From Babylon To Rome, Part 6

Turning Kabbalah into Philosophy

Comment: German humanist Johann Reuchlin, in his book On the Art of Kabbalah writes: “Nevertheless, the superiority of Pythagoras did not come from the Greeks, but again from the Jews. After long wanderings, he brought home something worthy of admiration, and was the first to rename ‘Kabbalah’ into ‘Philosophy’—a Greek word previously unknown.”

There are many facts that confirm that the ancient Greeks learned from the sages of the First and Second Temples. You can tell that the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle are permeated with their ideas.

My Response: Greek scholars did not hide it. Communication was quite easy in those days. Today, there are many civilizational barriers.

Although there seems to be a connection between modern universities; nevertheless, internal egoism repels one scientist from another. In ancient times, learning from each other was generally accepted. Therefore, many philosophers and scientists learned from the Jews during the time of the prophets, meaning in the time of the First Temple.

Comment: The Rabbi of Sochaczew wrote: “The Greek science of philosophy, derived from the writings of King Solomon, emerged after the destruction of the First Temple. However, these writings were corrupted with additions, omissions and replacements to such an extent that false knowledge got mixed into it. But, one way or another, the basis of the science is good although parts of evil got mixed in with it.”

The modern day Kabbalist of the 20th century Baal HaSulam similarly writes: “Sages of Kabbalah observe philosophical theology and complain that they have stolen the upper shell from their wisdom, which Plato and his Greek predecessors had acquired while studying with the disciples of the prophets in Israel. They have stolen basic elements from the wisdom of Israel and wore a cloak that is not their own.”

My Response: The truth is that the ancient Greeks acquired the general approach to cosmology from Kabbalah and proceeded to derive their own conclusions from it.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of the Development of the People of Israel, Part 6,” 7/8/19