- Sefer Yetzirah - The Book of Creation (Aryeh Kaplan Version)
The Book of Creation @ /In Theory .and IPractice , Revised IEdition I ARYEH KAPLAN ------------------- Copyrighted
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The Book of Creation @
/In Theory .and IPractice , Revised IEdition
I ARYEH KAPLAN
-------------------
Copyrighted material
The Book of Creation Revised Edition
ARY~H
KAPLAN
WEISERBoOKS 60s ton, MN'Yo rk Buc h, ME
edition pobl» ' ~ i. 1m by Reel \\'h«L/'WeiMr, u.c VOlt. Beach, ME \\-l1li otrk:a l1li 368 eo.,r- s_ il'n,., MAOUI O ~iltd
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,....1tNIwftMr, ~
OlpyriJll; C 1m Tbo £Itt'_ 01 ArydI KIj 1M All ri&f'iII r( I rr ; ~ No pM ollhis p,N;' m.". .... y he .... "h.....! or U'IIISIlIiIWd irI .,. fum or by lIlY _IN. mb' '- or n .... l 1-i...1, iDoIudi!It pl.... ' • ., .... _dI&a;, or by...,. iIIfonnacioD ...... mol .«Iienl I,.... ...... id .... ",",Fill;"" iII..-riIiq fmm Reel WhceIlWciKr, u.c. ,"",it.. at l1li)' ~ brid' p 7 Ori&inz.l ..til" . , nTiiJlot c I\II9OThd i... olAr)'eral, the Kabbalah is divided into three cat~rimmemaries we ha" e refrained from translatin, il in the imperative, but
"
,
" implications commentary_ tile
of such
3
readin,
all'
di$CU~Kd
in
Ihe
What ""C therefore have In Sefer VelIitah 'pIXat$ 10 be an instructional manual, describin& tenain mediUlt;ve exercise>. Then:
is some evidence Ihal these exercises were melnt 10 strenJlhen the initiatc's oon«ntralion. and were panicuLtrly helpful in Ihe development of telekinetic and telepathic pOWer$. It ""as with these pOwers Ihal onc ,",'OuLd Ihen be able 10 pcri"onn feats Ihal outwardly appeared 10 be maJjcal. This is su pponed by the T almudical ref~nca, which appea r \0 compare Ihe UK ofSefer Vctrirah \0 I kind o(wllite ma&ic.' An imponant 13th "nuury commentator wrilCS thaI students of Serer Velzirah were liven a man~pt of tile book Ruiel, a mlgia! text containing seals, mqic:al ftgUTeS, di ... ine names and incantationl.·
The Text The Sd"er Yeuilllh is a vny lI11all and concise boot. In its Shon Version, it is only """'" 1JOO ""'Of'tIs Ion" "nile the I..on& Venion (lOII\.ains approximately 2500 words. The Gra Version used in this lransblioo cornairu; IIrQIJnd 1800 ..."Qrds. So lhort is the text. thaI one of the earliffi fragments appean 10 have 1M entire book "";t1efl on • si"lle pqe. ' Tbc'n: is speculation that the oriainal souroe may have oonuoined as few illi
240 worm.'
The present tut contains six chapten, and in I()me editions. I~ Ire said to paraUtlthe six orden of 1M Miiiblllh.' Some anped beyond Ille state of bein, a ~lI idden SCfOII.~ Different venions may have bttn tauJht b~ "arioos teachen, and, sin~ tile te~\ WlS never openly pun. lislled. there .....s no .... ay in wllich these "enions could be COfTlPlln:d and rorrttled. Furtllermore. many ma .... inal nOtes may have bttn inoorporal«l inlO tile lUI , also produdn, d iffertnl version$. All Ihis may provide an ex planation for the fact Ihat then: is no Hebrew classic Il1al is foond with so many ,·enion. and variants as the Sefer Yellirah . II :oeems highl)' probable t hai the Sefer Yetzi rah was aln:ady in its prnenl form .... hen the Mishnah was n:dlKted in the yel r 204 CL The Mishnah "'IS edited by Rabbi Yelll,ldah the Prince ( IH~22Q.-.), usually rrfem:d to simply as "Rebhi. ~ II is indeed possible that there i~ " reference to Sefer Yrtzirah in Ihe Mishnah itself. In one of the few places where it di'ICUsse5 et(lleric lore. the Mishnah states, ~The mysteries of creation (M~ Bt reshil) mlYnot be expounded in the: pll'sen~ of t\V() di5ciples, and the mysteries of the Marklva (M aa.H'h Markin'lll may not be npounded even in the prnence of one, unle" he is wise:. underslandin, with his kno .... Ied'e. ~ .. no.. teTTT'i M~ M t!rluzva n:fns 10 the meditative methods uxd 10 ascend 10 the hillier spiritual n:alms." Although such Jal~ pb.~ phen as Maimonides claimed thaI this in,'QIved philosophical. sprcuJa. lion, the most ancien! ooun:es dearly 5tale tllat Maasth MarIcawJ dealt with the meditati~e methods used !'or spiritual ascent." A. such, it was C'OfIsidcm;! the mosl ...oteric of all ipiritual exercises. Acwrdin, to many aUlhorities, Maa.H'~ 8~il refen \0 the mysteries of Sef~ Yetzirah." Since .... e know Ihlt M(fQ.J ..... allO • ....,., o f Scfer Ye\zitlll,>< A &elocution lalu, we: thus filld I II account o f IWO of Rebbj'I diKipies de.rly invol~ in !he m)'lteries O(ScfeT ytUirah.. TheTa!mud Il:lala, ~Rabbi Hani ... and Rabbi Hoshia WOIIId ~ themselva in xfer YnUl"lh C\'tI'y IFrid.ayJ before the Sabt.lh, would create for tMlNClvCl I. prime» air, and would eat il.·,. AnolhcT vcnion of this accounl IIlln thl' they C1IPaN ill Hi/JcJtof ytrzjroA (Ruin 0( Crn.tioll)' rather than We.- Velum." The term Hi/JcJtof, !lowevel', call apply \0 phikMiphK:al ",In I, .-d11U ItpI OIKS." I" I(lme oflM most ancient manllJeripta, Serer YelZirab il actllally til~ HillcJt« Yttrinzh." Then: art: many inle1'pretations as IOuactly wMl thne lWO ..... *XX)il1p1ilMd in cre&lill,llUch I calf. and why !My did it. Some say thai they did 1101 actually creale • ph~'SicaI Qlf. but ern!rd JUCh • clclr medital i,-c imqe Ihll 1M spirilulllilisf.nion was 'he.arne u ellin,.- Evm luch • K.ibNlis.t at Abraham AhuJar.. (124().1296) maintain. thai I~r ~'Iion ..... mystical rather than physical." Tbc R.m~ (Rabbi Shlomo ben Adem: 123S- III 0) saw pertintLar sipjf"",nee in lhe fad 11111 Ihey would mpar in Ihis on Friday, lhe day ia "'hid! mlmmlls wn-e oriainlUy cn:lltderIec that Abraham _ vCf1ed in allrolocY. a position clearly round ia !M:fer Ynzirah. There is alto evidence lhal Rav Ydtudah lamed the mymrics of the 42 1et\e1' Nlme from Rav.As In initiale into 1M mysleries otSder Ycuirah, Rav Yehlldah would also ILave a dottp IInckf1l&n,dina of lhe mysticallipiflCallCe of Ihe Hdtrew lIIn,uaac- We Ihul find IILaI he cmpbuiml. the 11K of the
SEFER YET7.IIlAIt H~w
lan&u.a&e. even in his daily convenal ion." Ray Y~hlldah abo mainl.ined Ihal pr;oy~r ~uld ~ yoiad in H~brew, and nOi in Ihe Aramaic y~mac\llar," Th~ Talmud relal~ Ihal R... Y~f knew Ihe mYSlmn of Ihe Marhva . .... hile the ~elden of Pumpadila" _re versed in the mysleri~ m ereation. Ra,· Y~fgolille elders 10 leach him Ihe mysleries of creal ion. bul would nol enll1lSI them with lhe Marhva mysteries in return." This indicaleS Ihat the my'l~rin of Ihe MarkaYi. Bnd lhose of Sefer Yelz;rah .... e,.., ta""'l by different ..::hools. and lhal members of one school did nOI know tile leachinp ofille olher. "The lWO involved di ff~nt discipline., and nre was taken 10 k~p tllem scparale. This also ans"'iers the Queslion as 10 wh y Ihe Sd"er Yelzirah is ne"er men_ tioned in Ille lIrld!aIOl. lhe classic of Marbva lilerature.Ol The Marhv. lilenllu", !k~1oped in a schoollhal mi&ht have not had .callS to xfer Ye!rirab, even lhough ce"ain of ils members_re definilely ~ersed in it. In Ihe same (:Onlext, xfu Yelzirall is men· tioned hut a vcry fno' timn in IIIe Zohar. and then. not in the main lexl."
In Ihat period. Ihere were some saln who nclle",-w thl':lC m~ teries complel~ly. Such an ind ividual was Rabbi Elazar ben Padat. " '1\0 beaded the aeadem)' in Tiberiu. after the dealh of Rabbi Yachanan in Ihe year 279 CL When Rabbi Yachanan h not in order. If Ihey were in [correct[ order. an)'One . '1\0 read lkem would be . bk 10 [cl"(>ate I World.} murreel III-e dead, and perfo"" miradt'S.. A generalion later. "'C find IWO impo"ant sqes aCli~dy enpaed in Iht mysteries of Sefer Yetzirah. The firsl was Rava (29'J-lSJ 01 completely f= from Ihe !lint of si n. and as long as man sins. he cannot partake of the po""rs of the (realor.'OI Only God can make a man who can speak.. This is tile first mention of the creation of a GoIem in Hebraic literalure , but in the middle ail's. several other jnstanr (&p/rarj
and wilh rommunjCQ/ion (Sippl/r).
With 32 As the nu.t stanu will ex plain, lhesoe 12 paths are mlnifest as the 10 diajts and the 22 kmers ofille Hebrew .lphabet. Tile 10 diails
are . lso manifest in the Ten Sefirol, which are the most basic ron""PiS of U;S1entt. The ~Iers and diails arc Ille basis of tile mO'iI buk i~nll of c",uion. qualily and quantily. ' TlIt: qualities of Iny Jiven Ihinl can be described by words fonmd out of tile letten, whik all of its • .sociated q WLntilies can be expiC ' m by numbers. Numben, however, canDO! be defined until there eJlisu some element of plurality in creation. The Creator Him5l:If il absolutely
•
SHEll
Tab!!. 2 .
n.c 32 Path,
Y~IR,o.H
in Gfnesis l.
0. In 1M beainni11l God created KeleT H,b 2. The . pinl of God hovered Otilkhm.ah God said, let there be liaht God saw the li&hl thaI il .....
,.
•
Elemental
,
Sefirah2
""
""""" ,
V ••
Ekmcn1.l.l 2
layin Binah
Elemental) Sefuah 3
Akf
heaven
"",
Mother I Elemental 4
God said , le\ th e waten he
a...I
SefinLh 4
""" , s.
Sefinah I
God divided betwem the li&h! and darkness
,.
,•• " ".".
D.
". ". "". ".".
God called the liabl day God said. leI there be ... firma~n l
God made the finnamcn! God caIled tIM: finnament pl""red
God called the dry land t anh T" God loa'" lha[ ;1 was ,oad Gimel God !;lid. ki the urth he ~&eUlcd
God 'laW WI it " 'l IS sood God said. let IbeTe be luminaries God malk lwo lumi naries God placW them in the firmamen t God sa w Ibal ;\ wlS JOOd God gid, lei the walen swarm 20 God crealed veal whales
"'~""
0.,,,
Elemental S Double 2 Sefinh 5
Tifere\
Double J Srfinh 6
"= Tod
MOlher 2 Elemental 6
Kof
Neuach
"'""" Sefirah
Lorn"
Elemental 7
. 7
no . . blt s
P,b 20. God saw Iha1 ;1 wal sood 22. God blessed them. be f!'\lilfu] No"
Elemental 8
and m ultiply 2l. God If,J.id, let the earth brin,
Hoo
Sefirab 8
Shin
MOtMr 3
"""
Double 6
".
fonh animals God made the beasts of the
field 2S. God saw that it was JOOd 26. God SII id, let III make milll H . God created man
T""" Samd:h
Sefilllh 9 Ekmental9
,
.,."..~
Tattle 2. l'hc. 32 Path '! in (A:nes;, I (cool inued l I
In Ihe fonn of God He ~ .lIed him 29. God blessed them 30. God said. be {",itflll and multiply
" "
God said, bellold I have Jiven you 12. God saw.1l Ihal He had made
Eyin
Elerrn:nlal 10
Tzadi Malkho,u
Elemental II Scfirah 10
K"'
Elemental 12
T..
