Rav Moshe Alshich greatly wished to study the secrets of Kabbola, especially since word of the Arizal’s teachings began to spread. He was distressed that others had been chosen while he was neglected and tearfully he came begging before the Arizal, kissed the hem of his clothing. He fell before his feet, kissing them, and wept, “Master, what sin have I committed? Of what crime am I guilty that you do not draw me close as a talmid like Rav Chaim Vital and Rav Yitzchok Falcon?”
The Arizal answered him that his soul had not come down into this world to study Kabbola and the secrets of Torah; rather, he was to master and disseminate the simpler, revealed form of Torah called peshat, because in a previous gilgul (incarnation) his soul had already mastered Kabbola, for he was a spark of the soul of Chutzpis the Meturgemon (translator).
“If you think I am just making excuses to put you off,” said the Arizal, “I shall give you a sign that will prove my words true: tomorrow, as I pass by on the road with my talmidim to go and greet Shabbos and accept the Shabbos day – if you see us passing by, it is a sign that I have been putting you off with excuses. If, however, you fail to see us pass you by on the road, it is a sign that I am telling you the truth.”
And so it was that Rav Moshe Alshich prepared himself, purchased provisions for Shabbos, dressed in Shabbos clothes and sat all ready and prepared by midday at the roadside, waiting eagerly for the Arizal and his talmidim to pass by. Finally, after waiting some time, a great, overwhelming tiredness passed over Rav Moshe and he fell asleep. He slumbered on as the Arizal passed by with his talmidim and did not wake and did not see them. After they had passed him, the Arizal sent back some talmidim to wake him so that he would not be left at the roadside alone and in danger. When he awoke, he was startled, confused and upset at having somehow missed the Arizal when he had passed right by!
“Didn’t I tell you,” admonished the Arizal, “that your soul has not come to the world this time to study Kabbola? Do not burden yourself with this matter any longer! Instead work on your seforim to teach peshat and they will become famous worldwide and generations afterward will study them.” From then on the Alshich did not seek to study Kabbola with the Arizal any more. (Shivchei HoArizal)
Similarly, the Chida writes in Shem HaGedolim #101 that when the Arizal refused to teach the Alshich Kabbola the Alshich complained and the Arizal responded that Rav Moshe Alshich’s soul in its present gilgul came to perfect the aspect of derush and not sod – sermons and not secrets.
