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There are many different ways in which the Judaic tradition views the idea of the Name of the Divine. On one level, the Divine has no name because the Divine is that which is beyond naming. On another level, the Divine has a name but it is a name not to be spoken; this is called the Tetragrammaton or the four-letter (YHVH) name of the Divine. When this name appears in prayer or in the sacred texts another divine name (Adonai or HaShem) is spoken in its place.

On still another level, there are many names of the Divine; names which seek to comprehend the Divine by naming its attributes, qualities, and the ways in which it relates to humanity and all of creation.

There are Kabbalistic meditative practices for all of these levels of divine naming. Kabbalists have also discovered and constructed additional names of the Divine that are mystical combinations of Hebrew letters related to the Divine. These “Lettered Names” are used in advanced Kabbalistic practices to help the individual practitioner unite with the Divine (see below).

Here is a list of some of the Judaic Names of the Divine and a mystical interpretation of the divine attributes, qualities, and ways of relating they represent. It is said that the reading and speaking of these Divine names can be a powerful spiritual practice in and of itself.

Abir: Strong One.
Adonai: Guardian; Keeper.
Avinu Malkeinu: Patron; Wise Counselor.
Boreh: Creator.
Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh: I Am That I Am (Exodus 3:14).
E’in Sof: The Endless; The Infinite (Kabbalistic name of God).
El: The Source; That Which Calls; That Which Invokes.
El De’ot: Source of Knowledge (1 Samuel 2:3).
El Echad: Source of Oneness (Malachi 2:10).
El Elyon: Source Most High (Genesis 14:18).
El Emet: Source of Truth: (Psalm 31:6).
El HaGadol: Source of Greatness (Deuteronomy 10:17).
El HaGibbor: Source of Courage and Strength.
El HaKadosh: Source of Holiness (Isaiah 5:16).
El HaNe’eman: Source of Faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9).
El HaShamayim: Source of the Heavens: (Psalm 136:26).
El Olam: Source of Eternity (Genesis 21:33).
El Yeshuati: Source of Salvation (Isaiah 12:2).
El Yisrael: Source of Awakening (Psalm 68:35).
Elah Sh’maya: The Source and Calling of Heaven (Ezra 7:23).
Elah Sh’maya V’Arah: The Source and Calling of Heaven and Earth (Ezra 5:11).
Elah Yerush’lem: The Source of the Vision of Peace (Ezra 7:19).
Elah Yisrael: The Source and Calling of the Awakening Self (Ezra 5:1).
Elohay (or Elohim): Honored One; That which is to be revered.
Elohay Avraham, Elohay Yitzchak ve Elohay Ya`aqov: Honored One of the father of great multitudes, the one who brings laughter, and the one who prevails.
Elohay Kedem: Honored One of the Beginning (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Elohay Mishpat: Honored One of Justice (Isaiah 30:18).
Elohay Selichot: Honored One of Forgiveness: (Nehemiah 9:17).
Elohay Marom: Honored One of Heights: (Micah 6:6).
Elohay Mikarov: The Honored One Who Is Near (Jeremiah 23:23).
Elohay Mauzi: Honored One of Strength (Psalm 43:2).
Elohay Tehilati: Honored One of Praise (Psalm 109:1).
Elohay Yishi: Honored One of Salvation (Psalm 18:47, 25:5).
Elohay Elohim: Honored One of Calling (Deuteronomy 10:17).
Elohim (or Elohay): Honored One; That which is to be revered.
Elohim Kedoshim: Holy Honored One (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19).
Elohim Chaiyim: Living Honored One (Jeremiah 10:10).
Emet: Truth.
Elyon: The One that is Most High.
HaKaddosh, Baruch Hu: The Holy One, Blessed be.
HaShem: The Name.
Immanu El: The Source who is with us (Isaiah 7:14).
Kaddosh Israel: Holy One of the Awakening Self.
Magen Avraham: Protector of the father of great multitudes.
Makom: The Omnipresent One.
Melech ha-Melachim: Counselor of Counselors.
Ro’eh Yisrael: Guide of the Awakening Self.
Shaddai: Almighty Source of Blessing.
Shekhinah: Divine Presence.
Tzur Israel: Rock of the Awakening Self.
YHVH (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey): That Which Is and Will be; the Source and Author of Life.
YHVH-Elohim: That Which Is and Will Be Honored (Genesis 2:4).
YHVH-M’kadesh: That Which Makes Holy (Ezekiel 37:28).
YHVH-Nissi: That Which Is and Will Be Our Banner (Exodus 17:8-15).
YHVH-O’saynu: That Which Is and Always Will Be Our Maker (Psalm 95:6).
YHVH-Ra-ah: That Which Is and Will Be My Shepherd (Psalms 23:1).
YHVH-Rapha: That Which Healeth (Exodus 15:26).
YHVH-Shalom: That Which Is and Always Will Be Our Peace (Judges 6:24).
YHVH-Shammah: That Which Is and Always Will Be Present (Ezekiel 48:35).
YHVH-Tsidkenu: That Which Is the Source of Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).
YHVH Tzva’ot: That Which Brings All Things Together.
YHVH-Yireh: That Which Will Provide (Genesis 22:13, 14).