Double 7
simple, CQfIlJlininl no plunoli ty wbalsoevcr. He is the mosl absolute
unity imqinable. ThuefOnl:, plurali ty only came into nistmee witb tile advent of (relIt;on. Only tllen C(luld oo.un1)en be defi ned. The lim elemcm. of plurality in creuion involved the Ten SefiI'Ol. Hence, it was the Sefirot tbal defmed tbe numbe", and theref~. tile concept of quantity in SClK ral. Most of Se(cr YetziTllb will deal with these 32 ~Ihs. as they InI: m.., ifes! in the 1ellel'$ and nllmben. The )2 PIIthi. lhemsd'"n. h0wever, win not be mtnlioned apin. The uriy Klbbali.I' ddine Ihc:$e 32 tnths as different states of consciousness. A lisl of Ihest is Jiven in Appendix II . .... ccordin. to the Kabbalisu., these 32 palll. are aIllided to in the TORtI by the 32 limes tha' God's name Elohim appurs in tile aooounl of creIIlion in the fim cliapUr of Genesis.' In this account, lhe eJlpre5~ ~God Aid " app!'B ten limes, and these ~ the Ten Sayinp with wllich tile world ..... CTellted.' These Ten Sayi"" parallel !be Ten Sefinll.· The fim sayi", is said 10 be the verse, ~In the bqilllu", God created the Heaven and the Earth~ (Genesis I: L). Even tbou&h·God ,..,id" does no! I~ar~, il is implied Ind undemood.' The "'her 22 limes thai God's Den. Ind Ihe manner in wh ich they are used," The5C three boob e Pl'OCQSinl unil of ,he Divirw: domain in this 1TIOde. Finally, the W(ln.! Scfirah shares a root wi,h SipJnI' . which means "communicalion" and -t~lting. - The Sefirol ."" Ihe muns throu'" ""h id! God communicates .... i'h His c""alion. They a"" al50 the means through which man communicates wilh God . If!lOl for Ihe Sefirot. God . the Infinite Being. W(lul d ~ a~IUldy unknowable and unreachable . It is only through Ihe Scfirol Ihal I>e can be approached. Of course. as alilhe Kabbalisls ...-am. one should nosc normally on Ille fisht. as weI! as Ih e upper two ""01.... Scfirot. TItc ·remininc~ Scfirol 011 the left would include the three normally on 1M left. IC'I.,ther wit h the 10.....,' two ernler $dim'"' Tile fhe masculine Sefirot are often refen-ed 10 a. the fl,'" Ulves ( Ch~im). since they are on the side of Chesfti (Love). The live femini ne Sefirol are similarly called the five Stn:ngth.s (G...I/rol) b«au"" \My an: on lite side of Gcvurah (Slren&lh). S« lilure 7 on page l4. When Ihe Scfirot are in lbeir normal stale. arrayed in thrtt 001umns, they lilT- in :0. .Ulte of (quilibrium. BUI when the Sdirot of the central column a re moved to the fi&hl and left, SO as to divide lhe Sefirol inla two array'S, a pO'lmfu[ tension is produced. When they are in such a mode, powerful .piril~a1 foras can hi' directed and chan neled. Therefore. in many placa whc", God interfc"," directly with the ph)'Sical world. the script~re speaks of God's fin&en or hands. The most obvious case OCCUR with reference 10 creation ilself. which Ihe Psaimisl calis Mlhe work ofYo~r finsef3. Mas quoted abon. we simi. larly find. KMy (left] hand has founded the earth. and My ri&ht hoand has ",,",ad oUllhe heavensM (Isaiah 4&: 13). Before such a creative act ro~ld take pl.ce.• U the Sefirot had 10 be polarized to male and female sides, sencnotin, tension and fom:. JU$I . S h~man procreation involves male and female, so don Divine creat ion. Very closely related to this.,.., Ihe various actions that use Ihe hands 10 channd spiritual forca. These include Ihe layin, of hands, Ihe lift;n, of Ihe hands in the Printly Blessin" and the spreadin, of the hands in P'1Iyer. In aU lhex cases, the inlent is 10 channd the power of Ihe Ten Selirol through the ten Ii"","." In makiDJ thcm oolTQPOlld 10 lhe IWO hands, the Sefirot are polarized, creatillJ spirit. ~al tension, See liiu", 8 o n "'"'" 34. Once. s~ch tension exists, Ihro~Jh meditation ~n d eoncenl131ion, the po~ of the Selirol taO be focuoed and channeled,
And a singular covenanl The Hebrew hue is 8ril Yacltid. Some read 8r;1 Yichud, Ka unifyin, rovcnant,M b\lt the meaninl is similar." A similar concept is found in lhe lasl chapter ";Ih rellrd to AbBh.m (6:1). In JICIIenI. a
SEF(R YUZIR/lli
co"enanl (brif) is somelhini thn come'S bel"" Hn t""o s.eparale pans. The p~radilm Qfa C(lvenanl i, that .... hich God made .... ith Abraham ""hen he commanded him , ~Tu.e 10 Me a prime heifer. a prime female 1000t, a prime ram , a tunic dove, and a YOUDJ pileon~ ({knesis LS:9). 1O These fi~e animal. paralleled the five fl nll'''' Th...e of the animals .... en: di vided in half, SO lhalthe six halves ...,pn:sentcd Ihe ,ix Scfi,ol that an: nonnally to Ihe ri&hl and left. The four hal~el of the bi rds, ",-hich "",n: not divided, n:pn:senled Ihe fou r Scfirol .... hich • ..., normally in the ttmer line. Stt filun: 9.
\« 1c Ten Commandments wue al50
callffi the '''r.b1el$ of Ihe Cov.n.n l ~ (Deuteronomy 9:9). 11 was for Ihis IUson thaI they WCIT ,i'"cn IS IWO tablets, rather than as I sillJle one. When Ihe Ten Sefirol af"!: divided inlo lhis double amy, the place in the middle becomes the focus of spiritual tension. This place iSlllen called the -sillJular coven.nl~ or ·unifyi", oovenal1l. M
Circumcision o[ the Tongue The Hebrew ann! for Mcirc ... mcision Mis Milah. This same word, however, also means -word,- as we find, MGod', spirilSpc'"ks in me,
and His word (mUa/r) is on my 10000ue (2 Sam1.lcl 23:2). Hence Ihis can l1so be I",ollated, WI word of tbe IORJU",- The -,im.J,mc mysteries of the Torah." In I more &eneralilense, sucb circumcision denotes a nuency of speech. One wl\o cannot speak properly is said 10 have ·uncircumcised lips.- Moses Ihus said, ~Ho .. will Pharoah listen to me, when [ have Uncil'l:lImcised lips?" (bodIU 6:12). When one is liven Ihe POWff of proper spe«h, his 10nJlle i . said 10 be circumcised. Th is is both Ihe -cil'l:umcision~ and the "wo«1~ of lhe ton",e. A aood eumple of this is found in the Priestly BlcssinJ. H~, the priem ""i"" their hands and pronounce the blessin. outlined in
,
• (Numbers 6:22-27). TIle pritslS must raise thei' hands SO Ihal (hey aK )lrttiKly level with the mouth, as it is wrillnt, "Aamn lifted up his hands toward the people, and he ble!.Kd thcm (leviticus 9:22 )." n.e cohen-priest must oorn:enlralC on tile ract lhat lIis Icn linlers represent Ihe Ten Sdlro(. A•• mull of tile focus of • pin 15Criplu~
W
\Illl (0= ~ .... ~n hi51WO hand!, hi, tonlue is ·cireumcised." and his blessin, has its proper effccl. 11>e $Arne i. lruc of rai5ina onc', hands in prayer. Here apin. the two hands focus sprilua1 power SO at to "tirC\lmcise w the !0D.&Ut. allowin& the individual 10 pray effectively_ In 50'"" Kabbalistic meditative syslems. th.e raised hand ~tion ...... li kewise uSood 10 focus spiritual (""flY." Ii was for a vcry similar reason Ihat tile cohenpriesls had 10 ...·ash thcir hands and fect before CIIPlinl in !he divi..., service.'" This also provides insiJht inlo the 5it,nifiau>cc oftt>e tWO w (4 :4). The eishth day then "'pmenlS • 51ep above tlKo physical , ;1110 tile rcalm of the tran~l>\knla1-" ThroUJ,h the < covena nt of ciTCumcision also n:pn:sents the ehanntlin, of sexual ene'D. TIK sexual drive is one o f the mOSI poweful psycllolot· ical foKc$ in man. and when il is channeled alon, spiritual li nes, it can help brina One to Ihe hiJhCllt m~tical lIatt-l. In livinl tlK rommandmem of circumcision. God indicated that Ihe emotions and desires associated with se:x C(lukl be u~ for Ihe myslical quesl of the D ivine on a transcendental pla ne. The juxtapMilion bet"'ttn the MtiTCumcision o ft l>< tOlljue Mand the "circumc ision of Ihe rncmbrum expl.ins the prophelic position favored by Elij ah . TI>< scriptun: stales, "Elijah _nl up 10 Ihe lop of tl>< Carmel. enlranced himself On the around. and p1a«:ere is Chilkw, which uoually indicates anainin, tbr ultimate knowl~c of I IbillJ." The Sefer Yetzitah says that one should Mprobe from them.- As • ruuh of the spiritual power thai one I I\.Iinl from the Seftrol, ODe should probe each Ihi"l10 ill ultimate depth. Throuab one's ulXrienee of Ille Sdirot, one is 10 pin Ihe deepest possible iosiahl into everythilll in the world. Note cardully that 111., Sefer Yemrah does nolleD us to contemptlle Ihe Sefil'Ol Ihemselvn. Rlther, it instructs us 10 use them in developinlln inner siJht willi which 10 view the ..-und.·'
Mak£ [eachl thing Sland on its l!s.sence tn Ibis manner, one can learn how 10 pclcei>'t' the CSKnliai nalure of each Ihilll!' The Sefer Yeu:irah laYS, ~make ead mina lIand on its euence- 110 as 10 panllkllhe nexl p~, ~make the Crealar sil on Hi, baK,The Sefer Yeu:irah i5 abo india.tin, here Ihll when a penon perceives !he true spirilual nllure of I lhi .. a. he also elevltel !balmilll spiritually. -Sandina- men; 10 such elevltion.. The expression. -make eacll IlIilll SIOlUr theufore says thaI when one -probes from Ihem,- he denIes !he Ihin", th at he probn.
Make the Creator Sil on His Base The Hehrew word for - bi"- here is Mlllc1!on., and in a numbeT of places il is seen as lite place where God -sits.~ ThIlS, in his Plll~, Solomon spub of -the heaven , lhe hue (maJdtoll) of Your sinin,(I Kinas 8:39). The ",riplure Iikewix Siltes, -RishleClulnes5 and
,
Table 1 . 1M roor
u~ive"",", .
Universc:
Content
u,vel
Atzilut (Nearness. Emanation) Ileriyah (Creation) Yetzi",h (Formation)
Sdirot
Nothinaness
The Throne Aneels
A5iyah (Makein" Action)
Shade oft~ physical
Somethinl from Nolhinl Somethinl from SOmething Completion
judeement are the base (mokllQfl) of Your Throne~ (Psalm. 89: 15). In other places. the Bible speau of the Temple as bei", the ~ba.e~ upon which God sits." The word MaUCI' h=) comes from the root KOfl (to ). wbich is also the root of the word IfrieJrifl (r:lo'). meaninl -to prepare ..... Hence. Moklron refe", not merely to a physical bl.e. but to one that is specifica ll y prepared for I special purpose. T he Scripture thu s .... ys. - He founded the eanh on its base (mokJrOll)~ (Psalms J04: S). Th is verse indicates th at every thin, in the physicaJ world hal a specifie spiri,ual eo unter!>'l" and buis, throu", whieh it can be ele .. aled." In lene"'!. the anthropomorphism "sit.~ when used with ""peel to God. inditato a ~"" oflowmn ..." When a person sits down . he lowen his body. Similarly, when God "sit~ ~ He - Io...·c"'" His e_nce SO as to be concerned ...·ith His creation. When the Bible speaks of God' s Thron-c. ;t is speakin, of the vehicle Ihrough ""h ich He e>:preues such ronten!. In Kabbalah. there is lCfle",] n.J1e that every "awakenin, from below~ motivatn an "awakenin, from above." Thus, when I penon mentally elevltes each thin, to its spiritual essence. he also brin" spiritual wstenance (;hda) down to that !>'In icular obj«t. This sustenance can then be. channeled and u..cd by the individual. Under SOme conditions. this can be u..cd to actually brin, about physical chaDJeS in the world." The term Ma/dtoll is also inle'l'relW by the Talmud to indicate a pa ",lklism bctWttn the spiritual and the physical domains. IOII The " p"'pared basis~ (moklwII ) throuJl! which God ~$its' and cbannels His spiritual influence to the world is preci",,]y thi. Mald!c_l he parallel ism between the spiri lual and the physial. This is Ihe aspecl throuJl! ",hi-ch God ·sils, ~ and the scriptu~ therefore speaks as lhe ~ba"" (maklwn) of Your sillin&- ~
'I'
ate
"
In Ihis contut, Ihe ~fer Yetzirah herecall$ God the lOtz..... We have IranslltN th is as ~11le Creator.~ but a Il1OI'e accurate rendition would be ~Ihc Formo:r.~ or Ihe ~Onc " '00 forms." In Hebrew, there are tlllft words ""hich have similar meanin&-n..,y a.., Bartl. mcani na ~IO creale," YO/zar, meanin, MIO form.~ and ,bah, meaning I O make." Accordin&lo tile KabbaliS15, Bam ind iK
cates creation ex nihilo, "somclhin& from nOlltin&." Yat:ar denOtes formation of SOmelhin& from a ""bslance that already UiSi5, "somethin& from somelhina. " Asah has the connotation of the com-
pletion of an " ,ion.'-' The Kabbalist. leach Ihal tllt"'I pantller the !1I1ft s.upernal un;_ vcrvs, wbi'CIX. ~ H e founded (}wuad) the unh on its base (MukhOll).- we sec that Mc lerm "Throne" would ind icate the UnivelX of Beriyah, .... hieh il lhe world nr the Throne. Ma/cJrOll, on tl>c other hand. is a level of Yetzirah.
SEFER Y£TZ!RAH
'1ltl
1:5
c.n 1':W 117)1 lMO :W'~:I nti'J)O TUV
:llC i'll1V .n>""II'11't PC1V\ l1'tul'n pDlV :1')10 POW\ mlO 1'OlV 1VU1 i'01V\ 1m PJ:lW 111 IONJ ,1.;.0 ~ "J"I' Jl"11't cn"1 pat)1\ JUll' i'01)1 '"1V ..,)1 1)1 ltIV lWCC tTm:l I.;.tull:l
p~
Tf " !kfiror
of NOIhi"l nns:
Th~r mNlII" is 1m
1ticJr. iraOj' 110 ~mJ
1'..
A tkprJr of bqilrlli'lg A dfp(h of f"d A dfprJr of rood A dfpfJr of ~'iI A dfplh of abo>'t A d~p(h of~ A dfplJr of Nli A d~plJr of wnt A d~plJr of llOrth A d~p(h
ofJOf/rh
TIIf siltlular M(JJr" God foitJiful Ki", dcmiMt~ ~r IJr~m all from IfiJ holy dIwIling UMii er"ltiry of el"ltifin.
Here tile Sefer YelZirah defines tile five dimensional 1V>), which means "rore,-n and etemily." The npression "etem iIY." here del1(lles tile realm OUlsiou t Ihe flame. it would not be B burning coal. Since Cause cannot exist without Effect.. Effect is also the cause of Cause. In Ihis sense. Effect is Ihe cause. and Cause is the effect. Since bqi nninl and end a ~ inseparable, ~thei r end is imbNded in th~ir ~nninl, and Ih~i . bqinninl in their end.~ Thu s, even IhOlJgh Kel~r i. Cause an d Malkhul is Effect. Ih~", i. also a sense in ...·hieh Malkhul is Ihe cau:loe of Kele•. Onen in Kabbalah. where such a situation e~ist$, Keler is I«n as uistins on a 1o"'1:r level Ihan Malkh ul. Thus, for nample, Kner of Beriyah i. belo .... Malkhul of AlzilUl . and Keter of Yelzirah i. below Malkhul of Beriyah. As discussed earlier. Ihen: is no term Ihal can be used 10 describe God. God Himself cannot even be called the Cause. '" A cause is to some d~ee dependent on il' effecl, and God cannot be depend~nl on an ythi"&- The Kabbalists then:fo!l: teach thai befo,"" creating any.
