Discussion of Maggid Meisharim -- pt iii

Shadal continues his Vikuach al Chochmat haKabbalah. (See previous segment.) In the previous segment, the guest ended his words about Rav Yosef Karo's Maggid Mesharim with:

However, it appears to me that when the prophet says in the name of Hashem, and the matter does not come to be, that is the thing which Hashem did not say.

And behold, many times it is written in sefer Maggid Meisharim that the voice says to him, "and afterwards I will cause you to merit to be burnt on the holiness of my Name," and this matter was not fulfilled at all.

The author now tries to defend against this, as not being meant literally. Then to another positive thing whch did not come to be, he suggests shema yigrom hachet. The guest then asks another question -- that several times, the maggid refers to what "I" or to what "we" wrote, yet surely the maggid did not write on the paper with ink. The text of the Vikuach follows:

I answered him: Already, the author of Maavar Yabbok answered on this (maamar 1, chapter 3), that it was not hinted to him with this that he would be actively burnt, but rather that at the time of his death, this would be his intent, to surrender his soul on the holiness of the Name {al kiddush Hashem}.

And the man said: The author of Maavar Yabbok was a man who loved him; perhaps he believed in him. Do you have with you the sefer Maggid Meisharim?

The author: I have. And there are three printings. The Lublin printing, from the year 405 (=1645), the Venice printing, from the year 409 (=1649), and the Zalkwa {??} printing, from the year 533 (=1773). And this last one included the other two, for the Venice printing is not like the Lublin printing, for it includes that which was left out in the first printing, and the third one includes the words of both of them.

The guest: I know, I know. And now, take out for me these books, even all three of them.

And I took out the books and placed them before him, and the man opened the Lublin printing, and read before me (page 6, seif 1), "and I will cause you to merit to be burn on the holiness of my Name, to everyone's sight, in great honor and joy. And thus, all your chovot {/sins} will be released in the fire, and you will come out like clean wool."

And the man said to me: Would someone who sees these words judge that their intent is only that at the time of his death, his intent would be to surrender his soul al kiddush Hashem? And what will you say about that which the maggid give him tidings (Venice printing, page 4b, and Zalkwa {??} printing, page 3a): "and your sons will be a Sanhedrin in the chamber of hewn stone, and you will see them teaching the halachot of kemitza, and this son of yours will be a rav, and great man, and a greatly wise in gemara and kabbalah, and in his days there will not be found a kabbalist as great as he is, for he will attain in the wisdom of kabbalah that which no man has attained in 500 years, ten times more than my beloved Shlomo. And he will make a commentary to the Zohar, and he will also make glosses to your writings, etc."

{And this obviously did not come to be.}

I said to him: This statement of theirs z"l is known, that perhaps the sin caused {that the prediction for good did not come to be}.

And the man answered: Do you also have a maggid?

The author: And why is this?

The guest: For so, exactly, did the maggid say to Maran Rav Yosef Karo (Lublin printing, page 37d, Zalkwa printing, page 18b): "For that which you see, that at times I speak with you and it does not come to be, do you not know what Chazal say, 'perhaps the sin caused it.' "

And what will you say when you see the maggid say (Lublin printing, page 23c, Zalkwa printing page 12a) "and that which I have written you will understand," and also (there, page 62b, and in Zalkwa printing page 28a) "a hint to that which we wrote." And did the maggid write on the sefer with ink?