Blessing & the Sea of Divine Abundance - Part 1

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam Asher Kid’shanu b’Mitzvotav.

Blessed are You Adonai, our God, King of the Universe, Who consecrated us to do good deeds.

It is our responsibility to become receptacles for Shefa , the sacred influx of Divine Abundance, which means to literally channel this “Divine Flow” into mundane existence. This is done through service, which is the assistance towards well-being we give to our world and everything within it. It is said that in assisting another individual, the “Divine Channels,” allowing the flow of Divine Abundance and goodness into this world, are restored.

In Jewish mysticism this is considered to be the duty of every Jew, but as far as I am concerned, this is the duty of every person in existence. We are told that it is Malchut, the Kingdom of our mundane existence, which receives the Shefa as it pours from Ain Sof (the Eternal No-Thing) into, and through, all the Sefirot (Spheres upon the Tree of Life). The “Universal Abundance” is directed via the Divine Name (Adonai), into the realm of physical manifestation, thus, every time you attempt to make the world a better place for anyone or anything, you need to bow mentally and express, either aloud or silently in your mind, the blessing “Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu b’Mitzvotav.” This statement is a formal recognition of and a conscious link to the “Divine Abundance,” understanding the injunction “Close is Adonai to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). Of course the blessing can be simplified to (Baruch Atah Adonai—"Blessed are You Adonai").

The blessing in itself is in fact a magical invocation. Firstly, the language is Divine and links those who utter it to the powerful forces, the Divine Hosts, residing in the subtle “Realms of Being” behind the words. Secondly, during the invocation you surrender to the these Divine Forces, and let your entire being, that is body, mind, soul and spirit, act in unity as a conduit allowing these Spirit Forces to flow into manifestation. In other words, you once again “make the words flesh.”

Looking at and understanding what this blessing is all about is immensely rewarding in terms of expanding ones consciousness. The noun of the verb (Baruch—"Blessed") is (Brachah—"Blessing"), which is synonymous with (Breichah—a "Pool," "Pond" or "Lake") the source of Shefa, the Divine Influx. Every time you say the Brachah you are linked to the Breichah, and then you can be the channel directing the flow to all of creation, if you so will. The Biblical Abraham was said to be the first person to receive this Brachah, which tied him to the Divine Source, the Breichah. He passed this on to his son Isaac, whose children Jacob and Esau battled over it. Eventually Jacob successfully claimed it, and the knowledge of the power of this Brachah was passed on to his twelve sons.

The third word of the Blessing, the Divine Name Adonai , is an extremely powerful God Force, since it contains and directs the powerful forces flowing from the Breichah, the divine reservoir of abundance within the Being of the Most High. In fact, uttering the Name Adonai, instantly links you to this Infinite Source. Kabbalah explains that the Source and its outpouring of Divine Abundance is referred to in Genesis 2:10 — “A river issues from Eden to water the garden, and then it divides and becomes four branches.” It also states that the four divisions refer to the Shechinah, the “Countenance of God,” or Female aspect of the Divine here in manifestation. We know that this verse also refers to Malchut, the Kingdom of this World, with its fourfold cycles (elements, seasons, lunar rhythms, etc.). In fact, anthropomorphic, or physical, representations of the sphere of Malchut on the Tree of Life, often show the Shechinah as Malkah (the “Divine Queen” of the Earthly Kingdom) seated on a cubic throne.

This stone is extremely significant since a cognomen for the Name Adonai is the word (Even—"Stone"). Adonai is the foundation of everything in this realm of three-dimensional existence, and since all existence is fully dependent on Adonai, this Divine Name is also called (Kol—"All"), the Whole in which there is no lack. It is thus written in Isaiah 44:24 “I am the Lord, who made Kol who alone stretched out the heavens.” Here we are brought once again to the earlier mentioned Breichah, the pool of Infinite Abundance, also called (Yam—"Sea"). This is referred to Biblically in Psalm 104:25 “There is a sea, vast and wide, with its creatures beyond number, living small and great.”

