target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#ulink_eb16b457-99c7-5709-982c-a949dc5a5f24">2 Wiinsche, whom we have followed, evidently refers to the prayer called Kaddish, for which see my article s. v. in McClintock and Strong, vol. XII. A very interesting article on "Judische Seelenmesse und Totenanrufung" is given by Dalman in Saat auf Hoffnung (Leipsic, 1890), pp. 169-225.
3 Orelli in his article "Zauberei" in Realencyklopadie fur protest. Theologie und Kirche, vol. XXI, 1908, p„ 618, remarks : "The Jewish Cabala has promoted the magic degeneration of the religion• to a great extent it furnished profound expressions and formulas for the exercise of superstitious arts."
4 "Lord of the name" = θεοῦργος, a man who by words of conjuration and other formulas knows how to exercise a power over the visible and invisible world.
5 Compare Kahana, Rabbi Israel Baal Schem-Tob, sein Lcben, kabbalistisches System und VVirken, Sitomir, 1900.
6 Compare Perl, Megalleh temirin, or Die enthullten Geheimnisse der Chassidim, Lemberg, 1879; Ch. Bogratschoff, Entstehung, Entwicklung und Prinsipien des Chassidismus, Berlin, 1908.
7 See my article s. v. in McClintock arid Strong.
8 These and some other treatises of the same kind are collected by Pistorius in a collection entitled Artis cabbalisticae scriptores, Basel, 1587.
9 These three parts are Englished by Mathers.
10 Buddeus in Iiitroductio in Historiam Philosopliiae Hebraeorum (Halle 1702) calls Knorr von Rosenroth's work "confusum et obscurum opus, in quo necessaria cum non necessariis utilia cum inutilibus, confusa sunt, et in unam velut chaos conjecta." Knorr von Rosenroth has also written a number of hymns.
11 "Compare also Bischoff, Die Kabbalah, p. 26.
12 Compare Joel, Die Religionsphilosophie des Sohar, Leipsic, 1849, pp. 240 ff.—The Zoharic passages referring to the Trinity are given in the original with a German translation in Ansziige ans dent Buche Sohar (by Tholuck; revised by Biesenthal), Berlin, 1857; 4th ed., 1876; also by Pauli, The Great Mystery; or How Can Three Be One, London, 1863.
13 A collection of the passages referring to the atoning work of the Messiah is given in Ausziige aus dem Buche Sohar, pp. 35 f., more especially in Wiinsche, Die Leiden des Messias, Leipsic, 1870, pp. 95-105; and by Dalman, "Das Kommen des Messias nach dem Sohar" (in Saat auf Hoffnung), Leipsic, 1888, pp. 148-160.
14 In his Jesaja 53, das Prophetenwort von Siihnlcidcn des Heilandes unit besonderer Berucksichtigung dcr synagogalen Literatar, Leipsic, 1890.
15 The author of Die Kabbalah. Einfuhrung in die jiidische Mystik und Geheimwissenschaft, Leipsic, 1903.
Sefer Yetzirah
(W.W. Westcot)
CHAPTER I
1. In two and thirty most occult and wonderful paths of wisdom did JAH the Lord of Hosts engrave his name: God of the armies of Israel, ever-living God, merciful and gracious, sublime, dwelling on high, who inhabiteth eternity. He created this universe by the three Sepharim, Number, Writing, and Speech.
2. Ten are the numbers, as are the Sephiroth, and twenty-two the letters, these are the Foundation of all things. Of these letters, three are mothers, seven are double, and twelve are simple.
3. The ten numbers formed from nothing are the Decad: these are seen in the fingers of the hands, five on one, five on the other, and over them is the Covenant by voice spiritual, and the rite of Circumcision, corporeal (as of Abraham).
4. Ten are the numbers of the ineffable Sephiroth, ten and not nine, ten and not eleven. Learn this wisdom, and be wise in the understanding of it, investigate these numbers, and draw knowledge from them, fix the design in its purity, and pass from it to its Creator seated on his throne.
5. These Ten Numbers, beyond the Infinite one, have the boundless realms, boundless origin and end, an abyss of good and one of evil, boundless height and depth, East and West, North and South, and the one only God and king, faithful forever seated on his throne, shall rule over all, forever and ever.
6. These ten Sephiroth which are ineffable, whose appearance is like scintillating flames, have no end but are infinite. The word of God is in them as they burst forth, and as they return; they obey the divine command, rushing along as a whirlwind, returning to prostrate themselves at his throne.
7. These ten Sephiroth which are, moreover, ineffable, have their end even as their beginning, conjoined, even as is a flame to a burning coal: for our God is superlative in his unity, and does not permit any second one. And who canst thou place before the only one?
8. And as to this Decad of the Sephiroth, restrain thy lips from comment, and thy mind from thought of them, and if thy heart fail thee return to thy place; therefore is it written, "The living creatures ran and returned," and on this wise was the covenant made with us.
9. These are the ten emanations of number. One is the Spirit of the Living God, blessed and more than blessed be the name of the Living God of Ages. The Holy Spirit is his Voice, his Spirit, and his Word.
10. Second, from the Spirit he made Air and formed for speech twenty-two letters, three of which are mothers, A, M, SH, seven are double, B, G, D, K, P, R, T, and twelve are single, E, V, Z, CH, H, I, L, N, S, O, Tz, Q, but the spirit is first among these. Third, Primitive Water. He also formed and designed from his Spirit, and from the void and formless made earth, even
