Holy wisdom versus occult dross

במד' מה כתיב למעלה אוב או ידעוני כו' והיית רק למעלה מוטב הי' לשאול המלך לשאול באורים ותומים כו'.

In the Midrash: what is written above? "An ov or a yidoni [shall surely be put to death]" (Vayikra 20:27), [and then] "and you shall be only above" (Devarim 28:13) — it would have been better for Shaul the king to inquire through the Urim v'Tumim.

The Midrash juxtaposes the prohibition of necromancy (ov and yidoni) with the verse "you shall be only above," and faults Shaul for consulting a medium rather than the holy Urim v'Tumim.

כי כל אלה הידיעות הטומאה ומכשפים הכל הי' מפסולת שנעשה מעה"ד טוב ורע כדאיתא בזוהר ותיקונים.

For all these forms of knowledge — the impurity and the sorcerers — all came from the waste (pesoles) that was produced from the Eitz HaDaas of good and evil, as is found in the Zohar and the Tikkunim.

All occult "knowledge," sorcery, and impurity derive from the dross left over from the Tree of Knowledge — the residue of the mixture of good and evil.

ולכן ניטל מעוה"ז החכמה הקדומה שהי' בימי אדם ונח ע"ש בפ' נח בזוהר בדור הפלגה.

Therefore the ancient wisdom (chochmah kedumah) that existed in the days of Adam and Noach was removed from this world, as is found in Parshas Noach in the Zohar, regarding the generation of the Dispersion.

Because it could be abused, the primordial holy wisdom of Adam and Noach was withdrawn from the world — especially after the generation of the Tower misused such knowledge.

ולכן בנ"י כפי מה שמתרחקין מאלה הידיעות זוכין שיתגלה להם החכמה הקדושה.

Therefore Bnei Yisrael, to the extent that they distance themselves from these [impure] forms of knowledge, merit that the holy wisdom (chochmah hakedoshah) be revealed to them.

The more Bnei Yisrael keep away from occult knowledge, the more they merit the revelation of true, holy wisdom in its place.

והכהן העובד ה' ששואל באו"ת נאסר לו לטמא במת.

And the kohen who serves Hashem, who inquires through the Urim v'Tumim, is forbidden to become impure through contact with a corpse (meis).

The kohen, the channel of holy inquiry through the Urim v'Tumim, is specifically barred from the impurity of death.

כי כל המיתה נעשה מעה"ד טו"ר.

For all death came about from the Eitz HaDaas of good and evil.

Death itself is a consequence of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, so the kohen of holy wisdom must stay clear of it.

והעיקר הענין הוא בחי' הנפש והגוף.

And the essential matter is the aspect of the soul (nefesh) and the body (guf).

The Sefas Emes now frames the whole discussion in terms of the relationship between soul and body within a person.

שיש באדם רוח אלקים ונפש הבהמיות וכמ"ש מי יודע רוח בני האדם העולה כו' למעלה ורוח הבהמה כו'.

For there is in a person a "spirit of God" (ruach Elokim) and an animal soul (nefesh habahamis), as it is written, "Who knows the spirit of the children of man that ascends upward, and the spirit of the animal [that descends downward]?" (Koheles 3:21).

Every person contains a higher divine spirit that rises and a lower animal soul that pulls downward, as Koheles describes.

וב' הידיעות הם באדם עה"ד טו"ר.

And the two [types of] knowledge are within man — the Eitz HaDaas of good and evil.

These two pulls correspond to the two potentials of knowledge — toward good or toward evil — both present in man since the Tree of Knowledge.

אבל לבנ"י נאמר והיית רק למעלה.

But to Bnei Yisrael it was said, "and you shall be only above (rak lema'alah)."

The Torah charges Bnei Yisrael to remain "only above" — oriented entirely toward the higher, divine dimension.

פי' שלא יניחו להתפשט החכמה להתדבק בחכמות חיצוניות רק להיות למעלה תמיד להיות הגוף בטל אל הנשמה.

Meaning, that they should not allow the wisdom to spread out and attach to external wisdoms (chochmos chitzoniyos), but rather to remain always above, so that the body is nullified (battel) to the soul.

"Only above" means not letting one's intellect drift into external, profane wisdoms, but keeping it elevated, with the body subordinated (bittul) to the neshamah.

וכמו שהוא בפרט כל אדם כך הוא בכלל שמנובלות חכמה יש סיגים והיא חכמת הטבע שמשם יש הכישוף וטומאות אוב וידעוני.

