Discussion of Maggid Meisharim -- pt vii

Shadal continues his Vikuach al Chochmat haKabbalah. (See previous segment.) The guest continues pointing out even more passages in Maggid Meisharim which appear arrogant. The author is confused by who the speaker is, Hashem or one of his messengers. The text of the Vikuach follows:

{The guest continues:} Further read (Venice, page 21a, Zalkwa page 39 {seif?} 2): "Peace to you from the Heavenly Mesivta, for you are my Tanna. For until now, when you went out in the market, five lights would illuminate for you, matching the 5 orders of Mishna that you know, and announced before you, 'Give honor to the visage of the King.' Now that you have begun to learn the fifth order, and have learned from it 10 and a half chapters, behold there are 6 lights illuminating before you, but the 6th light does not shine brightly, but is seen and not seen, until you know all of it. And from these six lights will spread out six strong ones who announce this announcement, except that this sixth strong one will be seen and yet not seen, for the reason I have told you. And from these light will spread out a seventh light, and they are to match the seven Clouds of Glory, and all of them accompany you and go before you as I have believed {said??}."

Further, read (Venice, 50c, Zalkwa 53a): "Strengthen yourself and be bold. Do not fear and do not be terrified, for all that you do Hashem makes succeed, and all that you have done and ruled {הורית} until today, Hashem has made succeed in your hand, and so do they agree in the Heavenly Mesivta, by the Life of Hashem, that this halachic ruling is true, and firm, halacha leMoshe miSinai, the halacha is like you, and for your reason."

Read further (Venice 32b, Zalkwa 45a): "And is it not for you to know that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and all the members of the Upper Yeshiva, send you greetings -- the true prophets, the Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraic Rabbanim, the Geonim, halachic decisors -- all of them bless you when you engage and their words and understand them {מכוין}, how many strong ones shake at the sweet sound of these blessings, and ask and say 'Who is this? This is the head of the great Metivta in Eretz Yisrael, the great halachic decisor of Eretz Yisrael, of the great company of Eretz Yisrael, Yosef who is called Karo, whom the King, the King of Kings, desires his honor.' All of them answer and say, 'Blessed be the Master of the World.' And behold they send me to reveal to you closed up secret in the holy parsha."

The author: Behold, there is born in me a new confusion. For I do not understand who is the speaker of all the words of this book. For behold, when he said "Only cling to Me, and to My Torah, and My fear, and My service," it appears that the blessed God is he, and not another who is speaking. And when he said "And behold, they sent me to reveal to you," it appears that it is not God, but rather one of his messengers. And now, my thought tilt to believe that in truth it is a messenger who is speaking, except that we already know that at times the messenger speaks in the language of his sender, and therefore he is able to say, "Only cling to Me, etc."