|
|
Frank was a student of "The Second," Rebbe Berechiah,
with whom he studied not only Nathan of Gaza's
Sabbatian theology (as radicalized by Berechiah), but also the Holy
Zohar. To a large extent, Frank returned to the Pre-Sabbatian position
that the Zohar was, indeed, more "holy" than
even the Talmud, which he rejected outright and even debated against in
public under the auspices of the Catholic
Church and to the horror of more traditional Jewish mystics of the
time, including the
Baal Shem Tov.
Consequently, the symbolism of Frank's Kabbalah is, for the most part, taken from the Sefir HaZohar -- particularly the Partsufim ["hidden personalities"] of the Ten Sefiroth -- and covered over with his own unique languge. Thus, we see at least four primary archetypes alluded to in his doctrines:
| The Holy One Blessed Is He (= The God of Israel, Sefirah Tiferet,
or Partsuf Malka Kadisha)
Big Brother (= The Deius Absconditus, Sefirah Keter, or Partsuf Atika Kadisha) The Maiden (= Sefirot Binah and Malkuth, the Partsufim "Upper" and "Fallen Maiden," respectively. Edom/Esau/Seir (= Christianity/the Catholic Church) |
Much of Frank's concerns were based on achieving union with "The Maiden" and, thereby, "raising her up from the dust" of the Sefirotic "World of Assiah" or mundane creation. To this end he prescribed various Tiqqunim, most of which centered around the worship of his daughter whom he claimed was the Incarnation of "The Matrona" or feminine aspect of the Godhead -- that is, "The Maiden." Of this he says, "Everything the Fathers did, they did only to draw near to the Shekhina [= Sefirah Malkuth, or Partsuf Exiled Bride] on whom the whole world depends, and who defends from all evil. The Fathers and Mothers, peace be upon them, were worthy of the real inspiration of the Shekhina, and I will make Tikkun for you, too, and enter you under Her wings." He also said, "You were not worthy to understand when I said to you, 'I will show you God;' for first you must see the Virgin [= Sefirah Malkuth] because she is the Gate to God, and through Her one enters in to God."
In his references to "joining Esau" (i.e., Holy Apostasy of the Jews
to the Catholic
Church) Frank is alluding to a rather remarkable passage from Genesis:
"So that day, Esau resumed his journey to Seir [where Jacob had promised
to meet him]; but Jacob left for Succoth." (Gen.33:12-17) That is, the
Tiqqun of the twin brothers Jacob (i.e., the Jews) and Esau (i.e., the
Gentiles) never took place as God has intended because the former did not
keep his promise to meet the latter in Seir, the Gentile Realm of the Holy
Sparks. Had this reunion taken place - ON GENTILE GROUND (ie. Seir) - the
YH (Jacob) that had split away from the VH (Esau) at the moment of mundane
creation would have been reunited and "in that day God will be one and
His Name will be one." (Jewish liturgy.) Thus, what Sabbatai
began by converting to Islam,
Frank continued by bringing his 13,000 disciples into mass conversion to
the Catholic
Church.
|
|
|
|