Review: The Sabbatians and the Plague of Mysticism

Author(s): S. Zeitlin
Source: The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 49, No. 2 (Oct., 1958), pp. 145-155
Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1452688
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 THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM-ZEITLIN 145

comes as close to imparting to its readers some insights into the emo-
tions as well as the facts of the Palestine problem as any single work
on the subject which I have seen.
It might be argued that the book is unbalanced because the Zionist
position is sparingly presented. However, effectiveness cannot be
measured by the number of pages alone. Mr. Stamler's case is not
vitiated by the excellence of the contributions by his two co-authors.
The authors are not at all optimistic about a solution of the problem.
Their work is far too realistic and sincere a presentation to offer the
usual facile blueprints. They thus conclude: "The problemof Palestine
is so intricately woven into our very lives as probably to be incapable
of solution. As one reflects over history, it is striking how few problems
have ever been solved. The very word "problem" seems to call for
solution, but it is very likely that our real solution is only in learning
how to live with and control the situation as we see it now."
DON PERETZ

THE SABBATIANS AND THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM

IN THE seventeenth century, the Jewish people witnessed one of

the greatest messianic movements in tneir history since the time
of Bar Kokba. Sabbatai Zevi's messianism was accepted by most
of the Jews of the Levant and Central Europe, and even by many of
Eastern Europe. Many Christians too believed that a Jewish messiah
'had arrived. Even when Sabbatai Zevi became a convert to Islam
some Jews continued to believe in him as a true messiah. What was
the underlying reason for this historical phenomenon? How can one
explain how a man of the calibre of Sabbatai Zevi could create such a
movement in the seventeenth century when Descartes, Spinoza and
Pascal flourished? It has been generally assumed that the catastrophe
which befell the Jews of Poland in 1648-49 was in large measure re-
sponsible for the success of this messianic movement.
Gershon Scholem, Prof. of Mysticism at the Hebrew University,
renowned student of Kabbala and the author of the well-known
book Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, recently published a work
Sabbatai Zevi and the Sabbatian Movement in His Lifetime,' in two

I r"w, ,M'b in ,-l'yl ay I"'n an nbtn;pl' ;yl:n;rl -s rn'vw.

146 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

volumes. He has collected and skillfully presented all the material

about the Sabbatians. Much of the material was hitherto unknown.
He has masterfully shown his command of the entire literature in
connection with the Sabbatai Zevi movement. All students of the
Sabbatai Zevi movement will be indebted to Prof. Scholem for his
comprehensivework.
In the first chapter he deals with the history of the period and the
causes responsible for the spread of this movement. He holds that
neither the social nor economic structure of the Jewish people of that
period was responsible for the spread of the movement, maintaining
that while many of the lower strata of the Jewish people believed in
Sabbatai Zevi, so did many Jews of the upperstrata bankers,physicians
and lawyers likewise were drawn to it.
Prof. Scholem takes issue with those writers who ascribe the success
of the Sabbatai Zevi movement to the catastrophe which befell the
Polish Jews. He charges Graetz, Kahana and Rosanes who dealt with
this movement with partisanshipand with not having examined care-
fully the vast literature of the Kabbalists.2 His own purpose, he says,
is to avoid partisanshipand theologicalbias, and to give a fuller under-
standing to the history of the period.3 The main point he makes is that
the Kabbalists' writings, particularlythe Lurian Kabbala, were largely
responsible for creating and spreading the Sabbatian movement.
When perusing his book, however, one can readily see that Prof.
Scholem was not unpartisan and that he did not avoid theological
bias.
With Prof. Scholem's contention that the Lurian Kabbala was the
main cause for the creationand the spread of the Sabbatian movement,
one must take issue. There were many factors which caused the spread
of this movement. No one cause explains this phenomenonadequately.
A student of the historical background of the seventeenth century

2 DmB:9D:itDD jnl1n1r 'tpn n:-

p 1'-I 11' -W
IDr1wDD 111V rW 1'W
3Dm;1-mD rr9;rw i30 cDyn;rh iZ13 b . . . DwMu1rlnoItl bi;z 71n rpa st