SUER V£fZIRAH
o F;Kwr~
10. A
rin:l~
...';Ih 0 and N a$ I....... ''''Ii"""lal PO;Tl/t.
Ihin, else. God ~~aled Ihe roll«'Pl of ~Cause.~ This i. the !;efi.... h of KeteT (Crown). KeteT is Ilso often identified " 'ith Will. This, how_ ever, i. an an lhropomorphism, .illCC in man. will iSl he C4U.U' of all action .'" Thc Sefer Yetlirah therefore .tales Ihat "'tbe MUlcr i. Sinlular, He has no seoon.d_~ The s"firot may be inlcr&pcndent. but this don nOI ilKludc thc Infinitc Bein... Since God is ab500lulely unitary, He cannO! even be called lhe Cause, ,,;nu Ihi. would imply an effect 1$ a ~second.M When we " iew Ihe Sefirot as bein, len direclions in a fivedimensional continuum , _ Cltn also intc~ Ihis in anot.hcr manncr. Every ])IIir of Sefirot defines an infinite line, ""Iended infinitel) in bolh dim:tions. The end points of such an infinite line, however, come 100000her and meet 01lCC lIPin al the ~point II infinit).~ This is a fact ' ecosn ized by mathematician" and considcnoble usc of lbe Mpoi nt II infinit)~ ;. found in complex analyus, tlte calculu. of rompiCK numben. AlthouJ,h th is i•• hishly ab$t,*,1 concept. it is not Ihat difficull to understand. Imagine a circle, ... itll two antipodal poinlS. 0 and N. Obviou!.ly. two lines CKlendin, outward from Owill onu qain come IOJClller .t point N. B UI then what happens if we make the circle infinitely II,...,? The laller Ihc circle. Ihe closer the curve approaches I ItraiJht line. In Ihc limit whcrc the circle becomes infi nitely larae, the lines extendin, outward from poinl 0 actually bocome lIraishl, But still. tlte) oomc 10000her a1 poinl N. This point al infinit y is where alt endpoinlS meet. '" See filure 10. In ou r Ihr~imcnsional conlinuum . ...-e can likewise extend all lines outward infinitely. The end poinlS of all these linel WQUld th.cn be an infinite sphc~ Iurroundin, all $paU. Ho....ever, each opposin, ])IIiT of lines would m..,\ at the point a' infinily. and Ihcl-er~, all outJOin8 linc:s mu" m..,t at this po;nt. '"
" Thus. in one sense. Ihe entire three..:l imensional space continuum can be secn as surrounded by an infinite sphue. In anOlher sense, I>o",-c' -c '. Ihis entire infinite sphere can also be reprnenled by a sinale point - Ihe poinl al infinity. A point. however, ;s in finitely sman. Thus, the pOint 1I infi nity can be 5et:n as bein, both infinitely la1'JC and infinitely 5./TIall at Ihe ilarm lime. The same 4f1ume"1 can easi ly be utended \0 Ihe five. dimensional lIypcnpacc discussed in Serer YelZirah. Thus, if c"cry pai r of Sdirol defin es an infinite line , Ihe begin-
nin, of each line is ~imbeddedM in ils end . This is true of all the Sefirol. All opposites, in tlleit extreme case, berome joined as one. One en uSC this as II medi tation. Try 10 imq.ine Ihe sphere al infinity a nd the point al infinity. and al1em pl In pereeive !>ow Ihey are actually one. You win Ihen see Ihat your usual conception of space and e ~len5io n I~ nol as simple IS you believe. In plmicul.r. Ihis is IllIe oflhe Keler-Malkhulline. ln Ihe dir«:t;on of KeteT, th i. li ne en ends infinitely toward God, the ul tim. te Good. In the Malkhul dim:tion. it utends infinitely .way from God. tOward ultimate evil. The.., tWl) end points elIn abo be viewed as the uhimatdy spirilual and tl\e ultimately physical. In this ..,n.." _ must Ihc~fo~ ""y that the ultimately phY'ical and the ultimately spiritual a~ Mi mbedded " in each other. In order to understand Ihis mo~ deeply, ...·e must first ask some quest ions. T he most buic que.tion is: Why did God CJ"C3.te a physical .... orl d? God c~aled lhe universe to beslO .... 800d 10 His CJ"C3.lion, but Ihis &ood is pu~ly spiritual. This bcillJ true . .... hal need is there for a phY'ital world? Ikfo~ "ul , physical .... orld. Ihese lWO concepls could never niSI in lhe same beiJ\l. '" The fact Ihal &ood and evil c.n exist in the same ph)"oic:al space ,1.0 ,110...., &ood 10 overa)lTlC evil in Ihi. world. Here apin , this i. only possible in a physical world . In a purely spiritu.1 aren•. &ood (:Ould ncver (:Orne dose enou*" 10 evil 10 have any innucn« over iI, In Ihc physical worid, however. &ood and evil can exisl logether, and &ood can Ihemore overcome evil. Our IIF$ Ihu. leach 115 thaI one of Ihe main reaoon s why man ..-al placed in lhe phy~ical world ...... to overoomc Ihe forces of evil.'" The lohar a presses il by slatin, thaI we are here - 10 turn dar1r.ness inlo li*"I,- '" The enlire concept oflhe nonphysical is very difficult to oomp!"e> hend, and may be clarified by a ...,marbble leachilll of O Itplesent spiri lllal fortts. Throu&h variO\lS rombin._ tions of the lellen. the spiritual foTtt5 usociated with them are brou&ht 1~lher in wariou. dr.Clive combination!.. These spiritual foren are the ~lellen wilh which hea--en and earth were created.~ From a!lthis. we see thaI there is an importanl lin k bet ...~ lhe physical and the spiritual. Ewen Kel ..., 1M hiJhcst of tile Sdirot, has a physical re presentation in the ap... of 1M: Yud of the Divine Name. This is also realled 10 our earlier diKllu;on of elUSC and effect. The hiahest levd of Keter is the ultimate eause, while the physieal world is the ultimate effect.
Like a flame in a burning coal In dcKribinlllic relal ion.hip belween Ihe ph}'sital and Ihe spir_ itual. Ihe Zohar USH an expression "cry simibr to thaI liseU !Ttll :11 ,:n
1::1'"
C'i-!O"
"VI ~IP\
T.... !k/lrot of Nothingnns Bridl.. )'OU' mIX/lit from I/>Mki"l and )'0'" hea,1 from Ih!nkilll And if )'OOl' ht'tU1 "'Ill
,n"", 10 III .. plau. II is Ih~ wrill" " .
7h .. Chayol TJll'll'lil'lg and rtl",ning. - (£ zdiln 1:14) R.-gatding lhis Ii OO .....l'Ialll ""lIS mad...
Bridle .w ur mOlllh The Sefer Yell; llIh defines Ihe ....ord Belimah, .... bich we lranslate as wnothillJllCIS. ~ It says Ihat il has Ihe conootalion of bridli nl (OOlom). The essc:nct' of the Sefirot can only M atlained " 'hen one hridles one', lips from speal,,; nl , and eloses one', mind 10 all ~erbal and depicti,-.. thOUJht. Only "'hen One makn the mind completely blank can Ihe 5efirot be expe~nced. This is particularly important. si nct' many lechn iqllCl of ~bbalah medi tation i n ~ol~e Ihe Tttilalion of a mlntlll-like device or ~arious t)'JICI of contemplation. All SUCh techniqua.. ~vcr. are only a means lhrou&h ",hich Ihe mind is cleared of aU thou&hl. The
"t,...,
,
"
aClual e~perie~ of Ille Sefirot only comes Ifter one SlOPS usi", Ille technique and remains absolutely slill. with all the Iho ..."11 p~ hushed .'"
And your heart from thinking In Kabbalah, Ihe term ~hea"" usu.ally denotes Binah,'" II indi_ cUes tile verbal pan of I~ mind, .... hich i. Ihe seal of Dinah 000sciousne$!.. This Dinah consciousness must be "bridled" so the Sdirot can be experien«d with Chakllmah consciousness alolle,
And if your hear!
rUIlS
H~,
"1":lrt" apin refc", 10 Binah consciousness. The Sdirol ml,lSI be experienced wilh Chakhmah consciousness. If one Ines 10 depin IlIem with Dinah (ttoe "hearn, tben ~ mind can bean runs,- the Sder Yetzinh warns that one should -return to the place.- He must focus on somethina ph~i cal, so U 10 reslore spiritual equilibrium. ," In this resp«l, one must emulate the Chayol. the -HvinlJ an(Jelsseen hy ElCkic1 in his vision. One mUSI oscillale between ~TlInnilll Ind relumina. - Since one can only think with Bim consciousness, one must use it 10 swinlJ into Chakhmah consciousness. This stale can only be mainlained for. shon lime. whereupon Binah consciouslIQ.'I returns, and one tries to depict his cxperien~, AI thi5 point, one must immediately return 10 the physical. In this minner, one cln OS(Hllle back and fonh. reachin, hiJller each time.' "
A
covenant was made
From Ihe contelt. Ihis covenant is a mutual .... ttment between God and lhe m)'5lic. The mystic promises thai I>e will not allemplto depict lhe Sefirot wilh Binah consciousness., Ind God promises thai if one TlIns back immediately. then he will he ablt 10 return.
ry'
ate
SEFER VET7:1AAH
It is in tbis contut tllatliN: Kabbalisls advised tbose who were anemplinglo read.. the hiJ,hes1 levels to hind their soul with -.n oath Ihat il should return to tlleir body.' " Besides sllC.b individual oaths, Ihere is al~ a general covenant th31 implies that the soul will be able to return. even from the hi&hest levels. In more genetal terms. a covenant is something that comes bet ...·ecn two Ihinp and joins tllem. This is Ihe covenant that joins the spiritual and the physie:al. In pa"icular. " the Sefer Yetzirah states (I:)). a covenatlt denotes ~irt\lmcisi()n. One of the reasons fOf circumcisions is to incbcate that one mould be 3b1c 10 ere. " 'hich is from Keler, iSlhal wh ich is uitimaldy disbl.lt5Cd by Y~, Since Ketcr ilself cannol be experienced, it is referred 10 in lenns of Yesod, ,inee that i. where il il uperi~nJI "They sbould not he mi$lrd into thinkinl thai !My were actually eJl.l*'l ic:nci"l physio::al "''aler. In III.dinl to the ph;losnpMn. W ater represent. the primeval maliC', while Fire n:preKntsthe primitive aether.UJ
The Throne 0/ Glory i. the vehicle Ihroup. ""hieh God Wsits· an d wlowcnw His essenoe so a. to be concerned with His creation, as above ( t:rd'n. to Ihe K.\bbalists, this Throne rePl"(!;Cllts the Univenc of Beri yah. II is in this ... niverse that the power of Binah is dominant. Th~
Serafim This is the hichest ..,..:' of alljds, ...'hich exist in the UniVffSt of Beriyah. Other Kabba/iSlS refer to them as Powen.. FOI"CIeS ~ Potentials =
T~
II Tho: angd l and
Scfi~
Inhabitant
Universe
At:zilut Beri)'ah
yetri~
Asi),ah
lC~uidl om A.,..
Ophanim
Cbakhmah Binal! Nut Six MalJr.h ut
Sows the anlCls in rdation to Ihe &firol. ~I
M
From these three Thai is, from Bn:ath, Fin: and Water.
He /ounded His d>l'elling The word for "d"'ellinl~ he,.., is Ma'on. which " 'e e!lC(llJnlered p,..,viously ( r : $ ~ This lerm ",Ial~ 10 God as He enoompauo all creal ion, including lime and Ihe ,pirilual dimension. S n:alh. Fi,.., and Waler .'" the SOUrces of llIe spiri lual (Kel.,r· Malkhut) and time (Cha Jr.hmah· Birtlh) contin uum$, and Ihes1:Jt> " ,::1
10"0::1 OV::lj'" t:' "0f(
mo.\(
'I:lJ"!I"Il :f?v01:J :1l!)\ 01' om "Oon .m'lYP ;"1"0"0 .l"':t:::r \lllVI1 :"It:lOl:J :"Il!.ll mn om "O'l1 .nl'::1 ;"IllOt' .:"1"''0 10Ml l'J!l1:J :"Il!ll mlO o m V::I'Il' C1V'I VVI1 .'-:"1'0 IW1m l'~" :"Il!ll :nvo 0 111'1 fWY Ol1n -""1/ ,;1"'1'::1 lZlIll"Il \l'1J'1:J :'Il!n 0'11""1 :" 1;1::1 \lllVI1
I'NO'C' :un1
H, I'hOS' Ihm"lfl lm frt)/tl olmonK Ih, Elr mmlals lin Ihl' mysll'ry OIIM Ih," M Olhn:f Aid "'rm Shin {fIrII:TO). "'inr: III! seaJffi "_th - al1d faced 10 I~r right and sraled it wilh Yud Vol. ffrlt t-rr). Trl1: Ill'sralfd · /IOI'lh " al1d IIJCed 10 Ih, I'll olnd sroled /1 wilh 111'11 V",· YII: Ihlft ekme nt5 ean be ~rmuted in l ix difTe~1 ....y.. Ihey define a three-dimensional space h.villi Sil dirKtions.'"
He sealed "abolV< .. The", a re .. number o f wa)lt in which Ihe dil'tttions Ire represented by the 1C11cn. In the Gra version. "'~ have Ihe followina: up
YHV
no
down eaSI
HYV vYH
p~
:1'1
"'til
VHY
""
south
YV H
;>l'
nonh
HVY
p~
In Ihis system, Ihe uis is de\ermi..w. by the nCl,llral kiter VI VN. As mentioned twier, v ... d is thesis, Heh is antithesis, and VaY b synthe.i•. Since it represents synthesis, Va" il tllerefore the zero point. which is the point on the axi" S« T.ble L3 a nd filllre I L.
U.
, , NORTII
" --------,,,-- "'"'" Fine Col~m D II t. ...u-., Se,vnd C'oIumD I l~ ...............'"Uh
..
Third Column
,
(l~ ~pI_n
~
DOWN FiR"'" II . TM Ora ,... rt iott .
'I'
ate
Ou,,• {O T~ble
13 . Various Wlys
511011' lolli' Sudi.·
Zoh...
rzo
u,
An'
YHV HYV VY H VHY VVH HVY
YHV YV H HYV HVV VVH VHY
YV H HYV VYH VHV VHV HVY
YVH HYV VHV VVH VHV HVY
VYH HVV VHY VVH VHV HVY
W6' 500,I1 h
North I
Gta v ........ _~
,
~_.
