). This name is never pronounced out loud, even in prayer. It is taught that one who pronounces the Tetragrammaton disrespectfully is guilty of a most serious offense, and is worthy of death.83In all Kabbalistic literature, it is taken for granted that Divine Names play an important role in attaining the mystical state. In the Bible itself, however, there is no explicit mention of the use of such Names, except for some enticing hints. Thus, in a number of places, we find that an individual prophesies “in the name (Ba-Shem) of God.”75 As anyone familiar with Hebrew will readily see, this can just as easily be translated as prophesying “with the name of God.” These phrases would then speak of using God's name as a means of attaining the prophetic state.
Some Kabbalists also see the use of God's name as a method of attaining enlightenment in the case of Abraham. The Bible says that “he called in the name of God” (Genesis 12:8). This is usually interpreted to mean that he prayed in God's name, or announced God's existence to the world, but the Kabbalistic interpretation fits the words more literally.76
A very similar interpretation is given to the verse, “He was enraptured in Me, and I will bring him forth. I will raise him up because he knew My name” (Psalms 91:14). Here, a major commentator, Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089–1164), states explicitly that this means that “he knew the mystery of My name.” An ancient Midrash likewise states in the name of the great sage of the second century, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, “Why do people pray without being answered? Because they do not know how to use the Explicit Name (Shem HaMeforesh).”77 Since this Midrash is expounding the above verse, it is a clear indication that “knowing God's name” implies knowing how to actually make use of it.
There are other hints of the power of God's Name. The Psalmist thus says, “Some come with chariots, some with horses, but we utter the name of God” (Psalms20:8). The usual interpretation is that this is speaking of prayer, but here too, the verse can be taken literally.78 This is particularly suggested by a verse that introduces this concept: “We will ecstasize (Ranen) in Your salvation, and in (with) the Name of God, we will ascend, God will fill all your requests” (Psalms 20:6). As we shall see, the Hebrew word Ranen refers to a method of meditation, and here we see that it also involves God's Name. A very similar concept is found in the verse, “All nations surround me, but with the name of God I will destroy them with a word” (Psalms 118:10).
The tradition regarding these Names of God is well established in the Talmud, and is discussed in many places. Most prominent are the various names that the Bible uses for God, and these are found to be ten in number, paralleling the Ten Sefirot.79 Besides this, the Talmud also speaks of a Name containing twelve letters, as well as one containing forty-two, both of which are described in Kabbalistic literature.80 There is also considerable discussion of a Name containing seventy-two letters or triads, and this plays an important role, especially in Abulafia's system.81 The Talmud is filled with traditions regarding the power of these names when they are properly used.82
The most important and potent of God's names is the Tetragrammaton, YHVH (). This name is never pronounced out loud, even in prayer. It is taught that one who pronounces the Tetragrammaton disrespectfully is guilty of a most serious offense, and is worthy of death.83
Although the Tetragrammaton is often discussed with respect to Kabbalistic meditation, the Kabbalists likewise warn against pronouncing it out loud. The eminent Kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Cordevero, writes, “If one wishes to utter the Tetragrammaton, he should do so with his mouth closed, so that no air should leave his mouth. It should not be voiced at all, but only mouthed with the larynx and tongue. Among initiates, this method is known as ‘swallowing’ the Divine Name.”84 Even this, however, should not be done except when one reaches the highest disciplines of meditation.
