Isaiah Horowitz: The Generations of Adam by Miles Krassen

by jewishbooks · November 29, 2018

“In the Name of God. This is the book, Generations of Adam. Blessed is god who helped me until this point. Many words were produced, concerning great matters. As a result, human action has been explained, regarding both a person’s [divine] image and the likeness of his soul and body. Just as his Torah has been explained, so has his formation, which involves the garments of light that became garments of skin. Yet in the future his eye will be opened to great light, the light that is concealed. [We have also explained] the true light, God’s light that is concealed for the future, according to the secret of ‘on that day YeHYeH YHVH will be One.’ This is entirely dependent on the spiritual arousal of human beings, who through their freedom of will have been granted the power to arouse the supernal. [We have also explained] how everything is foreseen, yet permission is granted. Thus is the ultimate purpose of the creation of human beings. Also, the meaning of the ‘world to come’ and its eternity [has been explained]. For the cloud will perish along with the contamination of the serpent, which Adam drew down through his sin. Evil will be transformed to good and then there will be a world that is completely good.”

“These themes have been explained in this precious introduction, which is called The Generations of Adam, because all of the causes and events of human life and its purpose have been mentioned within it.” -from the beginning of “The Great House” Rabbi Isaiah ben Abraham Horowitz (1570?-1626) In this introduction to the magnum opus of Isaiah Horowitz-a book-length work in itself-he brought together his views concerning many of the most important issues addressed by kabbalists since the late twelfth century. These include basic theological questions concerning how God can be known, the true nature of the Torah, the divine origins of the human soul, the meaning and purpose of life in this world, the nature of the precepts and the power of divine intervention with regard to them, and the ultimate reward of the Messianic Age and the World to Come.