Previous Next Home Title Page Index Contents

The Rabbis sought to understand the various names of G-d in the Torah from their context.^[946],[947]

AND G-D SAID UNTO MOSES (Exodus 3:14): R. Abba b. Mammel said: G-d said to Moses: ‘Thou wishest to know My name. Well, I am called according to My work; sometimes I am called “Almighty G-d”, “Lord of Hosts”, “G-d”, “Lord”. When I am judging created beings, I am called “G-d” (Elohim), and when I am waging war against the wicked, I am called “El Shaddai” (Almighty G-d), and when I am merciful towards My world, I am called “Adonai”, for “Adonai” refers to the Attribute of Mercy, as it is said: The Lord, the Lord (Adonai, Adonai), G-d, merciful and gracious. Hence I am that I am in virtue of My deeds.’ R. Isaac said: G-d said to Moses: ‘Tell them that I am now what I always was and always will be’; for this reason is the word eheyeh written three times. Another explanation of I AM THAT I AM is offered by R. Jacob b. Abina in the name of R. Huna of Sepphoris: G-d said to Moses: ‘Tell them that I will be with them in this servitude, and in servitude will they always continue, but I will be with them!’ Whereupon Moses said to G-d: ‘Shall I tell them this? Is not this sufficient for the hour the evil thereof?’ G-d replied: ‘NO: THUS SHALT THOU SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: “I AM HATH SENT ME UNTO YOU.” To thee only do I reveal this but not to them.’ Another interpretation of I AM.

In addition to context, other texts refer to names by their lengths.

The Great Name of Creation has 42 letters and leans to the left and is the source of creation. The Great Name of Redemption has 72 letters and leans to the right and rescues us from oppression and returns us to God.

A clue to the length of some divine names is in the triangle structure below. From Figure ‎10-1, the lengths of Divine Names are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 letters corresponding to the line lengths that are also the base numbers of the pyramid. There are also those of 12, 23, 33, 42, 50, 57, 63, 68, 72, 75, 77, and 78 letters that constitute increasing plateaus of sub-pyramids including all lines below. There is also the Great Name of G-d, which is all 613 thousand letters of the Torah corresponding to the 613 thousand souls of Israel. The Torah was originally without spaces revealing that it is one long name of G-d in essence. This chapter covers the bold-faced lengths of the Names of G-d in Figure [950].⁹⁵⁰

This chapter will cover many forms of the Name of G-d. Some have significance according to their length in letters.

Often a Name of G-d is composed of a supernal half matched with a physical half. This applies to the first two letters and the last two letters of the 4 Letter Name of God. Similarly, a Midrash hints at the 72 Letter Name of God with bells and pomegranates alluding to the Name of G-d on high and below.^[952]

Alternatively, 72 bells and 72 pomegranates allude to the 72 powers of the Name of G-d manifested above and reflected below.

The Mishnah in Sanhedren warns about the pronouncement of the Name of G-d.

ALL ISRAEL HAVE A PORTION IN THE WORLD TO COME, FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THY PEOPLE ARE ALL RIGHTEOUS; THEY SHALL INHERIT THE LAND FOR EVER, THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING, THE WORK OF MY HANDS, THAT I MAY BE GLORIFIED.’ BUT THE FOLLOWING HAVE NO PORTION THEREIN: HE WHO MAINTAINS THAT RESURRECTION IS NOT A BIBLICAL DOCTRINE, THE TORAH WAS NOT DIVINELY REVEALED, AND AN EPIKOROS. R. AKIBA ADDED: ONE WHO READS UNCANONICAL BOOKS. ALSO ONE WHO WHISPERS [A CHARM] OVER A WOUND AND SAYS, I WILL BRING NONE OF THESE DISEASES UPON THEE, WHICH I BROUGHT UPON THE EGYPTIANS: FOR I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.’ ABBA SAUL SAYS: ALSO ONE WHO PRONOUNCES THE DIVINE NAME AS IT IS SPELT.

The Gemara explains in Sanhedren 101b:

The Shaarey Orah identifies all the names of G-d associated with the ten sefirot. They break down according to the three pillars of the tree.

For the Lord your G-d is a merciful G-d
(Deut. 4:31 – Gates of Light p. 167)

The name El associates with mercy from Exodus 34:6 where they are together as El Rahum.
The Uneraseable Names are:^[954]
Ehye, Elohim, El, Eloha, Shaddai – these are all attached to Hashem

Erasable names associated with the above include:
El – Hesed gadol (big), rachum (nurturing), chanun (gracious), chasin, erech apayim (patient),

rav chesed (plentiful in kindness), kadosh (holy), chasid (devout), soleyach

Elohim adir (mighty), shofet (judger), dayyan (judge), chazak (strong), kabir, koach (powerful)
ish miylchamah (man of war), gibor (courageous), poked avon (exacts sin),
meshalem gemul (repays in kind)

Hashem norah (awesome), noseh avon (carrier of sin), over al pesha (overlooker of transgression)
emet (truth), marom (on high), ram (exalted), notzar chesed (creator of compassion),
shochen ad (perpetual dweller) kadosh (holy).

The source names are the title row above. When we encounter the affinity Names we know that they refer to the qualities of the source Names. For Elohim, this is power, justice, and strength. For Hashem, his is truth, beauty, and peace. For El, this is greatness, kindness, and mercy.

Ramban – Nachmanides comments:^[956]

Therefore, G-d now told Avraham, that He is the Almighty, the One who prevails and can overcome the signs of the stars [that predict he will be childless]. He will indeed have a son and there will be an everlasting covenant between Him and his offspring, meaning Hashem’s portion is His people, and He Himself will lead them, not by a star, a constellation, or planetary influences.

The name Elohim is both masculine and feminine.^[957]

Again, how could Adam be made in the image of the Elohim, male and female, unless the Elohim were male and female also? The word Elohim is a plural formed from the feminine singular ALH, Eloh, by adding IM to the word. But inasmuch as IM is usually the termination of the masculine plural, and is here added to a feminine noun, it gives to the word Elohim the sense of a female potency united to a masculine idea, and thereby capable of producing an offspring.

A somewhat rare Chaldean version of the Name Elohim is Elahin^[958] – אלהין deriving from the feminine form Eaela – אלה. In Hebrew, Eaela is the female form for an oak tree. Another word for an oak tree in Hebrew is Elon – אלון as in Eaelon Moreh, where under an oak tree, students learned. Elon can refer to a number of large Mediterranean trees, particularly the cashew tree or terebinth, Pistacia Terebinthus. Turpentine is produced from this tree.

The king answered to Daniel, and said, It is true that your God is a God of gods – אלה אלהין, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, seeing that you could reveal this mystery – רזא.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said to his counselors, Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Behold, I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods – דמה לבר-אלהין – damai lvar’Elahin. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, you servants of the most high God, come out, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, came out of the midst of the fire.

The truth of the name is hidden.^[959]

It has been taught: The Name may not be transmitted to every man, nor to one who is not in his prime, but only to one who has lived most of his years.^[961] It may only be transmitted when the persons are standing, in a clean place and upon the water. At first they used to transmit it to everyone [in the priesthood]; but when sinners increased in number it was instituted that it should be transmitted only to the well-conducted among the priests, and they used to muffle it amidst the chanting of the other priests. R. Tarfon said: I once went up with my uncle Samson upon the dais, and I inclined my ears towards the High Priest [to catch the Name], but he muffled it amidst the chanting of the priests. R. Tarfon further said: I once did hear it and fell upon my face [in awe]. Those who were near [the High Priest], when they heard it, fell upon their faces and exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.’ Neither these nor the others departed from there until it had become concealed from them, as it is said, This is My name for ever-le'olam (Ex. III, 15). The last word is written so that it can be read as le'elem (for concealment). Why was all this precaution necessary? SO THAT MAN CANNOT FIND OUT THE WORK THAT GOD HATH DONE FROM THE BEGINNING EVEN TO THE END.

And that Moses applied this name:^[962]

AND WHEN HE SAW THAT THERE WAS NO MAN (II, 12)-for he saw that the smitten man would no longer live. R. Judah said: He saw THAT THERE WAS NO MAN who would be zealous for God and slay him. R. Nehemiah says: He saw that there was none who would mention over him God's name and slay him. The Sages said: He saw that there was no hope that righteous persons would arise from him or his offspring until the end of generations. When Moses saw this, he took counsel with the angels and said to them: ‘This man deserves death.’ They agreed; hence it says: AND WHEN HE SAW THAT THERE WAS NO MAN to say a good word for him. AND HE SMOTE THE EGYPTIAN. With what did he slay him? R. Abyathar said: With the fist; and others say that he took a clay shovel and cracked his skull. The Rabbis say that he pronounced God's name against him and thus slew him, for it is said: Sayest thou to kill me? (ib. 14).

Today, we must avoid cursing with G-d’s Name. Even Moses consulted angels before beseeching Hashem’s will in this manner.

There is a teaching on the meaning of the Hebrew names for man and woman. Man in Hebrew is ish – איש and woman is ishah – אשה. As long as G-d is between them they live as husband and wife. Nevertheless, if they remove G-d from their relationship has vshalom, i.e. the letters of the name of G-d – יה, has vshalom, only fire – אש is left and the relationship consumes itself. Similarly, the Zohar teaches that the breastplate and ephod were two halves connected like the creation of Adam and Eve as one connected body. The Name of God was in the fold between. Hence, the breastplate and ephod symbolize the ideal relationship of man and woman with God between them.^[963]

Linguistically, Albright says the Name is a verb meaning, “He causes to be”.^[964] This infers the Name is a reference to the creative action of God. The name of G-d, Hashem, is a verb, sometimes, because it is an invocation preceding an Attribute. For example, Hashem Tzavaot invokes the power of Tzavaot – the hosts of G-d. While Tzavaot was the name of an earlier deity, this became a subordinate deity, and then finally an attribute of Hashem or manifestation of His Power.^[965] Thus, the Name Havayah is transformative in changing l’havdil the conception of former deities has vshalom, into powers of the One True G-d.

Also, the name Adonai is connected with the Tetragrammaton, for there is never one without the other.^[966] For Hashem connects with His world and the world reaches back with the name Adonai. Adonai is from Aden – אדן meaning foundation socket of a building. “It is the presence of God in all things that joins them to one another, that lends coherence to Creation. This play is on `adonay/`adanim.”^[967]

God’s glory, however, is manifest in His many garments; the whole earth is a garbing of God. It is He who is within all the garments. This aspect of divinity is called `adonai, related to the word for “sockets” by which the tabernacle was held together.^[968]

We beseech Adonai in our physical needs. Adonai represents God’s interaction in the physical world while His hidden essence is behind the Tetragrammaton. Both names occur in terms of forgiving sin, but Moshe calls upon the later:

ו וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל-פָּנָיו, וַיִּקְרָא, יְהוָה יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן--אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת.
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: 'The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;

ז נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה--פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים. 7 keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.'

