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THE SEPHER HA-ZOHAR OR THE BOOK OF LIGHT |
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CHAPTER 71. THE GILGAL OR REVOLUTION ANIMARUM. "Observe when the Holy One shall raise the dead he will form bodies for them similar to what they were incarnated in during their earthly existence, whether they lived in a foreign country or in the Holy Land; for in every body there exists a mysterious bone, like unto a seed hidden in the earth, and by it the body will be formed anew at the day of resurrection. It will be to it, what leaven is to bread and by it the Holy One will reconstitute the whole body, but only those who are raised again out of the Holy land, as it is written, 'Prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, behold oh my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel' (Ez. XXXVII. 12). At the time of the resurrection their bodies reformed and renewed will revolve under the earth and appear in the Holy Land in order that they may be incarnated again by their souls, scripture states, "And I will put my spirit in you and ye shall live and I shall place you in your own land." Thus will all bodies be reanimated by their souls, excepting those who have defiled themselves and corrupted the earth by the sin of self-pollution, for of them is written as of the antediluvians, 'They were destroyed from off the face of the earth.' Though amongst the doctors and sages of ancient times there have been great disputes and differences of opinion respecting the exact meaning of the word va-imahou (and they were destroyed or effaced from), yet by its use, it is certain that scripture teaches such sinners shall never rise again, the elements composing their lower selves being dissolved 69a and consumed in the primal fire out of which they were first evolved, equivalent to being effaced and blotted out of the book of life."Ps. 69:28 Rabbi Simeon, in replying to these observations of Rabbi Abba, said: "It is certain that the antediluvians will have no part in the life to come, as it is written of them, 'they were destroyed from the earth'; this word here signifying the future life, as in the words 'they shall inherit the earth forever' (Is. LX. 21). And even if they do appear at the judgment day, it is written of them, 'and many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and punishment' (Dan. XII. 2). The difference of opinion that exists arises from the question whether or not the unjust will ever rise again in the judgment day. On all points the initiates of the Secret Doctrine are in perfect accord." Said Rabbi Abba: "The word 'ath' preceding 'col hayqoun' (every living substance) includes in the deluge also the celestial chiefs and rulers under whose jurisdiction the earth was placed at that time, for when the Holy One punishes mankind he first chastises their spiritual rulers and then those over whom they ruled, as it is written, 'In that day shall the Lord punish the host of the high ones that are on high, the kings of the earth upon the earth' (Is. XXIV. 21). But how can these angel chiefs be destroyed? Are they consumed in the primordial fire, as is written, 'For the Lord they God is a consuming fire and by that element, angel rulers are destroyed as those under their rule were destroyed by water, and thus it was that every living substance upon the ground was exterminated therefrom; that is, the cattle and creeping things and the fowl of the heaven, all were destroyed from the earth and Noah only remained along with those in the ark." Said Rabbi Jose: "Even Noah himself did not wholly escape injury, for it has been said that he was crippled by the bite of a lion. 'And God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the cattle with him in the ark.'" Said Rabbi Hiya: "A prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself' (Prov. XXII. 3). These words refer to Noah who entered the ark and hid himself therein, seeing the oncoming of the waters and the destroying angel." Said Rabbi Jose: "They refer to the man who when death rages in the world hideth himself and goes not forth that he may not be seen by the destroying angel who has then the power of afflicting and destroying whom he beholds, and so in the second part of this verse it is added, 'but the simple pass on and are punished.' By the word along (abron) scripture teaches that the simple pass along before the exterminating angle and suffer. This word also signifies to transgress, and we are taught the simple break the commands of their lord and consequently are punished, My second part of the verse is also applied to the contemporaries of Noah who if he had not hid himself in the ark would have perished along with them in the waters of the flood, but was saved by his obedience to the divine commands, and therefore it came to pass, as it is written, 'and God remembered Noah.'" Said Rabbi Simeon: Whilst divine judgments operate in the world, the word zacar (remember) is never found used in scripture only after punishment and judgments have been accomplished and the world has been broken and the destroying angel reigns rampant, and not until he has executed his mission, does the world revert to its normal state, and therefore it is written, 'and God remembered Noah.' The word remember is here applied to Noah as being a just and perfect man. It is written, 'Thou rulest the raging of the sea, when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them' (Ps. LXXXIX. 