Kabala Unveiled

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council of the A.M.O.R.C. A ll matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right of possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C. and it should be returned upon its request. The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information of the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of the statutes of this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

By

F R A T E R T E M P O R A T O R Scribe

INTRODUCTION

The study of the Kabala has gathered to itself through the centuries the aura of the mysterious. Those who have written of it have done so vaguely and in veiled terms as though it were too sacrosanct to be dealt with openly and plainly. Their reasons for doing so have been understandable, but they are no longer justifiable.

Mystics and occultists the world over have revered the Kabala and have been genuinely appreciative of it as an aid to spiritual unfoldment. They know it to contain fundamental esoteric teachings. The Rosicru- cian Order has long recognized it as such. For this reason, A.M.O.R.C. does not want to deny its members acquaintance with the Kabala as a system even though for equally good reasons it has not been incorpo­ rated as such in the Order's regular graded course of study.

You have now progressed to a point in your Rosicrucian studies where you may be said to have grasped the fundamentals of sound judgment as to essential Cosmic laws and principles. In your next Degree, you will begin to apply these to the mystical and philosophic writings of others.

It is possible that an acquaintance with the Kabala will be useful to you in this respect, and we are therefore offering this supplementary teaching to those especially interested and qualified.

We ask, therefore, that you consider this series of discourses as con­ fidential and private as your regular Rosicrucian monographs. All Rosicrucian members in or above the Fourth Degree may apply for these discourses on the Kabala.

* * * * * * * *

The word Kabala means tradition. It is esoteric Jewish mysticism usu­ ally associated with the 2ohar, but actually including other works, and having a history which goes back to the early centuries A.D. when the Sepher Yezirah was written, if not earlier. The spelling Kabala has Seen adopted for this series, although transcription of the word from Hebrew includes a number of different spellings. The Zohar is the

"Book of Splendor" while the Sepher Yezirah is the "Book of Creation." The English translation of the Zoliar by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon in five volumes was published in London by The Soncino Press in 1931. The Sepher Yezirah may be obtained from the Rosicrucian Supply Bureau.

The Aramaic language of the Zohar is primarily a literary form of the thirteenth century, although part of the work is from the Babylonian Talmud and in the style of the old translation of the Torah. In the work Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai of the second century teaches his students the mysteries of the Kabala, and the Zohar has often been attributed to him.

Some correspondences to other mystical teachings are probably not from direct influence but are similar because they are archetypal concepts

and symbols. There are influences on the Kabala from Gnostic and Neo- platonistic works and teachings. These cannot be used to date the work. However, Jewish sources, written and oral, no doubt influenced

the author of the Zohar, and these may be used for this purpose. What the Zohar says about Islam and Christianity and the Near East is in accord with events of about 1280, according to Scholem. This agrees with the dates of the life of Moses de Leon who died in 1305, and his knowledge of Abulafia and other kabalists and their thought of the thirteenth century.

The author says he is revealing secret mysteries, which may be a refer­ ence to oral teachings or secret manuscripts, indicating the nature and method of carrying on the teachings. It cannot be proved, but it is possible that the Kabala was taught in this way from the time of the Sepher Yezirah and perhaps earlier.

This brings us to the Sepher Yezirah which is the earliest known kaba­ listic work dated usually between the third and sixth centuries A.D. This work and the Zohar will be taken up in later discourses. To give a brief idea of the Sepher Yezirah, it is, in the edition translated by Isidor Kalisch, an explanation of the ten spheres or emanations, the Hebrew letters divided into three groups, the mother letters, double

letters, and single letters, their number correspondences and their meanings.

The basic philosophy of the Kabala is rooted in the Bible, especially the books of Moses, the Talmud, and other early Jewish writings. It is the mystical interpretation of the ideas and symbolism which is specif­ ically kabalistic. It is related to, but not the same as, Merkabah mys­ ticism or the throne or chariot mysticism based on Ezekiel's vision.

The cultural elements in the Kabala are similar to other mystical phi­ losophies and religions. There are many Jewish concepts which are not to be found in other mystical works, at least in the same form. This is true of the Torah or books of Moses and ideas based on them, the presence of the Shekinah, and the letter-number symbolism.

History of the Kabala may be divided into periods, even though these may be somewhat arbitrary and may overlap.

1. The time of the Sepher Yezirah written about the third to the sixth centuries A. D.

2. Oral tradition passed on from teacher to student.

3. The Zohar which dates from about 1280 to 1290; Spanish kabalism, expulsion of the kabalists from Spain (1492).

4. Kabalists after the expulsion.

Abraham Abulafia and the author of the Zohar were contemporaries. Men such as Isaac Luria and Moses Cordovera of the sixteenth century are examples of later kabalists who will be discussed in a later discourse.

The Kabala is said to be practical and theoretical. Practical Kabala included magic, but magic was practiced and believed in by people in Europe and elsewhere. Theoretical Kabala is a philosophy and meta­ physics which is essentially mystical, but mysticism must be applied. We can say, therefore, that theoretical Kabala is its study as a philos­ ophy or mystical religion and its application for mystical purposes.

There are said to be two paths in the Kabala. The path of the sephiroth or spheres is based on number symbolism as well as the names of the

sephiroth and the names of God. However, the path of names as such is based on the symbolism of the Hebrew letters. These are, in a sense, two aspects of the same concept, since the letters also represent numbers. Both number and letter symbolism was used as the basis of mystical meditation and rituals to enable the student to attain knowledge and mystical union.

Application of the letter symbolism is threefold:

1. Temurah is the transposition of the letters in a word according to specific rules. This is more easily done in Hebrew because the vowels are not printed. The Zohar (I, 14) says BeHiBaReAm is an anagram of

BeABeRaHeM; the first means when they were created, and the second means through Abraham. Through Abraham what had been sealed up became serviceable.

2 * Notarikon is the use of the letters of a word as the initial letters for other phrases of sentences. This is simply a form of acrostics.

3. Gematria is the substitution of the numerical value of the letters for the letters themselves, finding the numerical value of the whole word. Words with the same numerical value were thought to have some relationship. Adam means man and consists of the letters aleph, daleth,

and mem; their numerical values are 1, 4, and 40, which adds to 45. Basically, gematria is a letter-number

cipher which could be used for mystical purposes as well as secret messages. We are interested in these discourses in the mysticism basic to the Kabala.

Mystical experience is intensely personal. The symbols used in any mystical philosophy or religion will have generally accepted cultural meanings, but they have personal, individual levels of meaning also. Even though they express metaphysical and cosmological principles,

these are experienced along with personal emotions and ideas. They rep­ resent the concept of union and oneness and the experience of the union and oneness. This applies to the symbol of the sephiroth and the kaba­ listic tree as well as other kabalistic symbols.

The word or creative utterance is a concept and symbol common to many cultures, for example. It has a basic meaning which is found in these

uses. This is, in Carl Jung's sense of the term, an archetypal symbol, a common human symbol, and it has a common meaning as well as meanings which pertain to various cultures and individuals.

Both the basic mysticism and its symbolic function can be directed so that the initiate learns to understand himself and the field of which he is part. They can and should be used to attain mystical union.

The following gives the form of each Hebrew letter, its name, the numer­ ical value, and derivation. For example, the letter aleph represents the number 1, and is said to have been derived from the ox. The letter beth represents the number 2, and its form is said to be derived from the-house. LETTER Aleph Brth

3

n

1

T

n

LETTER NUMERAL DERIVATION Kaf

2

b

D

V

E

S

P

n

Hollow of the hand

Goad Water Fish Prop or support Eye or well Mouth Fisher Back of head Head Tooth

Sign of the cross

It should be remembered that the spelling of the Hebrew letxers differs when they are transcribed into roman letters.

SUMMARY:

1. The word Kabala means tradition.

2. The best known kabalistic works are the Sepher Yezirah (300 - 600 A.D.) and the Zohar (late thirteenth century).

3. Kabalistic mysticism was influenced by Gnosticism and Neoplatonism. There may have been other influences, but most others are archetypal similarities.

4. The history of the Kabala may be divided into four periods: 1) the Sepher Yezirah, 2) oral tradition, 3) the Zohar, 4) after the

expulsion from Spain in 1492.

5. The Kabala is both practical and theoretical.

6. The two paths in the Kabala are those of the sephiroth and of the names.

7. The basic mysticism and its symbolic function should be used to attain mystical union.

8. The Hebrew letters, numbers, and derivatives of the letters are given.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council of the A.M.O.R.C. A ll matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right o f possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C. and it should be returned upon its request The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information of the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. A n y other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of the statutes of this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

By

FRATER TEMPORATOR Scribe

There is a parable or allegory in the Zohar (I, 9-13) regarding the choice of the letter with which to begin making the world. All the letters present themselves before God with the reasons why each should be placed first. The meaning of the letters comes from association with the particular Hebrew words of which they are part.

"'When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to make the world, all the letters of the Alphabet were still embryonic, and for two thousand years the Holy One, blessed be He, had contemplated them and toyed

with them. When He came to create the world, all the letters presented themselves before Him in reversed order. The letter Tau advanced in

front and pleaded: May it please Thee, 0 Lord of the world, to place me first in the creation of the world, seeing that I am the concluding letter of EMeTh (Truth) which is engraved upon Thy seal, and seeing that Thou art called by this very name of EMeTh, it is most appropriate

for the King to begin with the final letter of EMeTh and to create with me the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: Thou art

worthy and deserving, but it is not proper that I begin with thee the creation of the world, since thou art destined to serve as a mark on the foreheads of the faithful ones (vide Ezek. IX, 4) who have kept the Law from Aleph to Tau, and through the absence of this mark the rest will be killed; and further, thou formest the conclusion of MaWeTh

(death). Hence thou are not meet to initiate the creation of the world. The Shin then came to the fore and pleaded: O Lord of the world, may it please Thee to begin with me the world, seeing that I am the initial

letter of Thy name ShaDDal (Almighty), and it is most fitting to create the world through that Holy Name. Said He in reply: Thou art worthy, thou art good, thou art true, but I may not begin through thee the creation of the world, since thou formest part of the group of letters expressing forgery, ShekeR (Falsehood), which is not able to exist unless the Koph and Resh draw thee into their company. (Hence it is that a lie, to obtain credence, must always commence with something true. For the shin is a letter of truth, that letter by which the Patriarchs communed with God; but koph and resh are letters belonging to the evil side, which in order to stand firm attach to themselves the shin, thus forming a conspiracy (QeSgeR).) Having heard all this, the shin departed. Enters the Zade and says: 0 Lord of the world, may it please Thee to create with me the world, inasmuch as I am the sign of the righteous (Zadikim) and of Thyself who art called righteous, as it is written, For the Lord is righteous, he loveth righteousness (Ps. XI, 7), and hence it is meet to create the world with me. The Lord made answer: 0 Zade, thou art Zade, and thou signifiest righteousness, but thou must be concealed, thou mayest not come out in the open so much

lest thou givest the world cause for offence. For thou consistest of the letter nun surmounted by the letter yod (representing together the male and the female principles). And this is the mystery of the cre­

ation of the first man, who was created with two faces (male and female combined). In the same way the nun and the yod in the zade are turned back to back and not face to face, whether the- Zade is upright or

turned downwards. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her further, I will in time divide thee in two, so as to appear face to face, but thou wilt go up in another place. She then departed. The letter Pe pre­

sented herself and pleaded thus? May it please Thee, O Lord of the

world, to create through me the world, seeing that I signify redemption and deliverance (Purkana, Peduth), which Thou art to vouchsafe to the world. It is, hence, meet-that through me the world be created. The Lord answered: Thou art worthy, but thou representest transgression

(Pesha), and moreover thou are shapen like the serpent, who had his head curled up within his body, symbolic of the guilty man who bends his head and extends his hand. The letter 'Ayin was likewise refused as standing for iniquity t'Awon), despite her plea that she represents humility (’Anavah). Then the Samekh appeared and said: 0 Lord of the world, may it please Thee to create through me the world, inasmuch as I

represent upholding (Semikah) of the fallen as it is written, The Lord upholdeth all that fall (Ps, CXLV, 14). The Lord answered her: This is just the reason why thou shouldst remain in thy place, for shouldst thou leave it, what will be the fate of the fallen, seeing that they are upheld by thee? She immediately departed. The Nun entered and pleaded her merits as being the initial letter in Fearful (Nora) in praises, (Ex. XV, 11), as well as in Comely (Nawa) is praise for the righteous (Ps. XXXVIII, 1). The Lord said: O Nun, return to thy place, for it is for thy sake (as representing the falling, Nofelim) that the Samekh returned to her place. Remain, therefore, under her support. The Nun immediately returned to her place. The Mim came up and said: 0 Lord of the world, may it please Thee to create by me the world, inasmuch as I commence the word Melekh (King) which is Thy title. The Lord replied: It is so assuredly, but I cannot employ thee in the cre­ ation of the world for the reason that the world required a King.

Return, therefore, to thy place, thou along with the Lamed and the

Kaph, since the world cannot exist with a MeLeKh (King). At the moment, the Kaph descended from its throne of glory and quaking and trembling said: 0 Lord of the universe, may it please Thee to begin through me the creation of the world, seeing that I am Thine own Kabod (honour). And when Kaph descended from its throne of glory, two Hundred thousand worlds began to shake, the throne trembled, and all the worlds quaked and were about to fall in ruins. Said to her the Holy One, blessed be His Name: Kaph, Kaph, what doest thou here: I will not create the world with thee. Go back to thy place, since thou standest for extermination

(Kelayah). Return, then, to thy place and remain there. Immediately she departed and returned to her own place. The letter Yod then pre­ sented herself and said: May it please Thee, 0 Lord, to vouchsafe me first place in the creation of the world, since I stand first in the Sacred Name. The Lord said to her: It is sufficient for thee that thou art engraven and marked in Myself and that thou art the channel of My will? thou must not be removed from My Name. The Teth then came up and

said: 0 Lord of the universe, may it please Thee to place me at the head in the creation of the world, since through me Thou art Good (Tob) and upright. The Lord said to her: I will not create the world through thee, as the goodness which thou representest is hidden and concealed within thyself, as it is written, 0 how abundant is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee (Ps, XXXI, 20). Since then it is treasured within thyself, it has no part in the world which I am going to create, but only in the world to come. And further, it is because thy goodness is hidden within thee that the gates of the Temple

sank into the ground, as it is written, Sunk (Tabe1u) in the ground are her gates (Lam. II, 9). And furthermore, the letter Heth is at thy side, and when joined you make sin (HeT) . (It is for~£hat reason that these two letters are not to be found in the names of any of the

tribes.). She departed immediately. Then the Zayin presented herself and put forth her claim, saying, O Lord of the World, may it please Thee to put me at the head of the creation, since I represent the obser­ vance of the Sabbath, as it is written, Remember (Zakhor) the day of the Sabbath to keep it holy (Ex. XX, 8). The Lord replied: I will not create the world through thee, since thou representest war, being in shape like a sharp-pointed sword, or a lance. The Zayin immediately departed from His presence. The Vau entered and put forth her claim, saying: 0 Lord of the world, may It please Thee to use me first in the creation of the world, inasmuch as I am one of the letters of Thy name. Said the Lord to her: Thou, Vau, as well as He, suffice it to you that you are of the letters of My name, part of tEe mystery of My name,

engraven and impressed in My name. I will therefore not give you first place in the creation of the world. Then appeared the letter Daleth as well as the letter Gimel and put forth similar claims. The Lord gave them a similar reply,saying: It should suffice you to remain side by side together, since the poor will not cease from the land (Deut. XV, 11), who will thus need benevolence. For the Daleth signifies poverty

(Dalluth) and the Gimel beneficence (Gemul). Therefore separate not from each other, and let it suffice you that one maintains the other. The Beth then entered and said: 0 Lord of the world, may it please Thee to put me first in the creation of the world, since I represent the benedictions (Berakhoth) offered to Thee on high and below. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: Assuredly, with thee I will create the world, and thou shalt form the beginning in the creation of the world. The letter Aleph remained in her place without presenting herself.

Said the Holy One, blessed by His name: Aleph, Aleph, wherefore comest thou not before Me like the rest of the letters? She answered: Because I saw all the other letters leaving Thy presence without any success. What, then, could I achieve there? And further, since Thou hast already bestowed on the letter Beth this great gift it is not meet for the

Supreme King to take away the gift which He has made to His servant and give it to another. The Lord said to her: Aleph, Aleyh, although I will begin the creation of the world with the beth, thou wilt remain the

first of the letters. My unity shall not be expressed except through thee, on thee shall be based all calculations and operations of the world, and unity shall not be expressed save by the letter Aleph. Then the Holy One, blessed by His name, made higher-world letters of a large pattern and lower-world letters of a small pattern. It is therefore that we have here two words beginning with beth (Bereshith bara) and then two words beginning with aleph (Elohim eth). They represent the higher-world letters and the lower-world letters, which two operate, above and below, together as one.'" (Zohar, I, 9-13)

The passage not only gives the Hebrew letters but the use of words and meanings which is typically kabalistic. It also at the end of the passage uses the higher-world and lower-world, or the Above and Below correspondence which a number of mystical philosophies made an impor­ tant part of their concepts.

The first sefirah is Kether, the Crown, but all ten sefiroth are some­ times called crowns, as in the following passage from the Zohar concern ing letters as the symbolic, creative Utterance.

"These twenty-two letters which are inscribed in the Torah are all illustrated in the Ten Creative Utterances. Each of those ten, which are the crowns of the King, is traced in certain letters. Hence the Holy Name is disguised under other letters and each Utterance lends to the one above it certain letters, so that they are comprised in one another. Therefore we trace the Holy Name in other letters not its own one set being concealed in the other, though they are linked together. He who desires to know the combinations of the holy names must know the letters which are inscribed in each crown said then combine them."

(Zohar, V, 85)

The basic symbolism of the Kabala is letter, name, and word symbolism which, because of the nature of the Hebrew language and alphabet, is

associated with number symbolism.

The object of this type of symbolism and of rituals connected with it is to attain harmonium and mystical union, to understand the nature of cosmos, man, and God, and their relationship. This must be used cre­ atively in daily life.

The Kabala and its symbolism, therefore, is a means to an end, not an end in itself. In the long run, it is a means which the mystic learns to use to accomplish union, the oneness of all.

