A Soul for Peshat and Not for Sod

It is told that Rav Moshe Alshich greatly wished to study the secrets of Kabbalah, especially as word of the Arizal's teachings began to spread. He was distressed that others had been chosen while he was passed over. Tearfully he came before the Arizal, kissed the hem of his clothing, fell at his feet and kissed them, and wept, “Master, what sin have I committed? Of what crime am I guilty that you do not draw me close as a talmid, like Rav Chaim Vital and Rav Yitzchok Falcon?”

The Arizal answered that his soul had not come into this world to study Kabbalah and the secrets of the Torah. It was to master and spread the simpler, revealed form of Torah called peshat, because in a previous gilgul (incarnation) his soul had already mastered Kabbalah, for he was a spark of the soul of Chutzpis the Meturgemon (translator).

“If you think I am only making excuses to put you off,” said the Arizal, “I will give you a sign that will prove my words. Tomorrow I will pass along the road with my talmidim to greet Shabbos and accept the Shabbos day. If you see us pass, it is a sign that I have been putting you off with excuses. But if you do not see us pass by on the road, it is a sign that I am telling you the truth.”

And so Rav Moshe Alshich prepared himself. He bought provisions for Shabbos, dressed in his Shabbos clothes, and by midday sat ready at the roadside, waiting eagerly for the Arizal and his talmidim to pass. After some time a great tiredness came over him and he fell asleep. He slept on as the Arizal passed by with his talmidim, and he did not wake and did not see them. After they had passed, the Arizal sent some talmidim back to wake him so that he would not be left alone and in danger at the roadside. When he woke, he was startled, confused and upset that he had somehow missed the Arizal when he had passed right by him.

“Didn't I tell you,” said the Arizal, “that your soul did not come into the world this time to study Kabbalah? Do not burden yourself with this any longer. Work instead on your seforim to teach peshat, and they will become famous worldwide, and generations afterward will study them.” From then on the Alshich did not seek to learn Kabbalah from the Arizal.

The Chida writes something similar in Shem HaGedolim (number 101). When the Arizal refused to teach the Alshich Kabbalah and the Alshich complained, the Arizal answered that in his present gilgul the Alshich's soul had come to perfect the aspect of derush and not sod, sermons and not secrets.