9). When the waves of the sea arise mountains high and its depths are upheaved, the Holy One unseen sends forth his word by which the angry billows are assuaged and the fury of the waters is restrained and calmed. Jonah was cast into the tempestuous sea and a fish was prepared to swallow him. How was it he continued to exist and retain consciousness? It was because the Holy One rules and governs the powers of evil that proceed from his left and excite and cause storms and tempests. When however the good powers come forth from his right and, descending upon the waters, meet those from the left, then the billows rage as beasts hungering after prey. Then it is that the Holy One stilleth them and causes them to return to their place. Another interpretation of the word 'stillest,' (the-shabhem) giving the literal sense is, 'thou praisest them,' because the tempestuous billows are a manifestation of the desire on the part of the evil forces, to come into contact, and union with the good ones proceeding from the right, and hence we infer from this passage of scripture that a man is worthy of praise when, desirous of the knowledge of divine mysteries, he engages and addicts himself to the study of them. He is worthy of commendation even if, through lack of intellectual and natural abilities, success does not crown his endeavours. Said Rabbi Jehuda, whilst in the ark, Noah became apprehensive lest the Holy One had forgotten him, but after the judgment on the antediluvians was completed and they had been swept off the face of the earth, then is it written, 'And God remembered Noah.'" Said Rabbi Eleazar: "Observe, when the world was undergoing punishment, it was better for man that his name should not be mentioned before the presence of the Holy One on high, as then his sins and misdeeds would have been remembered and given rise to examination into them. What ground have we for making such a statement? From the case of the Shunamite woman. It was on New Year's day, when God sits and judges the world, that Elisha was staying in her69b house. And he said unto her wishest thou that I should speak unto the king for thee, that is, the Holy One who called a King, the King of righteousness, the Holy King.2 Kings 4:13 And she said, I dwell amongst mine own people; meaning, I wish not to be remembered or spoken of to the Holy One save as one and along with those with whom I live, so that our deeds and acts may not be judged and examined separately but collectively together. This she said because when the actions of a whole people are adjudicated upon, those of an individual are less remarked and manifest and therefore avoid censure and disapprobation. Observe, that whilst judgment was being executed on the world, there was no remembrance of Noah. When however it was accomplished, then the Lord remembered him. Another interpretation of these words is, they have one and the same meaning as the words 'I have remembered my covenant'" (Ex. VI. 5). CHAPTER 73. "WHAT TWO RABBIS LEARNED FROM A YOUTH." SAID Rabbi Hezekiah to Rabbi Jose, whom he met when69b travelling from Cappadocia to Hyda and who had expressed surprise at his journeying alone and without any companion with whom to converse, contrary to the usual custom: "I am accompanied by a youth whom I expect to join me presently." Said Rabbi Jose: "I am still more astonished to find you travelling with a youth who must be wholly unable to converse with you on matters relating to the secret doctrine. To do so, as you are aware is not discreet nor prudent." "What thou sayest is quite true, replied Rabbi Hezekiah." At that moment the youth joined them. Said Rabbi Jose: "Where residest thou, my child?" He replied, at Hyda. This learned man informed me he was traveling thither and it afforded me great pleasure to accompany him thither. Then Rabbi Jose asked the question: Hast thou any knowledge of the secret doctrine and its teachings?" "What I know, replied the youth, I have learned from my father, who taught me the meaning of sacrifices, and I have often listened attentively to lessons he gave to my brother." Then said Rabbi Jose: "Impart to us what thou hast heard and the knowledge thou hast acquired." The youth spoke and said: "It is written, 'and Noah built an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered them a burnt offering on the altar (Gen. VIII. 20). The altar here mentioned was that on which Adam himself had formerly sacrificed. But why offered he a burnt offering instead of a sacrifice? Because it is that a burnt offering is offered only as expiation of sins committed in thought. This was the case with Noah, for he had said within himself, the Holy One having executed judgment on the world and exterminated all mankind, saving myself, from off the earth, I fear he has forgotten me, so that I shall perish with no hope of reward in the world to come. In imagining this, Noah sinned and therefore in expiation, as soon as he came forth out of the ark, he built an altar and offered a burnt offering unto the Lord. Why did he build it when that whereon Adam had sacrificed yet existed? The reply