Bernhard Pick - The Essential Works of Kabbalah

"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. "It is not usual with me to impart occult science to anyone. However, my father lives in the great sea, and was a great fish. He was great and strong and full of years, so that he swallowed up all the other fishes of the sea and then sent them forth living and filled with all the good things of the world. His power is such he can run through the sea in a moment, and he sent me forth as an arrow from the how of a skilled archer and concealed me in the place of which I have spoken; but he himself has returned, and remains hidden in the sea."

Rabbi Eleazar, after reflecting a moment, exclaimed: "Thou art the son of the great mystic teacher Rabbi Hammenuna, the Aged, the great initiate in the secret doctrine!"

Then they embraced him and went forward, saying: "Let it please thee, Oh, master, tell us thy name?"

"Then," said he, "it is written, ' Benaiah, Son of Jehoida .' (2 Sam 23:20) We have already expounded the signification of these words. It will, however, be profitable to consider the deeply occult meaning of them, which has reference to human life. To continue, 'Son of a living man'; that is, of the just one--the life of the world. 'Who wrought many great works,' meaning Lord of all workers and of the heavenly hosts, all of whom are marked and distinguished by the letters of the divine name, Yehoval Sabaoth, the greatest of all names. 'The Lord of great works'; that is, the Lord of 'Mequabsel,' a mighty and most lordly tree. Where is its locality, and in what consists its magnificence? The scripture refers to it as being on high, where ' Eye hath not seen it, save thine alone, Oh, Lord .' (Isa. 64:4) In it is contained the life and essence of all existing things and living creatures, angels, archangels, heavenly hierarchies, principalities and powers, the universe with its unnumbered systems of stars and constellations; yea! all things are contained therein as in a glorious and magnificent palace, and from it come forth all things visible and reflective of its glory and magnificence. 'He killed two lions of Moab,' referring to the first and second temple of Jerusalem, which subsisted until the heavenly light which enlightened them was withdrawn from them; then were they destroyed and the holy throne demolished. Thus it is written: ' I was in the captivity '; (Ezek. 1:1) that is to say, this divine glory or essence called Ani (I) was in captivity. Why does the scripture still proceed, saying: 'By the River Chebar?' Because Chebar is the mysterious river of the heavenly light which floweth forth, but became dried up and ceased to flow when I was in captivity, and this is the meaning of the words, ' The river decayeth and drieth up ,' (Job 14:11) referring to the two temples of Jerusalem. With respect to the words, 'He killed two lions of Moab,' this latter word should be rendered Meab--of the father in heaven, having the same occult meaning. Again it is said of Benaiah, ' He went down and slew a lion in the midst of the pit in time of snow .' In former times, when the river of divine radiance and glory was flowing, the children of Israel flourished and lived in peace and offered up daily sacrifices for their sins, when a celestial being, with the emblematic form of a lion, was seen by them descending on the altar, consuming and devouring the offerings with the avidity of a hungry man, during which the demons of evil, like dogs, fled away and hid themselves. But, on account of the sins of the people, the Most High came down and killed the lion, if it may be so expressed. ' He killed it in a pit ,' meaning in presence of the dog-like demons, living in dark subterranean places, that they might see they could seize and devour now the sacrifices, as they were of no worth in his sight. Now, the name of the lion was Ouriel , because lion-like in form, and the name of the demons was Baladan , or not human but dog-like. 'In the time of snow'; that is, when the children of Israel sinned and were consumed by divine justice. Such also is the significance of the words, ' She feareth not for her house of snow .' (Prov. 31:21) Why? Because arrayed with purple, and thus able to resist the fiercest flame. To proceed further, 'And he killed an Egyptian, a goodly man,' teaching that whenever Israel sins it loses the blessing and light of the divine presence which it once enjoyed. ' And he killed the Egyptian ,' referring to the light which illuminated Israel, viz.: Moses, who was called an Egyptian by the daughters of Jethro, when they said to him: ' An Egyptian hath helped us .' (Ex. 2:19) In Egypt he was born and reared, and there he became initiated in the secret doctrine. 'A goodly man,' for he saw the Lord clearly (Num. 12:8) and not in dark speeches. He was a divine man, a man of God, (Deut. 33:1) a recipient of divine science as no other man had ever enjoyed before. ' And in hand of the Egyptian was a spear .' This was the sceptre or rod of God that was handed to Moses, as mentioned by scripture: ' And the rod of the Alhim was in my hand ,' (Ex. 17:9) the rod which was made when the sun rose for the first time, and on it was engraved the Shem Hamphorash, or most holy divine name. By it he smote the rock, as it is written: ' And he struck the rock with his rod twice .' (Num. 20:11) Then said the Holy One: 'Moses, my rod was not given to thee to be used thus. I swear, by thy life, from this moment thou shalt not retain it.' Therefore we read: ' He descended with the rod ,' which proved a great affliction for Israel, for then the rod was taken away. ' And he wrested the spear from out of the hand of the Egyptian ,' meaning the rod, and it was never seen again. Then, furthermore, he read: 'He killed him with his spear for the sin committed by a wrong use of the rod. Moses died and was not allowed to enter into the promised land, and that light was taken from Israel. The scripture further relates that he, Benaiah, ' Was more honorable than the thirty, but he was not one of the three .' (2 Sam. 23:23) 'More honorable than the thirty, referring to the thirty years he was separated from the heavenly powers on high, and who, at the end of life, took him to themselves again. ' But he became not one of the three , viz.: the Divine, under three hypostases or forms, and who gave him the desire of his heart. ' Nevertheless, David set him over his guard '; that is, David, being attached to him, retained his services, so that they might not be separated from one another, in the same way that the moon is attached to the sun, to which it addresses its song of praise as the center and source of its light."