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CHAPTER XXIV.

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER CONCERNING MACROPROSOPUS.

494. RABBI SCHIMEON spake unto his companions, and said: "When that veil is expanded (by which is to he understood the representation of the beard of Macroprosopus) which ye behold above us, 1 I see that all the conformations have descended therein, and that they shine forth in that place. (Now like as if he intended to say, AMN, Amen, the discourse concerning Macroprosopus being finished, he describeth this particular symbolism, which is contained in the ensuing symbols.)

495. "And a certain covering, even the splendour of the most holy and blessed God (otherwise the opening of holiness; but by this is understood the Tetragrammaton, which, together with the name, ADNI, Adonai, maketh the number of the word AMN, Amen, that is 91): is expanded through four columns on four sides (which are the four letters of the holy name, by which he saith that space is surrounded).

496. "One column is so placed that it reacheth from the lowest unto the highest. (This is the Kingdom of the emanations, 2 the base and lowest Part of the whole system 3 of emanation, because it is said to ascend from the lowest part of the middle column 4 even unto the summit of the Crown. 5)

497. "And therein is a certain MGRVPIA, 6 Megerophia, vessel containing fire (for like as the fire an the altar could not be touched with bare hands, so that

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name, Tetragrammaton, cannot be touched and pronounced by the mouth, but it is touched and produced by ADNI, Adonai, which is ShM, Sham, His name; for ShM and MGRVPIA both Yield 340 by Gematria); and in the fire-containing vessel are four keys, 1 sharp on every side (for such was the form of the keys, in order that they might draw aside the veil, as a lock is shot back by a key. But the four letters of the name ADNI, Adonai, are hereby to be understood, which are inserted into and united with the four letters IHVH, in this manner, IAHDVNHI); which seize upon that. veil, and withdraw it from the superiors.

498. "And thus in the second column 2 and the third column and the fourth column (that is, the four letters are applied to the other four letters, as hath just been said).

499. "And between one column and another column are contained eighteen 3 bases of columns (here is to be understood the name expanded through the seventy-two 4 names or numbers; for either pertain unto Macroprosopus, and four times eighteen yieldeth seventy-two): and they shine forth with brilliancy in the openings carved out in

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THE SCHEMAHAMPHORASCH.

(If to each of these triliteral names AL or IH, El or Yah, be added, the names of 72 Angels are obtained, who rule over the 72 quinaries of the degrees of the Zodiac.)

1. Vehu; 2. Yeli; 3. Sit; 4. Aulem; 5. Mahash; 6. Lelah; 7. Aka; 8. Kahath; 9. Hezi; 10. Elad; 11. Lav; 12. Hahau; 13. Yezel; 14. Mebah; 15. Heri; 16. Haqem; 17. Lau; 18. Keli; 19. Levo; 20. Pahel; 21. Nelak; 22. Yiai; 23. Melah; 24. Chaho; 25. Nethah; 26. Haa; 27. Yereth; 28. Shaah; 29. Riyi; 30. Aum; 31. Lekab; 32. Vesher; 33. Yecho; 34. Lebach; 35. Keveq; 36. Menad; 37. Ani; 38. Chaum; 39. Rehau; 40. Yeiz; 41. Hahah; 42. Mik; 43. Veval; 44. Yelah; 45. Sael; 46. Auri; 47. Aushal; 48. Miah; 49. Vaho; 50. Doni; 51. Hachash; 52. Aumem; 53. Nena; 54. Neith; 55. Mabeh; 56 Poï; 57. Nemem; 58. Yeil; 59. Harach; 60. Metzer; 61. Vamet; 62. Yehah; 63. Aunu; 64. Mechi; 65: Dameb; 66. Menaq; 67. Aiau; 68. Chebo; 69. Raah; 70. Yebem; 71. Haiai; 72. Möum.

that veil, and so on all four sides. (By the "openings carved out" is to be understood the exposition of the name, Tetragrammaton.)

500. "I beheld those forms which shine above it, and await the words of our lips, that they may be crowned and raised each in its own place.

501. "And when they are expounded by our lips, they ascend singly and are crowned, and are disposed in that order which is here given forth by the mouth of whosoever amongst us (happeneth to be expounding them).

502. "And whensoever anyone amongst us openeth his mouth, so that he may speak concerning any conformation, that form is localized and awaiteth the voice which goeth forth from our lips, and then it ascendeth in its place and is crowned.

503. "And all the columns on this side and on that side rejoice (here are understood the holy living creatures, the cherubim, which were before the columns, and the chiefs of the angelic guards, and they are said to have come hither); because they hear that which before they knew not. 1 And in the sound of your voices are heard the rushing of countless chariots (the noise of the wings of the hosts of the angelic chariots of God, rushing onwards); and they stand here around you in multitudes, awaiting the speech of your voice.

504. "O blessed are ye in the world to come! because all the words which go forth from your mouth are all holy, all true, which err not, neither on the right nor yet on the left (seeing they are the holy names of God).

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505. "God, the holy and blessed one, rejoiceth to hear these things, and He listeneth unto these words until He himself shall give sentence, for in the world to come all these holy words shall be enumerated for the second time.

506. "Concerning you is it written, Cant. vii. 9: 'And the roof of thy mouth, like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.'

507. "What is this? 'Causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.' Because even in the world to come shall your lips utter the words of the law before Him."

Footnotes

169:1 Again alluding to their symbolical representation of the ten Sephiroth.

169:2 Malkuth, the tenth Sephira.

169:3 The Sephiroth.

169:4 Or Pillar of Mildness, consisting of the first, sixth, ninth, and tenth Sephiroth.

169:5 Kether. "Malkuth is Kether after another manner," says one of the qabalistic axioms of Pistorius.

169:6 I believe the beat translation of Megerophia is a "fire shovel." Knorr de Rosenroth makes it "uncus focarius."

170:1 Quatuor claves traditæ sunt in manu Domini mundi, quas non tradidit neque ulli Angelo, neque seraphino: clavis pluviæ: clavis suatentationis: clavis sepulchorum: clavis sterilitatis, &c. (Zanolini: Lexicon Chaldæo-Rabbinicum," art. MPThCh, root PThCh.)

170:2 These four columns also refer to the four worlds of Atziloth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Asiah. (See Introduction.)

170:3 18 = ChI = Life.

170:4 In Exodus xiv. are three verses (19, 20, and 21), which each consist of 72 letters. Now, if these three verses be written at length one above another, the first from right to left, the second from left to right. and the third from right to left (or, as the Greeks would say. boustrophedon), they will give 72 columns of three letters each. Then each column will be a word of three letters, and as there are 72 columns, there will be 72 words of three letters, each of which will be the 72 names of the Deity alluded to in the text. And these are called the Schemahamphorasch, or the divided name. By writing the verses all from right to left, instead of boustrophedon, &c., there will be other sets of 72 names obtainable. (See annexed Table of the Schemahamphorasch.)

171:1 I must again remind the reader that Rabbi Schimeon and his companions are speaking as symbolizing the action of the Sephiroth in the creation, and that when it is said the angels, &c., wait for the words from their lips, it signifies symbolically the way in which the angels, &c., were created by the word of the Deity in his Sephirotic form. And when it is said that "they hear that which before they knew not," it signifies the creation of forms, powers, and attributes which at the beginning of time existed not.