There are in the Hebrew
alphabet, including the finals, twenty-seven characters, which are
divided into nine groups of threes.
alphabet, including the finals, twenty-seven characters, which are
divided into nine groups of threes.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v15 - Kab to Les
This “luminous
point) the Kabbalists call the «First Sephirah,” out of which nine
other Sephiroth emanated in succession. It was by the agency of
these Ten Sephiroth, called the Adam Kadmon (the Archetypal Man),
that the universe was created.
Rabbi Simeon* opens his mystic discourse on this subject as fol-
lows: “What is meant by the words, I am my beloved's and his
desire is towards me'? (Canticles, vii. 10). It means that all the
days that we are joined together in this world we are united by one
bond with the Holy One, blessed be he. Therefore is it written, And
his desire is towards me. ) »
While thus expounding the Divine truth, the Zohar' relates
(iii. 288a): «The Deity and his holy company came to listen to the
(
* Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai is the reputed author of the great Kabbalistic
work called "Zohar) or (Sohar' (Brilliant Light).
## p. 8429 (#29) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8429
אין סוף
THE EN-SOPH
"THE INFINITE”
1.
כתר
"Crowa
Elys אהיה
. . . -->
"I am "
3.
2.
בינה
חכמה
"Jotelligence"
A
** Wisdom"
tical יהוה
Yed יה
* Eternal"
3.
גבורה
"Stresgth" or
חסד
"Justice" דין
"Merey or Love"
B
Elika אלה'
& אל
6.
"Almighty God
"Mighty God"
תפארת
"Beauty"
Elulin אלהים
"Almighty"
8.
7.
נצח
Victory or Perpetuity"
C
יהוה צבאות
9.
יסוד
Ickered Akarta
** Eterual of
Hosts
"Fouudation"
אל חי
I. Hai
"The Living
Goul"
מלכות
"Kingdom"
אדני
Adenal or
שכינה
SAYAAinek
The Tabaroaching
Deity
The arrows within the diagram point the
order of the emanation and reception
הוד
"Glory *
אלה צבאות
Erada Zasta
** The Almighty God
of Hosts
WORLDS.
A. . . . The World of Creatiou (Brian).
B. . . . The World of Formation (YXTSIRAR).
C. . . . The World of Action (ASIAN)
PII. I. ARS.
I. . . JACHIS, the Pillar of Mercy
11 . . . BOAZ, the Pillar of Judgment.
III . . MIDDLE PILLAR (Compassion).
S. A. BINION
## p. 8430 (#30) ############################################
8430
THE KABBALAH
exposition of the secret words and the praises of the Ancient Holy
One. ) These secret words were as follows:- «The Mystery of all
Mysteries has been and is separated from all; yet he is not separated.
Everything is attached to him, for he is everything. He is the Ancient
of all ancient; the Unknown of all unknown. He assumed a form, yet
he is without form. He assumed a form in order to maintain all, and
yet he has no form because he is incomprehensible (literally, because
He does not exist]. When he assumed a form [the Nekūdah] he
caused to emanate from it nine flaming lights; and those lights that
proceeded from him diffused their constantly increasing] luminosity
in every direction. Just as a burning lamp spreads its glow to all
sides; but if one approach to examine the diffused light, nothing is
found but the burning lamp. So also is he the Ancient Holy [One).
He is the Heavenly light, the Mystery of all Mysteries. If we try to
comprehend him we cannot [because] he does not exist, except in
those diffused lights which are visible and (at the same time] hidden;
and these are called the Holy Name, – they are all in one. ”
THE EXPLANATION OF THE ADAM KADMON
The uppermost Sephirah is called Kether (the Crown). It ema-
nated, as already stated, directly from the En-Soph, and is styled
Nekūdah Rishônah (the First Point). This Neküdah existed from all
eternity. Hence its Divine appellation in Scripture, AHIH, Ehyeh:
rendered “I Am” (Exodus iii. 14). It is also variously known as the
Arikh Anpin (the Great, or Long-Faced); 'Atiqa (the Ancient); Rēsha
Hivra (White-head); Rôm Ma'ālah (the Most High). In the Heav-
enly Chariot it is represented by the Hayoth Hak-Koddesh (the Holy
Creatures), and the Archangel Metatron; its position in the Adam-
Kadmon is the Head.
From Kether (the Crown) emanated the second Sephirah, Hakhmah
(Wisdom). It is of the masculine nature. Its position in the Adam-
Kadmon is the right shoulder or breast, and it is represented by
the Divine name Y a H (the Lord — Isaiah xxvi. 4; Exodus xvii. 16),
the first two letters of the Tetragrammaton IHVH (Jehovah — the
Eternal).
Out of «Wisdom” sprung up the third Sephirah, Binah (Intelli-
gence).
Its Divine name in Scripture is the whole Tetragrammaton
IHVH (Jehovah), and in the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by
Arēlim, rendered in the Authorized Version «the Valiant Ones »
(Isaiah xxxiii. 7), and the Archangel Raziel. Its position in the
Adam Kadmon is the left shoulder or breast, and it is of the femi-
nine nature. Hence it has another appellation AM (Em— Mother, or
Supernal Mother), out of which the following seven intelligences were
## p. 8431 (#31) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8431
-
developed. Thus the full name of Jehovah was not known until the
third Sephirah appeared, and the first Trinity of three triads, which
embraces the 'Olam Habriah (World of Creation) as typified by Em
(mother), was completed. The Talmud (Tract. Berachoth, ix. 57a)
renders the Hebrew word AM in Proverbs ii. 3, «Thou shalt call
(' (
Intelligence' (Binah) thy (mother. ) » The Authorized Version reads
IM, meaning «if» - "If thou criest for knowledge.
From the third Sephirah is derived the fourth, the name of which
is Hesed (Mercy or Love). Its position in the Archetypal Man is
the right arm. Its Divine name in Scripture is El (Mighty God); it
is the first syllable of Elohim — Almighty. In the Heavenly Host it
is represented by Hashmālim (Ezekiel i. 4) and the Archangel Zadkiel.
It is of the same nature as Hakhmah (Wisdom).
The fifth Sephirah is of the feminine principle. It emanated
from the fourth Sephirah; and is called Gebhūrah (Strength), also
Din (Justice), and Pahad (Fear). Its Divine name is ELH-Eloha
(Almighty God). In the Heavenly Host it is represented by the
Seraphim and the Archangel Kamael, and forms the left arm of the
Adam-Kadmon.
The sixth Sephīrah represents in the Adam-Kadmon the region
embracing the chest and downward. Its name is Tiphereth (Beauty).
Its divine name is Elohim (Almighty), and in the Heavenly Host it is
represented by Shinanim or Malakhim (Ps. Ixviii. 17), and the Arch-
angel Michael. These three, Justice, Mercy, and Beauty, form the
“Second Trinity,” called Olam Murgash (Sensuous World — literally,
the world which is felt), because it represents moral faculties.
The seventh Sephirah is the first of the third Trinity, and is called
Netsah (Victory, or Perpetuity). Its principle is like its immediate
predecessor's, and it corresponds to the right leg of the Adam
Kadmon. Its Divine name is Jehovah Zebhaoth (Eternal of Hosts);
among the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by Tarshishim and the
Archangel Haniel. From the seventh emanates the eighth Sephirah,
which is called Hôd (Glory, or Splendor), and — like Gebhūrah and
Binah – it is of feminine nature. Its Divine name is Eloha Zeb-
haoth (Almighty God of Hosts). Among the Heavenly Hosts it is
represented by B'nē Elohim (Sons of the Almighty) and the Arch-
angel Raphael; and out of this beamed forth the ninth, called Yesod
(Foundation), the position of which in the Adam-Kadmon is in the
part comprising the reproductive sphere. This, with the previous
two, forms the third Trinity of the Adam-Kadmon, and is called the
'Olam Hamutb’a (the Natural or Material World). Its Scriptural
name is Shaddai (the All-Sufficient), or El-Hai (the Living God); and
in the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by the Kerûbim (Cherubim)
and the Archangel Gabriel.
C
## p. 8432 (#32) ############################################
8432
THE KABBALAH
The tenth is the lowermost Sephirah, and it is said to possess
all the life principles of the preceding nine. It is called Malkhuth
(Kingdom), and is known as the Sh’khinah (the Tabernacling Deity).
Its Scriptural name is Adonai (the Lord). In the Heavenly Host it
is represented by the Cherubim and the Archangel Metatron, the
same as of the first Sephīrah.
The Angel Metatron, whose name is equivalent to the name of
God by Gematria (that is, by numerical value), is represented in
the first Sephirah (the Crown) as well as in the last (Kingdom). His
functions therefore are not only in the highest spheres of the Briatic
and Yetsiratic (creative and formative) worlds, but he also governs
the Asiyatic (active) world. The harmony of the universe is caused
by Him.