ח וַיְמַהֵר, מֹשֶׁה; וַיִּקֹּד אַרְצָה, וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

ט וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ, אֲדֹנָי, יֵלֶךְ-נָא אֲדֹנָי, בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ: כִּי עַם-קְשֵׁה-עֹרֶף הוּא, וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ. 9 And he said: 'If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.'

Favored in the region of Kurdistan a region in proximity to the homeland of the Khazaars who converted to Judaism.^[969] This name is particularly beneficial to those who have converted to Judaism. Numerically it is equivalent to Amen that is a sound faith in Hashem.

Within the secrets of this name is the meaning of Adonai – אדני which includes the word for judgement – דן alluding to Tzedek^[970] or Metatron^[971]. Also there is a hint at G-d’s unity with ehad – 10 à 1 – אהד. Another allusion to the messiah is from Nah – נה.

There are two forms of this Name.

The first form of the twelve letter Name is Havayah three times: YHVH YHVH YHVH. This comes from three sources. The prayer liturgy says, “Adonai Melech, Adonai Malchah, Adonai Ymloch L’Olam Va’ed” – “YHVH is King, YHVH was King, YHVH will be King forever and ever.”^[972] The second source is from the priestly blessing, “Yvarecha Adonai vYismarecha, Yaaer Adonai Panav Elecha vHonecha, Yisah Adonai Panav Elecha, vYasame Lcha Shalom” – “May G-d bless you and Guard you, May G-d cause his countenance to shine on you, and May G-d put in you peace.”^[973] The third source is a vision of Rabbi Isaac of Acco:^[974]

The young one, R. Isaac of Acco said, I woke up from my sleep and there suddenly came before me three Tetragrammata, each one in its vocalization and place in the secret of the ten sefirot of the void, in the middle line, on which depends the entire mystery of [the four worlds] Atzulut, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, via the simple and felt intellect, alluded to in the secret of their vocalizations.^[975] And my soul rejoiced in them as one who had found a rare treasure, and they were these: יהוה יהוה יהוה, blessed is the Name of the Glory of His kingdom forever and ever ...

The second form of the Twelve Letter Name consists of the initials of the twelve tribes of Israel. Together the Twelve Letter Names of G-d suggest the importance of G-d in the eyes of Israel and the importance of Israel in the eyes of G-d.

Reciting the names of the twelve tribes of Israel is a segulah, a remedy, for depression. These names are the essence of our love for our ancestors and G-d’s love for us. The segulah is to recite them in reverse order according to the breastplate of the Urim and Thumim:^[976]

The top name is from the Shema, words 3, 4, and 5 of the first 7, while the lower is its temurah and written on the back of mezuzah scrolls.^[977] The 14 Letter Name of God serves as protection for ones identity. The mezuzah denotes a Jewish house and wards against those who would attempt to assimilate the residents. Similarly the recital of the Shema is a declaration of ones identity. To be a Jew is an equal declaration of:

This is a name of G-d that is part of a 72 Letter Name including the 12 tribes of Israel below.

This name provides the 72 Letter Name with all the distinct letters of the Hebrew alphabet that were missing from the 50 letters of the twelve tribes.

The more mysterious version of the 22 Letter Name of God is shown below.^[978] Early kabbalists, Nathan Hanover and Raziel trace the origin to the priestly blessing.^[979] Moses Cordovero describes a derivation, although the obvious dissimilarities make such a code complex. Nevertheless, this origin may be sufficient. A correspondence with the priestly blessing in any case seems likely.

Introduced in Sefer Raziel, but much older in origin, l’havdil the names may represent a purification of earlier deities, Greek Anaxos and Zorastrian Anahita, Hephasestos, Pistus, Poseidon, Priapus, and Dionysos.

Because of the dissimilarity of the language with Hebrew, these names faded into the past over time. Today the English name G-d has become prevalent. Linguists suggest a Proto-Indo-European form * Ghu-tó-m was based on the root * Ghau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke". “The name may signify any related or similar monotheistic deities, such as the early monotheism of Akhenaten and Zoroastrianism.”^[980]

Purification of the Canaanite names happened earlier. L’havdil one represented the head of the pantheon perhaps a perception of the one True G-d, G-d most High, El Elyon – אל עליון.^[981] This name remains popular today preserved by its clear Hebrew meaning.

Also see Text ‎10-45: Seventy-two Letters of the Twelve Holy Exalted Names showing the encapsulation of Aramaic angelic names composing the 72 Letter Name of G-d.

To the kabbalist there is never a possibility of idolatry. Rooted in a solid Jewish education, these names are indeed the names of G-d whether they be rooted in Hebrew or purified from the colloquial languages of their time.

This name of G-d is based on the Papyrus triangle and includes up to the second row. Yeshurun contains a vav instead of the Shurek vowel under the shin.

The gematria of YHVH – יהוה is 26, which alludes to the 26 letter name of G-d containing praises of Israel. This consists of the 26 letters in the verse, “Mah tovu ohalecha Ya’akov, mishknotecha Israel” – “How goodly are your tents O’ Jacob, your sanctified places O’ Israel”. ^[982] These 26 letters are always together on the top line of their respective Torah scroll page.^[983] This verse corresponds to Hashem’s name Havayah, which associates with Tiferet, the beauty and splendor of Israel above. The verse elevates the tent to a dwelling place for the Shechinah. The word Mishkan contains the same root as Shechinah denoting the Presence of G-d. The verse also elevates Jacob’s name to Israel. These elevations represent the path from Malchuts to Tiferet, from the physical kingdom of this world to the upper Eden, the beautiful realm of G-d’s Truth. Israel represents Tiferet as Abraham and Isaac represented Hesed and Gevurah in this world. Finally, the name of G-d Havayah has gematria 26 and corresponds to Tiferet the heart of the Tree of Life and Truth.^[984]

This is the name composed of G-d’s Names mentioned in the Torah:^[985]

These are Ehyeh, Yah, YHVH, Adonai, El, Elo’ah, Elohim, Shaddai, and Tzevaot.^[986]

This is one of the most obscure names of G-d.^[987] Rashi comments that ‘this name was not given over to us’.^[988] Hence, the derivation of the name is not well known. The name of Moses’s mother Yocheved – dbkwy has the gematria of 42. Since Yocheved (Jochebed) was head midwife in Israel, she is considered the mother of 600,000 souls, symbolizing her relation to creation.^[989] The gematria for mother – ama is also 42. Also the phrase ‘my heart’ – ybl has a value of 42. This parallels the tzimtzum creation story where G-d withdraws into himself leaving a space like His heart where creation begins. Kabbalists teach this Name is from the first 42 letters of the Bible with each portion, each line of 6 letters bearing the “magical potency” of the entirety.^[990]

The Forty-two Letter Name associates with the seven days of creation. The ‘workings of creation’ – Ma’aseh Bereshis has the initials Mem Bet in Hebrew. The gematria value of Mem Bet – מב is 42. The gematria value of the Name, Eloah –אל_*וה is also forty-two.^[991] The prayer Nishmas Kol Chai contains the phrase “Eloah Kol Briyot – G-d of all Creation”.^[992] This phrase also teaches that the name, Eloah - hwla associates with creation. The 42 Letter Name is the force behind the mitzvah for a man to marry and have children.

The Forty-two Letter Name associates with the seven days of the week, six letters for each day.^[993] The letters on each line correspond with the sefirot Hesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod respectively with the whole line corresponding to Malchut.^[994] The line for Shabbat is שקו צית. Each line corresponds to a thousand years of creation. The last line refers to the last 1000 years of creation. Each 1000 years is also associated with a sefira and the last 1000 years for the age of moshiach that is kingship and Malchuts. Since the name begins with Aleph – א the first Hebrew letter and ends with Tav – ת, the last Hebrew letter, we know that all creation is contained within this Name.^[995]

One may study the 42 Letter Name according to the Seven Weeks^[1002] where the letters divide on a daily basis and then collect in groups of six, providing the sustaining energy to the physical world—the Shechinah that is the collective nature of Malchuts. Zer Anpin sustains Nukva in this manner.

On day 45, the letter vav denotes Tiferet in Malchuts. On day 46, the tzaddik is in the place of Netzah in Malchuts.^[1003] Breslov Hasidim interpret the vav as Moses and the tzaddik as the messiah.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov attempted to capture the secret of the 42-letter name in his fifth story, “The Prince of Precious Stones.”^[1005] His approach is to understand the name metaphorically. While not revealing the origin of the individual letters, his insights add to the picture and help us on our journey.

When the princess heard this she became frantic and went to the water where she had thrown the potion. There she slipped and fell into the river. The tzaddik felt this and said now the prince will be cured. The skin of the prince peeled off and he was revealed that all his body consisted of gems.

The prince in the story is Moses.^[1008] The precious stones are the 600,000 souls of the Jewish people. “Precious stones that are lying in the streets that are being ignored, that are being trampled upon.”^[1009] The term, ‘precious stones’ refers to the souls of Jewish people, though trampled down will rise up again.^[1010] The Tikuney Zohar teaches that before one can reveal his greatness, first there must be a descent and then an ascent can follow. The Gemara teaches that Basya, the Egyptian princess went down to the river to convert and purify herself. When she touched the casket with Moses, he became a leper. When he came to Mt. Sinai and adopted the mantle of leadership, then the brilliance of the 600,000 shown, and the leprosy was removed.

The Midrash says that there is a woman who gave birth to 600,000 souls at one time. This is Yocheved, the mother of Moses. Breslov explains that she is also the mother of all Israel, because Moses was equal to all the souls of Israel combined.^[1011]

The Breslov idea is that the Messiah encapsulates all the souls of the Jews and Moses is equal to the Messiah. From here, we understand why the prince is made entirely of gems. Thus, the prince possessed the qualities of all Jews.

The story revolves around the leader of the 600,000 souls. Every person must know in order for a person to get to a state of purity, reveal his precious soul, one must remove an outer shell of ‘tumah’ - impurity, that is the ‘klipah’ (klipah kadma v-pri – the shell proceeds the fruit).^[1013] If one wants to eat the fruit, one must first remove the rind. In order to remove this, one must be willing to go through a descent and battle the evil forces and be willing to attach to the - Tzaddik Emets, Moshe Rabenu.^[1014] If he resorts to the origin of his neshamah who is Moshe Rabenu, the Tzaddik Emets, he will obtain purity and the ‘klipah’, the impurity will come off.

