Contemplating Sefer HaBahir

Link To Messianic Peace

2007-03-17T20:38:00.000-05:00

ויהוה נתן חכמה לשלמה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "And G-ddess gave Wisdom to Shlomah."

There exists within Judaism the idea that wisdom (chochmah) is generally preferred over prophecy (nevuah). Moreover, the kabbalah [1] teaches:

The only individual for whom wisdom and prophecy merged into a single stream of enlightenment was Moses, who was able to receive prophecy while still in possession of his routine faculties.

Thus, for Moses, wisdom and prophecy were equivalent chameleons, in a manner of speaking, co-existing together in a single stream of awareness.

How does this relate to the phrase above from the Bahir? Let's examine the phrase.

First, the word chochmah has a gematria of 73. Interestingly, the word הנביאה - "the prophetess" - from Shemot 15:20, also has a gematria of 73. Here then, in the awareness of "the prophetess", is where wisdom and prophecy merge into a single stream of consciousness. Here then, dwells the link to the messianic consciousness of Moses.

Second, a dynamic of this phrase can be observed in the numbers:

32 paths of wisdom (ויהוה)

500, upper hey of binah (נתן)

73, the single stream (חכמה and הנביאה) containing both wisdom and prophecy, where 73 has a digit sum of 10 and a final digit sum of 1 (malchut-keter connection permeating this messianic consciousness throughout all the sefirot)

405 (לשלמה) with a digit sum of 9 (ט), the value of the sefirah-vessel of peace

Taken together, the phrase impregnated with the single stream of messianic enlightenment begins with the Divine and ends contained in a vessel of Peace.

Footnote:

[1] The Advantage of Wisdom Over Prophecy, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Shalshelet HaKabbalah

2007-01-05T15:00:00.000-06:00

ואין חכמה אלא ברכה שנאמר ויברך אלהים את שלמה וכתיב וה' נתן חכמה לשלמה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: Wisdom is a blessing. It is thus written, "And G-d blessed Shlomah." It is furthernore written (I Kings 5:26), "And G-d gave Wisdom to Shlomah."

The missing 9-letter space of parashah Vayechi:

The purpose of creation and of our being in it is to integrate the worlds of tohu and tikun into a third order of existence much greater than either tohu or tikun of itself. [13]

Then this stone which I have set up as a pillar.
Bereshit 29:22

The Talmud (Yoma 53b) and Zohar tell us that this stone is the foundation of creation, and the stone from which the Holy of Holies and the Temple in Jerusalem are built. Buried in the great abyss, it is called even ha-shetiyah, the foundation stone.

The meaning of the word shetiyah in the phrase even ha-shetiyah is of both Hebrew and Aramaic origin. The Hebrew verb root [1] shin-vav-tav (שות) to place, and the Aramaic word shetiyah [2], to weave, contribute to our understanding of this stone, traditionally representing the foundation of our active existence in the world. Given its importance, what is it telling us to do?

A simple question, of course, begs a complex answer. Parashat Vayeitzei, is in Sefer Bereshit. This sefer is mystically understood to contain the secret of esoteric Torah transmission. This mystical tradition is called shalshelet ha-kabbalah. [3] Shalshelet- [4] is a rare Torah trope (musical cantillation) of which there are only 4 in the entire written Torah. Three of the 4 are in Sefer Bereshit and 1 of the 4 is in Sefer Vayikra. In other words, there is a "set of 3" of this rare trope in Sefer Bereshit, the book of creation, and 1 shalshelet stands alone in Sefer Vayikra. Note that a set of 3 moves to 1 - this will be important later.

Ibn Ezra [5] tells us that truth can be discerned from analyzing "sets of 3" in the story of creation. For example, sheker (falsehood, shin-kuf-reish,שקר) has a digit sum [6] of 6. Emet (truth, alef-mem-tav, אמת) has a digit sum of 9. Similarly, other sets of 3 can be gematrically reduced and analyzed for alignment with falsehood and truth. We will use this tool to analyze Malchitzedek, the first righteous king-priest and the shetiyah of both kehunah and kingship, to discern a truth with which to weave new understanding.

Malchitzedek is found in Torah [7] with the name-unit v'Malchitzedek in the form-structure vav-hey (VH-וה). VH is half the Divine Name YH-VH (יה-וה) and is a kabbalistic reference to the mashiach [8] or mystically, to messianic consciousness. The "vav" of v'Malchitzedek is the V (vav, ו) and "Malchitzedek" is the H (hey, ה) of the VH of YH-VH.

The name-unit has a total gematria of 300. Three-hundred is the value of the first letter (shin, ש) of the word sheker (falsehood). A lie cannot endure without some kernel of truth supporting it. [9] That kernel of truth is the shetiyah of all falsehood in malchut (this world). Here, in this "place", truth may be separated out (recovered) from falsehood. This is a kabbalistic secret of separating challah, the mitzvah of a woman.

Traditionally, the mitzvah of challah is understood to be the tikun (rectification) of the world of chaos (tohu). [10] Vav represents the world of tikun [11], while hey represents the world of tohu [12]. The name-unit v'Malchitzedek, therefore, represents a point-synthesis where integration of both worlds may occur.

The purpose of creation and of our being in it is to integrate the worlds of tohu and tikun into a third order of existence much greater than either tohu or tikun of itself. [13]

As VH, Malchitzedek acts toward this integration by giving Avraham (vav) bread (lower hey) and wine (upper hey) - these foodstuffs pertaining to active understanding [14] of the Torah and its secrets. Malchitzedek is acting (from the world of chaos, hey) as a point of bifurcation (the kernel of truth from the letter shin with a value of 300). This point is each "place" or shetiyah in life where one must pivotally decide whether to walk the path of emet or the path of sheker. In chaos theory, a bifurcation [15] is a point of radical divergence with the potential to reshape the entire world.

Continuing on toward weaving a new world, the digit sum of the name-unit v'Malchitzedek is 3. Three is a factor of both 6 and 9, and the common root of both falsehood and truth. Six, the value of the Hebrew letter vav, represents the Torah of Tiferet [16] (as experienced by a particular level of human consciousness) in the world of tikun. The 3-letter Hebrew root [17] of the word tiferet is tav-pey-reish (תפר), meaning to sew or to connect together in a manner of sewing. Sewing does not necessarily create a seamless unity, although it does create a garment for the divine. Even though a garment is good, it does serve to conceal the divine (hester panim) Seams are also "places" of weakness within a garment where that joined together may become separated or disunified (as Am Yisrael was disunified). Consequently, the Divine Name can become disunified in the Torah of Tiferet and in the world of tikun.

Nine, the value of the Hebrew letter tet (ט), represents the 9th sefirah yesod (יסוד meaning foundation). [18] Yesod is a secret (סוד sod - the Hebrew word for secret) beginning with the Hebrew letter yod (י). Yod has the value of 10. Consequently, the letter tet (with an ordinal value of 9) is really "the secret of a hidden 10". Tradition tells us that the secret of the number 10 is seamless unity among the sefirot "as befits a G-D who is One". [19] Thus, the hidden 10 of tet represents this seamless unity and, importantly, represents wholeness of the Divine Name.

Moreover, while vav represents the Torah of Tiferet, tet represents Torah Temimut (again, as experienced by a particular level of human consciousness), seamlessly whole and complete. The Torah of Tiferet uses the 4th shalshelet which stands alone as 1 in Sefer Vayikra to "sharply focus" the yetzers hara and hatov "for transformation" into the yetzer temimut. [20] The Divine Name becomes reunified in the process of this transformation. In consequence to reunification of the Divine Name, Torah Temimut becomes revealed. The word [21] upon which "the one" shalshelet in Sefer Vayikra rests comes from the 3-letter Hebrew root [22] shin-chet-tet (שחט), meaning to focus sharply for change and transformation. The shalshelet focuses particularly over the letter chet (ח with a chatoteret [23] for unification). The subsequent letter acts as the receiving vessel of that focused. That letter is tet, the letter of seamless truth.

Now, we can understand that while vav is the shetiyah of this world (olam hazeh), tet is the shetiyah to re-creating the world (olam haba), to unifying the Divine Name and to revealing Torah Temimut. The digit sum of the 3 Hebrew letters (mem-mem-alef, ממא) over which each shalshelet of Sefer Bereshit rests is 9 - all of them leading to ONE. One is actualized by weaving together both tohu and tikun, thereby creating the shetiyah of a new world. This is what the even ha-shetiyah is telling us to do.

References

1. R. Elie Munk, The Call Of Torah, on Bereshit 28:22
2. Yerushalmi, Pesahim 4:1; Ta'anit 1:6; Bavli, Sanhedrin 26b. Psalms 1:3. J. Caro, Shulkhan Arukh: Orah Haim 551:8
3. kabbalah
4. rare tropes
5. on Shemot 3:14
6. integral reduced value
7. Bereshit 14:18
8. Moshe Idel, Studies In Ecstatic Kabbalah, chapter 3
9. Rashi on Bamidbar 13:27
10. the mitzvah of challah
11. vav as tikun
12. hey as chaos
13. Adin Steinsaltz, In The Beginning, Discourses On Chasidic Thought
14. see #10
15. bifurcation in chaos theory
16. tiferet
17. Matityahu Clark, Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew
18. tet
19. why 10
20. The Importance Of Being Earnest
21. yetzer temimut
22. see #17
23. chet

B'Reishit, The Left Emanation In Unity

2007-01-05T14:20:00.000-06:00

'כדאמרינן בראשית ואין ראשית אלא חכמה שנאמר ראשית חכמה יראת ה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: It is thus written (Bereshit 1:1), "In the beginning (bereshit) [G-d created the heavens and the earth." BeReishit is Beit Reishit. The word "beginning" (Reishit) is nothing other than Wisdom. It is thus written (Tehillim 111:10), "The beginning is Wisdom, the fear of G-d."

With a gematria of 911, Reishit ראשית has a digit sum of 11. The number 11 pertains to the sefirot of the feminine universe of Tohu and the complete rectification of evil [1]. This task is a woman's mitzvah. Consequently, we can see that while "Beit" may pertain to Wisdom, "Reishit" pertains to the rectified feminine Left Emanation. "With Reishit" (B'Reishit) elevates the rectified feminine Left Emanation back into the realm kedushah. With a gematria of 913, B'Reishit has a digit sum of 13, echad.

The "fear of G-d" is the Divine Feminine.

Footnote:

[1] Inner Space, R' Aryeh Kaplan (p. 86)

Double Blessings

2006-12-02T20:54:00.000-06:00

ומאי ומלא ברכת ה' אלא כל מקום שנאמר בי"ת הוא לשון ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is the meaning of the verse , 'the filling is G-d's blessing'? This means that wherever we find the letter beit (ב) it indicates a blessing."

The word which describes the sacred circle (encircling) I ritually cast as HaMasovevet המסובבת has two letters beit in it. These two letters beit represent a double portion of "G-d's blessing" at the level of keter.

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh of the Inner Dimension teaches:

At this supernal level of the soul (keter), there is a double manifestation of all 10 intrinsic powers of the soul. Thus, there is an added dimension of light in the superconscious crown in relation to the faculties of the mind, and 10 times more light in the faculties of the mind than in the emotions of the heart. ... The lights of the powers of her soul shine at all levels of perfect interinclusion.

Blessed Be, Amen.

see Shining Brilliance for follow-up related to this entry

Da'at Torah Emet

2006-11-03T01:31:00.000-06:00

שנאמר ורחבה מני ים
Sefer Habahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "As it is written (Iyov 11:9), 'It is wider than the sea.'"

The entire phrase has a gematria 953, and digit sums of 17 and 8.

The value 17 corresponds to tov טוב, the primordial light hidden away for the righteous in the "future to come" (that is, in Binah).

The value 8, from the perspective of Will, corresponds to the sefirah Hod. From the perspective of Action, 8 corresponds to the sefirah Binah.

Taken together, these two digit sums immediately connect together the ideas of tov, binah and hod. Kabbalistic tradition (R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh) teaches:

The spiritual service of teshuvah begins at the level of binah, "understanding," and concludes with the healing of hod, as the prophet says: "And his heart shall understand [binah] and he shall return and be healed [hod]."

This phrase contains a prophetic assay for ascertaining if the process of teshuvah has been completed. Having concluded the process, binah and hod are sealed with tov (פ).