The Talmud teaches that the only place where it was ever permitted to actually pronounce the Tetragrammaton was in the Holy Temple (Bet HaMikdash) in Jerusalem. This is based on the verse which calls the Temple “The place that God will choose … to place His Name there” (Deuteronomy 12:5).85 Since the prophets apparently made use of the Tetragrammaton in attaining the mystical state, they would most often meditate in one of the chambers of the Holy Temple.86
The main place where the Tetragrammaton was publicly used was in the Temple, for the Priestly Blessing, as well as ten times during the public confessions of the Yom Kippur service. Whenever this Name was pronounced during a Temple service, all present would respond, “Blessed be the name of His glorious Kingdom forever and ever.”87
On Yom Kippur, those standing near the front would also prostrate themselves to the ground, in awe and reverence of God's most holy Name. There is a Talmudic tradition that one of the miracles of the Holy Temple was that they had room to prostrate themselves, even though they stood tightly packed together during the service.88
Originally, the Tetragrammaton was used by all the priests in the Priestly Blessing in the Temple. The Talmud teaches, however, that after the death of Simon the Just (around 291 b.c.e.), its use was discontinued, since the Divine presence was no longer manifest in the Temple, and the other priests felt themselves unworthy.89 As long as the Temple stood, however, it was used by the High Priest in the Yom Kippur service, but it was repeated so low that it was drowned out by the singing of the other priests. All this was so that those who were unworthy should not learn precisely how it is to be pronounced.90
There is some discussion in the literature as to why all these Names have such a profound effect. Rabbi Abraham Abulafia states that the Names themselves do not have any intrinsic powers, but rather, when properly used, can induce states of consciousness where the person himself has such powers.91 The Name is therefore used primarily as a meditative device to bring the individual into certain states of consciousness, transporting him to the proper spiritual framework, whether for prophecy or to direct spiritual energy in other ways.
Most Kabbalists, however, maintain that besides this, the Names also have important intrinsic power. They are intimately attached to various spiritual Forces, and when one makes proper use of these Names, these Forces are brought into play and one can bind himself to them. Since all the Divine Names are extremely potent in this respect, one must be extremely careful not to use them except in the proper context and in the most serious manner.
One of the greatest sources of confusion is the fact that many people think that these Names need only to be recited to be effective. According to all the Kabbalistic texts that speak of this, use of the Divine Names involves much more than this. First, there is considerable preparation that the individual requires before he can make use of these Names. The Names themselves, in most cases, were used very much like a mantra. In the Hekhalot, a mystical text dating from the first century, we find certain Names and letter combinations which must be repeated over and over, bringing the user into the mystical state.92 In other cases, they were repeated in combination with other letters, with an entire series of different vowel points. Abulafia's system calls for this, and also includes various body motions and breathing techniques.93 When used as Yechudim (Unifications), letters of various Names had to be contemplated with deep concentration and brought together in various ways.94
While the Divine Names could help a person reach a meditative state when used correctly, their use had to be preceded by considerable spiritual preparation. Most important were the Ten Steps leading to Ruach HaKodesh discussed earlier. It is only after one has attained these Ten Steps through intense self discipline that these meditative methods can be truly effective. If one is not sufficiently prepared, he may indeed attain “enlightenment,” but it will be from a source far removed from the holy.
Rabba bar Bar Chana said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: The Name containing Four Letters (Tetragrammaton) was given over by the sages to their disciples once every seven years….
The Rabbis taught: At first, the Name containing twelve letters was given over to everyone. When many people began to misuse it, however, it was only given over to the most modest priests. The priests would [use it in the Priestly Blessing, but would] “swallow” its pronunciation, so that it not be heard over the song of the other priests.
Rabbi Tarfon said: I once followed my maternal uncle when he went up to recite the Priestly Blessing. I inclined my ear next to the High Priest, and heard him pronounce the Name, but it was swallowed up in the song of the other priests.
Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rav: The Name containing forty-two letters is not to be given over except to an individual who is modest and humble, past the midpoint of his life, and who does not become angry or drunk, and does not insist on having his way. Whoever knows it, is careful with it, and safeguards it in purity, is loved on high and endeared below. People stand in awe of him, and he inherits both worlds, this and the next.
