Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah
With Thirty-two Mystical Paths of Wisdom Yah engraved and created His Universe with three Sepharim: with Sepher (letters), with Sephar (numbers) and with Sippur (a story). Ten Sefirot of Nothingness and Twenty-two Foundation Letters Three Mother Letters, Seven Double Letters and Twelve Simple Letters. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness are in the number of ten fingers, five opposite five. A singular brit (covenant) is precisely in the middle, in the milah (word) of the tongue and the milah (circumcision) of the foreskin. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness, ten and not nine, ten and not eleven. Understand with Wisdom and be wise with Understanding. Examine with them and learn from them. Raise each thing to its essence and seat the Creator on His base. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness, their measure is ten which have no end a depth of good and a depth of evil (Keter and Malchut); a depth of past and a depth of future (Chochmah and Binah); a depth of south and a depth of north (Hesed and Gevurah); a depth of east and a depth of west (Tiferet and Yesod); a depth of above and a depth of below (Netzah and Hod). The Singular Master - God Faithful King - rules in all of them from His holy abode for ever and ever. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness, their vision is like the "appearance of lightning". And their limit has no end. His word in them is "running and returning". They rush to his saying like a whirlwind and before His throne they bow. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness, their end is embedded in their beginning and their beginning is embedded in their end. Like a flame in a burning coal. For the Master is Singular, He has no second. And before One what do you count? Ten Sefirot of Nothingness Bridle your mouth from speaking and your heart from thinking. And if your mouth runs to speak and your heart to think, return to the place, as it says, "the Chayot (living angels) running and returning". Regarding this a covenant was made. Ten Sefirot of Nothingness One is the Breath of the Living God, the voice of breath and speech And this is Ruah Hakodesh (Divine Inspiration). Two is Breath from Breath. With it He engraved and carved 22 Foundation Letters.... Three is Water from Breath. Chaos and void, mire and clay.
He engraved them like a garden, carved them like a wall, and covered them like a ceiling... Four is Fire from Water. With it He engraved and carved the Throne of Glory Serafim, Ophanim and holy Chayot... He chose three of the Simple Letters and set them in His great Name (YHWH). With them He sealed six directions: Five, facing right, He sealed South with YHW; Six, facing left, He sealed North with HWY; Seven, facing front, He sealed East with WYH; Eight, facing back, He sealed West with WHY; Nine, facing up, He sealed Above with YWH; Ten, facing down, He sealed Below with HYW. These are the Ten Sefirot of Nothingness: The Breath of the Living God (Keter), Breath from Breath (Malchut), Water from Breath (Chochmah), Fire from Water (Binah); Up and Down (Netzah and Hod), East and West (Tiferet and Yesod), South and North (Hesed and Gevurah).
He tied a crown to it and combined it with the other letters. With them He formed Venus in Space, Wednesday in Time, and the left eye in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Peh king over Dominance. He tied a crown to it and combined it with the other letters. With them He formed Mercury in Space, Thursday in Time, and the left ear in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Resh king over Peace. He tied a crown to it and combined it with the other letters. With them He formed Saturn in Space, Friday in Time, and the left nostril in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Tav king over Grace. He tied a crown to it and combined it with the other letters. With them He formed Jupiter in Space, Saturday in Time, and the mouth in Soul, male and female. The Seven Double Letters Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Kaf, Peh, Resh, and Tav. With them were engraved seven worlds, seven firmaments, seven lands, seven seas, seven rivers, seven deserts, seven days, seven weeks, seven years, seven sabbaticals, seven jubilees, and the Holy Palace. Therefore, He made sevens beloved under all the heavens. Two stones build two houses; three stones build six houses; four stones build twenty-four houses; five stones build one hundred and twenty houses; six stones build seven hundred and twenty houses; seven stones build five thousand and forty houses. From here on, go out and calculate that which the mouth cannot speak and the ear cannot hear.
He made the letter Tet king over hearing. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Leo in Space, Av in Time, and the left kidney in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Yod king over action. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Virgo in Space, Elul in Time, and the left hand in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Lamed king over sex. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Libra in Space, Tishrei in Time, and the gall bladder in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Nun king over smell. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Scorpio in Space, Cheshvan in Time, and the intestine in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Samech king over sleep. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Sagittarius in Space, Kislev in Time, and the stomach in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Ayin king over anger. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Capricorn in Space, Tevet in Time, and the liver in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Tzadi king over taste. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Aquarius in Space, Shevat in Time, and the pancreas in Soul, male and female. He made the letter Kof king over laughter. He tied a crown to it, combined it with the other letters, and formed Pisces in Space, Adar in Time, and the spleen in Soul, male and female.
engraved and carved, he was successful in creation. Immediately the Master of all was revealed to him. He placed him in His bosom, and kissed him on his head. And He called him "Abraham my beloved". He made a brit (covenant) with him and with his children after him forever... He made a brit with him that is between the ten fingers of his hands this is the brit of the tongue; and between the ten toes of his feet - this is the brit of circumcision. He bound the Twenty-two Letters of the Torah to his tongue and revealed to him His Mystery. He drew them in Water, He flamed them with Fire, He gave them sound with Breath. He ignited them with the seven planets and directed them with the twelve constellations.