is that by the action of the deluge everything had been destroyed or overthrown, it was necessary for Noah to rerear it again. It is stated he offered burnt offerings (oloth), which word though in the singular70a is pronounced in the plural; the mystical reason of which is this. It is written, 'The burnt offering or sacrifice is a woman, a female (asheh), a sweet savour unto the Lord' (Lev. I. 17). Now an animal offered as a burnt offering must always be a male, as it is written, 'Let him offer male without blemish' (Lev. I. 17), and also, 'He shall bring a male without blemish.' Wherefore does scripture state, the burnt offering is a female (asheh) which literally designates offerings to be consumed by fire which if this was the true meaning, the word should have been written ash without the final H. The fact is, a burnt offering has for its object the union of the male with the female principle, between which there should never be any separation, and though the word asheh is translated 'consumed' yet, according to tradition, it has a mystical meaning not generally known. It was necessary for Noah to offer up a burnt offering as he represented the male principle which the Holy One joined and united with the ark, a symbol of the female. The offering Noah made was therefore a symbol of this union of these two principles, and this is the reason why the burnt offering (olah) is called asheh (female). Scripture further states, 'And the Lord smelled a sweet savour,' and Asheh is also called so. Respecting this 'asheh' we have been taught that the smoke and flame are so united and conjoined that the one is never without the other; as it is written, 'and Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire' (Ex. XIX. 18). Observe that fire, being an element of rare subtlety, is in itself invisible like heat to the naked eye and continues so until, its vibrations becoming increased and intensified, it comes forth from the body or substance in which it lies concealed and then manifests itself. When this occurs, its existence is only detected and recognized by smoke proceeding from the body in which it lies latent, as breath exhaled from the nostrils is indicative of the fire latent in the body; and so scripture states, 'They shall put incense in thy nostrils' (Deuter XXXIII. 10), because fire returns to its place of origin and the nostrils sensing its odour give rise to thoughts, feelings and70a desires, becoming, as it is written, 'A sweet savour, 'nihoah,' a something that allays wrath, calms anger and restores peace; and when the fire and smoke are unified, joy becomes universal, the fire appears with greater brilliancy, and God smells a 'sweet savour' as though he breathed in and absorbed all into himself. As the youth ceased speaking, Rabbi Jose embraced him and said: "What a treasury of knowledge thou possessest, and we knew it not. We will return and go with you further." And so they journeyed together. Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "May the Schekina go with us, for we have enjoyed the privilege of acquiring knowledge of mysteries, of which we were wholly ignorant." Taking then the youth by the hand they entreated him to recite verses and texts of scripture, the interpretation of which he had learned from his father. Yielding to their request the youth said: "It is written, 'He shall kiss me with the kisses of his mouth' (Cant. I. 2). These words refer to the heavenly desire that cometh not from the fire of the nostrils but from the mouth, for when the lips meet and touch, love is engendered and felt as a fire enlightening the face, whilst the eyes become suffused with joy and delight; and, therefore, it is further added, 'for thy love is better than wine,' meaning the wine which makes the heart pulsate with joy and the features glow with delight and the eyes of those who drink thereof to glisten with rapture, altogether different from the intoxicant that excites quarrels, sours the visage, making it appear dull and heavy. The wine spoken of in this verse is good. It brightens the countenance, brings a mystic light into the eves, excites love and desire and fills the hearts of all who drink it with feelings of inexpressible joy and ecstasy and is symbolized by the libations of the words, 'thy love is better than wine.' For, according to the aphorism, 'As above, so below,' there is a joint conformity between the two worlds, when desire is excited in the one, so is it in the other. They may be compared to two lighted candles, when that above is extinguished, the flame of that below mounting up in the smoke of the burnt offering enkindles it again." Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "It is truly so, for the two worlds are blended and dependent the one on the other, and it was owing to the disharmony between them when the temple at Jerusalem was destroyed that blessings from heaven have not descended and prevailed throughout the world." Said Rabbi Jose: "Because the source of all blessings is dried up, maledictions and afflictions are so widely rampant and Israel no longer dwells on the earth discharging duties necessary to keep the candles burning and so obtain and enjoy those heavenly benedictions, from the lack of which the earth no longer exists in her primal and normal state of peace and happiness." Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "It is written, 'And the Lord70b said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake' (Gen. VIII. 21). What do these words mean?" Said Rabbi Jose: "I have heard Rabbi Simeon say, 'When fire from heaven is intense and comes into contact with matter, it produces a thick smoke that is exceedingly harmful to the world; and the more its heat falls on mankind the more injurious it is to them, on account of the smoke sent forth by which they are suffocated and destroyed. But, when it is moderate and not in excess, it is no longer a destructive agent.' The meaning of the words to asiph (will not again) is, 'I will not augment the heat that I send unto the world below and which on coming into contact with the matter of the earth gives rise to smoke that is deleterious and destructive to life.'" The youth again spoke and said: "I have heard that when God said unto Adam, 'Cursed is the ground for thy sake,' the evil spirit then obtained power to rule over the earth and also to destroy and afflict mankind dwelling thereon. But from the day that Noah offered a burnt offering and the Holy One smelled 'a sweet savour,' the earth became endowed with the power of freeing itself from the yoke of the serpent and of purifying itself from the infection with which it was tainted; and for this reason it is that Israelites offer burnt offerings to the Holy One, in order to enlighten the face of the earth." Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "That is true, but the earth did not become wholly purified until the Israelites arrived and stood at the foot of Mount Sinai." Said Rabbi Jose: "The Holy One diminished the light of the moon and gave the serpent power to rule over the earth because of the sin of Adam, through which all creatures on it became cursed and remained so, up to the sacrifice offered by Noah. The moon, however, still retains its horned limbs, except when sacrifices were offered up, and Israel became an inhabitant of the earth." Said Rabbi Jose to the youth: "What is your name?" He replied: "Abba (father)." "May you," said Rabbi Jose, "become a father in everything--in wisdom as in years--and may it be said of thee, 'Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice'" (Prov. XXIII. 25). Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "The Holy One is arranging and planning to drive the death angel out of the world, for70b it is written, 'And I will cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the world,' (Zach. XIII. 2) 'and death also shall be swallowed up forever, and the Lord God shall wipe away tears from all eyes and take away from the earth the shame of his people, for the Lord hath spoken it.'Is. 25:8 The day will surely dawn when the Holy One will cause the moon to shine as the sun and, though at present bedimmed by the serpent and shorn of its radiancy, it shall regain its former light, as saith the scripture, 'And the light of the moon shall be like that of the sun, and the light of the sun sevenfold as the light of seven days' (Is. XXX. 26). That is, as the light which the Holy One hid at the conclusion of the seven days of creation for the enjoyment of the righteous." "And God blessed Noah and his sons and said, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth."Gen 9:1 SAID Rabbi Abba: "'The blessing of the Lord maketh70a-71b rich' (Prov. X. 22). The blessing of the Lord is the Schekina who rules over the blessings that come to mankind, To the words of this verse in scripture is added, 'And he added no sorrow with it.' Now the term atzeb (sorrow) is here used because it alludes to the mystery expressed in the words, 'cursed be the ground for thy sake, in sorrow (beitzabon) shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.' The utzeb here designates that sense of the divine wrath and displeasure that causes the face of man to lose all traits of joy and to become pallid with fear and alarm. In addressing these words to Adam God wished to say that henceforth man would not partake of spiritual food and nourishment freed from and unsurrounded by evil spirits, whose object would be to prevent his reception of heavenly and divine benedictions pure and unalloyed with sorrow and regret. This is why scripture states that he, the Divine Being, will not add (yosiph) sorrow (atzeb) with his blessings, thus expressing the same mystery as in the words, 'I will not again (aseph) curse the ground for man's sake.' Scripture further states, 'And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth on the earth and upon all the fishes of the sea,' meaning, 'From this day henceforth you shall be endowed with a human form, of which man by his wickedness had become divided.' After Adam's transgression, the human countenance became so changed that it lost all resemblance of Alhim in whose image he had been created, so that man, instead of inspiring animals with fear of him, lived in fear of them. As they gazed upon him before his fall, they recognized the marks of his divine origin and stood in awe before him, but, after the loss of his innocency, they regarded him only as a creature like unto themselves. Observe that all men living the higher and divine life and observing obediently the commandments of their