SECT AND SEX: FRANKISTS

Aug.26, 2014 - Sex and religion are as old as humanity. Among the numerous ones, somes exist so discreet and secret as that one of the Frankists. The founder was Jacob Frank whose real name is Yankiev Leibovitz (1720-1791). He was born in a ghetto in Galicia. Restless spirit, but endowed with a deep understanding and a persuasive eloquence, he went to Salonika as a teenager where he received a Judeo-Islamic initiation in the sect of Denmeuh.

On this occasion he became a Muslim telling the Chehadda and adopted the mystic name of Frank.

By family tradition, Frank knew Kabbalah, especially the practical one. From Turkey, he came to Poland and Wallachia and began to preach in the synagogues, to the indignation of the Orthodox Talmudists.

His doctrine was heretical and even scandalous. He claimed he was the Messiah, having been incarnated previously in King David, the prophets Elijah and Mohammed and Sabbatai Cevi. At his time, his inflamed preaching and secret doctrine attracted many followers.

Under the pretext of glorifying the Shekhina, Frankists celebrated orgiastic rites during clandestine meetings. Orthodox Jews spying them discovered that they were committing great sins according the jewish Bible: adoration of a naked woman, sodomy and sin of Onan, that is to say, they let loose their seed... They were denounced to the secular arm and an anathema was launched against them.

Frank denied the scenes of debauchery or more accurately attributed to them a sacred and non libidinous character. He said he interpreted by these collective acts the following verses of Zobar:

"The desire that feels a woman for a man looks like the clouds that rise first from Earth to Heaven. After forming clouds is the Sky that waters the earth ... the desire that the woman feels for her lover awakes only when the head of the Just (the phallus) penetrates her. That’s when the woman throws water towards the fertilizing matter of the male."

In great danger of being tortured and killed, Frank became catholic and most of his followers did the same thing. Other repented (or pretended to do so) and entered into the orthodoxy of Israel. Soon the Catholic hierarchy had doubts about the sincerity of Frankists and Frank was jailed without any trial for thirteen years. It was released in 1771 by the Russians who invaded Poland. He gained his freedom by converting himself to the orthodoxy of Moscow.