The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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9 1 1 . “ For we have learned that a thousand worlds are contained thereby.
912. “This is that which is said, Cant. iv. 4: c Wherein there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men/ And this ‘ thousand shields ’ is an Arcanum.
913. “ It is related in the c Book of Concealed Mystery 7 that c all the shields of the mighty men 1 which come from the side of the rigours, J are derived from those severities (Geboran, GBVRAN).
914. “The ninth conformation is that the hairs flow
* The seventh Sephira. f The fifth Sepliira.
4 We must not forget that in Microprosopus are “right and left,” Mercy and J ustice.
THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
down in perfect equilibrium even unto those hairs which hang down beneath, and all of them in beautiful arrangement, like (that of) a brave hero, (of) a chief victorious in war.
915. “ Because all the hairs follow those which hang down, and all are joined unto those which hang down, and each holdeth its own course.
916. “Concerning this it is written, Prov. xx. 29:
‘ The beauty of a young man is his strength.’
917. “ And He appeareth upon the (Red) Sea,* like a beautiful youth, which is written in Cant. v. 16: £ Excellent (or young) as the cedars.’
918. “Like a hero hath He exhibited His valour, and
this is that ThPARTh, ChILA, VGBVRThA, VRChMI,
Tiphereth , Chila , Vc-Geburatha , Ve Rechemi , Beauty,
Strength, and Valour, and Mercy.”
CHAPTER XXXIX.
CONCERNING THE BODY OF MICROPROSOPUS IN GENERAL,
UNDER THE CONDITION OF AN ANDROGYN.
919. This have we learned. Rabbi Schimeon said : All those dispositions and all those words ought to be revealed by those who are weighed in the balance, and not by those who have not entered therein, but by those who have both entered therein and departed therefrom. For he who entereth therein and goeth not out therefrom, better were it for that man that he had never been born.
920. The sum of all is this : The Ancient of the Ancient Ones existeth in Microprosopus ; He is the all-existent One ; He was all, He is all, He will be all ; He will not be changed, neither is He changed, neither hath He been changed.
* Microprosopus, the Vau, V, of IHVH. The sea is Binah, the Supernal Mother, the third Sephira, and the first H of IHVH.
Q
KABBALAH.
921. But by means of those conformations hath He conformed Himself in that form which comprehendeth all forms, in that form which comprehendeth all names.
922. But this form wherein He Himself only appeareth is in the similitude of this form ; and is not that form, but is analogous unto this form * * * § — namely, when there are associated therewith the crowns and the diadems and the perfection of all things.
923. And therefore is the form of the man the form of the superiors and inferiors which are included therein.
924. And because that form comprehendeth the superiors and the inferiors, therefore by such a disposition is the Most Holy Ancient One conformed ; and thus also is Microprosopus configurated in this disposition.
925. And if thou sayest : What, then, is the difference between the one and the other ?
926. Assuredly all things are equally ( balanced in the ) Unity. But yet from our point of view ( i.e ., from our plane) His paths are divided, and from our point of view [on our plane ) is judgment found, and from the side which is turned towards us are ( His attributes) by turns duplicated.!
927. And these Arcana are not revealed save unto the reapers of the Sacred Land.J
928. For it is written, Ps. xxv. 14: “The secret of
Tetragrammaton is with them that fear Him.”
929. Also it is written, Gen. ii. 7: “ VIITzB
IHV H ALHIM ATh HADM, Va- Yeyetzer Tetragrammaton JElohim Ath Ha- Adam .§ And Tetragrammaton Elohim
* I take the sense of this second clause to be that He is not really in the outward and visible form of a material man ; but that he can be best expressed hereby in a symbolic spiritual form. Cf. Ezek. i. 26 : “ And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above it.”
+ In connection with this section read ch. i. §§ 5> 6, 7> and 8, of the “ Book of Concealed Mystery.”
X Le., to the students of the Qabalah.
§ See also “Book of Concealed Mystery,” ch. ii. § 23.
THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
22 7 formed the substance of man, completed (him) formation by formation from the most ethereal { portion) of the refined ( clement of) earth (otherwise formation within formation from the best, &c.)
930. And this is Va- Yeyetzer YIITzR, written with two
Yods, I’s [instead of VITzR, Va-Yetzer , with one Yod , I).