Arbeiderspers

Synopsis

A young man must choose between ultimate wisdom and ultimate love.

Through the true life story of the young 16th Century cleric Chaim Vital, The Kabbalist tells how each teacher learns what he himself teaches. While Chaim is trying to realize his great dream to be the first person in history to write down the secrets and life teachings of Kabbalah (during his lifetime it was only accessible to the initiated few), real life puts him to the test. Isn’t the essence of Kabbalah about conquering the ego, about cultivating the best version of yourself and unselfishly sharing your unique talents with others? This is no easy request for an ambitious young man who seeks immortality with his Book of Books.

Chaim finds a teacher, Itschak Luria, prepared to disclose the Kabbalistic laws. But the most important insight that his teacher has to offer is not contained in the lessons themselves but in the tough confrontations with his own egoism. How can you write realistically about the essence of spiritual companionship when you have been bowled over by the extremely attractive daughter of your teacher, Francesa? Chaim knows that each person is born as half of a complete soul and finding your other half here on earth allows you to attain the highest goals. The other awakens a vision of your maximum spiritual potential. Francesa sets him on fire physically and emotionally but holds him back from his true life’s goal – writing his book. The woman who truly loves him for who he is and for his purpose on earth, his landlady Anna, is someone he hardly takes a second glance at.

When his teacher gives Francesa’s hand to another man, Chaim wants to give up all of his dreams, his life and his ambition. During the night that he decides to leave town, life teaches him an important lesson. Through helping a young woman who has been assaulted and robbed, Chaim is able to forget his own misery. He gives her his full attention and in so doing discovers the subject matter for his book – unconditional giving with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

With renewed belief, he gives himself over to his teacher and works on his ambition, the book. Chaim tries to forget Francesa and gives up his job as a wool-dyer in order to devote all of his waking hours to the work. He survives thanks to the tender loving care and belief in him that his landlady Anna shows. When the book is finally finished, his teacher thanks him and says that he must publish it under this latter’s name. Chaim is bewildered. He has given up everything in order to write this book and now it should be published as the work of his teacher? He has to ask himself what his true purpose had been, sharing Kabbalistic teachings with mankind or wanting to be the famous author of this work.

A plague breaks out in the town and the teacher Itschak becomes ill. On his deathbed he asks Chaim to continue working on the book, anonymously. He reminds him of the 72 secret names of God which should lead him to the Ark of the Covenant, buried for thousands of years under Temple Mountain in Jerusalem. However, Chaim has had enough of his teacher’s lessons. He goes in search of Francesa whose husband has also died from the plague. She convinces him that her father was the one who couldn’t rise above his own egoism, not Chaim. At last they can give themselves over to their love and decide to build a new life in Jerusalem. On the way they ritually burn Chaim’s manuscript so that he can make a final break with his teacher and move on.

In Jerusalem, Francesca asks Zimra, Itschak’s lifelong rival, for help in finding accommodation. Like Itschak, Zimra has long hunkered after finding the Ark of the Covenant and realizes that Chaim knows the secret. He takes his chance. He gives Francesca a sleeping draft and leaves her surrounded by deadly scorpions which will have kill her if she shows fear when she awakens. He uses the kidnap to force Chaim to reveal the hiding place of the Ark. Through his love for Francesa, Chaim is forced to complete Itschak’s final mission. In secret tunnels under Temple Mountain he finds the Ark and meets Shekina, God’s female counterpart. He sees how he has been driven all this time by lust rather than love. He realizes that he will only attain ultimate wisdom when he joins himself to his true love. Wisdom is true and unconditional love. But it is too late to save Francesa from the scorpions. Chaim returns to his landlady Anna. He realizes that a student does not serve his master by remaining a poor student. Chastened by his experiences he has finally attained the proper state in which to write his book, as Itschak had imagined it. Four hundred years later this book finds its way to a large public.

Geert Kimpen