Christian Kabbalists identify him with Christ, the «Angel
of the Lord,” the Sar Ha-panim (Zechariah iii. 1). Its place in the
Adam-Kadmon is the feet, and also comprises the harmony of the
complete Adam-Kadmon.
It will thus be seen that each of the ten Sephiroth emanated
from each other in regular succession, and in their totality form the
'Olam Ha-Atsiloth (the world of emanations or « derivations”).
The meaning of "Atsiloth” is in dispute. The word occurs only
once in the Bible, Jeremiah xxxviii. 12, where its translation « arm-
holes” is doubtful. Some scholars variously render it (wrists,” or
“knuckles, “the juncture of the fingers with the hand. ” (Cf.
Gesenius, sub voce “Atsil. ”) The last rendering, however, seems to
be more in accordance with the adopted word “emanation,” i. e. ,
separation,” just as the united phalanges separate and form ten
fingers. (Cf. (Sepher Yetsirah,' Mishnah 3, where the ten Sephiroth
are actually compared to the ten fingers, “five and five,” of the
hands. ) It was this form of the “Archetypal Man,” the Kabbalists
affirm, which the Prophet Ezekiel beheld in his vision on the river
Chebar (Ezek. i. ).
The Adam-Kadmon is also sometimes designated as the Ets
Hayim (the Tree of Life). The branches of the tree are three in
number. They are called 'Amūdim (Pillars). The pillar on the right
is composed of the three Sephiroth possessing the masculine nature,
and is called the “Pillar of Mercy. ” It is also named Jachin (as in
the Temple at Jerusalem, 1 Kings vii. 21). The pillar on the left is
composed of the three Sephiroth possessing the feminine nature, and
is called the “Pillar of Judgment,” also Boaz (ibid. ); while the four
Sephiroth between the two side pillars (Crown, Beauty, Foundation,
and Kingdom), form the Middle Pillar. »
The Ten Sephiroth in their complete state are designated as the
«World of Emanations, and are also known as the “King and
Queen. ” They are typified by the masculine and feminine potencies
or
>
## p. 8433 (#33) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8433
in the right and left pillars and by the four middle Sephiroth which
unite them. The Adam-Kadmon, in his complete state, becomes the
connecting link between the non-creative En-Soph and creation, by
means of four worlds which evolved from him, and of which I have
spoken heretofore, namely:-
'Olam Ha-Atsiloth (The World of Emanation)
Ha-Briab
« Creation )
Ha-Yetsirah (
<< Formation )
Ha-Asiyah (“
<< Action )
( «
(
The UNIVERSE WAS CREATED
The Kabbalists further teach that each of the three worlds Cre-
ation, Formation, and Action, is composed like the World of Emana-
tion, and has Ten Sephīroth of its own. The farther the worlds are
removed from the En-Soph, the less divine are the beings which
evolved from them. For instance, the Pure Spirits which are of a
higher category than the Angels belong to the World of Action, while
the Angels inhabit the world below it. The less ethereal of compre-
hensible and material substance, including the K’lipoth (a name given
to the Prince of Darkness and his hosts, literally meaning shells or
refuse), belong to the lowermost decade of Sephiroth, the World of
Action.
Now the question arises, since the Adam-Kadmon emanated from
the En-Soph, how is it that He (the En-Soph) permitted the creation
of the material world and the K’lipoth (Demons) in the Olam Ha-
'Asiyah? The Kabbalists get over this difficulty by the theory of
Tsimtsum (contraction or concentration), which explains that when
the material world was about to be created the En-Soph was in a
« tsimtsum” condition (i. e. , contracted himself): an explanation which
is as difficult to understand as the original question. The promoter
of this doctrine is Rabbi Mosheh ben Jacob Cordovero (1522-1570), the
author of the famous Kabbalistic work (Pardēs Rimmonim' (The Gar-
den of Pomegranates).
Whether the present statement of the fundamental doctrines of the
Ten Sephiroth was known or not prior to the tenth century A. D. ,
cannot be positively stated. It appears, however, that the Sepher
Yetsirah' (The Book of Creation) is the first book from which the
author (or compiler) of the Zohar,' and subsequent commentators,
have drawn their main information.
It is to be regretted that several important Kabbalistic works are
attributed to fictitious authors. Tradition asserts that the author of
the “Sepher Yetsirah” is the Patriarch Abraham, and the author of
the book called “Sepher Raziel Hamalach) the First Adam. This,
(
XV-528
## p. 8434 (#34) ############################################
8434
THE KABBALAH
(
>
Kabbalists never doubted, yet scientific investigation demonstrated
that neither the first nor the second was entitled to such antiquity.
They belong to a much more recent period: the (Sepher Yetsirah' to
the Geônim period (after the fifth century A. D. ); and the author of
Raziel the Angel’ is Rabbi Eliezer of Worms.
Another authority, called (Sepher Habahir) (The Book of Brilliant
Light), is attributed to Rabbi Nehunyah ben Hakanah (of the first
century); but it has also been demonstrated (cf. Winter and Wünsche,
Die Jüdische Literatur, Vol. iii. , 257) that this is a pseudonym, and
its real author is Isaac «The Blind” of the eleventh century, or one
of his disciples.
There are several Kabbalistic Midrashim (see Jellinek's Beth Ha-
Midrash') supposed to be contemporaries with Midrash Rabbah and
Tanhumah, etc. ; but most of them have likewise been proven to be
apocryphal. Considering these things, the student of the Kabbalah
can do no better than to refer to authorities beginning with the
twelfth century.
The book called Zohar' is ascribed to Rabbi Simeon, the son
of Yohai (Yochai), who was contemporary with the famous Rabbi
Akiba (second century A. D. ). Modern critics, however, believe they
have discovered some elements in the text which tend to prove
that it is of a later date (cf. Ginzburg, “The Kabbalah,' pp. 78-94), and
attribute it to Rabbi Moses ben Shem Tob de Leon (born 1250, died
1305).
Notwithstanding those criticisms, the Zohar) continues to be the
corner-stone upon which the whole structure of the Kabbalah rests.
It is the fountain-head from which all modern Kabbalistic writers
have drawn their material; and no true adherent to its doctrines has
ever disputed its authorship. The most recent edition (Wilna: 1882),
now before me, bears the same title as the first edition published
by Da Padova and Jacob ben Naphtali (Mantua: 1558-1560). The title
is as follows: (Sēphěr Ha-Zohar 'al Hamishah Humshē Torah meha-
tana ha-Elokē Rabbi Shimeon ben Yohaï? [Yochaï] (The Book of
Zohar, [a Commentary) on the Pentateuch by the Tana, the Divine
Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai).
Whilst it cannot be denied that there are numerous additions and
interpolations, probably whole treatises, in the Zohar' which might
be ascribed to a later period than the second century of our era, it
is nevertheless certain that the greater part of the work belongs to
an early period. What Moses de Leon might have done (if he ever
did anything) was to compile the disjecta membra of various Midra-
shim and add them to the Midrash Y'hi Ôr (the Exposition «Let
there be Light,” Gen. i. 3); thus changing Ôr (Light) into the more
significant name Zohar (shining Light).
## p. 8435 (#35) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8435
)
The 'Zohar,' like the Hebrew Pentateuch, is divided into fifty-two
Parshioth (sections) and contains several treatises, which are for the
most part a Kabbalistic exposition of the Pentateuch. One of the
dissertations (Vols. ii. and iii. ), called Ra'āya Mehemna' (the Faith-
ful Shepherd), contains the discussions of Moses (the Faithful Shep-
herd), the prophet Elijah, and Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai. Another
treatise, the Book of Secrets, discusses Demonology, Psychology,
Metempsychosis, and kindred subjects.
HERMENEUTICAL RULES OF THE KABBALAH
WE HAVE space only to explain a few of the more important rules
so frequently used in the Kabbalistic interpretation of the Scriptures.
The most important exegetical rule in the Kabbalah is called Gematria
(formed by metathesis from the Greek ypaupateia), according to which
every Hebrew letter has a numerical value.
There are in the Hebrew
alphabet, including the finals, twenty-seven characters, which are
divided into nine groups of threes. The first letters of each group
from right to left are the units from 1 to 9; the second represent
the tens from 10 to 90; the third represent the hundreds, from 100 to
900. This arrangement of the 27 letters in nine groups is called the
AIK BKR (the Ayak Bekhar) alphabet, being the six letters con-
tained in the first two chambers of the diagram.
AG
Num. val.
3
Kum, val.
2
Num. val.
I
•
6
30
3 в
OK. .
SR. .
20
SL
w Sb.
XA.
» I (Y).
K. .
IO
ܐܘ
300
200
IOO
7 V
6
.
5
4
7D. .
pM. .