And just as it is in the individual, so it is in the collective: that from the "refuse of wisdom" (novlos chochmah) there are dregs (sigim), and this is the wisdom of nature (chochmas hateva), from which come sorcery and the impurities of ov and yidoni.

On a cosmic scale, the "leftovers" of holy wisdom form a residue — the wisdom of nature — and from that residue arise sorcery and the impure arts of necromancy.

ויש בעולם שנה נפש ב' הדרכים. זה לעומת זה.

And there are in [the dimensions of] olam (space), shanah (time), nefesh (soul) the two paths — this corresponding to that (zeh le'umas zeh).

In each of the three dimensions of creation there is a holy path and an opposing impure path, set up as exact counterparts of one another.

ולכן כתיב לא תאכלו על הדם הוא כישוף בנפש כמו אוב וידעוני.

Therefore it is written, "Do not eat over the blood" (Vayikra 19:26) — this is sorcery in [the dimension of] nefesh (soul), like ov and yidoni.

The prohibition "do not eat over the blood" addresses the impure path in the dimension of soul — a form of divination akin to necromancy.

לא תנחשו במעשה בחי' עולם.

"Do not divine (lo senachashu)" — through action, the aspect of olam (space).

The prohibition of nichush (reading omens) addresses the impure path in the dimension of space — divination based on physical events.

לא תעוננו הוא בזמן כמ"ש עונה פלוני יפה.

"Do not practice soothsaying (lo se'onenu)" — this is in [the dimension of] time, as in [determining] "such-and-such a time (onah) is favorable."

The prohibition of me'onen (astrological timing) addresses the impure path in the dimension of time — declaring certain hours auspicious or not.

ומול זה בקדושה להבדיל בין קודש לחול ובין טהרה לטומאה כתיב ג"כ ב' בחי' הנ"ל.

And corresponding to this, on the side of kedushah — to distinguish between holy and profane and between pure and impure — there is likewise written the aforementioned aspects.

Mirroring the three impure paths, the Torah provides holy counterparts in each dimension — the work of separating holy from profane, pure from impure.

בנפש אמו ואביו תיראו. מפני שיבה תקום.

In [the dimension of] nefesh (soul): "his mother and father you shall fear" (Vayikra 19:3); "before an elder you shall rise" (Vayikra 19:32).

Revering parents and elders is the holy path in the dimension of soul — honoring the human bearers of the divine spirit.

בזמן שבתותי תשמרו. בעולם מקדשי תיראו.

In [the dimension of] time: "My Shabbosos you shall keep" (Vayikra 19:3); in [the dimension of] space: "My Mikdash you shall revere" (Vayikra 19:30).

Keeping Shabbos is the holy path in time, and revering the Mikdash is the holy path in space — the sanctified counterparts to the forbidden arts.

וכל אלה מוסיפין קדושה לאדם.

And all of these add holiness to a person.

Each of these positive mitzvos increases a person's kedushah, drawing him "only above."

ובנ"י שהם מקבלין הקדושה לשם שמים כמ"ש והייתם לי קדושים ואבדיל כו' להיות לי לשמי.

And Bnei Yisrael, who receive the kedushah for the sake of Heaven, as it is written, "and you shall be holy to Me… and I have separated [you from the nations] to be Mine" (Vayikra 20:26) — to be Mine, for My Name.

Bnei Yisrael accept holiness purely l'shem Shomayim, set apart to belong to Hashem alone.

ולכן יש בהם גדר ערוה שלא יתפשט מהקדושה אל חכמות חיצוניות כנ"ל.

Therefore there is among them a "fence of ervah" (gader ervah, restraint regarding forbidden relations), so that one does not spread out from holiness to external wisdoms, as above.

The laws guarding against forbidden relations function as a protective fence keeping holiness from leaking out into profane wisdoms — a recurring Sefas Emes theme linking arayos-restraint and kedushah.

ולכן זוכין אל הקדושה.

And therefore they merit kedushah.

By maintaining this protective restraint, Bnei Yisrael merit genuine holiness.

וכל המצות עשה ול"ת שנאמרו בפ' קדושים הם שמירת הקדושה.

And all the positive and negative mitzvos stated in Parshas Kedoshim are the safeguarding of holiness.

The whole body of commandments in Parshas Kedoshim serves to protect and preserve this kedushah.

וז"ש והיית רק למעלה שלא למשוך למטה כו'.

And this is the meaning of "and you shall be only above" — not to draw downward.

"Only above" is the governing principle: stay oriented upward toward holiness and do not let the intellect be pulled down into the impure realm.

