1.

T H E M A N

O n e of the most important early figures in Kabbalah meditation is

Rabbi Abraham Abulafia. Not only was he party to many important
traditions, but he also wrote voluminously regarding them. Indeed,
very little would be known about many of these traditions if not for his
writings.
Unfortunately, however, very few of his writings have ever been
published. Most exist only in manuscript form, either in major libraries
or in the hands of Kabbalists who refuse to publicize the fact. Finding
and correctly identifying Abulafia's manuscripts has been a difficult
task, since many of these were catalogued incorrectly or not catalogued
at all. In a number of cases, important manuscripts were tracked down
by word of mouth and discovered in the libraries of individuals who
had n o idea a s t o their c o n t e n t . Although much important work has
been d o n e by library scientists, manuscriptologists and o t h e r
scholars, the s t u d y of Abulafia's writings requires much basic
research into the largely unexplored world of ancient manuscripts.
A n important problem in working with manuscripts is the fact
that many were written in ancient scripts that are almost illegible to the
modern reader. Others were privately made, written hurriedly by
individuals with poor handwriting. When added to the fact that their
basic script may now be obsolete, the reading of these manuscripts
becomes next to impossible. M u c h study has to be done to decipher the
alphabets of many manuscripts, and in some cases, relevant portions
had to be transcribed letter by letter before they could be read.
O n e reason why Abulafia's works were not published was
undoubtedly related to the general retincence surrounding the
publication of materials dealing with meditation and the mystical arts.
But another reason was the controversy that surrounded Abulafia as a
person. In many places in his writings, Abulafia indicates that he is a
prophet, and in others, he hints that he has a special mission. There are
 also many veiled allusions that could be interpreted to reflect messianic
delusions o n his part. For the most part, however, these are ambiguous,
and it is probable that when he speaks of himself as the "anointed one,"
he means that he is enlightened, and not that h e is the promised
messiah. In a number of places, he speaks of the prophet experience as
o n e resembling being anointed w i t h oil I In n o place did Abulafia ever
attempt to actually implement a messianic role for himself, so this
interpretation appears highly probable.
All of his alleged claims, however, did not escape the notice of the
religioils leaders of his generation. His strongest opposition came from
the Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo ben Adret, 1 2 3 5 2 1 3 1 0 ) . Five years older
than Abulafia, the Rashba had been appointed rabbi in Barcelona in
1280, and he enjoyed a reputation as the leading sage of his time. Even
today, his Talmudic commentaries are counted among !he most
important, and his responsa are considered basic to Jewish Law.
It is evident that while Abulafia was in Sicily, the Rashba mounted
a scathing attack agdinst him. T h i s involved his o w n letters as well as
messages that he influenced the leaders of other congregations to send
to Sicily, denouncing Abulafia. In the early 1290's, the Rashba wrote a
responsum to the community of Saragosta, Abulafia's birthplace,
regarding a self-proclaimed prophet in Avila, possibly a disciple of
Abulafia. In i t , he alludes to his earlier attacks o n Abulafia, denouncing
him in no uncertain terms.
This attack by the leading figure of the generation was enough to
virtually guarantee that the religious establishment would s h u n and
ignore Abulafia's works. In some ways, however, the intensity of the
attack is understandable, considering the status of the Kabbalah at the
time. T h e Zohar had not yet been published, and although the Bahir
had been published in 1175, i t was far from being universally accepted.
A very strong school opposed the Kabbalah, denouncing its teachings
as approaching heresy. This is best exemplified by a statement by the
Rashbash (Rabbi Shlomo ben Shimon Duran, 1400-1467), a century
later, who wrote, " T h e Christians believe in the Three, while the
Kabbalists believe in the Ten.." 2
As a strong defender of the Kabbalah, the Rashba might have seen
Abulafia's statements as being very dangerous to its healthy growth.
Abulafia was very much hurt by the Rashba's attacks, and i t was as a
reply to them that he wrote his famous epistle, V e Z o t L i Y e h u d a h (And
This is to Judah).
T h e Rashba's responsum was taken u p by another major
Kabbalist, Rabbi Judah Chayit, who lived around the time of the
1 Spanish Inquisition. T h e entire attack against Abulafia was then
expanded upon by the Yashar o f Candia (Rabbi Yoseph Shlomo
Delmedigo, 1591-1655), one of the most important defenders of the
Kabbalah.3
In view of all this, one would expect that Abulafia and his writings
would be relegated to the dustbin of history, and not have any influence
whatsoever o n the Kabbalah tradition. This, however, turns out to be
far from true, and his works are quoted, albeit guardedly, by many of
the most important Kabbalists. T h u s , the Ramak (Rabbi Moshe
Cordevero, 1522-1570), dean of the Safed school, considers Abulafia
to be an authority o n the pronunciation of Divine Names, and quotes a
lengthy section from his O r HaSekhel (Light of the Intellect).4 In the
unpublished, fourth section of his Shaarey K e d u s h a h (Gates of
Holiness), Rabbi Chaim Vital cites Abulafia's methods as being
techniques for meditation. He speaks of his C h a y a y O ! a m HaBah (Life
of the Future World) as if i t were a well-known book in Kabbalistic
circles, and quotes at length from his Sefer H a C h e s h e k (Book of
Passion). Another major figure, the Radbaz (Rabbi David abu Zimra,
1470-1572), mentions Abulafia's works in a positive c o n t e ~ t . ~
T h e final word regarding the acceptability of any Hebraic text is
usually given to the Chida (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai,
1724-1806). Quoting a number of attacks against Abulafia, the Chida
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then cites the fact that his works have been accepted by the greatest
Kabbalists, and have been found to be beneficial.
I In view of this opinion, the general trend among knowledgeable
I Kabbalists has been to accept the teachings of ' ~ b u l a f i a ,even though
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his methods are considered to be very advanced and dangerous. His
manuscripts have been copied and circulated among many Kabbalists,
and they f o r m an important part of the curriculum in some secret
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schools. While the personality of Abulafia may be questioned, i t is
generally recognized that he was in possession of authentic traditions,
and that he recorded them faithfully and accurately.
SOURCES
There are many frauds whom I have heard and seen. O n e is the
disgusting creature, "may the name of the wicked rot," whose name is
Abraham [Abulafia]. H e proclaimed himself as a prophet and messiah
in Sicily, and enticed many people with his lies. Through the mercy of
God, I was able to slam the door in his face, both with m y o w n letters
 and with those of many congregations. I f not for this, he would have
actually been able to begin.
He invented many false ideas, totally foolishness which resembles
high wisdom, and with this, he could have done much damage. Making
use of a certain consistence, he places his mind o n an idea for many
days, and comes u p with elaborate numerical exercizes (gematriot)
involving both scripture and the words of our sages.
2 . GROWTH OF A PROPHET
The Rnshba.6