OS
H. .
N. .
57 Kb (final)
60
50
40
M (final)
600
co
500
T. .
400
I
9
Пн
8
ง
co
UT
y Ts :
үт
.
P.
90
80
iz . .
9 (A).
y N )
70
Ts (final)
900
Pb (final)
800
N (final)
700
By this ingenious but illogical mode many Hebrew verses, words,
or letters are computed and compared with other verses, words, or
letters; and if their numerical value happens to correspond, which
## p. 8436 (#36) ############################################
8436
THE KABBALAH
9
6
IH V H
105
6 5
not infrequently happens, their affinity is held to be established. For
example, the numerical value of the three Hebrew letters forming the
word I (Tobh), "good,” amounts to 9+6+2=17; reduce 17 to its
IV B
component figures thus: 1+7=8; then compare this reduced number
with the numerical equivalent of the Tetragrammaton 10+5+
6+5=26; reduce 26 into its component parts thus: 2+6=8: ergo, it is
plain, to the Kabbalist, that whenever the word Tobh (good) occurs
in the Scriptures the Deity is meant (IHVH-Jehovah).
Some of these deductions are very interesting. See for instance
the exposition of Exodus ii. 2, in the Zohar,' ii. ib.
' ar,' ii. ib. When Moses
was born, it is said: “And she [the mother) saw him that he was a
goodly (literally, good) child. ” Rabbi Jose said that “the mother be-
held the light of the Shekhinah shining within him”; and according
to both the Talmud and the Midrash, “the house was filled with Ôr
[light). ” It was by this same method that the author of the Kab-
balistic work (Shelah) * discovered that the reduced number of the
letters composing the Hebrew En-Soph (Infinite) amounts to 207=9:
precisely the same as that of Ôr (Light) and of Adon 'Olam (the
Lord of the Universe).
When one considers these exhaustless means of interpretation at
the disposal of the Kabbalists, it is not in the least surprising that
they could twist and interpret any text of Scripture to suit their
own purposes.
Another rule which the Kabbalists often employ is the Notarikôn.
According to this the initials or finals of a whole phrase make one
word, and vice versa; for instance, war – We Are Ruined.
It is narrated of a certain Rabbi Abner (of the fifteenth century),
a skeptic and disbeliever in the symbolic interpretation of the Script-
ures, that disputing with a Kabbalist who maintained that by means
of the exegetical rules of the Kabbalah one could trace the past, pres-
ent, and future of men from the beginning to the end of the world, he
challenged his opponent to indicate the verse in the Torah' where-
in his own name and fortune occurred. The Kabbalist pointed out
Deuteronomy xxxii. 26, where we read: A Ma RTI A Ph A Hem
ASh BITHa M'ANOSh Zi Kh RaM (“I said . . . I would make
the remembrance of them to cease among men"). “Your name and
fortune,” said the Kabbalist, «are indicated in the third consonant
of each of the five words — R(abbi) Abn(e)r. ” What impression this
argument made on Rabbi Abner is not stated; but the story is often
quoted by the Kabbalists as a convincing proof that every letter, yea,
each scintilla, has some secret meaning understood by the qualified,"
but unknown and invisible to the profane and uninitiated.
*SH e La H is the abbreviated form composed of the initials of the
Hebrew words Sh'nē Lûhoth Haberith,- the two tables of the Covenant.
## p. 8437 (#37) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8437
Besides these inexhaustible means, there are several additional
rules; so that if the point in dispute cannot be settled by any one
of the above-named rules, others may be brought forward. Thus,
if the Gematria and Notarikon should fail to produce the desired
effect, the Temurah (Permutation) is resorted to, by which means
each and every one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alpha-
bet may be substituted for another. There are about twenty-eight
alphabets of that category. The At-Bash alphabet -- formed by pair-
ing the first Hebrew letter, Aleph (A), with the last, Tau (T); the
second letter, Beth (B), with the last but one, Shin (Sh); etc. — is
the most frequently used. By this canon the Aleph (A) can assume
the character of Tau (T), and vice versa, Beth (B) the character of
Shin (Sh), etc. , as here shown (read from right to left): -
9
THE AT-BASH ALPHABET
ימ כּל
ט נ
את בּשׁ גר דק הצ ופּ זע
LK
MI
NT
SH
'AZ
PV TS H
KD
RG
Sh B
TA
or
or
Y
W
Permutation of letters seems to have been in practice centuries
before our present era. We meet traces of its use as early as the
time of Jeremiah, when (Jerem. xxv. 26) Ba Be L (Babylon) is called
She Sha K. Now if the letters BBL are placed above SSK, we see
that Jeremiah made use of the At-Bash alphabet. If this were the
only instance, we might call it an accident; but there is another
example (ibid. , li. 1), where the Chaldeans (Hebrew Ka SDIM) are
called L'B K a MI, by the same permutation process of the At-Bash
alphabet.
Considering the number of their alphabets, we understand how
easy it is for the Kabbalist to predict anything and everything. But
copious and all-sufficient as this system would seem to be, the Kab-
balists have yet another resource: by this last, the alphabet is divided
into three sections forming triads composed of three letters, and the
letters of the same triad (see diagram, page 8435) are interchanged
one with the other.
THE PRACTICAL KABBALAH
The Practical Kabbalah' is the immediate outcome of — first, her-
meneutical interpretation of Scripture; second, the use for practical
purposes of the Shem-Hamphorash (the unutterable name of God -
IHVH) and his numerous attributes; third, the introduction of het-
erogeneous elements proceeding from heathen sources and alchemist
1
## p. 8438 (#38) ############################################
8438
THE KABBALAH
enthusiasts; and fourth, the persecution of the Jews in the Middle
Ages.
It was then that the esoteric theosophy (hitherto exclusively in
the hands of the Jewish elect”) became public property. This pub-
licity was owing to the internecine contention among the ranks of the
Spanish Hebrew philosophers of the thirteenth century, which caused
a split in the synagogue. The war was carried on between the two
factions. One, the most intellectual, was championed by the famous
Maimonides (1235-1304); who did not renounce the philosophical bear-
ing of the Sephiroth, but was opposed to the mystical interpretation
of Scripture by the successors of Rabbi Isaac the Blind. The other,
the most numerous and influential faction, had for their champion
the youthful but famous Kabbalist Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, called
Nachmoni or Nachmonides.
Maimonides was denounced by his opponents as a heretic; and the
hatred which kept smoldering among them was fanned into an open
conflagration, which compelled the Gentile world also to inquire into
the subject.
The persecution and forced conversions of the Jews have also con-
tributed to the publicity of the Hebrew esoteric philosophy. Many
of the learned Rabbis embraced the Christian faith, and the principal
books were translated into Latin. Christian philosophers embraced
the Kabbalah as a godsend. At first they were somewhat hampered
by the doctrine of “Three Trinities”; but since the doctrine of three
is the basis of the Sephiroth, and since it deals also with «Father»
and “Mother,” the Makroprosorpon (Great Face), the Mikroprosorpon
(Small Face), the “Infinite,” etc. ,- they overlooked the impediments
and accepted the essential points.
This foreign doctrine found additional friends among the “prac-
tical scientists of that age, and it enrolled among its admirers men
of great learning, - physicians, metaphysicians, alchemists, mathema-
ticians, etc. ,— as the learned works of that period (1300-1700) testify;
from the famous scholastic Raymond Lully, who died 1315, to the
most eminent Christian scholar Baron C. Knorr von Rosenroth, of the
seventeenth century.
Whilst the Kabbalah was making rapid strides in these new quar-
ters, and absorbed in its progress not a few of the heterogeneous
doctrines entirely foreign to the Sephiritic system, it did not remain
idle in its former abode. The check it received from Maimonides's
followers was counteracted by the formidable array of Nachmonides
and his disciples. The number of elect” and “saints » multiplied,
and the Zohar) came to be considered as a Holy Book on the same
level with the “Torah. ' The Gentile Kabbalists who engaged in the
Practical Kabbalah were ignored by the Hebrew (elect. ” The Rabbis
## p. 8439 (#39) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8439
(
>>
declared that their “wonder-workings” were accomplished by means
of the Shem Hamphorash (the ineffable name of God), his attributes,
and the Angels, whilst the Gentiles performed them by means of
Satan and his hosts.
The principal Hebrew colleges for the study of the Kabbalah were
located in Spain; but after the expulsion of the Jews (1492) from that
country, various schools were opened in France, Germany, and Pales-
tine.
Whilst the Gentile alchemists endeavored to discover the philoso-
pher's stone by means of the Practical Kabbalah,' the Rabbis, on
the other hand, by help of the all-powerful Prophet Elijah, tried to
obtain saintly virtues, in order to become the possessors of the Divine
teachings (Grace); and there were not a few who even attempted the
liberation of the Jews from their captivity by means of the Shem
Hamphorash, and even assumed the title of «Messiah. ” Abraham
Abulafia in the thirteenth century, born in Zaragosa, and the famous
Sabbathai Zebhi in the seventeenth century, born in Smyrna, are
examples of those who tried it, but who failed miserably. It was not
long before the latter pseudo-Messiah proclaimed himself King of the
Jews. Plans to march on Constantinople and subdue the Gentiles –
of course not by the sword, but by miraculous deeds - were laid.