And here are some of the Kabbalistic Lettered Names of the Divine used in Judaic mystical practices. These practices include gazing at the Hebrew letters of the Name, repeating the letter sounds or the letter Names like a mantra, and meditating on the hidden patterns of meaning within and between each letter of the Name. (Note that Hebrew is read from right to left)

The Four-Letter Name:
The Tetragrammaton or the Name of that which is Nameless.

Y-H-V-H

(Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey)

The Eight-Letter Name:
The Tetragrammaton interspersed with the word Adonai.

Y-A-H-D-V-N-H-Y

(Yud-Aleph-Hey-Dalit-Vav-Nun-Hey-Yud)

The Ten-Letter Name:
Derived from the first three Sefirot of the Tree of Life; Keter (Crown), Hokhmah (Wisdom), and Binah (Understanding).

K-T-R-Ch-Kh-M-B-Y-N-H

(Kuf-Tav-Resh-Chet-Khaf-Mem-Bet-Yud-Nun-Hey)

The Forteen-Letter Name:
Derived through the transposition of letters of the phrase “Adonai Elohainu Adonai” from the Shema prayer.

Kh-V-Z-V-B-M-V-Kh-S-Z-Kh-V-Z-V

(Khaf-Vav-Zayin-Vav-Bet-Mem-Vav-Khaf-Samech-Zayin-Khaf-Vav-Zayin-Vav)

The Twenty-Two-Letter Name:
Derived from the Priestly Blessing.

A-N-K-T-S-P-S-T-S-P-S-P-S-Y-S-D-Y-V-N-S-Y-S

(Aleph-Nun-Kuf-Tav-Samech-Peh-Samech-Tav-Samech-Peh-Samech-Peh-Samech-Yud-Samech-Dalet-Yud-Vav-Nun-Samech-Yud-Samech)

The Forty-Two-Lettered Name:
Derived from the first 42 letters of the Torah.

A-B-N-Y-T-Ts-K-D-Ay-S-T-N-N-G-D-Y-Kh-S-B-T-D-Ts-T-G-Ch-K-D-T-N-Ay-Y-G-L-P-Z-K-S-K-N-Ts-Y-T

(Aleph-Bet-Nun-Yud-Tav-Tsadi-Kuf-Dalet-Ayin-Shin-Tet-Nun-Nun-Gimmel-Dalet-Yud-Khaf-Shin-Bet-Tet-Dalet-Tsadi-Tav-Gimmel-Chet-Kuf-Dalet-Tet-Nun-Ayin-Yud-Gimmel-Lamed-Peh-Zayin-Kuf-Shin-Kuf-Nun-Tsadi-Yud-Tav)

The Seventy-Two Lettered Name:
Derived from three verses in Exodus (14:19-21); each of the verses contains 72 letters, and when combined they form 72 names.

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

The Hebrew word Yisrael, or Israel, has been used in the Judaic tradition as a label for the Judaic “tribe” as a whole, and for the land that the tradition has held as sacred.

The name Yisrael was first used in Genesis 32 in the story of Jacob wrestling with a “stranger” from Heaven. In this story Jacob is at a crossroads in his life and he heads off alone in the middle of the night and ends up wrestling with a divine force in order to receive a blessing. This blessing finally was given to Jacob in the form of a new name, Yisrael.

This name has several mystical meanings that all relate to the process described in the story (Gordis, 1995). These definitions include: One who wrestles or struggles with the Divine; one who yearns for the Divine; the song of the Divine; and the Awakening Self (the Self that struggles to awaken to it’s true oneness with the Divine).

A mystical translation of this biblical story reveals the archetypal psycho-spiritual pattern of our struggle to awaken to our true Self and the Divine:

In the middle of the night Jacob arose

and sent his loved ones and all his possessions

across the river of struggles.

Jacob remained alone.

A stranger appeared and wrestled with him

until the break of day.

The stranger saw that Jacob was strong in faith

and touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh,

causing a great strain.

The stranger said:

“Let me leave for the dawn is breaking.”

Jacob told the stranger:

“I will not let go until I am blessed.”

The stranger replied:

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,

the one who strives to awaken

and know the truth of the Divine.”

Jacob asked the stranger’s name.

The stranger replied:

“Why do you seek my name?”

He then blessed Jacob.

Jacob named the place Divine Face and said:

“I have seen the Divine face to face,

and my soul has withstood it.”

The sun rose and was shinning on him

as he continued on his way.

- Genesis 32:23-32

REFERENCES

Gordis, D. (1995). God was not in the fire. New York: Scribner.