1ray ,w nm:lotinn (ibid.) nm~rwn?y n :ln ni,iDnnnw nn3 n :Ipn

nDm3 mirl-pyI .Iw7w)n'TB
VW17'D "AD
B In
nn n . . . '3-d C? y
]nlyawr ni5" r
-an'vwnmn:m n .nyni a"nrmil poly5 InrOD 1ate ,~nw,
nnSyon bNrwnD3z ,nIl).liw 'Ti-D'in moyn nontpt. yrlwn nlmi iw
6iz rinrin (p. 17).
 THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM-ZEITLIN 147

will readily recognize the causes which were responsiblefor the success
of the movement.
The Thirty Years War which was fought in the name of religion,
ended in 1648. This war made a tremendous impact upon the life of
the people, particularlyupon that of the Jews. We must also take into
consideration that there were in that period many Chiliasts who be-
lieved that the second coming of Jesus would occur in the year 1666.
We must also bear in mind that the Sabbatai Zevi movement greatly
captivated the Jews of the Levant, Amsterdam, and Hamburg who
were of Spanish-Jewishdescent, particularly the Marranos and their
descendants who had escaped from the Spanish Inquisition. It was
an easy step for those who had been brought up as Catholics and been
taught to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, Christ, to accept another
messiah, especially since they had already been indoctrinated with
the belief in the second coming of Jesus, i. e., the second coming of
the messiah. But there is still another stronger psychological factor
which impelled the Marranosand their descendants to accept Sabbatai
Zevi as the Messiah. This was a kind of vindictiveness against Christi-
anity. They or their predecessorshad been compelledto accept Christi-
anity against their will. Their dear ones, relatives and friends had
been tortured and burned at the stake for heresy. When the coming
of a Jewish messiah was announced, they eagerly joined the movement
to demonstrate their hostility toward Christianityand in refutation of
Jesus as the Messiah, Christ. They were only too eager to proclaim
that the true messiah had arrived, a Jewish messiah who would redeem
the Jews from their sufferingand take them to the promisedland.
The movement spread among the Polish Jews, but it was not as
popularthere as it had been in the Levant and in the western European
Jewish centers. True, there were some Kabbalists in Poland but the
movement was not popular there. There were other factors for
the spread of this messianic movement among certain elements of
the Polish Jews. One third of the Jewish population in Poland had
been annihilated by Chmielnitzki's band in 1648-49. There was no
significant religious leadershipin Poland after this catastrophe.
The Ukrainians revolted under Chmielnitzki. They had three ob-
jectives, (1) to free the Ukraine politically from Poland and establish
an independent state; (2) to remove the economic rule of the Polish
landlords over the peasants; (3) to make the Greek Orthodox Church
independentof the Roman Catholic Church. The Ukrainiansregarded
the Catholics as their oppressors and the Roman Church as anti-
148 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

Christ. They looked upon Chmielnitzki as their redeemer. They

proclaimedhim as the "savior"in their ballads. Many Jews in Poland
and Ukraine heard from their Christian neighbors that their savior
and redeemer had arrived. Thus when the news reached the Jews
that the messiah their redeemer had appeared, they eagerly accepted
Sabbatai Zevi as the true Messiah.
There was another factor which helped the spread of the messianic
movement among the Jewish masses. The Jewish community in both
western Europe and in the Levant was dominated economically and
socially by the wealthy. When the news spread about the coming
of a messiah who would change the entire economic structure of the
Jewish people, to be followed by a period when there no longer would
be wealthy people, but when all would be equal, they joined in great
numbers. Even the wealthy found themselves obligated to join. Some
of the Marranosjoined the movement even though they had to give
up their wealth because they were idealistic and willing to accept
Sabbatai Zevi as the messiah. The Puritan movement which flourished
in the 17th century also helped popularize the Sabbatai Zevi move-
ment. Finally adventurers for selfish reasons joined the movement,
because it seemed to promise much to the adventurers.
We note that in the great work of Prof. G. Scholem on Sabbatai
Zevi the historicalbackgroundsare missing. To understandthis move-
ment fully the historicalbackgroundsmust be providedand considered.
The material collected by Prof. Scholem referringto Sabbatai Zevi
deals with his early days until after his conversion to Islam. He has
also broughttogetherall the documentsabout the connectionof Nathan
of Gaza with the movement of the Sabbataians. He has shown great
mastery of all the sources. His work displays his vast erudition and
diligence. It is the very first time that all the materialhas been brought
together. We must however, differ entirely with his interpretationsof
the documents dealing with the relations of Sabbatai Zevi and Nathan
of Gaza.
Sabbatai Zevi was born in Smyrnain the year 1626,son of a merchant
named Mordecai Zevi. As a boy he was attracted by Kabbala. In
his youth he practiced asceticism. He was a paranoiac in his youth
and later became a manic depressive. He suffered periods of melan-
cholia; on the other hand he had periods of great exaltation and was
subject to hallucinations. During his youth expectationsof the Messiah
were widespread. Owing to the influence upon him of the Lurianic
Kabbala and also to his mental instability he began hearing "voices"
 THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM-ZEITLIN 149