Of course this vast “Sea of Abundance” not only refers to physical manifestation, but also to mind, soul and spirit. Therefore it is also called (Yam ha-Chochmah—the "Sea of Wisdom"), because all knowledge, on all levels of manifestation, is within it. Once again it was said that this was given to Abraham, as it is written “And YHVH, blessed Abraham with Kol” (Genesis 24:1). As indicated, he in turn passed it on as a birthright to Isaac, who in turn bequeathed it to Jacob, who said “For God has favoured me and I have Kol” (Genesis 33:11).

(More to follow)

Maggidim: Spirit Messengers - Part 2

It should be noted that from the sixteenth century, the invocation of Maggidim became quite commonplace amongst Kabbalists, whereas prior to that it was a specialised and rare occurrence. Through Maggidism the Kabbalist draws on the vast spiritual realm of sages, saints and celestial guides, the realm of Elijah, as well as the embodied essences of scriptures. In the eighteenth century Moses Chayim Luzzatto wrote to a friend concerning his own Maggid, saying: “I admit that since 1727 God has been gracious to me by dispatching to me a Holy One from heaven who reveals to me.....nightly secrets....He promised me that I would be privileged to hear [the utterances] from the very mouth of the prophet Elijah and even the living words of the lord. And as he promised, so it came. When the appointed time arrived, the prophet Elijah revealed himself to me, followed by the Holy Souls who abide on this earth ready to fulfil the tasks of the Lord.....and with their assistance I composed many and important works.”

This occurred when Rabbi Luzzatto fell asleep while chanting Yichudim, which are Kabbalistic mantras and formulas comprising Divine Names. He woke up suddenly when a voice called to him in Aramaic, saying: “I have come down to reveal hidden secrets of the Holy King.” At first Rabbi Luzzatto was afraid and trembling, he listened to the voice enumerating Kabbalistic teachings, and what must have been a surprise to him, was that the Maggid did not appear physically, but spoke with his own mouth and voice.

It was only after several occurrences that the voice admitted to being a Maggid, promising the young Kabbalist “formulas to keep in mind every day,” and Rabbi Luzzatto’s relationship with the Maggid eventually grew so deep that he received immediate and pertinent answers to his questions. Later the Maggid stopped the Rabbi from using Kabbalistic formulas, replacing them with a Holy Name, at which time came the promise of visual contact with Elijah. The prophet in turn appeared and promised the Kabbalist contact with the archangel Metatron, the Angel of the Presence and “Great Guardian of Heaven,” and, as Luzzatto later reported in his diary: “I can recognise each one of them. Also there are Holy Souls who come, their names I know not, and they tell me new things which I write down.....All these things I am doing while falling on my face and while seeing the Holy Souls as if through a dream in human forms.” The Rabbi lived for three years in almost continuous ecstasy, while keeping very quiet about his revelations. Afterwards, with the aid of a close friend, he started imparting his messages to others.

The whole process of meeting and mingling with Maggidim is due to the practice of Devekut, Divine Union or Cleaving to God. Again the practice of Devekut results in prophecy, communication with Maggidim, and even in power over the laws of nature. This happens because Kabbalists, through their attempts towards spiritual perfection, return to their source, or “soul root” as it is sometimes called. The mental power and compassion of Kabbalists would then vastly expand as they become gradually more Godlike. The more this happens, the greater becomes the ability to communicate with “Celestial Intelligences.” As Kabbalists continue to utter Sacred Names of God, also employing different breathing patterns, procedures understood to be tying them to the Spirit World, they obtain a high level of prophetic ability and raise themselves into vastly expanded states of consciousness.

We should note that the practice of Devekut leads to a sacred Zivug, or coupling, a sacred sexual act between God and the soul, which is often followed by the appearance of a Maggid. In a relationship of this nature with God, incredible, spontaneous states of ecstasy occur, in which Kabbalists are flooded with a Divine influx or bliss called Shefa. This would literally turn the practitioner into a physically incarnated Divine Messenger or Maggid, and then it is believed this Kabbalist could fulfil the function of instructing others.

