Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo

The Teaching and Work of Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo: A Historical, Intellectual and Halakhic Analysis of the Author of "Mikdash Melekh"

The eighteenth century was marked by a profound transformation in the Jewish world, a period in which ancient Kabbalistic traditions underwent a process of canonization, and printing was increasingly used to make the esoteric teaching accessible to wide audiences. At the heart of this revolution stands Rabbi Shalom ben Moshe Buzaglo (the Rashab), a figure bridging the traditions of the Maghreb (Morocco) and the awakening Jewish centers of Western and Eastern Europe.^{[1, 2]} His central work, the writing of the first systematic commentary on the entire Book of the Zohar, "Mikdash Melekh", is not only a literary achievement but a foundational event in the history of Kabbalah, which made the teaching of the Ari and the writings of Rabbi Moshe Zacuto (the Ramaz) the exclusive and accessible key to understanding the Zoharic text.^{[3, 4]} The figure of R. Shalom Buzaglo is that of a many-sided Torah scholar: a Kabbalist who delved deeply into the secrets of the Torah, a rabbinic judge who ruled on intricate questions of marriage and divorce, and a public figure who faced the storms of the time, from the Sabbatean controversy to the beginnings of modern science.^{[1, 2]}

Roots in Morocco: The Shaping of the Kabbalist's Figure

Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo was born in Marrakesh in Morocco around the year 1700, in a period when the Jewish community experienced a spiritual flowering alongside difficult political challenges.^{[1, 5]} His family was part of the rabbinic elite of Morocco; his father, Rabbi Moshe Buzaglo, was one of the sages of the city and gave his son his initial foundation of learning.^{[6, 7]} The spiritual space in which R. Shalom grew up was saturated with Kabbalistic traditions passed down from generation to generation since the days of the expulsion from Spain, with special emphasis on the teaching of Safed, which reached Morocco in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Sages of Morocco and the Teachers of the Rashab

R. Shalom's education was based on great closeness to the great Kabbalists of his generation. These teachers imparted to him not only knowledge, but also the methodology that later served him in arranging the commentary on the Zohar.

The most significant influence came from Rabbi Avraham Azulai, who was known for his attempt to arrange and clarify the teaching of the Ari. R. Shalom saw himself as continuing Azulai's path in the desire to bring order into the labyrinth of the Book of the Zohar.^[7] Study in Morocco at that time was not only theoretical; it was accompanied by practices of mortification, kavanot (mystical intentions) and prayers, which deeply influenced the personality of the Rashab as a godly Kabbalist.^[8]

"A Brand Plucked from the Fire": Persecutions and Sufferings

R. Shalom's life in Morocco was not free of suffering. As a result of informing or political upheavals under the rule of the sultan, he was persecuted and even tortured by fire.^{[1, 2]} This traumatic experience left an indelible mark on him, and he chose to use the verse "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zechariah 3:2) as a fixed epithet in his signature on his books and letters.^[2] The sufferings he experienced did not weaken his resolve; on the contrary, he saw them as a spiritual refinement that qualified him to engage in the deepest secrets of the Torah.

Following the persecutions, and because of his mission as a shadar (emissary of the rabbis) to collect funds for the poor of the Land of Israel, R. Shalom left Morocco around 1745.^{[1, 2]} His travels throughout the Ottoman Empire and Europe exposed him to rare manuscripts and to Kabbalists of different traditions, which enriched his toolbox for his life's task: the printing of the comprehensive commentary on the Zohar.^{[1, 2]}

The "Melekh" Enterprise: The Revolution in the Interpretation of the Zohar

Until the days of Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo, the Book of the Zohar was studied mainly by a select few. Although editions of the Zohar had been printed, they lacked a systematic commentary running along the whole text. The commentaries that existed, such as the writings of the Ari, were scattered, difficult to understand and usually dealt only with selected passages.^{[1, 9]} The Rashab recognized the burning need for a "Shulchan Arukh" of Kabbalah, a commentary that would allow every student to follow the words of the Zohar word by word according to the true foundations of the Ari.^{[3, 10]}