telling him that he was the messiah. When he stated this, the Jews
of Smyrna at first suspected that he was demented. Finally, when he
became somewhat arrogant and acted in some ways not in accordance
with Jewish tradition, they expelled him from the city. This might
have put an end to all his messianic dreams, but it did not.
In the year 1665, while Sabbatai Zevi was in Palestine he came
into contact with a man named Nathan of Gaza who declared that
Sabbatai Zevi was the king-messiah. Nathan was unscrupulous,an
adventurerand a scoundrel. The Jews were yearning for the Messiah.
Nathan saw in Sabbatai Zevi, this manic depressive, an opportunity
for creating a messianic movement. He was familiar with the psy-
chology of the mystics and he understood the Jews of Palestine; he
knew that they would believe what they wished to believe. He was
not as deranged as Sabbatai Zevi; in fact he was sane, and careful
in his planning. Nathan's claims to having revelations were not due
to hallucinations. These revelations were invented for the purpose
of carryingout his designs. He declaredSabbatai Zevi the true messiah
and himself his prophet. One day during the summer of 1665 Nathan
announced his discovery of an apocalyptic passage in which it was
stated that a son would be born to Mordecai Zevi in the year 5386,
i. e., 1626, whose name would be Sabbatai Zevi, and who would conquer
the dragons and occupy the seat of God. This apocalyptic passage
was not discoveredby Nathan but was written by him; it was a forgery
and it gives us a glimpse of the characterof this opportunist,Nathan,
the so-called prophet.4
Accordingto Prof. Scholemafter Sabbatai Zevi left Palestine Nathan
lived in high exaltation. He claimed that he had prophetic visions,
that he received revelations every day and that he heard voices.5
On the 25th of Elul-5th of September, 1665, he announced that he

4 yXobt "Inlz9v nnoxX.1p2lnrry1yraww lvlI' 1paw1N ,n'3n w'Nb -HnNClr

DODU D'r: ln ]'F1&,t, n r;orp In- ,
nbp ,m-pmb n-In?1 ,n In ,]1'D
n3?n x 'l1,
nT I;'T~ ;2p1 ;l 2.... In: y nnnUw a1 pBD
1'M
n't.woD InW
nl;rh h1' tvw 'nWON. . ..1-7;r 1an;n nr y3Z, bt;rl ndsn OlDw Mbrp 1"Dw9l
Inin'vln l'MrnHi wo9ImpmI. . irt nrD'9Mplmb nlW bin loxy axrn In}w p9D
1"7 bital~DsrD 13'M i . . . i9Z= nnm p'M1ni 1p r3 lnl 1-i .Ir nlyn iW
*
ntIn, 1, pyn
; D .SY . . . D'Y;In wymD YV r w lnlrInN nurb ,?1 i ;ID
ni-irin iz n-nn n-lr io D n '.
,1}-21i7)n . . . In w sanwl =xnl.
s Inm '-I KNo .K0M' roIe nbnrty nM =AD snow narty -ind ,-rh DaV-nn:
';1 nDS bt. ^D p'l-on pinl N1wnr;11'9b ;mrn Hi en DM .n)iB1D nll-myn;n
yOVt3 t1r1 "rDnD. Iw nlilp yVIw l;ri ,D.:l iDZ
;= ryv Dlin; l 19 DoVunnD
.1'9b yaVl i~ltv y'p-i (p. 217).
150 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