Lord, exhibit in their countenances the imprint of the divine, before which all creatures on beholding it tremble and fear. But immediately that men begin to transgress the good law it fades and becomes obscured, that animals are no longer restrained through fear of attacking them. The world after the deluge became renewed and purified, and God in blessing men restored to them the lost power of ruling over the animal creation and over the fish of the sea, as it is written, 'And upon all the fishes of the sea into your hand are they delivered' (Gen. IX. 2)." Said Rabbi Hiya: "These words signify that the Holy One, as at the creation of man, said unto him, Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth' (Gen. I. 28), so at the reinstoration of mankind after the deluge endowed him again with the power of ruling over all animals and living creatures." CHAPTER 75. COMPARISON BETWEEN ADAM AND THE POSTDILUVIANS. It is written, "And the Lord came down to see71a, 75a the city and the tower which the children of men builded" (Gen. XI. 8). This is one of the ten manifestations and descents of the Schekina in the world. If it be asked what need was there for descending on this occasion, seeing that the erection of the city must have been well known on high? we reply, it was to pass and execute judgment upon the presumption of these Postdiluvians. The word "liroth" (to see) is sometimes taken in this sense as in the words, "The Lord look upon you and judge" (Ex. V. 20). The esoteric meaning of the words "to see the city and the tower" is this. It was not with the object of seeing them but the men who were engaged in their erection. When the Holy One is about to execute judgments upon men for their evil deeds, he begins with those who are first and foremost in wrongdoing, and afterwards, turns attention to their ignorant and misguided75a-75b followers. But why are these builders of Babel here mentioned and referred to not as men, but as the children of Adam? It was because they acted similarly to our first ancestor who revolted against his Lord and caused death to enter into the world. Even so did they denounce allegiance to the rule of the Lord and by their audacious and presumptuous project thought to scale the heights and invade the domain of heaven itself. CHAPTER 76. RABBI SIMEON ON THE CLOSING OF THE SANCTUARY. Said Rabbi Simeon: "We read, thus saith the Lord God. The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east, (quadim), shall be shut the six working days, but on the Sabbath, it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened' (Ez. XLVI. 1.). These words have a hidden meaning which should be made known, in order to comprehend and better understand the true signification of what has formed the subject of our discussion. In the first place, let us inquire why it was enjoined that the sanctuary should be closed during the six working days and opened only the Sabbath and the first of the month? It was in order to guard against the entry of the profane, so that they might not abuse what was sacred and holy, and therefore the gate of the sanctuary was opened only on the Sabbath and the day of the new moon when its light became blended with that of the sun. Observe that during the six working days, the lower world seeks to obtain and draw nourishment from the higher world. It is also during these days that the accuser or spirit of evil, save in the land of Israel, is rampant in the world. At the time of the sabbath and new moon, he is compelled to withdraw his presence and recede into his own dark realm as long as the gate of the sanctuary remains open. Then is it the world rejoices on being freed from the power and influence of the evil one. If it be asked: Is he the only one that rules and operates during the week days? we reply, that before the elementals begin their work in the world, the Holy One beholds and looks down upon it, but only during the sabbath and the time of new moon does he provide for its sustenance that comes through the sanctuary, all of whose gates are then opened and peace prevails in both worlds. Remark that it is said, 'and the Lord came down to see (liroth) the city. . . .'75b that is, divesting himself of a part of his glory, he manifested himself in a visible form in order that, after viewing the city and tower they were building, he might confound their audacious plans and disperse them throughout the world." CHAPTER 77. THE OBJECT OF BUILDING THE TOWER OF BABEL. Whilst sitting one day in the presence of Rabbi Simeon, this question was asked by Rabbi Isaac: "What impelled these Postdiluvians to be so foolish as to revolt against the Holy One, and how did they become actuated with the idea of building a tower whose top should reach unto heaven?" Said Rabbi Simeon: "We learn from tradition that by the words, 'and it came to pass as they journeyed from the east' (miquidem) scripture informs us that they quitted the highlands for the plains, the land of Israel, in order to fix their habitation in Babel. 