The creative voice and utterance are shown in another passage (II, 382) "The Voice speaks to the Utterance, there being no voice without utter­ ance. This Voice is sent from a deep recess above in order to guide the Utterance, the two being related as general and particular. The Voice issues from the south and speaks to the west, inheriting two sides, and therefore Moses said to Naphtali: Possess thou the west and the south (Deut. XXXIII, 23). Observe that Thought is the beginning of all. This Thought is recondite and inscrutable, but when it expands it reaches the place where spirit abides and is then called Understand­ ing (Binah), which is not so recondite as the preceding. This spirit expands and produces a Voice composed of fire, water, and air, which corresponds to north, south, and east. This Voice embraces in itself all forces, and speaks to Utterance, and this shapes the word properly. When you examine the grades closely, you find that Thought, Understand­

ing, Voice, Utterance are all one and the same, and there is no separa­ tion between them, and this is what is meant by the words; The Lord is one and His Name is One." (Zohar, II, 382)

SUMMARY:

1. The parable regarding the choice of the letter with which to begin the creation of the world is typical of the symbolism of and play on words used in the Kabala. It is based on the correspondence of the above and below, common to many mystical writings.

SUMMARY (cont'd):

2. The Creative Utterance or Word in the Kabala is also typical of other forms of mysticism.

3. Letter, name, and word symbolism, along with number symbolism, is charateristic of the Kabala because of the nature of the Hebrew language.

BIBLIOGRAPHY!

Meltzer, David, editor

The Secret Garden: An Anthology in the Kabbalah. New York, Seabury Press, 3^76. *

Scholem, Gershom G,

Kabbalah. New York, Quadranqle, The New York Times Book Co., 1974.

Scholem, Gershom G.

Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, third edition. New York, Schocken Books, 1954.

Scholem, Gershom G.

On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism. London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1965.

Kalish, Isidor, translator

Sepher Yezirah, photolithograph of 1877 edition by L. H. Frank and Company, New York. (Sold by the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC)

The Zohar, translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon, five volumes. London, Soncino Press, 1931.

For further reading (to be read critically):

Frank, Adolphe

The Kabbalah. Secaucas, N. J., 1967.

Myer, Isaac

Qabbalah: The Philosophical Writings of Solomon Ben Yehudah... Ibn GebTrol or Avicebron. Philadelphia, The Author, 1888. Reprint, New York, Samuel Weiser, 1970. (This does not dis­ tinguish between the kabala and corresponding systems and

concepts such as the I Ching, Dionysios, Akkadian and Chaldean ideas.)

Waite, Arthur Edward

The Holy Kabbalah, reprint. New Hyde Park, New York, University Books, 195?T.

THE KABALA UNVEILED

-B-BIBLIOGRAPHY (cont'd)

Waite, Arthur Edward

The Secret Doctrine in Israel. New York, Occult Research Press, no date.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council o f the A.M.O.R.C. All matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right of possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C. and it should be returned upon its request. The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information o f the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of the statutes of this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

B y

FRATER TEMPORATOR Scribe

The Zohar seeks primarily to teach the relationship between man, the universe, and God, or as much of deity as man can attain and understand It does this by explaining the creation of the cosmos and man from the cosmic or archetypal pattern and the resulting correspondences in the attributes of God, grades of manifestation, or letters of creation.

The Creative Agent is expressed in symbols, some of which are the cre­ ative utterance or Maamar, the letters of the alphabet and their combi­ nations, Wisdom and its nature, the two pillars of Mercy or Hesed and Judgment or Geburah*

In form, the Zohar, or Book of Splendor, is a commentary on the five books of Moses by means of conversations resulting from meditations of

the Rabbis. Some of these commentaries are interpretations of partic­ ular passages by simply expounding a meaning. In some cases, there is more than one interpretation of the same passage. There are also some parables, such as the one of the alphabet to be used in the creation.

God, or what we might call the Absolute, is unknowable to man in His ultimate essence. Hence, creation begins with En-Sof, the Infinite or Unknowable. God is known by his radiations, emanations, grades, or attributes, which are what man knows of that which is actually without attributes. The most important symbols of these attributes are the ten sefiroth, and the names of God, which are not the same as the sefiroth, but which do correspond.

As in the case in many mystical systems, man's ascent to God is the re­ verse of the Cosmic Creation. The ten sefiroth or attributes are

emanated from God; first is Wisdom, then Understanding, then Mercy, then Judgment, and so on. Man ascends to God in reverse order, the first step being the last sefiroth.

The Zohar has the basic elements of mysticism found in other systems so that it is often difficult to know when there has been any influence of one philosophy or religion on another* It has, as we have seen, the basic As above, so below concept and the related idea of the archetypal pattern from whicE the type is derived. On this is based the macrocosm

and microcosm, the great and small worlds, the cosmos and man, or as it is put in the Zohar the Macroprosopus and Microprosopus, the concept of God as the Great Man and of man as the lesser god, and the kabalisti greater and lesser countenances.

The above-below idea is related to the doctrine of correspondences. If the lower realm is like the upper realm, then the things and beings of the two realms correspond, or in kabalistic terms the grades form cor­ responding series.

The concept of polarity or duality is often expressed in the Zohar in terms of man and woman, king and queen. The king and queen are symbols also used in alchemy. The two pillars unite in a central column result ing in three or the triangle. Each pair of sefiroth unite to form a third, so that the central sefiroth and pillar are perfect creation.

The Torah itself, the foundation of Judaism, is also dual in a sense; it is oral and written, and these correspond to the two pillars. The two names of God YHVH and Elohim, are a corresponding duality.

The Zohar involves a complex system of mystical interpretation of bib­ lical passages on different levels, and the interpretations do not always agree. This implies that the interpretation is to some extent up to the individual; however, any interpretation is based on esoteric tradition whether oral or written. The main method of interpretation consists of manipulation of and play on words and numbers, which is possible because of the nature of the Hebrew language.

In a sense, the Bible constitutes a kind of symbolic realm which is both archetype and type, and which represents the Divine Archetype of which it is thought to be the emanation or expression. This is true

in the dogma of most religions, whether it is consciously realized or not. This is also the concept of the cosmos, the Earth, and the Cosmic man. Each is a symbolic archetype and type which is an emanation of the Divine.

The Zohar is cosmological because it explains the creation and order of the universe. It is philosophical in that it is a systematic exposi­ tion of the beliefs and attitudes of a group. It is mystical since its

aim is the perfection of man through mystical experience and the mani­ festation of the Divine plan.

The importance of the accounts of creation in the Zohar and other kaba­ listic works can hardly be overestimated. Next in importance is proba­ bly the nature of man. These lectures, therefore, explain these by quotations from the Zohar and by an explanation of the Sepher Yezirah. The material has sometimes been abridged, but this will be noted.