heard a herald from heaven declaring that within a year and a few
months the messiah, the son of David, would be made known.6 There
is no proof whatsoever that he sufferedfrom hallucinations. His ficti-
tious revelations were part and parcel of his propaganda.
Towards the end of 1665 Nathan sent an epistle to Raphel Joseph
in Egypt, which really was the manifesto of the movement of Sabbatai
Zevi, who, he prophesied would conquer the earth and establish his
kingdom. He asserted that anyone who had scruplesabout the messian-
ism of Sabbatai Zevi, even though he was otherwise most pious, would
be punished. He now organized an unscrupulous campaign to pro-
pagate the doctrine that Sabbatai Zevi was the messiah.
The movement took root and spread widely. Prayers were offered
in the synagogues in honor of Sabbatai Zevi as the messiah, the son
of David. Those who did not accept him as the messiahwere subjected
to social and economic pressuresand were even threatened physically.
The house of a wealthy man named Pena in the city of Smyrna, who
was one of those who questioned the messianism of Sabbatai Zevi
was besieged one Friday by a mob who tried to enter to stone him, but
because of the approach of the Sabbath they retired. When Pena
went to the synagogue the next day (Sabbath) Sabbatai Zevi ordered
his followers to bring him a hammer that he might batter down the
doors of the synagogue to apprehend him. During this turmoil Pena
fled from the synagogue through a window.
Pressure was exerted upon the people to accept Sabbatai Zevi as
the messiah. R. Jacob Sasportaswho had the courageopenly to oppose
the movement was forced to stand in honor of Sabbatai Zevi, the
messiah, in the synagogue when prayers were offered in his behalf.
It was unfortunate for the Jewish people that at this period there
were no great spiritual leaders with courage to combat this move-
ment.
Sabbatai Zevi now being declaredmessiah by his "prophet"Nathan,
considered himself above the law. He abolished the Fast of Ninth of
Ab, and profaned biblical laws.? Having been unbalanced since his
youth, he so acted duringhis messianicperiod. He was also promiscuous
sexually. He resumed intimacy with one of his divorcedwives. He had

6 (1665 '-DtDD: 5) ,m'n bli: n':vp ,o'Dmnl o': n 1l3p? oYIrn', 3M

n'to;l3n nTr)yn -Im1b1PIr'D Y'pT! Hnnn'n trlz. Jn 'I ypw
D'annlnXpl rw
. . . 'aly: ln p (p. 218). rniny: sono nam, nmnynTow1'aV- poD 1'm
(223) nrSyn.;r ,mw nvinnmo n Iy y nrSotn.
7 See p. 197.
 THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM-ZEITLIN 151

an affair with a bethrothed girl.8 According to one report which Prof.

Scholem does not deny, he was a homosexual.9 He became so depraved
that he invited the son of his physician to visit the bed chamberof his
wife and to have an affair with her.Io He instituted the practice of
calling women to the readingof the Torah. Accordingto Prof. Scholem
this inovation was revolutionary,"for Sabbatai Zevi said that he had
come into this world to make the women free like their husbands and
that he had come to make void the sin of Adam.12These words really
were not due to a revolutionary spirit. He was inordinately fond of
women. We also must remember that his wife Sarah the "Queen"
had been a prostitute before her marriageto him and that her way of
life also influencedhim. The view that the messiah had come to render
void the original sin of Adam was based on the Lurianic Kabbala,
and he took advantage of it.
Sabbatai Zevi left for Constantinople, the capital of Turkey on the
30th of December 1665. Before leaving he divided the world among
his devotees and made them "kings" of various countries. He divided
the Jewish people in Turkey. A considerable minority not believing
in his messianism apparently reported to the authorities the coming
of a man who claimed to be messiah the king of the Jews. Sabbatai
Zevi was arrested by the Turkish authorities. Though a paranoiac he
was not entirely deprived of his senses. When he saw that his final
hour had come, his courage failed him and he realized that his own
safety lay in denying his messianism. He declared that he was merely
a rabbi and was collecting money for poor people. Nevertheless he
was kept imprisoned in the Fortress of Abydos in Gallipoli. While
here he still held court. The "palace-guard"and particularly Nathan
his "prophet"convincedhim that he should continue his role of messiah.
His followers through bribery were allowed to visit him. His prison