I should stress again that everything discussed here, and all manifestation, whether materialised outside or inside ones own being, are part of the universal “I Am.” Each one of us creates our own realities, and if the Maggidim, the “spirits” of external and internal manifestation are conversing with us, it is due to the fact that we are ready and “open” to “meaningfulness.” It all depends on the alertness, the awakeness, of the Kabbalist as to whether he/she gets the messages or not. It depends equally on whether that individual is open, receptive and expanded enough to actually get the meaning, i.e. trained enough in the practice of approaching life in terms of meanings, and finding for oneself through this the symbols of consciousness, the relevant “Inner Language” without which one would not get very far.

Life will have no meaning if you do not attempt to discover the meaning, or give it meaning if it does not have any for you. One should at least try to interpret the relevance while still on the ground, so to speak, so that when you eventually get off the surface of this mundane existence into loftier realms, all the meanings will “speak” to you. You must first build communication, a process of great importance, in which acknowledging “god-forces,” your emotions, is imperative, since those are the responses from the spirit world.

We know these “subtle intelligences” can appear beautiful or hideous, protective or menacing, depending on the thought or emotion which has given them life. We know to some extent that creation and manifested life originate in the physical and mental attributes of man himself, and if you do not know this, then it is time you start thinking about it. All life existing everywhere is created by your Self. All life, the whole universe in fact, is created by your Self. By this I do not mean the small part incarnated in the body, but the “I AM.” It is like the illustration based on the famous “Through the Looking Glass,” showing Alice standing on a checkerboard floor and staring into the “looking glass” in which she observes her own reflection as a shadow. Within this shadow she observes universes, galaxies, suns, moons and planets, but what she does not realise is that she is looking at herself. She thinks she is looking at things out there, while in reality it is all a reflection of Self.

Regarding “spirit intelligences,” I have to admit that my own relationship with them has been rather shaky. My particular “Inners,” as I like to call them, have not been a very forthcoming group, however admirable they may be in other ways. They do their job, but they do not give any prizes so to speak. They are extremely cryptic, and I do not believe they treat anyone else better than they treat me. I have certainly never had a personal hot line to God or lesser celestial authorities. About all I am told is to shut up and get on with the job. Personally I find these “Higher Orders of Life” very hard to deal with, not always particularly cooperative so far as human affairs are concerned, and not very exciting to work with. They seem to choose whether they want to work with you or not, and when these “forces” elect to work with you, they can disrupt your life quite considerably.

These “Inners” have also communicated with me in the form of “Voices,” and I have regularly woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of my own voice. Believe it or not, this is not an uncommon phenomenon, but can be rather perplexing when you suddenly find yourself speaking without having any control over it. All the same, it does not always do to be too meekly acceptant of whatever “Inner Voices” tell you. My own experience of life has led me to treat all “Voices” with extreme caution. I would not rely on them a single inch past the edge of my own judgment. Remarkable as they are, I have found they are purely concerned with the pursuit of their specific spiritual work, regardless of the humans they use as instruments to work with. So far as they are concerned, humans are expendable and disposable if need be.

Provided you listen, and then make up your mind what action you will take and do so on your own responsibility entirely, that will be fine. Never do anything purely because some “Voice” says so. Think it out for yourself, and then do what you will because you agree or disagree with what you heard. If you act blindly, without reasoning, they will ultimately let you ruin yourself. They did not save countless individuals from agonizing deaths. To them, deaths and disasters are but mere incidentals of an overall individual experience of identity through a “Line of Light” covering a lot of Cosmos. They do not see why we should mind being the subjects of their experiments with Existence, any more than we ask why animals or plants should object to our eating or experimenting with them.

If you meet their consciousness with your own on terms of mutual respect, based on acknowledgement of each other’s functions in a common Cosmic cause, you will make a good enough relationship, but the moment you accept everything the “Voices” say without question, you make trouble for yourself. Your only real protection is to become a living “Question Mark” yourself. Query everything all the time, and in the end, let the ultimate decision be yours.