'Here,' said they, 'we can live and dwell, come let us make to ourselves a name, or in other words, let us worship and adore the god of this world, and by so doing acquire and enjoy his favor and help; so that when catastrophes and calamities occur, we shall have here a sure refuge and means of escape from their baneful and destructive effects. Here is abundance of food, and we may reap plentiful harvests which in the past have cost us so great toil and labor. Nay, more, let us make a tower reaching up to heaven, so that we may mount and wage war in the domain of the Premier himself, and thus prevent him from again overwhelming and destroying mankind with a deluge, as in the past.' It is written, 'And the Lord said the people is one and they have all one language and this they begin to do, and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do' (Gen. XI. 6). The meaning of which words this is. In the celestial world when all its spheres are harmonious, power is the result. So is it in the world of mankind when all minds become imbued and swayed by unity of thought and feeling. Whatever enterprise or project is undertaken, it is bound to succeed and be accomplished whether its object be good or evil. To nullify their impious intention and purpose of waging war against it was essential that this unity of design should be broken and their plans be thwarted and, therefore, as stated, 'The Lord scattered these builders of Babel and dispersed them abroad upon the face75b-76a of the earth. And that they might be compelled to cease the building of their city, he confounded their language so that they were unable to understand each other's thoughts and respond to them. Before this the holy language was universally spoken. CHAPTER 78. THE PRIMEVAL LANGUAGE AND THE BOOK OF ADAM. "Its chief characteristic was, it enabled everyone to express himself clearly and unmistakably in terms exactly corresponding to his thoughts, wishes and intentions, otherwise they were not understood and comprehended by the heavenly powers. Thus it came to pass that, by confusion of their speech, their power resulting from union of will and purpose was destroyed and nullified. Note that words of the holy language are understood by celestial beings who, when hearing them are impelled to assist and help those who utter them, otherwise they pay no heed or regard to them. This now occurred to the builders of Babel who, on ceasing to speak the holy tongue, lost power and ability to carry out and execute their design and therefore left off building the city. It is written, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his' (Dan. II. 20), for they come from and are only with God.' Man being naturally too weak and powerless to possess, has corrupted the divine wisdom which the Holy One imparted and made known to the world and also using it for selfish ends and purposes and presuming on the knowledge of it, has dared to rebel and revolt against their lord. This secret hidden wisdom was revealed at first and imparted to Adam who by it became instructed in its secret doctrine respecting the celestial spheres and their guarding angels. Though endowed with all this profound knowledge, he allowed himself to be influenced and deceived by the tempter so that the fount of this divine wisdom and treasury of knowledge became closed to him. After his repentance, it was again opened to him, but only partially so. In the book that bears his name, he has transmitted this divine wisdom to his successors who, after acquiring a knowledge of it, provoked the wrath of the Holy One against them by their abuse of it for selfish purposes. Its mysteries were taught by the Holy One to Noah who at first did the will of God, but alas! as scripture records of him, he drank of the wine, that is, of the secret wisdom, and was drunken and lay uncovered within his tent, a full explanation of which words we have already given. Afterwards it was imparted to Abraham who in the service of the Lord used it with great advantage to himself, but he begat Ishmael, who vexed the Holy One. So also was it with Isaac who begat Esau.76a Jacob married two sisters. To Moses was this secret wisdom imparted; and of him it is written, 'Who is faithful in all mine house' (Num. XII. 7), for he manifested his faithfulness in that he never ceased making it the great study of his life. King Solomon became entrusted with it; and of him it is written, 'The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel,' and also the prophetic visions of a man who had God with him and was thus able to do all things. Said Solomon himself, since God is with me and hath given this wisdom unto me, whatever seemeth good unto me, I can do. But of him scripture relates, 'And the Lord raised up the adversary unto Solomon' (I. Kings XI. 14). Observe, it was owing to their abuse of true wisdom that the builders of Babel foolishly and rashly revolted against the Holy One, and after striving to execute their evil project became scattered over the face of the earth and lost entirely all knowledge of the mysteries of the secret wisdom. The time will, however, come, when it will be revealed and made known to the world by the Holy One, and he will then become the sole object of man's worship and adoration, as it is written, 'And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them' (Ez. XXXVI. 