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CHAPTER XXIV.
CONCLUSION OF
THE MATTER CONCERNING MACROPROSOPUS.
494. RABBI SCHIMEON spake unto his companions,
and said: "When that veil is expanded (by which is to he understood the
representation of the beard of Macroprosopus) which ye behold above us, 1
I see that all the conformations have descended therein, and that they shine
forth in that place. (Now like as if he intended to say, AMN, Amen, the
discourse concerning Macroprosopus being finished, he describeth this
particular symbolism, which is contained in the ensuing symbols.)
495. "And a certain covering, even the
splendour of the most holy and blessed God (otherwise the opening of
holiness; but by this is understood the Tetragrammaton, which, together with
the name, ADNI, Adonai, maketh the number of the word AMN, Amen, that is 91):
is expanded through four columns on four sides (which are the four letters
of the holy name, by which he saith that space is surrounded).
496. "One column is so placed that it reacheth
from the lowest unto the highest. (This is the Kingdom of the emanations, 2
the base and lowest Part of the whole system 3
of emanation, because it is said to ascend from the lowest part of the
middle column 4 even unto the summit of
the Crown. 5)
497. "And therein is a certain MGRVPIA, 6
Megerophia, vessel containing fire (for
like as the fire an the altar could not be touched with bare hands, so that
p. 170
name, Tetragrammaton, cannot be touched and
pronounced by the mouth, but it is touched and produced by ADNI, Adonai, which
is ShM, Sham, His name; for ShM and MGRVPIA both Yield 340 by Gematria);
and in the fire-containing vessel are four keys, 1
sharp on every side (for such was the form of the keys, in order that they
might draw aside the veil, as a lock is shot back by a key. But the four
letters of the name ADNI, Adonai, are hereby to be understood, which are
inserted into and united with the four letters IHVH, in this manner, IAHDVNHI);
which seize upon that. veil, and withdraw it from the superiors.
498. "And thus in the second column 2
and the third column and the fourth column (that is, the four
letters are applied to the other four letters, as hath just been said).
499. "And between one column and another
column are contained eighteen 3 bases of columns
(here is to be understood the name expanded through the seventy-two 4
names or numbers; for either pertain unto Macroprosopus, and four times
eighteen yieldeth seventy-two): and they shine forth
with brilliancy in the openings carved out in
p. 171
THE
SCHEMAHAMPHORASCH.
I |
K |
L |
H |
H |
M |
I |
H |
L |
A |
H |
K |
A |
L |
M |
O |
S |
I |
V |
L |
A |
Q |
R |
B |
Z |
H |
A |
L |
Z |
H |
K |
L |
H |
L |
I |
L |
H |
I |
V |
M |
I |
H |
L |
O |
V |
D |
I |
Th |
A |
H |
Sh |
M |
T |
I |
V |
18 |
17 |
16 |
15 |
14 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
H |
M |
K |
L |
I |
V |
L |
A |
R |
Sh |
I |
H |
N |
Ch |
M |
I |
N |
P |
L |
N |
V |
H |
Ch |
Sh |
K |
V |
I |
A |
R |
A |
Th |
H |
L |
I |
L |
H |
V |
D |
Q |
Ch |
V |
R |
B |
M |
I |
H |
Th |
A |
H |
V |
H |
I |
K |
L |
V |
36 |
35 |
34 |
33 |
32 |
31 |
30 |
29 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
22 |
21 |
20 |
19 |
V |
N |
N |
O |
H |
D |
V |
M |
O |
O |
S |
I |
V |
M |
H |
I |
R |
Ch |
A |
I |
N |
M |
Ch |
N |
H |
I |
Sh |
R |
A |
L |
V |
I |
H |
I |
H |
O |
N |
Th |
A |
M |
Sh |
I |
V |
H |
L |
I |
L |
H |
L |
K |
H |
Z |
O |
M |
I |
54 |
53 |
52 |
51 |
50 |
49 |
48 |
47 |
46 |
45 |
44 |
43 |
42 |
41 |
40 |
39 |
38 |
37 |
H |
M |
H |
I |
R |
Ch |
A |
M |
D |
M |
O |
I |
V |
M |
H |
I |
N |
P |
M |
V |
I |
B |
A |
B |
I |
N |
M |
Ch |
N |
H |
M |
Tz |
R |
I |
M |
V |
B |
M |
I |
M |
H |
V |
O |
Q |
B |
I |
V |
H |
B |
R |
Ch |
L |
M |
I |
H |
72 |
71 |
70 |
69 |
68 |
67 |
66 |
65 |
64 |
63 |
62 |
61 |
60 |
59 |
58 |
57 |
56 |
55 |
(If to each of these triliteral names AL or IH,
El or Yah, be added, the names of 72 Angels are obtained, who rule over the 72
quinaries of the degrees of the Zodiac.)
