Siman 280

(40.) Sunday the 25th of Nisan 5570 — he was speaking with me about the novelties of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory who revealed new things in the world. For the narration of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory is a new thing — something that had never previously been revealed as such a narration. Only in the writings of the Ari of blessed memory is there also in some places something of this nature. And afterwards he praised very greatly the writings of the Ari z"l that revealed wondrous novelties as is known to the entire world — for he was then studying the book Likutay Torah of the Ari of blessed memory, and there... and there are wondrous novelties there, as is well known. And he took as an example the verse [Genesis 22]: "These eight Milcah bore" — where the Ari of blessed memory revealed a wondrous novelty, for eight times "these" etc. See there. Afterwards he answered and said that no one at all looks at this — that all that was revealed was only in the part of Asia, for all the aforementioned matters were there only in the part of Asia. And in truth, in the holy Torah everything is explained — for the Torah relates to all of them; for example, Ashkenaz is explained in the Torah — only that the Torah does not make a complete narrative of all of them. Rather, it speaks of them and casts them aside, and where it wants it makes a complete narrative — such as Laban and the like, of which it makes some narrative. Nevertheless, in the Torah all of them are alluded to. But the great ones of the ancients revealed only from the part of Asia. And in truth there were many lands also in the other parts of the world, even before the Giving of the Torah — for at the time of the Giving of the Torah there were already lands far from there that the knowledge of the Giving of the Torah reached by post, such as the land of Saxony, which was a land already from before the days of Abraham our father, peace be upon him; and the land of Ungarn (Hungary) is also a very old land — and the like: other lands that are not in the part of Asia but in the other parts of the world. And of those parts they did not speak at all — only of the part of Asia — for all the lands they speak of, such as Egypt and the like, and such as the aforementioned "these eight," are all only in the part of Asia. Only in the holy Torah is everything alluded to — for Moses our Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, knew of all of them. And he said that all these deeds that are done throughout the world — all of them certainly allude to supernal things, for there is nothing empty in the world. For the world does not rest at all, even for one moment — and they are always doing. And certainly every deed in the world alludes to what it alludes to. But they are only mere hints against the Infinite and the Endless — meaning that all of them are only hints of what will be made in the future, for there will be a renewal of the world. And he said in these words that all that is done is only "wire work" (draht arbet) against all the worlds etc. — and the matters are ancient. And he told much more about this, and it is impossible to explain in writing — for these are lofty and deep and very hidden matters: the hidden secrets of His conduct, may He be blessed. And one who heard these things from his holy mouth could estimate somewhat in his mind where these things reach — even though there was no one who understood them; nevertheless, according to what can be estimated in the heart, they could estimate somewhat etc.: