The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)

[The ether is the clear and insupportable brilliance of his glory. The hair is white — i.e., spotless as wool — to denote the utter absence of matter and of shell. The Mantuan Codex calls the ether the third conformation, and the hair the fourth, which latter it refers to the Sephira Hetzacb, victory.]

1 3 . (His forehead is) the benevolence of those benevolences which are manifested through the prayers of the inferior powers.

KABBALAH.

[The supernal benignity which transmits their qualities, powers, and offices, to the lower Sephiroth (the inferior powers). It must be remembered that each Sephira receives from that which immediately precedes it, and transmits to that which next follows it. Thus, each Sephira is said to be feminine or passive as regards its predecessor, and masculine or active in respect to its successor. (See Introduction, §§43 and 51.) The Mantuan Codex calls this the fifth conformation, and refers it to the idea of the ninth Sephira, Yesod, foundation.]

14. His eye is ever open and sleepetb not, for it continually keepetb watch. And the appearance of the lower is according to the aspect of the higher light.

[Were the eye to close (the directing thought Divine to be abstracted from the Sephiroth), the whole universe would give way, for its mainspring would be withdrawn. Because the appearance (development) of the lower (nine Sephiroth) is according to (dependent on) the aspect (ruling thought) of the higher light (Kether, the first Sephira). The Mantuan Codex terms this the sixth conformation of Macroprosopus, and refers it, as in the case of the fourth conformation, to the primal idea of the Sephira ISTetzach, victory.]

I 5 . Therein are His two nostrils like mighty galleries, whence His spirit rusheth forth over all. (The Mantuan Codex adds that this is the seventh conformation, which refers to MLKVTh, Malkuth , or “ the kingdom,” the tenth emanation or Sephira of the Deity.)

[The creative spirit, or the “ breath of life.”]

16. (When, therefore, the Divine law beginneth) BRAShITh BRA ALHIM ATh HShMIM VATh HARTz, Berashith Beret Elohim Ath Hasliamaim Vacith Haaretz : “ In the beginning the Elohim created the substance of the heavens and the substance of the earth.” (The sense is : Six members were created, which are the six numerations of Microprosopus — viz., benignity as His right arm ; severity as His left arm ; beauty as His body ; victory as His right leg, glory as His left leg ; and the foundation as reproductive.) For instead of BRAShITh, Berashith, “ in the beginning,” it may be read, BRA

THE BOOK OF CONCEALED MYSTERY.

ShITh, Beret Shith , “ He created the six.” Upon these depend all things which are below (principally the Queen, who is the lowest path, or the bride of Microprosopus, and all the three inferior worlds.)

[The view which the Siphra Dtzenioutha here follows out is that the beginning of Genesis describes not only the creation of the world, but the development of God, for it considers the universe as the outward and material expression of the power of the thought Divine. Microprosopus is as it were the reflection of Macroprosopus, for as Macroprosopus has six principal titles, so is Microprosopus composed of six of the Sephiroth. (See Introduction, §§ 42, 47 and 77.) ShITh, Shith , is the Chaldee form of the Hebrew ShSh, Sliash, six. The queen is Malkuth, the tenth Sephira. The three inferior worlds are Briah, Yetzirah, and Asiah. See Introduction, §§ 57-60.]

17. And the dignity of dignity hangeth from the seven conformations of the cranium. (This is the beard of the venerable and Ancient One, which is divided into thirteen portions.)

[The Ancient One is the first Sephira, Macroprosopus, as I have before remarked. The beard, in continuation of the symbolic representation of the head, is divided into thirteen portions, which answer by Gematria (see Introduction, § 11) to the idea of unity. Dor AChD, Acliad, unity, yields the number 13 by numerical value.]