or master. God preserve us from becoming such! See to it, therefore, that ye let not a single word escape your lips concerning divine mysteries without understanding or before consulting with a master that ye may not be originators of Hatah, and thus cause the destruction and ruin of many souls."
With one accord exclaimed the students of Rabbi Simeon: "God keep and preserve us from this!"
Continuing his discourse, Rabbi Simeon said: "Mark this also. It was by means of the secret doctrine that the Holy One created the world. Holy scripture affirms that it was with him and was his delight daily. He examined it attentively and minutely, and then uttered it, and thereby produced all his works in order to teach us to study occult science and sacred mysteries calmly and reverently, and thus avoid falling into error and causing many to stumble, to fall, to perish. It is written, "Then did he see it and declare it. He prepared it; yea, searched it out." (Job 28:27) in which verse are the words yaha (see), yesaphrah (declared), kenah (prepared), hakar (searched), showing what carefulness was exercised by the Holy One before creating the world. For ere doing so he formed the four words corresponding to those we have just particularized, viz.: Bereshith, bara, Alhim, ath, implying a fourfold examination of the secret doctrine ere he used it in Creation."
Rabbi Eleazar went one day to visit his uncle, Rabbi Jose,, and Rabbi Abba was with him. A porter followed behind them.
Said Rabbi Abba: "As the time and opportunity are favorable, let us discourse and search a little into the secret doctrine."
Then spake Rabbi Eleazar, and said: "It is written, 'Ye shall keep my sabbaths.' (Lev. 19:30) Observe that in six days the Holy One created the world that each day was distinguished by a special production. But on what day appeared the production that was fruitful? On the fourth; for those of the three first days were unmanifested and hidden, viz.: fire, water, and earth. If you say that the earth was clothed with vegetation on the third. It was truly so. It was, however, really on the fourth day that the results became manifest and distinctive in themselves, and thus it became the fourth pedestal of the heavenly throne. All the works of creation were finished certainly on the Sabbath, as it is written: 'And Alhim created on the seventh day,' the Sabbath, which was the fourth day of the earth's fruitful production. But what meaneth 'Ye shall keep my Sabbaths,' as though there were two or more sabbaths? The scripture, by this plural word, designates the eve of the Sabbath and the day of the Sabbath, distinct yet not separate."
Then spake the porter who had followed them, and said: "But what is the signification of the following words: 'Ye shall reverence my sanctuary.'"
Rabbi Eleazar replied: "They refer to the holiness of the Sabbath."
"What do you mean by the holiness of the Sabbath?" asked the stranger.
"It is the heavenly holiness which cometh down upon the earth on that day," replied Rabbi Eleazar.
"If so, then you make not the Sabbath holy, but a something which is from above."
"That truly is so," said Rabbi Abba, "what Rabbi Eleazar has said, for it is written: 'Call the Sabbath a delight, and the Holy of the Lord honorable.' (Is. 58:13) Therefore there is a distinction between the Sabbath day and the Holy of the Lord."
"What, then, meaneth the Holy of the Lord?" asked the stranger again.
"It is," replied Rabbi Abba, "as has been just said, a heavenly holiness coming from above on that day."
"Then," answered the stranger, "in that ease the heavenly holiness is glorious and hallowed, but not the day of the Sabbath; and yet the scripture says, "Glorify the Sabbath day."
"Men," said Rabbi Eleazar to Rabbi Abba, "let this man speak on, for he seems to be endowed with a wisdom and knowledge we do not possess."
"They turned toward the stranger and said: "Give us your opinion on the subject."
"It is written," he said to them, "'Keep my Sabbaths,' (Lev. 19:30) words which show plainly that there are two sabbaths--one heavenly and one earthly--yet are they but one, both alike in their esoteric meaning. There is another Sabbath--a third one, not mentioned in scripture, and which was unhonored. This Sabbath said to the Holy One: 'Thou art my maker, and I am called Sabbath. Now, there is no day without a night. Let there a Sabbath night or eve, as well as a Sabbath day, be kept.' To which the Holy One replied: 'My child, Sabbath art thou, and Sabbath thou shalt he called. I will yet adorn three with great honor and beauty.' Then made he proclamation, and said: 'Reverence my sanctuary.' That is to say, the Sabbath eve, which is also to be reverenced and kept; for the name of the Holy One is found in the word. I will now inform you how my father explained this to me. 'Imagine,' said he, 'a square within a circle, symbolizing two divine forms, which, though distinct, are not separate; for there is not division or separation in the divine essence. An earthly resemblance to this divine union is that between Jacob and Joseph. There is also a resemblance in the repetition of the word peace, in that verse of scripture, "Peace to those that are far off and peace to those that are near," (Is. 57:19) those that are far off referring to Jacob and those that are near to Joseph, symbolical of the Sabbath and the Sabbath eve, distinguished by 'Keep the Sabbath' (Deut. 5:12) (Ex. 20:8) and 'remember the Sabbath day.' But the words, 'Reverence my sanctuary,' designate a point in the middle of the square and circle which is the most sacred of all--he who violates and breaks this commandment is punishable with death, as it is written, 'Whoso violates it shall be put to death'; (Ex 31:14) that is, who enters into the circle and square to the middle point and profanes it. Therefore is it said, 'Reverence ye,' for that middle point is called Ani (Me). which is but another term or name of the Great Unknown, the Divine Being."
After hearing these words from the unknown stranger, they embraced him, and said:
"Possessed of such knowledge of the secret doctrine, you must not follow behind, but go before us. What is thy name?"
"Ask me not," he replied. "But let us go forward discoursing on occult mysteries, each of us giving utterance to words of hidden wisdom which shall lighten the way."
Said they: "How came you to follow us'?"
"Yod," he replied, "made war against two other letters, Caph and Samech (ch and S), in order that they might become attached to me. Koph was unwilling to be joined to one without whose help it could not subsist a single moment, and Samech was equally unwilling to become bound to Koph, and thus he unable to help those who stumble and fall. Then Yod, coming to me, embraced me, caressed me, wept with me, and said: 'My child, what can I do for you? I aim about to ascend on high, and shall acquire amongst many good things secret letters. all capitals, and valuable. I will then come back to thee and help thee and give thee other letters, better and stronger than those who have forsaken and left thee, even Ysh (blessing), who will he to thee treasures filled with good things. Go, therefore, my child, and mount thy ass.' And this is why I am here."
Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Abba were greatly pleased, and said: "Go on before and we will follow after thee."
Replied the stranger: "have I not told you it was through the King's orders that I have come hither?"
They said: "But you have not told us your name. Where de you dwell?"
"My habitation is a fine and strong one, a high tower, in which the Holy One and myself only reside. Just now I am here riding on my ass."
Then Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Abba pondered awhile and meditated on these sayings and the meaning of them, which to them were as honey and manna. Then said they unto him: "Who is thy father? If thou wilt tell us we will make obeisance unto thee."
"Wherefore should I?" he answered.
