The sefer yetzirah, or the book of creation, was written approximately 3,000 bce, and was the first kabbalistic book to be written. Its secrets were passed on in the hebrew oral tradition until it was written down in the 2nd century b. Sefer, book of formation, or book of creation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to kabbalah. Sepher yirah, book of formation, or book of creation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish mysticism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to kabbalah. In two and thirty most occult and wonderful paths of wisdom did jah the lord of hosts engrave his name. He sealed below, and he turned downward and sealed it with hvy. Its preeminent place in jewish mysticism does not derive solely from its antiquity or its authorship.
Yetzirah book of formation, the sepher zohar book of splendour and the sepher bahir book of brilliance. Westcotts translation of the sepher yetzirah was a primary source for the rituals and knowledge lectures of the golden dawn. Three letters from the simple ones he sealed air14 through three, and set them into his great name vhy27, and sealed through them the six extremities. It was written prior to rabbi shimons zohar, or the book of splendor. Tradition attributes the work to the 1stcentury talmudic sage and mystic rabbi nechunya ben hakanah.
The sefer yetzirah live audio book filmed in tzfat, israel rev kasey carrol. Until the publication of the zohar circa 1295, the sefer habahir book of the brightness was the most quoted and influential classical kabbalistic work its name is based on the opening verse, which quotes job 37. The zohar kabbalah, chassidism and jewish mysticism. The zohars importance must rather be attributed to its. The creative power of letters is particularly evident in sefer yetzirah hebrew. Like the sefer yetzirah, the date and original author of the zohar are subjects for academic debate. Download pdf sefer yetzira the book of creation free. The sefer hazohar book of splendor, often referred to simply as the zohar is a fivevolume mystical exegesis written in rashi aramaic on the five books of the torah.
For the first time since its revelation over 700 years ago, the complete sacred text of the holy zohar is available for all human beings to connect toin unity. It stresses the cosmic significance of human deeds. According to tradition, it was authored by none other than abraham the only person whose name appears in the work. This sacred book is a deeply important hebrew scripture in the tradition of the kabbalah.
Other works of the kabbalah such as sefer yetzirah and sefer habahir are of earlier origin. Originally published in french in 1843, with a second french edition in 1889, this book traces the origins of the philosophical concepts of the kabbalah to the ancient zoroastrians. And now men see not the light which is bright bahir in the skies. Based on the five books of moses and written in hebrew aramaic, the text of the zohar explores and expounds in a most cryptic way the mystical tradition.
Of these books the sepher yetzirah is consi sepher yetzirah have been lost to the. This version of the sefer yetzirah contains three versions. Of these books the sepher yetzirah is consi sepher yetzirah. Although the zohar is generally referred to as a single multivolume work, it comprises several books which may be further subdivided into approximately twenty main sections 8 these are 1 the main bulk of the zohar, sometimes also called midrash hazohar, written as commentary on sections and passages of the torah 2 sifra dtzniuta, or book of concealed matters. Among the issues discussed at length are the divine creation process through a series of ten spheres and the problem of evil. Wynn westcott the sepher yetzirah is one of the most famous of the ancient qabbalistic texts. Many qabalistic scholars, such as gershom scholem, believe the zohar to be. Qabbalists declare that the sepher yetzirah was written by abraham. Authored by abraham the patriarch, it is the oldest written document in our possession today that outlines a path to regain control over this physical world, and ultimately our destiny. Written in a mixture of hebrew and aramaic, sefer habahir divides into two parts. Jewish mysticism has flourishedsometimes brilliantly. God of the armies of israel, everliving god, merciful and gracious, sublime, dwelling on high, who inhabiteth eternity. Yet, it is written in very easy to understand english by a well known scholar on the subject gershom scholem, and provides the reader with a nice introduction to some of the more prominent and interesting components of the zohar. The creative power of letters is also explored in the talmud and zohar.
The sepher yetzirah, or book of formation, is perhaps the oldest rabbinical treatise of kabalistic philosophy which is still extant, but it is not in any sense a narrative of creation, or a substitute genesis, but is an ancient and instructive philosophical treatise upon one aspect of the origin of the universe and mankind. He sealed above, and he turned upward and sealed it with vhy. Basic readings from the kabbalah scholem, gershom on. The dates of the writing of these books are by no means thoroughly established. The second is an attempt to clarify the order of the sefirot, which the sefer yetzirah describes as ten numbers. He wrote three hebrew manuscript volumes detailing the numerous parallels he found between the new testament and the zohar the classic core text of jewish mysticism.