• • ,
dire. )10), stM., HaArl.. ........... l l1L Tib""" z.o;- U • .b. Iti""",i", l :S. Set Gno ... TIh"", Z.
K.,,,,, ""'*"
The position of Ihe V,v th llS dclerminn 1he axis. The up down axis is Terest:nled by Ihe tan t:OIumn, the elllll ~1 uis by ll>c fint column. and lhe north soulh axis by Ihe middle column. The direction il then determined by the remlini", two !etten, Yud and Hell. If Ihey a", in direct order. YH (:..), then they define Ih e positive direct ion on Ihe axi s. If tbey are in revene orcin", HY (0:1), then they define tile nep live direction . The _ond importanT system is found in the Shon Version . and used by most of the commentaries" He~, the system is:
.,
do~
east "'"est
~"
~"h H e~ ,
YHV YV H HYV HVY VYH VHY
~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
the axis i. detcnnined by the !ener in the first column" The
assiplment i. V,", H,h
,•
V..
•
.,up down elSt west
The positions orthc lasl two lellers then determine ..."helller il is in the positive 0
.
.
YH V HVY VH Y YY H HYV YV H
susp«l$that it oo&inilly lOllS the same as the Gra venion, u~pI that the fint t'll'O combinations 'Nell' confused. This is supported by the fact that the ~rmutation YV H is repeated lwice. The Saadia ~enion is very mu.ch like the ShOll Version, u~pt thai the ~rmulalion< Il'prnenlin& CUI .nd 1OI(51'1l: inlerchanaed. Hi&hly lil'lif.cant i. the '), myrtle (/rodQs), and willow (an:l>I:lII). The all' laken on 1M festival of Suo::oI (tabmlao10). foll"" "i", the commandment, "On lhe first day, you shall cue fruit of the c1 lroo 11ft. braoches of palm tl'ft:S, bou&hs of myrtle mn. and willows oflhe brook (Leviticus 23:40), Theie species I"' .... ved in aU six di~ion ... nd acmtdinllO the An. the I ppropo i~te letter combinalion m~1 be meditaled upon for cadi di~ion ,'" Each of these directions is al ..... paim:! will! iu appropriate Sdirah, OBC'
M
,
,"
" "oo
""'"
i
'
..
"
,
~
,
,"
'
"'
.
N • ..,•• h
O.
" ""pre-
Tile An bqins wilh Chesed (Love). Ihe fint Sefirah, ""hich sents Ihe lIOulli. lakinlthe letten of tile Name in their natural omer, YHV (no). Sec Table 14. To deterrni"" Ihe order for Ihe opposite dir«1 ion. Ihe An then make$ U,," of. ayslem used by Ihe Serer Yetzirah itself. (2:4). T he lell stales IhailM t ....." prime opj>Qllit"'l.'" On"1f (ANG llJ) meanin, Mdeli&hl.~ and Neaa (NCA Vll). meaninl a M pla.~.M In fonni". an opposite, ;1 takes the fil1il leiter and place5 it lit he end. This is precisely whal is done \0 produ« Gcvurah (51n:"llh). ,"'hich R\>res.ents the nonh. The Yud N ...... hich was al the bqinnina. is now placN al the end, producin,lhc combination HVY (OTII. The north $()Uth axis is then n:presentcd by Ihe IWO lelten HV ('!:l). The up down axis is similarly defined by tile ~tcn YV "~I, with Ihe position of the H (~) delerminin, the dinxlion . In Ihis system. Ihe first leller is also sipl ificant. For SOUth a nd up, the initial kiter is Y N. wllilc for north and down, it is H ('). Both o fthc"" 01.«' OppOlites in the thrtt column repn:sentation. The east west axis is on lhe neut'lll len> point on both the up do ... n line and on the nonh SOUlh line. In II!(, lhrtt roIumn n:p,esenlation, Tifen:t (ast) and Yesod (wesl) an: bolh in the middle line. Since both the middle line and the len er V (1) , ep,uen t synthesis, Ihe ~n:sental ion of both the"" diTtCtions begins ... ilh a Vay. })' See fig·
u«,12. The syslem o f the Zohar is naetly Ihe i.l.me as tllal of Ihe Ari. except tllat eaSI and ......1 an: interchanged. The system of Ihe Tikuney lollar II .... a similar prindple. bUI some ... hal diffen:nlly. Later we shall see Ihat II!(, lwelve possible permillalions of YH VH n:pn:senl Ihe twelve dialonal boundari ... (~,2). Each of the six basic directiOlU can include I""" oflhe dia gonal boundal"i«. The tinl of Ihese is r~resented by Ihe sewnd Heh at the end of II!(, tripIC!, and the sewnd. with this Heh at the beginnin&•
•
•
We can now undersland the conceptual nalu,"" of the !kfirot. The ITHKI primary n:lalionship po!lIib1e ill lhal which exists be' ...-...:n a10r a nd emllion. This is the cause e ffect n:lationsbip. Cause is Keler . ...·hile Effect is Malkhul. O~ Ihe ('(Incepts of Cause a nd Effe.:t niSI. another concept comes inu) beina. nalmly Ihal of Opposites. If Opposil'" e xisl, simi_ lariti es must also exist. Two new conceptS therefore rome inlO beillJ. These a n: Similar_ ity and Oppositeness. In the lan,uage of philosophy these are thesis a nd antilhesis. In our lerminolOlY. Similarity is Chakhmah, ... hile
ere--
SEFEIl YETZlRAH
"
T i f...,
Vt" Urih
----::;;7'' ' --1---- ctype of Clntion. Sin~ Yesod is derived from Malkhul. YQQd is nalu rally dra ...-n In ;1 and motivated 10 allich it""lf to it. Ii is for Ihis 1'U5OII Ihll Yesod is said 10 p.arallcllhc sexual orpn. II is called Yesod (Foundation) becausc it is the lowest of the six. Derived from the orisinal four, there are now four new concepts: Chesed, Gevurah, Tife..,t and Yesod. Once Ihe oonctp! of Relationship has been introduct.t these four ron«plS Ill't no Ionltr ""'I'd )' a!:. uract points in tonOnship. The 1"-0 pain. Otned-GcY\lrah Ind Tiferet-Yesod Ire like two Cf05Silll lines. Th is yields four directions in a two-dimensional con tinuum. The2 two dimensions can be re p..... nled in physicallPllC':. The Tiferel-Yesod axil can represent e..t_ ....esl . .... hi)e the Che>cdGcvurah axis can represent 5Outh-nOfth. Th is then yields I twodimensionll OOfltinuum. Siner the COocetlt of Relat ionshi p exists.. the relationship betw«n 1M two d imensions tbem ... lvn is also si,"ilkan!. In the conceptual spate depiaion, 1his would be rep~nled as a line dra wn betw«n the two uislin,lines. The Cau ..... Effea or Keler-MIJkhut relat iOflshi p is thaI which is primlry. This i. "'P~nted by the Tifere' -Ycsod ui$. The !h~5antilhesis relalionship ...·as introduced o nly to make the C1iu~ffect reialionYti p pouible. ""flHo ,,,"iow.ntit hesil or Ch akhmah_Binah rdI.tionship is therefore secondary. T his is represenled by the ChCSoedGcvunlh ax i•. The Tifcre!-YCKId uis is therefore the primary dimension. while 'he Chesed-GeV\lTall axis is the aecondary d imension. This )'ields I lotally I>CW concept, namely Ihe Quality of bei n, primary Of secondary. These, in lum , form I. MW, th ird dimension, which Clln be related to the u p do""\1 dir«tion. Th i. ;. tM axi. !i ntin, NelZach (Victory) and Hod (Splendor~ See Filu", 13. Wilh Ihe introduction of these two concepts. Ihe six Sdirot repfeRnled by lhe Vav Ire complete. These are Chesed, GcY\lTllh. Tiferel. Ne,ach. Hod and Ynod. Thoc si s Sefirol I"C"pfeRn l the li x direction. in .~e. T oselhtr with the ori&inal four, these .i. yield Ihe Ten Sefiro!.
.
SEFt:R YETZIRAH
1: 14
C':"T~
nnrn on
(lmI't) ~l:Ij nn'!lt) 0'00 '01'( m"lll DIe rn"'Il:l
rm
:m" , !'lily
w v l~ rm C""
J"Wtn miD
~ ",.. lilt Tell
&{irOl 0/ NOIl!irrg,,6S: 11Ir BfflJlh Q/ Iht Uyj~ God
Bm>IJ. from Br~11t
WaIn [rom Brl'tllh f"irt./rom Wall'!'
Up rJowrr
f'OlIl Wf'J/
"enh _ t i l.
A.ilk from tMir theoretical impli(-aliQns, the Ten Sefiro! also have
imponan! m~ticaJ and meditath'c sianificancr. The Sefer YetziBh, in Ihis first chapter, has presen led • system of mcd illll; n. on the Sefirol and o f bind iR' on~l( 10 them. One may use the leuen to dimb the T rr:e of Life, but tile SefiI'Ol
are the points where one must res!. There is aclually an imponant apparent contradict ion in Ihe text. In onc xction ( I :6). t)w, te;,;t says. "'Their vision is like the .p~.rancc of lishln;n" .. they speak of lhem 'runninl and rcllll'nin,,'~ Thi, WO\IId imply llIal il is impossible 10 IIc Talmud. lhe WQrd Chuhmal cornel from lWO word .. O,asJ" meani", ~siknc ~silence~ of Chakhmah consciousness • • nd Ihe ~,pecd'~ of Ilinah consciousnas" lhe same time. The lWO p;lrts of the mind are e1periencin, different Ihinas limullanwusly_ Such double sensalion eln be easily experienced. Tate I red &lISS and plaa: ;1 over Ihe ri .... ' e~. and place a veen &1_ O~Cf Ihe left
" :~;..i:.i
.
.:'i?:'
:.. ", :., :" :,,. ' . .. .. -'." . . - ' '''-' ,::'1 :.~~, : :1:'., ~~.~ '~'_"4 ~.
:'7 ;~ ~ ~~·:.i
Fig""" 16. TM WOTd KQIo ;" on amI)' .drh Ih~ FI'(,," Shoshan Sodoc (The RO§e of MyJterie:s),
"IV' prim0)., word which baSI numerical value of2S. The KabbalislS say that tbl$ rep_ iCO ts lhe twenly-five combinations between two letten Ibat l re poWbk with the five primary VO'Ndt.. " ~ fi,l,Ire 16. spiritual
~ntt
Ale! is Ihe Brealh
0/ air
AJefis. silent consonant, and I I such, it l) in Ille pal~), Ihe ·silOel eDlflvi",~ (Exodu 5 28: 11) of the Bible. '" Another mnemonic i.
Table 18.
~t ic
division or I"" alphabel
Mothers GUllura!. Labi.1s Palatal. LinJUlb Dental.
, ,
•
Doubles
Elemental.
(Finals)
,~
"• m
,
,
?
"" ~
,, ,
.",
I
,,.
SEfI.R Y£TZJRAU
.
. G.,,_Ari
I.
2.
G Ullunl. Palatals
3.
Lincu als
,,
[knil ls
Labi. ls
Gutlural. Labials
,~ ,~
""'"
Linltuals
.." IXntals
GUllll rals Palatals lin&uals
3.
,.
,.
i';)'l
Palalals
,~
• ,,,01" ""'
~nlals
• 'Q OO
LinlUaJ.
""'"
j
~nd
doublt'd kncn .
",
OW
""'"
Labial.
"""
.",
~
M em
~
P, h
~
Table 2 1. Thr primary vuw..lil
1. 2 3.
,.,
.."
,~
Tudi N ..
,~
I>rnu.11
,~
.." Labi.1s
Palatals
J ,~""
GUllurals
,~
Table 20. Parallcl b(,lwecn phoodic f.m;lies
I. 2.
"",""
Shon Vel"5ion
""'.m
0
Kamell:
A
Tureh
E
Chi ri k
1
Shuru k
U
,, ,, X
Table 22 Ordering or , ho VQwel •.
Tikunq' Zoha rl T ikuney ZoIIa"" Rabbi Einar Rok~ach'
I .,oi ll i II eo" order of PiIW:hty Chot" II a e i (> order of Nuuu tyikDn
Rabbi Elazar Rokeacb'
a .:io ll
Rabbi Rabbi Emek Rabbi
0'"
Abnham A1:>uIan. ' Joseph Glkall li . ' HaM.,lekll' Moshe Cordevero'
I Tit• ..., ZoNf. loltOodloctlooo
t.e.~
e L II o ui ea u aieo oill a e
s (200). L9 ( J.I,o,
, liN. 1.'1'(>(1""';.'0(140). JO(U~~ • C _ ........... Sof.. v .. ritaIo ~b, So
'I' rv 'Ill ~l IlC 1V 1"1' "1!' p~ I'll 'Illfll r'IJ lI'D "'I' PI' rl 'F' N~"o Pl rc
m' V\
rov l7Il
'U
d'>
m
T'~
f,
~
P
~
row", roM
" ., u
m
''''''' ,~" T
n:'l:'n
'" ,~ lit
,,~m
111:1 :'01
."~ "'TI'!'I tM .~
...
" •, "'" _1m""
T~ ~
• ."
r .,,"
• T
"PO '" ro ~~""
r
•
mW~
ro~ ~
."~
mOm _m m
I' ~ ."
11 :.;I ....
IU l ' In
~
.. 111
'I OJ rot ". ,~\lIt
I~ g"I i, 1;1 'II )TI C:I ~ O>.,~
!;II
.,.
" l1" 0;0' I' ~ .,.. r"' ~ III l ~ \lit
T
;n ,." .,.,
~
." i"" r"I "
~,o;o,
111
v:> ""
'Pl'II • "CP!"";rIr> m"" " 1" .,. r~
m..,.,"~,...
ml'l'DVII 1'Il1l'~
....
ron M
, • " , , ,• • •, ,, •, , , • • , , ,, " ,, ,, ,, • ,1 •,, ,• ,•, •,, ,•, , •, •, , •, ,• •,• ,, •,, ,•, ,•, • ,• • , ," •• ,4 ,, ••, ,, , , •• •,• ,, ,• •, •, , ,•, ,, , • •" ••, •,• •, ,, •• •7 • •, , •• ,• ,•, ,, ,, •" , •, ,• ", • •, ••, ,•, ,, ,, •• , •• ,• •, ,, •, ••, , •, ,, • ,• ••, •, •, •, •, ,•, , ,, ,• , ,• •,• •• to ,•, • ,• ,• ,•, • ,, •• •,, • •, ••, , •• ,, ••, , •, •, ••, , •• II II • • • • •• • • • • •• • , , • , , , , • , ,• , • , • , • , , • ,, • ,, ,, ,, , •, • ,, ,• •, ,• ,• ,, ,, ,, , • •, ", • • "" , • , , • ,• , , , , • • , •, • • "17 .,, •, , • •, ••, •,, ,, , ,•, •, ,• ,• , • •• •,, •,, ,, •• ,,• ••• "" ,, ,•, •,• •• ••, , , , ,•, •• •,• •, ,,• ••, ,• •,, , , ,, ,• , •• , , , ,• , •, ,• •• • , , • , • •• • •, ,• , • • • 21 " " . .. · · ·
·
I
•
l)
F,tlur~
21. iltmal array
UJ~d
,It
Ih~
Kabbaluuc
M~rhuJ.
