Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla

The Torah Teaching, Work and Kabbalistic Thought of Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla

Rabbi Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla, also known by the title Mahari Gikatilla, is counted among the most central key figures in the shaping of the Jewish esoteric teaching in thirteenth-century Spain, a period in which theosophical sefirotic Kabbalah took shape and reached one of its historical peaks.^[1] Gikatilla, who was born in 1248 (5008) in the town of Medinaceli in the region of Castile and died in Peñafiel in Portugal around 1325, worked at an intellectual crossroads that enabled him to merge seemingly opposed mystical currents and to establish a systematic teaching that deeply influenced the generations that followed.^[1]

Modern scholarship has dealt extensively with his figure and his writings, with scholarly editions and historical studies shedding light on the stages of his theoretical development. Prominent scholars such as Joseph Ben-Shlomo laid a scholarly foundation for understanding his works, and among other things edited his model work "Sha'arei Orah" for the Bialik Institute, an edition that first appeared in 1970 and received a second, corrected and expanded printing in 1981 in the "Sifriyat Dorot" series.^[2] Further studies, such as the works of Joseph Dan on the history of the Hebrew esoteric teaching, pointed out Gikatilla's unique place in the transition from linguistic mysticism to theosophical sefirotic Kabbalah.^[3]

Biography and Historical-Social Background

Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla worked in a vibrant spiritual environment in which rationalist philosophical currents wrestled alongside incipient mystical tendencies. He began his mystical path as the outstanding disciple of the ecstatic kabbalist Rabbi Abraham Abulafia.^[4] Direct testimony to this close bond and to Gikatilla's spiritual excellence is found in Abulafia's work "Otzar Eden ha-Ganuz" (The Hidden Treasure of Eden), in which he lavishes praise on his disciple and notes that he succeeded wonderfully in his studies and added from his own wisdom and knowledge.^[1]

Nevertheless, the intellectual and historical relationship between the two is highly complex; despite the explicit praise on the teacher's part, Gikatilla himself does not mention Abulafia in any of his many works.^[1] This silence led some scholars and kabbalists to cast doubt on the extent to which he was his outstanding disciple.^[1] This gap may point to an inherent intellectual tension or to a conscious choice by Gikatilla to distance himself from Abulafia's ecstatic and messianic method, which aroused fierce opposition among the leadership of the Jewish communities in Spain, and to channel the linguistic knowledge he had acquired toward theosophical sefirotic Kabbalah, which was more acceptable to the rabbinic establishment.^[4]

The Methodological Shift: From Linguistic-Ecstatic Kabbalah to Theosophical-Speculative Kabbalah

The literary and intellectual development of R. Joseph Gikatilla presents a path of spiritual maturation and a sharp methodological shift. In his youth, when he was only about twenty-six, he composed his book "Ginat Egoz" (The Nut Garden), a work that takes its name from the initial letters of the words gematria, notarikon and temurah.^{[1, 3]} This book focuses on the linguistic methodology of letter combinations, gematriot and holy names that characterizes Abulafia's school.^{[1, 5]} The study by Asi Farber-Ginat, which uncovered new passages from Gikatilla's introduction to this book, attests to the intellectual depth with which he formulated the laws of mystical language already in his early stages.^[3]

In later stages of his life, Gikatilla turned to establishing theosophical sefirotic Kabbalah.^[4] His great work "Sha'arei Orah" is in effect a systematic dictionary of the symbols and appellations of the ten sefirot.^{[2, 4]} The shift to theosophical Kabbalah was not accompanied by an abandonment of the linguistic methodology but by a harmonious fusion of the two.^[4] Gikatilla identified the ten sefirot with the various names of God, and thereby turned the divine structure into a living linguistic corpus.^{[2, 4]} This approach enabled him to reconcile the philosophy of Maimonides (Rambam), which he had mastered thoroughly, with the hidden teaching.^[4]

At the same time, his work "Sha'arei Tzedek" (Gates of Righteousness) constitutes a complementary intellectual channel to "Sha'arei Orah."^{[1, 6]} Although there are traditions that attribute its writing to his grandson, Rabbi Joseph ben Karnitol, the catalogues and historical studies identify Gikatilla as the principal author of the book, which sets out the rules and appellations of the system of sefirot.^{[1, 6, 7]} The Kabbalah scholar Ephraim Gottlieb uncovered in his studies the close links between the later chapters of "Sha'arei Tzedek" and early Zoharic homilies, which illustrates the indirect influence of the Book of the Zohar on Gikatilla's writings, even though he refrained from mentioning the work by name.^{[2, 8]}

The Theology of the Names and the Metaphysics of Language

R. Joseph Gikatilla's most significant theological contribution lies in his dynamic conception of the Godhead, which places the divine will at the center, in contrast to the Aristotelian-philosophical conception that saw God as a being devoid of changing will.^[1] Gikatilla presented a model in which God is utterly transcendent in His essence, yet at the same time present and responsive to the prayers and deeds of human beings through the system of sefirot and names.^[1] For him the wisdom of Kabbalah is defined as the "mistress," while philosophy, limited human secular wisdom, is defined merely as the "handmaid."^[1]

At the heart of his teaching on the names stands the distinction between the name YHVH, which represents the absolute, eternal and unchanging essence of the Creator, and the other divine names, which point to the modes of governance and the relations that came into being with the creation of the world.^[1] Gikatilla impresses upon his disciples the severe prohibition against making magical use of these names, and especially not for material ends, as he regards the names as cosmic structures intended for religious understanding and for contemplative unification, not for self-interested use.^[1]

