The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)
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Num. xiv. 18 : “The Lord is longsuffei-ing, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
21 7
Exod. xxxiv. 6, lie addeth not (in this passage ), because tbe Arcanum of the matter is these nine measurements which shine down from the Ancient of Days into Microprosopus.
851. “For when Moses in the second passage rehearseth these praises of God, Num. xxiv. 18, he enumerateth the nine conformations ; and these are the conformations of the beard, even those which are found in Microprosopus, and descend from the Ancient of Days and shine down into Him.
852. “The word AMTh, Emeth , Truth, therefore dependeth from the Ancient One ; whence in this passage Moses saith not : c And in truth.’
853. “We have learned that the hairs of the head of Microprosopus are all hard and curling, and not soft.*
854. “For we see that in Him three forms of the brain are found in the three cavities (of the skull) , which shine forth from the hidden and concealed brain.
855. “And because the brain of the Ancient of Days is tranquil and quiet, like good wine upon the lees, hence all His hairs are soft, and anointed with excellent oil.
856. “ And therefore is it written, Dan. vii. 9 : c His head like pure wool.’
857. “But those which are in Microprosopus are partly hard, and partly not hard, because they all hang down, and are not diverted from their course.
858. “And therefore Wisdom f floweth forth and proceedeth (therefrom) ; but it is not the Wisdom of Wisdom, for that is quiet and tranquil.
859. “For we have learned that no one knoweth the brain of the Ancient of Days save Himself alone.
* It appears to read thus in the Chaldee and in the Latin alike, though this statement is contradicted distinctly both in § 587 and in § 857. I should think the word “LA, not,” before “soft,” is a mistake, or else that the passage refers to the hair of the beard , and not that of the head.
f That is, Chokmah of the second Sephira, and not thatChokmah which is its root concealed in Kether ; for in Kether are all the other Sephiroth contained.
KABBALAH,
860. “ This is that very thing which is said, Job xxviii.
2 3 : ‘ God understandeth the way thereof,’ &c. ; which
{words) are spoken concerning Microprosopus.”
861. Rabbi Schimeon said ( unto him): “ Blessed be thou, O my son ! in that Holy and Blessed One, in this world and in the world to come ! ”
CHAPTER XXX VI.
CONCERNING THE SECOND PART OF THE BEARD OF
MICROPROSOPUS.
862. “The second conformation. The hair goeth forth and ascendeth from the beginning of {the one side of) the month even unto the beginning of the other side of the mouth ; and descendeth beneath the mouth unto the other side, hair above hair, in beautiful arrangement. Arise, Rabbi Abba ! ”
863. Rabbi Abba arose, and commenced and said : “ When the disposition of this beard is instituted in the formation of the King, then is He Himself like a brave hero, strong and beautiful in appearance, valiant and conquering.
864. “ This is that same which is written, Ps. cxlvii.
5 : ‘ Great is our Lord and great is His power.”
865. “And whilst He is mitigated by the disposition of the venerable and holy beard {of Macroprosopus), and this (beard of Microprosopus) reflected that, then through its light is He called ‘ God merciful,’ Exod. xxxiv. 6 : £ and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and in truth.’ And thus is the second disposition instituted.
866. 11 When He shineth in the light of the Ancient
THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.
of Days, then is He called c abundant in Mercy,’ and when another of the other forms is considered, in that form is He called c and in truth,’ for this is the light of His countenance.”
CHAPTER XXXVII.
CONCERNING THE THIRD PART OF THE BEARD OF
MICROPROSOPUS.
867. “ Also we have learned. Bearing iniquity is this second conformation called, like as in the Holy Ancient One.
868. “ But because that path which goeth forth in the third disposition beneath the two nostrils is filled with short and rigid hairs ; hence because of that path these conformations are not called 4 bearing inquity and passing over transgression ; ’ but these are collected together in another place.