You will naturally wonder why I bother at all with “Spirit Intelligences.” The reason is simply because it was in me before I was born, just as others have it in themselves for the same purpose. Call it “Fate” if you like. We came here to do specific jobs, and until we do them we shall be bound to human bodies.

Maggidim: Spirit Messengers - Part 1

I recently received a query regarding Maggidim (Spirit Messengers), and I thought the topic might be of interest to readers of this blog. As it is, I devoted an extensive chapter on this specific topic in "The Book of Self Creation," in which I also shared a technique on contacting a Maggid. This subject, so often referred to in Kabbalah, reminds me of the tenth century Rabbi Hai Gaon, the famous religious leader and mystic, who wrote: “God arranged the order of creation so that all things are bound to each other. The direction of events in the lower world depends on entities above them, as our sages teach, ‘there is no blade of grass in the world below that does not have an angel over it, striking it and telling it to grow!’

Human souls are also bound to higher levels, and therefore, when a perfect individual becomes involved in Meditation (Hitbodedut) upon Wisdom, it is possible for him to predict the future events. As a result of his deep meditation, his consciousness and mind fall into a trance, and through his deep probing of the mysteries of existence, he reaches the First Cause. The faculties of his heart then become like the Urim and Thumim, mystically bound to the angels in heaven, and he becomes attached to the Ultimate Good.” A Kabbalist can communicate with entitised awareness, whether incarnated in a physical body or not, and included here is the Maggid, which can be a departed Saint, beloved Teacher or Master, an Angel, etc.

It saddens me when modern scholarship, starting already in the nineteenth century, refers to the phenomena of Maggidim as something totally illusory, devoid of all truth, and belonging to the realm of psycho-pathology. Some even apologetically refer to it as a “regrettable weakness” on the part of the person claiming such a contact, while others, including the very religious, see the whole subject of the Maggid as a fabrication, believing it to be heresy and a disgrace.

Despite all this, it is worth noting that many famous Rabbis, Masters and scholars had a Maggid. In fact, Maggidism comprising mentor angels, spirit guides, voices, and so forth, certainly played a massive role in all mysticism, and, as one author puts it, existed in certain periods and amongst certain groups almost like an “epidemic.” So despite modern scholarship referring only to the worshipful “religious-spiritual” side of mysticism, there is no doubt that manifestations like Maggidim are a widespread and valued phenomenon.

The meaning of the word Maggid is “one who relates,” and it ordinarily refers to itinerant preachers. However, on another level, as already indicated, a Maggid is a mentor or ministering angel, spirit guide, or voice, which could in some cases appear in dream as a departed friend, teacher or master, an angel or spirit guide instructing the dreamer, who can question the Maggid. At other times it may appear while the receiver is completely conscious and awake, alone or in the company of other people. Often all present would hear the voice of the Maggid, though at times a contactee would be taken over by the Maggid as in possession, and then the “spirit messenger” would speak through his/her mouth, which is not unlike what sometimes occurs in modern Spiritualism when the medium becomes “controlled.”

Yet not always is the Maggid a spirit classifiable as Elijah, or some known friend, master or angel. The Maggid can be the personified spirit of sacred texts, that is the spirit of the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, Zohar, Tosefta, or other holy text, seen as conscious living entities, such as in the case of the sixteenth century Rabbi Shlomo Molcho where, at night time, the Mishnah descended as a personified feminine spirit, to whisper revelations into the ear of “Her” servant.

The same holds true for the sixteenth century Rabbi Joseph Karo who had a Maggid appear to him every time he recited the Mishnah by heart, who then spoke, saying: “Peace upon thee, Rabbi Joseph Karo. I am the Mishnah which thou hast studied. I came forth to teach thee understanding.” Then the Maggid would instruct the contactee regarding remarkable mysteries of life and its manifestations, and the teachings related to these mysteries, such as Kabbalistic explanations. Yet, the Maggid never appeared in visual form to Rabbi Karo, but spoke through the Rabbi’s mouth, and, as one author puts it, this is “a genuine case of well-ordered, lucid, automatic-speech,” of course still under the guidance of a Maggid, a heavenly messenger.