I have also seen books written by a scholar by the name of Rabbi
Abraham Abulafia. In his foolishness and pride . . . he calls himself a
prophet. But i t is taught that since the Temple has been destroyed,
"prophecy has been given over to the insane." . . . His books are Filled
with his own inventions, imaginations and falsehood.
H e may have written Or HnSrkl~cl(Light of t h e Intellect) but h e
actually walks in darkness. He wrote the Moreh HaMoreh (Guide to the
Guide) as a Kabbalistic commentary o n [Maimonides'] Guide to the
Perplexed. How idiotic i t is to invent a Kabbalistic commentary to the
Guide! Maimonides would never even dream of such an interpretation!
He also wrote a Book of the Nanre(this is Chayay Olam HaBah:
"Life o f the Future World") as a commentary o n the Name of Seventy-
Two. He writes the entire book as a series of circles s o as to confuse
those who look at it.8 As if this would make up for its lack o f true
content! He filled this book with word manipulations, made u p by his
own deficient mind.
Rabbi ludah Chayit.9
Chayah Olam HaBah (Life of the Future World) is a book written
by Rabbi Abraham Abulafia, in circles, concerning the Name of
Seventy-Two. I have seen a manuscript of it, written o n parchment.
T h e Rashba, in Chapter 5 4 4 [of his responsa] and Rabbi Yashar
[of Candia] in his Metzaref LiChokhmah (Purifier of Wisdom),
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denounce him like one of worthless and worse.
Still, I must tell the truth, I saw a great rabbi, one of the major
masters of the mysteries, of great reputation. According to his words,
there is no question that he made use of this book and benefited greatly
from i t .
The Chidah.10
Abulafia included considerable autobiographical material in his
writings, and much is thereFore k n o w n about his life, even though there
are some important blank spots. From all this material, we obtain a
picture o f a sincere, inspired individual, who also possessed many
human failings.
He was born in the year 1240. T h i s does not appear very
significant until we realize that o n the Hebrew calendar, which counts
from the birth of Adam, this was the year 5000, literally the beginning
o f a new millennium. AbulaFia was very much aware of this distinction,
and in a number of places, cites it as proof that h e was destined for a
special mission.
In his autobiography, Abulafia speaks about many of his disciples.
The most important of these was Rabbi Joseph Gikatalia, who later was
to become one of the greatest Kabbalists of that period. Eight years
younger than Abulafia, it can be ascertained that he came under the
influence of Abulafi.1 in the year 1273, when he was twenty-five years
I old.11 Gikatalia's Shaarey Orah (Gates of Light) bpcame one of the most
I important Kabbalistic classics, and in many places, it reflects the
! teachings of Abulafia.
Another disciple mentioned in the autobiography is a certain Shem
Tov of Burgos. We shall meet him again as one of the possible authors
OF Shaarey Tzedek (Gates of Righteousness), an important exposition
of Abulafia's techniques.
It has often been stated that Abulafia was opposed to the Talmud
and deficient in its knowledge, but this is a n inaccurate conclusion. As a
teenager, AbulaFia learned Scripture, Mishnah and Talmud from his
father,. attaining what was then considered a n adequate knowledge of
these subjects. W h e n t h e Rashba accused h i m of being a n ignoramus,
he replied that h e had completed t h e e n t i r e T a l m u d , and had learned
h o w t o r e n d e r decisions in religious law f r o m t w o prominent
 masters. H e also s t a t ~ sthat h e had mastered Clrullitr, t h e Talmudic
tract t h a t deals with t h e f i n e points of t h e dietary laws, a n d t h a t
which forms t h e core of traditional rabbinical training.13
in a number o f places, we clearly find that Abulafia held the
masters of Talmud in high esteem. Once, he openly states that if not
pressed by his disciples, he would rather study the Talmud than write
books o n the mysteries.14
Abulafia's ear1ies.t study consisted largely of the works of the great
Jewish philosophers, and he writes that he originally considered
philosophy to be the greatest of all disciplines.l4 Maimonides' famed
Guide to the Perplexed remained one of his Favorite books^, and he was
later to write three different commentaries o n it.
Abulafia mentions that he was introduced to the Guide by a
certain Rabbi Hillel in Capua. This is most certainly Rabbi Hillel of
Verona (1220-1295), who lived in Capua between 1260 and 1271.
Rabbi Hillel had been a disciple o f the famed Rabbi Jonah Gerondi
(1194-1263). Rabbi Jonah had been a vehement opponent of
Maimonides' Guide, but toward. the end of his life, he made a public
confession regretting this opposition. Rabbi Hillel followed his master,
and also became a staunch advocate of Maimonides' teachings. W h e n
Shlomo Petit, a leading Kabbalist from Acco, attempted to reintroduce a
ban against the Guide, Rabbi Hillel became one of its most important
defenders. Besides this, Rabbi Hillel is best known for his book
Tagmuley HaNefesh (Reward of the Soul), written in 1290 in the city
of Forli.15 It was f r o m Rabbi Hillel that Abulafia gained a strong
positive impression of Maimonides' teachings, in direct opposition to
many important Kabbalists of that period.
Besides this, Abulafia was thoroughly familiar with the mystical
works f r o m the Talmudical period, such as the Bahir, which he calls the
greatest of all Kabbalah texts.16 In at least one place, he uses a term
prominent in the Zohar, indicating that he might also have had some
access to that body of literature, even though i t had not yet been
published.17
I t is of great significance that Abulafia also refers to the Hekhalot,
which w e have discussed in t h e previous chapter. Although h e w a s
familiar with this text, in no place does he mention the actual use of its
methods, b u t instead, advocates a different system entirely. This would
appear to indicafe that, like the Ari, he realized that the techniques
described in the Hekhalot require a system of purification that was n o
longer in existence.
Another reason may be the fact that Abulafia considered himself a
follower of the way of the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation), a system
that he considered unique and different than other Kabbalistic
teachings. In one place, he discussed the Kabbalistic school utilizing the
Ten Sefirot, and clearly states that the way of the Sefer Yetzirah is
different and higher, involving the Twenty-Two Letters of the Hebrew
alphabet rather than the ten numbers.18
There is no question that the Sefer Yetzirah played a most
important role in Abulafia's career. In his autobiographical sketch, h e
writes that he considered his initiation into the mysteries of the Sefer
Yetzirah as the major turning point in his life. Elsewhere, he writes that
he h i d studied the Sefer Yetzirah with -twelve of its major
commentaries, both philosophical and Kabbalistic.19
His master in the Sefer Yetzirah was Rabbi Baruch Torgami, w h o
also apparently influenced Rabbi Isaac of Acco. Rabbi Baruch wrote a
book Maftechot HaKabbalah (Keys of Kabbalah), a commentary o n the
Sefer Yetzirah involving numerical manipulations (gematria) in a style
very much like that of Abulafia.20 Besides this, it appears that Abulafia
learned a good deal of the mystical tradition from Rabbi Baruch. T h e
surname Torgami would indicate that Rabbi Baruch came from T u r k e y
(Togarmah). This would imply that the mystical tradition may have
been preserved there in an unbroken tradition. T h i s is quite likely, since
at the time, Turkey had a Jewish community that had flourished there
since the time of Alexander the Great.
There has been much confusion regarding the temptations that
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Abulafia mentions in his autobiographical sketch. A key is provided by
his statement that "for fifteen years, the Satan was at m y right hand to
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t mislead me." In a number of places, Abulafia indicates that Satan ( ~ ~ j r y )
I has a numerical value of 359, the same as that of Zera Lavan (7)) m!),
meaning "white seed." 21 This "white seed" clearly refers to semen, as
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Abulafia clearly states elsewhere.22 I t would therefore appear that the
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"Satan" indicates sexual temptation, most probably involving
masturbation. This is supported by his poem at the beginning of
Chayay Olam Habah, where he speaks of his body "defiled with seed,"
worthy of death, and apparently guilty of murder.23 T h i s is an allusion
to Er and O n a n , who died for spilling their seed in vain, and to the
Talmudic statement that o n e who emits semen in vain is likened to a
murderer.24
This is particularly significant, since it is well established in
Kabbalistic teachings that masturbation is one of the worst of sins, as
 clearly stated in the Zoliar.25 T h e main task of the mystic is to use the
- intellect and imagination to reach the highest spiritual levels, and this
process is totally disrupted when one uses his imagination to conjure u p
sexual fantasies while masturbating. A later mystic, Rabbi Nachman of
Breslov (1772-1810), considered i t one of his greatest
accomplishments that he was able to discover a General Rectification
( T i k ~ c t ~HnKelali) to undo the spiritual damage caused by
masturbation.26 -
Although Abulafia clearly recognized the primacy of the Hebrew
language in his mystical system, he also recognized the value of other
languages and cultures. In a number o f places, he makes use of foreign
terms to prove a point, and even incorporates them into his numerical
calculations.27 Once, he makes use of the Arabic or Indian number
system to prove a point.28 He also had discussions with Christian
mystics, a;.d praises them for their insight. In one place he states,
"There is n o question that there are individuals among the Christians
who know this mystery. They discussed the mysteries with me and
revealed that this is unquestionably their opinion, whereupon I judged
them to be among the pious of the gentiles. O n e need not worry about
the fools of any nation, since the Torah was only given to those with
intelligence." l9 -
Abulafia's relationship with the Christians was not confined to
debates, nor was he particularly impressed with their theology. In a
n u m b e r of places, h e speaks of such Christian ideas as t h e T r i n i t y and
Incarnation as being false.30 But, in what is probably the most dramatic
episode in Abulafia's life, he went on a mission to attempt to convert
the Pope to Judaism.
This Pope was Nicholas 111, who, according to historical records,
died in Saronno, Italy o n August 22.1280 (25 Elul, 5040). This was just
a few days before Rush HnShnirnh, the H e b ~ e w~ e Year. k This Pope
w a s best k n o w n for having established t h e Vatican as a permanent
seat o f t h e papacy, and for sending missionaries t o Persia and China.
Abulafia came to see him shortly before Rosh HaShaiinh, a n d it w a s
only t h e Pope's sudden death that saved him f r o m being b u r n e d a t t h e
stake.
Abulafia himself wrote a n autobiographical account of this
conversion attempt in his Sefer HaEdot (Book of Testimonies).31 In this
account, he calls himself Raziel, an anonym that h e Frequently used,
this being the name of the angel who taught the mysteries to Adam.
Raziel (5v1t7) has a numerical value of 248, this being the same as that of
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Abulafia's first name, Abraham (DJ!?~). As Abulafia himself indicates,
this relationship is more than a simple gematria, but it is a mishkal
(balance), since both the numerical value and the number of letters in
both names are equal.32
I t appears that Abulafia returned to Barcelona shortly after this,
since we find him leaving there in 1281. This is particularly significant,
since the Rashba, the main opponent of Abulafia, had assumed the post
of Rabbi in Barcelona in 1280. It may well have been the denunciation
o n the part of the Rashba that Abulafia refers to when he states that he
"was captured by gentiles because of denunciation on the part of the
Jews."
From Barcelona, Abulafia moved his base of operations to
Palmyra, Sicily, a n d h e r e he wrote his Metzaref LaSekhel (Refinement
of the Intellect) in 1282. It was also here that he gained Rabbi Achitov
the physician as a disciple. It was to this Rabbi Achitov that the Rashba
sent a scathing denunciation of Abulafia's m e t h ~ d s . ~ J
A short time after this, Abulafia moved to Messina, also in Sicily.
He cafls this city Mi-Sinai, meaning "from Sinai," possibly indicating
that i t was a place of revelation. tiis opposition, however, g r e w even
stronger, and b y 2288, he had been forced to move to the tiny island of
Comino near Malta. After this, very lithe is known of his personal life,
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although a few of his existant works seem to have been written during
this period. ,
An excellent autobiographical account of this last period, couched
I
I in apocalyptic language, is found in Abulafia's Sefer H a O t (Book of the
1 Sign). Here Abu1;lfia uses another anonym, Zechariyahu (m:y?), which
also has the same numerical value as Abraham.
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In everything that I have written until now, my main intent was to
come to what I will now reveal.
I , [Abraham Abulafia], the individual mentioned in the
introduction, was born in Saragossa, in Argon, which is in the kingdom
of Spain. Before I was weaned, while I was still a n infant suckling milk
from the breasts of my mother, I moved to [Navarra], some sixteen
parsangs from the city where I was born, together with my brothers and
sisters. I thus grew u p on the Ebro River, which passes through both of
these cities.
 I began to read the scriptures with their commentaries, and also
In Burgos, I taught two men, a master and his disciple. T h e name
learned Hebrew grammar, completing all twenty-four books [of the
of the master is Rabbi Moshe SiFno.36 T h e disciple is Rabbi Shem T o v ,
Bible] under the tutelage of my father, of blessed memory. I t was from
a pleasant young man, but his y o u t h prevented him from mastering the
him that I also learned the Mishnah and Talmud, and most of my
subject. Both he and his master only learned a few external points of the
learning was under this instruction.
Kabbalah From me.
I was eighteen years old when he died.
In Medina Celi there were two disciples. O n e was Samuel the
I remained in the land of m y birth for two years after m y father
Prophet, to whom I-taught some Kabbalah. T h e other was Rabbi Joseph
~ a s s e daway. At the age o f twenty, God's spirit moved me, and I left,
Gikatalia, may God continue to guide him. H e had great intelligence,
heading straight f o r the Land of Israel by sea and by land. M y intent
and will undoubtedly have great success if God is with him.
was the rearh the land o f the Sambation,J4but I did not get further than
I am now in Messina, which is "from Sinai" (Mi-Sinai). Here I
Acco. Because o f the conflict between Ishmael (the Arabs) and Esau
found six men, and I also brought a seventh along with me. These
(the Christians), I was forced to flee. I left [the Holy Land] and returned
learned from me for a very short time, each one taking what he could,
[to Europe] by way of Greece.
some much and some little. T h e y all eventually left me, except For one.
I t was while passing through [Greece] that I got married. God then
He was their leader, and he brought all the others to learn From me.
aroused me, a n d , taking along m y wife, I set o u t for the "waters o f
T h e name of this disciple is Rabbi Saadia ben Yitzchak Sanalmapi
desire" where I could study the Torah. This I found in Capua, a
of blessed memory. H e was followed b y Rabbi Abraham ben Shalom,
journey of five days from Rome.
and then by the latter's son, Yaakov, and then by his Friend Yitzchak.
I t was here that I found a distinguished s a g e , philosopher, and These were Followed b y other acquaintances, until I had three disciples
master physician by the name of Rabbi Hillel. W e became friends, and
o n one level, and Four o n a lower level.37 T h e seventh disciple was
i t was from him that I learned philosophy, which I found very pleasant.
Natronai the Frenchman, of blessed memory, but for various reasons,
Exploring this discipline with all m y might, I kept at i t day and night. I
he immediately left us. He was the one who prevented the others From
was not satisfied until I had gone through the entire Guide to the
attaining what they could. It was here that some desired things
Perplexed many times.
occurred, and there were some normal events, some accidents, and some
In Capua I also had four disciples whom I taught occasionally. things that had to take place.
They were senseless young men, however, and when they went out to W h e n I was thirty-one years old, in Barcelona, God awakened me
evil ways, I abandoned them. There were also another ten disciples, but f r o m my sleep, a c d I learned the Sefer Yetzirah with its commentaries.
these too did not benefit, and they lost both ways, the first and the God's hand was upon me, and I wrote books OF wisdom and also some
second. wondrous prophetic books. M y soul awakened within me, and a spirit
In Agropoli there were four disciples. But these also did not benefit of God touched m y mouth. A spirit OF holiness fluttered through me,
from m y teachings. They had very strange ideas, especially concerning and I s a w many Fearsome sights and wonders, through signs and
the depths o f wisdom and mysteries of the Torah. I did not find any miracles.
who were worthy that I should even give them the barest hints of the But at the same time, spirits OF jealousy gathered around me, and I
Truth. was confronted with Fantasy and error. M y mind was totally confused,
In Rome, there were two old men, Rabbi Tzadakia and Rabbi since I could not Find anyone else like me, w h o would teach me the,
Yeshiah who entered into Iny covenant. With these I had some success, correct path. I was therefore like a blind man, groping around at noon.
but they were very old and they died. For Fifteen years, the Satan was at m y right hand to mislead me.
In Barcelona I had two disciples. O n e , by the name of Rabbi All this time, I was driven mad from what m y eyes saw.J8But I was
Kalonymos, o f blessed memory, an older man who was quite able to keep the T o r a h , and seal in the second curse for fifteen years,
distinguished. T h e other was a brilliant unmarried man, a distinguished until God granted me wisdom and counsel. God was thus with me From
sage, and one o f the leaders of the community, by the name of Rabbi the year O n e (5001 = 1241) until the year 45 (5045 = 1285), protecting
Yauda, also called S o l o m o n . ~ s me From all misfortune.
 At the beginning of the year "Elijah" (Elyah, ;r:?~ = 46; that is,
5046, or the end of 1285 c.e.) God had mercy o n me and brought me to
the Holy Palace. I t is at this time that I completed this book (Otzar Eden
HaCanuz), which was written here in Messina. I t was written for . . .
the above-mentioned Saadia, the first of the seven mentioned earlier.
Seeing the affection with which he attached himself to me, [I wrote this
for him] so that he should remember what he learned from me, since
forgetfulness is rampant. When he has it, I k n o w that it will also help
his above-mentioned companions, since i t is most probable that they
will also learn from it.
I realize that if not for various "accidents" 39 and fantasies, they
would have never left me. T h e fantasies that caused them to leave me
and keep away f r o m me are precisely the ones that I myself once had.
God helped me to stand my ground, and withstanding the test
enlightened m y heart, since because of them I guarded my mouth and
tongue. I kept m y lips from speaking and my heart from thinking, and I
returned to the proper place.
I continued to keep the covenant recognizing and perceiving what
was hidden from me at the time. And I praise the name of the Lord, my
God and God of m y fathers, who did not withdraw His love and truth
during all these times. . . .
Otzar Eden HaCanuz.40
Conversion of the Pope
T h i s is the Book of Testimonies (Sefer HeEdot), the fourth
commentsry written by Raziel (an anonym of Abulafia), the third book
of the volume. T h e first was the Book of the Upright (Sefer HaYashar),
written in the city of M o u n t Patrai in Greece in the year 5039 (1279).
T h e author was then 39 years old, and this was the ninth year of his
prophecy. Until that year he did not write any prophetic books, even
though he wrote many other books o f wisdom, some dealing with the
deepest mysteries of the Kabbalah.
In that ninth year, God aroused him to g o to Rome, as H e
commanded him in ~ a r c e l o n ain those years." O n the way, he passed
through Tarni, where he was imprisoned by the gentiles because he had
been denounced by the Jews. A miracle occurred and h e escaped.
H e then settled in Capua for a short time. In the tenth year, after
h e had left Barcelona, he wrote a scond book, which is called the Book
of Life (Sefer HaChaim).
In the fifth month after Nissan, the eleventh month after Tishrei,
that is, the month of A b (July), in the tenth year, he came to Rome. H e
had planned to appear before the Pope-on the day before the [Hebrew]
N e w Year. T h e Pope was then in Saronno, a day's journey from Rome,
and he instructed the gatekeepers that if Raziel should come to speak to
him in the name of Judaism, he should be detained, and should not be
granted an audience. T h e y were given instructions to take him out of
the city and b u r n him at the stake. T h e wood was already ~ r e ~ a r near
ed
the inner gate of the city.
Raziel was informed of this, b u t he paid no heed to those who told
him. He meditated (hitboded) and saw wonders, and at that time he
wrote them d o w n in his Book of Testimonies. !t would be a testimony
between him and God that He had saved him from his enemies.
O n the day that he was to see the Pope, he was given two mouths.
When he entered the outer gate of the city, a messenger greeted him and
informed him that o n the previous night, the one who had sought to kill
him had suddenly died, as if from a plague. O n e was killed that night,
and [the other) was saved.
In Rome h e was then imprisoned b y the "Little Brothers"
(Franciscans) and he remained in their academy for twenty-eight days
. . . H e finally went free o n the first of Cheshvan (October 1 8 , 1240). I
write this to tell the praise of G o d , and His miracles and wonders with
Raziel and His true servants.
Metzaref LaSekhel.42
Zecharyahu
And God said to Zecharyahu (an anonym for Abulafia) the
proclajmer, raise your voice, your tongue, with a pen, and with three
fingers, write the words of this book. And ~ o was d with him to help
him, and Zecharyahu wrote all that G o d commanded him.
He went quickly, declaring and announcing the living words of
God to the Jews, circumcised in flesh, but uncircumcised in heart. But
the poor to w h o m he was sent, and for whom he was revealed, did not
pay attention to his coming. T h e y began to speak about him and his
God, saying things that should not be spoken.
 And God commanded him to speak in His name to the gentiles, the healthy among them, and asked them to heal the sick in spirit by the
uncircun~cisedin heart and uncircumcised in flesh. He did this, and word of Zecharyahu.
they believed in the announcement from God. But they did not return And those w h o would deny the highest wisdom stood u p , sick and
to God, for they believed in their sword and bow, and God had stricken with deadly wounds. T h e y spoke high words against God and
hardened their unclean uncircumcised hearts. God's anger was then His anointed, and against all the healthy ones w h o had gone along with
kindled against them, and He had mercy o n His people Israel. them, w h o recognized the depth of their sickness and pursued a cure.
And H e then chose a time and season for the day of the T h e hearts o f those w h o followed melted, and their spirit became weak,
proclamation. . . . and they stopped following those w h o knew the Name and are counted
And i t was o n that day, God went with joy and gladness, with with it.
seven lamps and five bright lights, seeking o n all the tops of the Because of such things, God became angry at those who provoked
mountains. Between the lions and bears, He found a lost sheep, without Him and denied His Name. H e sent one to rebuke them, and his words
shepherd, but n o lion had torn i t , and no bear had eaten it. were a shame and a n insult to their name. S o they chased him from city
And God found the top of a high mountain, and its name is M o u n t to city, from place to place, until he came to the land of Mastina
Naples. T h e shepherd of is sheep sat o n i t for twenty years, until the (Malta), to the island of C o m i n o There he sat for m a n y days against his
passing of the time of anger and the instant of rage, during which the will.
shepherd slept. At that time, the God of Israel will awaken the heart of And it was in those days that G o d said to Zecharyahu, "Write for
the shepherd, and he will be aroused from his sleep, and he will awaken you this book, which will go against the sages of Israel in this
the hearts that sleep in the dust. T h e dead will then come to life, and the generation, who boast about that which I d o not desire. T h e y say, w h y
sheep will come home, never again to be scattered. . . should we consider God's Name, h o w will i t help us when we utter it,
In the year 5045 (1285), In the third lunar month, that is the month and h o w will i t benefit us if we calculate it?"
of Kislev, this being the ninth solar month (September), in the tenth
cycle, in the fifth year of the cycle, o n the first of the month, o n the
sixth day (Friday) . . . God awakened the spirit of Zecharyahu to review
- and double his prophetic books and to complete half of this book. O n
that day Zecharyahu the shepherd began to write wonders. . . .
And God sent a physician to his people to heal the pain of their
wound by teaching their sages His Name. And the sages of wisdom
were sick and wounded, with "every sickness and wound that is not
written in this book of the Torah" 4 3
And God said to Zecharyahu the healthy one, "Go, and I will send
you to the people who are stricken in heart, to heal their sickness. Take
with you the remedy of ' M y Name' and ' M y Remembrance'." 4 4
And God gave a gift of grace and a portion of love in the hands of
Zecharyahu, and he went about in the lands of the nations where Israel
is scattered. H e began to speak, and as he spoke, he ended. For h.e called
out in the name of the Lord, the everlasting God, from the beginning to
the end, walking a straight line, not straying to the right or to the left.
But only a few of the sages of Israel wished to hear the wisdom o f
God and the excellence of His ways from his mouth. God appeared to

