The Name Shadai in Hebrew Amulets - Part 1

As can be expected, Hebrew Divine Names comprise the major portion of material addressed in "The Book of Seals and Amulets." The Name  (Shadai) is certainly considered amongst the most important in Hebrew Amulets. As noted in my "Book of Sacred Names," this Divine Name refers to the “All-sufficient Unlimited One,” and whilst there have been a lot of debate and speculation as to what this very ancient Divine Name really signifies, "it is generally accepted that it means 'Almighty'," and "some scholars conjectured that the Name was derived from Shadu, the ancient Akkadian word meaning 'mountain.' Thus the 'Almighty' would be seen to be strong, fortified, immutable....." As it is, the power of protection is associated with this Name, hence it appears as the single Divine Name engraved on the surface of small metal Kameot of all shapes and sizes. I have inspected several such Shadai amulets in the magnificent collection of Hebrew amulets housed in the Magnes Museum in Berkeley.

Be that as it may, (Shadai), or at least the capital of this Divine Name, adorns the front of every Mezuzah, an item comprised of a biblical inscription which is affixed to the doors of Jewish homes. Whilst it fulfills a religious function in our day, there are many still who, like our mediaeval ancestors, still consider it to be a protection amulet of the most potent kind. As in the case of the Monogrammaton in which a (Heh) is the single letter abbreviation of the Ineffable Name, the initial (Shin) represents the Name Shadai, and both of these Hebrew letters appear in this singular format on many ancient and modern amulets.

The letters comprising the Name (Shadai) are also sometimes arranged in the form of a letter square. In this regard, I have recently perused an amulet ring the front of which is comprised of the following Shadai square:

The Divine Name in question comprises six permutations, which can be traced on this chotam (magical seal). However, the listed format of the Shadai square is by no means standard. For example, this letter arrangement is very different from the following version presented in the famous Toldot Adam:

The six permutations of Shadai () are also at times employed in Kameot. Consider the following amulet, the intention of which is to save oneself from plagues and epidemics. The amulet comprises the following Divine Names:

This set of Divine Names were constructed from the initials of the words comprising Leviticus 26:5 reading:

Transliteration:

v'hisig lachem dayish et batzir uvatzir yasig et zara va'achaltem lach'm'chem lasova vishav'tem lavetach b'artz'chem

Translation:

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread until ye have enough, and dwell in your land safely.

The six permutations of the Name Shadai () in the earlier mentioned Divine Name construct, refer to the word (dayish—“threshing”) in the associated biblical verse, this term being itself one of the permutations of the Divine Name in question. As it is, the mentioned six permutations relate to the twelve zodiacal periods, of which I have perused two versions. In one version the zodiacal months are aligned in pairs in direct order to the six permutations of Shadai, i.e. Aries/Taurus—; Gemini/Leo— ; etc. I was taught the following order of Shadai/Zodiacal affiliations, which was said to be correct. It also agrees with related details addressed in "The Book of Sacred Names":

We are informed the Divine Names should be written on a kosher lambskin scroll together with the Shadai permutation pertaining to the month or zodiacal period in which you are constructing the amulet. It is understood that the listed Divine Names act in conjunction with the said permutation, in order to protect a home and all within it from an epidemic or plague. Afterwards it is located at the entrance of ones own or any other residence.

Should you be in any doubt regarding the correct Shadai permutation aligned with the specific period in which you might be composing this amulet, you could simply include all six permutations of the said Divine Name. In this manner, the correct one will be effective at the time, and the rest will, as it were, join the “process of empowerment” over the succeeding months, all depending on how long the amulet remains on your front door.

(More to follow)

The Ineffable Name and Situations of War

Following a recent conversation on the tragic events which recently beset the City of Boston, in which we witnessed again the dastardly deeds of mayhem and destruction intolerant religionists work on their fellow humankind, I was asked whether there are techniques in "Practical Kabbalah" which could be effectively employed in "Situations of War." As it is, Moses Zacutto delineated in his mammoth "Shorshei ha-Shemot" a practice pertaining to the magical use of the Ineffable Name, which is said would determine the outcome of a battle.

Considered the most powerful Divine Name in existence, the Ineffable Name is included in numerous amulets for a variety of purposes of both the constructive and destructive kinds. In this regard, the following magical activity may be considered a misapplication of the Tetragrammaton, yet it should be understood that this Unique Name is considered the most potent "Spiritual Force" determining the beneficial outcome of any honourable purpose, so why should it not be employed for purposes of effective resistance toagainst the military might of crazed dictators, etc.? Whilst such a defensive measure might turn out to be destructive, it could equally be enormously beneficial in the preservation of the life and limb of oneself and ones kin. Hence it should come as no surprise that the magical applications of the Ineffable Name includes the following chotam (magical seal) employed as a defense against an enemy at war:

This seal appears to be the Ineffable Name written in magical script, but I have not been able to ascertain the exact magical alphabet it might have been derived from. However, in terms of the talismanic use of this magical image, we are told it has the power to destroy the camp of the enemy in war situations.