*Image: Jacob wrestling with the Angel of God

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

I have traveled through a long dark night of the soul. As I emerge from this sacred time of exploration and wonder, I am still unable to fully understand it, yet I can share that I feel as though I have traveled through the Divine Orchard that the Kabbalists speak of…

The following is my own mystical interpretation of the famous passage of the “Four Who Entered the Divine Orchard” from the Babylonian Talmud (Hagigah 14b):

Four seekers entered the Divine Orchard. The first seeker said to the others: “When you reach the stones of marble, do not speak the words: ‘water, water’…for it is said: ‘You that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before my eyes.’” The second seeker gazed and died. Of this seeker it is said: “Precious in the sight of the Divine is the transcendence of physical form.” The third seeker gazed and was stricken with Holy Madness. Of this seeker it is said: “Hast thou found the sweetness? Consume that which is sufficient, or be filled to overflowing.” And the fourth seeker cut down the shoots in renunciation. In the end, only the first seeker departed in peace.

• The first seeker sees the truth behind form, and leaves in peace.
• The second seeker gazes at the Divine and loses body, for one cannot gaze upon that which is formless without losing form.
• The third seeker gazes at the Divine and loses mind, for one cannot gaze upon that which is beyond thought without losing thought.
• The fourth seeker gazes at the Divine and loses heart, for one cannot gaze upon that which is beyond love and fear without losing all attachment.

During my journey into the orchard, I felt all four forms of seeking within me: At times I felt as though I was going to die, and at other times I felt as though I was transcending my constructs of the physical universe; At times I thought I was losing my mind, and at other times I felt a loosening of my mental constructs; At times I felt myself losing heart and faith, and at other times I felt a loosening of my emotional attachments; and throughout the process I felt a soft whispering presence holding me and showing me the way through the orchard’s maze of truth and illusion.

REFERENCES

Louis Jacobs. Jewish Mystical Testimonies. New York: Schocken Books, 1997.

Gershom Scholem. Jewish Gnosticism, Merkavah Mysticism, and Talmudic Tradition. New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1960.

Isidore Epstein. The Soncino Press Babylonian Talmud: Ta’anith/Megillah/Hagigah. Brooklyn, NY: The Soncino Press, 2001.

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

“Darkness covered the face of the deep.”
- Genesis 1:2

Before there was light, the EIN SOF withdrew itself (Zimzum) from one place and created a void. This void made a space for the EIN SOF OR, Eternal Light, to enter. This void was the darkness that covered the face of the deep.

Before there could be light, there needed to be darkness through which it could shine and penetrate. This is the foundation for the dualistic nature of the world of creation, out of which all other dualities unfold…light and dark, earth and sky, masculine and feminine, yin and yang, and love and fear.

This darkness is not just the absence of light, it is the boundary between form and formlessness, and it is also the spiritual darkness that descends upon us as we struggle to touch the light of the Divine.

I have experienced this spiritual darkness many times. I am immersed in a spiritual darkness at this very moment. This darkness has lasted a long time and began after writing my last entry about the Eternal Light. The writing of the entry and several other processes in my life and spiritual practice converged and I experienced an extended experience of “light” which was then followed by a descent into darkness.

Through my experiences of light and darkness I have come to realize that after a period of closeness or nearness to the Divine light, I often experience a period of disconnection or desolation in which I seem to loose touch with the Divine, and the light and love of the Divine appears to be replaced by an experience darkness (or a Dark Night of the Soul). This darkness is like a cloud of unknowing that surrounds me and fills my being.

For years I perceived these dark times as a withdrawal of the Divine presence, but I have learned that from the Kabbalistic perspective, one can actually perceive this darkness as a sign of a greater nearness to the Divine. From this perspective, as we approach the Divine through intent and practice, we move through many layers of body, mind and spirit until we reach the light, then we enter that dark void between the light and the EIN SOF, which is actually the closest we can be to the Divine without giving up our physical form.

Now that I hold these times of darkness as times of nearness to the Divine, my entire experience of the dark times is very different. I surrender into the unknowingness and feel a sense of grace and blessing. I become aware that there are forces beyond my perception moving deep within, unearthing and dissolving the barriers I have between myself and the Divine. In this way darkness covers the face of the deep within me and reveals the hidden Divine face.

“I will come to you in a cloud of thick darkness,
that you may come near to me
and hear when I speak with you…”
- Exodus 19:9

“Clouds and darkness surround the Divine Presence”
- Psalm 97:2

“The Divine Presence makes darkness Its hiding place”
-Psalms 189:12

*Image: Divine Cloud over Mt. Sinai

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

After Endlessness (EIN SOF) withdrew itself (Zimzum) from one place and the void appeared, the EIN SOF OR, the Eternal Light, surrounded the void.

With the appearance of the Light, the universe expanded, then the Eternal Light contracted and entered the void and poured its radiance into the center of the void. The center could not contain the Light and it shattered, and the light separated into tiny sparks or particles of light, which radiated outward in undulating waves of vibration. The light became concealed within these undulating waves which then unfolded into different forms and different worlds.

