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word, ShMO, has the numerical value of 410, the number of
years of the duration of the first temple, &c. &c. There are many
other points worthy of consideration in this prayer, but time
will not permit me to dwell on them.
Other examples of deficient and redundant spelling,
peculiarities of accent and pointing, &c., will be found in
various places in the ensuing work.
It is to be further noted with regard to the first word in the
Bible, BRAShITh, Berashith, that the first three letters, BRA, are
the initial letters of the names of the three persons of the
Trinity: BN, Ben, the Son; RVCh, Ruach, the Spirit ; and AB, Ab,
the Father. Furthermore, the first letter of the Bible is B, which
is the initial letter of BRKH, Barakhah, blessing; and not A,
which is that of ARR, Arar, cursing. Again, the letters of
Berashith, taking their numerical powers, express the number
of years between the Creation and the birth of Christ, thus:
B=2,000, R=200, A=1000, SH =300, I= 10, and TH = 400; total =
3910 years, being the time in round numbers. Picus de
Mirandola gives the following working out of BRASHITH,
Berashith:--By joining the third letter, A, to the first, B, AB
Ab=Father, is obtained. If to the first letter B, doubled, the
second letter, R, be added, it makes BBR, Bebar=in or through
the Son. If all the letters be read except the first, it makes
RASHITH, Rashith=the beginning. If with the fourth letter, Sh,
the first B and the last Th be connected, it makes ShBTh,
Skebeth=the end or rest. If the first three letters be taken, they
make BRA, Bera=created. If, omitting the first, the three
following be taken, they make RASh, Rash=head. If, omitting
the two first, the next two be taken, they give ASh, Ash=fire. If
the fourth and last be joined, they give ShTh,
Sheth=foundation. Again, if the second letter be put before the
first, it makes RB, Rab=great. If after the third be placed the
fifth and fourth, it gives AISh, Aish=man. If to the two first be
joined the two last, they give BRITh, Berith=covenant. And if
the first be added to the last, it gives ThB, Theb, which is
sometimes used for TVB, Thob=good.
Taking the whole of these mystical anagrams in proper order,
Picus makes the following sentence out of this one word
BRAShITh:--Pater in filio (aut per filiumum) principium et
finem (sive quietum) creavit caput, ignem, et fundamentum
magni hominis foedere bono: "Through the Son bath the Father
created that Head which is the beginning and the end, the fire-
life and the foundation of the supernal man (the Adam
Qadmon) by His righteous covenant." Which is a short epitome
of the teachings of the "Book of Concealed Mystery." This notice
of the literal Qabalah has already extended beyond its proper
limits. It was, however, necessary to be thus explicit, as much of
the metaphysical reasoning of the ensuing work turns on its
application.
The term "Unwritten Qabalah" is applied to certain knowledge
which is never entrusted to writing, but communicated orally. I
may say no more on this point, not even whether I myself have
or have not received it. Of course, till the time of Rabbi
Schimeon Ben Jochai none of the Qabalah was ever written.
The Dogmatic Qabalah contains the doctrinal portion. There are
a large number of treatises of various dates and merits which
go to make up the written Qabalah, but they may be reduced to
four heads:
(a) The Sepher Yetzirah and its dependencies.
(b) The Zohar with its developments and commentaries.(c) The
Sepher Sephiroth and its expansions.
(d) The Asch Metzareph and its symbolism.
The SPR ITzIRH, Sepher Yetzirah, or "Book of Formation," is
ascribed to the patriarch Abraham. It treats the cosmogony as
symbolized by the ten numbers and the twenty-two letters of
the alphabet, which it calls the "thirty-two paths." On these
latter Rabbi Abraham Ben Dior has written a mystical
commentary. The term "path" is used throughout the Qabalah
to signify a hieroglyphical idea, or rather the sphere of ideas,
which may be attached to any glyph or symbol.
The ZHR, Zohar, or "Splendour," besides many other treatises
of less note, contains the following most important books.
(a) The SPRA DTzNIOVThA, Siphra Dtzenioutha, or "Book of
Concealed Mystery," which is the root and foundation of the
Zohar.
(b) The ADRA RBA QDIShA, Idra Rabba Qadisha or "Greater
Holy Assembly:" this is a development of the "Book of
Concealed Mystery."
(c) The ADRA ZVTA QDIShA, Idra Zuta Qadisha, or " Lesser
Holy Assembly;" which is in the nature of a supplement to the
"Idra Rabba." These three books treat of the gradual
development of the creative Deity, and with Him the Creation.
The text of these works has been annotated by Knorr von
Rosenroth (the author of the "Qabalah Denudata,") from the
Mantuan, Cremonensian, and Lublinensian Codices, which are
corrected printed copies; of these the Mantuan and
Cremonensian are the oldest. A species of commentary is also
given, which is distinguished from the actual text by being
written within parentheses.
(d) The pneumatical treatise called BITh ALHIM, Beth Elohim,
or the "House of the Elohim," edited by Rabbi Abraham Cohen
Irira, from the doctrines of Rabbi Yitzchaq Loria. It treats of
angels, demons, elemental spirits, and souls.
(e) The "Book of the Revolutions of Souls" is a peculiar and
discursive treatise, and is an expansion of Rabbi Loria's ideas.
The SPR SPIRVTh, Sepher Sephiroth, or "Book of the
Emanations," describes, so to speak, the gradual evolution of
the Deity from negative into positive existence.
The ASh MTzRP, Asch Metzareph, or Purifying Fire, is
hermetic and alchemical, and is known to few, and when
known is understood by still fewer.
The principal doctrines of the Qabalah are designed to solve the
following problems:--
(a) The Supreme Being, His nature and attributes.
(b) The Cosmogony.
(c) The creation of angels and man.
(d) The destiny of man and angels.
(e) The nature of the soul.
(f) The nature of angels, demons, and elementals.
(g) The import of the revealed law.
(h) The transcendental symbolism of numerals.
(i) The peculiar mysteries contained in the Hebrew letters.
(j) The equilibrium of contraries.
The "Book of Concealed Mystery" opens with these words: "The
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