Talmud, Kiddushin 7la
Before we go into an explanation of the details of the Divine Names, we must provide an introduction to their overall significance. Looking at many of them, one only sees incomprehensible combinations of letters, without any discernible meaning, and most of them are also unpronouncable. When an intelligent person sees such things, he can think that these names have no rational basis, and even that they involve nothing more than childish superstition, heaven forbid. We therefore have an obligation to warn the reader not to make this basic mistake.
Actually, the truth concerning these names is just the opposite. They can bring to the highest states, since they are all engraved in the loftiest spiritual realms. Their source reaches up through the steps of the Ladder, level by level, until it reaches the place where they express the essence of the Sefirot and their spiritual nature.
The souls of the letters used in these Names are the substance of the Sefirot, in their internal essence. The Name designated for each one is a garment for that Sefirah. It is for this reason that the Names [associated with the Ten Sefirot, which are the names that the Bible uses for God,] may not be erased or destroyed.
These Names and others like them were revealed to the Holy Men, servants of the Most High, as well as to the prophets, who spoke with Ruach HaKodesh. The tradition remained with the sages of the Talmud, in many cases dating back to Moses, who received it from God himself.
Making use of these letters, the prophets would attain a very high level of meditation (Hitbodedut). They would purify their souls through the spiritual essence clothed in these letters, as well as the order of Unification (Yichud) that binds one level to the next. By intertwining these letters, [combining one Name with another,] they were able to perceive how the supernal Universes were attached to each other. It was in this manner that they increased their knowledge until they realized the power and purpose of these spiritual Forces. At the same time, however, they never made use of them except to understand the greatness of their Creator.
Because of the many persecutions, the eyes of the wise were shut and their hearts diminished. Those who sought to understand the Torah found themselves too weak to even comprehend simple things, and the Kabbalistic knowledge involving the details of the Sefirot was certainly above their heads. This was even more true with regard to the Practical Kabbalah, [which taught the use of the Divine Names].
No one had a treasury of power that could be used against the persecutions more than Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai [author of the Zohar], who, together with his disciples, revealed the hidden mysteries to the world. But because of the “shortness of spirit and great toil,” his words are not understood, and our meager intellect cannot even uncover the outer edge of the depth found in his teachings. All of his words are concealed to the utmost degree. If we hammer away with our intellect, asking questions and breaking the husks that cover the doctrines, then we can see some light, through crevices as small as the eye of a needle.
The Practical Kabbalah was known in the days of such giants as Rabbi Moses Nachmanides [Ramban] (1194–1270), Rabbi Eliezer [Rokeach] of Worms (1160–1238), and Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla (1248–1305). During the period of the Gaonim (the seventh and eighth centuries), use was made of texts [on the Practical Kabbalah] such as the Shimusha Rabba and the Shimusha Zuta.
All this, however, was lost as a result of our sins. Those in possession of these mysteries did not wish to reveal them, seeing that those who truly loved God had passed away and that men of deeds were few, and fearing that these mysteries would be misused by those who were not worthy. We actually see that they were correct, since this happened to those who followed them in many cases. Even in recent times, there was the case of those like Joseph della Reina, who caused much misery and destruction.
For this reason, we will not delve into the use of the Divine Names, even though this can be found in some earlier texts. We will only go into those explanations that will aid our understanding.
One essential concept is the fact that all the letters depend on the Tetragrammaton. Some letters have, in essence, an allusion to this Name in their very structure. This is true of the letter Alef, which consists of two Yuds and a Vav, which when combined have a numerical value of 26, just like that of the Tetragrammaton (See TABLE 2). The same is true of such letters as Lamed, Tet and Kuf, which are made up of the letters Kaf and Vav.
LETTERS AND THE TETRAGRAMMATON
All this alludes to the fact that the letters of the alphabet must be permuted with those of the Tetragrammaton. The vowel points must also be permuted with them, in order to bring their essence back to their Root and influence them from the highest source.
The various spiritual concepts, as well as the threads that connect them, vary according to their source. This is expressed by the vowel points.