••
'" He mUSI im.,_
Nexl, tile initiate milS! Mdeck them like a ~ilina. ~ inc the 231 linn connectin, Ihe 22 lellers, and depict them like . teilin, OvCr his head. Onee he has rompkled this exercise, he is read y 10 make usc of the rire~. If be wilohes \0 Use ;110 crelle, he ml,lst proceed in direct order, bqinnin. wilh lhe Ale{. FOCI.lsin, Ihe mind on ~ Alef, he Ihen follows each of the 21 paths emanalin, from ;1 to the other let·
lers, from BellO T.... He continues in Ihis manner, IIsin,aJllheother lelltrs. See flJUre 19 on pa~ Ill. Acrordina to $OItlC, Ihis is abo I technique for makin,_ Golem. If One wishes 10 dellroy iI, one proct:ed. in the p~ opposite di~ lion . beI;on;n, wilh Tav, and end io.","ith Aleph. Some rommenlann p rHent 1!I\Ort primitive method, where Ihe initiale IClually d n.ws I circle around Ihe object Ihll he wishai 10 form." Proccedilll in. circle, he chants Ille len« oombinltio'c heen retained. Clearly OOvlouS in Ihis array is the dilaonll symmetry, which is al!lO found in the a1pbabetic:al alTlly. The fifth line is part icularly si&nific:am . Wilen one counts by S, one obtain. the numben S. 10, IS. 2S, and so on. ThcrefOK. when only I~ JUI diJits I"' tak~n. 5 and 0 a1t~m.ate Oft this line. Thc same is \"", of the ..)e.· .. nth line in th .. alphabelical amoy, .... he"' Ihe AId' and I~ Lamed alternale. OIK' Ih..., divide$ the IlmlY ;nlO double columns, 10 form a nu~ric:al analo&ue of Ihe 2)J Gales. TIt.. onl y diff.-rence is Ihal ",h..n wortin, ",ith the alphabet, "'~ a",. in dfect, u~i", a number bax of 22. See fll"'" 24 on paJe 116. One thilIJ lhal i. immedialely apparent is Ihe fact that even Ihouab ...-e obtain 45 pain, lhey do nOI correspond clictly to the 45 unique pairs Iha, can be obla ined from 10 diJiIs. See fllU", 25 00 Pa&C 116. We ~lUaJly find that 14 pain arc minina. while an equal number arc rc~aled. Thc mos,lIarinl example oflhi. i. Ihe ",~Ii lion of the rombination OS. wbich Ottun fl"e limes. Anolher redundancy is 80, which i. merely the ",verse of 08. JIlII a~ one can be&in each sequence from Akf, to one can also bqin il from Bet. One would then ha~ a similar amty. ",ilh each line bqinnin& with • Bet in.trapOlldi", lctll'1" in the Alef array. One tan make similar arrays with all the lctten of the alphabet. Very imponanl illhe eleventh line, ... herc the IeI1I'1" pain ",~at Ihemsel~es. In the Aleflmoy, Ihe lctlenAlefaoo Lamed n:pcat themschon in this 1in~. In the Bet amoy, th~ lcllen Bet and Mem will n:pcatt hemselva A. subsequent amys an: ronstructed.. the ",~.I ;nllcllcn contioue 10 conform 10 those in the ALBaM (~ "") cipher. See filure 26 on PIlII' 116.
'I'
ate
'"
SHER YETlJRAH
01 02 OJ
"" "" ,".
"" " 08 09
.
80
8l
06
.
"" ." ""
" " "" "
2l
60
.'
29
""
20
"
."" "". 6)
" 21
F'gllu U _II. ~,,_n(',,1 ulIvrrv "'pralil1J,. A num~r of some..'hat similar amays are used by lhe later Kabbalis\s." lnSlead of !,Isia, Ihe Kabbalis\ic Method, ho,,'cveT, they merely skip I number of letlen in lhe se«:lnd colum n, and Ihcn proceed wilh Ihe alphabet in iii " ....1 onkr. II is not dear if these
lalcr Kabhaiisis did Ihis so as 10 conceal the true method, or if il actually repreKnts a completely diffcKnI proccdllre. See filuTe 27 on ~
118.
Acoordin, \0 either procedure, thcre are cleven arrays in '""hkh lhe pain l'l:PfnC'nlro by ALBaM are dominant. Thca., thm:: are aoother cleven arrays whcll' lhe reVtnc of I~ pain are dominant, 11M: finl eleven amo).. ,re .aid 10 reprrsenl lite eleVfn Sffirot ""hen lite quasi-SefiRIt Out (Knowkd&eJ is also included. The scquentt is: Keler. Cbakhmah. Binah. Out. Cbescd. Ocvurah, Tiferel. Netueh. Hod. YeJOd, foblkltul. 11M: fint eleven 'mI)'", witeK the ~irs of ALBaM are in direct order, repre.enllhe ~fronl· oflh " , ,., " , • ,., • ,, " • " , '" • ,.," , " " • , '"
~
n
~
~
•m"
~
.
, ,
""
~
..
~
~
~
~
~
.
W
~
,
• ,.," • • n m• " • ,.,• • " n * " , " • " " • • " • " " " " "• ,.,"• •• • " n '"W" • ,.," • " • " •m" " • n " '"n W •, m"• " " '"n • • m• " " " n " •m • " "" • • •" • "• ,.," • m " " ·
. . " ~
•, "
~
• •
,.," "'". •
~
~
~ ~
~
~
~
. . . . . . . . .
~
~
~
~ ~
~
~
~ ~
~
~
~
~ ~
~
~
~ ~
~
~
M
~ ~
~
" "231 Gurn at:«H'dll'X /o
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
• • 11t~ lauT K"INHI/IJIJ. Tim ,$ Alif "'rll)' r Ofuspondinll 'Q Kru r . INQJ~ NIM' 'ht Irllt' 8 of Trt,,.. grammallN! ~lItJ 1>1
,
••
SHER Y£TZIIV.H
TIle .... ont for "plague. - Nega (ltll), K obtained from Iftllf (llJ) by si mple f1)\a tion. The term Nl'ga denoted especially a kprosy like pique ..... hich ....as a siln of dis.approval by God. See filU,.., 3~ on page 123. In an earl in S«tion t I: I 3). ...., di"""ucd how permutltions such as thex t an result in OppO$ite~ A very si milar permutation il p""""nted by the K.:Ibbalists. The hi&hest spirituallevd to which one can :u pin: il tlle Sc:firah of Keter (Crown), The furtller one climbs, however, the ~ rarified tile atrnosp/le"", and 1M "",aler the I pirit.."l da!IJeT. By I simple permulalion. 1M ....ord K~"" (vol be«lmes Kal'Ft (rro). tile Heb..,... word for urilion, whe"" • penon il complelely cui off Wiritulll y. " One of Ille earty 10th centu!)' mystics, Hai Gaon, noted tlllt many people who embarked on tile mysteries "" en: s~ful, but then met .... it h untimely de.III." Tile 1Ii&her tile climb, tile more danaerous tile falL A perwn WQ\I ld not attempt to clim b I danaerous mountai n witlloutt lle proper In.ini nl and equipmen t. Any OO¥ice woo ....ould anem pt II dimb wilhout an e.pemnced guide WQ\Ild be court in, diluter. Oimbilll spiritual Mi1h15 can be equally dallJerous. OM needs tile. proper In.inin, and mental equipment, as well IS In ex perienced ~piril ual guide.
2:5
ov a,\;ll O~:J OV ':1''' 3\1> Iljl'i' "iV~ I) r;', ,fm "'tl!,, ' J ''IIn:'l
, ttl 0,1! ~, "" fijI:! 0.,,' 0,*''I} 11)11'1) )'nn', O~\J r.r;Vl 0 "" C'1Il 'till!> )Jl" "I! ;J O"lrtl b-J' ~e 1'l~"J nt~hl )l~l; m" II"~' ,rc} n " f't, J ' n:1l "l! ~, U)
,/i"
I! """, )lll' ",llIn " I! ,,;,.r,."J, Ul)ll'I', J'/l..., )" /'I C:'Illll er;:> nil! e;Il)), /'I, I!" I!. /'I. ". • "/'1 pI ,'I! )'!)fI, ,il )'11/'1, 'I! )'11/), ,,, l"rl/'ll ,
.
,,11 ;" 'J PI ' J 1')11' : mtI\))
,'/lIl,
')'Q
:'I"/l pI
P';::I)' )J:'II U '1l1J1l
m")
Fil W't 37. It..I,wctiOtlJ fox maki", II Gai,,,,, jr(Nfl Rabbi £Iitztl' R~_·It· $ ,-",.",.t1ll"'7 QfI Stfor Yt lti' ......
ton, a total of twen ty pronunciationl for eacb letter. Thil means that tile entire c~crdK makes UK of 97.240 pronunciations, AuwnUq that one can pronounce fwr Iyllabks a SfIWDd, it WQ\Ild take appro"o Una.dy seven houn 10 complele this entire process. The mClbod of creat ;1Ii a GoIem il w tlillCd by Rabbi Elieur RoI ¥N.""" "" .............. '7!'''' O·_ _ "'_........ . ...,,,-...... . . . ...... "' ...,. _ ... , __ .... u, ,.,. . . ... ..... '"" . ,,,, ........... _. ""'""1' ...... .. .. .. ....'..-..........
..J .... _
.......".,. .."f,..- ....... ... ,.,.
-
,~...-
'_1".. ...........
_ _ " ...... . .........., oJI,o ....,,"""..., ~~
'-
~
~ ..
~
_.. _ ""'._ ""'no'''''' "p'" , ~ ""... .... ...-.. ........" .. ,...... """'_ •._ .... ., .. ........
:!~ ~.,.
_,
........... . .. ...... _ . ·_..... ·...""",....._i_ ......."" ........ -
... .. .... -
' " ..... P - ! " ....., .
...,., ......... "'.,.- ...... ,........ ... ""......,..."" ..',.............. .--,......... ', . . . . .... -. _" ,..-".. ...... '" _, •• ' • • , ....... , I" J "'y''''
"P-... --.", .~,..,- .......... .......
• p'w.·_ .. ,_ ..
,· _
.
,_~
.... ....,W>n .., ....., ....._""" - p " po ... po...,. ... ~ ,.. ,""p , 1.0 ... , .......... ... ~ "" '·.w· ~~ ""'''''
'.- ..... ...., 1>""" ""' ... _ .. ,......_ ~
,.."
f"'"" _ ........ ,.., ""
..... ,'"""?"" ... '"':'" to"Y''' ,... ..... _" .. .... ,--.... u, P' .....,,.... ' 'f'"'' ....... ,,'''' .,.. ...... "'.... _ '*..,.. .... .,......... .,,, ,... ... ,... .• '"'....... .... .... ....... ...'-r, .......... r' .. "'1 ..... ...-" _ ....... _ ....... . , .... .,"' ......... " •. ", ........., _ ... -"""''r._"l"O>?......, ...,,.,-, '"1""" . .... _""" ..... ... ~
_
_-,
I""P' - ....
""~-"
......... , •.,.,. ....... .... \o' ..... ~" ... ,..... ... --~-.-
"...., ~ " ".
...
~
-- .... ,. --
~
._ .~_
-,.. ,. ~rt",.
• J"'"
.
~,
.." ,r.....
....., ............ ....
,...~ . ""U I""
.,.,," ~'"
~.,.
.... If?"''''''''
'-'Io ....,' .. n ""' r'" ..,. ........... .......
50mr""ilat iJ""tater detail b:Y 1M .uthorof Emek IfaMMJr ( Depths of the King)."' Sn. rl&ul"C' 37 on pa&e 126 and figu~ 3&. An initiate VrouId not do it alone, but VrouId alway, be ...,,;...mpanied by one or two 00I.1ca" .... . The GoIem mU51 be m;odc of virsin 500. taken from a place ..."here no num has ever duJ. The soil must be Imeadrd with pu~ ~"i .....ter. taken directly from the ground. If this ""at« .is placed in any kind of ve..d, it Cln no \onJtr be uri The people maki"i 1heGoiem must purify themselves tocalIy befor-o. ensaPll& in this .aivity. both physically and ",iritua11y. While makina the GoIe,,~ they muOi ...,.,. dean "'hir~ vestm .. nl!. Tbne authoR also 5t"'S1that O~ mUll nol make an y mistak .. Or error in the pronunci~t ion , They do not $IIY what mUll be do~ ifone ern. but from OIMr :IOUn:e5. it "'wid ~ppe.ar that at very kut. one " "uld have 10 bqin the 1m)' from the bq.inninJ. Ourinllhil enlire procedu",. no inlerruption ",hau.;,..""r may OCCIIr. Thne .UthoR also inr im~ le that the)' I", only ",vealinl the out· line of the method , and are not p~ilenti nl il in ;\5 entirety. This ~150 appean evident from olher sourees. TIle", i. abo evidence that nutinl ~ GoIem was p1imarily nol a physical procedure, but rather.• hilhly .d\l;lnced meditati'-e technique. ': By chantin, the appropriate leller .rrays tocelher wi th the ktters of the Tetra.rammaton. the initi.t~ could form a '"ery real mental imaB~ of a human bein&. limb by limb. This possibly could be u~ u an astral body . throtrs/l which one C(luld ~=nd to Ihe spiritu~1 ",aim ..
".