8
npp-1 MS1
-n1 n'p1
'nDl WlK no ? :r.y'wDnrn 7Ni. mnnl npir nym
'InnDD
rn;1 n1 ^Kr D-'YN :=y.n- 1317RN1ADDmn0 'UC "WVD1.
9 See p. 566, note 1. l'ir 'Zn
,'i mntminv
u nn131mn r n 3 I:
"D',--'. Dy Y'` tX D'1nD,'DDn comp. also 566 ]D nr 1'S ,,n'o , inz' z
rnD- 1iS ;.1K NH,1 D
1Vix0 D 89B;3 nVyD ,=in niD14 it -nnnrwnm y3n3n
IMn
-1D'IN 11DD0 DIWt nrl' yn 1D' nnnn Iy.
IOSeep. 313, n. 1.
Il TnC -Dyo nr 110
~vQr inilInlynn- pIno xnnr.
112Irn 'ID ,iy= 6ly? nlVDwn lznM nwlyi
10n nlm-iolNl 'snarl MlfN.
T11MPCIR VI'D= nrml"n oV :''1DO 11 1]n
1 "]W1vion3-:8 1Nlon n1 iV=9
i
nliDl01 i
no'n w llrn
,pmD 1'S ,
niri: Dn-nmt~n
,nunn ,l"n 'IDt,:1
,131m-pin: i-nl 1ri ro: nD:Dopz ,b:z DIUn bv ,m
R Drzn (p. 327).
 152 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

became a sort of palace. He continued his lewd life while in his so-
called prison. To the Jews he continued to be the messiah; to the
Turks he denied being the messiah. Prof. Scholem explains this du-
plicity by his pretence that he was awaiting a sign from God, a re-
velation, and holding that as long as the revelation did not come, he
thought the time was not yet ripe to declare himself to the world as
the messiah. To the Jews he thought he had the right to proclaim
that he is the messiah.I3 Nathan dwelt on the view that the messiah
before revealing himself must suffer and be imprisoned. He succeeded
in convincing the mystics - the kabbalists- of this and many of the
Jews who were naive and wanted to believe it.
The actions of Sabbatai Zevi in Gallipoli became known to the
Turkish authorities. They may have been informed of them by the
unbelievers. He was therefore removed to Adrianople and was given
the alternative of either acceptance of Islam or being put to death.
He chose the former. His mind seemed to be not deranged when his
personal safety was concerned.
Prof. Scholem injects a theological motif in Sabbatai Zevi's choosing
the acceptance of Islam rather than death. He says that Sabbatai
Zevi thought that he had a Yiud, a purpose, a future; therefore there
was no necessity for him to die for the sanctification of God.'4 He
even accepts Nathan's statement that Sabbatai Zevi looked upon his
suffering and the acceptance of Islam as a symbol of the suffering of
the Jewish people.'5
Nathan, according to Scholem was, a genius.'6 He was a man who
combined personal attainment and perfection. This combination,
according to Scholem, is rare in any person.'7 Nathan was a genius,

