Discussion of Maggid Meisharim -- pt v

Shadal continues his Vikuach al Chochmat haKabbalah. (See previous segment.) The guest had just suggested that the words of the maggid are Rav Yosef Karo's own thoughts. He now backs it up by analyzing the content, first that the maggid can say an explanation on a verse which is not so, and then that the maggid tells Rav Karo many things which appear not to be to any useful purpose but rather seem like arrogance. The text of the Vikuach follows:

The author: Shush! What do you say!?

The guest: I have said something that the maggid said to Maran Rav Yosef Karo. Come and see (Venice printing, page 43c, Zalkwa printing page 50a {?} ): "Is it not so, that even though at times I explain some explanation on a verse, which is not so, am I not saying according to that which in your will."

The author: In truth, this matter does not make sense to me.

The guest: The words of the kabbalists, one need to accept {lekabbel} and not understand.

So now, if you find in Maggid Meisharim a few matters which appear that they were said to no good purpose, but rather by way of arrogance, pride, and superiority, you should not say like that stupid philosopher that Maran Rav Yosef Karo invented words of falsehood in order to increase his stature, forfend! Rather, you should say that the Maggid spoke according to what was in the will in Maran Rav Yosef Karo.

The author: And what are these words which appear to be said not to any good purpose, but rather merely for arrogance? For it is distant in my eyes that such will be found in the sefer haMaggid.

The guest: They are very many, and the entire book is filled with them.

Arise, and read (Lublin printing, page 45d, Zalkwa printing, page 22a): "For you are a man, and who is like you in Israel, for there is no yeshiva in the Diaspora which learns in pilpul as in your yeshiva. And behold, every time that you go in the market, if they eye were given permission to see, it would see as far as the eye could see soldiers surrounding you on all sides, and you as a king in a company {of soldiers}, and they announcing and saying, 'clear a path, give honor to the visage of the holy one of the king.' How many strong ones shake to the sound of this sweet voice, and ask 'Who is he?' They respond and say, 'This is So-and-so, who the King, the King of kings desires his honor, for he is more honored for all desired vessels, for he is the Tanna of Eretz Yisrael, the head of the Mesivta in Eretz Yisrael, the Exilarch of all the Diaspora, our halachic decisor, our thinker, our composer. And at the time that you cease contemplating matters of holiness, and furthermore if you contemplate matters of the body, this announcement weakens, and all the strong ones and say, 'What is this that the announcement ceased?' And since this is so, make yourself strong in this and do not turn your thoughts from me even a single instant, and see that I will raise you up and make you a Nagid {Prince} on my nation Israel, the two communities, and further I will place you as a Nagid on all the communities of Eretz Yisrael."