Raising The Cup Of Redemption

2006-10-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

ואין ים אלא תורה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "The sea is nothing other than Torah."

"From whose womb came the ice?" Hashem famously challenges Iyov (38:29) with this question. In fact, Hashem rants quite a bit in perek 38 and in the next one as well. Sheesh.

And naturally, Iyov, unable to answer Hashem's challenging queries, puts his hand over his mouth (40:4) and basically "shuts up." Let's get one thing straight right now. This is not Liorah's style, ok?

I'll answer Hashem with an answer. Hashem can save the power display for someone who might be impressed. Give an ear Hashem, and listen.

The phrase - מבטן מי, יצא הקרח (from whose womb formed the ice) - has a combined total gematria of 555. The numerals of this gematria are 3 letters hei ה. In other words, the essence of the question and its solution rests within the realm of the completely feminine.

The realm of the completely feminine is in the left emanation. Consequently, the 3 letters hei represent Binah (of the completely feminine "left" pillar) in the 3 universes of Assiyah, Yetzirah and Beriyah.

Importantly, the ice "formed" (יצא) in my drinking vessel (cup of redemption, Tehilim 116:13) and remained stable in my dream this shabbat morning in consequence to complete rectification of Binah throughout all previously "broken" levels of existence (Assiyah, Yetzirah and Beriyah). In my dream, the sodapop represented a water (Torah wisdom) blend of the 3 lower universes. Similarly, in my dream, the pure water represented Torah wisdom of Atzilut. Taken together, the Torah I am being given to drink originates in Atzilut, as opposed to in any of the lower universes.

From my womb came the ice capable of absorbing the wisdom of Atzilutic Torah. And, from my bashert comes the water.

The Immutable Promise

2006-10-27T00:52:00.000-05:00

ואין ים אלא תורה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "The sea is nothing other than Torah."

The 4 words of this excerpt have a combined gematria of 760, the same gematria as the single word שנית, meaning " a second time" and "again". One finds the word שנית in Bereshit 22:15, where the malach calls to Avraham "a second time" to bless him from place Avraham named Hashem Yirah, following the ordeal of akeidah.

I can't help but link this "second time blessing" with the "blessing of a second time" given to me as I "came down" from my G-d encounter in 1967. A promise given to me. And no one, no one, absolutely no one, can take it from me. Not a prophet. Not a judge. Not a great tzadik. Not a malach. Not even G-d. It's an immutable decree already spoken. You can't destroy my life and rip it from my destiny.

Deal with it. Or not.

Chasdei David Hane'emanim

2006-10-24T15:39:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

The 3 words meaning "possessing the sea and the south" - ים ודרום ירשה - have a combined gematria of 821, the same gematria as the word והשקית meaning "and you shall give her to drink" as found in Bamidbar 20:8.

The verse in Bamidbar which contains the word והשקית is speaking to the incident where Moshe alone produced "water from the rock" by striking it. But, Hashem had commanded that Moshe and Aaron do this together. Herein lies the failure - Moshe acted without the participation of Aaron in the actual drawing of water from the rock. Consequently, the waters brought forth quarreling and strife, as opposed to bringing forth waters of chasidim (generally of the south), specifically those of chasdei David hane'emanim.

The word for rock in Bamidbar is from the root סלע which means an "elevated rock". What is an "elevated rock"? It is a state of being "humanly" silent. In other words, it is a human being unable to express him or herself as an Image of the Divine.

Tradition teaches that there are 4 "states of being": sela, eitz, tzvi, ben-adam.

Domem, Nefesh, Chai, Medaber
Silent, Living, Animated, Speaking
a rock, a tree, a deer, a human being

Consequently, Moshe and Aaron (the north-left and south-right powers) were to act in harmony (from the middle column) to "give her" (the congregation and its animals) water to drink. In other words, had they done this correctly, the "rocks" (those unable to express themselves) would have been "opened" and placed upon the way to becoming "speaking spirits" (medaberim) in a spiritually expressive sense. The paths (netivot) to individuation and actualizating uniqueness while maintaining achdut would have been revealed and opened to all.

Thus, the 3 words of this phrase - ים ודרום ירשה - are referring to "opening souls to Divine expression".

A woman by design is "of the north". To become opened properly she must become elevated to "possess the sea and the south". In other words, she must come to the position of malchut in atzilut, which unifies the gevurot and chasidim in the place where no evil exists.

I once wrote a poem called "Shmuel" (G-d hears and understands) about the caveman "David", who by tapping and banging on the rock all around with two sticks, produced coherent "human" speech from a cavewoman (me). It was the first human speech heard on the face on the earth. And when the first words flew through, we were both struck dumb! (with wonder at the idea of communicating and understanding one another, of course) And of course, I knew he was thinking, "are you talking to me?" It was a really cool dream.

And the first human words uttered were ...

what! are you trying to do?

Puts a whole new spin to the words - na'aseh v'nishma - "we will do and understand", doesn't it?

חבה The Secret Primal Language

2006-10-24T01:30:00.000-05:00

The verse quoted here in this excerpt is from Devarim 33:23, where the tetragrammaton (written out in the Torah verse) is typically denoted by 'ה in seforim. However, in the Kaplan hebrew text, the accented letter 'ב in the excerpt above appears as chet with an acute accent 'ח.

The 3 letters playing musical chairs here are חבה, where חבה means "hide", and "secret". What is "hiding" is a "secret" primal language, a language I have spoken. More importantly, it is a secret language I remember speaking. Here is a story I have written describing speaking this secret language, both prior to incarnation and following birth.

A Story Of Quantum Consciousness

Once upon time, You and I walked together.

See what I am doing. Look here. See what I am making. Edges. i see what You are making. i see edges. What are edges?

Look. See what edges are doing. Looking, i see what edges are doing. What do edges feel like? Ohh! to feeeel edges! to feel edges against edges! to know edges!

Look. See. See edges against edges. These will be your edges and edges. This is what edges will do. Look and see.

i don't have the strength. i can't do it.

I will do it. I will carry you through it, to it that swallows all pain, the brightening and the brilliance.

How wonderful the things for me i see. Yes! Yes! Edges to feel! Wonderful edges with wonderful things to do!

i could remember thinking a doing things, but my senses did retain perceptions, although a smell would remain within me, marking their actuality. i was unable to fully form and hold onto the ideas that existed in my mind.

Ohhh! to remember the feel of my edges!

Like a hug all me loosened. In an instant, my eyes could see. i was startled and amazed at the impact of remembering whole perceptions. i felt in existence.

How wonderful! This beautiful mo-ment in time!

My mother walking away, toward the yellow and white thing, opening it to pull out a cloth for my bottom. Mother! Mother! i can see!

But words as I had spoken with You would not form in my mouth of edges. Realizing that for as much as definition was desirable, for the first time, i felt limit. Turning around to speak ... but i could not turn around in remembering edges! i turned my head instead.

Ohhh! no! i can feel and hear You, but i cannot see You!

I am here.

i did not understand! i want to come home! i want to come home!

you have edges to feel and do, do you remember?

Yes, i remember how i saw with You.

you will never be alone.

But i cannot see You in this world of edges! And i will not feel and hear You always as i do now, i fear. i want to come home!

Do not fear. I will bring you home. Home is forward. Go. I will never leave you alone. Smell what I feel like. Remember. I will bring you home. I promise. Remember. I will always be with you. Remember and do not be afraid. Look at all the wonderful edges I have made ...

i turned and looked into the room, and tried to speak with my mouth of edges ... yes, i see ...

... ... ... and i remember still today that you will carry me through it, to it ... the brightening and the brilliance.

story reposted from my website and blog

Enigma Of A Female Mystic Mansion

2006-10-24T00:59:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

The verse quoted here in this excerpt is from Devarim 33:23, where the tetragrammaton (written out in the Torah verse) is typically denoted by 'ה in seforim. However, in the Kaplan hebrew text, the accented letter 'ב in the excerpt above appears as chet with an acute accent 'ח.

Yehudi mentions in his copy of the Bahir (Mosad HaRav Kook), the accented letters are "a ב the first time (in the beginning of the verse) but later with a ה," but then he provides the hebrew verse (up to this excerpt) from the Kook version where the letter in question is a beit as follows:

ומפני מה התחיל התורה בבי"ת כמה דאתחיל ברכה ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה, שנאמר (דברים ל"ג כ"ג) ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה

So, there is something being hidden in the musical chairs these 3 letters (חבה) are playing with the accented letters in this verse. חבה by the way means "hide", "secret".

an enigma, an absurdity
stringing some strange emptiness, a holy madness bursting full
unfolding favor
like a parchment endlessly, darkly brilliant
surely able, between nothing and one, a no-man's land
is the palace of a female mystic mansion, where only night senses
one mind effacing piles and piles of chaos softly
upon which this
breathes that
through and through, collapsing eternally
into an ever reverberating lifeforce
hovering plosive pivots of unuttered tradition set free
drunk without distinction, some wine of the timeless time to come
a martial art, utter clarity
running and returning, iterating
feminine mystery communicating all goodness, like a key
ever beyond sound, yet still peacefully permeating script
one essential mark
above without end, below without bound

Tzemach & Immersive Hashra'ah

2006-10-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

ברכת has a gematria of 622 and a digit sum of echad. The value 622 represents the 620 mitzvot contained within the unity of keter, together with the "two companions who never separate" [1].

Derived from the root ברך meaning "power growth", it carries the same meaning as the name Tzemach, צמח which pertains to growth.

Combining these two "growing" words together and performing some creative permutations, we have the phrase sequence:

צב רם כח -> mobilize, elevate and bring to life, exert creative power

The above sequence corresponds dynamically to concept of hashra'ah, and to its associated levels of immersive creative power: ohr, chayut and koach.

Footnote:

[1] Zohar 3:4a; R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, The Hebrew Letters (p. 49)

Sha'ar HaChamishim Shel Binah

2006-10-23T00:48:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

ומלא "the filling", has a gematria of 77, with a digit product of 49, and a digit quotient of 1. These are the 49 gates and the 50th gate of understanding, respectively.

ומלא permutes to לאום, meaning "to אום", where אום is a Divine Name [1] pertaining to the revelation of messianic consciousness.

Thus, "the filling" pertains to the completion of one's consciousness with the 50th gate of understanding (sha'ar hachamishim shel binah), and the resultant revelation of messianic consciousness through permutation of "the filling" ומלא "into the Divine Name" לאום.

Footnote:

[1] R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, The Hebrew Letters (p. 211)

Hashgachah Pratis In Action

2006-10-21T23:58:00.000-05:00

LeDor VaDor - an example of Divine Providence (hashgachah pratis) in action:

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

ולנפתלי אמר--נפתלי שבע רצון, ומלא ברכת יהוה; ים ודרום, ירשה
{ס} Devarim 33:23

And of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the sea and the south.

As I previously announced on my other blog, my 5th grandson was born Friday morning. My daughter named my new grandson Trentin Elias.

Trentin is a Celtic name meaning "rushing waters". A river in England, the river Trent, gets its name from this meaning.

My grandson's birth follows my explanation on Thursday about a dream I had of the "rushing waters" of a great waterfall "possessing the sea and the south" as it pertains to my analysis of Sefer HaBahir. The Torah verse containing the words "possessing the sea and the south" is Devarim 33:23. This is Trentin's true "name pasuk". The pasuk begins with the letter vav ו and ends with the letter hei ה. Thus, his name is represented by the letters VH וה where these letters represent the messiah and/or messianic consciousness [1].

Devarim 33:23 speaks to the blessing of the the tribe Naftali, the tribe which clearly my grandson belongs to. R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes regarding the name Naftali:

In Kabbalah, the name Naftali is read (as two words): nofet li, "sweetness is to me."

And surely, Trentin is sweetness to me.

Trentin is my 5th grandson. The name of King David, דוד has a gematria of 14 and a digit sum of 5.

Isn't it interesting that this verse (Devarim 33:23) is followed by a samech ס in the text? Trentin's middle name is Elias (a form of the name Elisha), and a unique form of Eliyahu, where the "samech" (the letter corresponding to the birkat kohanim and semichah) of Trentin's name 'Elias' is located in the place where the VH is located in Eliyahu's name. Of course, Trentin's first name alludes to the VH replaced in Eliyahu's name with a samech in Elias. Elias is the name which delivers the secrets of the samech and the promises stored in Eliyahu.