13 IDz Innnwn nri

nwDU in
DIsm r '6z IninoD n1 lani'r ^iaD Lee
I
'3a 33
, 1 nn l^ Qm
D1 ,J^yD ln:rlv 1'"'DI nDDntl ni ' nt lo' D"1a
ai n,'a1
y1'C D,' '='DR, ' 'n D,' ,D"1- 'I= rli'nl n,,n1 InDln'D-i ,Anon
,-Ir1'Dm ' loi3py
n y1a1Yc 1D aIn -p-I
pi h1
r-m .ir fnltnn y LOyD
NSX;I Ino nwlvyi 7Tlynn Hi;ylznn .i 13Wt:
l i D:,1n0^t-n DOyoDn 11pa
- n DilY i9Dv
=WV' 1in Dw3irn;l D"nt.D'.
'ymirain nln .=IW It nvD n
"IDID.Ml 'DI'DS 11'i),M1 MR-13D ,I'tIr 13^ H i nMnM
nlMM e 1 offs
p3Ins
nly, 1in lD'D',n m=
,mlnl Inl Dn nI ,onimr na nita bi 'n Da :rlninzrD=,
ne=',3= Da8tI -nm1Drn na "mntil. I'n ,lormna Hi, (pp. 571-2).
14, ,DVn VI-pp p nlDn ily 1'S 1mJD'91 ;-1y' 1, tI t ia nmov= ntin bin
(p. 572).
Is 2:bD IrD: 1i:D na nr y'tr,r w:n l nm iw inliy nM nin% n:AD l'S
il: nyn, (p. 586).
P6P. 166.
I7fIno nnpimn nyn pv^ nluyov na'tvb nylon inrpna nI an Inam
 THE PLAGUE OF MYSTICISM-ZEITLIN 153

if the term "genius" can be applied to him. He was a genius of evil,

a charlatan, adventurer, forger and demagogue, but he knew how to
organize a movement. For him Sabbatai Zevi was only a means to
his purpose. Prof. Scholem appends the title "rabbi" and "prophet"
to Nathan. This appendage is really disturbing. Such a charlatan can-
not be called a prophet. In Jewish literature the title "rabbi" is given
to men of learning and sincerity. Nathan did not possess either of
these qualities. Prof. Scholem in his theological explanation of the
apostasy of Sabbatai Zevi and his adulation of Nathan whom he
calls rabbi and prophetreveals that he did not write a non-partisan
book on Sabbatai Zevi but a tendentious one and that he followed
the theology of the Sabbatians. One has the right to assume that
his leaning inclines towards the Sabbatian movement.'8
This is also apparent from his statement: N'*w nlyl'
mr,' no1r rmm.D
ODWntVn tonnyDrsnn such a faith was not known in Israel before the
appearance of the Sabbatians. Such a statement is simply fantastic.
Being engrossed in the study of the Sabbatians Professor Scholem did
not see Judaism as it truly is. He did not see the forest on account of
the trees. The Jews survived the dark ages because they had a pure
faith; they believed in God and the destiny of Judaism.
Another kabbalist designated the demagogue Nathan of Gaza by the
title of rabbi. Moses Chaim Luzzatto, in his letters to his teacher,
Bassan, referredto him as Rabbi Nathan. Luzzatto had been charged
with being a Sabbatian. Whether this is so or not, it is certain that he
was a fellow traveler, a sympathizerwith the views of the Sabbatians.
Here is a striking example of how mysticism affected and beguiled this
great man of genius.
Prof. Scholem is right in maintaining that the Lurian Kabbala was
responsible for the messianic movement of Sabbatai Zevi. That was
the origin of the movement and it would have collapsed like all the
other messianic movements which sprang from the kabbalistic circles;
however, the advance of this movement is due to historical factors of

nnonD I'd no . .. ninrn nllr'lnl -No nll nmo-lNl uIna ItaD

,yink
by loxy ln3 '- 'Do 1ih nly-,t . . . y'1Wmad HbkID
b nT'3Ia
1 'l1 ',y
mi
nlmmpnl" ' y i11 Dyl
-I, yil 1it nImpn -nol' ninnn, (pp. 169-
,in
170).
18
Comp. Dtonawni 1ly nm(pyp m1inOn
ncom1p1N ]anyy 3Y 13.: ' m:133
'nn -y nz it an
mot ' ,nsDl nml pipr(1. O' Dayo n1D
D'c1op 13'arW -ly
COK DP'tyo noy 1jm nm1m
1nmo .rmn nLnmsN nliwn minlnn -ID -ylrs y-iDD
;lylrn ;1r'm nw: rwDH .n1Li6y Ypun nl MID 01wo nlMD wwo nNt'iDn mn
Penmen vw Dnyrsin 396 ^wi'nm, (p. 681) comp. also n. 3 and 17.
154 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