The same lesson is indicated in the words, “I went down into the garden of nuts” (S.S. 6:11). For, as the nut has a shell surrounding and protecting the kernel inside, so it is with everything sacred: the sacred principle occupies the interior, whilst the “other side” encircles it on the exterior. This is the inward meaning of “the wicked doth surround the righteous” (Habakkuk 1:4). The same is indicated in the very name EGVZ (nut) - zwga. [Tr. note: The numerical value of EGVZ (1+3+6+7)=17. Similarly, HT (sin) (9+8=17) and TVB (the good) (9+6+2)=17.] ^[1015]

As the fruit contains both nourishment and a rind, we are both holy soul with impurity. Similarly, the Hebrew word for fruit, ‘pri’, includes both the name of G-d, Adonai, and the impure shell, the ‘klipah’, within its numbers:^[1016]

yrp = 290 = hpylq ynda

Now we examine the Breslov understanding of the 42 Letter Name from the Tikuney Zohar and the “Prince of Gems” story above.^[1017]

The 600,000 souls finally come forth in all their glory due to their struggle and unwavering faith in the Tzaddik Emets and the Torah, knowing the Moshiach will lead them to perfection.

It is important to note that MaH corresponds to the Shechinah or Malchut or the lowest of the sefirot. BeN is Zer Anpin that is the six sefirot above closer to the Shefa. Why is MaH then listed above BeN? The Bahir hints at an explanation where Malchut is seventh and Yesod is eighth in position.^[1026] Zer Anpin honors the Shechinah by placing her before himself though in a meditation through the chains one will encounter MaH before BeN.^[1027]

This end of heaven is called Who. There is another below, called What – MaH. What distinguishes the two? The first, concealed one—called Who—can be questioned. Once a human being questions and searches, contemplating and knowing rung after rung to the very last rung—once one reaches there: What? What do you know? What have you contemplated? For what have you searched? All is concealed, as before.^[1028]

Now, we leave the Breslov interpretation and turn to the coding theory of the forty-two letter Name. The first seven words in Genesis comprise 28 letters.^[1029] This alludes to the lunar month of four weeks that is the basis for the seasons of the calendar. There is a teaching that the first forty-two letters of the Torah contain the Forty-two Letter Name of G-d. ^[1030] There is also a teaching that there are 42 letters between consecutive numbers in the beginning of the Torah constituting a date for the creation of the world.

A 13th-century Cabalistic rabbi, Bachya ben Asher of Saragossa, Spain, wrote of certain hidden information that was revealed to him by reading every 42nd letter in a portion of Genesis. This method of skipping over letters according to a particular sequence in an attempt to discover hidden messages is the basis for the modern Bible-code concept.^[1033]
Here is a discussion on the 42 Letter Name brought down from Rabbenu Bachya:^[1034]

His imagination fired, Weissmandl took an extraordinary step as a youth: he wrote out on white cards, in ten by ten arrays, the entire 304,805-letter text of the Torah. This formalized the method hinted at by Bachya's statement; and it facilitated the discovery of at least those codes encrypted at intervals and multiples of ten letters, of which Weissmandl believed there were many.


There are 42 places where Israel camped on their journey from Egypt to Israel. These rest stops represent a ladder of cleansing within the context of the Forty-Two Letter Name of G-d. There are 42 days between the end of Passover and Shavuot.

Some consider that the name derives from the initial letters of Nehunia ben Hakanah’s “Anah B’Coach” sung before L’chai Dodi. Nehunia still practiced his simple prayers as he received those greater:^[1035]

I heard from my master [the Baal Shem Tov] that even after Rabbi Nehunia ben HaKaneh knew all the [Kabbalistic] meditations associated with prayer, he would still pray like a small child,^[1036]

The Hai Gaon says that each of the individual six letter names is significant in its own right. The fifth has the gematria 241 equating to the angel Gazerael.^[1037] “Speaking this Name in its entirety counteracts an evil decree issued against one in Heaven.”^[1038]

The 42 Letter Name begins with Av – ba – Father, associating with the sefira of Hochmah and Partzuf Abba. Rav in Tractate Kiddushin, 71a had the following comments on the 42 Letter Name:

The Zohar says:^[1040]

From this point onwards bara shith, “he created six”, from the end of heaven to the end thereof, six sides which extend from the supernal mystic essence, through the expansion of creative force from a primal point. Here has been inscribed the mystery of the name of forty-two letters.

The mystery of the 42 Letter Name is related again in the Zohar to creation. Here the name is separated into six groups of seven letters each for the six walls of creation. These are the four directions, north, south, east, and west as well as up and down.

AND THE EARTH WAS VOID AND WITHOUT FORM. This describes the original state-as it were, the dregs of ink clinging to the point of the pen-in which there was no subsistence, until the world was graven with 42 letters, all of which are the ornamentation of the Holy Name. When they are joined, letters ascend and descend, and form crowns for themselves in all four quarters of the world, so that the world is established through them and they through it. A mould was formed for them like the seal of a ring; when they went in and issued, and the world was created, and when they were joined together in the seal, the world was established. They struck against the great serpent, and penetrated under the chasms of the dust fifteen hundred cubits. Afterwards the great deep arose in darkness, and darkness covered all, until light emerged and cleft the darkness and came forth and shone, as it is written, “He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death” (Job XII, 22).^[1041]

Waite mentions from the Zohar in “The Holy Kabbalah”:^[1042]

From the kind of union which is predicated concerning SM and the evil serpent, they seem to pass easily one into another, and it is presumably in this way that we hear of a great serpent – the dragon of later Kabbalism – which was cast into the abyss with his legions when the Sacred Name of 42 letters was first graven upon the seal of G-d. But the abyss subsequently gave up the demons and the surface of the earth was covered with darkness till celestial light illuminated the world. ^[1043]

This is based on the Zohar and illustrates numerous ideas that entered Judaism during the Persian exile. Herein is the concept of fallen angels and the concept that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was one of them. The personified evil who was the Serpent in the Garden of Eden was not mainstream Judaism, but became mainstream in Christianity. The five sects were the Pharisees expounding the law and accepting the Prophets; the Sadducees or high priests holding only to the Five Books of Moses which they required for the priestly law; the Essenes with their eschatology of wars between angels of light and darkness; the Samaritans of the North who maintained the non-Davidic or Israelite form of the religion constituted of Assyrian relocated peoples intermarried with Israelites; and finally the Christians with the belief in the suffering messiah who came, redeemed, and died. The Sadducees were descendents of Tsadok, one of the two priests serving King David.^[1044] David said:^[1045]

The vowel groups, which are the souls of the letters, the tools of creation, together add to 42.^[1046]

Abraham Abulafia continues on this idea:^[1047]

Along these lines Rabbi Nachman says that there are three “hands” in the name 42 that correspond to Hesed, Gevurah and Tiferet.^[1048] They are “the great hand” – hlwdgh dy, “the strong hand” – hqzjh dy, and “the exalted hand” – hmrh dy.^[1049] These are dy dy dy = 42. When the right and left hands strike in a clap they disperse evil and raise us upwards.

Exodus 14:31 teaches us of the “great hand”:

And Israel saw the great hand, which the Lord did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

Exodus 13:9 teaches us of the “strong hand”:

Exodus 14:8 teaches us of the “exalted hand”:

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the people of Israel; and the people of Israel went out with a high hand.

Finally in Psalm 91:14 we have the phrase Ki Bi – yb yk, because for me, which is 42:

Rabbi Nachman explains:^[1050]

Rabbi Nachman refers to each of the seven six-letter groups as a vav and thus, he says that there are seven vavs or seven pillars in the 42 Letter Name of G-d. This alludes to the seven pillars that support the world. When one takes a vow, a shavua, the word builds seven pillars. One may accept charity and apply money with the seven pillars of the 42 Letter Name. G-d’s blesses us with three hands of the 42 Letter Name.

Rabbi Nachman teaches from the Arizal:^[1051]

In Etz Chaim, Chapter 13: Shem Mem-Bet is in Binah. And these forty-two are the 370 lights that shine. Together with the eight white [hairs], this has the same numerical value as BaShaLOM (in peace). And in Chapter 14, this is the same numerical value as ChaShMaL – חשמל and MalBUSh – מלבוש (garment).

The Arizal teaches that the eight white hairs are four on each of the cheeks of Arikh Anpin and expand to 42 and then to 370 lights emanating from the face of Arikh Anpin. Adding 370+8 = 378 gives the gematria of the small voice or electrum. There are 370 lights of holiness and 370 forces of kelipot. The klipot attempt to consume the lights and they are the moth – עש. G-d provides the Chashmal or Malbush as a garment to protect one from the moth.

The Hashmal is also Ezekiel’s vision of the electrum or lightning of Hashem’s image into this world and that is also Malbush, Elijah’s small voice in the cave.