A Maggid could bring great visual revelations, even though it may not necessarily itself be visual. Thus the Maggid of Rabbi Karo said: “I shall grant thee to behold Elijah, for the ancient of days will be clothed in white garments and will sit facing thee and will speak unto thee as a man speaketh unto his friend and thine eye shall behold thy teacher and.....He will speak with thee and thou shalt behold him.”

The subject of Maggidism is not only related to automatic speech, but to both clairvoyance and clairaudience. More and more I think you may realise how closely this relates to normal mediumistic states and trances. A Maggidic manifestation is not only related to a spirit messenger, angel, dream figure or automatic speech, occurring during sleep, while in a trance or fully conscious, but is also related to automatic writing. Connected to the latter is the Kabbalistic Chochmat ha-Tzeruf, “Science of Permutation,” but this topic is much too large to address in any great detail in this brief post. Briefly Tzeruf is a method of mentally permuting the letters in Hebrew words as a form of profound meditation, leading to expanded sensory perceptions and ecstatic states.

"And a river went out of Eden" - Part 6

We are informed that through the Names of the four "Edenic Rivers" we can witness the wonders of El Chai, the Powerful Overlord of Life. As noted previously, the very Name of the Eternal One is in (Pishon), the name of the first of the four "Rivers." In this regard we are told that there is no disease in the world which cannot be cured by the letters of this single Name, including the alleviation of conditions like infertility; the elimination of all plagues and epidemics, whether pertaining to man or beast; etc.

Moses Zacutto advised us that there is nothing to compare with the power of the Name in question, which he said can also be employed to control the injurious impact of crawling insects on our world and ourselves. As delineated in the second part of these articles, the "secret" of is in the first four letters of this name expressing the Ineffable Name. Just as the Name Pishon includes fhe Name , so is the Name (Ehyeh) hidden in the first four letters of the Name . In like manner the "secret" of the Name is the Divine Name (Adonai), and that of the fourth "Edenic River," (Frat), is said to be its connection to the (Merkavah), the divine "Chariot Throne," which pertains to the Name (Yabok) being hidden in the Name Frat.

Be that as it may, considering the remarkable powers of the Names of the four "Edenic Rivers," we are informed that these pertain to a most potent segulah, the latter being delineated in "The Book of Sacred Names" as "a unique action or an object, often comprised of Divine Names, special signs, words or phrases, which is considered to be a most precious ‘spiritual treasure’ to be employed in a unique manner, in order to affect a physical outcome in harmony with the intention of the one who employs the segulah." In the current instance the segulah comprises the previously delineated Names of the "four Rivers," including their combinations and permutations, written in soluble ink on parchment (clean white paper will do nicely). For the sake of easy reference, here is the entire set again:

Following the writing of these combinations, the letters comprising the names are dissolved by soaking the parchment in havdalah wine, which is afterwards quaffed by the one requiring the segulah. In this regard, some stress that all the wine must be consumed to the very last drop, whilst others claim that a single drop of this wine is enough to work the full power of this segulah within ones body. Still others maintain that the Names of the four "Edenic Rivers," as well as their mentioned combinations and permutations, should be engraved on the inside of the silver cup, effectively turning the chalice into a kamea or "power object." In this manner the wine, when poured into the cup, would be potently infused with the "forces" inherent in the Names. This is considered to be equally as powerful as writing the Names on parchment and then dissolving them in the wine. There are however some disagreement about this, which include variant instructions regarding the exact amount of the "magically infused wine" one has to imbibe.

Personally I could not care less about such disparities, and have no interest in any of the affiliated bickering, my only concern being the effectiveness of the "method" employed to work the "magic," i.e. whether it achieves the sought-after objective. Notwithstanding this, I believe it would be a damn-sight easier to write the combinations of Names and their permutations on parchment, than it would be to find an individual willing to work the arduous task of engraving that mass of peculiar writing faultlessly on the inside of a silver chalice!