3. WRITINGS
I t is not because of his personal life that Abulafia is so fascinating,
b u t because of the remarkable treasure of mystical lore that he has
included in his writings. While this tradition was known to other
masters olC that period, none wrote down more than the barest hints
regarding the explicit practices of the Kabbalah. Abulafia himself
writes, " n o other Kabbalist before me wrote explicit books o n this
subject." d 6 Elsewhere he states that the earlier authors w h o did write
about this subject made a point of concealing its practices. T h e y did not
make i t obvious that this was the main point of their books, b u t only
mentioned it in passing. "But 1 have made it the main point and root of
all that I have ever written:" d 7
I t apparently was not pride that led Abulafia to d o this, but rather,
a feeling of divine calling. In one place he states that he was
commanded by Elijah and Enoch in a vision to reveal these secrets.40
According to his calculations, prophecy was destined to return around
the year 1285, and his books were intended to teach the methods of
attaining this level for those w h o were worthy of it.d9 H e writes that he
was not motivated by ulterior motives, because h e considered himself
greater than the earlier Kabbalists, or because he felt that no one else
would ever reveal it if not f o r him. Instead, he wrotes, he did so for two
reasons, one theological and o n e h u m a n . T h e theological reason is
related to the final redemption, for which these mysteries are necessary,
while the h u m a n reason is due to the lack of Kabbalah masters in his
genera tion.gO
Abulafia was very much aware that criticism would be directed at
him because o f his revelations. H e had already been persecuted by the
Rashba, and was shunned b y other Kabbalists for revealing their
mysteries. H e writes that the mysteries involving the Jetters were
revealed to the prophets, and they, in turn, revealed them to all Israel.
Since i t was almost forgotten, it is important to write it down. H e
concludes, "Even though I k n o w that people will denounce both me
and m y books, I will not desist from writing." 5'
All this was not mere words. In a letter to Abraham Comti of
Messina, Abulafia indicates that he had already written 26 books o n the
mysteries,and 22 prophetic books.52 Even these numbers are
significant, since 26 is the numerical value of the Tetragrammaton
(YHVH, ;n;l?),while 22 is the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
Abulafia's "prophetic" books were those written while he was in a
quasi-prophetic meditative state. In at least one place, he clearly states
that s u c h a book w a s w r i t t e n after h e had meditated.53 T h e only
surviving example of these prophetic books is his B o o k of t h e S i g n
(Sefer HaOt), which is also one of the very few of his books that was
ever p b l i s h e d . It is written in a style that attempts to mimic that of the
Biblical p o p h e t s , and tells about his mystical experiences. Most of his
other books are guides to meditation or expositions of the Kabbalah,
i1
I
often involving long strings of numerically related words or phrases.
With a f e w very minor exceptions, none of Abulafia's works were
1 ever p i n t e d . Even those that were, were not published until relatively
recently, and then by secular scholars or historians. Still, his writings
! did enjoy a fair degree of circulation in the mystical community, and a
considerable number of manuscripts survive, both in libraries and in
private collections.
T h e following is a list of Abulafia's k n o w n works:
1. Key to the Bind (Mafteach HaRayon). Vatican, M291.
2. Divorce of Names (Get Hashemot), where the author divorces himself
from the use of all of God's names other than the Tetragrammaton.
Oxford, Ms. 1658.
3. Life of the Soul (Chayay Nefesh), the first of his three commentaries of
Mairnonides' Guide to the Perplexed. Written in 1279. Munich, Ms. 408,
Jewish Theological Seminary, Ms. 96.
4. Mysteries of the Torah (Sithrey Torah), the second commentary on the
G u ~ d eWritten
. in 1280. Munich, Ms. 32.
5. Book of Redemption (Sefer HaGeulah), a third commentary on the Guide.
Leipzig, Ms 39. Existent in Latin translation by Flavius Mitradates.
6. Life of the Future World (Chayay Olam HaBah). Abulafia's most
important book teaching meditation as a means of attaining enlightenment.
Written 1280. In many manuscripts, notably, Jewish Theological
Seminary, Mss. 2158, 2165, 8126; Jerusalem, Ms. 8" 540.
 7. Book of the Upright (Sefer HaYashar). Writ t e n in U r b i n o in 1279. N o copy 26. W o r d s of Beauty (Imrey Shefer), a n introduction to Abulafia's system.
available. S e e p15. Written 1291. M u n i c h , M s . 285.
8. T h e Book of Life (Sefer HaChairn). Written in C a p u a in 1280. N o c o p y 27. The Lamp of God ( N e r Elohim). M u n i c h , M s . l o .
available. 28. And This is to ludah (VeZot LiYehudahl, a reply t o t h e Rashba's accusations.
9. T h e Book of Testimonies (Sefer HaEdot). Written in Rome in 1281. N o W r i t t e n in Sicily a s a l e t t e r t o J u d a h of Barcelona, k n o w n as Solomon.
copy available. Published by Jellinek in Philosoph~e14nd Kabbnlnh, Leipzig, 1 8 5 4 .
10. T h e Book of the Covenant (Sefer HaBrit). N o copy available. 29. Seven Paths of the Torah (Sheva Netivot HaTorah), regarding the methods
1 1 . T h e Book of the Interpreter (Sefer HaMelitz). N o copy available. of T o r a h s t u d y . Published b y Jellinek in Philosophie und Kabbalah,
1 2 . The Book of Human Man (Sefer Ish A d a m ) . N o copy available. Leipzig, 1 8 5 4 .
1 3 . The Book of the Haftorah (Sefer Haftorah). Written in C a p u a in 1280. N o 30. A Refiner"
, " ,for Silver and a Furnace for Gold (Metzaref LaKesef V e K u r
copy available. LaZahav), discussion of the N a m e of 42 letters. S a s o o n , M S . 56.
14. Seal of the Haftorah (Chotern Haftorah). N o copy available. 31. The Book of Passion (Sefer HaCheshek), a n important work o n Abulafia's
15. Refinement of the Intellect (Matzaref LaSekhel), a "commentary" o n meditative system,' paralleling C h a y a y O l a m HaBah. Jewish Theological
books #7-14, all of which appear to be"prophetic" books written between Seminary, M s . 1801.
1 2 7 9 and 1282. Written in Sicily in 1282. M u n i c h , M s . 285. 32. The Book of Blendings(Sefer HaTzeruf). A n important work regarding the
1 6 . Treasr-cry of the Hidden Eden (Otzar Eden HaGanuz), a commentary on the manipulation of letters and words. Attribution to Abulafia n o t definite.
Sefer Yetzirah containing i m p o r t a n t autobiographical material. Written in Jewish Theological Seminary, M s . 1887. Paris. M s . 774.
Sicily in 1 2 8 5 . O x f o r d , M s . 6 0 6 .
17. Light of the Intellect ( O r HaSekhel), an important exposition of Abulafia's B e s i d e s t h e s e , a n u m b e r of o t h e r books are k n o w n , either i n small
system and meditative techniques. Written in Sicily in 1285 for his t w o fragments, o r in u n n a m e d manuscripts. O t h e r s a r e t h o u g h t to h a v e
disciples in Messina, Abraham Comti a n d ~ a t h a nCharar. Vatican, M s . been w r i t t e n by Abulafia, but identification is n o t p o s i t i v e .
233, M u n i c h , M s . 92, Jerusalem, M s . 8' 3009.
1 8 . Keeper o f a C o m m a n d m e n t (Shomer Mitzvah), a commentary o n the I
!
Priestly Blessing. Written in 1287 for a disciple f r o m the Holy Land w h o 1
had come to Sicily. Paris, M s . 853.
1 9 . Sealed Garden (Gan Naul), commentary o n Sefer Yetzirah. Written in
Sicily in 1289. M u n i c h , M s . 58. Printed in part as a section in Sefer ,
HaPeliyah (Koretz, 1784), p p . 50c-56c.
20. Book o f the Sign (Sefer HaOt), a prophetic work. Written in 1288, after
Abulafia had fled to Comino near Malta. Published by Jellinek, Leipzig,
1853.
21.' Key of W i s d o m s (Mafteach HaChokhmot), commentary o n Genesis.
Written in 1289. Jewish Theological Seminary, Mss. 1897, 1686.
22. Key of Names (Mafteach Hashernot), commentary o n Exodus. Jewish
Theological Seminary, M s . 1897.
23. Key of Offerings (Mafteach HaKorbatiot), commentary o n Leviticus.
Mentioned in introduction of Mafteach H a C h o k h m o t , p . 90b. N o k n o w n
manuscript.
24. Key of Sefirot (Mafteach HaSefirot), commentary on Numbers. Milan
(Ambriosana), M s . 5 3 .
25. Key o f A d m o n i s h m e n t (Mafteach HuTokhachah) , commentary o n
Deuteronomy. O x f o r d , M s .