SEI'ER VETZ.IRAH
The formation of such •• pirit ....1 body . how~·er, would also Tnuh in a tremendous spiritual potential. Once Ihe OOllolXptl.Lli GoIem ..... completed, this spiritual potential rou ld I:.. transferred 10 • c~y form and ~u.ally a nimate it. This was the procns IhrOUJh which a phy~ical Gc*em would be brou&hl 10 life. In introduciTIJ Ihis method. the Sefer Yetlirah uid, ~E","," c
them like a prden, carve them like I wall. deck them like a
ceililll~
( I: II). There is some Question as \0 what role Ihi. meditation plays in Ihe technique of makin, I GoIcm. Aocordinll to sonw: early SO\IItt$, one must proC! ! d in I circle around the CJftlU~ thaI one is crutin&- This miJ.ht ,..,fet" 10 Ihe mental SU'UC\urin, orlbi. ·prden,· wall ,- and weeilina. befo", the Golem is formed. W
Pronunciation with the YIKI ('): AoYo AoVa ",aYe AoYi AoVa
~:tc;O;O'"
.>.aYo AlVa AaVe AaY; .>.aYo AeYo AeYa AeYe AtYi AeVu AiYo AiVa AiYc AiY; AiV"
:':' '':' !I:< !':' "!'
A",yo AuV, AIIYe AuV; AuYu
~:t':, ~ '..., ~...., ' ...., ....., " .. .. .. . ~
...
F'II"'" 19. Alx"owels alone. he must usc C,'CI1' possible combination of these _ "CIs, twcnt)'-five in all.
Pronunciation ...; th the Vav (1); AoVo AaVo AcVo AiVo AuVo
"oVa AaVa AeVa AiVa AuVa
AoVc A. Ve AeVe AiVe AuVe
Ao Vi AIVi AcV i AiV i AuVi
AoVu A.VU AeVu AiVu AuVu
:oo .. jonetie, musH:, &eometry, and astronomy." The Kabbalists leach Ihal these 'Ie" en pillars Il:presenl the lower seven &firot," Thrse oorrrspond 10 the seven pillirs of 'Il:alion and the seven day. of the wed :. 10 this does 001 contradict Ihe Talmudic in terpretation. In Ihe .ySlem of lhe &fer Yetzirah, it is obvious Ihlt Ihese seven pillars ,..,prescn t the I,wen Doubles. They are called "pillars" b«;I".se they Ill: Il:presenled by ve"icallincs in Ihe Tree of Life diaaram. These ""ven Doubles all: derived from the three MOlhen. This WQ\lld IlIppo" an ancienl ,'enion, .... hieh inSlead of "substance" (Mamasb- lflXl ), read AMSh (1'011), the three MOlhen." The lexl would then read. " He formed AMSh (11l;;1li) 0111 of chaos ... and carved veal pillan ...."
'I'
ate
on From air thaI cannot be grasped Tllcsc pillaB an: arva! from "air which cannot be JI1I~.' Air _s carlin" idm\incd with Breath, .... hich in tum is associated with tJ>c, first Sdirah, Ket«. Air is abo iver· Ihado"'"ed by Ihe imalel of the real WI)Iid.ln I dartened room. h0wever. il does remain visible to some d~ Thi ••tatic impairs our perceplion of Ille oulside worid. and clouds our menial processes. Thc pereeplion I>fthe spirimal world i. even more IcnUOU$ than Ihal of lhe physical. In a normal .talc of ronsciousOCiS, menial static m.kel it abs.olulcly impossible 10 visualize 1M spiril lll.l world.
SEnR YETZlJl.O,H He~
Ihis Slale of mental stalic is called ~chaos~ (ro/li/). A, Ihe word TQ/rll (nn) 0()IneS from IIIe ' ·erb T"hah (~), mnnin, 10 be ~asIQUoded~ or ~confused. · >:1 This is the nonnal st,te of mental confusion, wlle~ the mind is ck>uded with st.tic. Th is is .lto associated willi Binall consciousness. and IICCOfdin,ly. a number of Kabbltlists as§l)Ci.te To/Ill wilh Binah." The lobar alto teaclles Illal Too .. is associated with Ibe Klipoll (Husk). the forttl thaI p~vrm one from vi suali2i"l the spirilual realm. " It is out of tllis ToIIl/. this stale of confused Binall consciousness. tbat one must creale a palpable ima,e. There are many imqes that can be produced. bUI the mOSI common is Ihe mental Gokm, the astral body. The initiate thus "forms palpable substance (nwm ....'" out of chaos.~ Thi. implies attaini"l a .tate ofCh.khmab COnsc1ouj.. ness. Tile Kabbalisls tbus note Ihal the word GoIem (a,,) has a numerical value of 73. IIIe same as Ihat ofCh.khmah (!'II:I:lI\). " One mllSl then "make nonexistence inlO aioIencc. ~ brlier, in tt.at· i"" "form subswlce out of d\aos, ~ the texl uses tile word "form," while here it uses the word "make." In Heboew, nl""Cially au:ordin& to the Kabbalists. the word "form" (}o:llzar) denotts the initial fonnin& of "somethin& fl"QlTl oornethin&- ~ Tho "'rm "make~ (asah.). on the other l\and, refers to the completion of the po« Thuo. in "fontIiflg subst.nox QUI 0{ chaos, ~ one besins tile mental act 0( creation. In "moking n(lII('Ji ... 1erKf: into 1!1i5tenox," one completes it. The lerm "form.tion~ alto implies an activity lakilll platt in Yelzirab, the lower spiri lual univen.e. ThUs. when one "forms substance QU\ of cbaos." one is brin,in, aboul a Pllrely spirilual result in the uni'·erse of Ye~i .. h. " Makin,, " on Ih e olber lIand. ~ren \0 Ibe universe of Asiy.b . .... bid! borden on tbe physical. This implies results Ibat may actually be manifesl in the physical world. In order to aa:omplilh Ihis. one must entc"!" fully into tbe realm of NOlhin,ness. This is the hi"'esl level of Chakhmah consciousness, borderin, on Keler. One IherdOf"C belins with "non.,..itlen~," whicb is NothinBJIess. Wilen one ",.cho this level, he an actually make somethirll ~that actually is~ (ychllO) (lr ".,..iSlen01 only form .lIlhe parts, but he ml,lst actually assemble them. T llis means that while he i. COPied in lho< medilation 10 ..""te Q".., pan. he ml,lSI nOI lose lIis menial imqc of tile parts lhat lie formed carlier. As each part of Ihe imqe is fOfJl'lcl, il mu~ !lor retained io 1"" mind. wilh ,u~lIenl imqcs adIolZl).' This is very clo6el y rdated, and shares Ihe same rool wilh Ihe word Pe!iyah (""''''). used in relatio n \0 the Th irty-two Path, of Wi$dom ( I: I). One reuon for Ihi$, as di'ICUw:d earlier (2: I), is be(au,", it iS lhroua:h these Mother k n f'rs lhal 0"" can en ter ;n10 the realm of Chaldtmah oonsciousness . .... hich is th e portal to the transcendental. These three Mother letten are also related to the mystery of thoe divi~ N.~. The Sefer Yetzirah earlier said. RHe chose three let· ten . . . in lne m~tery of Ihe three Mothen, AMSh (l'!lI sive sound is pronounced more q uickly than the soft fricative SOIInd. oo Hov.·e\·tr. sina the ~fer Yetzi rah (1 :6) teaches thai ~runnillJ and return in,~ also relates to medillltive techniques, il would appear that the hard Ind soft SOIInds were used for this pUrpo$C. Tbne seven Doubles would be used to climb Ihe verticall.ines in the Tree of Life. Wh en the initiate would U$C the letten to ~run~ and climb upward, he would u$C the hard sound. and when he would ~retu rn,~ he would use the soft sound. The Bahir states that the Ietlers are the body orllle Kript. while the YO"'els are its soul. " TIle later K..h balim nOte that the Dqeib. and Rafeh I re neither yo ....,I. nor letten, bUI in termediate helweoen the 11\'0." It is Ihis intermediate ruenct Ihal man muSI perl"ec1 ifhe is to enter the domain of Soul.
'"
4:2
JI'1\ "1't'1J1 ~n
f1lC'
l"I" tl~ ,.~
rn'?1g;)
V~ll'
:lm O'I~ :1?wco 0',"
Sb..... ponai. '" Ill< f, ... _
• Yolk.. , Roo • ..,; ltot.
(
Anel Friday
And
And
A~l
Tlidkiel
M ichael WednQday
[llaraJr.id]
Baraki.,l
Raphael
Ch • ..tid
of ,.. . 1MK'ial'tI' Dominllllu And lit bound II cro..." /0 il And lit oornbin«l on, "'ilh ,moth" Alld "';11t Inl'm H .. formed ill Ihe U"i~ TluUJday ill IIIi' Year
.11""""
Tire It'jI N r /11 zhr
SOl.11l in l/r" Yea' The nwulh in 1M Sow/.
mal" alld female.
'"
the Serer YelZirah diocusleS Ille lelter1 in rdation 10 Ihe primary trails, Ihe planets, Ihe days of the ""1"1:10, and the pans ofihe H~r~
body. There are a "umbo:r ofvari.iion$ in
Ih~
il$$ilJlmenls, and the
more importanl ones are &inn in Table H on ~ 178_179. Each leuer can be used to influence the pan of Ihe body with which il is associated. This can be accomplished IhrouJ,h usin, the
Irray of 12 1 (or 11 1) Gates associated wilh Ihl\ leller. These lellen are used in a similar manner when creali ns a Golem. Most importa nt are Ihe relationships between Ihe lellen, days of the week, and pllnets and betW«!llbe seven primary trailS: WUdom, Wealth, Seed, Life, Dominance, Peace and Grace, One Can U"" the methods orthe Serer Yelzirah 10 allain or enhance anyone of these
by usinllhe soft pronunciation of the se~en Doubles. If one wishes 10 transmit their o pposite. one uses tile hard proouncill>On. Lik e oIlier Sianzas, this can also be read in the imperative: MMakr (1.01 kins (lver Willd(lm, bind a crown 10 ii, and rombine ~ with anolher, and with Ihtm form .... ~ The meditali(ln invoh'es USin,lhc seven Doubles in Ihis manner. Tht dominanl klltr is placnl al Iht beainnina. and Iht olher si x klten are then permuted. Thus, if One was SttkinSlo Iran.mit Wiodm, one ...-ould pl~ Ikt (~) at the bo'pnnillJ., and one would trn:1I per_ mute the remainin, !.etlen, GD KPRT (mil, '1l), in evcry pOSSible manner. Similarly, if one were Sttkinl Wealth, (lne would place Gimel (l) II the l:qinninll- and would pe""ule the leiters DD KPRT (mIO!I -c) ill all 72(1 pOSSible wtI)'S. The permutation wilh which one besins il pven in Table l4 (III pqe 180. AI the same lime. one shoul d rontemplale Ihe parl of the body aloSoOcilled wilh Ihal panicular lrail. ThUs. for Wisdom, one ,,-ould collCt'Tllnllle (In IIIe rilhl eye, while for Wealth. on the rilhl car. In a similar manner, one should also C(lncenlTate on IIIe appropriale direction. Also imJlOnanl is the day (If the ",-rek auocilled with each trait. tf one .... ishes to transmi t a certain t",il , il is best done (In lhe specified day of tlle..-eek. In ulina Ihese metl>odl, (lne must al'" lake planetary innuen.ct!l inl0 aCC(lunt. Besides the influences pven here, Ihere are others liven in Bcreita of Shmuel HaKatan , ""hieh a ppear 10 he eloser 10 those expressed ill Weslern aSlroIoiY." See T abk 35 on pqe 1SO. Influence eXlends only from Ihe visible members of otIT soIarsyslem. The dinanl planets such as Uranus, Neplune and Plulo, .... hich are invisible 10 the unaided eye, are not considered 10 have any Silnificanl aslrological influence. If one wue 10 take these inlO acc:(lUllt, one would liso have to consider dozens of uleroids which ,,-ould exen an even arealer influence.
."
•
Mon. Leyc
Sun. R.eye
I~
So"
M, .
V.........._ ,.,_
Tun. R.nOltril
wea lth
wisdom
R .~lrit
Tun,
s,"
""~ Jupiter
R~
Mon . Le).,
M,.
"'" life
Lnr
W"'.
L~.
" 1- . Vrru.... oR ..... R,.',. , ....... \ ....... ,_ .0., ,,..
Fri . L ea r
Thun, R.n,
po ....
MOO"
domin.n~
Fri . Lea r
Moo"
,~'"
mOllln
Moo"
domin.n~
..,
mouth
..,.
" .Jupiter
T..
"'''' Mercury
"'~ Mercury Th, • R.ear
Mercury Fri. Lnostril
"'"
""~ Saturn Fri. L noslri l
R~h
,
••
r""" ,_"""...... Ttl" venion it 1"001>11 ;. $Mol.. t: ) . I,). H . "1. C1\ournon, it ttl< .."... no,p' .bal _ 1... _ ,1>11 pKC . . .
Lrwslrit
Venus
"'" W"'.