This concealed light is the light of the whole spectrum of vibratory substance from cosmic rays to visible light to audible sound to the vibrating molecules of matter. Theoretical Physicist David Bohm considered light to be the entire electromagnetic spectrum and beyond it as well. He saw light as more than just energy, but as the potential and foundation of literally everything that exists, enfolding the whole material universe. (1)

(2)

Hidden in all these vibratory forms are the sparks of the Eternal Light continuously emerging out of and dissolving back into the great cosmic void, like the sea of photons that continuously arise out of and dissolve back into the quantum void at the heart of every atom within every form and substance of the universe. The ancient texts of sacred wisdom and the electron microscopes of science seem to be revealing the same underlying truth, that at the heart of everything is a great void and out of this great void comes light and out of this light comes all that exists and all that exists is just vibrating waves of being. (3)

(4)

With the appearance of the light, the universe expanded.
With the concealment of the light,
the things that exist were created in all their variety.
This is the secret of the act of creation.
One who understands this will understand everything. (5)

The light is said to be hidden in Torah, in the human soul,
and in sparks of light that fill and animate the entire world. (6)

This Inner Light is born within us at birth
and it is the stuff that we are made of,
and so it is said we are “Children of Light.”
There is also an Encircling Light that we create
as we perform acts of loving-kindness. (7)

(8)

Since the eternal light is the closest visible form to the Divine Endlessness, there was always a light burning in the Holy Temple of the Children of Israel, and to this day every Judaic House of Worship has a continuously burning “Eternal Light” (Ner Tamid) in its sanctuary. This eternal light burning in the sanctuary is there to remind us of the EIN SOF OR, the Eternal Light within every aspect of creation, arising out of the Divine void in waves and waves of vibrations continuously unfolding and enfolding into and out of existence.

My earliest childhood memory is of a haunting mystical experience of this vibrating reality that I had when I was in first grade. One morning, as I was getting ready to go to school, I experienced a deep sense of panic at the thought of returning to the ridicule and laughter I was receiving from my fellow classmates because of my stutter. Walking down the block with the other kids, the dread became unbearable. I turned the corner and slipped behind some tall bushes. As I watched the other kids going to school, I started to calm down. After a while, the street was empty. I slowly got up, turned down our back alley, and walked back to my house. I snuck into the garage, took my bicycle, and rode off feeling the urgency of escape. After riding through the neighborhood for a while, I turned down an alley and suddenly stopped.

Autumn leaves swirled around the cracked pavement of the alley, being blown in spiraling waves by the strong Chicago winds. White billowing clouds swiftly rolled across the bright blue sky above, and the electric power lines gently hummed around me. In an instant all my pains and fears vanished, and I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder. Somehow I felt the power and beauty of nature washing over me and cleansing me. I sensed a presence of something vast and deep and unknown around me and within me. A feeling of safety and peace filled me, and I stood there for what seemed like hours. Now, after all these years I finally understand that I was bathing in the light of creation in all its vibrating forms, and this bathing awakened the light within me, producing a “lightness” of being.

This brief glimpse of the great vibrating waves of existence has lived in my memory every since, lighting my way toward my return to a state of remembering the light that is me, that is everything, that is eternal.

(9)

Let’s close our eyes
and see the light shining within
Let’s listen
to the sounds of light streaming around us
Let’s sing out
vibrations of light and love
Let’s touch
the surface of things
and sense the vibrating reality beneath
Oh great mystery of light
light in the sky
light in my eyes
light in my cells
lightness in my being
Oh great mystery of light
eternal
shinning
glowing
vibrating
waving
sparking
igniting
blinding
concealing
and
ultimately
revealing

NOTES:

(1) David Bohm (In Friedman, 1990, p. 292).

(2) Image of the wave patterns produced as an electron passes through the mass of a crystal, revealing its underlying wave reality. Note the striking similarity between this image and the Kabbalistic Creation Mandala in the previous entry (Endlessness).

(3) The relationship between modern physics and spirituality is part of an emerging debate between science and spirit. There are many different views and belief’s within this debate, and the concepts I am presenting here represent one of many perspectives within this ongoing dialogue between these two spheres of knowledge. My reference to “the electron microscopes of science” is meant as a metaphor, since there are many different instruments and methods used by scientists to observe and explore the quantum universe.

(4) Image of the sun’s ultraviolet level of light.

(5) Shim’on Lavi (In Matt, 1995, p. 91).

(6) Rabbi Arthur Green (1992, p.154).

(7) Adapted from Dr. Philip S. Berg (1981, p.24).

(8) Kabbalistic image representing the Encircling Light.

(9) Image of the sun’s x-ray level of light.

REFERENCES:

Dr. Philip S. Berg. Kabbalah for the Layman. Jerusalem, Israel: Research Centre of Kabbalah, 1981.

Norman Friedman. Bridging Science and Spirit. St. Louis, MO: Living Lake Books, 1990.

Rabbi Arthur Green. Seek My Face, Speak My Name. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1992.

Daniel C. Matt. The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1995.

*Title Image: Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

In Kabbalah the furthest reaches of our concept of the Divine is represented by the EIN SOF.

EIN SOF means “Without End” or “Endlessness.” It is that which is beyond all things, it is the no-thing-ness out of which all things continually arise and dissolve back into; it is the quantum void or zero point field at the heart of every particle of matter, out of which all matter continually arises and dissolves back into; it is the giant black holes in the furthest reaches of the universe, continually giving birth to planets and stars and then swallowing them up again.