4. TEACHINGS
In the literature, there is considerable d i s c u s s ~ o nregarding the
term Kabbalah(;l??z). Most authorities state that i t comes from the root
Kabul (h;7), meaning "to receive." Abulafia takes this a step further,
maintaining that a mystic is called a Kabbalist because he has received
(Kibel, L7s?) the tradition from either the prophets or those who received
fom them.54 Like most other Kabbalists, he saw his tradition as being
that of the prophets, and assumed that his methods were the same as
those that the prophets used to attain their high mystical experience.
T h e use of Divine Names plays a very important role in Abulafia's
system.This is one tradition that he clearly s a w as being derived from
the patriarchs and prophets. Thu5, when the Torah states that
Abraham "called in the Name of God" (Genesis 1 2 : 8 ) , most
commentaries interpret this to mean that he prayed, or that he
proclaimed God's greatness. Together with a number of other
Kabbalists, however, Abulafia takes this literally, stating that Abraham
actually pronounced God's Name, and through this practice was able to
attain the highest mystical levels.55
T h e Sefer Yetzirah, which is attributed to Abraham, seems to
support this interpretation. I t states:s6
Whcn Abr.iharn gci/cci,lic Iookcd, saw, probed, and understood
He graved l r n i n i 1 hewed ichol;r7r,l and combtned I/:nrn\l He w a s
successful and the Master n f all, blessed be He, revealed himself
to h ~ m
T h e three key words here are graved (chakak, ppn), hewed
(chatzav, x n ) , and combined (tzarnf, 11~).According to a number of
Kabbalists, these processes involve the manipulation of letters, and i t is
from this that Abulafia derived his main system. O v e r a hundred years
before Abulafia, a major commentator, Rabbi Yehudah ben Barzilai of
Barcelona, had explained that the word "graved" ( c h a k a k ) denotes
writing. H e also stated that "hewed" (chatzav) denoted the formation
of the letters, wllile "combined" (tzaraf) indicated that Abraham
permuted them.57
In one of his books, Abulafia virtually paraphrases this
interpretation, and i t was apparently well known among the Kabbalists.
Thus, the method used by Abraham, as outlined in the Sefer Yetzirah,
was primarily one of writing and permuting the letters of the alphabet.
This activity served as a meditative method, through which he reached
high prophetic states. This is also the core of Abulafia's system. H e
calls it the "Kabbalah of letters," distinguishing it from the "Kabbalah
of Sefirot." 58
Another important Talmudic teaching, often quoted by Abulafia,
is the statement that "Betzalel knew how to permute (tzaraf) the letters
with which the heaven and earth were created." 59 Betzalel was the one
who was given the task of erecting the Tabernacle in the desert after the
Exodus. T h r o u g h this mystical ability to manipulate the letters of
creation, he was able to build it in such a manner that i t would act as a
channel for the spiritual energies of creation.
Very closely related to this is the fact that all of creation took place
by means of sayings. At each stage in the creation of the universe, the
Bible introduces the account by stating, "And God said." Creation
therefore took place through words. These words, however, consisted
of letters, and t h e r e f o r ~the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are the most
basic building blocks of creation.60 Therefore, if an individual knows
how to correctly manipulate the letters of the alphabet, he is able to
make use of the same spiritual forces that originally brought the
universe into being.
Abulafia finds a hint for this in the verse, "God's way is perfect
( t a m i m ) , God's word is permuted (tzerufah)" (Psalms 18:31).61
Although the word tzerufah (3371~)in this verse is usually interpreted
to mean "refined" or "purified," Abulafia used i t in the sense of the
Sefer Yetzirah, where means "blended" or "permuted." This is also
indicated by the word tamim ( 0 - p ~ ) ,which indicates a spiritual
experience and a state of enlightenment.62 Elsewhere, Abulafia states
that the permutation of the letters itself serves as a test and a "refining"
for the initiate. Through the manner in which an individual permutes
the letters, one can k n o w the nature of his innermost se1f.63
Here we see an entirely new method of meditation. Instead of
chanting a word over and over, as in mantra meditation, one writes a
 word, permuting and cycling the letters in every possible manner. As
the initiate progresses to higher and higher states, he no longer needs to
actually write the letters, but can permute them verbally or mentally.
All this is a n initiation to the higher levels, which actually involve the
Divine Names.64A n entire handbook dealing with the various methods
of manipulating letters in this manner is attributed to Abulafia, and
similar books were written by other members of his schoo1.65
A similar word with two meanings is rakhav (xn),which means
"to ride," but also has a connotation of "grafting" and "attaching."
This is especially significant since rakhav is the root of the word
Merkava ( n p l n ) , which denotes the highest mystical experiences. As
Abulafia points o u t , this also has the connotation of grafting and
combining, and therefore, the "Mystery of the Merkava" involved the
combination of letters, words and Divine Names.
Abuiafia thus discusses the phrase, " O n e who looks at the gazing
(tzefiyat) o f the Merkava." 66 H e states that the meaning of this was
known to the sages by a tradition from the prophets, and consisted of
"grafting (harkava, ;7??15) o f one letter to another, one word to another,
one Divine Name to another."
Each such Merkava-combination combines the power of the
Divine Names, the Sefirot, and the letters. W h e n these influence an
individual, they direct him in forming every possible permutation.
Because their essence is sealed in these permutations, every key of
wisdom is given over to the individual who "gazes, sees, and
understands."
W h e n an individual looks into these permutations in a proper
manner, he can see all of creation. H e is like a person looking into a
- 1
glass mirror, w h o sees both his own face, and the faces of all who pass
by.67 Abulafia writes that, "when the power o f the influx begins to
manifest and reveal itself to the one gazing into the 'mirror,' the letters
and Sefirot begin to appear before him, like lightning flashes. This is
like the vision o f the Chayot, regarding which i t is written, ' T h e Chayot
ran and returned, like a vision of lightning' (Ezekiel 1:14)."6s
This is also the meaning o f what the Sefer Yetzirah says, "Ten
Sefirot of Nothingness, their vision (tzafiyah, ;ry?y) is like a flash of
lightning." 69 T h e word "vision" (tzafiyah) here, i s a term that has a
special connotation o f prophecy and the mystical vision.
Although Abulafia considered the "Method of Sefirot" to be
different than- the "Method o f Letters" that he taught, he does
occasionally speak in guarded tones about ascending through the
"ladder of the Sefirot." 70 Still, he was very careful not to stress this
method. He realized that if one meditated o n the Sefirot, i t would be
very easy to see them as independent entities, thus introducing an
element of plurality into the absolute unity of the Godly realm.71 This,
in turn, can lead to the actual worship of the Sefirot, and according to at
least one Kabbalistic source, this was the first step that eventually led to
pagan poly theism.72
Another type of meditation that Abulafia hints at is
contemplation. H e particularly speaks about this with respect to the
blue thread in the Tzitzit, the ritual tassel worn o n the Prayer Shawl
(Tallit). Speaking of the Tzitzit, the Torah says, "You shall gaze at it,
and remember all of God's commandments" (Numbers 15:39). T h e
Talmud expounds o n this, saying, "the blue thread resembles the sea,
the sea resembles the firmament, and the firmament resem'bles the
Throne of Glory." 7' What the Talmud is actually doing is alluding to
the fact that this thread is to be used as a n object of meditative
contemplation, outlining the steps of spiritual ascent.
This thread was colored with a blue dye taken from the chilazon, a
mollusc related to the murex. Abulafia notes th,at the word chilazon
(p'p)-has the same letters as la-chazon ( ~ i r ~ tmeaning,
), "for a
vision." 74 Through this dye, o n e could attain a vision approaching that
I of prophecy.
ii Still, Abulafia's main method involved the permutation of letters,
and, o n a higher level, pronouncing the letters of the Divine Names.
Such pronunciation was to be accompanied by specific head motions,
i as well as particult: breathing exercises.
T h e true mystical experience is beyond description, and cannot be
explained to o n e who has not experienced it himself. J u s t as a person
who has been blind from birth cannot comprehend the concept of color,
I
, so one who has been spiritually blind cannot grasp the brilliant
spectrum o f the spiritual world. Abulafia thus writes, " O n e who
reaches the highest level cannot reveal i t to anyone. All he can d o is give
over the keys, so that the enlightened individual can open the gates
which are sealed to exclude the unworthy 75 "
Both the opportunities and dangers facing one who enters the
mysteries are graphically described by Abulafia. He writes that divine
wisdom has both a right side and a left side. This mystery is the highest
level, since i t teaches the individual how to attain true enlightenment.
But still, even if one makes use of all the necessary techniques, he
cannot attain the higher levels unless he is properly prepared for this.
 Abulafia writes that, "many great men and sages have stumbled and
fell, were trapped and snared, because they exceeded the bounds of
their knowledge." 76
'
Abulafia then continues, speaking of the highest level, which is
the Crown. T h e word for Crown is Keter (in?), and Abulafia notes that
when these letters reversed, they spell karet (n-iq), which means "cut
off.". 77 T h u s , when an individual attempts to reach the highest level of
the C r o w n , 'if he is not worthy, he can end u p being "cut o f f "
spiritually. ~ b u l a f i atherefore warns in the strongest terms that one
who attempts to enter these mysteries must be adequately prepared,
- and that one not enter unless he is thoroughly familiar with all the
necessary introductions.
An especially strong warning is given against spiritual
dilettantism. I f a person enters the mysteries as a whim, without
preparatior,, he can be destroyed, both spiritually and psychologically.
In pronouncing this warning, Abulafia writes to the uninitiated, "You
mind will be confused, your thoughts confounded, and you will not
f i n d any way to escape the reveries of your mind. T h e power of your
imagination will overwhelm you, making you imagine many utterly
u s e ~ e s s fantiasies Your imaginative faculty will grow stronger,
weakening your intellect, until your reveries cast you into a great sea.
You will not have the wisdom ever to escape from i t , and will therefore
drown." 78 He warns that before one attempts to attain the "small still
voice," he must first grasp the mysteries of the Kabbalah with his
intellect.
T h e ultimate mysteries are alluded to by the Garden of Eden.79 T h e
Torah relates that after Adam sinned and was expelled, this garden was
protected by "the flame of a rotating sword" (Genesis 3:24). Abulafia
explains that the manner in which this sword rotates depends o n the
readiness of the individual attempting to enter. If he is worthy, it
becomes the mirror through which he perceives, while if he is not
worthy, he is burned out and "cut off" by the fire of this sword. T h e
o n e who oversees the sword, preventing the unworthy from entering is
the angel Metatron. T h e turning sword itself is the cycle of the
in tellect.80
Abulafia writes that the letters, used by the initiate, are engraved
o n the cycle of the intellect, and i t is through this cycle that one
perceives the transcendental. T h e source of his vision is the Holy
Palace, which is the precise center of that eycle.81
T h e sphere of the intellect has the power to travel through the
spiritual realm, which is the realm of Pure Intellect. As one begins to
enter this realm, he can climb the revolving sphere of the intellect as if i t
were a ladder. When he actually ascends, his thought processes are
turned-over and his entire perception is altered, so that he retains
nothing of his normal mental state.
Entering such a state of consciousness can be extremely
dangerous. Abulafia writes that, "one must completely alter his nature
and personality, transporting himself from a state of feeling to one of
intellect, from the path of the imagination to o n e of burning fire.
Otherwise, he will ultimately find his visions altered, his thought
processes demolished, and his reveries confounded. T h e sphere is what
refines and tests, and regarding i t the Scripture states, ' A refinery
(metzaref, q i ~ n is
) for silver, a furnace is for gold, but God tries the
heart' (Proverbs 17:3)."
Abulafia goes o n to state that "God gave us the Torah, teaching us
the way of permutations, and the steps of the ladder involving the
mystery of letters. Without such information, i t is impossible to reach
the level of knowing God." H e explains that the higher o n e ascends, the
more barriers must be sundered.83 Speaking at length of these barriers,
he discusses the Biblical passages which appear to indicate that C o d is
hidden by gloom and cloud. Since God is infinite, i t is impossible for
anything to encompass Him, but this "gloom and cloud" is actually in
the human intellect, which cannot actually perceive God.8'
While one must break through the barriers, one must also be
careful not to enter too close. O n e who goes beyond the proper
boundary can be swallowed u p by the light and die of rapture, very
much like Ben Azz:.i. According to Abulafia and other Kabbalists, this
was the death k n o w n as the "kiss of God," which, according to the
Talmud was reserved for the greatest saints.85 O n e method of avoiding
this is to bind one's o w n soul with an oath that it not leave the b 0 d y . ~ 6
But even more important, one must constantly avert his gaze, going
"back and forth." This is the meaning of what the Sefer Yetzirah
T e n Sefirot of Nothingness: Close your mouth that i t not speak o f
them, and your heart that it not think. And if y o u r heart runs,
return to its place, I t is t h u s written, "The C h a y o t ran and
returned" (Ezekiel 1 : 1 4 ) . Regarding this, a covenant has been
made
Abulafia maintained that when a n individual is o n the highest
meditative levels, he can actually alter the laws of nature through sheer
spiritual force.88 Still, he was generally very much opposed to using
 A n Excerpt From
Otzar Eden HaGanuz
I have explained what you need to do this, and you lack nothing,
Take the pen, parchment and ink, and write the letters, permuting them
in such a manner a s to denote good. "Depart from evil, d o good, seek
peace and pursue it." (Psalms 34:15)q8
These things cannot be know unless one knows the N a m e . . . I t is
written,"Every word of God is permuted(tzeruf), He is a shield to those
who take refuge in Him" (Proverbs 30:5) . . . This teaches that true
knowledge depends on God's sayings, which must be permuted, and
tested through such permutation. I t is the permutation of letters that
- .
tests these things, as it is written, "A permuter (metzaref) for silver, a
furnace f c r gold, but God tests the heart" (Proverbs 17:.7\
'/ '
The way of Permutations (Tzerlrf, InY) is the closest way to truly
know God, more so than any other way. The individuai who wishes to
enter the Way of permutations should immediately lest and permute
(purify) his heart with the great fire, which is the fire of darkness.100
If one has the power to endure the way of rebuke with great
passion, and i f his mind can control its fantasies, then he can ride [his
mind] like a horse. He can control i t as he desires, spurring i t on to go
forward, or reigning' i t to stop where he pleases. At all times, his
imagination remains subject to his will, not straying from its authority,
even by a hairbreadth.
A person with this power is truly a mighty warrior . . . He is like
Uriel, who constantly gazes at the Light of God, delighting in God's
mysteries. . . .
Now I will tell you the mystery of the true discipline, through
which you can alter the laws of nature. . . . This is the path along which
you must travel to attain the mystery of true discipline:
Take in your hand a scribe's pen. Write speedily, letting your
tongue utter the words with a pleasant melody, very slowly,
Understand the words that leave your lips. The words can consist of
anything that you desire, in any language that you desire, for you must
return all languages to their original substance. I have alluded to this
elsewhere, . . . but this is its correct place. . . .
You already know that Isaiah said, "Declare the letters backward,
and then we will know that you are gods, that you can do good and evil,
and we will meditate ( ~ V I J ~from
J, shakh, nvw) and see together" (Isaiah
41:23). He also said [in God's name), "Ask Me of letters, and command
Me over M y sons and the work of M y hands" (Isaiah 4 5 : l l ) . Again, he
said [in God's name], "Tell them of the letters that will come" (Isaiah
44:7).101 These three verses are trusted witnesses to the power of the
letters.
Take the pen in your hand, like a spear in the hand of a warrior.
When you think of something, uttering i t in your heart with specific
letters, also express i t with your mouth. Listen carefully, and "watch
what emanates from your lips" (Deuteronomy 23:24). Let your ears
hear what your lips speak, and with your heart, understand the
meaning of all these expressions.
Write each expression down immediately. Manipulate the letters,
and seek out other words having the same numerical value, even if they
do not follow my path. And know that this will be your key to open the
f i f t y gates of wisdom. . . .
You must be alone when you do this. Meditate (hitboded ) in a
state of rapture so as to receive the divine influx, which will bring your
mind from potential to action.
Permute the letters, back and forth, and in this manner, you will
reach the first level. As a result of the activity and your concentration
on the letters, your mind will become bound to them. The hairs on your
head will stand on end and tremble.
Your life blood is in your heart, and regarding this i t is written,
"the blood is the soul" (Deuteronomy 12:23). I t is likewise written,
"the blood in the soul will atone" (Leviticus 1 7 : l l ) . This blood within
you will begin to vibrate because of the living permutations that loosen
it. Your entire body will then begin to tremble, and all your limbs will
be seized with shuddering. You will experience the terror of God, and
will be enveloped with fear of Him.
You will then feel as if an additional spirit is within you, arousing
you and strengthening you, passing through your entire body and
giving you pleasure. I t will seem as you have been annointed with
perfumed oil, from head to foot.102
You will rejoice and have great pleasure. You will experience
ecstasy and trembling - ecstasy for the soul, and trembling for the
body. This is like a rider who races a horse, the rider rejoices and is
ecstatic, while the horse trembles under him.
There will be no question that, through this wondrous method,
y o u will have reached one of the Fifty Gates of Understanding.lo3 This
is the lowest gate. But once you have entered this gate, you are
 ~ r o t e c t e dfrom the gatekeeper whose name is A Z(v) Regarding this
gatekeeper i t is written, "[God acquired me (Wisdom) at the beginning
of His way,] the first o f His works f r o m AZ" lProverbs 8:22).104 This is
the mystery of "the beginning of His way."
T h e Divine Presence will then rest o n you, and the Fifty Gates of
Understanding will be opened in your heart. From then o n , you will
realize W h o is with you, W h o is over your head, and W h o is in your
heart. You will then recognize the true way.

Treasury of the Hidden Eden.

