Showing posts with label YHVH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YHVH. Show all posts

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Hekhalot Rabbati on Who is Like Our King, YHVH Our God

"Who is like our King among all the majestic ones who hold kingship? Who is like our Former? Who is like YHVH our God? Who is like Him among those who fasten on the fastenings of crowns? For with six voices the beings who are bearers of the throne of His glory sing before Him, the cherubim and the ophannim and the holy living creatures, with voice after voice that his made to ascend over its companion and is modulated before Him.

"Who is like our King? Who is like our Former? Who is like YHVH our God? The sun and the moon rule and lead forth the crown of His head. The Pleiades, Orion, and the morning star, groups of stars, and stars and constellations drip and go forth from the robe of Him who is garlanded and He is enthroned in it upon the throne of His glory and it emits a great light between His eyes, for He is a King of miracles, a King of mighty acts, a King of holy wonders, and a King of explications, according to the word that is said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy' (Isaiah 6:3)."

-- Hekhalot Rabbati, Synopse §§103, 105 (transl. J. Davila)

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Midrash Rabbah Ruth on YHVH and His People Israel

"Rabbi Shim'on bar Yochai taught: 'God, your God am I' (Psalms 50:7). God is saying here, 'In actuality, I am known as God (Elohim) to all the world's inhabitants, but I have designated My Name (YHVH) specifically only in connection with My people Israel; for I am not called "the God of the nations", but only "the God of Israel".'"

-- Midrash Rabbah, Ruth 1.1

Sefer haZohar on Emanation and the Letters of YHVH

"Rabbi Shim'on said, 'We have learned that when the blessed Holy One created the world, He carved engravings of mysteries of faith within radiances in supernal mysteries. He engraved above, He engraved below, all in one mystery of engravings of the Holy Name, YHVH, ruling through its letters above and below. Through this mystery worlds were consummated, the upper world and the lower world.

"The upper world was consummated by mystery of the letter Yod ─ primordial supernal point emerging from within the concealed and hidden, which is unknown unsusceptible to knowing, and completely unknowable, mysterious ascension of Ein Sof. From this concealment shone a single radiance ─ subtle, concealed, comprising within itself the totality of all lights. That concealed radiance was struck by one who did not strike, illumined by one who did not illumine, and then it emitted one radiance ─ bliss in which to delight, radiance in which subtle concealed radiance may be secreted..."

-- Sefer haZohar, 2:127a (transl. D. Matt)

Rabbi Shim'on continues his discourse, but consider: this portion of text is meant to be recited aloud as a blessing. It is a theurgical exercise that opens the subtle energy channels inside one's own Tree.

Sefer haZohar on Adam as the Supernal Chariot

"For He made the image of the chariot of the supernal Adam, He descends there, and is called in that image, YHVH, so that He might be recognized in all aspects."

-- Sefer haZohar (Ra'aya Meheimna), 2:42b (transl. Tishby)

The "image" is the pattern of the Tree diagram, in the shape of "supernal Adam", with the 22 paths of letters. "He" - this is Ain Sof - He descends into this "image", which is called YHVH. Yod - Keter & Hokhmah, the crown of the head and the left brain of Adam. Heh - Binah, the right brain of Adam. Vav - Hesed through Yesod, the torso, arms & legs of Adam. Heh - Malkut, the feet of Adam. In this single body, the chariot below upon which rests that which is above, "all aspects" are unified as one.