Jewish messianic legends. We have several literary ver- sions of the narrative, and it has been adopted in drama, fiction, and poetry. It is possible to follow in some detail how the story was embellished into a full-fledged folk legend, yet it seems that at its core is a real mystical expe- rience, and that the hero was a historical figure, working in specific historical and ideological circumstances.
The history of Jewish mysticism includes several examples of directing mystical experience and knowl- edge into redemptive, messianic endeavor. One of the best-known is that of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia (see above) who saw himself as a prophet and believed in his redemptive mission to the pope. Others include Shlomo Molcho, Nathan of Gaza (see below), and Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto (see below). In such cases the sense of empow- erment that is derived from the belief of the mystic’s proximity to God and the intimate knowledge of his secrets is translated into a belief in the ability of the indi- vidual mystic to bring forth dramatic changes. Mystical knowledge is transformed into magical knowledge: The secrets are used to compel celestial powers to obey the mystic and enable him to achieve his worldly purpose. The theological assumption is that earthly events reflect spiritual and celestial situations. The government of evil in the universe is the result of its position in the spiritual realms. If it were dethroned above, it will lose its hold over the created world. Direct earthly activity is insuffi-
JOSEPH DELLA REINA
FROM EXPERIENCE TO LEGEND
T
cient, as the real source of all occurances is found in the dynamic events in the divine sphere. The mystic, endowed with divine powers, may thus achieve a revolutionary change in both realms. The activities of the historical figure of the mystic-magician Joseph Della Reina and the narratives that developed around them represent a typical example of this process.
Rabbi Joseph Della Reina was a kabbalist in Spain, who lived in the second half of the fifteenth century, in a period of intense persecu- tions of Jews in that country just before the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. He wrote several kabbalistic treatises, from which we may conclude that he belonged to a school of kabbalists—most of them anonymous—who remolded the kabbalah in a redemptive-messianic direction, a direction which became dominant in the late sixteenth century and the seventeenth.1It is entirely possible that he attempted to
use his magical and kabbalistic knowledge in order to enhance the redemption, directing his efforts at overcoming the powers of evil that govern the world.
The earliest text describing these efforts is found in an epistle, “A Letter Concerning the Secret of the Redemption,” written by a later kabbalist, Rabbi Abraham be-Rabbi Eliezer ha-Levi, in Jerusalem in 1519.2Rabbi Eliezer was a kabbalist from Spain who immigrated to the
Holy Land for messianic reasons, and his numerous works are com- pletely dominated by messianic calculations and apocalyptic narratives. The main element in the story of Joseph Della Reina that interested Rabbi Abraham be-Rabbi Eliezer was the conclusion, in which it is stated that as a punishment for Rabbi Joseph’s transgression the redemp- tion was postponed by forty years. If this conclusion is authentic—and there is no reason do doubt it—at the time it was first narrated the story was one of sorrow and misfortune, because an opportunity to achieve immediate redemption has been missed. But when Rabbi Abraham was retelling the story, most of these forty years have already passed, so that it became a positive prophecy of hope, signifying the imminence of the vanquishing of evil and the appearance of the messiah.3Several refer-
ence to the story are found in the writings of the kabbalists in Safed in the second half of the sixteenth century, including one by Rabbi Isaak Luria, the great kabbalist, who identified Rabbi Joseph as incarnated in the body of a black dog—an incarnation usually regarded as the pun-
ishment for fornication, which is Della Reina’s sin in the concluding part of the narrative.
The standard, full-fledged narrative of this event has been pub- lished by Shlomo Navarro, a scholar and kabbalist from Jerusalem, who claimed that he found the notes written by the one surviving disciple of Joseph Della Reina in an old manuscript in Hebron. This claim may be regarded as part of the fictional embellishment of the story, which was written, in all probability, by Navarro himself, around 1660. A few years later Navarro was involved with the outbreak of the Sabbatian messianic-heretical movement, and converted to Christianity. The story, however, spread in this version and became popular and well known; we even have a Sabbatian version of it.4
The basic assumption of the story is the belief that proper use of kabbalistic and magical knowledge can be employed to overcome and bind the powers of evil, Satan and his female consort, Lilith. Rabbi Joseph, who is reported of having achieved it, is portrayed as a great scholar, but not as a messiah. The message delivered by the story is that this can be done by knowledge, without the hero being designated for the task by God as his emissary. The power of magic to employ celes- tial powers and make them follow the instructions of the kabbalist is manifest throughout the story. In his way to the ultimate achievement, Rabbi Joseph compels three great archangels, or even divine powers, to serve him and endow him with secret information. The narrative does not denote any specific, individual characteristics which enabled Rabbi Joseph to achieve this; he had the knowledge, and he was persistent and determined, but otherwise he was a scholar, a kabbalist, a magician, like many others. The power is found more in the knowledge than in the individual person. We may assume that indeed the original core of this elaborate legend is the experience of one person; both he and his ideological environment held such an attempt to be possible.