One must therefore combine the letters of the Tetragrammaton with those of the alphabet, and both of these must be combined in every manner possible with all the vowel points. This then alludes to all the roots, since they are influenced by the highest Source.
Some of the earlier sages discussed the permutations and combinations of the Name containing seventy-two letters, as well as other Divine Names. When a pure, righteous individual makes use of these through deep meditation (hitbodedut), he can have revealed to him a small portion of a Divine Echo (Bat Kol). Regarding this, it is written, “The spirit of God spoke in me, and His Word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2).
The reason for this is that one can bind the spiritual Forces together and unite them through these Names … until a powerful influx is granted to him. The only condition is that he should be worthy of this, since if he is not, the spirit can be destructive and lead him into the clutches of the Forces of evil.
Rabbi Moses Cordevero96
A system in which the letter Yud, the first letter of the Tetragrammaton, is combined with the letter Alef and the five primary vowels. This is used as a meditative device.
God desired to be called by a Name. Through this Name, His handiwork can speak of Him and call Him. By uttering this Name, individuals can also bring themselves close to Him.
God specified a unique Name (the Tetragrammaton) for His Glory, and regarding this Name it is written, “This is My Name forever” (Exodus 3:15). To the extent that God desires to have a Name, this is His Name with respect to the Glory itself.
Besides this, however, God also makes use of other Influences (Sefirot). With respect to these, He also has different Names.
God also decreed and ordained that when an individual utters His Name, divine Illumination and Influence are bestowed upon him. This is what God meant when He said, “In every place where I allow My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21).
When a particular name of God is uttered and used to call upon Him, it results in the emanation of an Influence associated with that Name. The type of Influence transmitted will be that which God associated with the particular Name, by virtue of its mystery.
When a particular Influence is transmitted, it will necessarily give rise to the results specified for it. Its particular effects will then spread through the entire sequence of creation, from the beginning to the end.
This entire process, however, is circumscribed by the Highest Wisdom. God thus decreed that a Name should only transmit an Influence and have an effect when uttered under specific conditions in a defined manner. Otherwise, it has no effect at all.
God arranged that some of the Influences motivated by the utterances of His names should have the power of suspending the natural limitations of the one making use of them. This individual is then able to bind himself to spiritual beings, and thereby receive information and enlightenment.
This information may include things otherwise accessible to human reason. Other things that it may include, however, are the various levels of Ruach HaKodesh and Prophecy.
God decreed that inspiration and prophecy should be attained in this manner, through the Names associated with God with respect to these Influences. An individual attains this when he repeats these Names mentally, utters them verbally, or combines them with other words, and at the same time fulfills all the other necessary conditions.
Even though transcending the bonds of nature is a single general concept, it obviously can occur in many ways, depending on the particular arrangement and level associated with the method that is used. The Influences needed to complete the process with all its aspects will also depend on the intrinsic properties of the method, as well as its form. The number of details and conditions involving the use of God's Names also depend on this.
. . . .
This method, involving the transmission of God's Influences through His Names, can only be used by an individual who has attained a high degree of closeness and attachment to God. The greater this degree of closeness, the more successful he will be in making use of this method. If it is lacking, it will correspondingly be more difficult for him to achieve any results. …
It is obvious, however, that it is not appropriate for just anyone to make use of the King's scepter. Regarding this, the sages teach, “He who makes use of the Crown will pass away.”97 Methods such as these are only permitted to holy individuals, who are closely attached to God. Such individuals furthermore only use these methods to sanctify God's name and do His will.98 Even though an unworthy person may not be prevented from obtaining results if he follows the proper procedures, he can still be punished for his willful act.99
In any case, as already mentioned, these powers are not absolute, but are sharply circumscribed by the limitations defined by the Highest Wisdom. Furthermore, even within these limits, God's decree can prevent them from having any effect, any time that His wisdom deems this fitting and proper.
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato.100