"When God designed to create the universe, His thought compassed all worlds at once, and by means of this thought were they all created.... By this thought--which is His Wisdom— were this world and the world

above created. He stretched forth His right hand and created the world above. He stretched forth His left hand and created this world....

All were created in one moment. And He made this world corresponding to the world above, and everything which is above has its counterpart here below, and everything here below has its counterpart in the sea; and yet all constitute a unity." (Zohar III, 65)

"Furthermore, the Holy One, when about to create the world, used the Torah as a copy, and also the Divine Name, which is the epitome of the Torah, and by it firmly established the world. By three energies is the world upheld, to wit, by Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. So scripture says: 'The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths were broken up1

(Prov. Ill, 19-20). Observe that with the same three the Tabernacle was built, as it is written: 'And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge' (Ex. XXXI, 3); and all these are indicated in the story of creation. Thus, 'In the

beginning' corresponds to Wisdom, 'God created' hints at Understanding; 'The heaven' to Knowledge..,. The two thus correspond to each other."

(Zohar, IV, 253)

"For just as one hammer-blow causes sparks to fly off in all directions, so God brought into being simultaneously manifold species and hosts, each differing from the other, without number. The world was brought into being by a word and a breath together.... One is inoperative with­ out the other, but from their combined action there came into being hosts upon hosts all simultaneously. Now when God was about to create the world, He produced a secret spark from which there issued and radi­ ated all the lights which are disclosed. First there spread from it those lights which constitute the upper world. Then it continued its

radiation, and the Artificer made it into a light without brightness, and thus He made the lower world. And by reason of its being a light, but without illumination, it feels itself attracted towards the upper world. Now it is that light without illumination which through its

attachment to the upper world brought into being all those legions and hosts of existences, of all the multitudinous species, of which it is written, 'How manifold are thy works.' And whatever is on earth has its counterpart on high, there being no object, however small, but what is subordinate to its counterpart above which has charge over it; and so whenever the thing below'stirs itself, there is a simultaneous stim­ ulation of its counterpart above, as the two realms form one inter­ connected whole." (Zohar, II, 101)

One passage uses correspondences between the Earth, the Sanctuary and Jerusalem as the point and first circle, and the human eye. "Thus the point is in the centre, and the various expansions encircle it. The

first expansion embraces the Sanctuary and all its courts and enclosures and all its appurtenances, as well as the whole city of Jerusalem

bounded by the wall; the second expansion embraces the whole of the Land of Israel, the Land which was declared Holy; the third expansion comprehends the rest of the earth, the dwelling-place of all the other nations. Then comes the great ocean which surrounds the whole. The whole arrangement is symbolized by the structure of the human Eye."

(Zohar IV, 259) Diagrammed, this would consist of the central dot, three- concentric circles, and then the waters.

SUMMARY s

1. The Zohar is a commentary on the Bible, particularly the books of Moses.

2. It teaches the relationship between man, the universe, and God.

3. One important aspect of the Zohar is its explanations of creation,

4. The diagram on page four is based on the explanation of the rela­ tionship between the center point, the Sanctuary, Jerusalem, Israel, the Earth, and the waters.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council o f the A.M.O.R.C. A ll matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right o f possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O JI.C. and it should be returned upon its request. The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information o f the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights o f the member, and is a violation of the statutes o f this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

By

FRATER TEMPORATOR Scribe

Using the symbolism of the letters, one passage says, "The very first thing taught to children, the Aleph Beth, transcends the comprehension and the mind of man, and even of the higher and highest angels, because the Holy Name is concealed in the letters. A thousand and four hundred and five worlds are suspended from the point of the aleph, and seventy- two holy names traced in their full spelling, which uphold heaven and earth, upper and lower beings, and the Throne of the King, are suspended along the stroke of the alegh, while the mystery of Wisdom and the

hidden paths and the deep rivers and the ten Words all issue from the lower point of the aleph. From this point aleph begins to extend into beth, and there is no end to the wisdom that is here inscribed."

(Zohar, V, 74)

Aleph is the beginning of the alphabet and of number. In Hebrew it is a consonant having no actual sound but is the beginning of all spoken sound, including the symbolic Creative Word.

It is the beginning of both spoken sound and written letters, and it is thus the beginning of creation and the beginning of the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai.

"R, Judah followed with a discourse on the verses 'The counsel (sod) of the Lord is with them that fear him? and his covenant to make them know it1 (Ps, XXV, 14). 'The counsel' (sod) he said, 'alludes to the sub­ lime mystical knowledge which remains hidden and undisclosed save for those that fear the Lord continuously and thus prove themselves worthy of these secrets and able to keep them. Observe that the world has been made and established by an engraving of forty-two letters, all of which are the adornment of the Divine Name. These letters combined and

soared aloft and dived downwards, forming themselves into crowns in the four directions of the world, so that it might endure. They then went forth and created the upper world and the lower, the world of unifica­ tion and the world of division. In the latter they are called 'moun­ tains of separation' (bather) (S.S. II, 17), which are watered when the south side begins to come near them. The water flows with supernal energy and with ecstatic joy. Whilst the Thought mounts up with exult­ ing joy out of the most Undisclosed One, there flows out of it a sparks the two then come into contact with each other, as explained elsewhere. These forty-two letters thus constitute the supernal mystical principle; by them were created the upper and the lower worlds, and they indeed constitute the basis and recondite significance of all the worlds. Thus he explained the verse, 'The secret of the Lord is to them that fear him? and his covenant to make them know it1, the first part alluding to the undisclosed engraven letters, whereas the latter speaks of the

revealed. Now, it is written: 'And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgement the Urim and the Thummin' (Ex. XXVIII, 30). The term

'Urim' (lit. light, illumination) signifies the luminous speculum, which consisted of the engravure of the Divine Name composed of forty-two

letters by which the world was created? whereas the Thummin consisted of the non-luminous speculum made of the Divine Name as manifested in the twenty-two letters. The combination of the two is thus called Urim and Thummim. Observe that by the power of these sunken letters

were the other letters, namely, the raised letters forming the names of the tribes, now illumined, now darkened. The letters of the Divine Name embrace the mystery of the Torah, and all the worlds are a projec­ tion of the mystery of those letters. The Torah begins with a Beth followed by an Aleph, indicating thereby that the world was created by the power of these letters, the Beth symbolizing the female principle and the Aleph the male principle, and both engendering, as it were, the group of the twenty-two letters.'" (Zohar, IV, 299-300)

Another passage is pertinent to this: "For the Torah is the Name of the Holy one, blessed by He. As the Name of the Holy One is engraved in Ten Words (creative utterances) of Creation, so is the whole Torah en­ graved in the Ten Words (Decalogue), and these Ten Words are the Name of the Holy One, and the whole Torah is thus one Name, the Holy Name of God Himself, Blessed is he who is worthy of her, the Torah, for he will be worthy of the Holy Name," (Zohar III, 278)

"R. Eleazar further discoursed on the verse: 'A song of ascents; of Solomon. Except the Lord build the house, thy labour is in vain', etc.

