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)