EIN SOF is also that which precedes thought (machshavah) and even the nothingness (ayin) out of which thought arises. (Cooper, p.67)

EIN SOF is the totality of all that is and all that is not; it is all being and all non-being; it is nothing and it is everything. It is the Divine void out of which all creation continuously arises and into which all creation ultimately returns.

Meditation on the EIN SOF is the practice of transcending our mental, emotional and perceptual boundaries and returning to the Source of Creation, the endlessness that is at the heart of our essential nature. (Fisdel, p.96)

Meditation on Nothingness

1. Sit in a comfortable upright position and relax;
2. Focus on the breath for a few moments;
3. Then bring your awareness to your pulse, listening for its beat in your body;
4. Then bring your awareness to any sensations in your body and be present to them without trying to judge or change them;
5. Then bring your awareness to any feelings you are holding and be present to them without trying to judge or change them;
6. Then bring your awareness to your thoughts and be present to them without trying to judge or change them;
7.  Then bring your awareness to the space between your thoughts and imagine the space expanding into silence;
8. Enter into the silence, the emptiness, the nothingness;
9. Sense your being-ness beyond thought, feeling and perception. Sense your nearness to the Divine. Sense the nothingness deep within you;
10. Be with the nothingness for as long as you can;
11. When you are ready to return, bring your awareness back to your thoughts, then to your feelings, then to any physical sensations, then to your pulse, then to your breath;
12. Take four slow deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.

EIN SOF Mantra and Mandala Meditation

1. Sit in a comfortable upright position;
2. Take four slow deep breaths;
3. Focus your eyes on the center point of the EIN SOF Mandala above;
4. Take slow gentle breaths while silently repeating EIN (eye’n) on the exhalations and SOF (so’f) on the inhalations;
5. After ten breaths and silent EIN SOF repetitions, close your eyes and focus on the after image of the mandala, continuing the silent repetitions until the after image fades into nothingness;
6. Be with the nothingness for as long as you can;
7. When you are ready to return, bring your awareness back to your breath and take four slow deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.

REFERENCES

Rabbi David A. Cooper. God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism. New York: Riverhead Books, 1997.

Rabbi Steven A. Fisdel. The Practice of Kabbalah: Meditation in Judaism. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1996.

Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi (Warren Kenton). Kabbalah: Tradition of Hidden Knowledge. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1979.

* EIN EIN SOF Creation Mandala

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

The following is a version of the creation cosmology of Kabbalah, which I have compiled from several different Judaic mystical sources. It is an exploration of one level of the hidden mystical story buried under the traditional biblical story of creation. In creating this piece I endeavored to create a general summary of Kabbalistic creation cosmology and an overview of the elements of Kabbalah and their relationship to each other and the related surface story elements found in the Genesis story. These elements will be explored in more depth in upcoming KabbalahBlog entries.

Before the Beginning, there was, is, and always will be EIN SOF, the Divine field of eternal formlessness. (1)

Within the EIN SOF, a yearning arose, a yearning for ‘Face to gaze upon Face;’ EIN SOF wished to behold itself, so it withdrew itself (Zimzum) from one place. A void appeared “…in which the mirror of existence could be manifested.” (2)

EIN SOF OR, Eternal Light, surrounded the void and emanated into it, manifesting ten distinct qualities or energies (the Ten Sefirot), in seven phases (the Seven Days of Creation), through the vibration of ten utterances (the Ten Sayings of Creation), along twenty-two paths of resonance (the Twenty-two Letters of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet). (3)

During the sixth phase of emanation (the Sixth Day of Creation), the Divine emanation unfolded into the Four Worlds of Emanation (Azilut), Creation (Beriah), Formation (Yetzirah), and Manifestation (Assiyah), with the ten energies (Sefirot) unfolding in each world, creating the cosmic Tree of Life, the pathway of Divine emanation through all the worlds. (4)

A Living Being (Human Being) was created and formed in the image of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life lived within the Being and mirrored the Tree of Life in all The Four Worlds; with the ten energies (Sefirot) of Intention (Keter), Wisdom (Chokhmah), Understanding (Binah), Compassion (Chesed), Strength (Gevurah), Beauty (Tiferet), Endurance (Netzakh), Glory (Hod), Creativity (Yesod), and Nobility (Malkut), unfolding in four levels of being: Spirit, Mind, Emotion, and Matter. (5)

Within the Human Being, the ten energies (Sefirot) emanated around the Three Pillars of Energy, Balance, and Containment. (6)

The Human Being entered a state of unconsciousness and the two outermost pillars of energy and containment differentiated into masculine and feminine energies. Thus the Human Being entered a realm of duality and began its journey of experiential learning and growth through the world of love and fear, and toward the return pathways back up the Tree of Life, where one day, the Human Being would return to it’s source, the EIN SOF, and look upon it, Beloved to Beloved, Oneness to Oneness, and finally, Face will gaze upon Face. (7)

NOTES

(1) EIN SOF is also transliterated as AYIN SOF and can be translated as: Without End; Absolute All. It is the title of the Divine that is formless and eternal, beyond space and time.

(2) Halevi, 1979; Zinzum is also translated as contraction.

