| Suares: Sepher Yetsira: 3:1-8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:1 Three Mothers:
Aleph
Mem
Sheen.
Yassodan,
Kaf Hhovah and Kaf Zakot
and the tongue kneeling between the two.
Repetition of verse 2:1 except that Hhovan and Zakot are named in reverse order | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:1 Three Mothers, AMSh: Their foundation is the pan of liability, the pan of merit, and the tongue of decree deciding between them. Kaplan 262 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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See 2:1-2 for Yassodan, Kaf Hhovah and Kaf Zakot. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:2 Three Mothers, AMSh: A great, mystical, concealed secret, sealed with six rings. And from it emanate fire and water, separating themselves as male and female. Three Mothers, AMSh, are their foundation, and from them are born the Fathers, from which everything was created. Kaplan SY Short p.262 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3:2
Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen Sod Gadol, Mev Phaylay
Vemakossa sealed by six seals (or hall marks) and from them are
derived Fire,
Waters divided (into)
male and female.
Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen, Yassodan and from them the Fathers, the creators
of everything, are born.
The words Sod Gadol derved from Yassod (base or foundation), less the Yod indicated existence, here mean "great secret." The following Mev (with, but, however), rests on this "great secret" in introducing Phaylay, "marvel." This equation is none other than the complete Aleph, written backwards, a characteristic of a subtle language which becomes clear only within. If, like all the other Autiot, the preceding verse qualified Aleph-Mem-Sheen by Yassodan, it transposed Hhovan Zakot, the hollow and the solid, in order to place the "Three Mothers" inside the manifestations they engender. Here they are secret, pre-existing Sod. And the "marvel" is Phaylay (80.30.1) by which the reverse Aleph, emanated by the undifferentiated Phay, accomplishes its own birth.
The meaning of the following text is uncertain. Vemakossa can mean "is covered." Numbered 6.40.20.6.60.5 it shows centrifugal energy (6) going deeply into 40 and 20 and emerging twice as strong: 6 and 60 become 5 alive. In the continuation of the verse this energy becomes, in fact, male and female.: are sealed by (the) six spaces of the six Sephirot, (sealed as has been seen) and from these seals (or stamps) comes forth Esch (fire) and Maim (waters) divided into male and female. The verse ends with the Three Mothers, Yassodan (here we are back into the sphere of appearances) engendering the Fathers from whom everything is created (or, their names from which everything is created). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:3 Three Mothers, AMSh, in the Universe are air, water, and fire. Heaven was created from fire, earth was created from water, and the air decides decides between the fire and the water. Kaplan, p.262 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:3 Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen . In the universe:
Avir
Maim
Esch (air, waters, fire).
Schmaim are created first by Esch
(fire) and Eretz
(earth) created Memaim (by the waters) and Ha-Avir (air) kneeled down (sloped)
between Ha-Esch (fire) and Ha-Maim (waters).
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Schamaim traditionally translated as Heaven, is the action of Sheen on Maim. Esch (fire) is the action of
Aleph-Sheen. Aleph buries itself in Eretz. Maim has Yod between two Mem. Avir having Aleph and Yod, is "inclined" towards
both Esch and Maim.
It is interesting to notice that the Three Mothers form, symbolically, three Elements. The Earth is not taken to be an Element. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:4 Three Mothers AMSh, in the year are fire, water, and breath. The hot is created from fire, the cold is created from water, and the temperate from breath decides between them. Three Mothers, AMSh, in the Soul are fire, water, and breath. The head is created from fire, the belly is created from water, and the chest, created from breath, decides between them. Kaplan p.263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:4 Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen. Be-Schinah (in transformation): Eesh and Maim and
Rouahh. The word
Schinah
or Schanah (Sheen-Noun-Hay) signifies transformation or change. In currect language it means "year," doubtless as a measure of duration,
since time is measured by change. Next we read Hhom (Hayt-Waw-Mem, translated as "heat," although heat is Hham: Hayt-Mem
without the Waw) is created by Esch; Qor Qof-Waw-Raysh (translated "cold") by Maim and Rvaia (Ray-Waw-Yod-Hay), translated
as "surfeit," by Rouahh "knelt down" between the two. Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen. In Nefesch (Noun-Phay-Sheen in Hebrew
is breath, spirit or the individual: here is is understood by the last meaning). Esch and Maim and Rouahh.
Rosch Raysh-Aleph-Sheen: the head is created by Esch, and Batn (Bayt-Tayt-Noun) the abdomen by Maim and Gvyia
(Ghimmel-Waw-Yod-Hay, torso) by Rouahh "kneeled down" between the two.