To affect this outcome, one has to collect four fairly large stones from a dirt road or cobblestone track. On each of these stones is inscribed the magical seal conjointly with specific phrases. On the first stone is written (Exodus 15:3):

Transliteration:

YHVH ish milchamah YHVH shemo l’olam va’ed Yah Omein Omein Omein Selah Selah Selah

Translation:

YHVH is a man of war, YHVH is His Name throughout eternity Yah Amen Amen Amen Selah Selah Selah

On the second is written the portion from Isaiah 41:2 reading (yiten ke’afar charvo—“his sword maketh them as the dust”), whilst on the third is inscribed another portion of the same verse reading (K’kash nidaf kashto—“his bow as the driven stubble”), and on the fourth stone the opening phrase from Psalm 11:2 reading (Ki hineh har’sha’im yid’r’chun—“For, lo, the wicked bend the bow”).

As said, the magical seal is written on all four stones conjointly with their respectively associated biblical phrases. On the completion of this task, the stones are cast into the zone of the enemy.

Curiouser and Curiouser! cried Alice.....!

Shiviti Amulets to "Open the Heart"

Responding to a query posted on the "Concepts of Kabbalah" Yahoo egroup, I shared a unique Shiviti amulet which I thought would be of particular interest to readers of this blog. Considering the fact that the construct comprises primary kabbalistic teachings, I suppose it was quite inevitable that certain fundamental Kabbalistic doctrines regarding Divine Names should have come to be considered to embody "amuletic" virtues. In this regard we might consider the four "milui," i.e. the full spellings of the letters comprising the Ineffable Name, aligned with the "Four Worlds" concept, as featured in this Shiviti amulet for "purity of thought":

I am addressing this Shiviti Kamea, as well as another of a similar nature, in my "The Book of Seals and Amulets," and should mention that the details employed in this amulet necessitate careful consideration.

We are informed that the attainment of greater understanding necessitates "purity of thought," and that it is good to work with Kavvanah, i.e. powerful attention conjoined with willful intention. These qualities of mind are generally understood to be powerfully engendered by Shiviti plaques and amulets, which we have already noted can be large sacred wall-hangings comprised of arrangements of Divine and Angelic Names, often beautifully illuminated with a selection of artistic adornments specifically meaningful to the composer of the item.

We also noted that all constructs of this nature are named after the inscription usually located in the upper portion of the item. In this regard, we observe in the top centre of the Shiviti amulet, the four large letters comprising the Ineffable Name, (YHVH), directly below the words (l'tahar ha-machshavah—"for the purification of thought"), this being the fundamental purpose of the amulet under consideration. Conjoined with the words on either side and underneath the Ineffable Name, we read the earlier mentioned biblical phrase after which the construct is named: (Shiviti YHVH l'negdi tamid—"I have set YHVH before me always" [Psalm 16:8]).

Besides the fundamental intention of all Shiviti plaques, which is for us to daily keep our heart/mind focus on the Ineffable Name, the Kamea requires the owner to not only read, but to actually enunciate the Divine Name with the vowels indicated, i.e. chirik (ee) and patach (ah), thus sounding the Name "YiH’VaH" in the mind during the reading of the opening phrase.

This action is followed by tracing and contemplating the displayed arrangements of component letter combinations and milui ("fillings"—full spellings) of (YHVH), as well as the two Divine Names here affiliated and conjoined with the Tetragrammaton. The basic reasoning is that the different spellings of two of the three letters comprising the Ineffable Name, i.e. , are fundamental in ascertaining the "levels of expression" of the Ineffable Name, in which the letters (Heh) and (Vav) have different "fillings" (spellings).

Traditionally the letter (Heh) can be spelled (Heh-Alef), (Heh-Heh) or (Heh-Yod), and (Vav) can be spelled (Vav-Alef-Vav), (Vav-Yod-Vav) or (Vav-Vav). The three variations of spelling are termed:

Milui d’Alfin (Alef filling);
Milui d’He’in (Heh filling); and
Milui d’Yodin (Yod filling).

Applying this to the relevant letters in (YHVH), the Sacred Name can be expanded into what is traditionally termed the "Forty-Five Letter Name of God," "Fifty-Two Letter Name of God," "Sixty-Three Letter Name of God," and "Seventy-Two Letter Name of God." In fact, each of these expanded Names are understood to pertain to one of the "Four Worlds" of Kabbalah, respectively the worlds of Asiyah, Yetzirah, Bri’ah and Atzilut, as shown below:

(Yod-vav-dalet Heh-heh Vav-vav Heh-heh) comprises the "Fifty-Two Letter Name of God," and in gematria the combination , this being representative of the "Fifty-Two Letter Name of God."

(Yod-vav-dalet Heh-alef Vav-alef-vav Heh-alef) comprises the "Forty-Five Letter Name of God," which corresponds in gematria to .

(Yod-vav-dalet Heh-yod Vav-alef-vav Heh-yod) comprises the "Sixty-Three Letter Name of God," represented by the combination .