Lnln!ril
W'"
dominancc Venus
Venus Thun. R.l>OStril
.n~
domin ance Mercury Tlmn. L ear
,"h
("• i;;;..- v~ ji-tI;~-;'- ~~ Si>ody 10 t"" teae:Itin&s r:rf the Zohar. The associalion ...·;tll colon is also s;&nificant, , ;nce one can also meditate o n lhese roIon when seekin. to transmit Ille ,ss°ciated influencc. The colon art also useful in Icneral in medita tions in,"O!vil\j the Sefirot.l' Also associated with lhe days of the week .n: Ihe letters o f the ;l2-lener Ram$, bui nl Ih is on the vene, ~A tbwsand years in Your si&hl are as bUI )'-< "
• ••
·11
•• ~ ~
.,~l'.."
o.-
~ :> :-
~~~
_0'
'" comes Benjamin. Ihe son of Ractlel. Joseph , the oilicr son of Rachel, was in Egypt, and is therefore not mentioned unlillhe end. Followinl these Ire Dan and Naft.tli, the IOns of Bilhah, Rachel', handmaid. 11Kn comes Oad and Asher, the sons of Leah's handmaid, Zilpah, ...'ho "'ffe born after the sons of Bilhah. A number of authorities list the twelve tribes in Ihis order,' Acwrdin& 10 this. Joseph's si.,. rom« QUIto be Pi$Ct$ (Dlpm), and thi. is al..., rdkcted in Talmudic leachinp' (see Table 44). Other authorities liSI Ihe tribes in the order Orilleir camp$ in the desen.- Stt filun: 47 on pqc 200, This order ;,.; Judah, Is.w;har, Zebulun; Reuben, Simeon, Gad; Ephraim , Manancll, Bcl\iamin; Dan. Asller, Naftali.' On the eastern cam p was Jl.Idah, Issachar and
Zebuhm; on the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Old: on the wal, Ephraim, Manas:seh, and <iamin , al>(! on Ihe north, Dan, Ashe.., and Nafiali. Aocordinl 10 some IUlhorilies. Illis was a1110 the order of the SIOnes on lIJ.e Urim and Thumim.' This chanse of order occured after Levi WII liven the priesthood and ",moved from t~ ordn of the tribes. To complete the twelve, Joseph was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. This was in aocordance to Jacob·, blH$inJ. MEphraim ilJId Maoasseh 1halI be like Reuben and Simeon to me (Gn1esis 48:S). When the traits I"' in the onler liven in our (Gra) venian, the tribes ml.l$t be m. tched up with them in the order of the camps .. lbe division of Joseph, however, is nol considered., and therefore, Joseph is in the place of Ephraim, and Lev; in the p~ce of Mlnasseh. See Table 4!i. M
T. ble 4S The Gill ,-enion.
I
Month
Quality
Tribe
Nissan Iyar Sivan
S"""h
Judah Issachar ZebuJun
TamuI
Silht Hearins Action
Reuben Simeon
Coition
Ephraim
(Josepb )
S~"
M~h
(Levi)
Slo:-tp
Benj amin
A"
~', T ishrei a,,,,,hvan Kislev T evet ShevlI
"""
Thouaht Action
A_
Taste Utu&hler
G.d
D"
Asher Nanali
SEFEII YETZIIlAH
w., E",,"' Lm M-. : .,.: . '"1'"114
49. PtmtUlolioN of rHVH wtd rnrH
...-ronIi,,~ '"
Or
Hlu,.."""". p. ll6 . £1..1,,wi ..war orr j,,'rrrltwtstort Venion reads. -arms ofthc Universe. -" The obvious allusion is to the verse (Deuteronomy 33,26-27): Theil: is none li ke the God of Jeshurun The Rider of the heaven. is )'OUr Hel!'!'. Hi. pride il in Ihe o.kieI (~lrna.okim). A dwelli", is the God of eternilY And below Ire the Anns of the Universe He drives tile enemy from before you And He said , - Dcstroy! Th is venc tX'Curs after the blessin, of the tribes, where M{)5CI blessa the enlill: nation of Israel." Allhoualt the verse is s!,!,akin, or
'I'
ate
GOO helpi", Ihe hrtleli les in a mundane KnK. il also has mystical .... vrn .... nes. M0SC:5 tqins by callin, God, ~Ihc Rider oflhr hcavnlS. ~ The word ~ riOl~r ,.~ry si).l1ifu;anl leachinl. the T.lml,ld Slales Ihal. ~The spiri l (n.adt) depends On I~ siormwind (w"""lIj ... and I~ slormwind hanp from Ihe arms ofGod.M).J This is also huo:d on the verse. "From under Ihe Arms of Ihe Univn'Soe." The slorm"';nd ( .... ·arall). however. WIIS I~ linl manifeslion of Ezekiel's vision, IS he says, Ml looked, .nd ~hold, a slorm "';nd rominl 01,11 Of lhe nonh~ (Ezekiel 1;4)." The sturmwind reTales 11,1 Ihe stormy Slale uf c0nsciousness thaI pr«cdes the true m~licaJ e"perK""" , .... hich ;. called MSpi ril" (Ruacll). The Talmud siales that lhe state or Sa'arall. which is the pteway 10 Ihe mystical experience, depends on the Atms of the Univese. One allain. Ihis state .... hen one mediUlles on Ihe infinilies of the dilJOl1.Il boundaries and the permUlalions of Ihe Telrqrammalon os'lOCialed .... ith t~m. In lhe lui he,.." ... e I t t thaI the onkri"l uf the Iwelve di'lonal boundaries beains wilh Ihe eaSI and ends with Ihe nonh. Since Ihe l.st directiun upon which one medilates is the nonh. Ezekiel ...... Ihe "storm ... ind rominl from Ihe nonh.~ The Sllle of "Slormwind," I . .... ell n lhe "1"'11 doud. and nasb· inl fi,..," seen by Ezekid .,.., the rorco of I~ evil Husb (Klipalr), which must be b,..,.ehed ~fore one can enler inlO Ihe m ~leriu." The pa»ale in Deuteronomy Iberefo,.., ooncludes. "He drives the enemy from befure )'Ou. ~ Si""" after conlemp/atinllhe "Arms uflhe Univerv," one enoounlel1l the enemy-Ihe K/ipah-MO!es bad 11,1 pn;>millC' Ihal God would drive Ihi. fu," . .... y and allow une 11,1 enler unharmed." In Ihe urnl Venion. the readin& he,.., in Sefer Vdzirah is "Hei&hls uf I~ Universe." Some commenUlries SUIte that these "H ~i&hls" are Ihe "A rms of Ihe Universe.- " The term. "HeiahlS of the Universe: 0CC1J11I Ih,.." limes in scrip. 11,1,..,. In Jarob's blessinllu Joseph, he If1IInlS him. "Ihe desire uf the Hei&hlS ufl~ Universe" (Genesis 4!U6). Moses li kewillO The Zohlr $Illes Ihal IheK Hei&bls Ire ,..,llied to the feminine principle in crealion, esptti.Uy 11,1 tbe Sc:firab uf Malkhu\." It is Ibm"'" medilllion o n Ihe I".. elve infinite tines of the universe Ibat une can enter into Malkhut and beain the dimb up the Tree of life. The t....,l'·e dillunal boundaries are Ibe,..,fOK like lransmission lines. throu&b whiCh c,..,al;ve ene raY flows inlO lhe uni""l1Ie fn;>m ~ twelve diqon. l patin in Ibe Tree of life. As such. these infinities Ire I~ inlerface M lw«n the physical and the lf1llnKendenUlI.
'I'
ate
5:3
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'"
'n :' '\ ';'I J"fOll)'!I ;nJ:IV 0'1"11' l"'cm ~'" 1~"1]' pm tpprl f1'1O' :p '1 '11 c>ViM '''11 0'1" ~lV!I ",Iml ,."V 0'111 O:"l!l 'VI ,'tI ')
'0
::1!1j?ll "'Dl 1"1:1 C'l':"IlIJ 117V 0'1V ;UP!!
T,.,(,/,'f' £f~m~"lals II VZ ChTY LNS MQf;Jr; en "'" m) Tir", /Oundation is [tlral} II .. rngTa..-d tMm. carwd th17j. ';"1 roM ,."'0., O"'Wj. ;T,tl o;n "ll" ;n) ;n Inrt "1ro ,''' ::"upn '" tl'1Il:::l f C' ~" ;"1l":::1 10'l1 "1ro ,.., ,t:'i'l ' \' .".,) '\ .n~ 1''''0.., :"Il17:::1 .,.,~ cTIlV:::I ."..,. 0:! ..,vrn l!11:n "U"I:I ,,? "Wi" r1'"tI ' J n11't Tim;, /1'1' :';)'0::1 !l17nl c'?1V:l ::IVJI 0:"1::1 "U'\ ;"11::1 :1, :;'1::1,.,11 "1:11 " ' l::l n'IN ,,"D.l 1117j? 0.1.:1 1:n m ::l ;"II 111m VU ,,, ,ti l" :tJ't'J '0
::'I~;ll '1:11 VIIl:! ;"I~~ ;"1117::1 +'0:11 c&"V::I
IIf
'"
rna4~
Ihf InUT Lamed ('» ki'lg c oer coiliOtt And H, bound" crown /0 it Alld III' rombinni one ..ilh Il1I00h ...
A"d ,,'illl tlwm Ill' formni
Libra in Ihe
U"j~
Tisllre; in IIII' Yl'
;'Utl'::t mtrl
Wl)'1 1ro ,~ "11l'pl
J~"""'l ;'Ill:'::t mK l"tl:1
:"Ic>V,:I ' y J"I1r( 1"0., ~::t"'\ c"nV:l ", C;'1::t "tTl ;'l1::t ;'I I
::"I.:Ij.,ll "1:11 t:>'l:l 0'11 C:"I:l "tTl m:l ;"II "1ro r, ll''I' ' i''ITW'::t 11011711 ~'.::Ij"n"1:l1 t1!1~ 'Ji'It)\ :"Il'C::t iilfl tnW:J
::1DrI,n r'n::t
wm
P-W
;tClI'1
I'C~ ~'tl ;0"'11
,
'1'
rll:l
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SEFEII; nTZJIlAH
lit madt Iht 1~1" Eyi" fp) ki1l.f 0,," {Jfl8" And lie bQu."d Q m;JOI'/f 10 il
And Ill' comb/liN 0/1' ..'i11! fllt/Xlru And wilh fir"" lit' pmN ClIIJrirorn ill lilt' lkIi'~ ~ ilt Ilrt Y' ):1' l"" . /J ")' .
c'/::mm
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1" "1:1 P"I:> )"\..'
",1'
,"II,
l" I:>
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fl""l
:~ ,
"'I" Ifl"
'"'0 ;1"1"
'W
t'.t!'y 1' ~ n" 1:> " '\..' ,"\.'I:I b'~)'
)1'",
, ' bl'
'"I''' ;'b',
I"'\..' v'\..,
I'",
;1",';1
~"' ' -"I
v'
t ',,"
1'''0 " '/11 C'lIN:l
\';"11'1' ~"\;I ·D· :1""1' ... "
tb1' b'11'
,I,
c'n
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;1'):1 l"'P r."\..~:
il"\..'
t " I.'
...
1':1)'1' l " I' l" I~
;"\'"1,' (
~"'\..')' \' ::r.l'l:I :"'\..' , ' /I') '·"1 "1m
"
mu
"1::1
,0 • ••
".
",.
f -' ".
' ",
Fill""" 55. TA, 18 camp! d;,-Id"j u"""'S lA, (>0"('/>', r(JotSull,uitJns. /J,dum Ihe ecliptic, particularly in the
case of Ihe moon." There Ire IWO points where the orbit of a planet ;nlenttt II>e plane oflhe ecliptic. The point tltrough which the planet passes from the 5Oer poinl is Uw""1l as the cM:scendin, node. In medieval ISironomy. the ascendin, node was often called tile Mdraaon'S hnd.M",hil., the descend;n. node WIS refe rred to as Ihe Kdraaon 's tail. " With rqard 10 the intersection points of the equator and Ihe ediplic, these Ire Ihe lWO equin01et., See fisure 62 0< Other commenurits ickn tify the Teti with the Milky Way, Ind say thatthil ilthe Pole &rpent. lJ Aocordin& to Ihil, the Tell would be Ihe uil of Ihe pluy, nllhcr than Ihlt of the ultst;" Iplien. In tbe Book of Rll.zin, ho"""~r, it IppeI11that the Milky Way il cIiled tile River Dinllr, mentloned in Daniel, and not the Tell.Another imporUnI opinion i$ that of the praetical Kabbalisu. Tiley write tllat Tel; i, actually I place un'OI"n the knowled.., and undentandinl of God. as weU as r-esemblinl Him to the p-e;!.tn\ dq:r-ee ponibk. Here apin, ~ hear this in the W'Clrd. of the Psalmi$!, ~ But for me. the numns of God is JOOd. I have made God my Il'fu&e, that I may teU of Hil W'Clrks~ (Psalms 73:28 ). The Psalmi," isteacll ina us thai hi. ultimate &ood is nearness to God. This nearness involves ~tellinl of Hi. worb"- \h,;u is, a dttp tno,,'ledl" and pnuption of the Divi~." The ultimate &ood that God otTen is Ih cll'fore the opponunity to pereeive Him. In one place, our I:I.ln thus teach UI thaI God created the W'Clrid in order thlt men mly know Him .•! This is nol a Kpa!lite I't'uon. but the way in wbich He brstoW$ H15 &ood upon us." God thus told UI throua/l His prophet. ". 1m your God, • luch )'011 (or your &ood~ (Isaiah 41: 17). The Psalmist upresscs the same idea when he says. ~ you Ill' load, and You do Iood. teach me Your dccl't'CS~ (Pl:I.lms 119:68). To know God Ind understand Him in any ,,'ay is to have I ~ .~ Ind dread of His M';nty. AU true wisdom is that of God. But such wisdom and Irnowledje imply the feu and r-evtrcnct of God. The Pulmist thus l:I.id, ~Th e bqinni nl of Wisdom is the fCIT of God- (P$IlIml Ill : I 0). Solomon expll'ncd the I:I.me idea when he said. "n.c fell' of God is the beCinninl of Kno~~ (Proverbs 1:1)." We CIIn lhell'fore say thllthc ultimate coal of creation il lhat we should rome dose to God, and therefoll' boIh know Ind fear Him. Allin we hear the 'to'Ofds of Solomon, ~ Wha\evcr God does shill be forever , ., God has made it SO that man should fear Him" (Ecclniaslei 3:14). The Tilmud comments on this., sayinlthat the world was CTUled for the fnrofGod.'" Thi l i. mln's true PurJlOSC' in the W'Clrid, as we find allin. - The sum of the maller, when all has bttn helrd: Fear God and keep Hil commllKlmnlts, for Ihis ;1111 of man - (fule-
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S£FER YETZIRAU
siastc1 12: 13). In the T . /m ....;\, Rabbi ElaUl' com~nlS on Ihis and sa~. - s.;,lomon is luchinl u. that all 1M world ",'U CTeated for lhe fur of God.·" When our "'11:'1 oay lhat the world "'1IS created for Ihe fear o f God, they ue not conlradictin, Ille leachinllhat il .... as Crt'lled.S. vehide for His &0«1. W1u.t Ihey au dQillJ is uprtSlil\l whal this &ood IIltimUe! y is. II is a lnowledlC of God Ihal is most perfe.;tly uprnsed by Ihe ",,,(re nee .nd . _ thai "~'e call the -fear of God.The ul timale pla~ whell: ...·c " i ll be lO'OI'thy of Ihi s vision and perttption .... ill be in ....hal "''' call OIam ffa&1t- The FulU", World or the World 10 Come. Ii is a world of absolute life and coodne,,- It is of Ihe vision of the World 10 Come Ihal tbe Pylmist is speaki n, of when lie says. -I believe Ihal I will JUe upon God in lhe land of the livin,· (Pulms 27: I J). This - land of the livi n,- is lite Future World." It is Ihis fut ure world Ihal is the 10&1 of all lTIl .C>1ll':.I V.,;,c "1TiI'tl nv'?v 110 C'l(l lV ~V O':.I:1lI( :w"V ;mn"eJ J"'lClV :.1":1 C>:J.'1lt( nv'?v .0011'CC :1V"\1I 0"T1C :w"V ;n:hv flthm ;nc,,, ,:.1;':'1 0'1t.l'!" ;W"'" O'lll(m ' lV O'11'CC ;W"\1I '?mt:Im ')1(:'1 ' :JPl 'l" 0''T1C
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The s.equeoce three. seven, \""1",,, can be defined in a number of W'Y5. One, ",hith "" ha~c discussed carlin (1:2). involved the lines coRRenin, the Sefirot. Ho.... evef, there is another importanl s.equence Iha! also yields Ih'
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/0 h,m Ilrl' MQ.J /n llis /!e$!: Their vision is li ke Ihe "appearance of lilhtnillJ, ~ their limit has no end. Hi s Word in them is ~runninl and retu rni ns. ~ They rush to Hi! loIyinl like a whi rlwind, a nd before Hi, throne they pn)l;trale themscl'·es. 1. Ten Sefirot nf Nothio,"",,: Their end i. imbeddM in Ih~ir be&inniTl& and their be&inning in Iheir tnd, like 1I flame in a bumi", 00II1. Fo r Ihe Master is sinlular. He has no second. And before One, what do you count?