"And a river went out of Eden" - Part 5

Several magical uses of the four Edenic rivers still remain to be addressed, amongst which the most generally employed is their inclusion in amulets intended to aid women suffering difficulties during childbirth. For example, there is a unique magical practice which is enacted on the seventh day of the festival of Sukkot, i.e. Hoshana Rabbah (Great Hoshana). On this day it is customary to make seven hakafot (sacred circumambulations) in the synagogue, whilst carrying the Lulav and chanting Hoshanot (supplications).

For those who do not know, the term Lulav, meaning a palm branch, is used in reference to the “four species” delineated in Leviticus 23:40, which are conjoined into a special construct during Sukkot, i.e. “branches of palm trees,” a single palm branch (lulav) which forms the backbone of the contraption; “boughs of leafy trees,” traditionally three myrtle branches (hadasim) located to the right of the assemblage; and “willows of the brook,” these comprising two willow branches (aravot) positioned to the left. It is customary to carry this palm/myrtle/willow construct in the right hand, whilst holding the remaining “species” which is a “fruit of goodly trees,” traditionally a citron (etrog), in the left hand. Since the “four species” are meant to be conjoined, the two hands are held together during the waving of the lulav.

Regarding the relevant “magical practice” mentioned above, one is instructed to remove five unimpaired leaves from the willow branches after the completion the seven hakafot (circumambulations) and the conclusion of the Hoshana Rabbah prayers. One then has to write the names of the four “rivers” on these leaves, afterwards offering these to a woman who is suffering difficulties during labour, and who is said will then be giving birth forthwith.

Now, whilst this practice is all good and well for any woman about to conceive in the immediate period following Hoshana Rabbah, one might well wonder what “magical support” could be employed for the same purpose at other times when there are assuredly many women who would be enduring problematic confinements. In this regard, there is, amongst others, the following very famous “birth” kamea (amulet) from the Sefer Raziel (Amsterdam 1701 edition):

This amulet is equally employed to support a pregnant woman who encounters difficulties during childbirth. We are instructed that it should be written on a deerskin parchment, however I can attest that it works just as well when written on a sheet of clean, white paper. Afterwards the amulet is tied to the belly-button of the pregnant woman, and one has to whisper in her ear the phrase from Exodus 11:8 reading:

Transliteration:

Tze atah v’chol ha’am asher b’raglecha

Translation:

"Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee."

Besides the inclusion of the names of the four “Rivers of Eden” on its four corners, the outer circle of the kamea comprises the names of our “primordial parents” Adam and Chavah; Lilit, the mother of all demons; the names of angelic entities directly affiliated with the matter in question; certain Divine Names; as well as Psalm 91:11, these being:

Transliteration:

Adam v’Chavah chutz Lilit [Lilot (?)] chavah rishonah, Shamri’el, Chasdi’el, Sanoi, Sansanoi v’Semangelof, Kuzu B’mochsaz Kuzu

[Psalm 91:11] ki malachav yitzaveh lach lishmor’cha b’chol d’rachecha Amen, Selah.

Translation:

“Adam and Eve away(?) Lilit [Lilot (?)] the first Eve, Shamri’el, Chasdi’el, Sanoi, Sansanoi and Semangelof, Kuzu B’mochsaz Kuzu,

[Psalm 91:11] ‘For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways’ Amen, Selah.”

The biblical saga of Adam and Eve is well known, but the tale of Lilit, the first wife of Adam, whose remonstrations regarding her marital status which ultimately resulted in her becoming the “mother of all demons,” is perhaps not so well known. We are told that she is not only a sexual temptress of the first order, who, according to the Talmudic legend, lurks around for shed seed, stealing it with the intention of creating demons, in order to torture mankind, but she is also a killer of infants. Regarding the latter, the three angels Sanoi, Sansanoi and Semangelof (or Sana’ui, Sansina’ui and S’man’g’lof according to the Shorshei ha-Shemot), were sent to stop her in her tracks, and hence their names are included in amulets protecting women during childbirth, as well as in those safeguarding infants. The peculiar term (chutz), preceding the name of Lilit in the kamea, has been said to mean “away” or “outside,” however it was also suggested that the final tzadi is a transposition of the letter heh by means of the Atbash cipher. In this regard the word in question could then be perceived to be a hidden reference to (Chavah—“Eve”), and hence it is claimed “the word itself is supposed to be protective for mother and child against Lilith herself.”