Footnote:

[1] As taught by R' Avraham Abulafia, and referenced in Studies in Ecstatic Kabbalah, Moshe Idel.

Out Of The Fire

2006-10-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

שנאמר literally means "as it is said ..."

The word can also literally mean "as it is assessed", where the letter shin ש is a prefix meaning "as" or "because", and where the remaining letters נאמר mean "be assessed". In other words, the word construct שנאמר represents an active prophetic assay - the moment of truth where one's "fitness" is literally "assessed".

The Test Of Mar Cheshvan: שנא מר

Hatred, bitterness. One must transform these that normally hide, concealed deeply within, to pass this test. Nice appearances and towing the line do not cut it.

Torah Of Ram Cheshvan: Possessing The Sea & The South

Kabbalistic astrology teaches that Cheshvan corresponds to the "left (north) column water sign". Cheshvan is typically called Mar Cheshavan or "bitter cheshvan". With transformation of the "bitter" into waters of Torah wisdom possessing the Sea and the South, the month is likewise transformed into Ram Cheshvan or "elevated Cheshvan".

Possessing The Sea & The South

2006-10-19T01:32:00.000-05:00

In my previous entry I wrote:

The word בבי"ת in the Kook version is 'בב in the Kaplan version. The stand-alone accented letter is a funny looking chet in my Kaplan version, a beit in the Kook and a hei in Devarim (the quoted verse). I have used the accented beit as it is in the Kook version here in my excerpt, for reasons I will explain in my next post.

Now I will explain. A few nights ago, I dreamt.

I was on the sea (malchut in the world of atzilut) in a small boat, like a fishing boat, I think. Nevertheless, I was on the sea. Near me, almost on top of me, was an enormously powerful water fall. It was greater than Niagara Falls. In fact, the falls began "outside" the scope of my dream. The water "fell into my dream" from a place beyond my dream vision. I knew this even in the dream. The source of the powerful falls originated in the darkness beyond the edge of my vision.

I was situated slightly off center towards the right (corresponding to the south) of the falls (facing them). Had I not been, the powerful mass of falling water would have landed right on top of my head, sending me "underwater" into a powerful current. The falls were awesomely gorgeous and good, but it would not have been good for such power to land right on top of my head.

Anyway, for this reason, I choose the letter beit because I was "at" (a meaning of the letter beit as a prefix) the waterfall which "possessed the Sea and the South".

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

Dwelling With The Divine

2006-10-19T00:47:00.000-05:00

שנאמר ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt*

Traditional interpretation: "Because it is written (Devarim 33:23): The filling is G-d's blessing possessing the Sea and the South."

Say what? This is definitely an enigmatic statement.

The first word שנאמר has a total gematria of 591, with a digit sum of 15, the value of the Divine Name Kah (yud-hei), the first two letters of the tetragrammaton. The previous excerpt of verse 3 dealt with keter Torah. Here in this step of the analysis of the word שנאמר, the brilliance of that lofty Torah is actively brought down through the worlds of atzilut and beriyah, which Kah represents.

The final digit sum of שנאמר is 6. In this step the mystery Torah is brought down through yetzirah, which the value 6 and the letter vav represent.

Within the word שנאמר is the root אמר, representing malchut and the world of assiyah. Now, the brilliance has been brought all the way down into the world of action.

*Footnote:

The verse quoted here in this excerpt is from Devarim 33:23, where the tetragrammaton (written out in the Torah verse) is typically denoted by 'ה in seforim. However, in the Kaplan hebrew text, this letter appears as chet with an acute accent 'ח. Yehudi mentions in his copy of the Bahir (Mosad HaRav Kook), the accented letters are "a ב the first time (in the beginning of the verse) but later with a ה," but then he provides the hebrew verse from the Kook version where the letter in question is a beit. So, there is something being hidden in the musical chairs these 3 letters (חבה) are playing with the accented letters in this verse. חבה by the way means "hide", "secret". Very cool! Now I am really excited about this enigma and can't wait to get to this letter!

For reference, the first portion of verse 3 (through the phrase discussed in this post) as it appears in the Mosad HaRav Kook version of HaBahir (with thanks to Yehudi for providing it:

ומפני מה התחיל התורה בבי"ת כמה דאתחיל ברכה ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה, שנאמר (דברים ל"ג כ"ג) ומלא ברכת ב' ים ודרום ירשה

Note: The word בבי"ת in the Kook version is 'בב in the Kaplan version. The stand-alone accented letter is a funny looking chet in my Kaplan version, a beit in the Kook version and a hei in Devarim (the quoted verse). I have used the accented beit as it is in the Kook version here in my excerpt, for reasons I will explain in my next post.

Raz HaTorah

2006-10-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

As written in a previous entry, The Mathematics Of All Good, the combined digit sums of the first 3 words of this excerpt are 17, הטבא = "the good" that is all good.

The gematria of the 4th word ברכה is 227, with a final digit sum of 2. Thus, the combined digit sums of all 4 words equals 19.

The 19th letter of the alef-beit is qof ק, generally symbolizing kedushah and the "eye of the needle" through which the transcendent penetrates the immanent. Qof is composed of the letters reish ר and zayin ז, which form the word raz. In the word raz רז is the mystery of mashiach ben David and revelation of a great holy light brought down of Ein Sof =>

keter to malchut

19 has a digit sum of 10 (keter) and a final digit sum of 1 (malchut)

'ד Thus, contained within this 4-word excerpt from the Bahir is the holy mystery Raz.

The Mathematics Of All Good

2006-10-18T00:47:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

The first 3 words (ומנלן דהתורה נקראת) of this excerpt of verse 3, have the following gematriot:

176 : 620 : 751

with digit sums of:

14 : 8 : 13 => yachid -> gateway -> echad

final digit sums of:

5 : 8 : 4 => teshuvah -> gateway -> 'ד (Hashem, see dalet & the tetragrammaton)

and combined digit sums of:

5 + 8 + 4 = 17 = הטבא = "the good" that is all good

Summary: Here is the gateway to all good.

The Issue Of Karet

2006-10-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

The letter nun נ of נקראת as an abbreviation refers to neqevah נקבה, meaning female or feminine. Neqevah is similar to the word used to describe the partzuf Nukvah - the consonants are the same, but the nekudot (vowels) differ. Nukvah refers to the "fallen female" and is pronounced like נוקבה, where the consonants נוקב mean to "be pierced".

However, in the verb construct נקראת, the nun has not "fallen" into the qof ק. It has remained "above" it. The existence of the nun in an "unfallen state" is significant to the concept of karet. Remember, we are and have been dealing with keter Torah.

The first 3 letters of the word נקראת are נקר. As a root standing on its own, נקר means to "cut out". In other words, here is where the feminine nefesh elokit would be "cut off" (through the position of the letter nun) if it was in a "fallen" impure state, through assimilation of the nun prefix into the qof. The spiritual fire would die.

Taken together, we can see that in this case, malchut is truly expressing the Divine Will as it is expressed in keter. With the nun unassimilated, the gematria of the entire word נקראת is 751, with a digit sum of 13, echad. Had the nun been absorbed by the qof, the total gematria would have been 701, with a digit sum of 8, symbolizing ח cheit (transgression).

Radical Kedushah

2006-10-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

נקראת begins with the letter nun נ. As a prefix, nun is the niphal verb stem in biblical hebrew associated with the idea "to do". This kind of nun may be at times be assimilated into the first consonant of the root, where it may appear as a dagesh forte. This indicates that the first root consonant is "doubled". In other words, in this case, had the nun been assimilated into the first root consonant, qof ק, its transliteration would be qq as opposed to q.

However, the nun "appears" as a dagesh forte only in the YQTL (imperfect) conjugation, and not in the QTL (perfect) conjugation where the nun remains and "appears" as the letter nun. Regardless of appearances, "the action" of doubling remains, though silent and unsounded in the perfect conjugation. Here, the nun remains "set aside" and IS BEING holy (where the niphal conjugation means "doing" the action ("be summoned") of the root verb (קרא, summon) and first consonant root letter.

Taking all this together, the nun prefix of the niphal verb stem conjugation is first of all, "summoning" a double dose of kedushah and is being holy while doing it. The kedushah of both the nun and the qof are distinctly side by side (kol tov), and not a mixture of good and evil inseparably together.

Keter Torah MiSinai

2006-10-17T02:27:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

תטהרו

דהתורה has a gematria of 620, the same gematria as the word keter (the level of Torah revealed at Sinai), the number of letters in the Torah text of the ten commandments, the full number of the mitzvot, the number of pillars of light which "connect the ceiling of keter to the floor of malchut" [1], and the gematria of the word "titharu" which alludes to the revelation of keter in imma ila'ah.

טהרות

It's all here, in the word דהתורה.

Footnote:

[1] R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, The Inner Dimension

In Velt Ouis Velt

2006-10-17T00:10:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

The next letter following the revelation of Yenon, is the letter dalet ד. Talmud uses dalet as an Aramaic prefix meaning "that", "which", "from" or "of". One example of this is the phrase mitzvah doraitah (mitzvah "from the Torah"). Thus, the word דהתורה - literally means, "of the Torah".

Dalet also represents the tetragrammaton. Consequently, what we have here in the word דהתורה is the Torah and Hashem in perfect Unity.

The proto-Canaanite letter dalet is called digg, like Hebrew dag, both meaning fish. Curiously, the letter nun ן of the previous word ומנלן, also means fish. Fish connects the lamednun (meaning "to fish") of ומנלן to the word דהתורה, creating the situation where Hashem, the Torah and the "lamednunnik" are also in perfect Unity, where the fish swims in the endless (דהתורה) Divine Essence through dalet, yet simultaneously remains connected to "apportioned" reality (ומנלן) through nun.

in velt ouis velt - in the world and out of the world
Akvah

Yenon - Enduring Lamednunnik

2006-10-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

In a previous entry, Evolution Of Da'at Torah, I wrote:

Whereas in the root מנה the final letter is hei ה, in the word ומנלן the hei of the root has been replaced with the letters lamed-nun לן.

Regarding the form of nun-sofit ן, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh teaches:

The final nun is an extended vav ו descending below the line - the "unbounded servant."

Consequently, from this we learn that the suffix lamed-nun לן which shares the "place" of the letter hei ה, is really an "extended" lamed-vav לו. In other words, it is a lamedvavnik taken to the next level [1] of "unboundedness".

Unboundedness? I experienced unboundedness once. In 1967. So, the word ומנלן reveals that the feminine hei ה is a lamednunnik לן, whose memory of the matter endures. Hey! this sefer is talkin' to me! if even only to me. Maybe it talks to you too?

Footnote:

[1] Zohar Chadash 56b; Tikunei Zohar 47 (87b)

Authority To Explicate The Torah

2006-10-15T22:15:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

As written in the previous entry, Evolution Of Da'at Torah:

Whereas in the root מנה the final letter is hei ה, in the word ומנלן the hei of the root has been replaced with the letters lamed-nun לן. Lamed-nun has a gematria of 80, and a digit sum of 8 ח.

With a gematria of 80, לן becomes pei פ. The quality, gift or sense of pei is "authority"; associated both with "specific innate or acquired expressions of lived experience" [1], and the explicit power of da'at.

Thus, with the לן suffix, through the word ומנלן, it is revealed that one is granted the authority to explicate the Torah one is blessed to receive (as described in Evolution Of Da'at Torah). Importantly, the nun-sofit ן "denotes uninterrupted, eternal ... continuity of action and quality." [2] Consequently, the granted authority is eternal and everlasting.

Footnotes:

[1] R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh on introduction to the alef-beit correspondences

[2] R' Michael Munk, The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet (p. 154-155)

Evolution Of Da'at Torah

2006-10-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

ומנלן דהתורה נקראת ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "How do we know that Torah is called a blessing?"

Wow. ומנלן is unusual and clues aren't easily found as to its meaning. Nothing even comes close to it in any of my dictionaries. Any of my readers who are fluent in Hebrew are invited to provide a modern (or not so modern) literal translation this word. Nor is a 3-letter root easily identifiable at first glance.