(Ps. CXXVII, 1). 'This verse', he said, 'was uttered by Solomon at the time when, having begun to build the Temple he became aware that the work proceeded of itself, as it were, in the hands of the labourers. Except the Lord', he thus said, 'build the hours', etc. This alludes to the statement that 'In the beginning God created heaven and earth'

(Gen. I, 1), and tells us that the Holy One, blessed by He, created and garnished this world and fitted it out with all its requirements, thus making it a House. 'They labour in vain that build it': this alludes to the streams that come forth and enter the House in order to furnish it with all its needs; try as they may, yet except the Lord of the supernal world make the House and put it in proper order, they labour in vain. 'Except the Lord keep the city', etc. (Ibid.) This is in harmony with the verse: 'The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year' (Deut. XI, 12), indicating the providence by which it is guarded on all sides. And though it is also written, 'Behold, it is the couch of Solomon; threescore mighty men are about it' (S.S. Ill, 7), all guarding it, this is 'because of dread in the night1 (Ibid. 8), to wit, the dread of Gehinnom that confronts it and tries to annihilate it. All thus are standing guard round about it. When the Thought is illumined, it re­ mains undisclosed and unknowable, but it forms a centre of energies and of expansion in all directions. One outcome of that expansion is the Supernal World, the world of interrogation, as it were, or of the

Supreme Utterance, the world called 'Who?', alluded to in 'Lift up your eyes on high, and see: Who hath created these?1, or in other words, the creative utterance, the Who?, created these; but subsequently it ex­ panded and became the sea, symbolic of the lowest grade, and created a

lower world after the pattern of the upper, the two being the counter­ parts of each other. Hence the guarding of the universe is from above downwards, that is, from the upper world which was formed by the expan­ sion of the Thought. We thus understand the meaning of the passage, saying, 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth in vain1,

depends not on him but on the higher world. Note that the blue employed in the work of the Tabernacle symbolized the mystery of the upper world, the blue and the purple together symbolized the knitting together of the upper world and the lower." (Zohar, IV, 272-273)

"'AND BEHOLD A LADDER SET UP ON EARTH.1 This ladder signifies the grade on which the other grades rest, to wit, the 'Foundation of the world'. AND THE TOP OF IT REACHED TO HEAVEN, so as to be attached to it. For this grade is the conclusion of the Body standing between the upper and the lower world.... " The ladder symbolizes the ascent from Earth to heaven and is another commonly used symbol.

"'Lift up your heads, O ye gates' (Ps. XXIV, 7), and refer to the super­ nal grades by and through which alone a knowledge of the Almighty is possible to man, and but for which man could not commune with God. Sim­ ilarly, man's soul cannot be known directly, save through the members of the body, which are the grades forming the instruments of the soul. The soul is thus known and unknown. So it is with the Holy One, blessed be He, since He is the Soul of souls, the Spirit of spirits, covered and veiled from anyone; nevertheless, through those gates, which are doors for the soul, the Holy One makes Himself known. For there is door within door, grade behind grade, through which the glory of the Holy One is made known. Hence here 'the tent door* is the door of righteous­ ness, referred to in the words, 'Open to me the gates of righteousness'

(Ps. CXVIII, 19), and this is the first entrance door; through this door a view is opened to all the other supernal doors. He who succeeds in entering this door is privileged to know both it and all the other doors, since they all repose on this one. At the present time this door remains unknown because Israel is in exile; and therefore all the other doors are removed from them, so that they cannot know or commune; but when Israel returns from exile, all the supernal grades are des­ tined to rest harmoniously upon this one. Then men will obtain a knowl­ edge of the precious supernal wisdom of which hitherto they wist not, as it is written, 'And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord' (Is. XI, 2). All these are destined to rest on the lower door which is the 'tent door':

all too will rest upon the Messiah in order that he may judge the world, as it is written, 'But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, etc'

(Ibid. 4).“ (Zohar, I, 332-333)

SUMMARY s

1. The Holy Name is concealed in the letters; Aleph and its symbolism is important because the worlds, holy names, upper and lower realms, among other things are suspended from it.

2. Some of the letter symbolism is given.

THE KABALA UNVEILED

-B-SUMMARY (cont'd)

4. The world is compared to a house which God made. The passage ex­ plains the upper world and the formation of the universe from above downwards.

5. The ladder is compared to the grades of the sefiroth.

6. Knowledge of the soul, man and God is explained. There is grade within grade through which the glory of the Holy One is known.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council of the A.M.O.R.C. A ll matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right of possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C. and it should be returned upon its request. The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information o f the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. A n y other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights o f the member, and is a violation of the statutes of this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

By

F R A T E R T E M P O R A T O R Scribe

The Zohar discusses this passage from the biblical account of creation: '"AND THE LORD GOD BUILT (VAYIVEN) THE SIDE WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM MAN, ETC.1 Said R. Simeon-) 'It is written, God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof (JobXXVIII, 23). tHTs

verse may be taken in many ways. One is that the word 'understood' (hevin) has the same sense as vayiven in the second chapter of Genesis, Hence the 'side' here is the Oral Law, which forms a 'way1, as it is written, 'who maketh a way in the sea' (Is. XLIII, 16), Similarly,

'place* here can be interpreted as the Written Law, which is the source of knowledge. The double name 'Lord God' is used to show that it was completed in all details. Hence it is called both Hokmah (wisdom) and Binah (understanding)....because the Oral Law issued ^rom the Written Torah, INTO A WOMAN: to be linked with the flame on the left side, because the Torah was given from the side of Geburah. Further, ishah

