How old do you have to be to learn Kabbalah? (I think its 60 ) but it seems everyone learns it anyway (Maharal, Chassidus). Is there a defense or is it just done?
Answer
Rabbi Haim Vital in his introduction to Sefer Eitz Haim gives three pre-requisites to learn Kabbalah, 1) A person must be married 2) A person must have learned Gemarra for five years 3) A person must be 20 years of age.
Rav Ovadyah Hedayya (He was the Chief Kabbalist of Israel, as well as the Av Beit Din of Jerusalem, and Rav Ovadyah Yosef's Rav) in his seer De'ah V'Haskeil( 1:1) states that a person who is an exceptional talmid hakham may begin younger than 20 (as did his own father), though he must still be married (though it should be noted he let that requirement slide for Rav Kaduri). He also stated that a person as young as Bar Mitzvah who meets none of the requirements may, and in fact should learn Zohar.
Rav Ovadyah Yosef rules that a person needs to be married, 20, and knowledgable in the laws of Issur V'Heter(Yehave Da'at 4:47)
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