Be that as it may, the best thing to do is to just start somewhere. I'm going to start with the preliminary hypothesis, given the context, that the 3-letter root of this word is מנה, with various meanings which include: "apportion", "counting", "fixing numbers", "allocating for a particular purpose", "meting out", "appointing", "time and again", "repeating", "unit of weight or value", and "numbered string instrument". [1]

The total gematria of ומנלן is 176, with digit sums of 14 (1 + 7 + 6) and 5 (1 + 4).

14 is 1 more than 13 (echad). So, the word is referring to the hidden level of yachid יחיד. This is supported by the fact that yachid also has a final digit sum of 5 (total gematria is 32 => 3 + 2 = 5).

Whereas in the root מנה the final letter is hei ה, in the word ומנלן the hei of the root has been replaced with the letters lamed-nun לן. Lamed-nun has a gematria of 80, and a digit sum of 8 ח. Chet ח represents binah and the first hei of the tetragrammaton, so here in the word ומנלן, the hei has "switched over" to chet, and subsequently unfolded and expanded into lamed-nun. Taking all this together, we can see that the word ומנלן is referring in some manner to the evolution of da'at Torah (from the prefix vav ו), drawing down "wisdom" (from the 32 paths hidden in yachid) and "understanding" (from the hei-chet connection) hidden in the concealed Essence (Atzmut) into existent knowledge of Torah, with both wisdom and understanding.

Thus, a mystery Torah, drawn down from Atzmut, into wisdom, understanding and knowledge, enables and implements ... (the power to develop abilities) and is hereby "apportioned" in "repeating doses" (time and again) with which to do it.

Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityau Clark (p. 141)

Devekut, Beyond The Merkavah

2006-10-15T01:27:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

As I wrote some time ago discussing Gemara and merkavah mysticism, Arizal teaches that "the original intention was for humankind to be conscious of G-d's Unity much more directly" [1]. How do we experience G-d's Unity?

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh teaches that "the Name Adnut (Adonai) is the essential garb of the Name Hashem (the tetragrammaton)." R' Aryeh Kaplan teaches "it is by the order of Adonai that all who approach to attach themselves to Hashem may enter and leave. There is absolutely no way that one can attach him/herself to Hashem except through Adonai." [2] How is this significant to the above excerpt of verse 3 from the Bahir?

ברכה can be permuted [3] to hakruv הכרב, "the cherub". The root כרב means a "vehicle for G-d's Presence" and "protecting angel with a child's face" [4]. In other words, a cherub (kruv). With respect to the feminine dimension of the kruv (given I am a woman) R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes:

The four golden garments of the High Priest--These four garments are worn together with the four white garments of the ordinary priests. They correspond to the "two" cherubim united, and the four letters (alef, dalet, nun, yud) of God's Name, Adnut. They represent a relatively female dimension.

הכרב, with a total gematria of 227 has a final digit sum of 2 ( 2 + 2 + 7 = 11 and 1 + 1 = 2). Here are the "two" cherubim united in one word, namely הכרב.

Consequently, in the word ברכה is hidden the Name, the only Name, through which one may attach to (achieve devekut with) Hashem.

Footnotes:

[1] Safed Kabbalah, Arizal, Terumah 5763

[2] R' Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and Kabbalah (p. 129)

[3] By spelling ברכה backwards it becomes הכרב, see reverse vision.

[4] R' Matityahu Clark, Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (p. 123)

Et Comes To Add

2006-10-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

Now that Malchut has been raised as elucidated in the previous entry, Geut - Raising The Fallen, et את comes to add. As R' Ariel Bar Tzadok has explained regarding the use of the participle et in Torah (be it the Written Torah or the Oral Torah, which includes Sefer HaBahir):

The elder said to him, “every time [the word] “Et” [is written in the Torah] it comes to add [something].

In this excerpt, את follows the letter dalet ד (shiflut and geut) and precedes the root חיל. The root חיל means to "enable", "to concentrate power and resources", and "develop abilities and power". Consequently, with the word דאתחיל, et comes to add all these things to the kabbalist contemplating the words of this sefer, The Bahir.

Geut, Raising The Fallen

2006-10-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

The word דאתחיל through the gematria of 453 is first associated with the sefirah Yesod, as explained in earlier entries, The Blessing Of Kosher Development and Choshen Mishpat. In the former entry I posited the idea that raising Yesod also uplifts Malchut and linked the action to the concept of geut. Further analysis of the word דאתחיל helps us to understand why this is the case.

דאתחיל "begins" (as the word is traditionally translated) with the letter dalet ד. Dalet is associated with the sefirah Malchut and the consciousness of shiflut. R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes regarding dalet as it pertains to Malchut, shiflut and geut:

In the Zohar, dalet is read as "that has nothing [d'leit] of her own." This expresses the property of the lowest of the Divine Emanations, the sefirah of malchut, "kingdom," which has no light other than that which it receives from the higher sefirot. In man's service of God, the dalet characterizes "shiflut," "lowliness," the consciousness of possessing nothing of one's own ...

Shiflut is the spiritual state associated with the sefirah of Malchut ... In direct proportion to his existential state of shiflut (whose root shefel means "low tide"), is the true king able to manifest that state of "upliftedness" (geut, the "high tide") necessary to constructively rule over his people (the two terms, shefel and geut, exactly equaling one another in gematria).

From this we can see that the word דאתחיל (in this excerpt from verse 3), generally associated with the sefirah Yesod, is specifically associated with ateret hayesod, the origin of Malchut.

Thus, by raising Yesod, through Malchut's origin in ateret hayesod, Malchut is likewise raised. Moreover, as before the primordial sin, the ayin of skin is raised to the aleph of light, also as previously elucidated in The Blessing Of Kosher Development.

House That Hashem Has Built

2006-10-13T23:32:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

כמה has a gematria of 65, which has a digit sum of 11. There are 11 spices of the ketoret (ritual incense used in temple service, Shemot 30:34). The Ari teaches that these 11 spices correspond to the 11 sefirot of the universe of Tohu [1]. R' Aryeh Kaplan writes regarding the 11 incense spices:

They represent the complete rectification of evil .. and to the elevation of evil back into the realm of the holy [2]. The Talmud teaches that Moses was taught the mystery of the incense by the Angel of Death [3]. It is for this reason that when a plague broke out among the Israelites in the wilderness Moses ordered Aaron to walk through the camp with the incense [4]. This is the concept that the eleven perfumes have the power to overcome death and evil [5].

From this we can see that כמה contains the primordial great light of Tohu in it. Unrectified, it shatters the vessels of being. Rectified, Tohu brings new light into existence with the power to rectify and resurrect reality.

דאתחיל has a gematria of 453, and a digit sum of 12. As written in a previous entry, these gematriot are connected to the sefirah Yesod. Yesod is the power of the tzadik (tzedeket) to act as a conduit for the bestowal of this great new light into the world of human action and physicality. The ultimate manifestation of this ability is one's spark of mashiach [6] ben Yosef.

ברכה has a total gematria of 227. This value is the sum of the 221 gates [7] of David HaMelech plus 6, where 6 is the value of vav ו which represents the entire Torah. These 221 gates represent gates of anointing [8] with the Torah of mashiach.

227 has a digit sum of 11, with a second digit sum of 2, beit ב. This is the House that Hashem has built.

Taken together, this excerpt from verse 3 brings down all the way to malchut the rectified light of Tohu, the Torah of Atzilut and messianic consciousness, and fills the House with the Glory of it. This is the power of one's spark of mashiach ben David.

Footnotes:

[1] Etz Chaim 9:2(p. 120); 48:1 (p. 370); 49:3 (p. 383ff.)

[2] Sha'ar HaKavanot, Drush Tefilat HaShachar p. 87ff.; Etz Chaim 49:8 (p. 390f.)

[3] Shabbat 89a; cf. Likutey Halachot, Gerim 3:16, note 61.

[4] Cf. Numbers 17:11; Zohar 1:100b, 2:224a

[5] Sha'ar HaKavanot, ibid. p. 89 top.

[6] The ultimate manifestation of the power to act as a conduit for the bestowal of this light is (one's spark of) mashiach, which is also associated with the sefirah Yesod. (Studies In The Zohar, Yehudah Liebes)

[7] Sefer Yetzirah 2:4; see Saadia Barceloni, ad loc.; R. Eliezar of Wormes ad loc, p. 5a.; Tehilim 23:5

[8] Chayah Olam Haba 4b; Tehilim 23:5

Woman Of Valor

2006-10-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

The total gematria of this excerpt from verse 3 is 745. The digit sum of 745 is 16, which itself has a digit sum of 7. As taught in kabbalah, seven (zayin ז) corresponds to the woman of valor. Consequently, from this we can see "who" is fit to discern "how many" (in terms of "how much" and prescribing proper limits) and who is fit to "develop proper abilities". It is the woman of valor who is fit to do and who does all these things.

The Blessing Of Kosher Development

2006-10-13T19:12:00.000-05:00

כמה דאתחיל ברכה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 3 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... in order that it begin with a blessing."

Liorah's interpretation: "... (to discern) how many thirst to know enabled power to develop proper abilities."

כמה - The word can mean "how many". The root means "thirst", "long".

דאתחיל - is a combination of two words joined together, "to know" דאת and "enable" חיל (to develop and concentrate power and abilities). Significantly, the word for know, here in this context, has substituted an aleph א (unity) for the usual ayin ע (nothingness) in the word "da'at". So, why does Kaplan translate the entire word דאתחיל as "begin"? Because it has the same gematria (453) as the word התחיל, also translated as "begin" as found in the immediately preceding phrase of verse 3. As explained in the earlier analysis, Choshen Mishpat, the gematria of 453 links this additional word to the sefirah Yesod, and now through the ayin-aleph substitution, to its elevation from nothingness to unity. With the elevation of Yesod, Malchut is also uplifted (geut).

ברכה - The word is translated "blessing". The root means "proper growth". In other words, one can develop one's power and abilities either in a kosher or a nonkosher manner. This blessing leads one toward proper development, which begets goodness and new words of Torah, as opposed to toward improper development, which creates evil and strife.

Making the Torah personal, in my own life, proper development is reflected in the elevation of the ayin to aleph. Ayin corresponds to my natural mazal, where I was born in the month of Tevet in the city of Danville. Ayin corresponds to both Tevet and the archetype Dan. Aleph corresponds to the archetypal soul of mashiach and a human being's "Divine stamp" (chotimah). (See links above for both correspondences.) The ultimate of personal kosher soul development is the revelation of one's personal spark of mashiach.

Choshen Mishpat

2006-10-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

The hebrew word התחיל is traditionally translated here as "begin". The word's root, חיל, means "enable", "concentrate power and resources", "developing power and abilities", "host", "soldier" and "accumulating possessions".

Permutations of the letters comprising the word התחיל are found in Bereshit 6:19 and Devarim 2:31.

Bereshit 6:19 - להחית - "to keep alive" - "And from all that lives, of all flesh, two of each shall you bring into the Ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female."

Devarim 2:31 - התלתי - "I have begun" - "Hashem said to me: See I have begun to deliver before you Sihon and his land; begin to drive out, to possess his land."

This is very important given the חיל root's association with "appointing time".The importance is underscored given that the two examples of times where a permutation of the letters from the word from the Bahir are found in Torah both refer to situations involving Og and Sihon.

The Og connection to the Noach story which includes Bereshit 6:19 is indirect through the midrash, which explains that Og clung to Noach's Ark to survive the great flood. In Devarim, the connection is direct, as the Torah here in the verses surrounding Devarim 2:31 describe the battle with Sihon, King of Cheshbon, and the subsequent war with Og, King of Bashan.

The permutation meaning "to keep alive" suggests that the blemish giving rise to the kingly wars resides in the sefirah, Yesod. The root meaning "accumulating possessions" suggests the blemish itself. Consequently, the tikun of Yesod, in this context, is to eschew accumulating possessions. In this way, the "kingly wars" may be avoided.

And moreover, this is exactly what King Solomon failed to do - eschew accumulating possessions. And what resulted? Kingly wars between Yeravam and Rechavam which split the united people of Yisrael.

One more thing to point out as significant, given Reb Chaim HaQoton's current fascination with the number 13 (and 12) - the letters of התחיל, with a gematria of 453, reduce to (have a digit sum of) 12.

