Sefer Yetzirah by Aryeh Kaplan -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Copyright About the Translator CONTENTS Introduction

The Text Authorship The Talmudic Period Texts and Commentaries

Sefer Yetzirah

CHAPTER ONE

With 32 Paths Mystical Wisdom Engraved Engraved Yah Yah Yah, the Lord... The Lord of Hosts God of Israel The Living God King of the Universe El Shaddai Merciful and Gracious High and Exalted With three books Ten Sefirot Of Nothingness 22 Foundation Letters Three Mothers Seven Doubles The number of ten fingers Five opposite live And a singular covenant Circumcision of the Tongue Circumcision of the Membrum Ten and not nine Understand with Wisdom Examine with them Probe from them Make [each] thing stand on its essence Make the Creator sit on His Base Their measure is ten, which have no end A depth of beginning The singular Master God faithful King Dominates them all From His holy habitation Until eternity of eternities Their vision Like the appearance of lightning Their limit has no end His word in them is “running and returning” They rush to His saying like a whirlwind Before His Throne they prostrate themselves Their end is imbedded in their beginning Like a flame in a burning coal For the Master is Singular He has no second Before one, what do you count Bridle your mouth And your heart from thinking And if your heart runs A covenant was made One The breath of the Living God Living God Blessed and Benedicted Life of Worlds Voice of Breath and Speech This is the Holy Breath Breath from Breath Engraved and carved And one breath is from them Water from Breath With them He engraved Chaos and Void Mire and clay He engraved them... He poured snow over them Fire from Water The Throne of Glory Serafim From these three He founded His dwelling As it is written... He chose three letters In the mystery of the three Mothers He sealed “above”. . .

CHAPTER TWO

Twenty-two Foundation Letters Three Mothers A pan of merit The tongue of decree Mem hums, Shin hisses Alef is the Breath of air He engraved them He engraved them with voice In five places In a circle Like a wall... With 231 Gates There is nothing in good higher than Delight... One Name He formed substance out of chaos And made nonexistence into existence He carved great pillars From air that cannot he grasped This is a sign... A sign for this thing, 22 objects. . .

CHAPTER THREE

A great mystical secret Sealed with six rings From them emanated air, water and fire From them are born Fathers He engraved them... Heaven is created from fire The temperate The chest He made Alef king Bound a crown to it Air, temperate, chest Male and Female

CHAPTER FOUR

Hard and Soft Transpose Peace, War Up and Down The Holy Palace Seven and not six Examine with them Probe with them He engraved them... Seven planets Seven Universes Seven Firmaments Seven Earths Seven Seas Seven Rivers Seven Deserts Seven Days Seven Weeks Seven Years Seven Sabbaticals Seven Jubilees The Holy Palace He made sevens beloved Two stones That which the mouth cannot speak

CHAPTER FIVE

Anger Taste They extend to eternity of eternities Boundaries of the Universe The intestines The Korkeban The Kivah He made them like a trough

CHAPTER SIX

From them emanated three Fathers The Teli The Cycle The Heart The Teli in the Universe The Cycle in the Year The Heart in the Soul One opposite the other Good from good Good defines evil Good is kept for the good ones One acts as an advocate Seven: three opposite three And God faithful King One on three Three on seven And when Abraham our father. . . Engraved and carved And he was successful He made a covenant He drew them in water

APPENDIX 1 Other Versions of the Sefer Yetzirah THE SHORT VERSION

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

THE LONG VERSION

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

SAADIA VERSION

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

APPENDIX II The Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom

The Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom

APPENDIX III THE GATES

The 221 Gates of Rabbi Eliezar Rokeach of Wormes The 231 Gates According to the Later Kabbalists

APPENDIX IV EDITIONS AND COMMENTARIES Printed Editions

Other Books Containing The Sefer Yetzirah Manuscripts Commentaries Translations

NOTES

Introduction Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Appendix I: Other Versions Appendix II: The Thirty-Two Paths Appendix IV: Editions and Commentaries

INDEX

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