(woman) may be analyzed into esh he (fire of he) signifying the union of the two. AND HE BROUGHT HER TO THE MAN: as much as to say that the Oral Torah must not be studied by itself but in conjunction with the Written Torah, which then nourishes and supports it and provides all

its needs.... According to another explanation, this verse has a deep esoteric meaning, namely, that the primal is unknowable save to God, who 'understands its way,' i,e. the future world, while 'He', i.e. the

great inscrutable called hu (he) 'knows its place1." (Zohar, I, 153- 154)

"According to R. Judah, 'father* represents Wisdom (Hokhmah) and

'mother' Understanding (Binah). Said R. Judah: 'Both interpretations mean one and the same thing, for we have taught that the Torah emanated

from the Supernal Wisdom.' R. Jose said that Torah emanated from Under standing, for it says: 'to perceive the words of understanding* and

'forsake not the Torah of thy mother.1 Said R. Judah: 'The Torah is an emanation of both Wisdom and Understanding, and combines the influ­ ence of both..,,'" (Zohar, III, 258)

Summarizing another passage concerning the sephiroth, it says that Jacob was a complete man, perfect in regard to both sides, the Holy Ancient and the Microprosopus, and also to the supernal Grace and Power harmonizing the two.

Wisdom (Hokmah) is the totality of the holy Sephiroth, and supernal Grace (Hesed) emanates from Wisdom, and Power (Geburah) from Understand ing (Binah)V

Wisdom beat against the stones of the thirty-two Paths and caused the wind to gather many waters into one place. From the Paths emanated ten

luminous crowns, and there were left twenty-two Paths. The wind

whirled down those Paths, and fifty Gates of Understanding were opened and the twenty-two letters were engraved upon fifty gates of the Jubi­ lee and were crowned with the seventy-two letters of the Holy Name.

These opened sideways anfl wpre crowned with the seventy-two letters of Compassion which are contained in the Ancient of Days, who bestows light on them, eanh according to its place. Fifty engraved letters also were crowned with forty-two supernal letters of the Holy Name, by

which heaven and Earth were created. And eight gates were opened, which are eight significations of Mercy, which emanate from the Holy Ancient and proceed to the Microprosopus or Lesser Countenance. They unite with those holy crowns, Supernal Wisdom and Understanding, taking Supernal Mercy from the one side and Judgment or Power from the other. Then came the merit of Jacob and synthesized both and made them one,

for he signifies supernal harmony*

When Wisdom began to cause the shaping of the Crowns, it begem with Understanding (Binah) , for in Understanding all is contained. There­

fore fifty gates are opened in its name, and thus it is found that all the letters and all the crowns are engraved in Wisdom.

"Who has measured the water in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a mea­ sure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?"

{la. XL, 12)

"The water" symbolizes Understanding and Grace. "Heaven" symbolizes Beauty (Tifereth), and "dust" refers to Power (Geburah). "Mountains" refers to the other crowns, and "hills" alludes to somewhat lower chariots.

Judgment proceeds from Mercy, and Mercy from Judgment. One quality emanates from another, each imbibes from each, and finally it is made manifest that all are one, and all depend on One, and One is all in all

There can be no perfection unless one aspect is joined to the other and a third holds them together to harmonize and complete them.

All this differentiation of the Divine Personality is from our side and relative to our knowledge? above, all is one, all is set in one balance unvarying and eternal. All the heavenly lights are illumined from one and depend on one, and all the lights there form only one Light, and desire never to be separated, and he who does separate them in his mind is as though he separated himself from life eternal. (Zohar, IV, 108f)

The Zohar uses colors to symbolize the attributes of God. One passage says"J The re are colours disclosed and undisclosed, this being a part of the mystery of Faith, but men neither know nor reflect on these matters. The visible colours were not perceived by any human being be­ fore the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.... And what are these visible colours? Those of El_ Shaddai (which means God Almighty), the reflection of higher colours. But these latter are hidden, and Moses alone perceived them. The Patriarchs, however, were not entirely igno­ rant of them; since they apprehended those undisclosed ones through the visible ones which they knew. And it is written: 'And the wise shall be resplendent as the splendor of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness shall be like the stars for ever and ever.1 The

'wise* is he who by the power of hio wvm uunLciu^lation attains to the perception of profound mysteries which cannot be expressed in words. The 'firmament* is the 'firmament of closes * (his grade of Divine

knowl-NUMBER FIVE

edge), which is set at the centre and whose splendour is veiled. This firmament is above that other which is non-resplendent and the colours of which are visible and not so bright as the invisible. There are

four lights (i.e. Emanations), three of which are recondite and one disclosed. There is one which sheds light abroad (Hesed); one shines

for itself only (Geburah) , being like the heavens in purity; one of purple hue gathers light into itself (Tifereth); and one which is of itself lightless (Malkuth) , but which looks- xp to the others and re­ flects them as a lamp reflects the sun. The first three are recondite and brood over the one which is disclosed. (Of all this the eye is the symbol. In the eye three colours are visible, but none of these shines, because they are non-luminous. They are the parallel of those lights which are revealed; and it was by means of these visible colours that the Patriarchs were enabled to discern the colours which are luminous but invisible— that is, those colours of which Moses alone had cogni­ zance, which were concealed from all others but revealed to him in that firmament to which he had attained, and which are above the visible colours.) To understand this mystery, close thine eye and press thine eyeball, and thou wilt discern radiating and luminous colours which can only be seen with closed eyes." (Zohar, III, 77-78)

One passage says that God constructed for the world seven pillars by which it was to be upheld. These in turn are upheld by one grade from among them called "the Righteous One, the everlasting foundation."

When the world was created, it was started from that spot which is the perfection of the world, the central point of the universe, which is Zion. Zion and Jerusalem, while one, represent two degrees, the one being the channel of Judgment, the other of Mercy. First there issues

from one the sound of Mercy and afterwards the other voice of Judgment, the two forming one source from which the paths of Judgment and Mercy issue and diverge. (Zohar, II, 210)

Zion, Jerusalem Central point

T

Seven Pillars

t

-C-SUMMARY:

1. The Oral Law forms a way of knowledge, as does the Written Law.

Lord God, Hokmah and Binah are related. The Oral and Written Torah must be studied together, perhaps alluding to an oral tradition.