(Yod-vav-dalet Heh-yod Vav-yod-vav Heh-yod) comprises the "Seventy-Two Letter Name of God," which is related to the "Name of Seventy-Two Names." This milui of the Ineffable Name is appropriately represented by the combination .

As delineated in both my "Book of Sacred Names" and "Book of Seals and Amulets," such extended spellings of a number of Divine Names, e.g. (YHVH), (Ehyeh), (Elohim), (Adonai), etc., have been employed for both contemplative and amuletic purposes in Kabbalah.

Be that as it may, the design of the current Kamea is comprised of three basic sectors. The upper portion encompasses the earlier mentioned opening biblical phrase, below which is located three sets of full spellings of the letters of the Ineffable Name (milui d’alfin) as follows:

As clearly indicated, the full spelling in this instance is Milui d’Alfin, the expanded format of the Tetragrammaton titled the "Forty-Five Letter Name of God" or "Mah"-expansion. Contemplating the entire combination we read the full spelling of (Yod Yod-Heh Yod-Heh-Vav Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh), a format of letters comprising the Ineffable Name which is sometimes depicted:

Referring to this image as the "Tetragrammaton Tetractys," I noted in "The Book of Self Creation" that "this image was often engraved on silver triangles and worn on the body as protective amulets," and further mentioned that "the four layers of Hebrew glyphs represent the 'Four Worlds,' four principles of manifestation, and four aspects of ones being, i.e. Tzelem or Guf, Nefesh, Ru'ach and Neshamah." Hence tracing the expanded spellings of this pattern in our amulet, is said to not only align the practitioner with the universal order of the "Four Worlds," but to actually trigger within every aspect of his being the Divine Power inherent in the mentioned expansion of the Tetragrammaton. After all, the "Mah"-expansion of the Ineffable Name pertains to ones own hands—the organs of conscious action or of giving and receiving which should be governed by mindfulness.

The second and central portion of the amulet comprises the listing of three Divine Names and their unification into one great name in the following manner:

In Kabbalah these three special Divine Names are considered instrumental in the flow of Divine Abundance from Keter (Crown), the loftiest sphere on the sefirotic Tree, via Tiferet (Beauty) the central sphere, down into Malchut (Kingdom), the earthly realm of physical existence. Each of these spheres are aligned with one of the three listed Divine Names, specifically:

(Ehyeh) — Keter (Crown)

(YHVH) — Tiferet (Beauty)

(Adonai) — Malchut (Kingdom)

In seeing these three primary Divine Names and their ultimate union displayed centrally in the amulet under consideration, I am reminded of the Kabbalistic doctrine regarding the outpouring of "Divine Abundance" from its source in the Ultimate Unmanifest, and its flow into physical manifestation down the "Central Pillar" on the sefirotic Tree. In this regard, we are informed that the initial (Alef) of both the Names (Ehyeh) and (Adonai) is a reference to the "Divine Essence" of (Ain Sof) being funnelled as infinite Shefa (Abundance) into the realms of manifestation. In delineating this unique force-flow from Ehyeh via YHVH and Adonai into the whole of physical manifestation, Joseph Gikatilla wrote: "Know that the activity of the upper Name which is Ehyeh is the activity of absolute mercy, and that this is the Name that brings good and gives for free and has mercy not out of judgment but out of absolute mercy....." [Gates of Light]

Of course, as I noted elsewhere, "in the entire concept of Ain Sof (the Infinite No-Thing) pouring out Shefa (divine abundance), the basic idea is infinity without any limitation whatsoever. There is simply no underlying motive of God being obliged to pour out Shefa because of a sense of pity for that which He emanated into existence. The basic function of divine creative emanation is Chesed, an enormous loving-kindness, not for any specific reason as such, but simply for itself alone." [The Book of Sacred Names]

In this regard, I believe what is of paramount importance here is the location of the Ineffable Name, aligned as it is in this instance with Tiferet (Beauty). Again it was noted that the concept of Beauty should "not be perceived in a limited manner" since it "has something to do with things being harmoniously related together." Underlying this concept is a sense of absolute "oneness." "What I find so amazing about the way Shefa is being funneled down into manifestation is that, whilst it is being expressed in all the realms of manifestation in an infinite, ‘all-possible-possibilities’ number of ways, the 'many ways' are harmoniously related in a universal 'oneness,' and this is called 'Beauty'." [The Book of Sacred Names]

As I gaze at the three unique Divine Names listed in the centre of a Kamea created with the intention of not only clarifying (purifying) mind, but also to "open the heart" to greater understanding, I am again brought to the realisation of how our sense of "separateness" in this world have lead to the loss of our primordial recognition of the divine unity between all aspects of incarnate existence, and how, "in order to restore the flow of 'Divine Abundance,' we have to realign ourselves with the perfect unity of the 'All,' i.e. reestablish balance with the 'Beauty' and 'Loving-kindness' of the Eternal One." [The Book of Sacred Names]