Twelve pertains to completed tikun of Yesod. Thirteen pertains to the situation following successful tikun Yesod, and the "next step" into Malchut. This step is "The Danger Zone", if the feminine tikun of Malchut has not also been completed.

Leviah, Transforming Anger Into Clarity

2006-10-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

The hebrew word ומפני is traditionally translated here as part of the "why does"? From the word's 2-gate פנ, is derived 2 roots פנה and פנן. Both of these roots can be considered equal roots from which the word ומפני itself is derived. פנה means "turn to and focus attention", "readying for a purpose", "leader", "face", "hostility", "expression", "interior" and "inside". פנן means "clarify". The prefix ו can mean "particularly". The מ prefix can mean "more than".

Considering the many meanings in the root of the word ומפני, we can see that to achieve the clarity and quality of kavanah being brought down here in verse 3, one must must first confront and deal with the "more than hostility" - that is, the Divine Dark Anger and hatred (as did Tzipporah, Shemot 4:24-26) - that inhabits the hidden recesses of his or her own soul. Only by successfully doing this can one legitimately develop the power of clear kavanah.

Hitbonenut, Clear Focused Kavanah

2006-10-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

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

Traditional translation: "Why does the Torah begin with the letter beit?"

Liorah's translation: "Particularly focusing, 'more than' my attention (with clarity), which develops power and ability in its appointed time, to explore (ideas), arrange (the ideas) and cover a focused point (topic) ..."

The hebrew word ומפני is traditionally translated here as part of the "why does"? From the word's 2-gate פנ, is derived 2 roots פנה and פנן. Both of these roots can be considered equal roots from which the word ומפני itself is derived. פנה means "turn to and focus attention", "readying for a purpose", "leader", "face", "hostility", "expression", "interior" and "inside". פנן means "clarify". The prefix ו can mean "particularly". The מ prefix can mean "more than".

מה is also part of the "why does?" in the traditional translation. One of its actual meanings is "which" and "from her" (the Bahir was written by a man, remember).

The hebrew word התחיל is traditionally translated here as "begin". The word's root, חיל, means "enable", "concentrate power and resources", "developing power and abilities", "host", "soldier" and "accumulating possessions".

התורה HaTorah. Torah is from the root תור meaning to "search for separate items", "exploring", "purposeful searching", "arranging", "planning" and "appointed time".

בב is from the root בבה meaning to "cover a focused point".

Taken together, this phrase in verse 3 is describing 'more than focused attention'; that is, focused kavanah [1], hitbonenut התבוננות, a meditative method of contemplation which, in its appointed time, will develop intellectual power and ability to cover a point completely.

Footnote:

[1] Meditation and the Bible, R' Aryeh Kaplan

References:

Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark
The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet, R' Michael Munk

Actualizing Blessing

2006-10-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

'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

Stairway To Heaven

2006-10-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

א"ר ברכיה מ"ד והארץ היתה תהו ובהו מאי משמע היתה שכבר היתה ומאי תהו דבר המתהא בני אדם ומאי בהו אלא תהו היתה וחזרה לבהו ומאי בהו דבר שיש בו ממש דכתיב בהו בו הוא
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2

There are two sofit (final) letters in the entire verse, 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

Bringing the Torah of the tzadi (tzadikim) and the Torah of the mem (baalei teshuvah) into the house, we have a berachah meshuleshet in the word מצב, meaning "set up" - like the stairway in the Torah verse in which this word is found:

And s/he had a dream; a stairway was set up on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and the messengers of Hashem were going up and down on it. Bereshit 28:12

Entrance To The Ulam

2006-10-09T01:32:00.000-05:00

א"ר ברכיה מ"ד והארץ היתה תהו ובהו מאי משמע היתה שכבר היתה ומאי תהו דבר המתהא בני אדם ומאי בהו אלא תהו היתה וחזרה לבהו ומאי בהו דבר שיש בו ממש דכתיב בהו בו הוא
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2

There is one sofit (final) mem ם in the entire verse. In addition to this letter, there are 120 other hebrew letters.

Mem has a gematria of 40.

120 = 40 X 3 = 40 + 40 + 40

Consequently, we can see that there are 4 numbers 40 hidden in the totality of verse 2. What is the significance of this?

The 3 numbers 40 in the value 120 represent 3 periods [1] of 40 days.

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh (The Hebrew Letters) teaches that the first period of 40 days corresponds to the Moshe's first sojourn on Har Sinai to receive the luchot of the tzadikim. This level represents "souls in divinity".

The second and third periods of 40 days are "times of teshuvah".

The second period of 40 days corresponds to lower teshuvah, that motivated by bitterness. Following the sin of the golden calf, a "time of prayer for forgiveness" constitutes this second period. The level is "worlds in divinity".

The third period of 40 days corresponds to higher teshuvah, that motivated by joy. Here, revelation of Infinite Mercy is rooted and expressed when Moshe brought down the luchot of ba'alei teshuvah. The level is split between "souls in divinity" and "divinity in divinity", as I will now explain.

The additional 40 of mem ם represents the opening to the Ulam. [2]

The mem-sofit ם itself represents an additional 40, at the level of "divinity in divinity". This 40 represents the 40-cubit height of the opening to the Ulam, the entrance hall to the Beit HaMikdash.

Taken together with the previous analysis of the verse, there are only 2 sofit letters in the entire verse. One is ץ and one ם. The ץ looks at the entire verse from the perspective of a tzadik (tzedeket). The ם looks at the entire verse from the perspective of a ba'al teshuvah (ba'alat teshuvah). The analysis of each of the sofit letters "fills" the entire verse, both simultaneously, and without diminishing the other at all.

In the days of mashiach even the tzadikim will be ba'alei teshuvah ... Likutei Sichot

Footnotes:

[1] The Hebrew Letters, R' Yitzchak Ginshburgh, on the letter mem, pages205-206

[2] Midot 3:7

Light Of The World

2006-10-08T21:48:00.000-05:00

The light that G-d found to be good was the deeds of the tzadikim (Yalkut Eliezer).

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:1:

The tzadik (tzedeket, feminine) illuminates the world by bringing the shechinah down to dwell among humankind.

Making this personal, in my own life, when I returned to Torah, I choose hebrew names. Now clearly, the utlility of that name has fulfilled its purpose - to bring me to the status of ץ, able to stand on my own name. Whatever I decide that name may be.

Footnote:

[1] 120 = מיסוד (see Messianic Mikveh)

Razin Setimin, Messianic Mikveh

2006-10-08T02:32:00.000-05:00

מאי...ומאי...ומאי...ומאי
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

In verse 2 of Sefer HaBahir, the base word מאי is iterated 4 times. מאי is a word derived from the root מאה which means "multiply".

The root ends with the letter hey ה, the hebrew letter which is the source of all the letters of the aleph-beit. Hey ה, comprised of the letter dalet and the letter yod, די, is also the source of revelation.

From the root מאה, representing yechidah, are born the 4 "great" iterations of the word מאי, representing chayah, neshamah, ruach and nefesh. The soul levels are each immutably joined together by the letter vav ו, representing the Torah of Truth.

While the root necessarily ends with hey ה to birth "All" (כל = 50) from the Essence of Ein Sof, the words in verse 2 end with the letter yod י. There are 4 letters yod י, with a total gematria of 40. Forty is the value of the letter mem מ, the pure womb of creation, and the minimum quantity (40 sa'ah) of purifying waters in a kosher mikveh (ritual bath).

And herein rests the secret of why we are not to say "water! water!" when we reach the "place of pure marble stones" in the Pardes. There are in total 5 letters yod (4 revealed in the 4 iterations of מאי and 1 concealed in the hey), not 2 letters yod, and more importantly, the letters are all gathered together in a mikveh. They do not remain separate.

With 5 letters yod, this kosher mikveh holds 50 (5 X 10) sa'ah, the sha'ar hachamishim and the messianic soul נ.

Another interesting observation about the 4 words מאי...ומאי...ומאי...ומאי - three of them contain the letters of the Divine Name [1] associated with the coming of messianic consciousness, אום.

Sovev Kol Almin אּ

Footnote:

[1] The Hebrew Letters, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, on the letter נ nun: "נאמן (faithful) begins with נ, just as the full spelling of the letter נ itself, נון . When the middle letter of נון, vav ו, enters between the two middle letters (אם) of נאמן, the secret of the Divine Name אום, related to the coming of the mashiach, is formed."

Razin Setimin, Shayish

2006-10-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

וחזרה לבהו ומאי בהו דבר שיש בו ממש דכתיב בהו בו הוא
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... has substance. This is the reason that it is called bohu, that is, bohu - 'it is in it'."

Liorah's interpretation: "(tohu) iterates into bohu (chaotically) and then again differently iterates. Bohu (confused elements) combines into one (big bang) the fiery existence (QGP) in it tangibly, compressing and inscribing the chaotic elements in it, bringing (them) into being."

On Four Who Entered The Pardes:

Rabbi Akiva said to them [prior to their ascension]: "When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say, 'Water! Water!'

What is Rabbi Akiva referring to here by "pure marble"? And why not "water! water!"?

One answer: newborn shayish שיש, which is the fiery fluid-like quark-gluon plasma I wrote about in my previous entry, Big Bang & The Quark-Gluon Plasma:

ש indicates fire/flame, while יש yesh means means "something existent"; taken together - a quark-gluon plasma

Literally, the configuration שיש shayish is traditionally translated as "marble". And it isn't made of "water". It's a fluid-like fiery plasma of hot energy. Mamash!

be still and know כי-אנכי ... Tehilim 46:11

Big Bang & The Quark-Gluon Plasma

2006-10-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

וחזרה לבהו ומאי בהו דבר שיש בו ממש דכתיב בהו בו הוא
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "... has substance. This is the reason that it is called bohu, that is, bohu - 'it is in it'."

Liorah's interpretation: "(tohu) iterates into bohu (chaotically) and then again differently iterates. Bohu (confused elements) combines into one (big bang) the fiery existence (QGP) in it tangibly, compressing and inscribing the chaotic elements in it, bringing (them) into being."

This excerpt reads like a physics lesson to me.

וחזרה and iterates

לבהו into bohu [1] chaotically

ומאי and then again differently iterates [2,3]

בהו bohu, the confused elements [1]

דבר combines into one [4]

שיש the fiery existence [5]

בו in it

ממש tangibly [6]

דכתיב compressing and inscribing [7] (in the sense of pulling it all together)

בהו the chaotic elements

בו in it

הוא bringing (them) into being [8]

Footnotes:

[1] the root בהה from which the word bohu is derived means "being chaotic" and "confuse elements", the lamed ל prefix indicates "into"

[2] among the many meanings of a vav ו prefix: "and again", "then", "different" - The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet, R' Michael Munk

[3] the root from which the word מאי is derived, namely מאה, means "multiply", i.e., iterates, repetitively repeats

[4] the root דבר means: "combine separate items into one" like one big bang, "collecting", "gathering", "commandment", "connecting words into coherent speech", "temple interior", and more ...

[5] ש indicates fire/flame, while יש yesh means means "something existent"; taken together - a quark-gluon plasma

[6] ממש is an Aramaic word meaning tangibly, and a Yiddish word meaning "really", "truly", "surely"

[7] a word combination of the roots דכה meaning "squeeze" or "humble", and כתב meaning "write", "record", "inscribe"

[8] the root הוא means: "be", "exist", "being", "here", "behold", as well as the personal pronouns "he" and "she"

Nonlinear Mathematics Of Tohu & Bohu

2006-10-07T03:18:00.000-05:00

ומאי בהו אלא תהו היתה וחזרה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is bohu (desolation)? It is something that has substance."

Liorah's second interpretation: "And what is bohu, but tohu sent out and iterating."

ומאי and what is

בהו bohu

אלא but

תהו tohu

היתה sent out (projected out)

וחזרה and ITERATING (repeating repetitively), [1]

Clearly then, bohu is the clarity-producing complexity "in it" which results from the nonlinear dynamical iterations of tohu.

Simple.

Footnote:

[1] חזרה can mean "return", "repetition" and/or "rehearsal", New Bantam-Megiddo Dictionary

Metamorphosis

2006-10-06T23:44:00.000-05:00

ומאי בהו אלא תהו היתה וחזרה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is bohu (desolation)? It is something that has substance."

