The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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209. And that Father proceedeth from the Most
Holy Ancient One, like as it is written, Job xxviii. 1 2 :
“ And ChKMH, Chokmah * Wisdom, is found from AIN,
Ain , the Negatively Existent One ; ” and therefore is
He not known.
210. Come and see! It is written, ibid. 22 : “The Elohim have known the path ; ” His path, properly speaking.
2 I 1 . But again, further on : “ VHVA, Va-Hoa, and He Himself knoweth His place ; ” His place properly speaking ; much more His path ; and much more this Wisdom which is concealed in the Most Holy Ancient One.
2 12. This Wisdom is the beginning of all things.
OO o
Thencefrom are expanded the thirty-two paths : ShBILIN, Shebilin , Paths, I say ; and not ARChIN, Archin , Byways.
213. And in them is the Law comprehended, in the twenty- two letters and in the ten utterances. f
214. This Chokmah is the Father of Fathers, and in this Chokmah is beginning and end discovered ; and therefore is there one Chokmah supernal, and another Chokmah inferior.
215. Wlien Chokmah is extended, then is He called the Father of Fathers, for in none else are all things comprehended save in Him. (Otherwise, when they are expanded all things are called Chokmoth,t and the Father of Fathers; all things are comprehended in no place, save herein.)
* Let the student carefully note that this is the second Sephira, the I of IHYH, the Father proceeding from Macroprosopus, Kether, as He proceedeth from Ain Soph.
+ The Sephiroth, or numbers.
t Chokmoth is plural of Chokmah, Wisdom.
THE LESSER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
216. As it is written, Ps. civ. 25 : “ All things in
Chokmah hast Thou formed.”
217. Rabbi Schimeon lifted up his hands, and rejoiced, and said : Assuredly it is Eden or Paradise, and all things have their operation in this hour.
CHAPTER VIII.
CONCERNING THE FATHER AND THE MOTHER IN SPECIAL.
218. Come and behold. When the Most Holy Ancient One, the Concealed with all Concealments, desired to be formed forth, He conformed all things under the form of Male and Female; and in such place wherein Male and Female are comprehended.
219. For they could not permanently exist save in another aspect of the Male and the Female (their countenances being joined together).
220. And this Wisdom embracing all things, when it goeth forth and shineth forth from the Most Holy Ancient One, shineth not save under the form of Male and Female.
221. Therefore is this Wisdom extended, and it is found that it equally becometh Male and Female.
222. ChKMH AB BINH AM, Chokmah Ab Binah Am : Chokmah* is the Father, and Binah is the Mother, and therein are Chokmah, Wisdom, and Binah, Understanding, counterbalanced together in most perfect equality of Male and Female.
223. And therefore are all things established in the
♦ Chokmah is the second and Binah is the third of the Sephiroth. This section is a sufficient condemnation of all those who wish to make out that woman is inferior to man.
KABBALAH.
equality of Male and Female ; for were it not so, how could they subsist !
224. This beginning is the Father of all things ; the Father of all Fathers ; and both are mutually bound together, and the one path shineth into the other — Chokmah, Wisdom, as the Father ; Binah, Understanding, as the Mother.
225. It is written, Prov. ii. 3 : “ If thou callest Binah the Mother.”
226. When They are associated together They generate, and are expanded in truth.
227. In the teaching of the school of Rav Yeyeva the Elder it is thus taught: “What is Binah the Mother of Understanding ? ” Truly when They are mutually associated together.
228. Assuredly Yod , I, impregnateth the letter He,
H, and produceth a Son, and She herself bringeth Him
forth.*
229. And therefore is it called BINH, as if (it were
a transposition of) BN IH, Ben Yah , Son of IH (or I,
Yod , H, He, and BN, the Son).
230. But They both are found to be the perfection of all things when They are associated together, and when the Son is in Them the Syntagma of all things findeth place.
231. For in Their conformations are They found to be the perfection of all things — Father and Mother, Son and Daughter.
232. These things have not been revealed save unto the Holy Superiors who have entered therein and departed therefrom, and have known the paths of the Most Holy God (may He be blessed !), so that they have not erred in them either on the right hand or on the left.