Contemplating Sefer HaBahir

Journey Into Redemptive Consciousness

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Actualizing Blessing

'ומפני מה התחיל התורה בב
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

"Why does the Torah begin with the letter beit?"

As we discovered in the previous entry regarding verse 2:

There are two sofit (final) letters in the entire verse 2, ם mem and ץ tzadi. In addition to these 2 sofit letters, there are 119 other hebrew letters in the entire verse. Opening the once final מ (see birchat kohanim):

119 reduces to 1 + 1 + 9 = 11 => 1 + 1 = 2 = ב (beit)

This beit ב from verse 2 is the difference between the number of words in the progression of verses of the birchat kohanim, as described in the teachings of R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh:

The Priestly Blessing (birchat kohanim) is composed of three verses. The number of words progress in the order 3, 5, 7, with equal differences of two, beit. The number of letters progress in the order: 15, 20, 25, with equal differences of five, hei. Words represent full, or large consciousness, whereas letters represent particular, or small consciousness. The power to bless "fullness" is the power of the beit, as is said: "And full with the blessing of G-d." The power to draw down the blessing to the smallest detail of reality is that of hei.

The 3 letter word מצב, as brought to light in the previous entry, represents the number of verses in the birchat kohanim whose number of letters progress per verse as follows:

15 + 20 + 25 = 1 + 5 + 2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 15 => 1 + 5 = 6

6 = vav ו which represents the whole Torah

So, the beit of the birchat kohanim, which we discovered in verse 2, is now filled with the whole Torah in verse 3.

Again, why does the Torah begin with the letter beit?

Answer: because the whole Torah is בו (in it).

The hei ה of the equal differences as discussed above represents malchut, the feminine and expression.

Thus, בו (as discovered now in the Bahir together with the birchat kohanim) represents the whole Torah "in it", and ה brings it to life. And how is this significant?

The time will come when the feminine will have greater access to transcendental consciousness than the masculine; and in that time, she will bestow and man will receive from her. R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Tefilat LaKhal HaShana