The globe was portioned out among his immediate disciples and
relatives, reserving for his own dominion the Holy Land, with Jerusa-
lem for his own residence. The day for the capture of Constantinople
.
was already appointed. But the unusual multitude which gathered
around him attracted the attention of the authorities, and the intended
uprising was quelled in its inception. Sabbathai Zebhi and his dis-
ciples were cast in prison. His adherents still confided in him, and
waited for Divine intervention when the gates of the prison should
open. This drama ended in the total discomfiture of the pseudo-
Messiah and his followers. Sabbathai Zebhi embraced the Moslem
faith, and died in prison. In his belief he was a follower of Isaac
Loria's Kabbalistic doctrines, and considered himself able to perform
miracles; his right-hand disciple was Nathan of Gaza, who assumed
the title of Prophet. ” The fame of Sabbathai Zebhi spread among
the Jews in all parts of the world, and he proclaimed himself to
be the long-expected Messiah. Deputations were sent from various
centres of Hebrew learning to ascertain the truth as to his claims of
the Messiahship. The deluded Kabbalist had succeeded in convincing
some of them that certain Messianic passages in the Scriptures (by
means of the above-named Gematria, Notarikon, etc. ) point directly
to himself. For instance, the three Hebrew consonants SBT, form-
ing the word ShēBhet (sceptre), mentioned in Balaam's prophecy,
« There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre (ShēBheT)
(
## p. 8440 (#40) ############################################
8440
THE KABBALAH
shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers xxiv. 17), amount to the number 5,
the same as the Hebrew letters of his own name; a slender founda-
tion for the Messiahship.
Notwithstanding the efforts of those modern occultists who attempt
to infuse new life into the Practical Kabbalah' by means of hetero-
geneous materials, it is, like sorcery, doomed to become a thing of
the past. As a matter of fact, its incantations, charms, and exorcisms
are nothing more than sorcery. There are numerous books on this
subject, some of them written by eminent Kabbalists. One of the
most curious of these is the production of Rabbi Israel Baalshem,
called Miph'aloth Elohim' or 'Elokim' (Workings of the Almighty).
This book is the storehouse of Kabbalistic therapeutics, and among
the numerous recipes are directions how to expel unfamiliar spirits
from the possessed by means of exorcisms and charms; how to draw
wine from the wall, how to create wine, etc. The vade mecum of
the modern Baalshem is the book called Shimûsh Tehilim,' which
teaches how to cure all diseases, put out fires, become a favorite,
conquer enemies, counteract an evil eye, discover hidden treasure,
etc. , by means of certain Psalms. Each Psalm, yea, verse or word, is
asserted to contain the name or attributes of God and the Heavenly
Hosts. The injunctions to the postulants are of the most severe
nature. A worldly man, even if he chances to learn the doctrinal
part of the theosophy, can penetrate no further. The Keeper of
those secrets is Elijah the Prophet, who will never permit the un-
godly to acquire them. Not only is the unworthy student threatened
with dire punishment, but the betrayer of the Divine secrets must
meet the same fate.
The Kabbalists believe that Moses acquired these heavenly secrets,
the Shem 'A B (Seventy-two Name), at the “burning bush. ” Whoso-
ever utters the holy name of the “Seventy-two, the Kabbalists
declare, “will surely die. ” The name of the “Seventy-two” proceeds
from the Hebrew letters of the verses in Exodus xiv. 19-21, beginning
with Vayis'a, Vayabho, Vayēt. These verses speak of the doings of
the "Angel of the Lord” and Moses at the Red Sea. Each verse has
seventy-two letters, and is by the Kabbalists written in three lines;
the first from right to left, the second from left to right, and the
third again from right to left. The verses, placed horizontally and
in juxtaposition so as to correspond exactly letter for letter, if ver-
tically divided form seventy-two triads of letters; each triad is sup-
posed to represent one of the attributes of the Deity, and to possess
a recondite meaning.
The Prophet Elijah never tasted death (2 Kings ii. 11). He is,
according to the Kabbalists, a ubiquitous personage engaged in the
same mission now as when he was on earth. This assertion they
## p. 8441 (#41) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8441
base on quasi-Scriptural authority, as in Malachi iv. 5-6: «Behold I
will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord. ” Many stories of his exploits are related
in the Talmud,' the Midrash,' and the 'Zohar': how he relieves the
needy and suffering, chastises the godless, etc. But his main mission
is to assist the ascetic saints when they are engaged in the study of
the Divine secrets.
Not only the Hasidim sect, but even many orthodox Hebrews,
repeat every Saturday evening songs and hymns wherein are cited
the deeds of Elijah, as related in the Bible and tradition. Satur-
day evening is specially a propitious time for those who keep the
Sabbath holy; for Elijah sits then under the Ets Hayim (Tree of
Life), and records the good deeds of the pious. Elijah's name is
then repeated one hundred and thirty times. The five Hebrew let-
ters in “Elijah” are transposed one hundred and twenty times, in the
following manner:-
ELIAH (Elijah), ELIHA, ELHIA, ELHAI,
ELAHI, ELAIH, EILHA, EILAH, EIHLA,
EIHAL, EIAHL, EIALH, Etc. , Etc. ,
(
corresponding to the numerical value of the Hebrew letters compos-
ing «Eliahu Hanabhi” (Elijah the Prophet): 1+30+10+5+6+5+50+2+10
+1=120. In addition to these 120 transpositions they repeat ten times
the regular untransposed name of ELIAH (Elijah), making the total
130. Those who are unable to pronounce these difficult transposi-
tions repeat 130 times “Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Prophet,” etc.
This points to the Hebrew word Ka L = 130 (Swift), and hints also at
'AB= 72 (Cloud); both words are mentioned in Isaiah xix. 1: "Behold
the Lord rideth upon a 'Swift (Ka L, 130) Cloud('AB, 72).
Among those who chiefly distinguished themselves (since 1550) and
who are designated by the title Elohe or Eloke (Divine), and could
perform miracles, are Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (1522–1570), author
of the Kabbalistic work Pardes Rimonim” (The Garden of Pome-
granates); Jesaiah Horwitz (1570-1630). author of the (Sh L a H”;
Isaac Loria, author of Ets Hāïm' (Tree of Life), and “Sepher Haguil-
gulim? (Metempsychosis); and his disciple Haim Vital (Vidal), and
Israel Baal Shem, born in 1750, at Medziborze, Poland.
The number of the Hebrew books and commentaries on the Kab-
balah amounts to thousands. The following are the most important
and accessible:-
The Talmud, Tract. Chagigeh (Haguigah), Chap. ii. , fols. 11-16.
The 'Zohar,' attributed to Rabbi Simeon ben Yohaſ. First edi-
tion, Cremona and Mantua, 1560. (There are numerous
later editions. )
## p. 8442 (#42) ############################################
8442
THE KABBALAH
(Sepher Tikûne Ha-Zohar (attributed to the same). Leghorn,
1842.
(Sepher Yetsireh (The Book of Creation), with ten Comment-
aries. Warsaw, 1884.
(Sepher Habahir” (The Book of Brilliant Light). Amsterdam,
1651. (There are several editions. )
(Pardes Rimônim? (The Garden of Pomegranates), by Rabbi
Moses Cordovero.
(Sha'arē Ôrah (Gates of Light), by Joseph ben Abraham Gika-
tilia. (There is a Latin translation by P. Ricius, 1516. )
Ets Hayim (The Tree of Life), compiled by Hayim (Chayim)
ben Joseph Vital (Vidal). Korzec, 1784.
(Sh’nē Lūhoth Habrith (The Two Tables of the Covenant), by
Jesaiah Horwitz.
Beth Ha-Midrasch,' a collection of apocryphal midrashim, mostly
treating of Jewish folk-lore and Kabbalah; compiled and
translated by Adolph Jellinek. Leipzig, 1853-55.
(Guinzē Hakhmath Hakaballah : Auswahl Kabbalistischer Mystik
(A Selection of Kabbalist Mystic). Jellinek, Leipzig, 1853.
Beiträge zur Geschichte der Kabbala' (Contributions toward
the History of Kabbalah). Jellinek, Leipzig, 1852.
Kabbalah Denudata' (Latin). By Baron C. Knorr von Rosen-
roth. Sulzbach, 1677. English translation, with Preface
by S. L. MacGregor Mathews. London, 1887.
'The Kabbalah, An Essay,' by C. D. Ginzburg, 1865.