This metaphysical distinction finds clear expression with regard to the concept of "nature." In contrast to the panentheistic conception that identifies God with nature, Gikatilla separates them and assigns nature to the name "Elohim."^[1] He anchors this link in a distinctly mathematical-kabbalistic calculation, comparing divine names with concepts of creation:

This numerical correspondence makes clear that the name "Elohim" is nothing but a garment and a lawfulness that receives its unceasing vitality from the name YHVH that stands above it.^[1] From this follows the special severity that Gikatilla ascribed to the intention of sacrifices and commandments; in his view, performing a commandment or offering a sacrifice directed to the name "Elohim" alone, without uniting it with the name YHVH, is a blemish in the divine unity.^[1] One who sacrifices to Elohim makes the Godhead dependent on the natural order that came into being with creation, and therefore the Torah stresses that the offering must be directed "to the Lord alone."^[1]

The Symbolic and Cosmological Structure of the Sefirot

In his work "Sha'arei Orah," Gikatilla analyzes the structure of the system of sefirot in ascending order: from the tenth sefirah, "Malkhut," identified with the name Adonai, up to the first sefirah, "Keter," identified with the name Ehyeh.^[2] This structure forms a complete cosmological map that links the upper world with the lower.

The Division of the Sefirot According to the Letters of the Name

Gikatilla proposes a unique structural division of the six central sefirot (from Chesed to Yesod), which are represented by the letter vav of the name YHVH ^[9]:

• The upper half of the letter vav: includes the sefirot Gedulah (Chesed), Gevurah and Tiferet.^[9]
• The lower half of the letter vav: includes the sefirot Netzach, Hod and Yesod.^[9]

This division makes clear that the letter vav stands in place of the whole name and represents the central axis of influx of the divine system, mediating between the hidden upper sefirot and the lower, receiving sefirah.^[9]

The Sefirah of Yesod (El Chai) and Its Relations with the Sefirah of Malkhut (Adonai)

In the second gate of "Sha'arei Orah," devoted to the sefirah of Yesod, identified with the name "El Chai" (the Living God), Gikatilla fashions a complex symbolic and gendered relationship.^[10] He describes three grades of tzedek (righteousness), which represent the flow of the divine abundance:

• Tzaddik (righteous one): the attribute of "El Chai" (the sefirah of Yesod), the one who bestows and makes the abundance flow.^[10]
• Tzedek (righteousness): the attribute of "Adonai" (the sefirah of Malkhut), the vessel that receives the blessing.^[10]
• Tzedakah (charity): the secret of the joining and cleaving between the bestower and the receiver, which unites the two names as one.^[10]

This relationship is translated into further religious and cosmic categories that express the complementary dualism of creation ^[10]:

Gikatilla explains that the Torah is given only to one who has received the covenant of the flesh (removal of the foreskin), since only by entering this physical covenant can a person enter the "covenant of the tongue," which is the reading of the Torah and its mystical recitation.^[10] Moreover, the importance of the seven lower sefirot is stressed through the concept of the oath; one who denies his oath blemishes the sefirah of Yesod and the six sefirot above it (the seven sefirot of construction), which correspond to the seven days of the week and the seven divine attributes.^[10]

The Corpus of Kabbalistic Works of Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla

Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla left behind a broad literary legacy, including kabbalistic, halakhic, exegetical and ethical works.^[1] Below is a comprehensive survey of his writings, their intellectual characteristics and their scholarly and historical standing:

The Halakhic Dimension and the Rulings of the Beit Yosef

Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla's contribution goes beyond the boundaries of the theoretical esoteric teaching and directly influenced the world of Jewish halakha and custom. Halakhic traditions and practices attributed to him were cited in the book of Maran Rabbi Yosef Karo, the "Beit Yosef," which forms the foundation of the Shulchan Arukh, and thereby attained binding halakhic status.^[1] These practices attest to the attempt to translate the cosmological structure of the sefirot into everyday ritual acts:

The Laws of Tefillin and the Order of Putting Them On

According to Gikatilla's ruling, it was established that the head tefillin are not to be taken out of the tefillin bag until the placing and binding of the hand tefillin on the arm has been completed.^[1] Theologically, the hand tefillin represent the sefirah of "Malkhut," the lower grade that receives the abundance and brings it into action in the world of deeds, whereas the head tefillin represent the upper sefirot of the intellect (mochin). Strict observance of this order is meant to prevent a severing or blemish in the hierarchy of the abundance, and to establish first the connection to the world of deeds before turning to the attainment of the higher intellects.

The Laws of the Sanctification of the Moon and Its Time

Another prominent ruling in Gikatilla's name establishes that the moon is not to be sanctified until seven full days have passed since its molad (the new moon).^[1] The moon symbolizes the sefirah of Malkhut, also called "Tzedek" or "Adonai."^{[1, 10]} Since it has no light of its own, it must receive its light from the seven sefirot above it (from Chesed to Yesod).^[10] Waiting seven days ensures that the moon has absorbed complete spiritual abundance from all seven grades of construction, and thereby it reaches a degree of completeness that allows the blessing of sanctification in a proper energetic continuity.

The Laws of Responding to Kaddish

Gikatilla taught that when responding to the Kaddish, one must make no break at all, by speech or by deliberate silence, in responding "Amen, may His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity" (Amen, yehe shmeh rabba mevarakh le-alam u-le-almei almaya), between the word "almaya" (eternity) and the word "yitbarakh" (blessed).^[1] According to his kabbalistic approach, these words represent a continuous channel of influx linking the upper sefirot with the lower. A break at this point could create a separation in the structure of the unified name, and hence the special severity he ascribed to the linguistic continuity of the prayer, which serves as the basis for the cosmic unification.