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

[IHV is of course the Tetragrammaton without the final H. It is interesting to note that in the qabalistical work called the “ Sepher Yetzirah,’7 this trigrammatic name is used instead of the Tetragrammaton. The crown which is hidden is Kether, the first Sephira, or Macroprosopus, who is AHIH, and is therefore not openly shown in IHVH. The path of Hod is the eighth Sephira. The father and the son, by whom the mother is enclosed, are of course the letters I and V in the word IHV. With regard to what is said regarding the Israelites when they committed the sin of the calf, I imagine that it is intended to intimate — (a) That the calf was a symbol of ALHIM, Elohim, not of IHVH ; for the Israelites had said, “ Make us Elohim to go before us.” (&) That this name “ Elohim” is applied to the feminine portion of the Tetragramma-

KABBALAH.

ion HH. (c) That therefore the force was unbalanced which they adored, and that it would have been just as wrong to adore IV alone.]

42. And God said, Let there be MARTh, Maroth , lights in the firmament of the heaven. (Now he hasteneth to the third part of that quadrilateral name, namely, to these two letters IH, Yod, He. But by lights are understood the sun and the moon, the beautiful path and the kingdom or bride. And herein the sense is this : although usually by these two letters are accustomed to be understood the Father and the Mother, or the wisdom and the understanding, yet in this place the supernal lights are wanting, like as the word MARTh, Maroth , is written in a defective form ; and the meaning is proper to be applied unto the firmament of the heaven — that is, to the foundation, extended and prepared for marital conjunction ; for the spouse is called the heaven, and the member of the treaty is the firmament, like as, therefore, the two last paths in the whole name IHVI, Yod , He , VaUj Yod are designated by the letters V, Vau , and I, Yod , so likewise these in this portion of the square are designated by the letters, I Yod , and H, He.) The husband hath dominion over the wife (since it is not written by V, Vau , but by I, Yod , which is the symbol of the member of the treaty, and herein denoteth the actual combination with the female) : like as it is written (Prov. x. 25): u And the just man is the foundation of the world.” (By this saying he illustrateth his meaning ; because by the letter I, Yod , is understood the fundamental member by which the world is preserved in existence.)

[If the reader refers to the Introduction, he will there find in the Table showing the operation of the Sephiroth in the four worlds, &c., that in the world of Asiah the sun is referred to Tiphereth and the moon to Yesod. Furthermore, the circumstance of certain words being written defectively or redundantly is commented on in the Introduction, §,I5- The term “square,” or “ square name,” is sometimes applied to the Tetragrammaton. The phrase “ member of the treaty ” probably alludes to the symbolism of circumcision. In this sense, I, Yod , in the path of Yesod, the ninth Sephira, has a symbolical phallic signification.]

43. I, Yod , therefore irradiateth two. (That is, the letter I, Yod , in this square of the Tetragrammaton hath a double sense of influx, forasmuch as in the first instance it signifieth the father who illuminateth the mother ; and forasmuch as in the second instance it signifieth the Microprosopus, or rather his treaty, which illuminateth the kingdom.) And (again in another manner) it shineth (that is, and also hath a third signification, whilst in the complete name it constituteth the last letter), and passeth on into the woman. (That is, and 'denoteth the bride of Microprosopus, as is shown above, because it is put in the place of the last H, He , of the Tetragrammaton IHVH ; like as also it hath the same power of signification in the connection of the names of existence and domination in this manner, IAChD, VNHI.)