The Divine Name construct (Kuzu B’mochsaz Kuzu), the “Fourteen Letter Name of God” which I addressed to a certain extent in “The Book of Sacred Names,” was formed from the letters succeeding those comprising (YHVH Eloheinu YHVH). We are told the latter Name pertains to the sphere of Mercy (Chesed or Gedulah) on the Sefirotic Tree, whereas the transposed version relates to the sphere of Severity (Gevurah), hence its inclusion as a measure of powerful protection in the “birth” amulet under discussion.

Now, focussing attention on the central hexagram of the amulet in question, and starting top right and reading around from right to left, the outer borders and corners of the hexagram comprise the “Forty-two Letter Name of God,” i.e.

Avgitatz Karastan Nagdichesh Batratztag Chakvetna Yaglefzok Shakutzit

I have addressed the "Forty-two Letter Name of God" in great detail in "The Book of Sacred Names." In turn, the centre of the hexagram is comprised of the earlier mentioned phrase from Exodus 11:8, which concludes with the statement (b’shem KVP KPV VKP VPK PKV PVK — “In the name of KVP KPV VKP VPK PKV PVK”).

We should pay some attention to the peculiar Divine Name and its permutations. In Hebrew the word (Kof) refers to an “ape,” hence the inclusion of this term as a Divine Name in this amulet must appear most odd. An acquaintance made the tongue in cheek observation that the word in question might be referring to the “little monkey” about to issue from the womb of the sorely distressed woman, however, I believe there is a lot more hidden here than meets the eye of casual observation. For one thing, the mispar katan (small gematria) of is 15 which is equal to that of , the “Digrammaton,” an important and often employed abbreviation of the Ineffable Name. Furthermore, in perusing the six permutations of the Divine Name in question, it would seem that the central idea behind them is the principle of “opening.” In this regard we might note that the combination , the concluding permutation in the set, which could be read Puk meaning “to totter” or “reel,” also indicates ideas of “producing,” as shown for example in the word (heifik) meaning “to bring out” or “produce.” Furthermore, the letter combination also appears in words pertaining the concept of “opening,” e.g. (pakach) meaning “to open,” as in opening the eyes or ears.

In my estimation these ideas relate directly to the very fundamental purpose of this amulet which was constructed to “open the womb” so as to facilitate easy birth. Curiously enough, the six permutations of are employed separately for the same purpose. In this regard, we are informed that they are to be engraved on a silver coin which the pregnant woman has to put under her tongue, whilst one whispers ten times in her ear a larger portion of Exodus 11:8 reading:

Transliteration:

V’yardu chol avadecha eileh eilai v’hishtachavu li leimor tze atah v’chol ha’am asher b’raglecha

Translation:

“And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down unto me, saying: ‘Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee’.”

This verse is said to comprise several hidden meanings. For example, the gematria of the initials of the words comprising the opening phrase are revealing associations with special Divine Names, e.g. the initials Vav and the Kaf of are said to pertain to the Ineffable Name, since the numerical value of these letters is 26, which is equal to that of . The gematria of the initials of the succeeding three words, , is 72, which is said to indicate the “Name of Seventy-two Names.” In turn, the numerical value of the initials of the words is 66, which is equal to that of with the addition of the kollel, the extra count for the word itself, and the gematria of the word is 91, which is equal to the combined numerical value of the names . We are also reminded that the numerical value of , the Divine Name employed in this instance, is 186 which is equal to that of the Divine Name , etc.

Getting back to the magical technique in question, at the conclusion of working the ritual, the coin should be sold to an individual inside a synagogue or temple, and the money employed in the purchasing of olive oil which is to be donated to that specific place of worship.

In a variant version of the foregoing techniques, we are instructed to write the six permutations of on a cube of sugar, or on a piece of kosher candy, to be consumed by the afflicted woman, whom, we are told, will then give birth forthwith.

(More to follow)