Novelot ḥokhmah (Fallen Fruit of Wisdom)

Preface

[ . . . ] Now you know and are witness that I have composed several works on various topics. However, I did not write them in order to publish them; rather, I prepared them for my own use, to exercise and sharpen my mind, so that it should not become rusty. In addition, they were intended to be a restorer of life (Ruth 4:15) for me and to ease my burden in old age. I have let you see with your own eyes [see Deuteronomy 34:4] my great exertion in the field of mathematics, all those bundles of writings and booklets of proofs on numbers, ratios, and algebra. I filled in what had been missing in these subjects until now. For apart from what I clarified by means of general and specific proofs—which nobody had done before me—and my innovations of new proofs on the studies of the ancients, I also came up with wonderful ideas about these topics. I have a large volume of questions and answers on these fields and on the wisdom of astronomy, including a commentary on [Ptolemy’s] Almagest, and several summaries that follow both his opinion and the opinion of those who maintain that the earth revolves around the sun, while the sun stands fixed in the center of the universe. Likewise, I wrote a great deal on the topics of nature, political science, and metaphysics. And also on logic and medicine. [ . . . ]

In fact, I am no longer surprised to see several books in manuscript form, written by the geonim and ancient sages that have not been published, and thus it is for nothing that they toiled to write them. Where, indeed, are the commentaries of the geonim—Hayya (Hay), Se‘adya, and Nissim—and ḥananel, who were the rabbis of Gershom, “the Light of the Exile,” whose explanations Rashi condensed and turned into his commentary on the Talmud? Where, then, is the commentary of Moses ha-Darshan, which is mentioned by Joseph Karo and Rashi? The same applies to the novellae of R. Joseph Ibn Migash, the teacher of the Rambam [Maimonides], who writes the following about him in his introduction to his commentary on Zera‘im:¹ “for the heart of this man in Talmud would frighten one who peruses his words and considers the profundity of his intellectual analysis, until it can almost be said of him that there was no king like him before him (2 Kings 23:25). The Migdal ‘oz also quotes him on several occasions. Where is Rabbenu Tam’s Sefer ha-yashar? Where are the novellae of the Ra’avad [Abraham ben David], the Ramban [Naḥmanides], the Ran [Nissim of Girona], the Ritva [Yom Tov Ishbili], Rabbenu Peretz [ben Elijah], and Rabbenu Meir ha-Levi, about which much was written by the author of Tsedah la-derekh [Menaḥem ibn Zeraḥ], and which is also mentioned by the Rosh [Asher ben Yeḥiel] in his short commentary on the Talmud. Similarly, several of the Tosafists, such as Tosafot Rid [Isaiah di Trani], the “external Tosafot,” Tosafot Gornish, Tosafot Shantz [Sens], and many others like them, did not merit to be published. The Rambam also wrote a commentary on almost the entire Talmud, as he states in his introduction to Zera‘im, and yet his commentary has not been disseminated.

In Egypt and Turkey I have seen piles and piles of novellae, for in all places in that era they would occupy themselves with the Gemara and would write novellae, but these were not published. In our many sins, the persecutions and the exile have destroyed them, and thus the wisdom of our wise ones has perished, and the insight of our insightful ones has become hidden [see Isaiah 29:14].

Accordingly, they are doing the right thing by not writing them down, as nothing can withstand time, and even if they had published them, their names would not last forever, as it is only one book out of a thousand that achieves a second or third printing, due to the poverty of the Jews. This is especially true in light of the fact that people’s tastes and preferences in books of homiletics change over time, and therefore earlier works succumb to later ones. We also have among us a number of small volumes of halakhic novellae and rulings that do not include all the laws, as well as meager books of responsa written only so that the author could show off the brilliance of his mind. However, they shall not be rich, nor shall their possessions last [see Job 15:29]. Worse than all of these are those people who write about various sciences and on kabbalah, and those who make diagrams and images for verses and sayings of the sages, based on their own intellect or on some esoteric meaning. Their opinion is negated by the opinions of all other men; their produce shall not bend to the earth (Job 15:29).

Although everyone says that printing has benefited us, it has actually been a detriment. For in earlier times, writers could charge a good price, and only the best books would be purchased from them, the finest and most helpful ones, and thus the worthless, useless volumes would inevitably be put aside. By contrast, in our times many ignorant people put on airs, and as their lives are dark and lack all favor, they wish to be like shining stars in a different generation. Thus, those who can afford it, and who have more money than sense, find a way to publish books, and can give themselves the title of a great and distinguished man, as they fancy, despite the fact that they are not rabbis, nor even craftsmen’s apprentices.

Furthermore, the whole printing business is focused on bringing out new books; they neglect ancient writings and do not try to raise them up and shake off their dust. As a result of printing, you therefore see an upside-down world—“the native is on the ground and the stranger is in the heavens” [see, e.g., b. Bava Kamma 42a].