Liorah's interpretation: "And what is bohu, but tohu sent out and returning?"

ומאי and what is

בהו bohu

אלא but

תהו tohu

היתה sent out (projected out)

וחזרה and returning

In other words, tohu and bohu, whatever they are discovered to actually be in terms of substance, are MADE OF THE SAME ESSENCE, for bohu is nothing more than tohu which has been "projected out" and is now "returning to its source". In other words, tohu is like aur yashar, while bohu is like aur chozer.

Interestingly, tohu is usually considered feminine, and aur yashar masculine. Similarly, bohu is usually considered masculine and aur chozer feminine. There is an interesting gender mix here.

As with tohu and bohu, another interesting "same essence" connection flowing through my translation is with Purim, where we are commanded to drink wine until we can't distinguish between 'cursed be Hamen' and 'blessed be Mordechai'.

Purim celebrates metamorphosis, the transformation of anguish to joy. Sukkot is the "season of our joy". Tonight for shabbat and sukkot, this is my Purim Torah!

Dabar

2006-10-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

ומאי תהו דבר המתהא בני אדם
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is tohu (chaos)? Something that confounds (taha) people."

Liorah's second interpretation: "And how is tohu (chaos) a leader who confounds (taha) people?"

The word traditionally translated here in verse 2 of Sefer HaBahir as "something" is the Hebrew word דבּר dabar. An alternative and equally legitimate translation of this word, is "leader".

And how is tohu a leader who confounds people? Because tohu is a feminine energy, just as the letter configuration דבּר is associated with the feminine sefirah Gevurah [1]. Utterly female. A woman. Like the biblical prophetess (neviah) and judge (shoftah), Deborah.

Tradition teaches that the tikun of tohu is the mitzvah of a woman. Specifically, the tikun of tohu is associated with the mitzvah of challah. A woman's mitzvah.

Interestingly, Deborah is described in Shoftim 4:4 as both a woman (isha אשה as opposed to itta אתתא) and she (היא as opposed to הוא). Both, אשה and היא are associated with unrectified femininity. In contradistinction, both אתתא and הוא are associated with rectifed femininity, as I've discussed elsewhere (most notably here and here). Consequently, tohu is a leader who confounds people when the woman, she, has not rectified her portion (challah) of tohu.

Shoftim 4:7 The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that thou didst arise, Deborah, that thou didst arise a mother in Israel.

Shoftim 4:8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates ...

War in the gates arose on account of the prophetic leader, Deborah, who had not rectified her portion of tohu. Leading one's people to war does not an ideal leader make. Leading one's people to peace does an ideal leader make.

Don't think the course of history is unaffected by the generation's prophets and tzadikim, both directly and indirectly. Both by what they do and by what is done to them.

Footnote:

[1] Sha'are Orah, R' Yosef Gikatilla, the first gate, the tenth sphere

A Different Spirit

2006-10-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

ומאי תהו דבר המתהא בני אדם
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is tohu (chaos)? Something that confounds (taha) people."

Liorah's interpretation: "And how is tohu (chaos) something that confounds (taha) people?"

ומאי can literally mean either "and how?" or "and what?"

A deeper understanding of the nature of reality is reflected in my translation of the query. As I've written previously on my primary blog regarding A New Clarity, it is tohu which brings clarity, not confusion.

It's true - it's called quantum decoherence. In the quantum world, unity (quantum coherence) creates "fuzziness" in the concrete world, not clarity.

In other words, quantum coherence creates the situation where "something" can exist in two places simultaneously, while quantum decoherence creates the situation where something "exists" in a specific place and time, classically.

Ask a physicist, s/he will confirm that this is true.

As above, so below.

So, the question stands - how is tohu something that confounds people? when the reality is that it ACTUALLY brings clarity? Answer: the confusion does not exist as the essence of tohu, but rather, exists in the mind of the one whose understanding of tohu is confused.

Verse 1 Summary

2006-10-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

Like patach Eliyahu, the first verse of Sefer HaBahir sets up a portal of entry for bestowal, infusion and revelation of messianic consciousness. Jewish tradition teaches that there are 2 stages to this revelation.

In my analysis of verse 1, I have termed these two stages the brightness and the brilliance, linking them to rectified reunification through synthesis of tohu and bohu with darkness. Other razin setimin (hidden mysteries) contained in and discussed regarding verse 1 include:

the source of evil
the hidden light
prophetic awareness and mystical vision
reconciliation of darkness and light
the Divine Names אום and הוא
unification of the partzufim, zer anpin with nukvah
unification of the Divine Name, the tetragrammaton
the critical role of the sacred feminine in accomplishing this
the critical role of experiential redemptive vision
David HaMelech's gates
turning history

Guarantor Of Redemption

2006-10-05T02:07:00.000-05:00

א"ר ברכיה מ"ד והארץ היתה תהו ובהו
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2, line 1 excerpt

"Rabbi Berachiah said: it is written, 'the earth was chaos and desolation' ..."

The hebrew word היתה is translated "was" in this excerpt. Why does the quoted phrase from Bereshit 1:2 use the word היתה - and not use either the word היה, or the word ויהי, both of which also mean [1] "was"?

A clue ...

היתה has a gematria of 420, which reduces to 4 + 2 + 0 = 6 = ו (vav)

in contradistinction to היה which reduces to 2,
or to ויהי which reduces to 4

As written in a previous entry, Reconciliation Of Darkness & Light, היתה is from the root יתא which implies "forward projection". And what is being forwardly projected here by the use of this "was" form?

Answer: the shared ו of אליהו and of יעקוב; where the letter ו is the guarantor of redemption [1]

Footnote:

[1] R' Michael Munk, The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet, on the letter vav, pages 97 and 95

Razin Setimin, Turning History

2006-10-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

וגם ענן וערפל סביביו
"and also cloud and gloom surround him ..."
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, line 3 excerpt

וגם, "and also"

From the root גמה, the shoresh means to "absorb addition", and "accept eagerly". From the gate גם, it also implies the meanings: absorb, mature, develop completely, reward, hollow out (a place for "receiving"), "conclusion", and "ceasing to exist" (i.e., the interface [1] between that manifest and that unmanifest).

Thus, the word וגם is "preparing" a hollow place within the "mekubal" [2] to receive the higher brilliance (tehiru ela'ah), the reward of spiritual development attained by way of Torah lishmah, being transmitted through Sefer HaBahir.

ענן, "cloud"

From the root ענן, the shoresh means to "fructify through rain clouds". This "cloud" is bringing waters of wisdom and Torah. R' Aryeh Kaplan, writes that ענן is a stage one must pass through on the way to receiving prophetic influx [3]. It is an acute lack of sensation and experiential nothingness.

וערפל, "and gloom"

From the root ערף, the shoresh refers to the "intense darkness" before "pouring down". Combined with the root רפא, as in Raphael, it implies "healing" waters are on the verge of pouring down (through subsequent verses of Sefer HaBahir).

סביביו, "surround him"

From the root סבב, the shoresh means "turn of events". Through intercalation with the "additional" the letters ייו, "turning history" is the implication of this word. The 3 letters ייו have a gematria of 26, the same gematria as the tetragrammaton, a 4-letter Divine Name. Hashem is turning history with this word, סביביו.

Taking all this together, the 4 Hebrew words וגם ענן וערפל סביביו of the phrase in verse 1, traditionally translated as "and also cloud and gloom surround him", are acting (in a focused manner, like the trope patach creates an "opening") as a mashpia to the mekubal (an individual or collective) prepared and ready to receive the higher brilliance of the teaching; and through it, Hashem is turning history.

Footnotes:

[1] The universe of Splendors (Tzachtzachot) forms the “interface” between Ein Sof and the “created” worlds, where the "created" worlds include Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah and Assiyah.

[2] A human being is endowed by G-d to act and receive on behalf of all creation. In Judaism, the terms kohen (m.) and kohenet (f.) are employed to described this function. All human beings are able to do this. The soul of Israel (as a spiritual state) is “focused” (has a mission) to act as a “prepared critical mass” (as opposed to any individual mekubal) of “hollow receivers” from which the brilliance spreads out (via the mashpia function) globally into all humankind, like falling dominoes.

[3] Inner Space, R' Aryeh Kaplan, in chapter "The Merkavah As A Meditative Experience"

Hei Mappiq

2006-10-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Regarding my earlier entry, Reconciliation Of Darkness & Light, pertaining to this:

This new unified state of malchut, wherein darkness has been clarified and reunited with tohu va-bohu, is called יאיר. From the shoresh יאר (meaning irrigating body of water), it irrigates the earth with brilliance (like waters cover the sea).

Jaron asked:

Not from the shoresh אור, light?

Yes, that's right. The way I see it, יאיר isn't from the shoresh (root) אור. It is from the shoresh יאר, the she'arim (gates) יי אר, and the orach (singular path) ה mappiq (הּ).

Note, יי אר = 221 , the she'arim of David HaMelech (Sefer Yetzirah 2:4).

Creature Of The Night Eternal

2006-10-01T01:33:00.000-05:00

ולילה כיום יאיר
"and night shines like day ..."
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, excerpt from last line

echad אחד:
157 = the gematria of ולילה כיום "and night like day" => 1 + 5 + 7 = 13

David HaMelech's gates (Sefer Yetzirah 2:4) to the Future World:
221 = the gematria of יאיר "shines" (see malchut/aretz here)

157 + 221 = 378 => 3 + 7 + 8 = 18 (chai) => 1 + 8 = 9 (tet ט)

378 = 358 (the number of mashiach, the holy serpent) + 20 (kaf כ, the power to actualize potential)

deep deep complete
creature of the night eternal
a touch divine, a bit insane, off the edge
plunging into a cutting clarity
relentless, wild
stark and undistorted, without echo, raw tradition
a serpent song, a scorpion tale
thirsting inside out, like a finger of the endless
casting kisses
from the heart of the dark

B'Yad Ram-He

2006-09-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

הוא בשחקים וכא"א ישת חשך סתרו
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, excerpt from lines 2-3

B'Hesech HaDa'at, Signs Part 2

In my previous entry, I wrote regarding the physical "sign", the chatima tova, that occurred throughout my right leg erev rosh hashanah, relating the significance of this experience to the word בשחקים in verse 1 of Sefer HaBahir, which I am currently studying. R' Aryeh Kaplan, in his commentary on the verse, teaches that בשחקים, traditionally translated as skies, corresponds to the sefirot of Netzach and Hod, pertaining to prophecy and mystical vision, respectively. I correlated the flowing energy of the physical sign to Netzach and prophetic awareness.

Necessarily, given that בשחקים is associated with both Netzach and Hod (justice, justice), I wondered where was evidence of Hod, other than in the capacity "to learn"? Was I - chas v'shalom! - unbalanced?

Well, this morning, as I was resting in my bed before arising, the "mystical vision" of an answer came to me. Suddenly, I "heard" in my mind the reverberating sound like one hears when one strikes the surface of a thin sheet of pliable metal. Immediately following that, the vision came into my mind of a sheet of beaten silver [1] metal. I immediately "knew" that the sound and vision pertained in some manner to Hod, given the reverberating nature of the "sound" in my mind.

In another earlier entry, I had written regarding the word בשחקים:

"in the skies" = "with (laughs of) laughter" = בשחקים

This word from Sefer HaBahir is not from the shoresh shin-chet-kuf שׁחק, meaning "pound to a fine dust". Rather, it is from the shoresh sin-chet-kuf שׂחק, meaning laughter and overcoming difficulties. They look the same, almost.

Now, it is becoming clearer why I could not relate to the idea that, in Sefer HaBahir, בשחקים referred to the shin-root meaning "pound to a fine dust", but rather to the sin-root meaning laughter. I am not like "a fine pound dust". I am more like "pounded metal".

What is "pound metal" kabbalistically? Dave at Balashon writes regarding asimon:

What's the origin of the word? Well it originally meant uncoined metal. The first mishna of the fourth chapter of Bava Metzia states that "uncoined metal (אסימון) acquires coined metal (מטבע)". The gemara (47b) goes on to ask: What IS ASIMON? ... According to Klein, the root is the Greek word asemos. A= not, without, and sema = sign, token (as in Hebrew siman and the english semantics.) So while originally the difference between a coin and an asimon was the token had no sign (symbol) at all, it was later used to indicate a token that could not be used as money.