I .Te n Scfirot of N01hin",ess: Bridle your mouth from speaki", and your hean from thi nkins. And if your hean runs, return 10 the pl.aee, as it ;s wrilten , "Tbe ChayOi runnintl and retuminl~ (Ez~kiel 1:1 4). Repminl this a ro~'enanl was made. 9. Ten Sefirol of N01hin,"~,,: One is Ihe Breath o f the Livinl God, blessed a nd benMictM be the Name of Ihe Life of "'"Orl"Ua). 11 is called this because all Ihe spirit .... l powcrs e~nale from il as the [moIIl] ethereal of ~m.l.Da_ lions. One emllllies from Ihe other throuah the ~r of the oriJinai EmaDator, may He be ble$scd.' S. Rooled Consciousneu (~klln NiJllrilJ"). II i. called thil because il is lhe essence of the homogeneous Unity. It is unified in the euence of Understandinl. which emanllel from Ihe dom.i n of the OriJinal Wisdom.
6. Transcendental Innux COlISCioulness (SAllt l Slttfa Nivda/). It il called Ihis becuse throuah it Ihe inn ... ~ of Emanation (AI:i/lll) increlSC$ ilXlf. II beslOWS this innux on all bleuinp, which unify themselves in itl essence. 7. Hidden Consc10lWless (Sekirn Nistar). II is c:aIled this beca ... se ;1
is the radiance th.1 iU ... minlles the transcendental powcrs thl t Ire KC!\ wilh the mind', eye Ind with Ihe reverie of Flilh.' B. Perfecl Conscioume.u (snurrl Slraltm). It il called this because it i. the Ori&inaJ Arrancemenl. There i. no root Ihrou&h whicb il can he pond~red, eu:cpt throuah the chambers of Grealness, which emlnate from the essence of its pt tlilinence.
9. PYre Consciousness (SekIIeI7lzilat'). It is caUed this because;1 puri· fies the Scfirol. IIlests the dalte of their Sll1le1UIC and the inner el5Vlce of their unily. mati", il alow. They aTe then unified wilhoul any cumff or separation. 10. Scintillaeina ConsciOllsneu (SekJtrl MiINOf::erz). It is called thil because .1 elevates itself and si ts on the Ihrone of Undentandi0l- It
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shinl:$ .... ilh Ih ~ radian« of all 1M luminaries, and il bestow'S an influx of increase to th~ Prince of Ih~ Fa«.' II. Glaring Con5Ciou$ness (5nec.au~ it is the esKnce of tM V~il which is ordered in the ~n&c ment of the system. II indicall':'S tM ,..,Ialionship of tM Paths (Mfil'Ol) wMreby one can stand ~fo"" the Cause of C.u~. 12. Glowing Con'ICiousnes5 (SekM Baltir). Ii is called Ihis l>ec.aulC il i. Ih~ .-ssence of the Ophan-wheel of O,..,aln_.' It is called 1M Visu_ alizer (C~atdatif), the place .... hich &ivl:$ rise la Ihe vision Ih.1 the Seen pen:rive in an apparition.' Unily Direclin& Cons.ciOUSnes5 (&/citrl Man~i8 Hailchdul). It i. called Ihis l>ec.ause it i. the ~ssen« of Ihe Glory.'· Ii represents the completion of the true essence of the unified spirilual beinp. I).
14. Illuminating Cons.ciomneM (~kJrel Mnr). It i. called th is l>ec.aulC it is Ihe I:$",nc:e of Ihe Speakinl Silence (C.... ashmal)." Ii aives instroolion ,..,,,,rdin, I~ mysteries of the holy secrets and their $\n.tC1u,..,. U. Stabih~in& Cons.cioUIllCM (5nW ~
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Copyrighted material
APPENDIX IV EDITIONS AND COMMENTARIES
Copyrighted material
'" Printed Editions Mantua 1562,4' 108 ff. First Edition. Includes commentaries of Raavad, Rambll n D, M .,.~ BotTil, Sa.1dia B, Elieur of Worm~1 B. Major lUI is the Short Version, but also includes the Lon, Version as an aj)pendixlff. \02-108 ). Published by Yakov ben Nahal; Guola. LcmbnJ, 1680. Contains six venian! of the leu ' Amsterdam. 1713, 12' 48ff Abo includes 1M ZLJ/Jaric Sifra lHTtf'fliula an d para of the T.lm",dk lra(:! of Tamid. With introduction by R. M(ntari(oS as in Mantua roition, as "''ell as Ot:(lr HiJShml. ll\( rommental)' CII(lK(lmoni, by R. ShaDb.iuai Demello, is printed S(paraleiy al the end of thili section. Second Sttt ion COfIuins Prj Yit:dr(lk and oommcnury of Ora, wilh comm
'Qi Chadram fui 93. 104. PeIi}'Qh 2c: ~He ,..,"ened his name (RItt ) and c,..,aled (BIU).~ lOS . Ta"um 1. on (knesi. 1:27. The lum 612 il aoo the numerical VIIIIImirill, p. 21. t Ll. Donash ibn Tamim, Commrlliary 011 &1" Yn zjralr (London. 19(2), p. 65; &rttloni , II. 138. See above, note 68. 114. Yaakov ben Nissan, Comml'"InzirWr in the Torah. !Itt Bn HaS4" 6:36. Clraka",on/ (in Wana.w, 1884 edition), 661. Also see 01;01 DtRabbi AkibCh imacn .... ere worshipped. as we find in Al'lXiah Ll,ah "7a, Ydamdmu, 11",0.">, M{)l, Ql,IOled in YalkUl Sh.illWlli 62 on JudVS 7: 2, 1IrukI!, Bmw. Such reflections were possibly u~ for id oialrouS medilalion. Sh~
129. Cj Job 28:3, Psalm. ])9:22130. C/ Hinch o n Genesis 4 1: I: SiJnnOf HaNirtklfi m SheBaTh~h. p. 290; C/tol~m ThkJrllit. p. 198. The ZoIrw mtn thai Ketz de nOles evil, ZOOar 1:62b, EI: Clrllim. Slrllll' HaYarmcJr S. Wltcn Acher b«ame a n IpOdah (Chemoviu, 1863), p. Sk. oa. 5#" Cluuidim BO. Sodr)' Razla, pp. 9.10. Cf. ZoIla, UOlb. I S9. See lq.Yh S/ra'ak on £'Z Chaim. Siwa' Mati U'MaD 4. p. 192. 160. N~fosh lIaClraim 1:10. 161. See Slrlu, Kamah 23. 162. 1M MezTitcller Mauid uses I. similar idea with reprd 10 bRei, sec Maggid iH'Ia'QtI u)iJak-. Thne commentaries obviously well: OOt a"'ale of what the Raavad ...-,.;t« her"al mauer (S« chapter I , note 20S ). this ,•.-~tMSS denoles material exiaten.::e. see R. Levi bet1 Shlomo of Lunil . quoled in Botril, loc_ d f. Othen $IY that lbe ...·or' Yisrarl. VaErah (27a). Cf Cllagigall 12a. q. Ecc:!esiastes 4:8. Par.lphnlK o( Ze-l:hari. 14:9. T he Hebrew. MaNtd~t. here is obscure. InSlead of I mO/. mOlhers. Sudi. I,ISCS Umo/. This I,Isually means ~n .. ioni.~ Sud;a. howeve r. lr.nSllleS Ihem IS ~principles.~
Th is is an andenl. obsolele way of speUin, Ihe leller Bel. Note its reKmblena to Peh. 16. The Hebrew here. M,clllllhal, is obscure. Sec Ezekiel 16:4, 30:21. Job 38:9. 17, T his was the origin.l desi..,ation (o r the planet Mercury. Li ter. it was a bbreviated II Koc:ll",v .lone. KC SIl",bbal L56a. Th is would appear to indiclle that th is text antedate. t he Talml,ld. Lin,uislicaUy. this appears to be the most ancient venlon. 18. In plural. It mi&l\l deMOte both the 1.'Ic and small intestines. 15.
'VI
ate
S ~ ff R
\ ·ETZIR.O.II
Appendix II : The Thirty-Two Paths I.
2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
8. 9.
10. I I. 12.
I 3. 14. 15. 16.
17. is.
Raavad. Inlroduction ( 11.1.). Pard~ Rimaki of the Mshado ... of Shaddai,M the name aSSOcialed ... il h YHOd. Yesod il called Chai . ... hich has a numerical value of 18. T his is Iherefore the 181h stale of oonsdousl>C5S. SuNo.3. AUudinl to Psalm 91:1. See note IS .
•
., Appendix IV: Editions and Commentaries I,
This edition ;s nOI ~nlioMd in Otu,. &farim or in Btl EkM &fadm. It is only listed by W~. p. 10, and Waite, p. J.
2.
See """'Na, BaKc>dt.$h in pan 2.
3.
Not in Ol:ar &forim or Bet EkM &farim. Mentioned by Waile, p. 3. The sa~ is true of Ihis edition. Not in O/Zll' &[arim or Bel EW &farim. Men tioned by GoIdsclimidt. See Shem UaGMoIim. Samd::h 1: Mei, Iknayu, lbIdQl JI(lAri (Jerusalem, 1%7). pp. 43, 12, 24 1. Repnting Bl'lI.iamin HaLev; and his fu~r Shmlld. _ Sinai 43: 100 ( 1958). Much of Ihis boot w:a. taken from CIr..mdat !foYamim (Ismi., 1731). Also !ott Nt'Na, BaKodeJIr (IsmiT. I n~). Stt Amste rdam ( 1713) edition of &/« Yl'Itirah.. Sec £1: Chili,". Jnlrod U~lion. pp. 19.20. Sh"m JlaG~im. A.I~ 11, A. Jcllinck. UIIN'IlI"rNall d~ Orit'nu (OLB) 185 I. p . 425, G . Scholcm. Ki'}'fll &1'" 4:286 (1928). KiI''n' lad BaKlltKlllah 17:7. p. 48 . In Pardn RinrO/1im 12:2, Ihe 32 Palh. found in lhe Raa,'ad a n: anribuled 10 Y~r HaAru kh , Also s« Oizar ~forim, Pel! 315; Sh~m HtJGMoIim, Seho lem. foe. cil. Especiall¥ in hi.lellin& up ofl he 23] Galtl. S« Oi:ar Ed~n HaGanu: 16b. 311; c ha pler 1, nOfe 43. Qr;:ar E4fll /{aGallu: ]6b. quoted in A. Jdlinek, Bn Ifa&f" ]:XU I. AI ... s« Oi:ar S,forim. Peh 316. R. Kir'lheim. Lilltraluri)/al/ dn Ori~IIIJ (Ol B) 1846. p. 666. quoted in Tfflli rin. p. 10, note 8. Also s« Ibn Ez!'l's Malll~ La.shc" lIaKodn h (Offenbadt, 179]), Introd uction. A. Jelli ...... , MOH:f de U-O" ""d Mill V...Il02/miJ lum Schar ( 1351). p. 46: G. Seholem, " iryal ~ftr 6:387 (J9 }()). H o .... ever, "" here R. Yehudah Char il qUOl.cs R. Azriel. Ihi. does nOi fitlhe prinled Ramban , ..,., Chl)'il 3Th, 112b. S« note 16. Donash i. menlioned Iry Abraham Ibn EUI in his commentary On Genesis 38:9. ImUf dn Eludn Jui,'l'S (REI), Vol. 105. 107, 112. 11 3. 119, 121. Cf Munk, MNolic sur Aboul W.lid,~ ./Qurltll/ AsialiqlU, 1850: A. Neubauu. Cala/opf of 1lt/:Jftr>' Ma macriplJ i ll Ihf
4. 5. 6.
7, 8.
9.
10.
II.
12. 13.
14. 15.
16.
17.
18. ]9. 20.
21 .
Bodlria" Library No. I I I 8: f urst. Lmna/urb/al/ d~ Qrlm/I (O LB) 18SO. p. 897. It ~\d be templilllto identify Ihis willi R. E1ieur t;lfWonnC$. Ht;lwc ver. in Or:a' FA'" Ifa(;(l/Iu: \ 6b. Abulafia wrilC$ thaI the (()m mcntary of R. Y ittthair. Barda!hi ;,. un ique in il1 trellment of the 231 GatC$. Elkur of Wonnes utes . simil" S~tlcm .• nd therefore. Abulaf..,. rou ld not 1I",·c ~n IIi, CI(Immcntary. S« A. J~Hi""Ir.. &ilrlJV:II' (J~lrl!l~ dn Ka/:Jblalr. Vol 2. p. 61: Yehudall l-e ib Dulr.es.. NIIdwl KtNJomim (Hlnovcr. UB), p. 3. Goldschmidt, p, 39; 01:10, &forim. hi! 3 L7. Tlti. should be rejC"Ctcd for the rel50llJiven in IlQ(C 16. Stc I n trod ~tion. IIOle 1()9. S« lbYfot. C/wsigah 13a. - V~Ra.f/t)( · fr(>m h$ikla ] 79a. Aloo 51:"( Rosh. IJnakltcl ~,2 1. MaadM)' )Om TIn. ad /OC, Stc S.D. LuzUl\o. UtI"alWf b/DU tIN Ori~"11 (OLB) 1847, p. 343; ~vid Castell i. 1/ rorn''Il'''k> di Sltabball!ai DonIlOh1. p. o. Stc A. Man.. H IlT..-o{dr ~: 195, G . Scllolcm. M a.io'Tmtds. p. is. Aloo 51:"( Weinbel"J. in Jahrbu'r)' Yad BaKabbalalr 17:8, p. 48. /:.'nM" j6a, " V~A;".· ! 2 l. AI", _
J.O. 31.
1 84~.
p. 214;
12. Tiler