Kabbalah in "Encyclopædia Britannica,' Ninth Ed. , by C.
point) the Kabbalists call the «First Sephirah,” out of which nine
other Sephiroth emanated in succession. It was by the agency of
these Ten Sephiroth, called the Adam Kadmon (the Archetypal Man),
that the universe was created.
Rabbi Simeon* opens his mystic discourse on this subject as fol-
lows: “What is meant by the words, I am my beloved's and his
desire is towards me'? (Canticles, vii. 10). It means that all the
days that we are joined together in this world we are united by one
bond with the Holy One, blessed be he. Therefore is it written, And
his desire is towards me. ) »
While thus expounding the Divine truth, the Zohar' relates
(iii. 288a): «The Deity and his holy company came to listen to the
(
* Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai is the reputed author of the great Kabbalistic
work called "Zohar) or (Sohar' (Brilliant Light).
## p. 8429 (#29) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8429
אין סוף
THE EN-SOPH
"THE INFINITE”
1.
כתר
"Crowa
Elys אהיה
. . . -->
"I am "
3.
2.
בינה
חכמה
"Jotelligence"
A
** Wisdom"
tical יהוה
Yed יה
* Eternal"
3.
גבורה
"Stresgth" or
חסד
"Justice" דין
"Merey or Love"
B
Elika אלה'
& אל
6.
"Almighty God
"Mighty God"
תפארת
"Beauty"
Elulin אלהים
"Almighty"
8.
7.
נצח
Victory or Perpetuity"
C
יהוה צבאות
9.
יסוד
Ickered Akarta
** Eterual of
Hosts
"Fouudation"
אל חי
I. Hai
"The Living
Goul"
מלכות
"Kingdom"
אדני
Adenal or
שכינה
SAYAAinek
The Tabaroaching
Deity
The arrows within the diagram point the
order of the emanation and reception
הוד
"Glory *
אלה צבאות
Erada Zasta
** The Almighty God
of Hosts
WORLDS.
A. . . . The World of Creatiou (Brian).
B. . . . The World of Formation (YXTSIRAR).
C. . . . The World of Action (ASIAN)
PII. I. ARS.
I. . . JACHIS, the Pillar of Mercy
11 . . . BOAZ, the Pillar of Judgment.
III . . MIDDLE PILLAR (Compassion).
S. A. BINION
## p. 8430 (#30) ############################################
8430
THE KABBALAH
exposition of the secret words and the praises of the Ancient Holy
One. ) These secret words were as follows:- «The Mystery of all
Mysteries has been and is separated from all; yet he is not separated.
Everything is attached to him, for he is everything. He is the Ancient
of all ancient; the Unknown of all unknown. He assumed a form, yet
he is without form. He assumed a form in order to maintain all, and
yet he has no form because he is incomprehensible (literally, because
He does not exist]. When he assumed a form [the Nekūdah] he
caused to emanate from it nine flaming lights; and those lights that
proceeded from him diffused their constantly increasing] luminosity
in every direction. Just as a burning lamp spreads its glow to all
sides; but if one approach to examine the diffused light, nothing is
found but the burning lamp. So also is he the Ancient Holy [One).
He is the Heavenly light, the Mystery of all Mysteries. If we try to
comprehend him we cannot [because] he does not exist, except in
those diffused lights which are visible and (at the same time] hidden;
and these are called the Holy Name, – they are all in one. ”
THE EXPLANATION OF THE ADAM KADMON
The uppermost Sephirah is called Kether (the Crown). It ema-
nated, as already stated, directly from the En-Soph, and is styled
Nekūdah Rishônah (the First Point). This Neküdah existed from all
eternity. Hence its Divine appellation in Scripture, AHIH, Ehyeh:
rendered “I Am” (Exodus iii. 14). It is also variously known as the
Arikh Anpin (the Great, or Long-Faced); 'Atiqa (the Ancient); Rēsha
Hivra (White-head); Rôm Ma'ālah (the Most High). In the Heav-
enly Chariot it is represented by the Hayoth Hak-Koddesh (the Holy
Creatures), and the Archangel Metatron; its position in the Adam-
Kadmon is the Head.
From Kether (the Crown) emanated the second Sephirah, Hakhmah
(Wisdom). It is of the masculine nature. Its position in the Adam-
Kadmon is the right shoulder or breast, and it is represented by
the Divine name Y a H (the Lord — Isaiah xxvi. 4; Exodus xvii. 16),
the first two letters of the Tetragrammaton IHVH (Jehovah — the
Eternal).
Out of «Wisdom” sprung up the third Sephirah, Binah (Intelli-
gence).
Its Divine name in Scripture is the whole Tetragrammaton
IHVH (Jehovah), and in the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by
Arēlim, rendered in the Authorized Version «the Valiant Ones »
(Isaiah xxxiii. 7), and the Archangel Raziel. Its position in the
Adam Kadmon is the left shoulder or breast, and it is of the femi-
nine nature. Hence it has another appellation AM (Em— Mother, or
Supernal Mother), out of which the following seven intelligences were
## p. 8431 (#31) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8431
-
developed. Thus the full name of Jehovah was not known until the
third Sephirah appeared, and the first Trinity of three triads, which
embraces the 'Olam Habriah (World of Creation) as typified by Em
(mother), was completed. The Talmud (Tract. Berachoth, ix. 57a)
renders the Hebrew word AM in Proverbs ii. 3, «Thou shalt call
(' (
Intelligence' (Binah) thy (mother. ) » The Authorized Version reads
IM, meaning «if» - "If thou criest for knowledge.
From the third Sephirah is derived the fourth, the name of which
is Hesed (Mercy or Love). Its position in the Archetypal Man is
the right arm. Its Divine name in Scripture is El (Mighty God); it
is the first syllable of Elohim — Almighty. In the Heavenly Host it
is represented by Hashmālim (Ezekiel i. 4) and the Archangel Zadkiel.
It is of the same nature as Hakhmah (Wisdom).
The fifth Sephirah is of the feminine principle. It emanated
from the fourth Sephirah; and is called Gebhūrah (Strength), also
Din (Justice), and Pahad (Fear). Its Divine name is ELH-Eloha
(Almighty God). In the Heavenly Host it is represented by the
Seraphim and the Archangel Kamael, and forms the left arm of the
Adam-Kadmon.
The sixth Sephīrah represents in the Adam-Kadmon the region
embracing the chest and downward. Its name is Tiphereth (Beauty).
Its divine name is Elohim (Almighty), and in the Heavenly Host it is
represented by Shinanim or Malakhim (Ps. Ixviii. 17), and the Arch-
angel Michael. These three, Justice, Mercy, and Beauty, form the
“Second Trinity,” called Olam Murgash (Sensuous World — literally,
the world which is felt), because it represents moral faculties.
The seventh Sephirah is the first of the third Trinity, and is called
Netsah (Victory, or Perpetuity). Its principle is like its immediate
predecessor's, and it corresponds to the right leg of the Adam
Kadmon. Its Divine name is Jehovah Zebhaoth (Eternal of Hosts);
among the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by Tarshishim and the
Archangel Haniel. From the seventh emanates the eighth Sephirah,
which is called Hôd (Glory, or Splendor), and — like Gebhūrah and
Binah – it is of feminine nature. Its Divine name is Eloha Zeb-
haoth (Almighty God of Hosts). Among the Heavenly Hosts it is
represented by B'nē Elohim (Sons of the Almighty) and the Arch-
angel Raphael; and out of this beamed forth the ninth, called Yesod
(Foundation), the position of which in the Adam-Kadmon is in the
part comprising the reproductive sphere. This, with the previous
two, forms the third Trinity of the Adam-Kadmon, and is called the
'Olam Hamutb’a (the Natural or Material World). Its Scriptural
name is Shaddai (the All-Sufficient), or El-Hai (the Living God); and
in the Heavenly Hosts it is represented by the Kerûbim (Cherubim)
and the Archangel Gabriel.
C
## p. 8432 (#32) ############################################
8432
THE KABBALAH
The tenth is the lowermost Sephirah, and it is said to possess
all the life principles of the preceding nine. It is called Malkhuth
(Kingdom), and is known as the Sh’khinah (the Tabernacling Deity).
Its Scriptural name is Adonai (the Lord). In the Heavenly Host it
is represented by the Cherubim and the Archangel Metatron, the
same as of the first Sephīrah.
The Angel Metatron, whose name is equivalent to the name of
God by Gematria (that is, by numerical value), is represented in
the first Sephirah (the Crown) as well as in the last (Kingdom). His
functions therefore are not only in the highest spheres of the Briatic
and Yetsiratic (creative and formative) worlds, but he also governs
the Asiyatic (active) world. The harmony of the universe is caused
by Him.