(3) It is also said that when the Eternal Light penetrated the void, it filled it to the point of shattering its boundaries, fragmenting the light into a sea of endless sparks, which then gave birth to all matter and form (This is the Kabbalah version of the Big Bang!). It is said that every act of kindness returns one of those sparks to the Source, and hence is an act of repairing the world (Tikkun Olam); the Ten Sayings of Creation are the ten Divine utterances found in the first chapter of Genesis, beginning with “Let there be Light.”

(4) The arrangement of the 10 Sefirot and the Four Worlds varies among different schools of Kabbalah, and is depicted as either a single tree of ten Sefirot whose elements are divided into four levels or worlds, or a tree of ten Sefirot existing for each of the four worlds, or a combination of the two. This version uses the combination theory, holding that the four worlds exist within each of the four World Trees (Halevi, 1979).

(5) Each of the Ten Sefirot holds many layers of meaning and has been translated various ways by different schools of Kabbalah. The mystical cosmology depicted in this text uses the idea that the meaning of each Sefirah shifts as they enter each of the Four Worlds; the Sefirot depicted in this section represent the Divine attributes that manifest within us. The traditional translation of the ten Sefirot corresponds to the Tree of Life within the first world of Azilut (Emanation): Crown (Keter), Wisdom (Chokhmah), Understanding (Binah), Mercy (Chesed), Justice (Gevurah), Beauty (Tiferet), Victory (Netzakh), Glory (Hod), Foundation (Yesod), and Kingdom (Malkut) or Divine Presence (Shekhinah).

(6) The pattern of the Tree of Life can be seen as a lightening flash zigzagging down, and back and forth between three pillars or energetic principles. These energetic principles can be seen as the interplay between the energies of expansion, balance and contraction. The ten Seferot are laid out as intersection points between emanating Divine energies and these three principles or vertical pillars. In descending order, Keter, Tiferet, Yesod, and Malkut exist on the central pillar of balance, and the Sefirot pairs of Chokhmah and Binah, Chesed and Gevurah, and Netzakh and Hod exist within the side pillars of expansion and contraction. (More detail will be given in the upcoming entry on the Sefirot.

(7) The journey through the world of duality, represented by the Tree of Knowledge of Love and Fear in the creation story, is a necessary learning process to enable us to return to the EIN SOF, our source, and become a mirror for its eternal light and love.

REFERENCES

Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi (Warren Kenton). Kabbalah: Tradition of Hidden Knowledge. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1979.

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. Meditation and Kabbalah. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1982.

Daniel C. Matt. The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1995.

*Image: Kabbalistic Cosmological Map/Mandala of the process of creation.

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

The following is my own mystical translation of the first few sections of the book of Genesis (Bereshit). It is just one of many possible ways of translating this sacred text. I have used both traditional and mystical Judaic sources in the translation of this material in an attempt to capture the transformative qualities of spirit inherent in the original Hebrew text, while retaining the traditional narrative structure. These transformative and mystical qualities include a transcendent quality of time (no past or future tense) and a strict resistance to the naming of or the anthropomorphization of the Divine. I have also sought the deeper meaning of the text by translating proper names into their essential meanings. For example, the Hebrew word for Eden means delight, so the Garden of Eden is thus translated into the Garden of Delight. Additionally, I have attempted to filter out the gender, cultural and egoic biases present in some of the previous interpretations of the text.

In the beginning there was Spirit. The earth was empty and without form. Darkness covered the face of the deep. Then Spirit moved over the waters. And the Word was given: “Let there be light…” And there was light. The light was separated from the darkness. The light was called day and the darkness was called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
- Genesis 1:1-5

And the Word was given: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, dividing upper from lower.” The firmament was called sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
- Genesis 1:6-8

And the Word was given: “Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered together, so that dry land may be seen.” The dry land was called earth, the gathered waters were called ocean. And the Word was given: “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and trees bearing fruit with their seed within.” And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed and trees bearing fruit with their seed within. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
- Genesis 1:9-13

And the Word was given: “Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the sky to separate day from night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, the days and the years. Let them be luminaries in the sky to give light to the earth.” And the stars and the two great luminaries were made: The greater one to rule the day, the lesser one to rule the night. They were set in the dome of the sky to give light to the earth, to hold sway over day and night, and to separate the light from the dark. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
- Genesis 1:14-19

And the word was given: “Let the oceans team with living creatures. Let the birds fly above the earth, across the dome of heaven.” And the great sea creatures were created, and every kind of living creature that teems in the waters, and every kind of winged bird that graces the sky. And a blessing was given: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the sea; and let birds abound on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
- Genesis 1:20-23

And the Word was given: “Let the earth bring forth every species of living creature: Animals, reptiles and wild beasts.” And the various species of animals, both wild and tame, and all that creeps upon the ground were created. And the Word was given: “Let a Human Being be made in the Divine image and likeness, and let them be custodians of the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the animals, over all that creeps upon the ground, and over the whole earth.” And human beings, male and female, were created in the Divine image, in the very image of the Source of Life.
- Genesis 1:24-28