"Mikdash Melekh": Structure and Methodology

The book "Mikdash Melekh" was first printed in Amsterdam in the years 5509–5513 (1749-1753) in four volumes.^{[1, 2, 11]} The importance of the book stems from its being a brilliant and orderly anthology of three central interpretive layers:

The teaching of the Ari (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria): as transmitted in the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital. R. Shalom integrated the Ari's explanations of the passages of the Zohar in such a way that the reader receives the most authoritative interpretation within the text.^{[1, 4]}

"Mikdash Hashem" of the Ramaz (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto): the Ramaz, one of the great Kabbalists of Italy, wrote a comprehensive commentary, but it remained in manuscript. R. Shalom copied extensive parts of it and incorporated them into "Mikdash Melekh", thereby rescuing them from oblivion and making them the possession of all.^{[2, 3]}

"Leket Shoshanim" of his teachers from Morocco: insights and explanations from Rabbi Yaakov Pinto and Rabbi Yeshayahu HaKohen, representing the Maghrebi interpretive tradition.^{[3, 4]}

R. Shalom was not content with copying; he edited, refined and added notes of his own clarifying the connections between the different sources. He did not purport to offer a "plain-sense" commentary on the Zohar, but to show how every word in the Zohar accords with the Kabbalistic system of the Ari.^{[1, 9]}

The Further Series of "Melekh" Books

In addition to "Mikdash Melekh", the Rashab composed a series of books that completed the Kabbalist's picture of the world. The repeated use of the word "Melekh" (King) in the titles of his books attests to his conception of the Zohar as the "king" of Torah literature and as an expression of the kingship of Heaven in the world.^{[7, 9]}

The influence of these books was immediate. They became foundational books in every Kabbalistic library, and brought it about that the name "Buzaglo" became a synonym for authoritative interpretation of the Zohar.^{[2, 12]}

London: The Meeting between East and West and between Kabbalah and Halakha

After years of wandering, R. Shalom settled in London, where he served as a judge on the rabbinic court of the Ashkenazi community, despite his Sephardic origin.^{[1, 12]} This choice attests to his Torah greatness, which crossed communal boundaries. In 18th-century London, which was a developing economic and cultural center, R. Shalom was a prominent spiritual figure who mediated between the old world of tradition and the challenges of the modern era.

Rabbinic Judgeship and Ruling: The Controversy with Rabbi Yisrael Meshullam Zalman

In 1774 a fierce controversy broke out in London over a bill of divorce (get) that had come from Amsterdam. Rabbi Yisrael Meshullam Zalman, rabbi of the "Hambro" community and an authoritative and opinionated figure, invalidated the get and caused a storm in the community.^[13] R. Shalom Buzaglo, as a rabbinic judge of stature, came out strongly against the invalidation, arguing that it stemmed from a desire for control and not from purely halakhic considerations.^[13]

To defend his position, the Rashab published a series of combative pamphlets:

"Ma'aseh she-Hayah Kach Hayah" (What Happened Is What Happened): a detailed account of the course of the claim and of the halakhic discussion.^[1]

"Kuntres Ma'aseh Adonai Ki Nora Hu" (Pamphlet: The Work of the Lord, for It Is Awesome): an appeal to the general public (in Hebrew and in Yiddish-Deutsch) in which he explained his authority as a rabbinic judge and the errors in the invalidation of the get.^{[1, 9]}

"Tokhachat la-Shovavim ve-Takkanah la-Shavim" (Rebuke for the Wayward and Remedy for the Penitent): letters sent directly to Rabbi Meshullam Zalman, combining words of moral rebuke with incisive legal arguments.^[1]

This struggle was not only legal; it reflected the tension between rabbis of the old generation and a new communal leadership in London. R. Shalom's position strengthened his standing as one who does not fear to stand up to men of authority for the sake of halakhic truth.^[13]

A Halakhic and Scientific Position: The Inoculation Controversy

One of the most fascinating issues connected with R. Shalom is his involvement in the discussion of inoculation against smallpox. In the 18th century smallpox was a deadly epidemic, and the method of "variolation" (deliberate infection with a small dose of the disease) began to spread.^[14] According to historical sources, R. Shalom supported inoculation out of the conception of "Take good heed of your souls", and even argued that the principle of inoculation had been known to the ancient sages even before its discovery by the European scientists.^[1]