27); or in other words, I will not impart my wisdom to man as aforetime that so they might avoid falling, but slowly and gradually they may learn it by meditation, and thus by assimilation walk uprightly and keep my commandments." CHAPTER 79. ON WORDS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOUND. Rabbi Jose and Rabbi Hiya whilst going together on a journey began conversing on the secret doctrine. The chief subject of their discourse were the words, "For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee, therefore shall thy camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away p. 329 76a from thee" (Deuter. XXIII. 10).Deut. 23:14 Why is the word mithalekh (walketh) here used instead of 'mihalekh'? Said Rabbi Jose: "These words have the same signification as 'And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking (mithhalekh) in the garden in the cool of the day' (Gen. III. 8). In them is expressed the mystery of the tree of whose fruit Adam ate. 'Mithhalekh' denotes the female and 'mihalekh' the male. It was the same divine Being which marched or walked before the children of Israel whilst travelling through the wilderness; as it is written, 'And the Lord went before them by day . . .' (Ex. XIII. 21), and is the same divine Schekina that walketh before a man when he goeth forth, as scripture states, 'The Just One shall go before him and shall set him in the way of his steps' (Ps. LXXXV. 13) in order to deliver him from all peril and from all his enemies. That this may be so, it is essential that a man keep himself pure and his camp holy; by which is implied bodily purity, as through it, his body, he is influenced and tempted by the world and the Evil One. It is further added, 'that there be no unclean thing (ervath dabar) in thee'; which, literally translated, signifies foul words and obscene language. By this expression scripture teaches us that not only should we preserve our bodies pure, but also see to it that our words and speech be clean and free from obscenity, which, of all things, is an abomination to the Holy One. And therefore scripture warns us, 'lest he turn away from thee,' for the Schekina abides not with a man of unclean lips." Ere ceasing to speak, Rabbi Jose said: "Since we are journeying together, let our discourse be on subjects relative to the secret doctrine so that the Holy Spirit of truth may be and abide with us." Said Rabbi Hiya: "It is written, 'And the Lord said, behold! the people is one and they have all one language, and this they begin to do--and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do!' Previous to these words it is said, 'And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east' (miqqedem); meaning their defection from the worship and service of the Premier of the world, 'they found a plain or valley in the land of Shinar.' Wherefore is the term 'found' here used instead of 'they came to'? The esoteric explanation is, they found the Book of Hidden Wisdom that had once been in the possession of the Antediluvians, and by a prolonged study had acquired a thorough knowledge76b of its many and deep mysteries, so that they became emboldened to rise in revolt against the Holy One, imagining that by the pronunciation of certain mystic and occult sounds, words and verses, success would attend them and crown their mad enterprise. But note what is written, 'The people are one and they have all one language; that is, they were one in mind and thought and spoke one, the holy, language. Perceiving this, the Lord knew well that nothing could hinder or prevent them from realising their object, except by confounding their speech and thus rendering them insensible to the vibrating tones of mystic words and phrases they had learned from the Book of Adam. And so they became disunited and scattered over the face of the earth. Had this not occurred their union of will and purpose, together with the knowledge they had acquired of manipulating the occult forces of nature, would have empowered them to achieve and accomplish their bold project, as it is written 'Nothing would have restrained them from doing what they imagined to do'. Had they been obedient and made themselves amenable to the good law, and applied their knowledge for the development of the divine life within them and the subjugation of their lower natures, the history of mankind instead of being a record of moral retrogression and spiritual declension, would have been a chronicle of progress and ascension in the path of light that is now only to be found through suffering and crucifixion of self. The world, instead of being as at present, an Inferno, would long ago have become an Elysium. Its children would have become all sons of light, living together in unity, with one faith, one hope, one God, the Father of light, the All and in All, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning or change." Said Rabbi Jose: "From the account of these builders of Babel, we conclude that union is strength, for as long as they were of one heart and mind, not even divine justice could have prevented them from accomplishing their purpose, and which was only frustrated because, as it is written, 'And the Lord scattered them upon the face of the earth.'" Said Rabbi Hiya: "From this account of Babel and its builders we also learn something of the great power and might of words or speech, that on the external manifestations of thought and mind, without which there could have been no creation; for, as it is written, 'by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made.' The science of words and sounds since the dispersion of mankind is a lost science, but not irretrievably so. In the ages to come it will be recovered, and heaven and earth, men and angels joined in unity and living in harmony, nations, kindreds and tribes of man now scattered abroad throughout the world, will again be one people and have all one language and the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. The holy language, lost and forgotten, will be spoken again in all its purity, and the prophecy in scripture become realised. 