The issue of the garment of the speaking angel [ha-malach ha-maggid] who will come to someone and teach him Torah, I found it written in the book Marot le-Maggid (speaking visions) and the angel [who reveals himself] is called Azriel and he has revealed to him great and hidden things which no mouth can tell. You should know that the secret of causing the descent of the supernal book is the secret of the descent of the supernal chariot, and when you pronounce the secret of the Great Name, immediately the force of the ‘garment’ will descend downwards, which is the secret of Elijah, who is mentioned in the works of the sages. And by this R. Simeon bar Yohai and Yonathon ben Uziel learned their wisdom, and they deserved the secret of the ‘garment’ and to be dressed in it. And R. Hanina and R. Nehunya ben Ha-Kanah and R. Akiva and R. Ishmael ben Elisha and our holy Rabbi [R. Yehudah ha-Nasi] and Rashi and many others [learned] likewise. And the secret of the ‘garment’ is the vision of the ‘garment’, which the angel of God is dressed in, with a corporeal eye, and it is he who is speaking to you because you did not merit to see him as they did; they received this privilege because they had a pure spirit and they merited the vision. And the secret of the ‘garment’ was given to those who fear God and meditate upon His Name; they have seen it, those men who are the men of God were worthy of this state. And they fasted for forty days continuously, and during their fast they pronounced the Tetragrammaton forty-five times, and on the fortieth day [the ‘garment’] descended on him and showed him whatever he wished [to know], and it stayed with him until the completion of the [study of the] subject he wanted [to know]; and they [perhaps Elijah and the ‘garment’] stayed with him day and night. Thus was it done in the days of Rashi to his master, and the latter taught him [Rashi] this secret [of the ‘garment’], and by means of it [the secret] he [Rashi] composed whatever he composed, by means of his mentor and instructor. Do not believe that he [Rashi] wrote this down from his own reason for he did it by the secret of the ‘garment’ of the angel and the secret of mnemotechnics,^[1052] which explain the questions one is asking or compose a book one wishes to compose, and [thus] were all the sciences copied, one by one. By this technique the ancient sages learned from him innumerable sciences. And this happened in the days of the Talmud and in the days of Rashi’s master and in the days of Rashi, too, since his master began this [usage], and Rashi ended it, and in their times this lore was transmitted by word of mouth, one man to another, and this is the reason why all the sages of Israel relied upon Rashi, as at that time they knew the secret. Therefore, do not ever believe that he [Rashi] composed his commentaries on the Talmud and on the plain meaning of the Bible out of his reason, but by means of this force of the secret of the ‘garment’, and that [force] which wore it, which is an angel, since by means of it he could know and compose whatever he wished. This is the [power] which elevates the letters of the divine name upwards, and it brings downwards [both] the secret of the chariot and the thought of God. And those who were able to see it are like prophets, and in the times of the Talmud many used it. Afterward those who pursued the lore diminished, and they resorted to the daughter of the voice [the bat kol], and the daughter of the voice is called the supernal voice [ha-kol ha-elyon]. It is heard like the voice of a man indeed, but they do not see a body, but a speaking voice.^[1053]

The Sefer ha-Meshiv teaches that to envision the ‘garment’ is a higher level than to hear the Bat Kol.

There are 42 chapters in the book of Job. Each chapter explains its corresponding letter of the Name. Within Job lies the secret of creation. Even in the depths of despair and suffering, Job realizes, “tis not too late to seek a better world.”^[1055]

Both the 42 Letter Name representing creation and the 72 Letter Name representing redemption are intimately connected with the Tetragrammaton.^[1056]

יוד ה וו ה
5 + 12 + 5 + 20
42

Here there is an intimacy of the male energy of G-d overflowing in love for the female energy of God. The letters Yod and Vav are the masculine letters in the Tetragrammaton overflowing in loving energy for the feminine energy. What is the nature of this overflow? The Intimate-letters are the Expanded-Name minus the Tetragrammaton:

ו ד ו
Six ways of Love Knowledge Love from Wisdom

There is an initiation of love from the will of God transmitted from wisdom through knowledge and received by the first Heh or understanding in the Name of God.

Later the energy of understanding descends in six ways of love from the mother aspect to the daughter aspect or the final Heh in the Name of God. The six ways of love are the six directions of space that the Sefer Yetzirah discusses. Love is present fully in all directions of space.

The double bond vav-vav relates to creation in terms of the twelve months of the year and the twelve tribes of Israel and is the essence of love. Six is the number of the planet Venus that oversees romance and creativity. As our love ascends to God there is also love descending in return.

יוד הי ויו הי
15 + 12 + 15 + 20
72

י
י י
ד
ו ו

Keter
Binah Hochmah
Daat
Gevurah Hesed

This expansion is from the level of AV above Atzulut. The intimate letters reveal that the five upper sefirot and knowledge are the source of redemption while the lower five receive the redemptive energy.

The Zohar bridges a relationship between the 42 Letter Name of God and the 72 Letter Name of God:^[1057]

Observe that by the power of these sunken letters were the other letters, namely, the raised letters forming the names of the tribes, now illumined, now darkened.^[1058] The letters of the Divine Name embrace the mystery of the Torah, and all the worlds are a projection of the mystery of those letters. The Torah begins with a Beth followed by an Aleph,[Tr. note: Allusion to B ereshith B ara E lohim (in the beginning God created).] indicating thereby that the world was created by the power of these letters,.the Beth symbolizing the female principle and the Aleph the male principle, and both engendering, as it were, the group of the twenty-two letters. Thus we read, “In the beginning God created the (eth) heaven and the (eth) earth” (Gen. I, 1), where the particle eth (consisting of Aleph and Tau) is a summary of the twenty-two letters by which the earth is nourished. [Tr. note: v. Zohar, Gen. 16b.] Now, the same letters were the instruments used in the building of the Tabernacle. This work was carried out by Bezalel for the reason that, as his very name (Bezel-EI=in the shadow of God) implies, he had a knowledge of the various permutations of the letters, by the power of which heaven and earth were created. Without such knowledge Bezalel could not have accomplished the work of the Tabernacle; for, inasmuch as the celestial Tabernacle was made in all its parts by the mystical power of those letters, the lower Tabernacle could only be prepared by the power of the same letters. Bezalel was skilled in the various permutations of the Divine Name, and for each several part he employed the appropriate permutation of the letters. But when it came to the rearing up of the Tabernacle it was beyond his power, for the reason that the disposition of those letter-groups was entrusted to Moses alone, and hence it was by Moses that the Tabernacle was erected. So Scripture says: “And Moses reared up... and [he] laid... and put in...” (Ex. XL, 18) Moses, but not Bezalel.’

“The letters of the forty-two letter Name are here interpreted as initials of mystical Names of God. This is an ancient approach, which had a considerable influence on the medieval mystics; R. Eleazar of Worms seems to have been one of the important avenues through which this approach made its way into Europe.”^[1059]

By rights one oughtn’t to write everything or to vocalize them, lest those lacking in knowledge and of negligible wisdom use them and be stricken in understanding.

Here is another theory on the origin of the 42 Letter Name of God based on different letter results.^[1060] The expanded spelling has divided the last two letters of Havayah to the front and the first two letters to the end of the Great Name.

An interesting commentary on this verse by Daniel Matt follows^[1061]

As the 42 Letter Name associates with creation, the 72 Letter Name associates with redemption. Urbach in “The Sages” describes a papyrus, which portrayed the Divine name in a triangular structure.^[1062] At the base were 12 positions for the 12 Letter Name, and then 42 positions for the 42 Letter Name and then the full 72 positions ending at top. Adjusting the rows one can see the pyramid structure.

The writing of the Names in amulets and for magical purposes was performed according to the usual practice in this art. The Name of twelve letters, mentioned in a Babylonian Baraita, and the Name of forty-two letters, of which Rav speaks in Kiddushin 71a, and the Name of seventy-two letters, with which, R. Avin tells us, the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed the children of Israel from Egypt—none of these is explained either in the Talmud or in the Amoraic Midrashim. On the other hand, there are numerous philosophical and mystical explanations. But undoubtedly the discovery of the magical papyri has served to clarify the subject of these Names, as M. Gaster and L. Blau have shown. In these papyri the sounds of the Greek alphabet are used for combinations of names in various patterns. This combination of letters, which is called (Greek omitted), was achieved by Jews by means of the Tetragrammaton. Writing it three times produced the Name of twelve letters. A triangular structure, whose base consists of twelve letters – that is, three times the Tetragrammaton – and the succeeding lines contain progressively one letter less, until at the apex the Tetragrammaton is attained, comprises a total of seventy-two letters. The first four rows form the Name of forty-two letters. Since these Names, which were called the ‘Great Name’, were based upon the Tetragrammaton, it is not surprising that the same rules of caution were applied to their transmission.^[1063]

We are forbidden to take the name of G-d in vain. One is punishable if, G-d forbid, he curses someone with this name of G-d.^[1064] That the gematria of Hesed – dsj is 72 teaches that the 72-letter name is an overflowing of kindness beyond consideration of merit that brings our redemption.

Three transcriptions of the Tetragrammaton make up the bottom row, while the Forty Two Letter Name makes up the bottom four rows and the whole structure, the Seventy Two Letter Name. The top row is the Tetragrammaton. Because the 12 Letter Name is not a subset of the Forty Two Letter Name by the actual letters, the papyrus does not explain the origin of the specific letters of these names. Being a Greek papyrus, the structure represents the influence of Greek thought on Jewish mysticism.^[1065]

Rabbi Judan is referring to the following verse of 72 letters. If we are worthy, our Master will redeem us by justice, and if not, He will redeem us with mercy.

and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors ^[1068]

Here the 72 Letter Name of G-d is the story of redemption, the Exodus from Egypt. The writers of the Passover Haggadah included the 72 Letter Name so that we could personally experience G-d redeeming us from Egypt.

Allusions to the 72 Letter Name occur throughout the Siddur, the Jewish prayer book. In the daily service at the end of the morning psalms – Pseukei D’zimra, there is the Song of Moses, Az Yshir Moshe, which consists of eighteen repetitions of YHVH – hwhy,^[1069] the Name of G-d, alluding to the 72 Letter Name.^[1071] The Midrash Rabbah Exodus, commenting on the Song of Moses, states that this section of Exodus deals with G-d’s promise to redeem Israel from Egypt:^[1072]

Moses said, ‘And now Thou dost tell me to do so? Who am I?’ G-d replied, ‘By thy life, I will go down and save them. One woman came into Egypt and on her account did I go down, and I saved her.’ When was this? When Pharaoh took Sarah, as it says: “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh.” (Gen 12:17). ‘Well, if on account of one woman I came down, shall I not come down for the sake of six hundred thousand men, six hundred thousand women, and six hundred thousand children? But you go first and inform My children that I am about to redeem them, and then I will Myself redeem them.’ Hence does it say, “O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me,” and also “And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron and Miriam.”

Similarly in the Song of Moses at the Reed Sea – ים סוף, G-d by the Name Shäm Havayah – יהוה saves the Israelites:^[1073]

Your right hand Lord – יהוה is adorned with power, your right hand Lord – יהוה, crushes the enemy.

As with the Twelve Letter Name of G-d, there are several forms here. The first is the explicit 72-letter name above. The second consists of eighteen instances of G-d’s Name YHVH – יהוה. The third consists of the 72 letters of the names of the tribes of Israel and their forefathers on the breast plate of the high priest, manifesting the Urim and Thumim.^{[1074],[1075]} The fourth consists of 72 letters in the names of angels for the tribes of Israel.

The names of the twelve tribes of Israel constitute 50 letters. The phrase, “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the tribes of Y’shooroon” constitute 22 letters.^[1076] Below the 22 letters are distributed amongst the twelve tribes so that each consists of six letters inscribed on the corresponding stone on the breast plate.^[1077]

The endearing phrase “the tribes of Y’shooroon” means “the righteous tribes of Israel”.