It should be noted that there is a dispute in modern research regarding the exact connection to Edward Jenner, since Jenner discovered the modern cowpox vaccination only after the death of R. Shalom (1780).^[1] Nevertheless, the very fact that R. Shalom's name became linked with the encouragement of preventive medicine attests to his openness of mind and to his attempt to bridge the secrets of the Torah and physical reality.^{[1, 9]}

The Emden–Eybeschütz Controversy: The Kabbalist as Arbiter

The greatest storm that shook European Jewry in the 18th century was the dispute between Rabbi Yaakov Emden (the Yaavetz) and Rabbi Yehonatan Eybeschütz. Emden accused Eybeschütz of writing Sabbatean amulets, and the controversy divided all the communities.^{[2, 15]}

R. Shalom Buzaglo, as a world expert on amulets and Kabbalah, found himself at the center of the pressures. Both sides tried to enlist his support.^{[2, 12]} Bibliographical discoveries of recent years have revealed a rare approbation by R. Yehonatan Eybeschütz for the book "Mikdash Melekh", in which he calls R. Shalom "the sage of the mysteries".^[7] On the other hand, Rabbi Yaakov Emden also gave an approbation to the book, but later retracted it when he suspected that R. Shalom leaned in favor of Eybeschütz or did not attack Sabbateanism with sufficient force.^{[7, 10]}

R. Shalom's position was complex: he admitted that the language of Eybeschütz's amulets did indeed bear a Sabbatean character, but accepted the claim that the amulets had been forged by Eybeschütz's enemies or that they could be given a kosher Kabbalistic interpretation.^[2] This balanced position attests to his political wisdom and to his desire to prevent an irreparable rift in the Jewish people.

His Legacy and His Influence on the Hasidic World

Although Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo was a Sephardic rabbi who worked in London and Amsterdam, his greatest influence can be found precisely in Eastern Europe, among the leaders of the Hasidic movement. "Mikdash Melekh" became the favorite book of study of the great Hasidic masters, who saw it as an essential tool for understanding the inner dimension of the Torah.

Printings in Eastern Europe and the Approbations of the Great Hasidic Masters

The book was printed again and again in towns such as Zolkiew (1794) and Kopys (1810).^{[11, 12]} The printer in Kopys, Rabbi Yisrael Jaffe, was one of the close Hasidim of the Baal HaTanya, which attests to the importance attributed to this work in Chabad Hasidism.^[12]

The influence on Hasidism stems from R. Shalom's methodology: the ability to take abstract ideas and arrange them systematically enabled the leaders of Hasidism to translate Kabbalah into a world of psychological and experiential divine service.^{[4, 9]}

Summary of His Figure: A Bridge between Worlds

Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo passed away on Lag BaOmer 5540 (1780), the day of the hillula of Rashbi, as a symbolic expression of his close bond with the Book of the Zohar.^{[6, 8]} He was buried in the "Novo" cemetery in London, and left behind a literary enterprise that changed the face of Kabbalah forever.^{[2, 5]}

The contribution of the Rashab lies not only in the knowledge he imparted, but in the "democratization" of Kabbalah. By printing "Mikdash Melekh", he brought the teaching of the Ari out of the dark cellars of the manuscripts and set it on the table of rabbis, Hasidim and simple students alike.^{[3, 9]} His figure combines the depth of the Kabbalists of Morocco, the precision of the sages of Italy and the leadership of the rabbis of London, and thereby he is a rare manifestation of Torah unity in an age of division.^{[2, 7, 12]}

In historical perspective, "Mikdash Melekh" is the link connecting 16th-century Safed with the world of the yeshivot and of Hasidism of the 19th and 20th centuries. Without the work of collecting and arranging carried out by R. Shalom Buzaglo, large parts of the Kabbalistic heritage would have remained the possession of a few, and the Book of the Zohar would have remained sealed to many.^{[1, 2, 4]} R. Shalom Buzaglo not only interpreted the "King", but built for it a sanctuary of words that will stand for all generations.