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“I Hereby Warn You Not to Reveal to Anyone…”: Secret Kabbalistic Letter in the Handwriting of the Baal HaSulam, the Admor Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag – Jerusalem, 1940 * A profound and rare Kabbalistic letter, spanning three pages, in the handwriting and bearing the signature of the Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag, author of the Sulam commentary on the Zohar and one of the greatest pioneers in revitalizing Kabbalah in recent generations. At the explicit request of the Baal HaSulam himself, the very existence of this correspondence between him and the recipient was to remain secret. At the beginning of the present letter, he instructs the recipient: “I hereby warn you not to reveal to anyone about the letters that I send you…!” He further cautions him not to disclose that he studies “the sefarim” (apparently referring to the writings of the Baal HaSulam), and blesses him that through this he will merit wisdom! It is remarkable to note that the very individual who would later compose the Sulam commentary — one of the greatest undertakings ever carried out to make the Zohar accessible to the public — was at this stage transmitting his teachings to a single student, discreetly and without publicity. The letter addresses three principal themes:     1. Words of encouragement regarding the merit of bearing the yoke of Torah, which is the salvation of Hashem (17 lines) . As he writes: “This is a great kindness from the Blessed One, that He has granted you the opportunity to recognize that He has helped you enter into the yoke of Torah and avodah.”     2. Guidance on how to strengthen one’s memory and deepen understanding of Torah (24 lines) . Among his words: “Know as well that memory depends upon understanding, for according to the depth of one’s understanding is the measure of one’s retention.”     3. Fundamental Kabbalistic exposition on the structure of the tenth sefirah of the Rosh — whether it is termed the tabur or the peh (34 lines) . These remarks expand upon what he wrote in Talmud Eser Sefiros , Volume I, Histaklus Pnimis , leaf 159, section 13. The Baal HaSulam also confirms a printing error that appeared in the draft of Talmud Eser Sefiros , which was indeed corrected in the printed edition (Volume I, Part III, Chapter 3, p. 112, in Ohr Pnimi ). Exceptionally rare. As is evident from this letter, the writings of Baal HaSulam are a vast treasure of Kabbalah, hashkafa, and pure yiras Shamayim, along with profound devotion to his students and even simple practical wisdom for everyday life. Many of his letters have been collected and printed in recent years. This remarkable letter has never been published. The Admor Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag, the Baal HaSulam, (1885–1954), was a Kabbalist, gaon, and miracle-worker. For centuries, the Kabbalistic wisdom of truth had been transmitted only within very narrow circles. The Baal HaSulam recognized that his generation needed to understand the inner dimension of Torah and undertook the monumental task of presenting it in a structured and clear way. He therefore composed Talmud Eser Sefiros, often studied in a fixed daily cycle, and subsequently his Sulam commentary on the Zohar — a vast and systematic work without parallel in Kabbalistic literature, which became the primary gateway to the study of the Zohar in recent generations. Jerusalem, 1940 Page Count: A folded leaf containing three written pages. Size : Approx. 14×20 cm. Condition : Good–fair; light tears at the margins, an old horizontal repair across the center of the letter, with a noticeable stain.