וזה עיקר החילוק בין בני ישראל שעושין לשמו ית'. אבל בעכו"ם ליכא ענין לשמה כמ"ש לגרמייהו עבדין עכו"ם אדעתי' דנפשי' עביד.

And this is the essential distinction: that Bnei Yisrael act for the sake of His Name, but among the idolatrous nations there is no concept of "lishmah" (acting for its own sake), as is said, "they act for themselves" — the idolater acts for his own sake.

The defining difference is motive: Bnei Yisrael act lishmah, for Hashem, whereas the nations act only out of self-interest — which is why holiness rests on Israel.

[וי"ל עוד במ"ש בענין העונש. הגר כו' מעלה מעלה כו'. כי באמת כך היא המדה שמן חכמות הטבע וחיצוניות יכולין לבוא לפנימיות כמו שהי' באברהם אע"ה ראשון לגרים.

[And one can further explain regarding the matter of the consequence: "the convert (ger)… higher and higher…" (Devarim 28:43) — for in truth this is the way of things, that from the wisdom of nature and external wisdoms one can come to the inner [holiness], as was the case with Avraham Avinu, the first of the gerim (converts).

There is a two-way street: just as holiness can leak outward, the reverse is also possible — one can ascend from external wisdom inward to holiness, as Avraham did, rising from idolatry to become the father of converts.

ועליו נאמר מי יתן טהור מטמא אברהם מתרח.

And concerning him it is said, "Who can bring a pure thing out of an impure one?" (Iyov 14:4) — Avraham from Terach.

Avraham emerging from his idolatrous father Terach exemplifies extracting the pure from the impure — ascending from the external to the inner.

וכמו כן לעומת זה יכולין לירד ע"י החכמה להתערב בחכמות חיצוניות ליפול ח"ו לבאר שחת והכל מבחי' תערובת עה"ד טו"ר.

And likewise, in the opposite direction, one can descend through wisdom to mingle with external wisdoms and fall, Heaven forbid, into the pit of destruction — and all of this stems from the aspect of the mixture of the Eitz HaDaas of good and evil.

The same faculty can also drag a person down into profane wisdom and ruin. Both directions trace back to the intermixed good and evil of the Tree of Knowledge.

ולכן כתי' רק למעלה ול"ת למטה.

Therefore it is written, "only above," and "you shall not [be] below" (Devarim 28:13).

The verse's two clauses — "only above" and "not below" — encapsulate the charge to ascend and never descend through one's knowledge.

ובמ"ש לעיל מענין רוח הבהמה היורדת למטה יכולין לפרש הת"כ במעשה אוב מה אתה מחליף מה במה ויש גורסין מהבהמה. ע"ש בזית רענן ונדחק בטעמו. ולמ"ש מובן היטב.

And based on what was said above regarding the "spirit of the animal" that descends downward, one can explain the Toras Kohanim on the act of ov — "what, would you exchange 'mah' for 'bameh'?" — and some have the reading "mehabeheimah" (from the animal); see the Zayis Ra'anan, who found its reasoning difficult — but according to what we said it is well understood.

The Sefas Emes resolves a difficult textual variant in the Toras Kohanim about necromancy by connecting it to the descending "animal spirit" — explaining a reading that earlier commentators struggled with.

אכן באמת עיקר הגירסא מה במה וכדפרש"י שלא להחליף קדושת המקום ב"ה בדברי הבל ובוז ע"ש בפ' קדושים]:

However, in truth the main reading is "mah b'meh," and as Rashi explains: not to exchange the holiness of the Omnipresent, Baruch Hu, for matters of vanity and contempt — see Parshas Kedoshim.

The primary text and Rashi's reading teach the core lesson: do not trade the holiness of Hashem for worthless, contemptible occult practices.

Summary: All forms of sorcery and occult "knowledge" (ov, yidoni, nichush, me'onen) are dross left over from the Tree of Knowledge's mixture of good and evil; the holy primordial wisdom was withdrawn from the world to prevent its abuse. Within each person are a divine spirit that rises and an animal soul that descends, and the Torah's charge "you shall be only above" means keeping the intellect elevated — body nullified to soul — and never letting wisdom drift into profane "external wisdoms." In each of the three dimensions of creation (space, time, soul) the Torah sets a holy path opposite an impure one: revering parents/elders, Shabbos, and the Mikdash mirror the forbidden divinations. The fence of arayos-restraint guards this holiness, and the whole of Parshas Kedoshim safeguards it. The decisive difference is that Bnei Yisrael act lishmah, for Hashem's Name, while the nations act only for themselves — though the path runs both ways, since one can ascend from the external to the inner (as Avraham did) or fall from holiness into ruin.