#199: Rav Yosef Karo II - The Maggid: A Voice From Heaven

Over a period of 30 years, Rav Yosef Karo wrote of his encounters with a divine messenger, an angel which identified itself as the living essence of the Mishna. The most public manifestation took place on an extraordinary night of Shavuos in Salonika in 1533.

19th-century critics dismissed the mystical journal as a complete fabrication, but ground-breaking research and archaeological evidence have vindicated its authenticity.

The personal side of his halachic decision making is clearly evident throughout his numerous responsa, whereas the Printing Press allowed his Shulchan Aruch to become available across the Jewish world, despite various omissions - when publishers cut introductions to save space !

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Timestamps: 00:00 – Printing omissions and errors in early Jewish texts00:32 – Introduction to History for the Curious01:12 – Episode dedication and sponsorship01:40 – Return from Radin and introduction to Part 202:33 – Pronouncing Rabbi Yosef Karo’s name and the episode’s main topics03:07 – The Maggid Mesharim: Rabbi Yosef Karo’s private spiritual diary03:37 – What is a Maggid?05:23 – How Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Mishnah study led to revelation06:10 – The Maggid’s guidance on Torah study and daily life08:02 – Other rabbis associated with Maggidim and heavenly revelations08:32 – The contents of the Maggid Mesharim09:25 – Using the Maggid’s teachings in public sermons10:24 – Practical halachic rulings attributed to the Maggid14:09 – Why Rabbi Yosef Karo recorded the Maggid’s words14:35 – The famous Shavuot-night revelation in Salonica16:24 – How the group recognized the Maggid’s voice16:51 – Can heavenly revelation influence halachic decisions?18:46 – The Maggid’s authority outside practical halacha19:30 – Chronological problems created by early editors21:00 – Claims that the Maggid Mesharim was a forgery24:37 – Manuscript evidence supporting the work’s authenticity26:07 – Why Rabbi Yosef Karo did not cite the Maggid in his main legal works26:30 – Joy, fear and fasting on Rosh Hashanah29:30 – The three major authorities behind the Shulchan Aruch31:09 – Resolving contradictions between the Beit Yosef and Shulchan Aruch32:11 – The first printing of the Shulchan Aruch33:39 – Missing introductions and mistakes made by printers34:22 – Early editions and the monthly Shulchan Aruch study cycle36:40 – The Rema’s additions to the Shulchan Aruch38:15 – Rabbi Yosef Karo’s responsum concerning decorative images40:30 – A disputed religious image on a gold object41:32 – Rabbi Yosef Karo’s strict response and textual reasoning43:15 – Eyewitness descriptions of Rabbi Yosef Karo and his yeshiva44:20 – A modern controversy about truth, plagiarism and academia46:48 – Aseret Yemei Teshuvah: confronting truth and reality48:28 – Closing thanks, listener feedback and the next episode