These names are engraved^[1078] on the particular stones listed above in groups of six letters per stone.^[1079] Four of the twenty-two letters of the Y’shooroon – ישרון verse fill in the missing letters from the names of the tribes to include every letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Also, the artisan of the high priest’s clothing placed two onyx stones in gold mounts upon the shoulder straps of the Ephod. He inscribed the fifty letters of the Twelve Tribes of Israel upon these onyx stones – אבני-שהם.^[1080] He inscribed six names on each stone, each group consisting of twenty five letters.

In this manner, the high priest carried the sentence of Israel before G-d. On his head, he wore the letters, Holy unto to G-d – Kadosh l’Adonai, on his shoulders he carried the names of the Twelve Tribes, and in his ‘midst’ upon his ‘heart’ he wore together the names of the Twelve Tribes and the Seventy-two letter Name of G-d. The high priest was like a nexus point symbolizing the will of G-d amongst the people of Israel. With the Urim and Thumim he could reveal the will of G-d to the Nasi (president) of the generation.

The Seventy-two letters on the gems of the breastplate relate to the usage of the Urim and Thumim. The Urim refers to a light source from within the breastplate that would light up various gems. The Thumim in this case is the process of the high priest selecting letters from the lighted gems to form the answer to the beseecher’s first asked question.^[1081]

There are also twelve holy exalted names between the twelve tribes of Israel and G-d. This is the 72 Letter Name at the level of the angels. The roots add to 72 letters.^[1082] The recitation of these names has a deep meditative benefit. There is purity and sanctity here.

The origin of these names is not clear, but they are of the same genre as the angel Metatron – your rain and Sandalfon. The suffix ‘ron’ may mean ‘your’ from the Aramaic or throne from Greek. These twelve names correspond to the twelve diagonal paths in the Tree of Life, which regulate the descent of G-d’s shefa or flow of energy to this world.^[1083] “They are the arms of the world.”^[1084] This is the Axis of space, the 12 directions and the 12 tribes of Israel.^[1085]

26. There is none like the God of Jeshurun (12 Tribes), who rides upon the heaven in your help, and in His heights of the sky – אין כאל ישרון רכב שמים בעזרך ובגאותו שחקים

27. From the dwelling of G-d precedes – מענה אלהי קדם and underneath the arms of the world –

These are the Explicit Holy Exalted Names. There are twelve Names, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel: Ah-Tzitzah-ron Aklithah-ron Shemaqtharon Demushah-ron Ve-Tzaphtzaphithron Hurmyron Brach Yah-ron Eresh Gadra-aon Basavah Monahon Chazhavayah Havahayryhah Ve-Harayth-hon All of them are included in the Heart of heaven. They include male and female. They are given over to the Axis (Teli – space), the Sphere (Galgal – cycle of time) and the Heart (Lev), and they are the wellsprings of Wisdom.

The Bahir asks, “What is the Heart? It is that regarding which it is written (Deuteronomy 4:11), ‘unto the heart of heaven.’ In it are included the 32 mystical paths of Wisdom.”

And you came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire until the heart of heaven – עד-לב השמים, with darkness, clouds, and fog. And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tablets of stone.

The Hebrew is Ad Lev Shemayim - until the Heart of Heaven. The mountain burns with fire until we find the Heart of Heaven. The heart is Lev and has 32 paths of wisdom.^[1086] The fire divides thought, which burns until we find our singular heart.^[1087] From there, we gather wisdom. The fire also consumes the klippot around us purifying us so that we may find our heart.

The Sphere is the rolling of time in its yearly cycle. A Galgal is a wheel. We know that matter defines space and time and that looking into the heavens is to look at the course of time.

The Zohar struggles with the missing letters from the names of the tribes of Israel.^[1088] The explanation above is from a later mystic who resolves the problem fully. This is the way of mysticism from one generation to the next search for the answers to questions of the previous generation.^[1089]

Observe that when the High Priest was wearing the twelve stones fixed on the breastplate and the ephod, the Shekinah hovered over him. These twelve stones had engraved on them the names of the twelve tribes, each stone bearing the name of one of them. The letters were sunk, but when the stones shone they stood out and became luminous, spelling out what was required. Now, in all the names of the tribes the letters heth and teth were not to be found, for the reason that the tribes were without sin (H e T).’ Said R. Hezekiah: ‘This is reasonable as regards the heth, but not so in regard to the teth, since it is the initial of tob (good); and, further, we have learned that the letter teth seen in a dream is a good omen, since at the beginning of the Torah it is written, “And the Lord saw the light that it was good” (Gen. I, 4). Why, then, is that letter absent from the names of the tribes?’ R. Hiya said in reply: ‘It is because these two letters adjoin each other (in the alphabet), and, further, the teth is a letter hidden and withdrawn, as it is symbolic of the light that is above other lights, of the light of which it is written, “And the Lord saw the light that it was good”. Hence it is the light of all the tribes together, and it could not be engraven on any of them. And, in addition, all the twelve tribes sprang from a certain undisclosed Apartment, which is symbolized by the letter teth, and so, symbolizing as it does the undisclosed, this letter could not be made to be seen among them. Observe that all those stones possessed miraculous powers. Thus, when they became luminous, the face of the High Priest was likewise illumined, and at the same time the luminous letters stood out. The shining of the High Priest's face was a sign for all that the luminous letters were of a favorable significance; thereby it was known whether the High Priest was righteous or not.’


The 72 Letter Name of God is the power of redemption. Psalm 72—David’s final psalm teaches the totality of the power of redemption.

20. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Hanukah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem whereupon the last remaining cruse of priestly oil burned for eight days. During the darkest days of the year, during Hanukah, Hashem brings forth a redeeming light. Each day of Hanukah brings with it nine battle powers of redemption who are under the influence of Mars that is exalted in Aries. The sign of Aries watches over the holiday of Passover, whose Exodus marks the dawn of our redemption. The eight days of Hanukah are the octave above the Exodus; they are 9 times 8 or 72 forces of redemption.

The 216 Letter Name of God is the composition of three verses of 72 letters each in Exodus. The Name composes into 72 triplets by taking the first letter of the first verse, the last letter of the second verse, and the first letter of third verse. The next triplet consists of the second letter of the first verse, the second to last letter of the second verse and the second letter of the third verse. We proceed this way until we form all 72 triplets.

The three verses are in Exodus, Torah portion Beshalach. The following Torah portion, Yitro, alludes back to these verses as Jethro contains 72 stanzas:^[1090]

These verses each show divisions.^[1091] In the first verse, there is the front and rear of the camp where the angel moved. In the second verse, there is the Egyptian and Israel camp. There is cloud of darkness and the pillar of fire. In the third verse, there is the sea and dry land. There are the divided waters.

The secret of the Name and its power is that ‘separation’ and ‘two groups or forces’ are agents to knowledge and power respectively.

This is the Shem Vayissa Vayet.^{[1092],[1093]} The following commentary is based on Mishnah Sukkah 4:5 that alludes to the Divine Name as magnified salvation that is redemption.

"Please O Lord, make us prosper now!" – אנא יהוה הצליחה נא (Ps. 118:25)

The Gemara notes that only Kohanim would participate in the procession. Although Israelites were permitted to enter the Court of the Priests for the performance of a mitzvah, they were forbidden to pass between the altar and the Entrance Hall (Ulam) of the Temple (cf. Kelim 1:9).

R. Yehudah states: "Ani Vaho, save now" – אני והו הושיעה נא

In his view the participants in the procession did not say Ana ha-Shem "Please O Lord..." pronouncing the Divine Name, but Ani Vaho – אני והו, the numerical values of the letters, 78, of which adds up to Ana ha-Shem – אנא יהוה. Furthermore, these two words also constitute two of the seventy-two Divine Names found in the three consecutive verses of the Sidrah Beshalach (Exod. 14:19-21): "And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed... And it (i.e., pillar of cloud) came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel... and Moses stretched out his hand over the sea..." Each of the three verses consists of seventy-two letters, with three letter Names being formed by combining each consecutive letter of the first verse read forward, with each consecutive letter of the second verse read backward, and each consecutive letter of the last verse read forward. The first name, accordingly, consists of the Vav of Vayissa, the Heh of Halailah and the Vav of Vayet, forming Vaho. Using the same system we find that the thirty-seventh Name would be formed by the Alef in Me'aharehem, the first Nun of He'anan and the Yod of Kadim, thus forming Ani (Rashi). Dividing the seventy-two names into two sets of 36 each, we find Vaho and Ani heading each set.^[1094] Yet, to suit the verse: "I (Ani) am the first and I am last" Ani of the second set precedes Vaho of the first (Tosefot Yom Tov).

Others associate R. Yehudah's formula with "See now that I (Ani), even I am He (Hu)" – ראו | עתה כי אני הוא (Deut. 32:39), being a plea to God to watch over Israel and deliver them as if to say: "You Who have declared: 'See now that I, even I am He', deliver us as you have promised us" (Rambam, Mishnah Commentary, ad loc.). According to the Yerushalmi the formula reads: Ani Vahu... "I and He" – אני והו ^[1095] both being in distress "save now", since even God, as it were, participates in the sorrow and deliverance of Israel, as in the verse (Ps. 91:15): "I will be with him in trouble" (Rav. Hai Gaon).^[1096] Commenting on Rashi's interpretation of Ani Vahu as Divine Names, Tosafot explain the choice of these two Names out of seventy-two, by associating them with the verses (Ezek. 1.1), "And I (Ani) was among the exiles", and (Jer. 40.1): "And he (Vehu) was bound in chains". According to the Midrash (Ekha Rabbati) the reference is to God Himself. Hence Hosha'na is a plea that He, as it were, should save Himself (Sukkah 45a).^[1097]

And on that day – the seventh day of the festival – they would circle the altar seven times – in

memory of Jericho (Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkah 4:3).

When they would depart – from the altar, after the conclusion of the circuits (hakkafot) –

what would they say? "This beauty is yours, O altar! This beauty is yours, O altar!" we accord this glory to you, O altar, since you atone for us (Rashi).

R. Eliezer says: "To God and to you O altar! To God and to you, O altar!" – in the Gemara,

the question is raised: Is it not forbidden to combine the name of Heaven with anything else? The answer is that the worshippers were actually saying: "God, we acknowledge; and you, O altar, we praise (for being so precious to God as to atone for us, Rashi); God, we bless; and you we praise" (Sukkah 45b).

