condition of life, yet they are prohibited from life by death.

What, therefore, must I do with these? Must I, with an impious hand, break the tender and half-alive throat of this beautiful and distinguished offspring The author uses a vivid metaphor here, comparing the unfinished book to a newborn child (fœtui). born from my brother's extraordinary genius? Or should I thrust it into the warm embrace of an alien womb, as it were, to be matured and altered? original: adulterandum; here meaning changed or supplemented by another's hand. Yet that is entirely impossible; indeed, the former would be not only mournful to brotherly love, but an injustice for anyone else to commit. Nevertheless, necessity has now driven me, overcome by hesitation, to run this risk in handing over this little book to you.

Many Kabbalistic Kabbalistic original: Cabalistici; relating to the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah, which sought to uncover hidden meanings in the Hebrew scriptures. commentaries and those drawn from Hebrew sources composed by him had to be cast into the darkness by me; and out of all of them, only this Introduction to the Kabbalah could be published. Perhaps even this is not worthy enough of the light, especially if you weigh it according to the judgment of my brother himself; for he compiled it as a kind of beginning for some other work—beyond those I have just mentioned—which he had decided to finish, and for which he had already begun to prepare himself.

If you find this, kind reader, perhaps more imperfect and meager than either the hidden abundance of this science original: scientiæ; meaning a systematic field of knowledge or study. or your own desire for a fuller understanding of it allows, do not think it should be blamed on him. He lacked neither the faculty of genius, nor the industry of study, nor the knowledge of doctrine to provide everything in this field for you in abundance. Indeed, he manifested from his earliest years that he was born for these things by a peculiar gift of nature; just as we see happening in every kind of animal, where each one is driven by the principal of its innate...