Christian Kabbalists identify him with Christ, the «Angel
of the Lord,” the Sar Ha-panim (Zechariah iii. 1). Its place in the
Adam-Kadmon is the feet, and also comprises the harmony of the
complete Adam-Kadmon.
It will thus be seen that each of the ten Sephiroth emanated
from each other in regular succession, and in their totality form the
'Olam Ha-Atsiloth (the world of emanations or « derivations”).
The meaning of "Atsiloth” is in dispute. The word occurs only
once in the Bible, Jeremiah xxxviii. 12, where its translation « arm-
holes” is doubtful. Some scholars variously render it (wrists,” or
“knuckles, “the juncture of the fingers with the hand. ” (Cf.
Gesenius, sub voce “Atsil. ”) The last rendering, however, seems to
be more in accordance with the adopted word “emanation,” i. e. ,
separation,” just as the united phalanges separate and form ten
fingers. (Cf. (Sepher Yetsirah,' Mishnah 3, where the ten Sephiroth
are actually compared to the ten fingers, “five and five,” of the
hands. ) It was this form of the “Archetypal Man,” the Kabbalists
affirm, which the Prophet Ezekiel beheld in his vision on the river
Chebar (Ezek. i. ).
The Adam-Kadmon is also sometimes designated as the Ets
Hayim (the Tree of Life). The branches of the tree are three in
number. They are called 'Amūdim (Pillars). The pillar on the right
is composed of the three Sephiroth possessing the masculine nature,
and is called the “Pillar of Mercy. ” It is also named Jachin (as in
the Temple at Jerusalem, 1 Kings vii. 21). The pillar on the left is
composed of the three Sephiroth possessing the feminine nature, and
is called the “Pillar of Judgment,” also Boaz (ibid. ); while the four
Sephiroth between the two side pillars (Crown, Beauty, Foundation,
and Kingdom), form the Middle Pillar. »
The Ten Sephiroth in their complete state are designated as the
«World of Emanations, and are also known as the “King and
Queen. ” They are typified by the masculine and feminine potencies
or
>
## p. 8433 (#33) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8433
in the right and left pillars and by the four middle Sephiroth which
unite them. The Adam-Kadmon, in his complete state, becomes the
connecting link between the non-creative En-Soph and creation, by
means of four worlds which evolved from him, and of which I have
spoken heretofore, namely:-
'Olam Ha-Atsiloth (The World of Emanation)
Ha-Briab
« Creation )
Ha-Yetsirah (
<< Formation )
Ha-Asiyah (“
<< Action )
( «
(
The UNIVERSE WAS CREATED
The Kabbalists further teach that each of the three worlds Cre-
ation, Formation, and Action, is composed like the World of Emana-
tion, and has Ten Sephīroth of its own. The farther the worlds are
removed from the En-Soph, the less divine are the beings which
evolved from them. For instance, the Pure Spirits which are of a
higher category than the Angels belong to the World of Action, while
the Angels inhabit the world below it. The less ethereal of compre-
hensible and material substance, including the K’lipoth (a name given
to the Prince of Darkness and his hosts, literally meaning shells or
refuse), belong to the lowermost decade of Sephiroth, the World of
Action.
Now the question arises, since the Adam-Kadmon emanated from
the En-Soph, how is it that He (the En-Soph) permitted the creation
of the material world and the K’lipoth (Demons) in the Olam Ha-
'Asiyah? The Kabbalists get over this difficulty by the theory of
Tsimtsum (contraction or concentration), which explains that when
the material world was about to be created the En-Soph was in a
« tsimtsum” condition (i. e. , contracted himself): an explanation which
is as difficult to understand as the original question. The promoter
of this doctrine is Rabbi Mosheh ben Jacob Cordovero (1522-1570), the
author of the famous Kabbalistic work (Pardēs Rimmonim' (The Gar-
den of Pomegranates).
Whether the present statement of the fundamental doctrines of the
Ten Sephiroth was known or not prior to the tenth century A. D. ,
cannot be positively stated. It appears, however, that the Sepher
Yetsirah' (The Book of Creation) is the first book from which the
author (or compiler) of the Zohar,' and subsequent commentators,
have drawn their main information.
It is to be regretted that several important Kabbalistic works are
attributed to fictitious authors. Tradition asserts that the author of
the “Sepher Yetsirah” is the Patriarch Abraham, and the author of
the book called “Sepher Raziel Hamalach) the First Adam. This,
(
XV-528
## p. 8434 (#34) ############################################
8434
THE KABBALAH
(
>
Kabbalists never doubted, yet scientific investigation demonstrated
that neither the first nor the second was entitled to such antiquity.
They belong to a much more recent period: the (Sepher Yetsirah' to
the Geônim period (after the fifth century A. D. ); and the author of
Raziel the Angel’ is Rabbi Eliezer of Worms.
Another authority, called (Sepher Habahir) (The Book of Brilliant
Light), is attributed to Rabbi Nehunyah ben Hakanah (of the first
century); but it has also been demonstrated (cf. Winter and Wünsche,
Die Jüdische Literatur, Vol. iii. , 257) that this is a pseudonym, and
its real author is Isaac «The Blind” of the eleventh century, or one
of his disciples.
There are several Kabbalistic Midrashim (see Jellinek's Beth Ha-
Midrash') supposed to be contemporaries with Midrash Rabbah and
Tanhumah, etc. ; but most of them have likewise been proven to be
apocryphal. Considering these things, the student of the Kabbalah
can do no better than to refer to authorities beginning with the
twelfth century.
The book called Zohar' is ascribed to Rabbi Simeon, the son
of Yohai (Yochai), who was contemporary with the famous Rabbi
Akiba (second century A. D. ). Modern critics, however, believe they
have discovered some elements in the text which tend to prove
that it is of a later date (cf. Ginzburg, “The Kabbalah,' pp. 78-94), and
attribute it to Rabbi Moses ben Shem Tob de Leon (born 1250, died
1305).
Notwithstanding those criticisms, the Zohar) continues to be the
corner-stone upon which the whole structure of the Kabbalah rests.
It is the fountain-head from which all modern Kabbalistic writers
have drawn their material; and no true adherent to its doctrines has
ever disputed its authorship. The most recent edition (Wilna: 1882),
now before me, bears the same title as the first edition published
by Da Padova and Jacob ben Naphtali (Mantua: 1558-1560). The title
is as follows: (Sēphěr Ha-Zohar 'al Hamishah Humshē Torah meha-
tana ha-Elokē Rabbi Shimeon ben Yohaï? [Yochaï] (The Book of
Zohar, [a Commentary) on the Pentateuch by the Tana, the Divine
Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai).
Whilst it cannot be denied that there are numerous additions and
interpolations, probably whole treatises, in the Zohar' which might
be ascribed to a later period than the second century of our era, it
is nevertheless certain that the greater part of the work belongs to
an early period. What Moses de Leon might have done (if he ever
did anything) was to compile the disjecta membra of various Midra-
shim and add them to the Midrash Y'hi Ôr (the Exposition «Let
there be Light,” Gen. i. 3); thus changing Ôr (Light) into the more
significant name Zohar (shining Light).
## p. 8435 (#35) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8435
)
The 'Zohar,' like the Hebrew Pentateuch, is divided into fifty-two
Parshioth (sections) and contains several treatises, which are for the
most part a Kabbalistic exposition of the Pentateuch. One of the
dissertations (Vols. ii. and iii. ), called Ra'āya Mehemna' (the Faith-
ful Shepherd), contains the discussions of Moses (the Faithful Shep-
herd), the prophet Elijah, and Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai. Another
treatise, the Book of Secrets, discusses Demonology, Psychology,
Metempsychosis, and kindred subjects.
HERMENEUTICAL RULES OF THE KABBALAH
WE HAVE space only to explain a few of the more important rules
so frequently used in the Kabbalistic interpretation of the Scriptures.
The most important exegetical rule in the Kabbalah is called Gematria
(formed by metathesis from the Greek ypaupateia), according to which
every Hebrew letter has a numerical value.
There are in the Hebrew
alphabet, including the finals, twenty-seven characters, which are
divided into nine groups of threes. The first letters of each group
from right to left are the units from 1 to 9; the second represent
the tens from 10 to 90; the third represent the hundreds, from 100 to
900. This arrangement of the 27 letters in nine groups is called the
AIK BKR (the Ayak Bekhar) alphabet, being the six letters con-
tained in the first two chambers of the diagram.
AG
Num. val.
3
Kum, val.
2
Num. val.
I
•
6
30
3 в
OK. .
SR. .
20
SL
w Sb.
XA.
» I (Y).
K. .
IO
ܐܘ
300
200
IOO
7 V
6
.
5
4
7D. .
pM. .
OS
H. .
N. .
57 Kb (final)
60
50
40
M (final)
600
co
500
T. .
400
I
9
Пн
8
ง
co
UT
y Ts :
үт
.