And the Source of Life blessed them and the word was given them: “You shall be fruitful and multiply. You will fill the earth and govern it. You will be custodians over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and every creature on earth. You have been given every seed-bearing plant and tree on the face of the earth as your food. All the animals of the field, every bird of the sky, and everything that walks the land, that has in it a living soul, have been given every green plant as their food. All of creation witnessed itself and beheld that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
- Genesis 1:29-31

Heaven and earth were completed. With the seventh day, the work of creation was finished. All work ceased on the seventh day. The Source of Life blessed the seventh day and declared it to be holy, for it was on this day that the work of creation ceased and the being-ness of creation was set to unfold.
- Genesis 2:1-3

On the day the human being was created a mist rose up from the earth and watered the entire surface. The human being was formed out of the dust of the ground. The breath of life was breathed into the being and thus it became a living creature. Eden, the Garden of Delight, was planted in the east and there the human being was placed. Every tree that is pleasant to look upon and good to eat from grew out of the ground, including the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Love and Fear.
- Genesis 2:4-9

A river flowed out of the Well of Delight to water the Garden. From there it divided and became four major rivers. The first river is the River of Change (Pishon) and surrounds the entire Land of Bringing Forth (Havilah) where gold, sapphires and precious stones are to be found. The second river is the River of the Valley of Grace (Gihon), which surrounds the Land of Blackness (Cush). The third river is the River of Strength (Tigris), which flows to the east of the Land of Happiness (Assyria). The fourth river is the River That Makes Fruitful (Euphrates).
- Genesis 2:10-14

The human being was taken and placed in the Garden of Delight to work it and watch over it. The human being was told, “You may eat from every tree of the garden. But from the Tree of Knowledge of Love and Fear, you must not eat, for from the moment you eat it, you will know death.”
- Genesis 2:15-17

The word was given: “It is not good for the human being to be alone. A compatible helper must be found.” Every wild beast and every bird of Heaven had been formed out of the ground. They now were brought forth to be named by the human being. Whatever the human being called each living thing would remain its name. The human being named every livestock animal and bird of the sky, as well as all the wild beasts. A compatible helper was not found.
- Genesis 2:18-20

The human being fell into a deep state of unconsciousness and began to sleep. One of the human beings sides was taken and flesh closed in to take its place. The two sides were formed into Man and Woman. The man and woman said to each other, “Now we are bone from our bone and flesh from our flesh. We shall be called man and woman because we are part of the other. We shall be each others home and be united and become one flesh.” The man and woman stood naked before each other without judgment.
- Genesis 2:21-25

The Serpent of Sorcery was the cleverest of all the wild beasts that were created. The serpent asked the woman, “Is it true that you may not eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman replied, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden. But the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden we may not eat or even touch for it would bring death.”
- Genesis 3:1-3

The serpent said to the woman, “You will certainly not die! In reality, on the day you eat from the tree, your eyes will be opened, and you will have great powers, knowing both love and fear.”
- Genesis 3:4-5

The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and desirable to the eyes, and that the tree was attractive as a means to gain knowledge. She took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to the man, and he ate. The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves garments to cover their loins.
- Genesis 3:6-7

They heard the Voice of the Source of Life moving through the Garden on the wind of the day. The man and woman hid themselves from the Source of Life among the trees of the Garden. The Voice called to the man and woman and said, “Where are you?”
- Genesis 3:8-9

“We heard Your Voice in the Garden,” replied the man and woman, “and we were afraid because we felt naked, so we hid.” The Voice asked, “Where did you get the idea of nakedness? Did you eat from the tree of knowledge of love and fear?” The man replied, “The woman that is a part of me gave me what I ate from the tree.” The Voice said to the woman, “What is this that has been done?” The woman replied, “I was seduced by the serpent of sorcery and I ate.”
- Genesis 3:10-13

The Voice said to the serpent, “Because of the eating of the fruit of knowledge, you will feel cursed more than all the livestock and all the wild beasts. On your belly you shall crawl, and illusion you shall eat, all the days of your life. Fear and hatred has been planted between you and woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. They will strike you in the head, and you will strike at their heals.
- Genesis 3:14-15

To the woman it was said, “The knowledge of love and fear will greatly increase your suffering and your pregnancy. It will be with anguish that you will give birth to children and you will be dominated by your passions.”
- Genesis 3:16

To the man it was said, “The knowledge of love and fear will cause the ground to be hardened beneath you. You will derive food from it with anguish all the days of your life. It will bring forth thorns and thistles to confound and bewilder you; and you will eat the grass of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken. You have become dust, and to dust you shall return.”
- Genesis 3:17-19

The man was named Adam, because he was now of the earth and of blood. The woman was named Eve, because she had become the mother of all life. The Source of Life made shrouds of skin for Adam and Eve and clothed them.
- Genesis 3:20-21

Now that the human being had tasted the knowledge of love and fear, they could not remain in the Garden of Delight and taste the Tree of Eternal Life. The knowledge of love and fear drove them out of the Garden of Delight, to work the ground from which they had come. The veil of life and death arose at the east of the Garden, along with the revolving sword of creation and destruction, concealing the path of the Tree of Eternal Life.
- Genesis 3:22-24

REFERENCES

Hitchcock, R. D. (1874). Hitchcock’s bible names dictionary. New York: A. J. Johnson.