Rabbi Yehudah exclaims, “I and he” are in exile, “Save us now.” This is Judah’s exclamation when he meets Joseph in Egypt. Perhaps Judah saw how Joseph had become an Egyptian; thus, he beseeched G-d to save them both. For the Messiah ben Judah will be able to perceive each person with his sense of smell and the Messiah ben Joseph was perceived by him. Alternatively the exclamation is “I and He” are in exile for G-d is in exile with us. This alludes to the Divine Presence, the Shechinah who goes into exile. By saving Her, G-d restores Israel as well. When we pray, we pray for the restoration of the Divine Presence.^[1098] The Shechinah is “Rachel crying for her children” and she is buried along the path we took into exile. Sometimes She is lost and wandering alone from us and away from the Divine Source.^[1099] Sometimes She is with us in exile. Sometimes She is restored to Her source, while we are still in exile. At the end of times, She stands at the Western Wall with the restored Temple, and also in heaven, creating a nexus for us forever. Reverence of G-d and the good deeds of the Jewish nation will lead the Divine Presence to dwell among us. Today we pray, “Ana Adonay Hoshiah Nah” because we do not stand in the place of Rabbi Yehudah. Nevertheless, the 72 Triplet Name is in this place and redeems us from exile.

In the area of amulets, the name is divided into two groups of thirty-six which the scribe writes on two amulets. One amulet is worn on one arm and the other on the other arm.^[1100] I recommend the amulets for lovers where a man wears one half and his wife the other. Together they are the image of G-d and G-d unites them.

The 72 Triplet name of G-d also has two forms. The first consists of the 54 YHVH Name of G-d. The second is the three verses from Exodus describing the camp of Israel.^{[1101],[1102]} The second form describes Israel within the forces of nature manifested by the hand of G-d. The miracle of G-d protecting Israel is the essence of the Name Seventy Two. The Shaarey Orah brings down fifty-four permutations of the Tetragrammaton. This would correspond to the gematria of Dalet Nun – דנ, the center two letters in the name Adonai – אדני, which allude to the natural forces that sustain the world through justice. The first letter of this name is Aleph corresponding to the name Ehyeh that begins with an Aleph as well. The last letter is a Yod, which begins the Name Havayah or the Tetragrammaton. Adonai is associated with the sefira Malchuts. Malchuts is an entry point for prayer to the heavens.

These fifty-four Names contain the secret for drawing from the power of all that exists in the world; they are like the soul of the two hundred and sixteen letters, which are contained in the verses [of Exodus 14:19-21]. Everything created is included in these fifty-four Names, and these Names are the means for fulfilling the needs of every creature through the intercession of Adonai – אדני. So, you see that the letters that comprise Adonai teach us about His essence and His dominion. For instance, the first letter of the Name Adonai, the aleph – א, is also the first letter of the Name Eheyeh – אהיה which resides above. The last letter of the Name Adonai, the yud – י, is the essence of יהוה. The dalet – ד and the nun – נ [the middle letters of Adonai] add up to fifty-four. These are the fifty-four Names of being which are the essence of energy, emanation and all that sustains the world’s creatures.^[1104]


The Shaarey Orah teaches that there are 54 permutations of the name YHVH.^[1105] This is based on the assumption that each of the three letters may repeat up to twice, so that we are interested in the permutations of hwhy, hwyy, hwwy, wwyy, hhyy, hhww. There are twelve arrangements of each of the first three Names and six of each of the last three Names providing 54 total permutations.^[1106]

Those that guard the east are in the colors of yellow and violet for Tiferet, the west in the color of orange for Yesod, the north with the colors of red and gold for Gevurah, and the south in white and silver for Hesed.^[1107]

yhwh ywhh yhhw whyh wyhh whhy hyhw hywh hwyh hwhy hhyw hhwy
whyy wyhy wyyh hwyy hywy hyyw ywhy ywyh yhwy yhyw yywh yyhw
yhww ywhw ywwh hyww hwyw hwwy wyhw wywh whyw whwy wwyh wwhy
yyww ywyw ywwy wwyy wywy wyyw
yyhh yhyh yhhy hhyy hyhy hyyh
hhww hwhw hwwh wwhh whwh whhw
║
║
║
hll chm \lu fys yly whw
uhh wal dla yzh thk hka
ylk wal \qh yrh hbm lzy
whh hlm yyy ]ln lhp wwl

\wa yyr hac try aah htn
dnm qwk jhl wjy rcw bkl
kym hhh zyy uhr suh yna
hym lcu yru las hly lww

tyn ann \mu cjh ynd whw
rxm jrh lyy \mn ywp hbm
qnm bmd yjm wnu hhy bmw
\wm yyh \by har wbj uya

All of them are sealed with YHVH, G-d of Israel, the living G-d, Shaddai, high and exalted, who dwells in eternity on high, whose name is holy, YHVH. Blessed be the name of the glory of HIS kingdom forever and ever.^[1108]

Above is another form of the 72 triplet Name with three groups of 24 watches. Each group assigns a watcher for a 20 minute segment of every hour each day. The first group representatives watch the first triad of the hours. The second group representatives watch the second triad the hours. The third group representatives watch the third triad of the hours.

The following Segulahs are found in the Great Holy Name.

1. Heh Heh Ayin – Unconditional love

2. Sin Aleph Heh – שאה – Soul mate or partner in life from השא – impose marriage

3. Chaf Lamed Yod – Fertility

4. Mem He Shin – Good health

5. Chaf He Taf – Defusing bad energy

6. Vav Heh Vav – Happiness

7. Lamed Alef Vav – Against Ego

9. Alef Lamed Daled – Against the evil eye


The simplest form of the 216 Letter Name consists of three groups of eighteen Havayah triplets.

Abulafia leads us to understand the relationship between the 216 Letter Name of G-d and the Ineffable Name that is the “holy high mountain”.

And the name of the holy high mountain is the Ineffable Name, and know this, and the 216 – ריו and secret of the mountain is Gevurah (might = 216), and he is the Mighty One, who wages war against the enemies of God who forget His Name. And behold, after this the letters are corporealized in the form of the Ministering Angels who know the labor of singing, and these are the Levites, who are in the form of God, who give birth to a voice of joy and ringing song, and teach with their voice matters of the future and new ways, and renew the knowledge of prophecy.


Gevurah, strength, has the gematria of 216 – גבורה. Abulafia might link Gevurah and ‘mountain’ through the phrase, “and the mountain” – וההר that also has the gematria 216. ^{[1109],[1110]} Second, another phrase ties the symbol of the mountain to the Ineffable Name of G-d. “There is a holy high mountain”^[1111] – Sham Har Kadosh Gevuah – שם הר קדוש גבוה – 971 – שם המפורש – Shem haMeforas (the Ineffable Name alluding to the 72 triplets).

The prophet Habakkuk’s name has gematria 216 – חבקוק. Based on the gematria of Habakkuk and that Habakkuk was the Shunamite’s son revived from the dead, the Zohar 1:7, relates the 216 Letter Name of God to the revival of the dead. By this Name, God will give life again in the world to come. While the 72 Letter Name has the power of redemption, the 216 Letter Name magnifies this power threefold resulting in the power of restoration.^[1113] The 216 Letter Ineffable Name has the power to restore life.^[1114]

R. Simeon trembled and wept. ‘ “O Lord, I have the report of thee, and I am afraid” ‘ (Habak. III, 2), he said. ‘This verse did Habakkuk exclaim at the time when he reflected on his own death and his resurrection through Elisha. Why was he named HaBaKuK? Because it is written, “At this season when the time cometh round, thou shalt be embracing (HoBeKeth) a son” (II Kings IV, 16), and he-Habakkuk-was the son of the Shunamite. He received indeed two embracings, one from his mother and one from Elisha, as it is written, “and he put his mouth upon his mouth” (Ibid. 34). In the Book of King Solomon I have found the following: He (Elisha) traced on him the mystic appellation, consisting of seventy-two names. For the alphabetical letters that his father had at first engraved on him had flown off when the child died; but when Elisha embraced him he engraved on him anew all those letters of the seventy-two names. Now the number of those letters amounts to two hundred and sixteen, and they were all engraved by the breath of Elisha on the child to put again into him the breath of life through the power of the letters of the seventy-two names. And Elisha named him Habakuk, a name of double significance, alluding in its sound to the twofold embracing, as already explained, and in its numerical value (H. B. K. V. K. =8. 2. 100. 6. 100) to two hundred and sixteen, the number of the letters of the Sacred Name. By the words his spirit was restored to him and by the letters his bodily parts were reconstituted. Therefore the child was named Habakuk, and it was he who said: “O Lord, I have heard the report of thee, and I am afraid” (Habak. III, 2), that is to say, I have heard what happened to me, that I tasted of the other world, and am afraid. He then commenced to supplicate for himself, saying, “O Lord, Thy work” which Thou hast accomplished for me, “in the midst of the years”, I pray, “let its life be”. For he who is bound up with the cycles of past years has life bound up with him. “In the midst of the years make it known”, to wit, that stage in which there is no life.’ R. Simeon then wept and said: ‘I also from what I have heard am seized with fear of the Holy One, blessed be He.’ He then raised his hands above his head and said, ‘What a privilege it was for you to see face to face the venerable Rab Hamnuna, the light of the Torah-a privilege I have not been granted.’ He then fell on his face and saw him uprooting mountains, and kindling the lights in the temple of the Messiah. R. Hamnuna, addressing him, said, ‘Master, in this other world thou wilt be the neighbour of the teachers of the Law in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He.’ From that time onward R. Simeon named R. Eleazar his son and R. Abba Peniel (face of God), in allusion to the verse, “For I have seen God face to face” (Gen. XXXII, 31)

The Shunamite’s son that Elisha raised was Habakuk. Here again we the elevation of the 72 Letter Name of Redemption to the 216 Letter Name of Restoration.^[1115]

I have discovered in The Book of King Solomon: He inscribed on him in words the engraved name of seventy-two names. For the letters of the alphabet that his father had originally inscribed on him flew away from him when he died. Now that Elisha embraced him, he inscribed on him all those letters of the seventy-two names. The letters of these seventy-two engraved names are 216 letters, all of which Elisha inscribed with his breath to restore him to life through the letters of the seventy-two names. He called him Habukuk, a name fulfilling all sides: fulfilling embracings, as explained, and fulfilling the mystery of the 216 letters of the holy name. He was revived with words, restoring his spirit, and with letters, reviving his entire body enduringly.


The Hebrew word for Lion – אריה also has the gematria 216.^[1116] Amos chapter 3 shows the lion is akin to the attribute of Gevurah. Gevurah alludes to the strength of the lion.

Hear, and testify in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts, “That on the day that I punish Israel for its transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Beth-El; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. And I will strike the winter house with the summerhouse; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end,” says the Lord.