6. LIGHT OF THE INTELLECT

O n c e one has mastered the technique of letter permutation, the

next step in Abulafia's system involves the pronunciation of the
various names of God. T h e simplest of these involves the four letters of
the Tetragrammaton, YHVH (wP). These letters are combined with the
letter Alef ( K ) , together with the five primary vowels.
This method is presented in detail in Abulafia's Or HaShekhal
(Light of the Intellect), and i t is one of the very few cases where his
meditative techniques have found their way into a standard published
Kabbalah classic. This entire selection is presented by the Ramak
(Rabbi M o s h e Cordevero, 1522-1570), in his Pardes R i m o n i m
(Orchard of Pomegranates), one of the most important of all Kabbalah
classics.'OJ
In this selection, however, the Ramak does not attribute this
method to Abulafia, b u t rather to an obscure Ssfer H a N i k u d (Book of
Dots). While there dre a number of books with this name, none of them
are known to speak of this method. Several of these books have been
lost and are only k n o w n because they are mentioned in other texts, the
most important being attributed to Rabbi Aaron of Baghdad, a
Kabbalist of the Ninth Century.106 I t is entirely possible that both
Abulafia and the Ramak are actually quoting from a much older text
known as Sefer H a N i k u d , and this is supported by the manner in
which i t appears in Abulafia's manuscripts. I t is equally possible,
however, that only this small portion was copied, and that i t was .
generally called Sefer H a N i k u d . In a n y case, i t is well established that
the Ramak was familiar with Abulafia' system.lo7
Techniques very similar to those presented here are also discussed
by, other Kabbalists, even by opponents of Abulafia, such as Rabbi
J u d a h Chayit.108 I t is also most interesting to note that a very similar
method is prescribed for the creation of a Colem.lO9
 Briefly, the system of Or HaSekhel involves the combination of
the four letters of God's name, Yod (.) Heh ( 7 ) Vav (1) Heh (:I), with the
letter Alef ( N ) , and then cycling i t through the five basic vowels. These
vowels are:
Cholam ( ' ), having the sound of o
Kanletz (.), having the sound of a.
Tzeri ( ), having the sound of e.
Chirek ( , ) , having the sound of i.
Shurek (?), having the sound of u.
Together with each pronunciation, one must move his head in a
motion resembling the actual form of each vowel. At the same time, one
must breath in a specific manner, with a certain number of breaths
permitted between letters, and more between lines.
An Excerpt Froin
T h e Light of the Intellect
I t is known that the [consonant] letters do not have any sound by
themselves. God therefore gave the mouth the power to express the
letters, pronouncing them as they are found in a book. For this purpose,
he provided vowel points for the letters, indicating the sound with
which they must be expressed when they are translated from a book to
the mouth. These vowels are what allow the letters to be sounded, and
they can also be written as letters in a book.
T h e vibrations of these sounds must also be associated with space.
N o vibration can occur except in a definite time and place.
T h e elements of space are the dimensions and distances. T h e
elements of time are the cycles, through which it is measured. This
includes such divisions as years, months and days.
O n e must therefore k n o w how to draw o u t the sound of each letter
- .
as i t is related to these dimensions.
This is the mystery of h o w to pronounce the Glorious Name:
M a k e yourself right. Meditate (hitboded ) in a special place, where
your voice cannot be heard by others. Cleanse your heart and soul of all
other thoughts in the world. Imagine that at this time, you soul is
separating itself from your body, and that you are leaving the physical
world behind, so that you enter the Future World, which is the source
of all life distributed to the living.
[The Future World] is the intellect, which is the source of all
Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge, emanating from the King of
Kings, the Blessed Holy O n e . All creatures fear Him with a great awe.
This is the fear of one w h o actually perceives, and i t is double the fear
of one who merely has experienced love or awe.
Your mind must then come to join His M i n d , which gives you the
power to think. Your mind must divest itself of all other thoughts other
than His T h o u g h t . This becomes like a partner, joining you to Him
through His glorious, awesome Name.
You must therefore k n o w precisely how to pronounce the Name.
Its form [is given in the tables].
This is the technique. W h e n you begin to pronounce the Alef ( u )
with any vowel, i t is expressing the mystery of Unity (Yichud). You
must therefore draw it o u t in one breath and no more. D o not interrupt
this breath in any manner whatsoever until you have completed the
pronunciation of the Alef.
D r a w o u t this breath as long as you extend a single breath. At the
same time, chant the Alef, or whatever other letter you are
pronouncing, while depicting the form of the vowel point.
T h e first vowel is the Choiern (0, '), above the letter.
W h e n you begin to pronounce i t , direct your face toward the east,
not looking u p or down. You should be sitting, wearing clean, pure
white robes over all your clothing, o r else, wearing your prayer shawl
(Tallit) over your head and crowned with your Tefillin. You must face
the east, since it is f r o m that direction that light emanates to the world.
With each of the twenty-five letter pairs, you must move your
head properly.
W h e n you pronounce the Cholem (o), begin facing directIy east.
Purify your thoughts, and as you exhale, raise your head, little by little,
until when you finish, your head is facing upward. After you finish,
prostrate yourself on the ground.
D o not interrupt between the breath associated with the Alef and
the breath associated with the other letter in the pair. You may,
however, take a single breath, and-it may be long or short.
Between each pair of letters, you may take two breaths without
making a sound, but not more than two. I f you wish to take less than
two breaths, you may d o so.
After you finish each row, you may take five breaths, but no more.
If you wish to take less, you may d o so.
 AoYo AoYa AoYe AoYi
Pronunciation with the Yod

AoYu K
(7)

IN 'k 3 "X
I AoVo AoVa AoVe AoVi
Pronunciation with the Vav

AoVu ~k
(1)

)ic lk p 'ix
AaYo AaYa AaYe AaYi AaYu I,! .!5 :$ ',! AaVo AaVa AaVe AaVi AaVu I, ,! !.a 11 i,!
AeYo AeYa AeYe AeYi AeYu :K !K K'. :X 'X' AeVo AeVa AeVe AeVi AeVu 1 !!! !.K IN '?3
AiYo AiYa AiYe A i Y i AIYU
:F ?r! 'r! I,! '+U AiVo AiVa AiVe AiVi AiVu >K K !K 1K iK
AuYo AuHa AuYe A u Y i AuYu
If! 'F 'v AuVo AuVa AuVe A u V i AuVu y !f! ! lr ir

YoAo YoAa YoAe YoAi YoAu VoAo VoAa VoAe V o A i VOAU

YaAo YaAa YaAe YaAi YaAu VaAo VaAa VaAe VaAi VaAu
YeAo YeAa YeAe YeAi YeAu VeAc VeAa VeAe VeAi VeAu
YiAo YiAa YiAe YiAi YiAu ViAo ViAa ViAe ViAi ViAu
YuAo YuAa YuAe Y u A i YuAu VuAo VuAa VuAe V u A i V u A u

AoHo AoHa AoHe AoHi

Pronunciation with the Heh (;I)

AoHu
I Pronunciaiion w i t h t h e Final H e h (3)

AoHo AoHa AoHe A o H i A o H u

AaHo AaHa AaHe AaHi AaHu AaHo AaHa AaHe AaHi AaHu
AeHo AeHa AeHe AeHi AeHu AeHo AeHa AeHe AeHi AeHu
AiHo AiHa AiHe AiHi AiHu AiHo AiHa AiHe AiHi AiHu
A u H o AuHa AuHe A u H i A u H u AuHo AuHa AuHe A u H i A u H u

HoAo HoAa HoAe H o A i H o A u , H o A o HoAa HoAe H o A i H o A u

HaAo HaAa HaAe H a A i HaAu HaAo HaAa HaAe H a A i H a A u
HeAo HeAa HeAe HeAi HeAu HeAo HeAa HeAe H e A i HeAu
H i A o HiAa HiAe HiAi HiAu H i A o HiAa HiAe Hi.,ti HiAu
H u A o H u A a HuAe H u A i H u A u H u A o HuAa H u A e H u A i H u A u

If you change anything o r make any mistake in the order in any
row, g o back to the beginning of the row. Continue until you
pronounce i t correctly.
Just like you face upward when pronouncing the Cholem, face
downward when you pronounce the Chirek (i, :). In this manner, you
draw down the supernal power and bind i t to yourself.
When you pronounce the Shurek (u, ,.or 3), d o not move your
head upward or downward. Instead, move i t straight forward (neither
lowering or raising i t ) .
When you pronounce the Tzerh (i, ,,), move your head from left to
right.
When you pronounce the Kan~etz(a, move i t from right to left.
T),
i
In any case, if you see any image before you, prostrate
1
I
before i t immediately.lI0
If you hear a voice, loud or soft, and wish to understand what it is
I
saying, immediately respond. and say, "Speak m y Lord, for Your
servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3 : 9 ) . D o not speak at all, but incline
1 your ear to hear what is being said to you.
If you feel great terror and cannot bear it, prostrate yourself
immediately, even in the middle of pronouncing a letter.
If you d o not see o r hear anything, do not use this technique again
all that week.
It is good to pronounce this once each week, in a form that "runs
and returns." For regarding this, a covenant has been made.1"
 What can I a d d ? What I have written is clear, and i f you are wise,
you will understand the entire technique.
I f you feel that your mind is unstable, that your knowledge of
Kabbalah is insufficient, or that your thoughts are bound to the vanities
of the time, d o not dare to pronounce the Name, lest you sin all the
more.
-
Between the tablet of the Yod and that of the Heh, you can take
twenty-five breaths, but not more. But you must not make any
interruption at this time, not with speech and not with thought.
T h e same is true between the Heh and the Vav, and between the
Vav and the final Heh. But if you wish to take less than twenty-five
breaths, you may d o so.
Light of the Intellect.ll2
7. LIFE OF THE FUTURE WORLD
Of all Abulafia's books, the one that explains his methods most
completely is his Chayay Olam HaBah (Life of the Future World). T h i s
was well known to the Kabbalists, and in the unpublished fourth
section of his Shaarey Kedushah (Gates of Holiness), Rabbi Chaim
Vital speaks of it as being the most important guide for attaining
meditative enlightenment. T o this d a y , Chayay Olam HaBah is k n o w n
to Kabbalists, and it exists in many manuscripts, both in libraries and in
private collections. While its methods are considered to be very highly
advanced, there are still some closed Kabbalistic circles that actually
make use of them.
T h e main method discussed in Chayay Olam HaBah is very similar
to that f o u n d in Or HaSekhel, also involving the same head motions as
well as controlled breathing. Instead of making use of the
Tetragrammaton, however, this book utilizes the Name of Seventy-
T w o Combinations.
T h i s N a m e was k n o w n from most ancient times, and is discussed
in both the Bahir and the Zohar, b u t significantly, not in the
Hekhalot.113 By the Eleventh Century, it had been popularized in
Rashi's commentaries, and is also mentioned in a late Midrash.114 But
while the Name itself was known earlier, the actual methods of its use
had never been written down until Abulafia did so.
T h e Name of Seventy-Two is derived from three very interesting
verses (Exodus 14:1?-211, reproduced o n t h e following page.
C o u n t i n g t h e l e t t e r s of these t h r e e verses, o n e immediately discovers .
t h a t each o n e contains exactly s e v e n t y - t w o letters. T h e s e verses t h e n
f o r m t h e basis f o r t h e s e v e n t y - t w o triplets in t h e Name.
T h e process of constructing t h e N a m e is outlined in t h e Bahir,
and is very s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d . O n e takes t h e letters of t h e first verse'in
direct order, t h o s e of t h e second in reverse order, a n d t h o s e of t h e
third verse in direct order.
 T h u s , o n e begins with t h e first letter of t h e first verse, which i s a second letter from t h e e n d of t h e middle verse, Lamed (5), and t h e
Vav (1). T h e n o n e takes t h e last letter o f t h e middle verse, which is a second letter of t h e last verse, Yod (') T h i s results in t h e second
H e h ( a ) , and finally, t h e first letter of t h e tlrird verse, which is a Vav
(7). Combining these, o n e obtains t h e first triplet, V H V ( i n i j .
In o r d e r to construct t h e second triplet, o n e procedes in a similar
j
I
triplet, YLY (3').O n e t h e n continues in this m a n n e r until all
seventy-two triples are completed.
This, however, only p r o v ~ d e st h e c o n s o n a n t s of t h e N a m e T h e
m a n n e r . O n e takes t h e second letter, Yod ( Y ) , of t h e first verse, t h e vowels used w h e n pronouncing t h e N a m e a r e t h e "natural vowels"
associated w i t h each consonant.115
I I Abulafia explalns t h a t t h e "natural vowel" is t h e first vowel
I Derivation of the Name of Seventy-Two
I found in t h e letter's o w n name. T h u s , f o r example, t h e first vowel in

I T h e Three Verses: Exodus 14:19-21

I t h e n a m e of t h e letter Bet (2, w r i t t e n o u t as n13) is "e," a n d therefore,
" P o r t h e Treri ( ) is t h e n a t u r a l vowels of t h e Bet. S ~ m i l a r l yt, h e first
vowel in Gimel (3, w r i t t e n o u t as 5 p ~ is) "i," a n d hence"1,"or Chrrek (.),
is t h e natural vowel f o r Gimel. T h e s a m e IS t r u e of all t h e o t h e r letters.
And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel,
moved, and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from
before them and went behind them.
T h e N a t u r a l Vowels Numerical Value
nx ixli 1wn;li 1 1 ~ 7'n7i 5 x 1 ~ 'nlnn 721 n ~ i x n? I n n 1.5 xm
:75157 53 ill 5x 71 217 x51 75'57
And i t came between the camp o f Egypt and the camp of Alef K Kametz 1
Israel, and cloud and darkness were there, yet i t gave light in the Bet 1 TzerC 2
night, and one did not come near the other all that night. Gimel 3 Chirek 3
Dalet 1 Kametz 4
Heh 7 TzerC 5
Vav 1 Kametz 6
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and God . Zayin 1 Kametz 7
caused the sea to g o back with a strong east windall the night, and i t Chet n TzerC 8
made the sea into d r y land, and the waters were parted. Tet v Tzeri 9
Y od 3
Cholem 10
Kame tz 20

