The Locked Box Mystery: How Ramchal's Writings Were Preserved for Generations

On the third day of Av in the year 1730, nearly three hundred years ago, the elderly Rabbi of Padua, Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan, was seen in the Jewish quarter following two porters lugging a large, heavy wooden crate. His assistants showed them the way to the home of Moshe Alperon, one of the wealthiest Jewish community members in Padua. The porters placed the crate in a room designated by Alperon, and Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan affixed two locks on it. One key was given to the Rabbi of the local yeshiva, and the other to a respected banker in the city. After this, everyone left Alperon's house, where he returned to his business.

What was hidden inside that mysterious crate, and why did it need to be locked with such an official ritual?

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, known as Ramchal, was a prodigy. By age fourteen, he had already mastered the Talmud, the Zohar, and the writings of the Ari. He devoted his days and nights to Torah study and was blessed with a melodious voice, serving as the cantor at the Ashkenazi synagogue in Padua. From a very young age, he was a dedicated student of Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan. As he matured, he entered the University of Padua to study medicine, and by eighteen, he had already become a renowned scholar and intellectual. He began to write various books, which gained significant fame.

At nineteen, he received rabbinic ordination and started teaching students alongside his friend and pupil, Rabbi Moshe Valli (though older, Rabbi Valli considered himself a disciple due to Ramchal's great wisdom). They formed a group called "Seekers of Hashem." According to their charter, the study of the Zohar had to be audible in their hall continuously, with special shifts arranged for this purpose. Ramchal flourished in Torah and began writing extensively, particularly in Kabbalah. At twenty, he experienced a revelation from a heavenly guide, which further increased his prolific writings on the most complex and profound topics in Kabbalah.

One of Ramchal's students, Rabbi Yekutiel Gordon, overwhelmed by the abundance of revelations and secrets Ramchal taught, wrote letters to several famous European rabbis, inviting them to learn from Ramchal. These rabbis perceived it as arrogance, questioning why they should study under a twenty-year-old also educated in university, speaking foreign sciences. Among them was Rabbi Moshe Chagiz, especially vocal in his worries, fearing Ramchal's teachings echoed those of the Sabbateans, who had dangerously misrepresented Kabbalah.

The Venetian rabbis convened to evaluate, finding no fault in Ramchal. They deferred to Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan, Ramchal's mentor, making him the point of contact for addressing Ramchal's case. Though Rabbi Yeshaya deeply admired his student, he was obligated to investigate the claims from various regions rigorously. Meanwhile, opposition grew in many Jewish cities, as individuals extracted sentences from his works, showing them to rabbis to demonstrate what they considered threatening ideology.

Rabbi Bassan announced that he would personally meet with Ramchal and address all questions, ensuring a just trial. Any further accusers would face consequences after a thorough examination. While some rabbis accepted Rabbi Bassan's judgment, others were furious and unwilling to concede, preferring to judge matters themselves rather than rely on the Italian rabbi. Observing this, Rabbi Bassan proposed that Ramchal vow not to write further books, while the rabbis would, in turn, cease their accusations. This compromise softened the opposition, leading Ramchal to solemnly swear not to produce more writings.

Ramchal's detractors insisted that his manuscripts, an extensive collection, remain unpublished and instead be stored securely, following his promise. Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan agreed, believing it would benefit Ramchal, preventing further conflict with his adversaries. Thus, the procession of the large wooden crate, containing Ramchal's hundreds of compositions, was sent into containment.

Ramchal later immigrated to Israel, where he briefly taught Torah. Unfortunately, a tuberculosis outbreak in Safed claimed Ramchal and his family. Yet, his writings remained locked away, secretly preserved by his followers, fearful they might be destroyed by his opponents.

Recognition of Ramchal's greatness first came from the Vilna Gaon, who later invalidated the criticisms against him. The Vilna Gaon once remarked that if Ramchal had been alive, he would have walked to study under him. Subsequently, Ramchal's influence reached the leaders of the Hasidic movement. Inspired by the Vilna Gaon, scholars resurrected Ramchal's concealed writings. While some of these works were published by his intellectual descendants, others emerged more recently, thanks to Rabbi Chaim Friedlander. As a result, Ramchal's writings resurfaced, now recognized as profound texts tackling complex Kabbalistic issues.