Hesed of the 72 Letter Name binds Gevurah of the 216 as Abraham bound Isaac and then Hashem redeems him with a ram caught in a thicket.^[1117] Synthesized explanation:^[1118]

The source for the 72 Names is in Exodus, chapter 14, verses 19, 20 and 21, whose first words are "Vayisa, Vayavo, Vayet." The 72 Names derived from these verses are of 3 letters each. In all, they have 216 letters. 72 is the numerical value of chesed, loving kindness. 216 is the numerical value of  gevurah, strength. In the language of Kabbalah, this is the unification of love and awe, the interinclusion of awe in love, left in right. You can find these Names at the end of Part 2 of the Zohar (Exodus), as well as in any prayer book of the Arizal on the meditations of the second and third paragraphs of the Kriyat Shema.^[1119]

From the correspondence of each Name to a particular word in the second and third paragraphs of the Kriyat Shema, we learn the meaning of the Name and the Divine service that each Name should elicit in one's soul.

The Arizal has divided the 72 Triplet Name over the second and the first half of the third paragraph of the Shema. The words in the Shema suggest the “Divine service that each Name should elicit in one’s soul”:^[1120]

In Figure ‎10-4, notice the triplet Name(s) above the words of the Shema starting in the 2^nd paragraph. In the outlined name Havayah there are 24 circles—23 circles have a shin that has 3 lines each, 1 circle has a Chirik vowel point for 1 line, and the Kametz adds two lines giving: (23×3)+1+2 = 72. Tikkun Olam, the reparation of the world relates to 288 fallen sparks of G-d in this world. Perhaps the 72 Letter Name and the 216 Letter Name elevate the fallen sparks of Hesed and Gevurah respectively (see ‎9.16: [1121]).¹¹²¹ Together their powers may complete the restoration of the 28[1122]llen sparks of Daat.¹¹²²

Metar in its first incidence above has the triplet ייי that alludes to Metatron who stands first before the Ayn Sof – the Infinite One. The small letter Yod is the Small Voice that Elijah heard even denoting the Name of the Creator.^[1123] Matar in the second incidence has the triplet נמם, Nun Mem for Falling Water from Nofel Mayim and the final Mem is for Malchut a receptacle for the Shefa that is our world. For this reason Metatron is known as both the “Prince of the World”^[1124] and “Your Rain”^[1125].

Ultimately Hashem is beyond all names or without Name. The Or HaMaor in Shoftim recognized:

All names are but part of His creation as well as the attributes that we have ascribed to Him even the Sefirot.^[1127]

^[946] Exodus Midrash Rabbah 3:6
^[947] This section contains the Hebrew Name(s) of G-d and thus must not be destroyed or desecrated. The printed form should be buried in a Jewish cemetery. This text should not be taken into an unclean or idolatrous place.
^[948] Talmud Kiddushin 71a
^[949] Midrash Rabbah Leviticus 23:2
^[950] The name lengths like gematria were introduced in the Hellenistic period. See Chapter ‎10.11 The 72 Letter Name of God and Text ‎10-38: Urbach on the Names of God According to the Magical Papyri.
^[951] See Text ‎10-11: Moshe’s knowledge of the Ineffable Name. Application of this Name for destruction risks repercussions unless the situation is similar to that experienced by Moshe Rabbenu.
^[952] Leviticus Rabbah 21:6
^[953] Ibid 21:7
^[954] Shaarey Orah, trans. p. 170
^[955] Torah Portion Ahrey Mos.
^[956] Selected Portions of Nachmanides Commentary on the Torah, Ramban, Bereishis Part 1, trans. Avraham Yaakov Finkel, pp.67-68
^[957] http://www.sacred-texts.com/wmn/wb/wb59.htm The Woman’s Bible, By Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Revising Committee [1898]
^[958] Sepher Rezial Hemelach – The Book of the Angel Rezial, ed. and trans. Steve Savedow, Weiser, p.viii. Sefer Raziel states the name Elohim with gematria 86, but for some reason Savedow edited the original text.
^[959] Ecclesiastes Rabbah 3:15
^[960] ‘Shem HaMeforesh’ is the ‘name that must be sought’ that is the hidden name. These are the names whose root is the Tetragrammaton, including the 12, 42, and 72 letter names.
^[961] This is the same as the 42 Letter Name of G-d.
^[962] Midrash Rabbah Exodus 1:29

^[963] Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 230b is similar. The specific quotes are from Zohar 231a, 231b, 234b. Dan Black of Salt Lake City pointed out these verses commenting on their relationship.

^[964] The Stone Age to Christianity, William Foxwell Albright, Second Edition, Doubleday Anchor Books, 1957, pp.259-264
^[965] Understand paragraph following Text ‎2-188: Jeremiah 31:22
^[966] In prayer and the reading of the Torah, Adonai – Lord is substituted for the ineffable Name.
^[967] Menahem Nahum of Chernobyl, Upright Practices, The Light of the Eyes, p.80, fn.1.
^[968] Menahem Nahum of Chernobyl, Upright Practices, The Light of the Eyes, p.80.
^[969] Hebrew Magical Amulets, T. Schrire, p.96
^[970] See Text ‎26-2: Origins of tzedek and Text ‎26-53: Chagigah 15a
^[971] See Text ‎26-55: Adonai connected with Metatron
^[972] From the Prayer liturgy.
^[973] Bahir 111
^[974] Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia, Idel, pp. 104-105
^[975] See Meditation ‎20-1: Angels of Time
^[976] Meditation and the Bible, Kaplan, page 143
^[977] Jewish Magic and Superstition, A Study in Folk Religion, Joshua Trachtenberg, Atheneum, 1984, p.92
^[978] Ibid. pp. 92-95
^[979] Ibid. pp. 92-95
^[980] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God
^[981] See ‎26.4 Canaanite Religion p.806
^[982] Numbers 24:5. The second part of the verse is more literally, “the dwelling place of G-d in Israel.” The word for “dwelling place” is ‘mishcan’ which has the same root as Shechinah that is the dwelling place of G-d.
^[983] Michael Walton, Feb. 3^rd, 2002.
^[984] Numbers 24:5, The Pentateuch and Rashi’s Commentary, A Linear Translation into English, Rabbi Abraham Ben Isaiah and Rabbi Benjamin Sharfman, S.S. & R. Publishing Company, Inc. Brooklyn. N.Y., page 257
^[985] Shaarey Orah, Joseph Gikalatia, Introduction, page 1a.
^[986] Meditation and Kabbalah, Kaplan, page 128 quoting the Gates of Light.
^[987] See Burning Bush that does not burn
There are seven groups of six letters. The seven groups are the seven days of the week. The six letters in each group are in the positions of the six sefirot Hesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod. The combination of the letter and its position reveal the aspect of the sefira that is emphasized for that day.
^[988] Kiddushin 71b.
^[989] Nachman’s Short Stories, trans. Aryeh Kaplan, see Text ‎10-18: Nachman's Prince of Gems
^[990] Kabbalah, Charles Ponce, page 183.
^[991] The flower in the center is the beginning of creation. See Meditation ‎14-5: Eloah God as Creator p. 536.
^[992] The Soul’s Voice of Life is in the prayer book for Shabbat after the morning psalms and the Song of Moses and prior to the Shema. Also see the meditation, “Space Travel”.
^[993] Sefer Yetzirah, Aryeh Kaplan, Ch. 4. Also Ch. 5 for mix with letters of the name of G-d for 28 paths.
^[994] Nachman’s Short Stories, Aryeh Kaplan, page 126.
^[995] This is the also found in the Greek concept of from Alpha to Omega
^[996] From Exile to Redemption, Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita, page 20.
^[997] Nachman’s Short Stories, Aryeh Kaplan, page 126.
^[998] Ibid
^[999] Ibid
^[1000] Ibid
^[1001] Ibid
^[1002] Counting up to the Festival of Weeks – Shavuot.
^[1003] Ibid. Assigning Moses to the letter vav and the Messiah to the tzaddik. The name Nachman has the gematria 149 that is the same as Netzah.
^[1004] Sefer Yetzirah, Aryeh Kaplan, 4:13, p. 176. Resh’s hard sound is war and in trill is peace, 4:3.
^[1005] Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfield, Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom, Tape 30: http://www.breslov.com/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?breslov/media/Rosenfeld/Wisdom_30.ram.
^[1006] This is one of the areas, where the prayers of a tzaddik were known to be particular effective.
^[1007] This shows that a tzaddik with G-d is greater than any magic.
^[1008] Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfeld, Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom, Tape 30: http://www.breslov.com/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?breslov/media/Rosenfeld/Wisdom_30.ram.
^[1009] Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfeld quoting a possuk.
^[1010] Yaakov Newman
^[1011] The standard explanation is that she was mother of all Israel because she was the head midwife, delivering all babies.
^[1012] Soncino Midrash Rabbah Song of Songs 1:65 or 4:2
^[1013] Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfeld z”l also applies the phrase, “the shell precedes the fruit” to the case of Bat Sheva who was the Zivug of David, but would marry another before she could find her way to her true husband. One could not have the land of Israel before it fell into the hands of the Canaanites or the Arab countries. Avraham Avinu could not get to Eretz Israel until he first went down into Egypt. The Jews could not receive the Torah until they first became slaves descending down to the 49^th degree of Tumah, impurity.
^[1014] The righteous leader of his generation.
^[1015] Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, section 2, p. 233b.
^[1016] Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfeld, Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom commentary, tape #30.
^[1017] Recording 1:20.

^[1018] Gimmel is 3 plus Yod that is 10 equals 13.

^[1019] The Vav alluding to Zer Anpin.

^[1020] Being the third letter vav corresponds with AV, SaG, MaH, BeN. The letter Vav in the name of G-d MaH is spelled vav alpeh vav. See the following table.

^[1021] Tikuney Hazohar.

^[1022] The 15^th Tarot card has a picture of the devil chaining mankind. This is bondage by magic.