P.
90
80
iz . .
9 (A).
y N )
70
Ts (final)
900
Pb (final)
800
N (final)
700
By this ingenious but illogical mode many Hebrew verses, words,
or letters are computed and compared with other verses, words, or
letters; and if their numerical value happens to correspond, which
## p. 8436 (#36) ############################################
8436
THE KABBALAH
9
6
IH V H
105
6 5
not infrequently happens, their affinity is held to be established. For
example, the numerical value of the three Hebrew letters forming the
word I (Tobh), "good,” amounts to 9+6+2=17; reduce 17 to its
IV B
component figures thus: 1+7=8; then compare this reduced number
with the numerical equivalent of the Tetragrammaton 10+5+
6+5=26; reduce 26 into its component parts thus: 2+6=8: ergo, it is
plain, to the Kabbalist, that whenever the word Tobh (good) occurs
in the Scriptures the Deity is meant (IHVH-Jehovah).
Some of these deductions are very interesting. See for instance
the exposition of Exodus ii. 2, in the Zohar,' ii. ib.
' ar,' ii. ib. When Moses
was born, it is said: “And she [the mother) saw him that he was a
goodly (literally, good) child. ” Rabbi Jose said that “the mother be-
held the light of the Shekhinah shining within him”; and according
to both the Talmud and the Midrash, “the house was filled with Ôr
[light). ” It was by this same method that the author of the Kab-
balistic work (Shelah) * discovered that the reduced number of the
letters composing the Hebrew En-Soph (Infinite) amounts to 207=9:
precisely the same as that of Ôr (Light) and of Adon 'Olam (the
Lord of the Universe).
When one considers these exhaustless means of interpretation at
the disposal of the Kabbalists, it is not in the least surprising that
they could twist and interpret any text of Scripture to suit their
own purposes.
Another rule which the Kabbalists often employ is the Notarikôn.
According to this the initials or finals of a whole phrase make one
word, and vice versa; for instance, war – We Are Ruined.
It is narrated of a certain Rabbi Abner (of the fifteenth century),
a skeptic and disbeliever in the symbolic interpretation of the Script-
ures, that disputing with a Kabbalist who maintained that by means
of the exegetical rules of the Kabbalah one could trace the past, pres-
ent, and future of men from the beginning to the end of the world, he
challenged his opponent to indicate the verse in the Torah' where-
in his own name and fortune occurred. The Kabbalist pointed out
Deuteronomy xxxii. 26, where we read: A Ma RTI A Ph A Hem
ASh BITHa M'ANOSh Zi Kh RaM (“I said . . . I would make
the remembrance of them to cease among men"). “Your name and
fortune,” said the Kabbalist, «are indicated in the third consonant
of each of the five words — R(abbi) Abn(e)r. ” What impression this
argument made on Rabbi Abner is not stated; but the story is often
quoted by the Kabbalists as a convincing proof that every letter, yea,
each scintilla, has some secret meaning understood by the qualified,"
but unknown and invisible to the profane and uninitiated.
*SH e La H is the abbreviated form composed of the initials of the
Hebrew words Sh'nē Lûhoth Haberith,- the two tables of the Covenant.
## p. 8437 (#37) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8437
Besides these inexhaustible means, there are several additional
rules; so that if the point in dispute cannot be settled by any one
of the above-named rules, others may be brought forward. Thus,
if the Gematria and Notarikon should fail to produce the desired
effect, the Temurah (Permutation) is resorted to, by which means
each and every one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alpha-
bet may be substituted for another. There are about twenty-eight
alphabets of that category. The At-Bash alphabet -- formed by pair-
ing the first Hebrew letter, Aleph (A), with the last, Tau (T); the
second letter, Beth (B), with the last but one, Shin (Sh); etc. — is
the most frequently used. By this canon the Aleph (A) can assume
the character of Tau (T), and vice versa, Beth (B) the character of
Shin (Sh), etc. , as here shown (read from right to left): -
9
THE AT-BASH ALPHABET
ימ כּל
ט נ
את בּשׁ גר דק הצ ופּ זע
LK
MI
NT
SH
'AZ
PV TS H
KD
RG
Sh B
TA
or
or
Y
W
Permutation of letters seems to have been in practice centuries
before our present era. We meet traces of its use as early as the
time of Jeremiah, when (Jerem. xxv. 26) Ba Be L (Babylon) is called
She Sha K. Now if the letters BBL are placed above SSK, we see
that Jeremiah made use of the At-Bash alphabet. If this were the
only instance, we might call it an accident; but there is another
example (ibid. , li. 1), where the Chaldeans (Hebrew Ka SDIM) are
called L'B K a MI, by the same permutation process of the At-Bash
alphabet.
Considering the number of their alphabets, we understand how
easy it is for the Kabbalist to predict anything and everything. But
copious and all-sufficient as this system would seem to be, the Kab-
balists have yet another resource: by this last, the alphabet is divided
into three sections forming triads composed of three letters, and the
letters of the same triad (see diagram, page 8435) are interchanged
one with the other.
THE PRACTICAL KABBALAH
The Practical Kabbalah' is the immediate outcome of — first, her-
meneutical interpretation of Scripture; second, the use for practical
purposes of the Shem-Hamphorash (the unutterable name of God -
IHVH) and his numerous attributes; third, the introduction of het-
erogeneous elements proceeding from heathen sources and alchemist
1
## p. 8438 (#38) ############################################
8438
THE KABBALAH
enthusiasts; and fourth, the persecution of the Jews in the Middle
Ages.
It was then that the esoteric theosophy (hitherto exclusively in
the hands of the Jewish elect”) became public property. This pub-
licity was owing to the internecine contention among the ranks of the
Spanish Hebrew philosophers of the thirteenth century, which caused
a split in the synagogue. The war was carried on between the two
factions. One, the most intellectual, was championed by the famous
Maimonides (1235-1304); who did not renounce the philosophical bear-
ing of the Sephiroth, but was opposed to the mystical interpretation
of Scripture by the successors of Rabbi Isaac the Blind. The other,
the most numerous and influential faction, had for their champion
the youthful but famous Kabbalist Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, called
Nachmoni or Nachmonides.
Maimonides was denounced by his opponents as a heretic; and the
hatred which kept smoldering among them was fanned into an open
conflagration, which compelled the Gentile world also to inquire into
the subject.
The persecution and forced conversions of the Jews have also con-
tributed to the publicity of the Hebrew esoteric philosophy. Many
of the learned Rabbis embraced the Christian faith, and the principal
books were translated into Latin. Christian philosophers embraced
the Kabbalah as a godsend. At first they were somewhat hampered
by the doctrine of “Three Trinities”; but since the doctrine of three
is the basis of the Sephiroth, and since it deals also with «Father»
and “Mother,” the Makroprosorpon (Great Face), the Mikroprosorpon
(Small Face), the “Infinite,” etc. ,- they overlooked the impediments
and accepted the essential points.
This foreign doctrine found additional friends among the “prac-
tical scientists of that age, and it enrolled among its admirers men
of great learning, - physicians, metaphysicians, alchemists, mathema-
ticians, etc. ,— as the learned works of that period (1300-1700) testify;
from the famous scholastic Raymond Lully, who died 1315, to the
most eminent Christian scholar Baron C. Knorr von Rosenroth, of the
seventeenth century.
Whilst the Kabbalah was making rapid strides in these new quar-
ters, and absorbed in its progress not a few of the heterogeneous
doctrines entirely foreign to the Sephiritic system, it did not remain
idle in its former abode. The check it received from Maimonides's
followers was counteracted by the formidable array of Nachmonides
and his disciples. The number of elect” and “saints » multiplied,
and the Zohar) came to be considered as a Holy Book on the same
level with the “Torah. ' The Gentile Kabbalists who engaged in the
Practical Kabbalah were ignored by the Hebrew (elect. ” The Rabbis
## p. 8439 (#39) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8439
(
>>
declared that their “wonder-workings” were accomplished by means
of the Shem Hamphorash (the ineffable name of God), his attributes,
and the Angels, whilst the Gentiles performed them by means of
Satan and his hosts.
The principal Hebrew colleges for the study of the Kabbalah were
located in Spain; but after the expulsion of the Jews (1492) from that
country, various schools were opened in France, Germany, and Pales-
tine.
Whilst the Gentile alchemists endeavored to discover the philoso-
pher's stone by means of the Practical Kabbalah,' the Rabbis, on
the other hand, by help of the all-powerful Prophet Elijah, tried to
obtain saintly virtues, in order to become the possessors of the Divine
teachings (Grace); and there were not a few who even attempted the
liberation of the Jews from their captivity by means of the Shem
Hamphorash, and even assumed the title of «Messiah. ” Abraham
Abulafia in the thirteenth century, born in Zaragosa, and the famous
Sabbathai Zebhi in the seventeenth century, born in Smyrna, are
examples of those who tried it, but who failed miserably. It was not
long before the latter pseudo-Messiah proclaimed himself King of the
Jews. Plans to march on Constantinople and subdue the Gentiles –
of course not by the sword, but by miraculous deeds - were laid.