2. Some of the sephiroth are discussed, as well as letter symbolism.

3. Colors and firmaments are related to creation and the sephiroth. The passage also uses the eye as a symbol.

4. The chart explains creation based on the Righteous one, seven pillars, Zion, Jerusalem, and Mercy and Judgment.

The matter contained herein is officially issued through the Supreme Council of the A.M.O.R.C. All matters herein contained are strictly confi­ dential to the member receiving and are imparted only as an incident to membership. The ownership of, the legal title, and the right of possession to this special discourse is and shall remain in the Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C. and it should be returned upon its request. The contents herein are to be used for the sole and exclusive information of the receiving Rosicrucian member and not otherwise. Any other use or attempted use, does, ipso facto, terminate all rights of the member, and is a violation of the statutes of this Order. Such violation will be legally dealt with.

By

F R A T E R T E M P O R A T O R Scribe

Discussing the idea that the world was created with ten sayings, the Zohar says, "Yet on examination they prove to be only three, viz. Wis- dom, Understanding, and Knowledge. The world was created only for the sake of Israel. When the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to endow the Earth with permanence, He formed Abraham in the mystery of Wisdom, Isaac in the mystery of Understanding, and Jacob in the mystery of Perception, that is to say, of Knowledge. Therefore it is said: 'With wisdom is the house built, and by understanding it is established, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled...' (Prov. XXIV, 4-5)."

(Zohar, III, 46-47)

In another passage these three attributes are said to correspond to three books of Solomon, the Song of Songs to Wisdom, Ecclesiastes to Understanding, and Proverbs to Knowledge. (Zohar, V, 53-54)

R. Simeon ben Yochai interprets the verse, "God created the (eth) heav­ ens and the (eth) Earth" (Gen. I, 1) by saying that the first eth re­ ferred to the Right Hand and the second to the Left Hand. The passage states, "These two 'stand together' (Isa. XLVIII, 13) through the

agency of the Crown which is called zoth and which comprises both Mercy and Judgement." Later in the passage there is a reference to the Song of Solomon, III, 6 "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?" This is interpretated by saying, "This smoke sym­ bolizes the Crown which is called Zoth (Lit. this, i.e. the Sephira Malkuth— Kingdom) and 'Woman' (Gen. II, 23)." (Zohar, III, 116-117)

The Zaddik symbolizes the righteous man, and one passage refers the sephiroth to his body. It is explaining the river that becomes four heads (Gen. II, 10). "The first of these is Hesed (Kindness), which is the right arm. From this shall drink the campT^f Michael, and with it the tribe of Judah and his two accompanying tribes. The second is Geburah (Force), and from it shall drink the camp of Gabriel, and with it the tribe of Dan and his two accompanying tribes. The third is Nezah (Victory), the right leg, and from it shall drink the camp of

Nuriel, and with it the tribe of Reuben and his two accompanying tribes. The fourth is Hod (Majesty), the 'left leg' (referred to in what was said of Jacob, that he halted on his left thigh), and from it shall drink the camp of Raphael, whose mission is to heal the ills of the captivity, and with it the tribe of Ephraim and his two accompanying tribes." (Zohar, I, 102-103)

One passage is on wisdom, but it also points out the importance of the symbolism of the Voice and the Word. The latter are not only important in kabalistic symbolism but in many other religious and mystical systems as well. R. Jose is discoursing on the verse: She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of kindness is on her tongue (Prov. XXXI, 26).

1 The word wisdom*, he said, 'signifies the Beth of the word bereshith (in the beginning), as already explained ellewEere. The Beth is closed in on one side as symbolic of that which is written: 'And thou shalt see my bacx' (Ex. XXXIII, 23), ana open on tne other side so as to illu­ mine the higher worlds. (It is also open on one side in order to

For that reason it is placed at the beginning of the Torah, and was later on filled in. Again, 'She openeth her mouth with wisdom1, for so the word bereshith is rendered in the Chaldaic version, behokhmetha

(with wisdomT"! ' And the law of kindness (hesed) is on her tongue' , i.e. in her subsequent utterances, as it is- written: 'And God said: Let there be light, and there was light.' The 'mouth' again is an allusion to the He of the Divine Name, which contains the Whole, which is both unrevealed and revealed, and comprises both the higher and lower emanations, being emblematic of both. 'She openeth her mouth with wisdom', inasmuch as, though herself hidden and absolutely unknow­

able, as it says, 'And it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air' (Job XXVIII, 21), yet when she begins to expand by means of the Wisdom to which she is attached and in which she resides, she put forth a Voice which is the 'law of kindness'

(hesed). Or again, the 'mouth* can be taken as alluding to the final He of- the Divine Name, which is the Word that emanates from Wisdom, wKile the 'law of kindness on her tongue' signifies the Voice which is

above the Word, controlling it and guiding it, since speech cannot be formed without voice, as has been agreed.'" (Zohar, II, 67-68)

R. Isaac interprets the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai. "In the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, that mountain began mightily to shake and all the other hills and high places of the earth trembled in accord with it, so that they heaved and quaked until the Holy One stretched out His hand and calmed them, and a voice was heard: 'What aileth thee, 0 thou sea, that thou fled- dest, and thou Jordan that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills like young sheep?' And the answer was:

'Tremble 0 earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob* (Ps, CXIV, 5-7). Now, 'the Lord' in this verse refers to the 'Mother* (Binah); 'earth1 to the 'Mother' below (Malkuth); 'the God of Jacob', to the Father (Hokmah), whose 'firstborn son is Israel*

(Ex. IV, 23), whom 'his mother crowned in the day of his espousals': she crowned him with the symbolic colours, white, red, and green, in which all other colours are included, and in him they were all united.' According to R. Judah, the 'crown' symbolizes Israel, who is God's glory, as it is written: 'Israel, in whom I am glorified' (Isa. XLIX,

3); 'and I will glorify the house of my glory' (Ibid. LX, 7)." (Zohar III, 252-253)

"I AM THE LORD THY GOD WHO BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT. R. Eleazar referred to the verse: *My son, hear the instruction of thy

father, and forsake not the Torah of thy mother' (Prov. I, 18). 'The instruction of thy father', he said, 'refers to the Holy One; 'the Torah of thy mother* to the Community of Israel.' According to R. Judah,

'Father' represents Wisdom (Hokhmah) and 'mother' Understanding (Binah). Said R. Judah: 'Both interpretations mean one and the same thing, "for we have been taught that the Torah emanated from the Supernal Wisdom.' R. Jose said that the Torah emanated from Understanding, for it says:

'to perceive the words of understanding' and 'forsake not the Torah of thy mother*. Said R. Judah: 'The Torah is an emanation of both Wisdom