The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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Tetragrammaton thy God are ever thereon in the beginning of the year,” &c.
540. For so Jerusalem requireth it, since it is written,
Isa. i. 21 : “ TzDQ, Tzedeg , Justice abideth in Her.”
541. And therefore (is it called) Jerusalem, and not Zion. For it is written, Isa. i. 26 : “Zion is redeemed in MShPT, Meshephat , Judgment, &c.,” which are unmixed mercies.
542. Thine eye: (i therefore ) is it written “OINK, Ayinahh (in the singular number). Assuredly it is the eye of the Most Holy Ancient One, the Most Concealed of All (which is here referred to).
543. Now it is said: “The eyes of Tetragammaton thy God are thereon ; ” in good, that is to say, and in evil ; according as either the red colour or the yellow is required.
544. But only with the glance (of Macroprosopus) are all things converted and cleansed into the white brilliance.
545. The eyelids (of Microprosopus) are not found when (His eyes) desire to behold the colours. But here (it is said), “ Thine eyes shall behold Jerusalem.” Entirely for good, entirely in mercy.
546. As it is written, Isa. liv. 7 : “ And with great mercies will I gather thee.”
547. The eyes of Tetragrammaton thy God are ever thereon from the beginning of the year.” Here the word “MKShITh, Merashith , from the beginning,” is written defectively without A, for it is not written KAShITh with the A.
548. Hence it remaineth not always in the same condition. What doth not? The inferior H, He (of IHVH).
549. * And concerning that which is supernal it is written, Lam. ii. 1 : “ He hath cast down MShMIM,
* In this section evidently Shamaim is taken to symbolize the supernal H, He.
THE LESSER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
Me-Shamaim, from the heavens ; ARTz, Aretz , the earth, the Tiphereth, Israel.”
550. Wherefore hath he cast down Aretz from Shamaim ? Because it is written, Isa. 1. 3 : “I will cover the heavens, Shamaim, with darkness,” and with the blackness of the eye {of Microprosopus ), namely, with the black colour, are they covered.
551. “ From the beginning of the year.” What, then, is that place whence those eyes of Tetragrammaton behold Jerusalem ?
552. Therefore he* hasteneth to expound this {saying immediately ) : “ From the beginning, MRShITh, of the year,” which ( word MRShITH being written thus), without the Aleph, A,f symbolizeth judgment; for judgment is referred unto that side, although virtually ( the word Merashith) is not judgment.
553. u Even unto the end of the year.” Herein, properly speaking, is judgment found. For it is written, Isa. i. 21 : “Justice dwelt in her.” For this is “the end of the year.”
554. Come and see ! A, Aleph , only is called the first (letter). In A, Aleph , is the masculine power hidden and concealed ; that namely, which is not known.
555. When this Aleph is conjoined in another place, then is it called RAShITh, Rashith , beginning.
556. But if thou sayest that (A) is conjoined herewith,:f truly it is not so, but (A) is only manifested therein and illuminateth it ; and in that case only is it called RAShITh, Rashith , beginning.
557. Now therefore in this {passage) RAShITh ( spelt with the A) is not found as regards Jerusalem ; for were ( the letter A) herein, it would {denote that it would) remain for ever.
* Moses, in this passage of Deuteronomy.
t That is, MRShITh instead of MRAShITh.
£ That is, irrevocably, so that the word would cease to bear the same meaning were A not there. In other words, were A a radical letter of it.
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KABBALAH.
558. Hence it is written defectively MRShITh, Mc- Rashith. Also concerning the world to come it is written, Isa. xli. 27:* “ The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them,” &c.
CHAPTER XV.
CONCERNING THE NOSE OF MICROPROSOPUS.
559. The nose of Microprosopus is the form of His countenance, for therethrough is His whole countenance known.
560. This nose is not as the nose of the most Holy
Ancient One, the Concealed with all Concealments.
561. For the nose of Him, the Ancient One, is the life of lives for all things, and from His two nostrils rush forth the Ruachin JDe-Chiin , RVChIN DChIIN, spirits of lives for all.
562. But concerning this (nose of) Microprosopus it is written, Ps. xviii. 9 : u A smoke ascendeth in His nose.”
563. In this smoke all the colours are contained. In each colour are contained multitudes of lords of most rigorous judgment, who are all comprehended in that smoke.
564. Whence all those are not mitigated save by the smoke of the inferior altar.