The personal element becomes evident only after Rabbi Joseph’s mistake and failure. The Faustian story of his involvement with the queen may have been based on his name—“Della Reina,” representing the depth of his fall from the pinnacle of redemptive achievement to the bondage of erotic, satanic realm, which ultimately brought him to his death. This part is absent in the early version, found in Rabbi Abraham be-Rabbi Eliezer’s epistle, but it need not be an invention of
Shlomo Navarro: If Isaac Luria, a hundred years before Navarro, saw him as a fornicator, it is possible that this erotic ending or something similar to it was known in Safed in the 1570s. In this version, the story of Joseph Della Reina became one of warning: Attempting to overcome evil may be a worthy endeavor and a theoretical possibility, but the dan- ger of failure is very great, and the result can be extremely tragic. It is a fact that we do not find in later kabbalistic literature narratives describ- ing a similar attempt by other scholars (with the exception of the fol- lowers of Shabbati Zevi who converted to Islam; see below).
The Story of Rabbi Joseph Della Reina
There is an awesome story of Joseph Della Reina who was a great man, versed in the skills of the practical Kabbalah, who dwelt in the city of Safed in the land of Galilee. One day he resolved to insist upon bring- ing the Redemption and remove the rule of wickedness from earth. Now he had five disciples who stayed with him day and night and did anything he requested. He said to them: “My sons, I am resolved to use the knowledge God has given me in order to remove the pollution and idolatry from the world and bring our Messiah, who will release us from our oppressors.” All five of his disciples answered together: “Master and rabbi, we are prepared for anything you may command us.” “If so,” he said, “do this: Purify yourselves and change your garments and be pre- pared within three days, and do not approach any woman during that time. On the third day we shall go out into the field, and we shall not return home until the Children of Israel are settled every man on his own farm in the Holy Land!” When the disciples heard these words of their master, they immediately rose up and energetically purified them- selves and changed their garments. They took provisions and food, clean bread which they themselves had made in purity and which no woman had touched. On the third day they came to him and found him all alone in hallowed purity in his house of study, with his head between his knees. When they came, he lifted up his head and said to them: “May it be God’s will that the Shekinah should inspire the work of our hands, and the Holy and Blessed One approve of us and aid us with respect to His glorious Name.” And they all answered: “Amen.” After all this, Rabbi Joseph took sundry spices and placed a scribe’s
inkhorn in his belt, and told them: “Let us go forth!” So they left the city of Safed and went to Meron, to the grave of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai, at whose grave they prostrated themselves. Shortly before dawn Rabbi Joseph dozed, and Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai together with his son Rabbi Eleazar appeared to him in a dream and said: “Why are you getting involved in such a difficult task which you will not be able to carry out?” He answered: “God Himself knows my intention and will aid me for the sake of His profaned Name.” They in turn said: “May the Lord your God grant your wish!”
When morning came, Rabbi Joseph and his disciples proceeded to the city of Tiberias, passing through the open country till they reached a forest, and seeing neither man nor beast, but birds alone. There they engaged in the permutations of the holy Names, and the contempla- tion of formulas which they knew. Every morning they went to immerse themselves in the Lake of Tiberias, twenty-six successive immersions in accordance with the numerical value of the letters of Havayah [the tetragrammton], the Name of God the Ever Present. This they did for three consecutive days and nights, likewise fasting by day and by night. Toward evening when it was time for the afternoon prayers Rabbi Joseph and his disciples rose up and recited the afternoon prayers in pleasant voices with great devotion and closed eyes. When they reached the words “Hearken to our voices,” they added “Answer us.” And wher- ever the text mentions the Holy Name of God as “The Lord,” they pro- nounced the Great Name as it is written with the proper vowels and the necessary formulas. The rabbi entreated in a long prayer and great con- jurations of all the heavenly angels and finally he pronounced the Name of Havayah, combined with the Name of Forty-two Letters, together with the words “Answer us.” By the power of that great Name he adjured Elijah the Prophet to appear. And, lo and behold, Elijah came at speed and suddenly appeared to them and said: “Here I am, and what can I do for you and what is your request to entreat so much in your prayers?” Then they bowed down to the ground and said: “All peace to our lord, ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof’ (2 Kings 2:12).” And the rabbi began: “Let not my lord take it amiss that I have entreated to bring you hither. Indeed, I am zealous for the honor of the Holy and Blessed One and His Shekinah. Therefore let me entreat you to show me the way whereby I can sub-
due the powers of Satan and strengthen holiness.” To which Elijah the Prophet answered: “Know that your purpose is welcomed. If you can fulfill your thoughts in action, happy are you and good is your portion. Yet my counsel is: Let it be and cease, lest Samael and his band strike you down, for you will not be able to prevail against him.”