1. Vehu; 2. Yeli; 3. Sit; 4. Aulem; 5. Mahash;
6. Lelah; 7. Aka; 8. Kahath; 9. Hezi; 10. Elad; 11. Lav; 12. Hahau; 13. Yezel;
14. Mebah; 15. Heri; 16. Haqem; 17. Lau; 18. Keli; 19. Levo; 20. Pahel; 21.
Nelak; 22. Yiai; 23. Melah; 24. Chaho; 25. Nethah; 26. Haa; 27. Yereth; 28.
Shaah; 29. Riyi; 30. Aum; 31. Lekab; 32. Vesher; 33. Yecho; 34. Lebach; 35.
Keveq; 36. Menad; 37. Ani; 38. Chaum; 39. Rehau; 40. Yeiz; 41. Hahah; 42. Mik;
43. Veval; 44. Yelah; 45. Sael; 46. Auri; 47. Aushal; 48. Miah; 49. Vaho; 50.
Doni; 51. Hachash; 52. Aumem; 53. Nena; 54. Neith; 55. Mabeh; 56 Poï; 57.
Nemem; 58. Yeil; 59. Harach; 60. Metzer; 61. Vamet; 62. Yehah; 63. Aunu; 64.
Mechi; 65: Dameb; 66. Menaq; 67. Aiau; 68. Chebo; 69. Raah; 70. Yebem; 71.
Haiai; 72. Möum.
that veil, and so on all four sides. (By the
"openings carved out" is to be understood the exposition of the name,
Tetragrammaton.)
500. "I beheld those forms which shine above
it, and await the words of our lips, that they may be crowned and raised each
in its own place.
501. "And when they are expounded by our lips,
they ascend singly and are crowned, and are disposed in that order which is
here given forth by the mouth of whosoever amongst us (happeneth to be
expounding them).
502. "And whensoever anyone amongst us openeth
his mouth, so that he may speak concerning any conformation, that form is
localized and awaiteth the voice which goeth forth from our lips, and then it
ascendeth in its place and is crowned.
503. "And all the columns on this side
and on that side rejoice (here are understood the holy living creatures,
the cherubim, which were before the columns, and the chiefs of the angelic
guards, and they are said to have come hither); because they hear that
which before they knew not. 1
And in the sound of your voices are heard the rushing of countless chariots (the
noise of the wings of the hosts of the angelic chariots of God, rushing
onwards); and they stand here around you in multitudes, awaiting the
speech of your voice.
504. "O blessed are ye in the world to come!
because all the words which go forth from your mouth are all holy, all true,
which err not, neither on the right nor yet on the left (seeing they are
the holy names of God).
p. 173
505. "God, the holy and blessed one, rejoiceth
to hear these things, and He listeneth unto these words until He himself shall
give sentence, for in the world to come all these holy words shall be
enumerated for the second time.
506. "Concerning you is it written, Cant. vii.
9: 'And the roof of thy mouth, like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth
down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.'
507. "What is this? 'Causing the lips of those
that are asleep to speak.' Because even in the world to come shall your lips
utter the words of the law before Him."
Footnotes
169:1 Again
alluding to their symbolical representation of the ten Sephiroth.
169:2
Malkuth, the tenth Sephira.
169:3 The
Sephiroth.
169:4 Or
Pillar of Mildness, consisting of the first, sixth, ninth, and tenth Sephiroth.
169:5
Kether. "Malkuth is Kether after another manner," says one of the qabalistic
axioms of Pistorius.
169:6 I
believe the beat translation of Megerophia is a "fire shovel." Knorr de
Rosenroth makes it "uncus focarius."
170:1
Quatuor claves traditæ sunt in manu Domini mundi, quas non tradidit neque ulli
Angelo, neque seraphino: clavis pluviæ: clavis suatentationis: clavis
sepulchorum: clavis sterilitatis, &c. (Zanolini: Lexicon Chaldæo-Rabbinicum,"
art. MPThCh, root PThCh.)
170:2 These
four columns also refer to the four worlds of Atziloth, Briah, Yetzirah, and
Asiah. (See Introduction.)
170:3 18 =
ChI = Life.
170:4 In
Exodus xiv. are three verses (19, 20, and 21), which each consist of 72
letters. Now, if these three verses be written at length one above another,
the first from right to left, the second from left to right. and the third
from right to left (or, as the Greeks would say. boustrophedon), they
will give 72 columns of three letters each. Then each column will be a word of
three letters, and as there are 72 columns, there will be 72 words of three
letters, each of which will be the 72 names of the Deity alluded to in the
text. And these are called the Schemahamphorasch, or the divided name. By
writing the verses all from right to left, instead of boustrophedon,
&c., there will be other sets of 72 names obtainable. (See annexed Table of
the Schemahamphorasch.)
171:1 I must
again remind the reader that Rabbi Schimeon and his companions are speaking as
symbolizing the action of the Sephiroth in the creation, and that when it is
said the angels, &c., wait for the words from their lips, it signifies
symbolically the way in which the angels, &c., were created by the word of the
Deity in his Sephirotic form. And when it is said that "they hear that which
before they knew not," it signifies the creation of forms, powers, and
attributes which at the beginning of time existed not.
Next:
Chapter XXV: The Ingress of Microprosopus.