Read in everyday Hebrew, and all the more in translation, this verse is superficial. But the cabalist's attention is drawn the Waw of Hhom, which should not be there if it only concerns The Three Mothers, Aleph, Mem, Sheen summarise the whole process of energy. They beget themselves mutually, project themselves into existence and first and foremost, into the human individual. This is the central concern of The Sepher Yetsira, which considers man as the focal point of all cosmic energies. Aleph, Mem, Sheen express simultaneously the essence, appearance and movement of everything. It is important to see these at work in the totality everything that it is possible to mean. For the authors of The Sepher Yetsira the most important thing is to show how the two poles of energy (essence-appearance, spirit-matter, etc., etc.) are One. As follows: Fire, Esch, 1.300 transforms itself in Hhom, 8.6.40; water, Maim 40.10.40, transforms itself in Qor, 100.6.200. Esch, beyond our conception, becomes substance, 8, undifferentiated, fertilising (6) the Mem (40), and Maim becomes cosmic Aleph, 100, fertising (6) the cosmic 200 (Raysh, as we have seen, engenders Sheen). In short, Aleph becomes Mem and two Mem become cosmic Aleph. We are here in the whirling round of the Autiot which we come to feel in our minds and even in our bodies. By Raysh-Aleph-Sheen, Aleph-Sheen enters the head (Rosch). Maim enters "the dwelling house," Bayt-Tayt-Noun (2.90.50), of the abdomen, and Rouahh, the breath unites the two through Gvyia the torso, whose components are an eye-opener: Ghimel and Waw-Yod-Hay, the three Autiot of YHWY brought by Ghimel, 3, archetype of orgainic motion (in the order in which they seal the 9th Sephira). This verse opens up endless opportunities for contemplation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:5 Three Mothers, AMSh: Engrave them, carve them, permute them, and with them seal three Mothers in the Universe, three Mothers in the Year, and three Mothers in the Soul, male and female. Kaplan p.263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:5 Three Mothers: Aleph Mem Sheen; Hhaqaqan Ve-Hhatsavan-Ve-Tsarafan (graven, chiselled, cast; see 2:2) and sealed with: Three Mothers Be-Oolam (in the universe) and Three Mothers Be-Schana (in time or change) and Three Mothers Be-Nefesch (the individual) male and female. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:6 Three Mothers, AMSh: Engrave them, carve them, permute them, and with them seal three Mothers in the Universe, three Mothers in the Year, and three Mothers in the Soul, male and female. Kaplan p.263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:6 Hamilikh (conferred kingship) on (the) Aut Aleph
by Rouahh and fastened a crown to it and Tsarafan
(combined) Zeh Maa Zeh (this with that), and sealed with it: Avir in the universe and Rvaia in Schana and Gvyia in Nefesch
masculine with Aleph Mem Sheen and feminine with Aleph Sheen Mem.
All these words have already been read and explained. Gvyia which synthesises the existence and life of humanity on all levels, is formed of an energy which begins from Aleph, passes through Mem and ends at Sheen in man; begins with Aleph and passes through Sheen and ends at Mem in woman. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:7 Make aleph king over breath, bind a crown to it, and combine one with another. And with them seal air in the Universe, the temperate in the year, and the chest in the Soul, the male with AMSh, and the female with AShM. Kaplan p.263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:7 Hamilikh (conferred kingship) on (the) Aut Mem
by Maim and fastened a crown to it and Tsarafan
(combined) Zeh Maa Zeh (this with that), and sealed with it: Eretz in the universe and Qor in Schana and the abdomen
in Nefesch masculine and feminine, with Mem Sheen Aleph.
The words Qor in Schana are always translated "the cold of the year," which is hardly satisfactory. Qor: Qof-Waw-Raysh must be related to Aur: Aleph-Waw-Raysh. It becomes visible as light magnified by the Qof (100) which is instead of the Aleph of Aur (light). We have said the Schinah, or Schanah, indicating the transformation of things, defines passing time. Cosmic light, Qor, is here jointly sealed with Maim, altering appearances. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:8 Make Mem king over water, bind a crown to it, and combine one with another. And with them seal earth in the Universe, the cold in the Year, and the belly in the Soul, the male with MASh, and the female with ShMA. Kaplan p.263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3:8 Hamilikh (conferred kingship) on (the) Aut
Sheen by Esch and fastened a crown to it and and Tsarafan
(combined) Zeh Maa Zeh (this with that), and sealed with it: Schamaim in the universe and Hhom in Schinah and Rosch (the head)
in Nefesch masculine and feminine.
Commentators have seen the summer in Hhom and the year in Schinah. We are referring to the comment on verse 3:4: Hhom is the transformation of Esch, just as Qor is of Maim. Suares, SY 93-103 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
