mdd1,
Rambam never learnt Kabbola.
The fact that the Rambam learned Kabbala (at least at the end of his lifetime) has been discussed and passed down by all of the Chabad Rabbeim in the name of the Baal Shem Tov.
Here are some non-Chabad sources:
The Migdal Oz (student of the Rashba) writes in his peirush to Mishneh Torah (??’ ????? ????? ?”? ?”?) that he found proof that the Rambam learned Kabbala at the end of his life:
?????? ??”? ?”? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??. ??? ??? ?”? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ???’, ??????? ??? ????? ????? ???????? ???????? ???? ????? ????? ????”? ?”? ????? ?????? ?????. ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?”? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? …
Shomer Emunim (????? ????? ?? – brought also in Avodas Hakodesh) writes that a certain Rav Yaakov traveled to Mitzrayim and taught the Rambam Kabbalah, and the Rambam would praise it to his students:
?? ????”? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????, ??? ???? ??? ?????? ????”? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?????”? ?”?, ????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????????, ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??’
Abarbanel (???? ???? ??”?) writes that the Rambam was taught Kabbalah, and the Rambam lamented that if he would have discovered it earlier in life he would have retracted several things that he wrote (!!):
??? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????: ‘???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ???’. ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ????.
The same idea was written in Seder Hadoros:
?????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????: ?????? ?????? ????”? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????, ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?????, ????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ???, ????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?????
So why, dear mdd, do you state so unequivocally that the Rambam didn’t learn Kabbala?
P.S. There are indeed other sources that imply (from the Arizal) that the Rambam did NOT learn Kabbalah. There are source both ways.
The Radziner Rebbe (Rav Yerucham Leiner) once wrote on the topic of the Rambam knowing Kabbalah (???”? ??? ????? ??????).
The Lubavitcher Rebbe wrote him a letter (????? ???? ?”? ???? ??”? – ???? ????) with several he’oros, and among them:
?) ?’ 174. ?????”? ??? ???? ?????, ???? ?? ???? ?”? ??”? ????”? ????”? ????? ???? (??? ????) ???? ???? ?? ????”?, ?? ??? ???”? ??? ?????? ? ??????? ????? (???? ???? ??????-??? ?”? ?’ 41)15. ???? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ??”? ???”? ???? ???????? ??????”? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ???????, ??? ????”? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?????. ??????? ?? ???”? ????”? ???’ ???’.
There were several other occasions where the Lubavitcher Rebbe commented on this as well.