Alfa Beta Shel Metatron: The Alphabet of Metatron – Part 6

(Ayin) The magical glyph for the letter (Ayin) is said to comprise two parallel horizontal bars. These, we are told, pertains to Moses and Aaron who confronted the Egyptian sorcerers whose magical activities were illusions meant to deceive the eye (—Ayin). In this regard, we are told (Exodus 7:12):

Transliteration:

va-yashlichu ish matechu va-yih’yu l’taninim va-yivla mateh Aharon et matotam

Translation:

For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

We are informed that in the Hebrew alphabet the letter order (Nun), (Samech), (Ayin) reminds us of this miracle (—Nes), by means of which the trickery worked on the eye (—Ayin) is exposed.

(Peh) We are told the magical glyph for the letter (Peh) represents an open bucket, representing something like a divine cornucopia by means of which the Eternal One provides (—Pirnes) an infinite flow of abundance to the whole of manifestation, like the miracle foodstuffs, i.e. the daily manna, quails, and a wellspring afforded to the Israelites during their long sojourn in the desert. In fact, these miraculous substances are said to be represented by the three endings of the magical glyph.

As it is, the word (Peh), the name of the letter in question, means a “mouth,” the organ of eating but also of speaking. Regarding the latter ability, we are informed that a real savant is a wellspring of wisdom, whose Torah elucidations motivate a descent of the Shechinah, i.e. the Divine Presence and “face” of the Almighty to descend on his or her person. This is because a Spirit Messenger (angel) affords the wise one endless insights.

(Tzadi) The magical glyph for the letter (Tzadi) is said to be a kind of walled stronghold which could be accessed via a side entrance (Petach—“opening”). In this regard a Tzadik, i.e. a righteous individual, is said to constantly alternating between two entrances, i.e. the one to the synagogue and the other to the “House of Study.” Considering some of the sentiments I expressed earlier, that “Torah Study” means “living the law of life,” I “naturally” think it quite “unnatural” and even “ungodly” to cut oneself off from the natural world. After all, the very beauty which we see in this world is in fact God, and acknowledging beauty is a most sacred act.

In this regard, we are told that “when you desire to eat or drink, or to fulfill other worldly desires, and you focus your awareness on the love of God, then you elevate that physical desire to spiritual desire. Thereby you draw out the holy spark that dwells within. You bring forth holy sparks from the material world. There is no path greater than this. For wherever you go and whatever you do—even mundane activities—you serve God.” [Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev in Buber, M.: Tales of the Hasidim: The Early Masters, Thames and Hudson, London 1956] We are further reminded to “use the things of the world to recognize No-thing. By this I mean, approach everyday life as an ongoing opportunity for raising the sparks. Take a micro-moment for establishing a meditative attitude, whether that moment be painful or joyous or neutral. Practice hitbodedut (meditation/all-one-ness) everywhere, at all times. When tempted away from righteousness by idleness, anger, or greed, let yourself listen to the sounds of that moment until you are all ear, nothing but listening. Wrap yourself in listening until even the still, small voice of the moment has vanished and there is No-thing there at all.” [Besserman, P.: The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism, Shambhala, Berkeley, 1997]

(More to follow)

Blessing & the Sea of Divine Abundance - Part 2

To return to Even, the cubic stone of Malchut, which is understood to be the foundation of all existence. Zechariah 4:7 calls it Even Rishonah (first stone) and Psalm 118:22 refers to it as Rosh Pinah (chief cornerstone), saying “The Even that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” This verse is an important part of Masonic studies in both the “Mark” and “Royal Arch” degrees of Freemasonry, and has many hidden meanings. The Shechinah as the (Panim—"Face," "Countenance" or "Presence") of Adonai, is in fact the Rosh Pinah to whom all existence must turn (Ponim).

Everything said so far, refers of course to Malchut on the Tree of Life, represented on earth as the (Bet ha-Mikdash—the "Holy Temple"), said to be another cognomen of Adonai. We should understand the Temple to be the place where Adonai dwells, as it is written, “I will give my dwelling place to be among you” (Exodus 26:11). It is in the actual (Mikdash—"Sanctuary") where the Shechinah resides, as it is written “and let them make Me a sanctuary v’Shachanti (that I may dwell) among them” (Exodus 25:8). Again this refers to the sphere of Malchut, and specifically to the Sanctuary and Ark in our Temple, where the Divine Dweller (Shechinah) may rest on the altar, the latter itself comprising a double ashlar of two Avanim (cubic stones).

The realm of physical existence, is in fact the place of the Shechinah, as is written in Isaiah 66:1 “And the earth is my footstool,” but the fact that the Shechinah dwells among us, and as our highest Selves (Neshamot), does not mean that we are always open to Shefah. The Shechinah is not the Divine Abundance, but the container receiving the flow as it is channelled from the higher Spheres on the Tree of Life, which is in turn poured into the Kingdom of physical manifestation. Here a major problem is encountered. Sometimes the Shechinah receives this flow, and then She is called Mikveh ha-Mayim ("Pool of Water"), but there can be periods when the Shechinah does not receive the abundance, and then She is called Yabashah ("Dry Land"). Naturally creation suffers when this happens. Why should the Divine Abundance “dry up” so to speak?