^[1023] see Enoch

^[1024] Shin is 300 for keter, hochmah, and binah. see Enoch

^[1025] Moses and his Torah.
^[1026] See Figure ‎17-5: The Kabbalistic Tree in Two Systems and Bahir 157 and commentary on p.176 in the Bahir Illumination by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. See ‎30.9 Rabbi Nachman’s Seven Beggars.
^[1027] The Zohar, trans. Daniel C. Matt, 2004, p.6 who comments in fn.30, “What מה (Mah), a name for Shechinah, last of the ten sefirot, daughter of Binah.” Also see p.44 fn.305.
^[1028] Ibid. See Zohar 2:127a. “Binah and Shekhinah comprise the two ends of heave, above and below Tiferet, who is called Heaven.”
^[1029] The Holy Kabbalah, Arthur Edward Waite, page 618
^[1030] Cracking the Bible, Jeffrey Satinover, http://www.quantgen.com/ch06.htm, search for “42 letter name” Genesis
^[1031] This is the Forty-two Letter Torah Code.
^[1032] http://www.pytlik.com/observe/deliverus/handwriting.html
^[1033] http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/4/1a/article_01.htm
^[1034] Cracking the Bible Code, Jeffrey Santinover. http://www.quantgen.com/ch06.htm
^[1035] Meditation and Kabbalah, Kaplan, page 290
^[1036] Sefer Baal Shem Tov Noah 134
^[1037] Hebrew Amulets, Schrire
^[1038] http://members.aol.com/fegele/letters03.html
^[1039] M. Gaster, “Studies and Texts in Folklore, Magic etc., vol. I, London 1925, pp. 295 ff.
^[1040] Zohar Bereshith, Soncino Press, Page 65.
^[1041] Zohar I 30b, Harry Sperling and Marice Simon trans., page 115.
^[1042] The Holy Kabbalah, A. E. Waite, page 275.
^[1043] Zohar I 30b; I 190.
^[1044] The Veneration of Divine Justice, The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christianity, Roy A. Rosenberg, Ch. 4.
^[1045] Kings 1:1:34.
^[1046] Meditation and Kabbalah, Kaplan, page 104.
^[1047] Ibid, page 105
^[1048] Likutey Moharan Volume 5, #42:2, page 313 and note 32.
^[1049] Likutey Moharan Volume 5 46:2, page 375.
^[1050] Likutey Moharan Volume 5 46:2 pp 377-379.
^[1051] Likutey Moharan Volume 5, 42:3, page 317.
^[1052] Techniques for aiding the memory, form mnemonic.
^[1053] Sefer ha-Meshiv – The Book of the Answering Entity, Anonymous author(s), Ms. Oxford-Bodleaiana 1597, translation by Moshe Idel in Enchanted Chains p.116-118.
^[1054] Jewish Mysticism, An Introduction to the Kabbalah, Joshua Abelson (1873-1940), reprinted 2001 from 1913 version, p.38
^[1055] Alfred Tennyson
^[1056] The Decrypting of the Kabbalistic Value of Thirty-Seven, Ian Christie-Miller, May 3^rd, 2000, p.14. Ian is quoting J. Reuchlin from the work De Arte.
^[1057] Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, pp 234a-235a
^[1058] This alludes to the 72 Letter Name of God
^[1059] The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia, Moshe Idel p.17 and p.43 n.13 quoting Sefer ha-Hochmah. Also see Kabbalah New Perspectives, Moshe Idel, p.99.
^[1060] Jewish Encyclopedia, 1905, p.164: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=52&letter=N
^[1061] The Zohar, Daniel C. Matt p.62 fn.459
^[1062] Urbach, “The Sages – Their Concepts and Beliefs”, Magnes Press of Hebrew University, 1975, pp.130-131.
^[1063] Ibid, pp. 130-131
^[1064] See the Tetragrammaton section in the same chapter.
^[1065] The 231/221 combinations of Hebrew letters taken two at a time constitute the Gates of Creation and are shown in triangle structure in ‎5.2.1 Gates of Creation p.270.
^[1066] The two letters are Dalet and Nun which spell judgment, the Hebrew word being ‘din’ – דן.
^[1067] Midrash Rabbah Genesis 44:19
^[1068] Deuteronomy 4:34
^[1069] The Eighteen Shäm Havayahs¹⁰⁷⁰ – שם הויה – יהוה – YHVH,
^[1071] The World of Prayer, Elie Munk, Vol. 1, page 85.
^[1072] Midrash Rabbah Exodus 15:14, Soncino, p. 177
^[1073] Exodus 15:6
^[1074] Or Yakar, Commentary on Zohar Shir HaShirim (Jerusalem, Ms. 74 4), quoted in Kitvey Yad BaKabbalah, p. 235, quoted in Meditation and the Bible, Kaplan p. 141
^[1075] While wearing the eight vestments, the high priest transcended the physical into the spiritual realm while becoming the Urim and Thumim, Ibid. p. 141.
^[1076] Meditation and the Bible, page 168, note 85 quotes the sources as Bachya, Chazkuni, Baal HaTurim on Exodus 28:21; Abraham Abulafia, Mafteach HaChakhmot (JTS, Ms. 1686) p104b.
^[1077] Soncino Yoma 73b explains how each stone had 6 letters: How was it effected? — R. Johanan said: [The letters] stood forth. (The names of the twelve sons of Jacob were inscribed on the Urim and Thummim. The answer always came through the letters which stood in relief) Resh Lakish said: They joined each other. But the ‘Zade’ was missing? (The names of the twelve sons did not include that letter) R. Samuel b. Isaac said: They contained also the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the ‘Teth’, too, was missing? — R. Aha b. Jacob said: They contained also the words: The ‘tribes’ of Jeshurun. (The Hebrew of which includes a teth)
^[1078] Like on signet ring. In order for this to happen the stones must have been of a softer material. Perhaps they were of the corresponding colors but not as hard as a ruby, emerald, or diamond. In this manner they were semi-precious stones that conducted light.
^[1079] Exodus 28:15-21
^[1080] Rashi on Exodus 28:10 quoted in Metsudah Exodus, ed. Avrohom Davis, page 437. Sotah 36a has two other opinions that differ from Rashi on the order.
^[1081] Thumim meaning simple, whole, or to complete.
^[1082] Bahir 112, Kaplan, p.43, p.197, part II, p.167, p.203. Kaplan asserts that there are 72 letters when this name is written correctly.
^[1083] Bahir 113, Kaplan, part II, pp. 167-168.
^[1084] Bahir 96 from Deuteronomy 33:27 on the expansion of the sky that are the arms of G-d from Netzah to Hod, the SheChakim - שחקים
^[1085] Origins of the Kabbalah, Gershom Scholem, Edited by R. J. Zwi Werblowsky, Translated by Allan Arkush, p.77
^[1086] See ‎17.1 The 32 Paths of Wisdom [TABLE] p.605
^[1087] Fire and thought representing Binah while wisdom is representing Hochmah.

^[1088] Soncino Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 230a

^[1089] Michael Walton of Salt Lake City teaches that the questions in Judaism are of greater status than the answers.
^[1090] The Metsudah Chumash, Exodus.
^[1091] Barney on the 20^th of Shevat, his wife’s birthday, 5752.
^[1092] Hebrew Magic Amulets, T. Schrire, page 99.
^[1093] http://www.ou.org/pdf/luach/2003/luach0303.pdf
^[1094] See Text ‎10-55: The Soul of/and the Seventy Two Triplets on page 451 where there are six lines of six triplets separating the two Names dividing the 72 triplets into two sets of 36.
^[1095] The final aleph on הוא is missing and with the added vav, we get the Divine Name והו.
^[1096] There is more here to R. Yehudah’s formula. He alludes to the distress of Yehudah for his brother Yosef beseeching G-d to save him.
^[1097] Better “that He, as it were, should save Herself” Who is the Shechinah, Who is in exile.
^[1098] See Text ‎13-19: Praying for the Shechinah page 514
^[1099] The Shechinah is the Divine Presence of G-d.
^[1100] Schrire says that the name is two large to be written on one amulet and it was for this reason that it is divided amongst two amulets. Perhaps this division is more natural than he realized based on the contents of these verses.
^[1101] Hebrew Magic Amulets, T. Schrire page 99, says that the 72 triplets are this name.
^[1102] There are also seventy-two angels of G-d which constitute the Court of G-d and whom G-d consulted before the creation of Man.
^[1103] Meditation and Kabbalah quoting the Shaarey Orah page 129.
^[1104] Gates of Light, Yosef Gikalatiya, trans. Avi Weinstein, page 15.
^[1105] Shaarey Orah, introduction, quoted in Meditation and Kabbalah, pp. 129-130
^[1106] The number of ways of taking n objects r at a time is P(n,r) = n!/(n-r)! where order is important.
The number of arrangements of n objects taken r at a time w/o order is C(n,r) = n! / ((n-r)!r!).
^[1107] see Sefirot Colors and Lights [TABLE]
^[1108] The Bahir Illumination, Section 110, Kaplan, page 42
^[1109] The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia, Moshe Idel, p.101 and p.156 n.128.
^[1110] Moshe Idel suggests this allusion.
^[1111] This is not a phrase of the Tanach, but instead another one of Abulafia’s constructs. Nevertheless, ‘high’ and ‘holy’ associate with the ‘mountain’ individually throughout the Tanach.
^[1112] Ibid p.156
^[1113] Also see Ezekiel’s ‘Valley of the Dry Bones’ which symbolizes the restoration of the lost hope of Israel.
^[1114] See Text ‎10-10: Midrash on the Ineffable Name of God and Text ‎10-11: Moshe’s knowledge of the Ineffable Name that shows with every power there is an opposite power.
^[1115] The Zohar Pritzker Edition, trans. Daniel C. Matt, 2004, p.48
^[1116] Mi Chamocha 5629, True Existence, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch, p.37.
^[1117] see ‎2.1.1.5 Birthday of the World p.51
^[1118] http://www.inner.org/sefirot/sefchesd.htm and http://www.inner.org/sefirot/sefgevur.htm. Non-italicized are adjustments that previously stated the “second section”, probably meant the second and third sections of the Shema if broken down into paragraphs. Alternatively the Shema has four parts, ‘Creation of the lights blessing’, ‘Love of Israel blessing’, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One ... Emet’, ‘Redeemer of Israel blessing’
^[1119] Siddur_Kol_Yakov.pdf pp. 114-116.
^[1120] As suggested by Text ‎10-63: Love and Awe. The Shema here is from Siddur Kol Yakov that is available on the internet as siddur_kol_yakov.pdf.
^[1121] See Text ‎9-40: Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh on the 288 Sparks
^[1122] See Text ‎2-79: Rabbi Pinchas Winston (Aish HaTorah) on Sparks
^[1123] See Text ‎2-50: Metatron in the Hebrew Book of Enoch
^[1124] Soncino Zohar
^[1125] See ‎2.2.4.1 Enoch
^[1126] The Light Beyond, Aryeh Kaplan, page 31.
^[1127] Nothing is the essence of G-d.
^[1128] Inspiration from Chellis, 1/24/2003

Previous Next Home Title Page Index Contents