CABBALAH

CABBALAH

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tf this tradition. Having been condemned todeath by Titus, Rabbi Simon managed to escapefrom prison, and concealed himself with his sonin a cavern for twelve years. In this subter-ranean abode, where he was visited by his dis-ciples, he discoursed on this sublime doctrine.It is from these discourses the Oabbalists main-tain that his son Rabbi Eliezer, and his secretaryRabbi Abba, as well as his disciples, compiledthe celebrated work called Sohar ("HIT) i. e.Splendour , which is the grand storehouse of Cab-balism ; and it is from this circumstance thatthe believers in this theosophy named it Cab-balah. But though Cabbalah is its classical andacknowledged appellation, it is also called SecretWisdom, (mnoi nDDn), because, as its dis-ciples maintain, the doctrines of the Cabbalahare indicated in the Scriptures by signs whichare hidden from and are unintelligible to thosewho are not initiated into its mysteries. It is alsocalled Grace (jn). This name is obtained from theinitial letters of mnD3 HDDn, Secret Wisdom.

II. The Cardinal Doctrines of the Cab-balah. —The fundamental doctrines of the Cab-balah embrace (1) the Nature of the SupremeBeing; (2) the Emanations or Sephiroth; (3)the Cosmogony; (4) the Creation of Angels andMan; (5) the Psychology; (6) the Destiny ofMan and the Universe; and (7) the Import ofthe Revealed Law. How these subjects aretreated will be seen from the following analysis.

1. The Supreme Being or the En Soph. —Godis boundless in his nature j there is nothingwithout him ; he is the space of the universecontaining the rb irav, but the universe is not hisspace. Hence he is called En Soph (SjlD =&7T€ipos), Endless , Boundless. This idea of thedivine nature, which obtained among the Jewsat a very early period, gave rise to the designa-tion of God by Makom or Hammakom (DlpD>DlpDn = d tJttos) the Place , which explains theotherwise inexplicable Septuagintal rendering of

bsntj* nx in-vi, and they saw the God ofIsrael (Ex. xxiv. 10), by /cal el$ov rbv t6ttov,and they saw the Place. As he cannot be com-prehended by the intellect, or described in wordsin this boundlessness, the En Soph is in a certainsense Ayin (j'N) = non-existent ( [Sohar , iii. 283 6).Nor can He be the direct creator of the universe,because the act of creation involves intention,desire, thought, words, and work, propertieswhich imply limit, and belong to a finite being;and because the imperfect and circumscribednature of the creation precludes the idea thatthe world was created or even designed by himwho can have no will nor produce anythingwhich is not like himself boundless and perfect.As the design, however, displayed in the me-chanism of the world plainly indicates an intel-ligent designer, the En Soph must be regardedas the creator in an indirect manner.

2. The Emanations or Ten Sephiroth. —To be-come the creator in an indirect manner, the EnSoph, or the Aged of the Aged (|>p'njn XpTlV)or the Holy Aged (Nt^Hp Kp'ny) as God is al-ternately called, sent forth from the fulness ofhis infinite light one spiritual substance or in-telligence. This first Sephira, which existed inthe En Soph from all eternity, has no less thanseven names. They are as follows:—i. TheCrown (IDD), because it occupies the highestposition, ii. The Aged (Np'HV), because it is

the oldest, or the first emanation, iii. ThePrimordial or Simple Point (HEIC^S ITTlpJrO’lE'aa rmp3), because, as the Sohar (i. 15 a)tells us, when the Concealed of the Concealedwished to reveal himself, he first made a singlepoint. The Infinite was entirely unknown, anddiffused no light, before this luminous pointviolently broke through into vision, iv. 2'heWhite Head (iTTlin XfcYH). v. The Long Face ,the Macroprosopon *pfc$) because the

whole of the ten Sephiroth represent the Pri-mordial or Heavenly Man DYN) ot

which this Sephira is the head. vi. The in-scrutable Height (r6yo on) because it is thehighest of all the Sephiroth, proceeding imme-diately from the En Soph. “ No one,” the Sohar(ii. 100 6) tells us, “can see the King.” Andvii. this Sephira is expressed in the Bible by theDivine name Ehieyeh or “ I am ” (JVriX, Ex.iii. 4), because it is absolute being, representingthe infinite as distinguished from the finite; andin the angelic order it is indicated by the celes-tial beasts of Ezekiel, called Chayoth (fYl'n).The first Sephira contained the other nine Se-phiroth, which it produced in the followingorder. From its bosom proceeded Wisdom(ilDDHl), the second, and Intelligence (HMH), thethird Sephiroth. The first of this twin, whichis a masculine or active potency, is representedby Jah (IT 1 , Is. xxvi. 4) among the Divine names,and by Ophanim (D'JDK, Wheels') among theangelic hosts; whilst the second, which is afeminine or passive potency, is called by theDivine name Jehovah (mi"P), and by the angelic

name ArSlim These two potencies,

united by the first potency form the first triadof the Sephiric decade, and constitute theDivine head of the Archetypal Man, as will beseen in the subjoined figure. The junction ofWisdom and Intelligence, its second and thirdSephiroth, respectively denominated Father(NIK) and Mother (KEN), yielded the mascu-line potency Mercy, Love, or Greatness (n^l*l3IDn), the fourth Sephira, and the femininepotency Justice or Strength (|H YPID rnilJ),the fifth Sephira. Of these two, which consti-tute the Divine arms in the Archetypal Man,

the first is represented by El (^N) among the

Divine names, and by Chashmalim (D'^Efc^n,Ezek. i. 4) among the angelic hosts, whilst the

second is called by the Divine name Eloah (rba),and by the angelic name Seraphim (D'D**^, D.vi. 7). From them emanated Beauty or Mild-ness (m«Bn), tbe sixth Sephira, which is thechest in the Archetypal Man, and is called bythe Divine name Elohim (D'H^N), and by theangelic name Shinanim (Ps. lxviii. 18). Bythe union of Love and Justice, effected throughthe medium of Beauty or Mercy, the secondtrinity of the Sephiroth is obtained. Beauty,the sixth Sephira, and the uniting principle ofthe fourth and fifth Sephiroth, beamed forth themasculine potency Firmness ()"IVJ), and thisagain produced Splendour (Y1H), which are theseventh and eighth Sephiroth, and form theDivine legs of the Archetypal Man. Firmness,the seventh Sephira, which is the right leg, iscalled by the Divine name Jehovah Sabaoth(JT)N2¥ HUY), and by the angelic name Tarshi-