From a Divine Perspective the Shefa is always there, undifferentiated in the Eternal Now, but the “Abundance” flowing into creation, can be restrained when (ha-Tzinorot—the "Divine channels" leading into manifestation) are blocked. This is said to happen when creation moves into states of separation from the Oneness of the Whole, when we no longer recognise ourselves as part of the Selfsameness of One Being, ("I Am," the Oneness of Being). It is extremely important to realise that the Oneness is never separate from us. It is we who separate ourselves, and thus it is also we who are responsible for repairing the Tzinorot, the Divine Channels, by recognising and returning to the Oneness of Being. It is equally important to realise that any recognition of duality in any form is a separation from that Being in Whom all are one.

Kabbalah recognises only one God. Yet this Oneness may be revealed in a multitude of aspects. Still It is One and there is no other. We may see life as the diversification of the One into the many, but Kol (all) are unified in the One. This is what is meant by that great statement of faith “Shmah Israel, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad” (Hear Israel, Adonai our God, Adonai is One). There is not “God” and the “Devil,” there is only “God.” It is therefore written in Isaiah 44:24 “I am the Lord, who made Kol, who alone stretched out the heavens.”

Kabbalistic Curiosities: Moon Mansions and Seven Seals - Part 1

Since this topic is quite extensive and needs to be addressed in detail, I thought it prudent to address the kabbalistic views on the twenty-eight "Lunar Mansions," and associated concepts in installments. Readers who are familiar with Hebrew will find a lot of details regarding the "Lunar Mansions," or more accurately "Lunar Times" ( [Ittot]—"times" ), in the "Commentary on the Sefer Yetzirah" attributed to the Raavad. There are facsimiles of both the 1562 and 1806 editions available in electronic format, which you can access directly at:

http://www.hebrewbooks.org/11726 http://www.hebrewbooks.org/39079

Further details can also be found in the Tikunnei Zohar section 69, 101b - 102a.

The twenty-eight "Lunar Mansions" pertain to the twenty-eight days of the lunar month, or more precisely of the "sidereal month." This topic was of particularly importance in Chinese, Japanese and Hindu astrology, and the "Lunar Mansions" featured equally strongly in Islamic Astrology. We should acknowledge the contribution medieval moslem astrologers like Abu'l-Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-Biruni ("The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology") made to the study of the twenty-eight "mansions" of the moon, and how greatly "Lunar Astrology" impacted on the Jewish mystics who resided in Moslem lands in the Middle Ages, like for example those who lived in medieval Yemen, where the twenty-eight "mansions" played an important role as "markers" in Yemenite agriculture customs.

Whilst this aspect of Lunar astrology was derived from ancient oriental sources, it was given a unique treatment in Kabbalistic traditions, involving special verses from the Hebrew Bible, the seven "double letters" of the Hebrew alphabet aligned with "seven Sefirot," "seven seals," as well as the "seven planets" of traditional astrology. These are in turn associated with a set of Divine Names, and finally the entire caboodle was worked into a harmonious whole with the twelve signs of the Zodiac, etc. Most importantly, the Kabbalistic approach to this topic pertains to the Shechinah, the "Female" aspect of Divinity, or the "Divine Presence" in manifestation, specifically to "Her" being associated with "time." In this regard, the Zohar (1:198a) informs us that (Et - "time") is "a supernal rung." It continues by asking "And who is this Et?" to which we are told that it is the letter (Heh), and then, by adding the letter Heh as a suffix to Et, further elucidates that "it is called (Atah)," a term meaning "Now." Daniel Matt explained that the reason for "time" being "a supernal rung" is that the Shechinah "is known as 'time' since She conducts the world according to a cosmic schedule, enabling phenomenon to unfold in its proper time," and further that "She is also symbolized by the letter (Heh), the final letter of the divine name (YHVH)." (Zohar Vol. 3, Pritzker Edition)

Since the Shechinah is traditionally associated with both "Time" and the "Moon," we can understand why the twenty-eight "Lunar Mansions" are collectively considered to be, as it were, an expression of the "Divine Presence" in manifestation. Furthermore, these twenty-eight Lunar Ittot (times) are associated with the twenty-eight "qualities of time" listed in Ecclestiastes 3:1-8 reading:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace."

Note there are fourteen benevolent "times" and fourteen malevolent ones. Kabbalistically speaking these are considered to pertain to the "good" and "bad" time cycles of the twenty-eight "Lunar Mansions," fourteen from the aspect of Chesed (Mercy or Benevolence) and fourteen from the aspect of Din or Pachad (respectively "judgment" and "fear," also Gevurah). As an aside, it is worth perusing the exposition of Et Tovah ("good time" also Et Ratzon ("time of favour") and Et Ra ("bad" or "evil" time) in "Gates of Light" (Sha'arei Orah) by Joseph Gikatilla [see page 103–104 in the Avi Weinstein translation].

Now, the fourteen positive and fourteen negative aspects listed in these verses were arranged in a particular manner in Kabbalah to coincide with the seven "double letters" of the Hebrew alphabet, as well as with the seven attributes or qualities associated with these letters. According to all the manuscripts of the "Saadia" and "Long" versions of the Sefer Yetzirah I have consulted, which is quite different from the much later and currently very popular "Gra version," the seven "attributes" are associated with the "double letters" in the following manner:

Aryeh Kaplan maintained the order in which Kabbalists associated these attributes with the mentioned twenty-eight "times" in Ecclesiastes 3, to be "somewhat different than that of the Scripture." ("Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation in Theory and Practice") He also mentioned that it does not correspond to the order found in the Sefer Yetzirah. Accordingly the order is said to be:

(to be continued)