May I Learn Kabbalah Before the Age of 40?

 

Question:

Does the restriction of learning Kabbalah only after the age of 40 still apply nowadays? How about learning it when it is translated into English?

 

Answer:

Firstly, not all agree with this restriction. It is not an explicit Halachah in Shulchan Aruch binding on all Jews. The fact is that many of the great Mekubalim, most famous among them the Arizal, passed away before they even turned 40. Some Gedolei Yisroel have expressly written about the importance of studying Zohar and Kabalah even for the very young. In fact, one of the signs heralding the coming of Moshiach is the fact that little children will be studying the secrets of Kabalah.

Moreover, the restriction is based on the directive of the Rambam not to “stroll in the orchard (L’tayel B’pardes) before filling one’s stomach with meat and bread”. Accordingly, this applies only to “strolling in the orchard”, which implies delving into the raw secrets of Kabalah prior to having a good grasp of the revealed part of Torah, Shas, and Poskim; merely “gazing” at “the orchard” is fully acceptable. Indeed, the Rambam himself dedicates four chapters in the very beginning of his book, before stating this directive at the end of the fourth chapter, directly dealing in these four chapters with matters which he refers to as “the orchard”.

Regardless, the raw secrets of Kabalah have nowadays been expounded upon and explained via the lens of Chassidus, particularly Chassidus Chabad. The Tzemach Tzedek writes that the Baal Shem Tov instructed not to learn Kabalah on its own, due to a concern that people would not know how to remove the anthropological aspects and will misinterpret it. When studying Kabalah in the context of Chassidus, this concern doesn’t apply.

The Arizal writes that in our generations it is a Mitzvah to reveal this wisdom, and our Rebbeim say that this is the path that enables us to serve Hashem properly. Certainly, this applies even to those under 40.

 

Sources:

ראה רמב״ם יסודי התורה ספ״ד. אור נערב לרמ״ק א. הקדמת הרח״ו לשער ההקדמות. עשרה מאמרות לרמ״ע מפאנו מאמר הנפש.  מדרש שמואל קיח, ד. ש״ך יו״ד רמו, ו: יש שכתבו. הקדמת אור החמה א. הנהגות הצדיקים לר״ש מראשקוב, סדר קביעת התורה ג. הנהגות ישרות ה. תניא אגה״ק כו. תורת חיים לאדמו״ר האמצעי שמות צט, ב. נוצר חסד אבות ד, כ. ס׳ הברית א, ד, שני המאורות יד. סגולת ישראל ליפשיץ ז, ה. בניהו בהקדמת התיקונים. מבוא לקונטרס עץ החיים. לקו״ש כו ע׳ 122.

וראה המובא אצל משה אידל, לתולדות האיסור ללמוד קבלה לפני גיל ארבעים.

 

 

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