The globe was portioned out among his immediate disciples and
relatives, reserving for his own dominion the Holy Land, with Jerusa-
lem for his own residence. The day for the capture of Constantinople
.
was already appointed. But the unusual multitude which gathered
around him attracted the attention of the authorities, and the intended
uprising was quelled in its inception. Sabbathai Zebhi and his dis-
ciples were cast in prison. His adherents still confided in him, and
waited for Divine intervention when the gates of the prison should
open. This drama ended in the total discomfiture of the pseudo-
Messiah and his followers. Sabbathai Zebhi embraced the Moslem
faith, and died in prison. In his belief he was a follower of Isaac
Loria's Kabbalistic doctrines, and considered himself able to perform
miracles; his right-hand disciple was Nathan of Gaza, who assumed
the title of Prophet. ” The fame of Sabbathai Zebhi spread among
the Jews in all parts of the world, and he proclaimed himself to
be the long-expected Messiah. Deputations were sent from various
centres of Hebrew learning to ascertain the truth as to his claims of
the Messiahship. The deluded Kabbalist had succeeded in convincing
some of them that certain Messianic passages in the Scriptures (by
means of the above-named Gematria, Notarikon, etc. ) point directly
to himself. For instance, the three Hebrew consonants SBT, form-
ing the word ShēBhet (sceptre), mentioned in Balaam's prophecy,
« There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre (ShēBheT)
(
## p. 8440 (#40) ############################################
8440
THE KABBALAH
shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers xxiv. 17), amount to the number 5,
the same as the Hebrew letters of his own name; a slender founda-
tion for the Messiahship.
Notwithstanding the efforts of those modern occultists who attempt
to infuse new life into the Practical Kabbalah' by means of hetero-
geneous materials, it is, like sorcery, doomed to become a thing of
the past. As a matter of fact, its incantations, charms, and exorcisms
are nothing more than sorcery. There are numerous books on this
subject, some of them written by eminent Kabbalists. One of the
most curious of these is the production of Rabbi Israel Baalshem,
called Miph'aloth Elohim' or 'Elokim' (Workings of the Almighty).
This book is the storehouse of Kabbalistic therapeutics, and among
the numerous recipes are directions how to expel unfamiliar spirits
from the possessed by means of exorcisms and charms; how to draw
wine from the wall, how to create wine, etc. The vade mecum of
the modern Baalshem is the book called Shimûsh Tehilim,' which
teaches how to cure all diseases, put out fires, become a favorite,
conquer enemies, counteract an evil eye, discover hidden treasure,
etc. , by means of certain Psalms. Each Psalm, yea, verse or word, is
asserted to contain the name or attributes of God and the Heavenly
Hosts. The injunctions to the postulants are of the most severe
nature. A worldly man, even if he chances to learn the doctrinal
part of the theosophy, can penetrate no further. The Keeper of
those secrets is Elijah the Prophet, who will never permit the un-
godly to acquire them. Not only is the unworthy student threatened
with dire punishment, but the betrayer of the Divine secrets must
meet the same fate.
The Kabbalists believe that Moses acquired these heavenly secrets,
the Shem 'A B (Seventy-two Name), at the “burning bush. ” Whoso-
ever utters the holy name of the “Seventy-two, the Kabbalists
declare, “will surely die. ” The name of the “Seventy-two” proceeds
from the Hebrew letters of the verses in Exodus xiv. 19-21, beginning
with Vayis'a, Vayabho, Vayēt. These verses speak of the doings of
the "Angel of the Lord” and Moses at the Red Sea. Each verse has
seventy-two letters, and is by the Kabbalists written in three lines;
the first from right to left, the second from left to right, and the
third again from right to left. The verses, placed horizontally and
in juxtaposition so as to correspond exactly letter for letter, if ver-
tically divided form seventy-two triads of letters; each triad is sup-
posed to represent one of the attributes of the Deity, and to possess
a recondite meaning.
The Prophet Elijah never tasted death (2 Kings ii. 11). He is,
according to the Kabbalists, a ubiquitous personage engaged in the
same mission now as when he was on earth. This assertion they
## p. 8441 (#41) ############################################
THE KABBALAH
8441
base on quasi-Scriptural authority, as in Malachi iv. 5-6: «Behold I
will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord. ” Many stories of his exploits are related
in the Talmud,' the Midrash,' and the 'Zohar': how he relieves the
needy and suffering, chastises the godless, etc. But his main mission
is to assist the ascetic saints when they are engaged in the study of
the Divine secrets.
Not only the Hasidim sect, but even many orthodox Hebrews,
repeat every Saturday evening songs and hymns wherein are cited
the deeds of Elijah, as related in the Bible and tradition. Satur-
day evening is specially a propitious time for those who keep the
Sabbath holy; for Elijah sits then under the Ets Hayim (Tree of
Life), and records the good deeds of the pious. Elijah's name is
then repeated one hundred and thirty times. The five Hebrew let-
ters in “Elijah” are transposed one hundred and twenty times, in the
following manner:-
ELIAH (Elijah), ELIHA, ELHIA, ELHAI,
ELAHI, ELAIH, EILHA, EILAH, EIHLA,
EIHAL, EIAHL, EIALH, Etc. , Etc. ,
(
corresponding to the numerical value of the Hebrew letters compos-
ing «Eliahu Hanabhi” (Elijah the Prophet): 1+30+10+5+6+5+50+2+10
+1=120. In addition to these 120 transpositions they repeat ten times
the regular untransposed name of ELIAH (Elijah), making the total
130. Those who are unable to pronounce these difficult transposi-
tions repeat 130 times “Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Prophet,” etc.
This points to the Hebrew word Ka L = 130 (Swift), and hints also at
'AB= 72 (Cloud); both words are mentioned in Isaiah xix. 1: "Behold
the Lord rideth upon a 'Swift (Ka L, 130) Cloud('AB, 72).
Among those who chiefly distinguished themselves (since 1550) and
who are designated by the title Elohe or Eloke (Divine), and could
perform miracles, are Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (1522–1570), author
of the Kabbalistic work Pardes Rimonim” (The Garden of Pome-
granates); Jesaiah Horwitz (1570-1630). author of the (Sh L a H”;
Isaac Loria, author of Ets Hāïm' (Tree of Life), and “Sepher Haguil-
gulim? (Metempsychosis); and his disciple Haim Vital (Vidal), and
Israel Baal Shem, born in 1750, at Medziborze, Poland.
The number of the Hebrew books and commentaries on the Kab-
balah amounts to thousands. The following are the most important
and accessible:-
The Talmud, Tract. Chagigeh (Haguigah), Chap. ii. , fols. 11-16.
The 'Zohar,' attributed to Rabbi Simeon ben Yohaſ. First edi-
tion, Cremona and Mantua, 1560. (There are numerous
later editions. )
## p. 8442 (#42) ############################################
8442
THE KABBALAH
(Sepher Tikûne Ha-Zohar (attributed to the same). Leghorn,
1842.
(Sepher Yetsireh (The Book of Creation), with ten Comment-
aries. Warsaw, 1884.
(Sepher Habahir” (The Book of Brilliant Light). Amsterdam,
1651. (There are several editions. )
(Pardes Rimônim? (The Garden of Pomegranates), by Rabbi
Moses Cordovero.
(Sha'arē Ôrah (Gates of Light), by Joseph ben Abraham Gika-
tilia. (There is a Latin translation by P. Ricius, 1516. )
Ets Hayim (The Tree of Life), compiled by Hayim (Chayim)
ben Joseph Vital (Vidal). Korzec, 1784.
(Sh’nē Lūhoth Habrith (The Two Tables of the Covenant), by
Jesaiah Horwitz.
Beth Ha-Midrasch,' a collection of apocryphal midrashim, mostly
treating of Jewish folk-lore and Kabbalah; compiled and
translated by Adolph Jellinek. Leipzig, 1853-55.
(Guinzē Hakhmath Hakaballah : Auswahl Kabbalistischer Mystik
(A Selection of Kabbalist Mystic). Jellinek, Leipzig, 1853.
Beiträge zur Geschichte der Kabbala' (Contributions toward
the History of Kabbalah). Jellinek, Leipzig, 1852.
Kabbalah Denudata' (Latin). By Baron C. Knorr von Rosen-
roth. Sulzbach, 1677. English translation, with Preface
by S. L. MacGregor Mathews. London, 1887.
'The Kabbalah, An Essay,' by C. D. Ginzburg, 1865.
Kabbalah in "Encyclopædia Britannica,' Ninth Ed. , by C.