the period and to Nathan who was a "genius" in utilizing all the
circumstancesof the period for his propaganda. He was indeed a man
who knew how to organizeand promote a movement. He was a great
propagandist and developed this messianic movement into one of
the greatest since the time of Bar Kokba. But it ended in tragedy to
the Jewish people who, we may say, have not entirely recovered from
its consequences.
The messianic movement did not collapse entirely because of the
conversion of Sabbatai Zevi to Islam. True, many Jews became de-
spondent and lost their worldly possessions and were dissillusioned
in their ideals when they saw how they had been deceived. But the
adventurer Nathan "the prophet" continued his propagandatinctured
with mysticism. Many of those who had been followers of Sabbatai
Zevi accepted Islam and became known by the name Domneh, a
Judaean Moslem sect.
Those Jews who opposed Sabbatai Zevi before his conversion either
were passive or were afraid of being persecuted,but some like R. Jacob
Sasportas and R. Jacob Cagiz who did not accept Sabbatai Zevi as
the messiah and fought against the movement were persecuted. After
the conversion those who were suspected of being adherents of the
messianic movement were condemned. Those who were persecuted
previously for their disbelief in Sabbatai Zevi now became the per-
secutors. Some rabbis adopted the role of inquisitors;anyone who did
not conform to their point of view was branded a heretic, a follower
of the Sabbatai movement and was persecuted. A reign of suspicion
prevailed among the Jewish people who were divided into hostile
groups, issuing anathemas against each other.
The rabbis had been greatly venerated during the Middle Ages
and the Jews always considered them their spiritual leaders; now
the rabbis of the seventeenth century failed them; they did not lead
them during this "messianic"movement. They followed the masses.
Either through fear or lack of courage they failed to fight this move-
ment as being dangerous and deceptive. Thus the Jews lost their
faith in the rabbis as their spiritual leaders. The consequences of
this movement, as we said before, were tragic in every respect. The
price which the Jewish people paid for mysticism was tragic.
Unfortunately, mysticism has been arising in new garb in our times.
Books are being written by anti-intellectualists. The mysticism of
today like the mysticismof the Sabbatiansis based primarilyon obscur-
antism and is against knowledge. The authors of these books are
 MATRUN ONCE MORE-NEMOY 155

followers of the old Kabbalists who belittled knowledge and assumed

a totalitarian attitude.19 Their motto is "Believe what we write."
Unfortunately such books are being published by reputable publishers
and even by national organizations, and are being read widely. The
readersof such books find catch-phraseswhich they cannot comprehend.
They come to praise them just because they are beyond their com-
prehension. Many of our youth, seeking answers to their perplexities
are deluded into believing that mysticism is the answer.
In conclusion we may add that mysticism in its new garb presents
as great a danger and threat to true Judaism as mysticism in the old
garb. Judaism is based on knowledge and learning. Judaism without
knowledgeis a body without a soul which cannot endureby mereverbal
injections.
S. ZEITLIN

Dropsie College

MA TR ON ONCE MORE

DR. EYTAN'S explanation (JQR, XLVIII, 380) of this puzzling

Saadian equivalent of the Hebrew pethen as a scribal misreading of
mithdinis most ingenious and inviting, but further reflection suggests,
I think, a number of objections which seem worth considering.

1) The evidence of the manuscripts is greatly against it. Of the

seven manuscripts of Saadiah's version of Ps. 58.5 consulted by Dr.
Eytan six read matron, and only one reads mithan, without the alif.
Dr. Eytan does not cite any data to show why this single manuscript
should be regardedas superiorto the other six.
2) The defective spelling mithan in the single manuscript is pa-
leographically an argument in the opposite direction from the one
taken by Dr. Eytan, i. e., paleographically the likelihood of mitlan
being a misreadingof matron is greater than vice versa. Judeo-Arabic
generally leans toward scriptio plena far more than toward scriptio
defectiva,and ordinarilywe would expect a scribe to add a superfluous

9sSee M. Ben-Horin, "Via Mystica," JQR, Jan. 1955, pp. 249 ff.;
"The Ineffable,"April 1956.