I have observed that the fate of books is similar to the fate of souls in reincarnation, transmigration, or attachments, and it is not for no reason that in Latin a son and a book are both called liber.² On the verse there is a son born to Naomi (Ruth 4:17) the sages of the kabbalah said that souls are transferred from one body to another and are transformed. The same occurs with ideas: they are transferred from one language to another and from one book to another, only in a different style or through other words and through changing the order. There is a different language but one speech [see Genesis 11:1]. The authors then give the book a new name; for instance if it was previously called Keli ḥemdah (Precious Vessel), they will now call it Keli yakar (Valuable Vessel), and yet it has the selfsame content, which has simply been poured from one vessel into another. Ecclesiastes already taught us all this when he stated: that which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. There a thing of which it is said, “see, this is new”—it has been already, in the ages that were before us. There is no remembrance of them of former times; neither shall there be any remembrance of them of latter times that are to come, among those that shall come after (Ecclesiastes 1:9–11). He also states: seeing that in the days to come all will have been forgotten (Ecclesiastes 2:16).

Nevertheless, it is true that there is no need to worry about good, effective, talented authors, as their names will certainly be remembered for many years, and perhaps they will shine like the stars forever. The same cannot be said of those who etch unrighteous etchings [see Isaiah 10:1], as they have wasted their time and money. When their hearts erupt and their flowers whither, their shortcomings will be exposed, and their hope shall be the drooping of the soul [see Job 11:20]. For their eyes shall be dimmed, since no one will take their books even if they try to give them away as gifts. These volumes will be like thorns in their eyes; they will be stood upright in their homes as a heap [see Exodus 15:8], piles upon piles (Exodus 8:10); mice will eat and gnaw at them; rainwater will constantly drip down upon them; there the birds shall make their nests (Psalms 104:17), and also young doves and chicken; their sun shall set at noon before their eyes; and their books shall die in their lifetimes.

With regard to them and their ilk, the poet³ wrote the following in his nineteenth poem:

If these writers were wise, they would understand this [see Deuteronomy 32:29], and they would withdraw from the much study that is a weariness of their flesh [see Ecclesiastes 12:12], but they have too great a love for themselves. They have not discerned their latter end [see Deuteronomy 32:29], that their purpose shall fail, as no one would be foolish enough to print their books again. Thus, you can see that not all those who produce many flawed and deficient books will last for many generations. They are like one who establishes a line of bastards, or who tries to breed animals through horses and donkeys.

I have further seen a grievous evil [see Ecclesiastes 5:12] in the majority of our people’s authors—they do not write in a fine style in the manner of all the nations, with every man speaking according to the language of his people [see Esther 1:22], with their lips speaking sincerely [see Job 33:3]. Thus, one who understands that [particular] language can fully comprehend the meaning and can translate it into another language, so that the text flows for the reader, the elderly and the young alike. Instead, they can be divided into factions: some will mix the language of the Bible with the language of the Talmud—whoever hears this, his ears will tingle [see 1 Samuel 3:11] and it will be loathsome in his eyes [see Numbers 11:20]. Others pride themselves in their polished style; all their statements are like the prophetic declamations, as though their words dropped upon them [see Job 29:22], but they distort the verses into a foreign meaning. All of them are streaked, speckled, and grizzled (Genesis 31:10), and they are as torches within the pitchers (Judges 7:16); that is, they cannot be transcribed into another language in their current form, even if you were to place them under axes of iron, under harrows and saws [see 2 Samuel 12:31]. It is as though these books were written only for the miserable Jews, the scattered sheep (Jeremiah 50:17). As a consequence, most of the authors from my people have no portion or inheritance [see Genesis 31:14] or memory among the nations.

This was not the method of the crown of glory of the sages of Israel, the Rambam, of blessed memory, for besides being wise [see Ecclesiastes 12:9], and in addition to his perfections and unique qualities, God gave him the tongue of them who are taught, that he knows how to sustain with words he who is weary (Isaiah 50:4), in the form of the language of both the Arabs and the Jews. He taught the people knowledge [see Ecclesiastes 12:9], in a concise, easy manner. Nations walked by his light [see Isaiah 60:3], and, in fact, most of his oeuvre has already been translated into Latin. The same approach was taken by the author of [Sefer] ha-‘ikarim [by Joseph Albo], and gentile scholars praised him for taking a well-paved road.

The above is what the rabbi wrote on the subject matter at hand. In addition, he wrote the following to me:

The book published here is called Elim, to be followed by a book called Ma‘ayan ganim [“A fountain of gardens”; Song of Songs 4:15], which contains several precious and important sayings. They shall flourish in the courts of our God; in the house of the Lord, they are planted [see Psalms 92:14]; and more of this kind can be said about them. May the peace of your Torah increase like your soul; the soul and desire that grow through the bonds of your friendship will reprove you with the mouth, tongue, and through language; His path is through the whirlwind and the storm [see Nahum 1:3]. And yet he loves you with his heart and soul, and “therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord, Vahev in Suphah” [Numbers 21:14].⁴