Kaplan, A. (1981). The living Torah: The five books of Moses and the Haftarot. Hew York: Maznaim Publishing.

Mitchell, S. (1996). Genesis: A new translation of the classic biblical stories. New York: HarperCollins.

*Image: The Three Trees by Robin Sinclair…The Tree of Knowledge; The Tree of Life; The Tree of the Human Family (Adam & Eve)

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

As I began my journey into the world of mystical Judaism I discovered Kabbalistic exegesis, the mystical interpretation of text. I learned that every Hebrew word has many different possible meanings: Every word is connected to a root word with numerous variations; each Hebrew letter has a numerical value that when added up gives every Hebrew word a numerical value, and every Hebrew word is connected with all the Hebrew words that have its same numerical value; and in most of Judaism’s sacred texts the original Hebrew words are written without vowels, leaving the past, present or future tense open for interpretation.

Every Hebrew letter, every sound, every combination of letter and sound holds a key to the cosmic code of creation, and in Kabbalah, it is the seeking out and embodiment of this code that enables one to become a vehicle for receiving the Divine presence.

The Kabbalist can be seen as a kind of cosmic secret agent; like the CIA agent who looks at a newspaper story and finds his next assignment hidden within the text of the story, the Kabbalist hunts for the secrets of the Divine by looking beneath the surface of the sacred texts of Judaism and deep within every aspect of creation. Hidden beneath every word, letter and sound, every rock and tree, every thought, emotion, and action, is a hidden DNA; a cosmic DNA holding the keys to the wisdom and the presence of the Divine. Just as every single piece of biological DNA holds a map of the whole organism it is a part of, every piece of cosmic DNA holds the whole of the universe and all of heaven within it. Like the spiraling strands of biological DNA, the cosmic DNA is a spiraling ladder, a ladder between earth and Heaven; it is Jacob’s Ladder; it is the Tree of Life itself, hidden within us and all around us.

So as I began my hunt for the cosmic DNA within the words of the Torah, I discovered that the first three Hebrew words of Genesis (Bereshet), “Bereshet Bara Elohiem,” can literally be read as: “In beginning create God.” Then I learned that all the Hebrew words for God are not really names of God, but are actually references to aspects of the nature of the Divine. In Judaism, the Divine Name can not be spoken because it is beyond naming. So Elohiem actually refers to that aspect of the Divine that creates. As I delved deeper into these three words, exploring their letters, sounds, and hidden codes, these three simple words became a vast well of wisdom.

There is a story about an old Rabbi who was revered for his wisdom of Torah. A young man sought out his wisdom and asked him what the essence of the Torah was? The Rabbi laughed and told the young man that he had no idea because he was still studying the first three words…

Bereshet Bara Elohiem
In the beginning God created
In beginning create God
In beginning create the Source of Creation
In beginning to create call upon the Source of all Creation

Bereshet Bara Elohiem
In beginning this Blogging adventure I call upon the Source of all Creation to bless this journey…

Here is a simple mantra meditation derived from this mystical word code. This meditation can be used before beginning any endeavor to assist you in opening to receive the Divine flow of creation.

A Receiving Mantra…

1. In beginning, Inhale slowly and deeply, feeling your breath moving into your body; Exhale slowly, sounding out the Hebrew word BERESHET (pronounced Bah_ray_sheet).

2. Inhale slowly and deeply, listening to the sound of your breath moving into your body; Exhale slowly, sounding out the Hebrew word BARA (pronounced Bah_rah).

3. Inhale slowly and deeply, imagining the breath of the Divine entering through the top of your head and moving through your entire body; Exhale slowly, sounding out the Hebrew word ELOHIEM (pronounced El_oh_heem).

4. Inhale slowly and deeply, imagining that your body is an empty vessel being filled with Divine breath; Exhale slowly through your mouth allowing your outgoing breath to create a whispering sound. Listen to the sound of the breath until it vanishes into silence.

Allow your breathing to return to normal and be with the silence within you for a few moments.

Then begin your endeavor…

*Image: Rendering of the big bang.

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com

The Hebrew word Kabbalah means “receive.” Kabbalah as a mystical practice is about transforming ourselves into receptive vessels, vessels for receiving Divine wisdom in its varied forms… the “speaking silence,” the “small still voice,” the experience of union with the Divine Presence.

I was born and raised Jewish, then left the faith for many years, journeying through the landscape of other traditions. I finally returned to my religion of origin following the death of my mother when I began to explore the Judaic rituals for grieving the loss of a loved one. That year I entered into the depths of sorrow and the mysteries of Kabbalah. I began to receive information from an inner source that guided me in my sacred studies and through a process of psycho-spiritual healing. My practice has grown into an integral spirituality with mystical Judaism as my core tradition. The journey of striving to become a receptive vessel for Divine guidance has become the central goal in my life.

*Originally published on KabbalahBlog hosted by Enlightenment.com