From this, we can see that "pound metal" is metal that has gone from being "without a sign" to being "with a sign". In other words, it has been transformed from worthless token to redemption money. Bava metzia 47b states:

UNCOINED METAL [ASIMON] ACQUIRES COINED. What IS ASIMON? — Said Rab: Coins that are presented as tokens at the baths. An objection is raised: The second tithe may not be redeemed by asimon, nor by coins that are presented as tokens at the baths; proving that ASIMON is not coins that are presented as tokens at the baths. And should you answer that it is a definition,11 surely the Tanna does not teach thus; [for we learnt:] The second tithe may be redeemed by 'asimon', this is R. Dosa's view. The Sages maintain: It may not. Yet both agree that it may not be redeemed with coins that are presented as tokens at the baths.

Taken together, one could suggest that metal pertains in some manner to "redemption money". In other words, "unbeaten metal" (one without a sign, a token of uncoined metal, אסימון) is that which cannot fully redeem. On the other hand, "beaten metal" (one with a sign, coined metal like money, מטבע) is that which can fully redeem.

Consequently, my Bahir "learning" (where the ability to learn experientially [2] is a function of Hod) is like beaten-pound metal. It is like "redemption money", redeeming my nefesh-soul, and capable of initiating redemptive consciousness.This morning's experience of "sound and sight" (hearing and seeing experientally synthesized into pei [3], expressive learning) was an appropriate "mystical vision" frontside (chazah) of upcoming Yom Kippur.

Moreover, my learning is balanced. Regarding the "beaten silver" symbolism, Yishayahu 46:6, states: "and weigh out silver on the beam [of the balance]". With respect to verse 1 of Sefer HaBahir, which explicitly mentions the name ר' נחוניא בן הקנה to whom authorship of Sefer HaBahir is attributed, I can link the word kenah קנה in terms of balance, to the name הקנה HaKana, noting at Balashon, Dave writes:

According to Klein, kaneh קנה has many meanings: stalk, reed, cane, beam of scales, shaft of lampstand, arm of lampstand, length of a reed, and in later Hebrew - windpipe.

One of the interesting meanings is "beam of scales". In Yechezkel 40:3 we read of וקנה המדה - a "measuring rod" -- knei mida has the meaning in modern Hebrew of "criterion" or "scale".

The "silver beam" is centrally balanced between the right and left "arms" of the scales, like the alef (my chosimah) represents synthesis (Sefer Yetzirah 2:1), the center, the tongue of decree, and the fulcrum of a scale. Importantly, the symbolism here represents the ability to exercise righteous justice (as opposed exercising unfair-blemished judgment [4]) unswayed by either either pain or pleasure. Seems, Baruch Hashem! my question is answered.

Footnotes:

[1] Regarding the symbolism of silver and its relationship to the serpent energy, Dave at Balashon writes: "According to Ibn Ezra and others, serafim is an adjective for the nahashim (snakes). As Rashi explains, they burn שורף - soref - with their venom." -- "The root שרף has a number of related roots ... צרף to smelt, to refine, and later to attach, to join and to change money. Klein says that the word literally means 'to purify by burning.' From here we get the word tzrif צריף - meaning according to Klein 'a cone shaped hut', literally 'that which is joined together'." -- "Also from צרף we get the English word 'silver'."

[2] see Tehiru for the significance of "experiential" redemptive vision

[3] see the hebrew letter "pei" and the "silver"-finger pointer, see silver-finger pointer & Hesech HaDa'at, see yad ramah

[4] see tet ט, choshen mishpat and tikun of the nachash

Bahir & Gmar Chatima Tova

2006-09-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

Signs of things to come.

Dave at Balashon writes regarding the phrase gmar chatima tova גמר חתימה טובה:

The root גמר also means "to learn", and from here we get the word Gemara גמרא (also גמרה) ... Chatimah is also talmudic and can mean a signature or a sealing (Pessachim 104) ... Of course "tova" means good.

Interesting. This has played out for real in my life this New Year.

גמר. I started my study of Sefer HaBahir 10 days prior to Rosh Hashanah (for 10 days of selichot). As of this moment, I have 11 "entries" already on the first verse alone!!!! => my Oral Torah (Gemara), so to speak.

חתימה טובה. Erev Rosh Hashanah, my right leg flowed strongly (such that I became consciously aware of it) with a subtle energy all night long. It felt so good. A few days later, I found out via two sources (one being R' Aryeh Kaplan's commentary on Sefer HaBahir) that the word "shechakim" (בשחקים in verse 1 of Sefer HaBahir) pertains kabbalistically to Netzach and Hod, the sefirot signifcant to prophecy and mystical vision. Consequently, the awareness of the energy flowing through my right leg was a prophetic awareness and a physical chatimah tova for the New Year.

Reconciliation Of Darkness & Light

2006-09-29T01:52:00.000-05:00

יאיר כחשיכה כאורה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, excerpt of last line

"light and darkness are the same"

"the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep ..." Bereshit 1:2

Darkness (choshech, חשך) was born from the separation of some original unified state (veha-aretz hay'tah, והארץ היתה) into the lights of tohu (תהו) and bohu (בהו), which are chaos and uncertainty, respectively. In other words, from the unity called "veha-aretz hay'tah", 2 lights and darkness were born.

The 2 lights of tohu and bohu, represent thesis and antithesis. When clarified, darkness represents the "place" of potential synthesis.

Reunification of rectified choshech, tohu and bohu brings into existence the lights (ben Yosef and ben David) of moshiach known as the brightness (reunified choshech va-bohu => tehiru tata'ah) and the brilliance (reunified brightness va-tohu => tehiru ela'ah).

Tohu, from the root תהה is a reaction to uncertainty (bohu, where bohu is from the root בהה); the result of that reaction creates darkness in awareness. The original unified state (veha-aretz hay'tah) is a forward projection (hay'tah from the root יתא) of one inmost essential (ateret hayesod, ט) element of ha-aretz (stable elements of existence, from the root ארץ); where this essential element focuses the blessings of life and "peace between the elements" into certain existence, malchut.

Taking all this together, we can see that "the place" where darkness and light "are the same" (i.e., reconciled in a unified state of peaceful existence) is in malchut, ha-aretz.

This new unified state of malchut, wherein darkness has been clarified and reunited with tohu va-bohu, is called יאיר. From the shoresh יאר (meaning irrigating body of water), it irrigates the earth with brilliance.

"for the earth is filled with the knowledge of G-d like waters cover the sea" ... The Laws Of Kings, Yishayahu 11:9

Ark Sparks From The Dark

2006-09-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

הוא בשחקים וכא"א ישת חשך סתרו
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, excerpt from lines 2-3

"in the skies [round about G-d in terrible majesty], another verse states, He made darkness His hiding place ..." (traditional interpretation)

"Hua, with (laughs of) laughter, and as one alef exists darkly, protects the connection ..." (Liorah's interpretation)

"in the skies" = "with (laughs of) laughter" = בשחקים

This word from Sefer HaBahir is not from the shoresh shin-chet-kuf שׁחק, meaning "pound to a fine dust". Rather, it is from the shoresh sin-chet-kuf שׂחק, meaning laughter and overcoming difficulties. They look the same, almost.

That in the skies (with a shin, where the dot is on the right) is not on the earth. It isn't "real" yet.

Laughter (with a sin, where the dot is on the left) makes it real. I wrote a poem many years ago, Ark Sparks, about this kind of "crazy laughter" of the "left emanation".

crazy
strange and curious, maybe even insane
a misfit mind, a holy madness
what can I say
without excuse and
absolutely true
deep and darkly iconoclastic, living on the cutting edge
tottering everywhichway in bitty bytes zapping happily
chaos into a confounded matrix offering up numbers
irrational against the laughing lightning bug
dancing through the brain
stringing wavelets of funny disequilibrium

crazy
strange and curious, maybe even insane
a misfit mind, a holy madness
what can you say
without excuse and
absolutely true
deep and darkly iconoclastic, living on the cutting edge
tottering everywhichway in bitty bytes zapping happily
chaos into a confounded matrix offering up numbers
irrational against the laughing lightning bug
dancing through the brain
stringing wavelets of funny disequilibrium

You may right, I may be crazy ... but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for. (Billy Joel, You May Be Right)

She, Revealing The Sacred Feminine

2006-09-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

הוא בשחקים וכא"א ישת חשך סתרו
Sefer HaBahir, verse 1, excerpt from lines 2-3

"in the skies [round about G-d in terrible majesty], another verse states, He made darkness His hiding place ..." (traditional interpretation)

"Hua, in the skies, and as one alef exists darkly, protecting the connection ..." (Liorah's interpretation)

Hua, הוא

the one (Bereshit 2:11)
she (Bereshit 3:12)
true and upright is she (Devarim 32:4)
she is merciful, atones and does not destroy (Tehilim 78:38)
look now, for I, I am she (Devarim 32:39)
ראו atah ki ani ani הוא (Devarim 32:39)

Note the construct ראו הוא (see Hua) in this phrase from Devarim 32::39. I propose that the entire phrase is significant to bringing the brilliance of the tehiru into, and extracting holy sparks from, the white space between the words ra'o aur ראו אור as written previously regarding the first portion of line 2 from Sefer HaBahir.

The words atah ki ani ani עתה כי אני אני have a total gematria of 577. This value reduces (5 + 7 + 7) to 19. Nineteen is the value of Chavah חוה, Eve, the mother of all life and whose name was reduced to Chavah from Chayah following prematurely eating from the tree of knowledge in Gan Eden.

Is there any evidence linking Chavah to הוא as a construct for the pronoun she? Yes, there is - in Bereshit 3:12:

The man said, the woman you put at my side, she הוא gave me of the tree, and I ate.

Humble Hua, עניו הוא

Chayah is she הוא, where both the name Chayah חיה and the pronoun she in the form הוא, represent femininity prior to "the fall". The name Chavah חוה and the normative pronoun she in the form היא, represent blemished femininity.

Note, the opposite exchanges going on here: between the yod י and the vav ו of Chavah-היא and Chayah-הוא, and between the alef א of ani אני with the ayin ע of anav עניו. The yod-vav exchange pertains to she, and the tikun of the sacred feminine principle through the Divine Name Hua. The alef-ayin exchange pertains to her elevation and restoration to an image of the Divine, through the Divine Name Atah, אתה.

Geut Atah, ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא

Atoning for Chavah's error and returning to Gan Eden with shabbat consciousness born of suffering, הוא is the name HaEchad, harvesting (פישון from the shoresh פשת) through the whole land of Havilah, where the gold is (Bereshit 2:11).

The first ani, 19 is further reduced to the second ani => 1 + 9 = 10, the yod of chayah => which is further reduced to HaEchad, 1 + 0 = 1

וכא"א

Revealing The Torah Of Mashiach
The Humble One - Sham Anav

Tehiru

2006-09-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

ועתהלא ראו אור בהיר
"and they do not behold the light, brilliance ..."
Sefer HaBahir, line 2 excerpt

The two hebrew words denoting "behold light" ראו אור (ra'o aur), are letter permutations of one another. Ra'o is from the shoresh (root) ראה meaning to look, see and understand.

"Seeing" in terms of building understanding is typically an attribute associated with Binah and its shorashim (roots): bin בין (to understand), and banah בנה (to build). Significantly, neither of these "Binah" roots are used here in this sentence fragment introducing "the brilliance" (ba-hir, see tehiru ela'ah of Ein Sof and tehiru tata'ah of Kadmon).

The word used here in Sefer HaBahir - preceding, concealing yet revealing the brilliance (given "they do not see" [1] but those who see experientially, will see) - is ra'o ראו, derived through the root ra'oh ראה. To elaborate on the connection between experiential vision and the ability to behold this brilliance, I offer the following from the teachings of R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh of The Inner Dimension on the Aramaic word, ra'oh:

Though Moses longed to see G-d and know His ways directly he was told that he would only be able to see His "back." This sense of indirect sight is represented by "vision." In Aramaic, a language considered the reverse side of Hebrew, the word for "sight" (ra'oh) is translated as "vision" (chazah). Until we actually experience the redemption we can only "see" it indirectly in our deeply hidden consciousness of heart and soul.