I
T H E N A M E O F SEVENTY-TWO Ka f 3
Lamed 5 Kame tz 30
Mem n TzerC. 40
Nun I Shurek 50
Samekh D Kametz 60
Ayin Y Karnetz 70
Peh 3 TzerC 80
Tzadi Y Kametz 90
KOf i, Cholem 100
Resh 1 TzerC 200
Shin w Chirek 300
Tav n Kametz 400
 In general, Clrnwiiy O l a r r ~ H n B o h is a book t h a t speaks most
elequently for itself. T h e selection cited h e r e should provide a n
a d e q ~ ~ aat ve e r r ~ i e wo f t h e use of t h e N a m e of S e v e n t y - T w o .
Air Excerpt Frorrr
Life of the Future World
P r e p a r e t o meet y o u r God, 0I s r a e l . " ~ ~Prepare
6 yourself, unify
y o u r heart, and purify your body. C h o o s e a special place for yourself,
w h e r e y o u r voice will not be heard by a n y o n e else. Meditatellritboded)
alone, with n o o n e else present. Sit in o n e place in a room o r attic. D o
not reveal your secret t o a n y o n e .
If you engaged in this by day, d o s o in a darkened room. It is best,
however, t h a t you d o it at night.
At this time, w h e n you prepare yourself to speak t o your C r e a t o r
and you desire t o witness His might, be careful t o cleanse y o u r
t h o u g h t s of all worldly folly.
Wrap yourself in your Tallit I f t h e time is proper, also place your
Tefillin o n your head and a r m . This w i l l i n c r e a s e your a w e and
trembling before t h e Divine Presence which will visit you a t this time.
\Year clean clothing. I f possible, all y o u r clothing should be white.
This is of great help f o r one's concentration o n fear and love [of G o d ] .
I f it is at night, light many candles, s o t h a t your eyes a r e well
illuminated.
T h e n take in y o u r hand ,I tablet and s o m e ink. T h e s e willserve as
your witnesses that you a r e coming t o serve C o d with joy and good
- heart.
T h e n begin t o p e r m u t e a n u m b e r of l e t t e r s You m a y u s e o n l y a
few, o r you may used many. Transpose and p e r m u t e them auicklv.
until your heart is w a r m e d as a result of these permutations, their I - - 1 ,
motions, a n d w h a t is derived f r o m these permutations.
As a result of these permutations, your heart will become
extremely w a r m . From t h e permutations, you will gain n e w
knowledge t h a t you never learned f r o m h u m a n traditions n o r derived
f r o m intellectual analysis. When you experience this, you a r e
prepared to receive t h e influx (shefi, y?W).
T h e influx will t h e n come, bestowed t o you. i t will a r o u s e in you
many words, o n e a f t e r t h e o t h e r .
T h e n p r e p a r e y o u r inner t h o u g h t s t o depict G o d and His highest
a n g e l s Depict t h e m in your heart as if they w e r e h u m a n beings,
sitting o r standing a r o u n d y o u You a r e in their midst, like a
messenger w h o m t h e King a n d His s e r v a n t s wish t o s e n d o n a
mission. You a r e ready t o h e a r t h e w o r d s of t h e message, w h e t h e r it is
f r o m t h e King o r f r o m o n e of His servants, f r o m His m o u t h , o r f r o m
t h e m o u t h of a n y o n e of t h e m .
After you have depicted all this, prepare y o u r mind a n d h e a r t s o
that y o u r t h o u g h t s should u n d e r s t a n d t h e many things t h a t c o m e t o
you t h r o u g h t h e letters that y o u r heart imagines. Understand each
concept and its reasons, both as a whole and in its p a r t s Ponder t h e m ,
like a person w h o has a parable o r example revealed in a dream, o r like
o n e w h o delves i n t o a very d e e p concept in a book of wisdom.
Take each concept t h a t you hear, and i n t e r p r e t it with t h e best
and closest interpretation t h a t you can. J u d g e yourself according to
w h a t you u n d e r s t a n d f r o m i t And w h a t you a r e toldcan also relate t o
others.
All this will take place a f t e r you have cast t h e tablet f r o m y o u r
h a n d and the pen f r o m between y o u r fingers, o r after they have fallen
of their o w n accord because of y o u r m a n y t h o u g h t s .
T h e divine influx will begin t o prevail in you, and will weaken
y o u r external a n d internal o r g a n s . Your e n t i r e body will begin t o
tremble, until you think t h a t you a r e about to-die. This is because y o u r
soul is separating itself f r o m y o u r body as a result of t h e g r e a t joy t h a t
you experience w h e n you perceive and recognize these things.
In your mind, you will then choose d e a t h r a t h e r t h a n life. For
d e a t h only involves t h e body, a n d a s a result, t h e soul lives f o r e v e r
1 w h e n it is resurrected.
I You t h e n k n o w t h a t you have reached a level w h e r e you a r e
I receiving t h e divine influx.
At t h a t time, you may wish t o h o n o r t h e glorious N a m e a n d s e r v e
Him with t h e life of y o u r body a n d soul. Conceal y o u r face, and be
afraid t o gaze upon G o d . " D o not c o m e closer. Remove y o u r shoes
from y o u r feet, f o r t h e place u p o n which you s t a n d is holy g r o u n d "
(Exodus 3 : 5 ) .
Instead, involve yourself with your body once again. Stand u p , eat
something, drink something, smell a pleasant fragrance, and let your
spirit once again return to its sheath. Let your heart rejoice with its
portion, and k n o w that God loves you. He teaches you for your benefit,
He teaches man knowledge.lL7
After you have done this successfully many times, you will
become
-. - an exoert in "choosing life." W h e n you are strong and stable,
you can make use of another, higher method.
d0-373
 W h e n attempting this method, prepare yourself in the manner
the "authority of the Name'' (Rerhut HaShem, D W ~nrm) [Both
discussed earlier. Clear your mind completely.
expressions contain the same letters.]
T h e n , with complete concentration and wi-th a proper, pleasant,
These twenty-four triplets contain seventy-two letters.
sweet melody, pronounce the Name [of Seventy-Two].
Therefore, when he speaks, respond and say,-"Speak m y Lord, for
Using the natural vowels o f each letter, [begin by pronouncing
Your servant (Avdekha) is listening'' (1 Samuel 3:9)."* [Both of these
these six triplets) :
numbers are alluded to in the word Avdekha (17.~). which can be
VaHeVa YoLaYo SaYoTe broken into] Av (>Y = 72) and dekha (17 = 24).
EaLaMe MeHeShi LaLaHe T h e angel w h o teaches you the mystery of God (YHVH, ma7) and
His Name is G a b r i e l H e speaks o u t of the first verse ( p a r u k ) of the
These six triplets o f the Holy Name pronounce with eighteen
Holy Name that is pronounced by your m o u t h , and he provides you
- breaths.
with a vision (mareh) of prophecy. This is the mystery of the verse, " I
I f the divine influx does not force you to stop, continue
make Myself known to him in a vision (mareh), I speak to him in a
pronouncing the Name in this manner until you reach the triplet M V M
dream (chalom)" (Numbers 1 2 : 6 ) .
(DID),[the last of the seventy-two].
A vision (Moreh, n n i n = 246) is the mystery of the verse (Parek,
W e hav? a tradition that the divine influx will come to a perfected
? ~ C J D 246).
= This is Gabriel ( h ~ i > =l 246).
individual after he completes [the number of letters in] the first verse,
A dream (Chaiom, oiSn = 8 4 ) is the mystery of " m y Witness" (Ed-
that is, after he pronounces twenty-four triplets.
iy, VY = 84). This is Enoch (Chnnoch, Tim = 84).
This is alluded to in the word "my Beloved" - Dodi ( r ~ = n 24). I t
"And now, also, my Witness (Ed-iy) is in hkaven, and He w h o
is thus written, "The sound of my Beloved (Dodi) knocking" (Song o f
testifies for me is o n hight' ( J o b 1 6 : 1 9 ) , that this Kabbalah tradition is
Songs 5:2).
true.
You may then see the image of a child (Naar, TYI = 320) or that of a
I f , heaven forbid, you d o not receive anything when you
Sheik ( T W = 320). In Arabic, the word "Sheik" means an "elder." You
pronounce the first verse, start again and begin the second verse.
see the image of an old man (Zakerl, 7p),since the numerical value o f
Pronounce [the second set of triplets]:
Naar is t h e s a m e as "Elder a n d Elder"(Zaken VeZaken, 7711 171 = 320).
T h e mystical name o f the one w h o appears to you is Metatron, N u T h a H e HeAaAa YoReTha
whose name is also Naar.118 ShiAaHe ReYoYo AaVaMe
His name is also Enoch (Chanokh, Tim). This is alluded to in the
Concentrate as much as you c a n AS you pronounce each letter,
verse, "Train ( C h a n o k h ) a child (Naar) in his way, and when he is old
exhale while you sound o u t the accompanying vowel together with its
(Zaken), he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
proper motion.
Combine "raise" (Chanokh, Tim = 8 4 ) and "his way" (Darko, ITIT
There are only five vowels, a n d their order is o a e i u (P x 8 5 x).
= 230), and you will discovery his mystery.ll9
T h e exhalation for all of them is the same. . . .
T h u s , "our way is his strength" (Dark-erlu Koch-o, in, in17 =
T h e Name contains 21 different letters. [These are all the letters of
314). Likewise, "our strength is his way" (Koch-enu Dark-o, rln, i > i i =
the Hebrew alphabet, except for the Gimel (1). which is lacking.]
314). [ T h e numerical value of Metatron ( ~ i ~ v v is n )315.)
T h e letters having the first vowel [Cholem (o)] are Yod (i)and Kof
W h e n you see him, strengthen your heart and understand his I
ways. "Take heed of him and hearken to his voice - do not rebel ! (7).
T h e letters containing the second vowel kame!^ (a)] are Alef ($1,
against him, for he will not forgive your sin - for M y Name is in him"
Dalet (7). Vav (!), Zayin (I), Kaf 0).Lamed (7). S a ~ n e k h(pl. Ayin (Y),
(Exodus 23:21).120 I
I
Tzadi (Y), and T a v ( p ) T h e y are ten in all.
Behold God's Name, Shaddai (TW = 314): This is Metatron.121 H e
T h e letters containing the third vowel [Tzer; (e)] are Bet (?), Heh
is the "Prince of Names" (Sar'HaShemot, nlnwa i ~ ) w, h o speaks with
(9, Chet (n), Tet (w), M e m ( n ) , Peh (I), and Resh (1)There are seven in
all.
 T h e letter containing the fourth, special vowel [Chirek (i)] is Shin Through Names when they build -1122 nlnw2 = 818
( v ) .T h i s is the only such letter [in the Name]. In the caIculation of attributes niin p m n 2 = 818
There is one other letter that has the vowel [Shurek ( u ) ] to itself, ;r ;r nnn = 818
Which are [HH] beneath the Name.
and this is the N u n (1).
There is also another letter, Gimel (J), that shares the vowel However, the mystery o f all
the letters nwNn = 828
[Chirek (i)] with the Shin. But although it is found in the alphabet and
depends o n
in books, i t does not exist in the Name, because of a reason already n1n.m 203 = 828
twenty-two breaths
discussed elsewhere.l23
which are
As you begin to pronounce each letter, begin to move your heart nit> nnn = 828
under the glory.
and your head. Since your heart is internal, move i t mentally. But your
Furthermore,
head is external, and therefore, you must move i t physically. w . 5 ~ o.$n = 828
their parts are tripled
Move your head following the actual form of the vowel point
and they parallel the
associated with the letter that you are pronouncing. n n 7 m 2 " ~= 828
seventy-two Sefirot
This is the f i r m of the head motions:
which in man are
T h e vowel point written above the letter is called Cholem (0, it). nimnn 2 " ~
= 828
seventy-two thoughts.
T h i s is the only vowel point above the letter, since all the others are .
written beneath the letter. But the
When you pronounce [the Cholem] together with the letters Yod twelve breaths,
(.) or Kof (F), begin facing directly straight ahead. D o not incline your whose mystery is the
head to the right or left, upward or downward. Keep your head straight seventy-two Names,
and even, like the balance of a scale, just as it would be if you were are the
speaking face to face to a person of the same height as yourself. seal of the Satan
T h e n , as you d r a w o u t the s o u n d of the-letter while you pronounce
["The S a t a n " ( ~ ~ ~ ~ ) ,apn ladditional
us unit for t h e w o r d itself, adds
it, begin to move your head s o as to face upward, toward the sky. Close
up to 365, the days of the year.] For this mystery, we must pronounce
your eyes, open your m o u t h , and let the words shine. Clear your throat
the twelve months. [ T h e reason for this is that the word for "month,"
of all phlegm, s o that i t should not disturb your pronunciation. As you
Chodesh (win = .712), is equal to twelve Divine Names (>in. = 26); 1 2
exhale, continue to raise your head at the same rate, s o that you
X 26 = 312.1 This is for the sinners in Israel, whose bodies are judged in
complete the exhalation and head motion simultaneously. If you.
Gehinom for twelve months.124
complete the head motion before the exhalation, d o not lower your head
And two "houses" (triplets) 07n2 qun = 818
until you have exhaled completely.
Between each letter, you may rest and prepare yourself. At this contain
time, you can take as many as three breaths, like those associated with twelve breaths.
the pronunciation. [Each triplet will therefore involve twelve breaths.]
Their mystery if Vav Vav (1 I), that is, six and six,
as I alluded in the
T h e mystery of these "twelve breaths" (YB Neshimot, nin7wl J~~~=
818) is the "Seventy-Two Names" (EB S h e n ~ o t ,ninw = 818).JIIY
i
1
seventy-two names nlnw Y Y = 818

i
that are pronounced.
These are bound
Until they raise These breaths give rise to a third triplet, and this gives a total of
A change, a change in nature eighteen [meaning "life" (Chai, 'n = 18).]'
 T h e y will increase for you the name of tKe category
years of life out of which comes
which are every soul.
eighteen breaths And now
from the two C h a p t the sorcerer ~ w 3 n ; l = 445
in \vhich thrre is depends o n these techniques, and therefore
the lifeforce of breath. ;lnwl;l n1.n = 824 every soul z n v ~53 = 445
is a witch. ; l ~ ~ v >-=
n 445
You have
two nostrils T h e T o r a h , however, says, " D o not let a witch 'live" (Exodus
whose mystery is the heaven called 2 2 : 1 7 ) . T h i s means that "every soul" shall not live. Regarding the
Aravot. vengeance against the wicked, God therefore commanded, " D o not let
Understand this, for these are 'every soul' live" (Deuteronomy 20:16).126
the nostrils of the soul
and their mystery is However,
two Cherubs the breath
which make which is
the Divine Presence descend from the second o n e
7I13W;1 ' ~ 1 3= ~678
IS a
T h e Divine Presence then dwells o n earth, speaking to man, "from holy
above the ark cover, from between the two Cherubs" (Exodus 2 5 : 2 2 ) . tabernacle
For the in the heart.
primeval substance O n e ascends
pwxi inn = 80s
is on the ark cover with the Unique Name
n19J;l !JY = 805
like the form o f to the sky
the rainbow. to depict with Unifications
nwpn = 80s
the relationqhip
T h e two Cherubs allude to the Divine Presence ( H a S h e k i h n a h ,
between everything that
;II~~w;~ = 3 9 0 ) . T h e y are cause and effect, male and female (Zachar is difficult
U ' N e k e v a h , ;lap11 137 = 390).T h e y were therefore forged ( m i k s h e h )as a
in this
single body with two forms.125 T h e y look at each other, and the Name
science of pronunciation.
was between them.
I t alone is
All of this was like a tree life in the Name.
o n the ark cover, nl93;l !JY = 805 I t is remembered and sealed
and because of in the Book of Life
the rainbow (HaKeshe:) ntPp;l = 805 to make the individual live
it had to be with passion
forged ( M i k s h e h ) . nwpn = 445 which enlightens [the soul]
constantly, when
These are the overseers
every thought,
over the Name
every soul
which is
is concentrated o n it.
-
 Therefore, one who pronounces the Name so as to always live with
i t , is serving God with love, and all the reward is his alone. In His
wisdom, this is what God desired.
T h e vowel point which is called Kanletz (a, .), looks like a line with
a dot below it.
When you pronounce i t with one of the ten associated letters,
chant the letter, and move your head from left to right in a straight line,
as i f to trace the top o f this vowel point. T h e n bring your head back s o
that you are facing directly forward, toward the east, since you are
facing this direction when you pronounce the Name. This practice must
be done while one faces the east, just as in the case of formal worship.
Conclude by bowing down slightly [so as to parallel the dot
beneath the line o f the Kametz]. Complete [the exhalation and head
movement] simultaneously, as I instructed you b y the first vowel.
T h e n-xt vowel is the Tzeri. (e, u), which looks like two dots next
to each other, one to the right, and one to the left.
As you pronounce i t with o n e of its seven associated letters, begin
the pronunciation and the motion simultaneously. Move your head
from right to left, the reverse of what you did the the Kametz . . .
W h e n you pronounce the Shin, you will make use of the Chirek ( i ,
U ) which has the form of a single dot below the letter.
As you pronounce i t , move your h ~ a ddownward, as if you were
bowing down to God, who is standing before you, and to whom you are
speaking. This is the precise opposite of the head motion associated
with the Cholam.
With these f o u r vowels, you have crowned God as King [over the
four directions].
When you pronounce a N u n , also make Him King. Begin by
looking straight ahead, stretching your neck forward as much as you
can. D o not raise or lowe: your head, but keep i t facing straight
forward.
This is the form of the Shurek. I t consists of three dots, one under
the other, like this ( x ) . I t can also-be a single dot in the center of a Vav,
like this ( ? K ) . Both cases imply the same thing.
T h r o u g h these five vowels, you have crowned God as King in all
six directions of the universe. These are u p and down with o (K) and i
( u ) , right and left with the a (r) and e (K), and backward and forward
with the u (K).
[These vowels are often written together with their associated
letters: A o O ( l * = 7 ) , AaH (JF = 6 ) , AeY (?tj = l l ) , AiY ( 7 =
~ l l ) , and
AuU ( ? K = 7 ) . They all add u p to 42.1
All the vowels therefore point to the fact that they are "in God's
Hand" (BeYad YHVH, ;11;17 1'1 = 42). This is alluded to in the verse,
"Let us fall in God's Hand, for His mercies are great, but let me not fall
into the hand of man" (2 Samuel 24:14).
Their mystery is:
God
my only O n e
in them
my heart
will be w o r t h y .
And this mystery is
Enough! Enough! Enough!
And i f , heaven forbid, when you pronounce these two verses, you
still d o not receive the divine influx, speech, or a visible vision of a man
or some other vision, start again, and begin the third verse.
This is its .form:
VaHeVa D a N u Y o HeChe Shi
EaMeMe N u N u A a NuYoTha
1 When you complete the entire Name, and receive from i t whatever
God wishes to grant you, praise God and thank Him.
. I f you are not successful in attaining what you have sought from
i C o d , you must realize that you must repent completely. C r y because of
your lack of elevation, and because you pronounced the Name with
ulterior - motives, which is an extraordinary sin. You have not been f i t to
receive C o d ' s blessing. In the Torah, C o d that He would
bless us with His Name, as i t is written, "In every place where (usher) I
will pronounce M y Name, I will come to you and will bless you"
(Exodus 20:21). [Cod is saying,] "I will pronounce M y Name when you
pronounce my Name."
[ T h e word "where" (Asher, 1 w ~ ) i nthis verse has the same letters
as Rosh (WKT), the word for "head."] T h e mystery indicated here is that
one must pronounce the Name with his head, as I have taught you.
T h e priest blesses the people with the Name, and he himself is also
blessed. Every priest who does not bless, is himself not blessed.
With all this, " M y son, despise not the rebuke of C o d , and d o not
s p u r n His correction" (Proverbs 3 : l l ) . Wait a while and then make
another attempt to pronounce His fearsome Name, until you are
worthy of something.
You may also attempt to use one of the T e n Names [ of C o d used
 in the Bible. God says, " I will come to you and bless you,"] and the
numer~cafvalue of " I will come'' (Aboa, NIX) is ten.
All of this may also be a test. God may be testing you to see
whether y o u will d e n y Him o r will still llave faith. S o be careful and
guard your soul, lest you see any iniquity or unfairness in God. . . . " I f
i t is empty, i t is from you." I z 7
This completes the entire Kabbalah tradition regarding the
pronunciation o f the Name. I f you accustom yourself to do i t , you will
be successful and will attain enlightenment..
8 . GATES OF RICH-TEOUSNESS
L i f e of the Future World.12~