'For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent' (Zeph. III. 9) 'And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name76b One' (Zech. XIV. 9). Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever. Amen."End of Parsha Noah CHAPTER 80. SECTION LEKH LEKHA OR THE CALL OF ABRAM. NOW the Lord said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy76b-77a country and from thy kindred, and from they father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee'." (Gen. XII, 1.)Start of Lekh Lekha, Gen. 12:1-12:27 At a meeting of Rabbi Simeon's students, for meditation on the esoteric meaning of this passage in scripture, Rabbi Abba said: "It is written, 'Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousness.' (Is. XLVI. 12.) By the phrase 'stout-hearted' is meant those hardened souls who, though acquainted with and having some knowledge of the secret doctrine, yet manifest no inclination nor desire to adapt their lives to its teachings and principles and walk in accordance with the precepts of the good law, and are therefore said to be 'far from righteousness'." Said Rabbi Hezekiah: "The meaning of these words is, that they are altogether void of the divine life and so do not enjoy inward peace of conscience, as it is written, 'There is no peace unto the wicked.' (Is. XLV III. 22.) Observe, it was Abraham's desire to live the higher life, and to him may he justly applied the words, "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore Alhim, thy Alhim, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.' (Ps. XLI. 8.) For this reason it is further written, 'Thou, seed of Abraham, my friend.' (Is. XLI. 8.) Wherefore does the Holy One style Abraham 'my friends?' It was because he loved righteousness, for of all who lived in his day and generation he alone was faithful, upright and obedient to the divine law." Said Rabbi Jose: "It is written, 'How amiable are thy tabernacles; oh Lord of Hosts.' (Ps. LVIII. 1.)Ps. 84:1 How incumbent upon us it is to study the works of the Holy One, for our knowledge of them is only small and limited. Men know not upon what the world is founded and how it is sustained and upheld. Still less do they know anything of its creation or the composition of fire and water that, blending together, become solidified under the action of the Holy Spirit, which,77a-77b when it is withdrawn, they revert back to chaos, and attraction between their individual atoms then ceases, as it is written, 'It is he who shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble.' (Job IX. 6.) Everything in the universe is founded on and governed by law, and so long as there are students found engaged in its study, so will the world endure. Observe at the hour of midnight when the Holy One enters the garden of Eden on high, to converse with the righteous, all the trees of it rejoice and chant forth praises to the glory of his name, as it is written, 'Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judge the earth.' (Chron. XVI. 33.) When is heard a great voice from on high saying, 'Who hath ears, let him hear, who hath eyes let him behold, and who hath a heart to understand, let him listen and attend to the words and teachings of the spirits of all spirits respecting the tour quarters of parts of the world.'
"Woe unto those who sleep, who know not, and do not desire to learn what will happen them when in the presence of the great judge they will have to account for their deeds. When the body is defiled, the soul departing out of it flees to the pure atmosphere on high and goes hither and thither,77b but the gates of heaven remain unopened to it. Like chaff by the wind, or a stone from out a sling so it becomes cast about. Woe unto those who care nought for and live indifferent to the joys on high that are the recompense of the just, for they fall into the power of Duma and descend into a hell out of which they will never again come forth. It is of them scripture saith, 'As a cloud that is consumed and vanished away, so is he who goeth down into Sheol. He shall come up no more.' (Job VII. 9.) "As the voice ceased uttering these words a light flashed forth from the north, illumining the whole world and falling on the wings of the cock caused it to crow at midnight. At that time no one rises from his couch save those lovers of truth whose chief delight is in the study of the secret doctrine. Then the Holy One, surrounded by souls of the just made perfect, in the garden of Eden listens and attends to the voices of truth-seekers, as it is written, 'Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice; cause one to hear'." (Cant. VIII. 13.)
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