The word ra'o is our indirect "backside" link into experiential bahir. Given this experiential link through the word ra'o, we can unfold direct experience of "the brilliance" from the white space between the two "mirror" words ra'o and aur - bringing into that "empty space" a surge of infinite energy, light and chazah - redemptive vision.

It takes a human being to behold the light called brilliance.

Footnote:

[1] "they do not" ועתהלא - Traditionally, it is taught that malachim (angels) cannot understand Aramaic. The word ראו following "they do not" is an Aramaic-Hebrew construct for "see, understand". The "they" who do not understand are the angels.

Origin of Evil

2006-09-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

יוצר אור ובורא חשך, עשה שלום ובורה רע; אני יהוה, עשה כל-אלה
Form light and create darkness, make peace and create evil; I Hashem, do all these.
Yishayahu 45:7

This verse makes it clear that evil cannot exist independent of human beings, endowed with free will, and made in the image of the Divine. Human beings are responsible for all evil.

The word used for "I', in this verse is ani אני - the same word a human being uses to say "I". Consequently, evil is only created within the context of an "I"; that is, a human being. Further, evil does not exist except within the context of an "I", who as a human being made in the image of the Divine, misuses his or her free will (bechirah chofshit בחירה חופשית) as an agent of the Divine.

Supporting the idea that misuse of human free will constitutes the origin of evil is also the fact that the word used for "I" in this verse is ani אני in contradistinction to another word for "I" which could have been used, anochi אנכי. Anochi contains the letter kaf כ, symbolic of keter and the soul power ratzon, will. Ani lacks the כ, and thus, lacks "the sign" indicating an ability to properly exercise free will (which the presence of the letter would suggest as it does for anochi).

Taking all this together, I propose that evil was not created to give humankind the ability to make freewill choices. On the contrary, I think that evil was and is still created in direct consequence to the failure of humankind to exercise freewill properly.

The existence of evil is not required for freewill to exist. On the other hand, the existence of freewill is required for evil to exist.

Revealing Messianic Consciousness

2006-09-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

During interfaith discussions with members of a Kabbalah Study group I participate in, I was asked to elaborate on the following from my essay, A Journey Into Redemptive Consciousness:

Additionally, we note that, while the first word אמר does not, the last word אומר does contain the Divine Name associated with messianic consciousness [1] - that is, the configuration אום.

To elaborate, אמר is associated with ה malchut/nukvah. The letter vav ו is associated with tiferet/zer anpin. Consequently, the configuration אומר refers to the unification of zer anpin with nukvah, and to a unification of וה within the Divine Name (the tetragrammaton).

Also, in the kabbalisitic writings of Avraham Abulafia, it is taught that the וה half of the Divine Name is associated with the messiah (messianic consciousness), while the יה half is associated with "haSatan" (i.e., the force which tests an individual for spiritual fitness). The messiah's job is to unify the whole Divine Name and to bring the light of that unification into awareness. This unification is able to be implemented and achieved through וה. In other words, the same fitness which enables zer anpin and nukvah to become unified, enables the entire Divine Name to become unified and messianic consciousness to become revealed.

Footnote:

[1] The Hebrew Letters, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, on the letter נ nun: "נאמן (faithful) begins with נ, just as the full spelling of the letter נ itself, נון . When the middle letter of נון, vav ו, enters between the two middle letters (אם) of נאמן, the secret of the Divine Name אום, related to the coming of the mashiach, is formed."

Secret Of Pi & Aur Tov

2006-09-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

אמר ר' נחוניא בן הקנה כתוב אחד אומר
"Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana said:
One verse states ... "
Sefer HaBahir, line 1

The first word, אמר (amar, said) is written seemingly using past tense.

However, I propose that the word tense used here is not indicating something "past tense" in terms of "finished and done", but rather, is hinting at the "initial condition" creating time. In other words, the word אמר hints to the original light of awareness hidden away for the righteous which could see from one end of existence to the other.

Consequently, the first אמר here in line (kav) 1 refers to "one end" of this hidden light, while אומר at the "other end" of kav 1 is "the other end" enwedgened into "the beginning end" of the kav.

The end enwedgened with the beginning is a kabbalistic secret of the letter samekh (ס), representing circle-point (feminine) consciousness. The kav is associated with the letter vav (ו), the initial ray of light, and line (masculine) consciousness.

The situation where masculine line consciousness and feminine circle-point consciousness are unified is represented by the mathematical symbol pi (π), the yichud of zer anpin (Havayah) and nukvah (Adnut), and area consciousness. It also figures significantly to the divine names Shakai and the Shem HaMeforash.

So here we can see in line 1 of Sefer HaBahir, we also have a "line" that is really "a circle". Or a circle that is really a line. Or a paradoxical entity which is both a circle and a line, yet is neither as well.

What we have here, in kav 1 of Sefer HaBahir, is an example of a perfect paradoxical synthesis of opposites. Like tohu and tikkun into a third order of existence [1] greater than either of them alone. Like chocolate and vanilla into a sundae delight (v'haricha).

Footnote:

[1] In The Beginning, Discourses On Chassidic Thought, R' Adin Steinsaltz

Binding Brilliance To Reality

2006-09-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

אמר ר' נחוניא בן הקנה כתוב אחד אומר
Bahir line 1

In R' Aryeh Kaplan's translation of Sefer HaBahir, the word כתוב in kav 1 is translated as verse. Typically, the word for verse in hebrew is pasuk פסוק, not katuv כתוב which literally means "written".

One reason for this may be that פס, the 2-letter root [1] of the word pasuk, also gives rise to the shoresh [2] פסל meaning idol.

In contradistinction, the 2-letter root כת of the word katuv also gives rise to the shoresh כתר of the word keter, significant itself to the message and dynamic hidden in first kav of Sefer HaBahir as previously discussed.

Moreover, the shoresh כתב of katuv means to "record", to "write" and a "written document". For example, a marriage contract is called a ketubah כתובה, where ketubah is derived from the same shoresh as katuv.

Consequently, we can see that the odd word in kav 1, translated by Kaplan as "verse", avoids any association with idolatry while it simultaneously embraces an association with the writing of a legally binding document to bind brilliance to reality. In other words, the light being brought into created reality is being legally bound to reality through the use of the word katuv (as opposed to using the word pasuk).

The use of katuv is quite fitting, given that also in kav 1 of Sefer HaBahir, the actualized yichud of zer anpin and nukvah is also brought down as a described in a previous post. The yichud of zer anpin and nukvah is a consummating act of marriage.

Footnotes:

[1] a 2-letter root is called a gate (sha'ar), Sefer Yetzirah
[2] a 3-letter root is called a root (shoresh)

Chotem Hamithapech

2006-09-27T20:21:00.000-05:00

אמר ר' נחוניא בן הקנה כתוב אחד אומר
Bahir line 1

There are 8 words in the first line of Sefer HaBahir - where 8 signifies a gateway into the transcendent realm of binah, the union of aur yashar and aur chozer, and the power to enter into the mysteries of Torah. Eight is also the numeric value of the hebrew letter chet ח, the letter of life and the "living name" shem chai שם חי.

ש total gematria of the line = 2116

2116 => 2 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 10 = 1 + 0 = 1 => the first sefirah keter-malchut, the crown of the yud

ם adding in the letter beit ב of the word rav רב, the total gematria of the line = 2118

2118 => 2 + 1 + 1 + 8 = 12 (the age of bat mitzvah) => 1 + 2 = 3 => the 3 partzufim of keter and their descent into the mochin* consisting of the triple configuration of chochmah, binah and da'at

now in da'at, the attribute distinguishing Moshe, the light is further brought down into the lower 7 sefirot and into the revealed world, and gathered together as a unified coherent expression of malchut

what's cooking in the air of Liorah's cafeteria

האBrew Cauldron

Infusion Of The Messianic Soul

2006-09-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

אמר ר' נחוניא בן הקנה כתוב אחד אומר
Bahir line 1

There are 27 כז hebrew letters in the first kav of the first pasuk of Sefer Bahir. With the missing letter beit ב in the word ('ר) rav רב included, there are 28 כח (koach) letters.

From this we can see that the power to actualize the potential כ hidden in Sefer Bahir rests with the "woman of valor", through the letter zayin ז entering binah-ח consciousness.

She carries the "power" (koach) to build the house ב which completes the line.

27 is also the gematria of:

א hatovah הטובה
מ pure זך
ר will be glorified אכבד

Multiplied together (b'koach, brought down through 3 worlds) through these 3 equivalences (27 X 3), אף (anger = 81) is (through the 4-headed shin of binah) doubly transformed into the ability to designate the time [1,2] כסא (sod ha-ibbur) from the throne of glory הנכבד, drawing the light of atzilut down into created reality. In other words, in the first line of Sefer Bahir, we also find a woman's power to actualize the bestowal and infusion of the messianic soul upon and into her husband.

Footnotes:

[1] the shoresh כסא carries the meaning "designating time"

[2] sod ha-ibbur, in addition to referring to Divine emanation, refers to the intercalation of time as per the hebrew calendar

Journey Into Redemptive Consciousness

2006-09-27T18:59:00.000-05:00

אמר ר' נחוניא בן הקנה כתוב אחד אומר
"Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana said: One verse (Iyov 37:21) states ... "

The first word [1, דבר] of the first line [קו kav, 2] of the Bahir is the letter configuration אמר, where אמר is an expression signifying a direct connection to the sefirah malchut [3,4] and to the Oral Torah [3]. Importantly, the kav finds an attachment to reality through the "world of the feminine" (see Shechinah) which is malchut. The "origin" of this female "mentality" which establishes the point of attachment is in tevunah (comprehension), one of the two partzufim of imma-binah.

Without the first word of attachment through malchut, the whole brilliant light of the kav cannot be brought into manifest existence nor into the world of unified action. Without malchut to anchor it, it remains incomplete and unmanifest.

Further supporting this, the configuration of the last word in kav 1 is אומר. Simply, אומר demonstrates the whole function of kav 1 - to emanate, receive and anchor the brilliance of the kav, represented by the hebrew letter vav ו, in malchut, represented by the expression אמר.

We can also see that kav 1 in its entirety, אמר to אומר , represents the unification of tiferet (zer anpin ו) and malchut (nukvah אמר). Importantly, the unification (yichud) [5] is initiated by malchut, expanded by zer anpin, and that expansion is anchored by malchut. Moreover, we can see that the emanation of the kav (of Adam Kadmon) into reality indeed takes place in two stages -> אמר and אומר.

Further, kav 1 enclothes the dynamic which drives redemptive consciousness through the three stages of point (אמר), line (ו), and area (אומר). The first expression of אמר is written large, alluding to the full unrestricted rectified consciousness (of 3 heads) of malchut as it found in the sefirah keter.

Additionally, we note that, while the first word אמר does not, the last word אומר does contain the Divine Name associated with messianic consciousness [6] - that is, the configuration אום.

Footnotes:

[1] dvar, word, דבר signifying an act connected to gevurah [3, 4] - i.e., a tzimtzum

[2] "Into the primordial darkness, the "night" of the vacuum created by the tzimtzum with the "point" of the reshimu therein (filling the vacuum with "potential" being), God radiated a ray of Divine light, the ray of "morning." - This quote regarding the kav from The Inner Dimension fits with the message of entire first pasuk of the Bahir as well, which includes the statement "He made darkness His hiding place."

[3] Sha'are Orah (Gates Of Light), R' Yosef Gikatilla, first gate-tenth sphere

[4] אמר is the first דבר of the Bahir- the significance [3] of this is that malchut and gevurah are both "contained" in the first word of the Bahir, further signifying that the foundation of the Bahir is established on the perfect Unity of the Written and Oral Torah.

[5] That performing a yichud is the objective of the first pasuk of the Bahir is included in the first part of its third statement regarding verses: "A third verse comes and reconciles the two." Yet, even here in the first kav, we can see that objective is encoded and contained in the first word.

[6] The Hebrew Letters, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh, on the letter נ nun: "נאמן (faithful) begins with נ, just as the full spelling of the letter נ itself, נון . When the middle letter of נון, vav ו, enters between the two middle letters (אם) of נאמן, the secret of the Divine Name אום, related to the coming of the mashiach, is formed."