I
1
Although Abulafia presents an excellent overview of his methods,
he does not f i t them together into a single system, nor does he discuss
the form of his experiences in any detail. This is left to an anonymous
i!
disciple, author of Shaarey Tzion (Gates of Righteousness), a book that
I
I
was most probably written in the year 1295 in Hebron.129 A clue to the
identity of the author is provided in another manuscript, which
i indicates that the author's name was Shem T o v . As mentioned earlier,

i! Abulafia had a disciple by the name of Shem Tov of Borgus, and i t is

highly probable that he is the author of this book.
There is very little question that the master mentioned in this book
I is none other than Abulafia himself. And for the most part, the material
i here appears to parallel that in other works b y Abulafia.lJ0 Most
I important, however, is an autobiographical sketch, where the author
!
speaks of his experience with Abulafia, describing his initial skepticism
and ultimate enlightenment. W e will not include this here, however,
since i t has already been published elsewhere in Engli~h.13~
Numerous copies of this book were made, and it exerted an
important influence o n the later Kabbalists of the Holy Land. Almost an
entire chapter was copied two hundred years later in the main work of
Rabbi Judah Albotini, whom we shall discuss in the next section.
Another important Kabbalah text, Shoshan Sodot (Rose of Mysteries),
actually quotes it by name.
T h e author speaks of three ways through which one can divest
himself of the physical: the common way, the philosophical way, and
the Kabbalistic way. T h e common way involves a method called
"erasure" (mechikah), where one attempts to erase all images from the
mind.132The.author notes that he was aware that the Moslem Sufis also
made use of this technique, and that one method involved the repeated
 chanting of the name "Allah." 133 Although the Sufis are able to attain a
degree of ecstasy in this manner, the author writes that they cannot
know its significance, since they are not party to the Kabbalah
tradition.
Discussing the philosophical way, the author speaks of a certain
philosopher by the name of Ben Sina, who wrote many volumes while
in a state of meditation (hitbodedut). When a n idea was particularly
difficult, he would concentrate o n i t and ponder i t , often drinking a c u p
of .strong wine, enabling him to sleep on i t . 1 3 4 This is of particular
interest, since a very similar procedure is also discussed by Rabbi Isa'ac
of Acco, and this is one indication that the two shared. a common
tradition.135
I t is in discussing the way of Kabbalah that the author mentions
his master, who is identified as Abulafia. T h e master spent four months
teaching him the methods of letter permutations, telling him to erase
everything f r o m his mind. ina all^ he told him, "The goal is not to stop
at any finite f o r m , even though i t is of the highest order. Through the
way of Divine Names, one can reach a level whrlre the power is not
under his control. T h e more incomprehensible the Names, the greater is
their advantage." 136
T h e master then showed him books composed of utterly
incomprehensible Names and number combinations, saying, "This is
the Path of Names." T h e author spent two months deeply meditating
o n these, and finally, one night, he awoke to see a light shining from his
face. At first he did not believe what he was seeing, but no matter where
he walked in the dark, this light followed him, even when he hid under
a blanket. He was aware that this was something that could not be
explained in any natural manner.
Upon informing the master of this experience, the author was told
to spend half his time permuting letters, and half making use of the
Divine Names. O n e night while permuting the letters of the Name of
Seventy-Two, he began to see the letters expanding before his eyes,
growing until they looked like great m o u n t a ~ n s His . ~ ~ hqir
~ stood o n
end, and he began to speak automatically, saying words of wisdom.
O n a later occasion, the author made use of a technique involving
the Tetragrammaton. At first, he felt as if he would die, but after saying
a sincere prayer, he suddenly felt as if he were being anointed with oil
from head to toe.138H e then felt a tremendous spiritual experience,
which he speaks of as indescribable sweetness of rapture and ecstasy.
A n excerpt from
The Rose of M y s t e r i e ~ ' ' ~
"The power of the prophets to liken a form to its Creator" is a very
great mystery. . . . I found an ancient teaching that explains this, and I
will write i t down here. . . . These are the author's words:
T h e following was told to me by the enlightened sage, Rabbi
Nathan, of blessed mem0ry:14~
W h e n an individual completely enters the mystery of prophecy, he
suddenly sees his o w n image standing before him. He becomes totally
unaware of his o w n essence, as i f i t were concealed from him. T h e n he
sees his o w n image standing before him, speaking to him and telling
him of the future. I t is regarding this mystery that our sages say, "Great
is the power of t h e prophets, since they liken a f o r m t o i t s C r e a t o r . " l J l
Rabbi [Abraham] ibn Ezra (1089-1164) likewise taught, "He w h o
hears is a man, and he w h o speaks is a man." 1 4 2
Regarding this, another sage writes:
Through letter combinations and meditation (hitbodedut), I had a
number o f experiences. O n e involved a light, that followed me
wherever I went, as I discussed in Shaarey Tzedek (Gates of
Righteousness). However, I was never worthy of attaining a level where
I could see my o w n image standing in front of me.
Still another sage writes:
I am aware how insignificant I am, and I realize that I am certainly
not a prophet or a disciple of the prophets. I have neither attained
Ruach HaKodesh (tioly Spirit), nor have I made use of a heavenly voice
(Bat Kol). Of such things, I have not been worthy, for I have not
divested myself of m y "cloak" or "washed my feet." But I call
"J
heaven and earth as my witnesses, that this account is true.
O n e day, I was sitting and writing mysteries in the manner of
T r u t h . Suddenly, i t was as i f I had ceased to exist. I then saw my o w n
image standing in front of me. A s a result of this, I was forced to s t o p
writing.
,
In his commentary o n the Guide to the Perplexed, Rabbi Moshe of
Narbonne (d. 1362) writes:Id4
W h e n the sages teach that the prophets "liken a form to its
Creator," they mean that they liken the form which is in the prophet's
o w n soul . . . to its Creator, that is, to God. I t is thus written,"Over the
f o r m of the T h r o n e there was a form like a n image of a Man" (Ezekiel
1:26). These forms and images exist in the soul of the prophet. . . .
This also happened to us when we were writing this book. Once,
in the late a f t e ~ n o o n ,we were placing the vowel points o n the Explicit
Name. All at once, our eyes were confronted with visions, appearing
like definite forms made of red fire. This occurred a number of times
while we were writing this book.