Externally it is a commentary on seminal verses in bereishit and therefore in the version published in cremona it is printed in parashat bereishit. It is said that this work had the greatest influence in the development of the jewish mind. Sefer yetzirah hebrew, hardcover the kabbalah store. Who makes winds his messengers, the flaming fire his ministers. All the creations of golems and miracles attributed to the rabbis have taken place because of. The origin of all of kabbalistic knowledge is found in a written manuscript called sefer yetzirah book of formation.
Macgregor mathers, and the sepher yetzirah in an english translation is almost a necessary companion to these abstruse disquisitions. Summary the sefer yetzirah, which means book of formation, is a short book about the theories of maaseh bereshit, the mystical account of the creation of the universe. A short and enigmatic judaeognostic text no more than 2000 words in even the longest version, known from the tenth century, and quite probably dating back much earlier, the sefer yetzirah is concerned with the symbolism of numbers and the letters of. The sepher yetzirah or book of formation, although very short, is probably the most important of the kabalistic texts. Often translated as the book of formation, sefer yetzirah is the earliest extant jewish esoteric work and the only one mentioned in the talmud. The sefer yetzirah is the book of creation, one of the earliest extant texts about the creation of the world of the jewish tradition, a book that some scholars are supposing of an early medieval. Sefer yetzirah, in translation book of formation or of creation. Pdf sefer yetzira the book of creation download full. God of the armies of israel, everliving god, merciful and gracious, sublime, dwelling on. Its secrets were passed on in the hebrew oral tradition until it. The zohar contains and elaborates upon much of the material found in sefer yetzirah and sefer bahir, and without question is the kabbalistic work par excellance. When properly understood, sefer yetzirah becomes the instruction manual for a very special type of meditation meant to strengthen concentration and to aid the development of telekinetic and telepathic powers. The author gives an extensive explanation of the correct permutations and their sequences. He expounds on the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the sefirot, souls, and angels.
Note that this is a different book than the sefer raziel hamalakh, which was given to adam by the same angel, but they stem from. Unraveling the web of ancient traditions hidden in such texts as the sefer yetzirah and the zohar, this book traces history and offers an accessible introduction to understanding kabbalah and its practices. It portrays a hidden universe behind the old testament, alias the hebrew bible, or. The book of creation in theory and practice aryeh kaplan. This work, along with the zohar, book of splendor, describes the core beliefs of kabbalah. Rabbi aryeh kaplan has translated sefer yetzirah, the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative, and magical implications to light. The basic texts of the mystical tradition of kabbalah.
Like the theories of maaseh bereshit, the sefer yetzirah addresses the creation of the universe, drawing heavily on images from the very beginning of genesis, the first book of the bibles old testament. Download pdf book of formation sepher yetzirah free. The sepher yetzirah, or book of formation, although very short, is probably the most important of the kabalistic texts. Although its date of origin and authorship are contested, the. The sefer yetzirah, the ancient book of formation which provides the foundationtext for prophetic kabbalah, takes this idea to an ontological extreme. The book of formation translated from the hebrew by wm. Franck goes into fascinating detail about the doctrine of the kabbalah, as expressed in the sepher yetzirah and the zohar.
Its enumerations and anatomical references are reminiscent of the sefer yetzirah, the latter being remazim hints of divine characteristics. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. The first part is a discussion of the sefer yetzirah written in a choppy, haphazard style. Three important books of the zohar, or book of splendour, which is a great storehouse of kabalistic teaching, have been translated into english by s. Sefer ha zohar sifra detzniyutha book of that which is. For the sefer yetzirah, language is the very stuff of creation, and grammar the way in which it is formed. According to eliphas levi, the three greatest books of qabbalism are the sepher yetzirah, the book of formation. Pdf the creation of the world in the sefer yetzirah. This writing presents the creation of the universe as being the going forth from god of his ten attributes in the form of ten emanations or lights. Shiur koma, commentary on sefer yetzirah and the zohar section of sifra detzniuta.
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