But Rabbi Joseph said: “I pray you, my lord, do not discourage me! For I have taken oath that I shall not return home until I bring the holy Shekinah to light and raise her from the dust!”
When Elijah the Prophet heard these words, he said: “This is what you must do. You and your disciples, go out into the fields far from any inhabited place, for twenty-one days. Do not eat your fill, but only what you yourself know will keep you alive. Reduce the amount you eat every night, and accustom yourselves to smell spices in order that your corporeality may be pure and clear, so that you may be capable of bearing the sight of the heavenly angels whom you will bring down to speak with you. Likewise immerse yourselves each day twenty-one times, that being the numerical value of the letters of the Name Eheyeh (Exod. 3:13–14); and after the twenty-first day make an inter- val and fast for three days and nights. On the third day after the after- noon prayer mention the great Name of Forty-two Letters which you know, together with its permutations and intents; and also pronounce the great Name which is derived from the verse “Above Him stood the seraphim” (Isa. 6:2). When you do this, be wrapped in your prayer shawls and wear your tefillin and cover your faces, and by those holy Names summon the Angel Sandalphon and his host to appear before you. When they come, strengthen yourselves with the pleasant scent, for you will fear and tremble and grow exceedingly weak at the great commotion and the mighty fire. Request the said angel to strengthen you and give you the might wherewith to speak. He will tell you what you should do, for he guards the ways and paths to prevent Samael from entering the holy places, and he knows the spots where that one gathers his strength.”
As soon as Elijah the Prophet went his way, Rabbi Joseph and his disciples gathered their strength and united their hearts. They added sanctity to their earlier sanctity, and they did all that Elijah had told them. When they had completed the term of days exactly as Elijah had commanded, they adjured the Angel Sandalphon to reveal himself to
them at that very time. No sooner did they finish their conjuration than the heavens opened and Sandalphon the Angel suddenly came to them with all his host. And, behold, there was a fiery chariot with fiery horses and a great host, while flaming fire filled the whole countryside; there was a great commotion, but it did not continue. Rabbi Joseph trembled and shook exceedingly, and he and his disciples were left without any breath within them. They fell to the ground, and their hearts melted and a trembling possessed them. Still, they found the strength to smell the pure frankincense in their hands and came to themselves.
Then the Angel Sandalphon and his host came down to them and said: “Son of Adam, worm that you are, what gave your heart the audac- ity to set the upper and the lower worlds shaking? Have the self-respect to stay at home or my forces may strike you and burn you with their breath!” But Rabbi Joseph answered in a low and broken voice: “My lord, holy angel of God, what can your servant say in your presence? I am left with- out breath as though I were dead, so great is my fear and awe!”
As soon as the angel heard this, he touched him and said: “Stand up and say what you have to say, for I have strengthened you.” Indeed, when the angel touched him, he rose up and gathered strength and prostrated himself, and then removed his shoes from his feet; but as for his disciples, they still had their faces to the ground and could not rise. Then Rabbi Joseph spoke: “Welcome, peace be with you, angel of the Lord of Hosts and peace be with all your holy forces. I entreat you, give me the strength and courage to carry out my will! For it is not to honor myself or my father’s house that I do this but for the sake of the Living God, the King who is King of Kings! I entreat you, holy one with all your holy forces, to agree to wage war against Amalek and his prince together with me, and instruct me as to what I must do to remove the rule of wickedness from the earth.”
The angel answered Rabbi Joseph, saying: “Indeed, your words are good and proper, if only you might be heard, and God be with you! But you must know, son of Adam, that all you have done until now is noth- ing. If you were to know the high position which Samael with his forces has reached, you would not engage in this matter. For who can prevail against him except the Holy and Blessed One Himself until the time comes to fulfill His word. I have come to you now in respect to the great Name you pronounced; but what can I do for you? For I am unable to
learn what is the extent of the strength of Samael and his host and on what his fall and his rise depend. None know this except the great Angel Akhtariel and his hosts and Metatron, Prince of the Presence, and his hosts. Yet who can stand before such mighty angels? For if you were frightened by me, how will you be able to even exist in their presence?” But Rabbi Joseph answered: “I am youthful and puny and I myself know that I am not worthy of doing this thing. Yet I also know that God will not despise a broken and depressed heart. I have made up my mind to sacrifice myself for the sanctity of the Holy and Blessed One and His Shekinah! Therefore, holy Ministering Angel of the Lord, instruct me as to what I should do to bring down Akhtariel and Metatron, and what further privations I must add in sanctity and purity, and what is the