Reshit Chochmah Sha'ar Yirah

ראשית חכמה is a foundational 16th-century work of מוסר written by רבי אליהו די וידאש that serves to translate the complex, hidden mysteries of the זוהר into a practical guide for spiritual and ethical living. Structured around five "gates"—יראה (awe), אהבה (love), תשובה (repentance), קדושה (holiness), and ענווה (humility)—the text argues that the "beginning of wisdom" is the refinement of one's מדות and the purification of the soul. It was written in the kabbalistic center of Safed to provide a roadmap for דבקות, moving the reader beyond mere intellectual study toward a life of constant divine attachment and rigorous self-sanctification.