9. T H E L A D D E R - O F A S C E N T

T h e teachings of Abulafia are known to have come to the Holy

Land through the author of Shnarey T z e d e k , and i t appears that they
took firm root there. Over two hundred years later, we find o n e of the
prominent sages of the Holy Land, a chief rabbi of Jerusalem, involved
in these mysteries and authoring an important book on Abulafia's
teachings. This is none other than Rabbi J u d a h Albotini (1453-1519),
author of S u l a m HaAliyall (Ladder of Ascent).
Albotini is known to Talmudic scholars as the author of a
supercommentary on Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnah. This
was published by Rabbi Shlomo ldni (1567-1626), author of another
important commentary on the Mishnah.145 Written in 1501, this
superconimentary is included in the most important edition of the
Mishnah. Not as well-known is Albotini's monumental commentary on
Maimonides' code, which exists only in manuscript.146
Not too mu(-h is known of the personal life of Albotini, other than
the fact that his father, Moshe Albotini, was a prominent scholar in
Lisbon. I t is highly probable that the family was exiled in 1496, during
the general expulsion of Jews from Portugal. This is significant, since
Rabbi Judah Chayit, a strong opponent of Abulafia's teachings, also
left Portugal during this same expulsion. T h e fact that Chayit found i t
necessary to denounce Abulafia's writings indicates that they enjoyed a
degree of popularity in his homeland.
Albotini migrated to the Holy Land, and by 1509, we find him as a
member of the Jerusalem academy, where he signed an ordinance
exempting scholars from the head tax. H e succeeded Rabbi Jacob of
Triel as head of the Jerusalem Academy, making him the official head
of all the Rabbis of Jerusalem. I t would appear that Abulafia's school of
meditative Kabbalah was sufficiently accepted in Jerusalem at the time
that a practitioner and teacher of these methods could be chosen as a
 chief Rabbi. 11 sl101t tirnc l,itrr, w e titid a r ~ o t h r r t ~ ~ l r h eofr t11esc /\Il)otini.l'"lris Ira: b e r n disc ~ r s s r t \l > y;I r l ~ l r r r l r ~ofr Iatrr 1~.71\I~~licts. 11rlt
111ctl\1ltis, R<iL>bi] o ~ ~ p l' 1i ~ 7 ~ y ~ i cc)ls(> I 1 , h o l ~ l i n ~ , r~3l3L1irli(-,11 post in i\l)ulafia o n l y s p e a k s a I 1 o t 1 t i t in l>assinj:, \vriti~\y,," 0 r ) c \vI,o \ I , I ~
l~r~15aI?lIi. a t t , ~ i n c dt t ~ u epassion ((-11,-slrrli),is 11ot inllr~t;nc-ccl1ly 111.. l l l r.~-1rif:q ~ ~ . 'or
I\ 111ari~1:cripto f .511/ii1!1 14!7,,\\iwl7\11 ~ ~ in 1 s 1 1 1 ~l1a11(4sof t11r t;reat curses of o t h e r s . It is r 7 ~if they were speal<ing in a I a n ~ l ~ a gt l rcr l t lrr tlors
K ~ i l ? l 7 a l i ~Rcl!.hi
t, t;,l.:oon llckhos 1\'1(>sIic~ I 1 ~ e ~ i , l t (4.
l o 1 1 ~ 2 ),111cl
. ftotn n o t un<lrrstand." '56 Alhotitii's tracIlir1y:s rrgartiinv, sil,it~ic11l.Iio\vovnr,
\vh.lt he \\:rites, I1r actudll!. intr17detl to publicll i t . ' " : . ~ \ l i h c ~ ~ .h~c) never :I~ seems to c o m e f r o m Rabbi Isaac o f Arc-o, w h o ql>caks o f ' t l ~ i si~lr-1a t
succcedrci in d o i n g 5 0 , a numLicr of k~~ cha1ltcls Ildve Lle~rlpublished in length. T h i s is of particular ~ i ~ n i f i c a n c sincp c, i t w o u l d inclic-,~trtllat
sc1iolarIY iournals. Several tnanrrscripts of this \ w o k e ~ i s t ,b o t h in Alllotini kvas a str~clcntof I<ablli Isaac- of Ac-co a5 ivcll as r ) f Al'lll;lfia
IiL~rariesa n d i t 1 pri\,ate collectionc.l4* Alhotini also e x p a n d s o n Abulafia's disc:llssiorl of l l p \ v i n g
in t h ~ sbook, :\lbotini sl)e;iks ,iLx,t~t t h e blccli!<ltivr I<al,b,rlists ( c \ ~ ~ ~ t z i av nad\ ~E )n g r a v i n g (c\~n\cik-nit), rnet~ticlneclin t h S~p f p r 'f~tziri111.
( h l e K l i l * n / i r!li7h,lit/!oi/r.ilir11),
~~ as if thcv lvcre ,I \veil-r.ctablisl~rd g r o ~ ~ p Wllen a person reaches a I~igIrmeditative levtl, " t l ~ erninci is rln l o r ~ g e r
in Ilis tirne.I4' 5peakint; a t l o t ~ t c ~ t h e rb o u k ~o n tile s11L)ject vf letter concealed in the prison of t h r physical fn(.r.lltirs, a n d i t rnlerges . . .
r n , 1 n i I ~ u l ~ ~(ttiz~cnr ~ ( fthdt ) Ilail recently been \vlittc11, h e wfarns tllat entering the spiritual donlain." In this d o n l a i n , t l ~ eindivicltlal Illas qee
t l 1 t . s cc1ntc1in nlclny e ~ . r o r s1-le . ~ is
~ ~t h o r c ) l . ~ ~ fC1lnili,1r
hl~ \ ~ i t l rAl>i~l,lfia's various visions o r letter c o m b i n a t i o n s , a n d tlie (.onnotation of H ~ l \ v i n g
i\.<.t(,111, [ I ~ O I 111~i1\y
I of ~ v l ~ o lscr ~ ~ ~ c ~ IIC l i i~~ ~i g\ ~ i a ~~i~dr vs ~, c ~ 1 1 t~II(,III
ir1y,it1 i~ t l ~ a t\ l r "sI>\its" < r r l ~ Ia 1 i a i ~ 7 r tsl ~ ~ < ; v( ,i s i o ~ ~\ v? h i l ~c%t i \ \ ~ I Y,I ~ ~ ~ , , , l i t , i t i v ~
CI c l e c i ~ a n d \ \ ~ r l I - o r t i r r ~n1.1nn(>r.
ti 111 t w o ~>I;Iccs, I1e I I ~ C ' I ~ ~ ~ A UbI It S~ l a f i a ' s
statc. Engraving tllrn irn[)lirs that Ilr " r n g l a v e s " t l ~ r s etc~velatitr~le in his
Ciiii!/,iv Ol~itt7/Ji71~~1/7 (Life of the F u t u r e Worlil) by name.I.'l soul s o that t h ~ yare n e v r r forgott~r1.157
T l ~ first
e f r w c l i ~ l p t e r sof the book deal mostly \ v i ~ l r~vorcia n d 1rttc.r ~ l t I 1 ~ Albotini~ 1 ~ h s p e a k s of a n u m b e r of stanrlard r n ~ d i t a t i v ~
r ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (if z~( ,~r ~~l f~)tlrc1\~\,ir1p , l ~ i k li ~oe ~~i \i, i lovn / \ b ~ ~ l ~ i f iw~ oi 'rsk s . I%ccat~(;e t e c l ~ n i c ~ u e~s l, b o t i n rnaintaitlc~~l
i t l l ~ at n y p r o p e r teaclling c-or~lcl sr,rve as
tlii. in\.ol\~es the I,!ttcrs of the klebreiv a l p h a b e t , i t is virtually the subject o f o n e ' s meditation. t l r t h u s writes, "Tlloqt. ~ v l ~rncclitate o
i l l ~ ~ o s s i l ~tol ed o justice to this m e t h o d in English. T11r individual ( h i t b o d e d ) , concentrate o n a n idea o r o n a very d e c p lesson. The-y close
ir11c1e5ted in p i ~ r s i ~ i n pthe , subject f u r t h e r can find a n excellent their eyes, a n d virtually nullify all their faculties in ordc.r to a l l o r v their
srlnlnlary in the pul?lisl~eclw o r k s of the R a r n a k . 1 5 ~ h i d d r n intellect to e m e r g e f r o m potential to ar:tic)~l. 7 Iley tlrrn a b s o r b
A n o t h e r idea that Albotini discusses in detail is that of "jurnpi~ip," the lesson, p e r m a n e n t l y e n g r a v i n g i t in their soul." ' 5 8
(lir[ifzn/7) < ~ n d" s k i p p i n g " (tiilrcg). A l t l i o ~ ~ g hthis i: mentioned b y T l i r o i ~ ~the h u s e of D i v i n e N a m e s in metlitation, o n p carr c h a n n e l
Alit1l,1fia, a n d tlie nietllod ~ v a 5~ 1 n L 4 o u b t e dused l ~ by h i m , lie lo:,. rot extremely p o r v e r f i ~ ispiritual forces. Albotini writes that b l o s e s m a d e
psrsent clear picture h o w o n e m a k e s use of i t . 1 " Albotini n o t o n l y use o f this to s a v e Israel, a n d t h a t , "with the pobver o f the O i v i n e
c-lt\,lrly drscril)cs these tecl~niclucswithin Abulafia's s).stcrn of T z e r ~ r f , Narnes, whicll h e p r o n o u n c e d in his p r a y e r s , he w a s a b l r to t u r n b a c k
llut h e also provi~icq;1 n t ~ r n b e rof e x a r n p l t . ~5liowing h o \ v they are u s e d . the anger a n d f u r y . " I w M o r e rcrnarl<al)le, h e s t a t t c t11at t l l r I'en
Briefly, " s k i p p i n g " consists of a sort of f r e e association, rrsin~;a n y M a r t y r s coultl h a v e saved t l l e n ~ s e l v c sby using these Na~ne:. arid t h a t
o n e of tlie r;tand<lrdrnethods o t letter nianipulation. T h i s c a n consist of tlie sages could h a v e e v e n prevented the destruction of J ~ r u s a l e n at i the
simple letter p e r t n u t a t i o n , t!-.v use of ciphers, or finding o t h e r rvords h a n d of tlie Babylonians a n d R o t n a n s . But, seeing that this liacl been
\\.it11 similar nunlericcll v<llues ( ~ e r l i a f r i n )IYords . can also Le expanded G o d ' s decree, they refrained f r o m d o i n g a n y t h i n g .
in a n u n l b e r o f w a y s , the simplest being to <pel1 o u t different letters of T h e T a l t n u d s p e a k s of three o a t h s that Israel. nlade n a t to
the w o r d . A s long as o n e is m a k i n g use of a single s y s t e m , s u c h as
improperly hasten the c o m i n g of the M e s s i a h . T h i s is based o n the
s r r ~ l n f r i nfor e x a m p l e , lie is said to be "skipping." W h e n he goes from
verse, "1 bind y c ? ~b y all o a t h , 0 c l , i ~ ~ ~ l \ tof e r Js r r u s a l c l n , . . . t l r , l t y(.)\\
orIe s y s t r m of letter n>anipulcltion to anc,ther, then h e is said to l7e
,, . 17ot a w a k e n , t h a t y o u n o t a r o n s c t l ~ elove, until it is d r s i r r ~ i "(5rl1rg of
~ t l r 1 1 ~ 7 i n ~All
. ' o f this was seen as an i m p o r t a n t meditative technique S o n g s 3:5).lho T h e r e h a s been niuch discussion of this o a t h , a n d s o m e
tJ1r0~1~11 \vIlicli 01112 COLIICI attain a high le~telof e n l i g h t e n r n e n t . 1 ~ 4
rabbis h a v e e v e n used i t as a refutation of Z i o n i s m .
A n inlportant p r e r e q r ~ i s i t ef o r attaining tlie meditative experience Alhotini n v c r y novel interpretation of thic c~atlr,sayiny:
is stoicisnl ( / l i s l r f n i ~ l r f , n l l i ! ~ a~n) d, this is ciiscr~ssedat great length by
that the great masters of Kabbala11 meditation were hr)ur)(i I)y ;rnoat11
 not t c , ~1c.c tlirir nletIlc,cf.; L O lia.;tc,ri th(' ~.eJern\>tiori.l l c tltr~swrites,
''r-:\.cn t l ~ c ~ ~ ~tlir ~ : cornin!:
l l o f t l ~ vh . l ( ~ \ i , i l li.; (1 !;rtT,it (.on(-c7pt,nec-cs5ar-y
( c i r tlit. rc7criiicatiori of all LI~iivtl~.;t'c;, ~ I I ( , <.iy,('.;a~icls , ~ i l i t scvlio kntsw t l ~ c
r l i y ~ t e r yo f (_lc7ti3.;Iialllr w r r e I ~ o i t n ~ l ari o < i t l l not t o arouse t l i ~
l r i they k n t ~ vt11,it C;od d ~ s i r ~ tc hi ~ itt should occur." 161
r r d c ~ n ~ ~ t i cuntil
I n gcncral, AI[roti~ii\v,lrn.; <ig,iir~sl ~ i r c ~ l ~ c ~ ~ ,Iny~ n cof i ~ the
i j ; Llivine
PJarnes, .vcn tl~o:~r,rliscucsed lly Abulafid. Antir.il~atingthe Ari, lie
i~nclcrstands that, ~vliile earlirs generations m a y have been able to
purify t h e m ~ . c l v r s.;ufficiently co that tliey COLIICI actt~rlllypronounce
tlir N,imcs, latrr g ~ n r r ~ i t i o narc s n o longrr able to do tliis. 13ut still, IIP
mciintciinst l i n t i t i.; not clcti~allynrccsr;<?ryto pr-onoirncr tlic Names, and
t I i < i t rnircli can be act-omplislie~l by merely k n o ~ v i n g tliern and
ponderink; t l ~ ~ si isR r ~ i i i c a ~ i c e .
Tl~i.;is rvicicr~cuif s o , tlie ~ ~ \ , ~ r s c' ,' 1 ~ 1\ v~ < ic~n r ~ i p t ~ ~ rir~chslt',li I will
17l.illg liinl fortll, I ~ v i l l ~.,li.;e Iiim u p , b e c ~ ~ r r clie c knpw M y Name"
(I'.;,il~il.; Q I : 1 J ) . ,Ill~c,ti~iino(c,s t l ~ a t ~ h rvc7rGe doc5 not s a y . "tic
pronounces M y n a m r , " t ? r r t rather, i t says, "he k n o w s h4y narnr." t Ic
c o ~ i c l u d e s ," f r o m this rve see that the main thing is tlie knowledge of
tlie D i v i n ~Names, of their ~ x i s t c n c c ,essrncc., and me,ir~ing." A
r;irnilar rxplanation is ~ l s ok>rc>~icled to the v r r s r , "Bcforr tliey call I will
'lnswcr theni" (Isdiali 65:2.1). "Even though o n e concentrates o n a
gi\zen n a m e and o r ~ l ) ,thinks a b o u t i t , tvithout 'ialling' and actually
p r o n o u n c i n g i t , he \\,ill b e ans\vcred."
 Chapter Three: Rabbi Abraham Abulafia

1. Chnwny Olnln IfnRnh ( J e w i s h Theological S e m i n a r y , hls 21.58) 1.. 4t7,

q u o t e d in Scholern, Kitary Yod BoKnlrhnltilr ( J e r u s a l ~ r n1, 0 3 0 ) 1, 25; C'tzn* Eden
HoGarruz, s e e below n o t e 1 0 2 . Also seeS11nnrr~ Tzrrlrk(Jerirsale~n,hfs. 8 " 1.18) p
66b, 67a, q u o t e d in Kirynt Srfrr 1 : 1 3 5 ; S~rIorn/In,?livr~l~ I 0 (lerusalrrr), M+.8" 3 3 4 )
p. ?8a, q u o t e d in Kitoey 1.nrl BnKnI~hnlnl~, 1, 2 2 8 . (-f. P5alrns 23:5, 45.8, It!Q: I!\.
133:2.
2. Tsl~rtrlot Rncl~hlrclt 1 8 9 . S e e also T'~hr11ro1lirc~ncl~1 5 7 . ( ' o n i p > r ~this t o
Abulafia's s t a t e m e n t in VpZot L~Yehr~rinlr, in Jellinek., C ; i r l z ~ Clrnkl~r~lnt
~ Iif~Krrh
holnh ( J e r u s a l e m , 1 9 6 3 ) p. I ? .
3 . Metrare/ LeChokhmnh 12.
4. T h i s is r e p r o d u c e d below, s e e n o t e s 10.5, 1 1 2 . S e e c h a p t r r 5, n o t e s
a n d 3 . T h e Ramak's m a s t e r in Kabbalah, liabbi Shl~-rrnoAIKab.itr ~ l c o
m e n t i o n s Abulafia's teachings, s e e Brit IinLrri (1.1.o~. I863)1> 13c.
5 . Mngrn David. Vav ( M u n k a t c h , 1 9 1 2 ) p. 1 3 c . S e e C h a p t e r 5 , n o t e 7
6 . Tshuvot Rnshhn 5 4 8 . S e e VeZot LrYrhrrdnlr, p. 1 8 .
7. Boon Ratrn 1 2 b .
8. In o n e manuscript of Chawn? O l n ~ nIlnBnl~.t h e t r x t is ,ictclally ~ v r i t t ~ n
withiri a s e r i e s of circles. J e w i s h 'Theological S r r n i n a r y , M S . 2165.
9 . Minrhnt Yehudoh o n Adnnrckhrl Elokut, e n d of I n t r o d ~ r c t i o n( M , l n t ~ l a ,
1 5 5 8 ) p. 3 b . T h i s is q u o t e d iri f ~ r l lin Mrtrnrf( l~ChnkIrt,~nlr Inr t i t . (:hayit aIs11
q u o t e s t h e Tshuoot HnRnlrhn.
 10. ~ ~ I I ~ ~ If ,~, l ~ ; l ~ ,. ~
i r ~ ~l ~l ~l ~l(.-11,~!,~~!,
~l l l~, , II,I,~I
Iiot~ll~i(C-III,~ ;(,) 111l~c,lll~lr I~~PII;, 4:4. See I3en Yaakov, 0t:nr 5rJ1r1irrr. "('~oF/I(.II hliclrpnt" ( ( I l r t 8611. 1\1711 Ser
,I\(/ 1 , ( l i e C I ~ i d a t~i c ~ ~ i t teh. a; t t h e ( i l ~ a Il c t t r r s t,f t h c patriarch's names, w h e n below, C h a p t e r 3, notes 53,54. AI,trIafia ' ~ l s or r l e n t i o r ~ sa r i o t l l e r o f h r s n l . ~ q l e r s ,
t r a n s f o r r n r d ti? t l i r . A t U ~ i s l icode, ~ p e l crrrt l t l l e rlrvirir rl'lrnc Sh,lddai. T h e a c e r t a i n Rabtii Joseph, see hliiflrilrh t l ~ i l l n ~ y i (\latical),
l~r M s . 291) (1. T l b .
c o u r c e of t h i s 1s o b v i o u s l y Abulafi,i's Clriivii!; Olirrrr I l ~ l B ~ i(Jervish lr Theological 21. (It. IlnScklirI 4 : $ ( V a t i c a n , M%. 233) p . 53a, (Ilr(r!in" [!11111i 1 I ~ r F ~ l l1%r 2 11..
s e n ~ i n a r - y ,M s . 2158) p 7'1. Utzilr Etlrll /in<;~~rricz,p . 131b. T h e eupressiclr\, " I ' l r e S.Tta11 w a s o n n l y r i g \ ~ t
1 1 . See Brl I l i i ' I l i ~ i t n ~ l \'olume
r. Ill, 11. XL, n o t c 6 . In t h e b e g i n n i n g o f ~;irrnt hand," alludes t o Z e c h a r i a h 3 : l .
E<yi.z. G i k a t n l i a appcars t o i n d i c a t e that h e r v ~ i si n i t i a t e d I n t o t h e m y s t e r i e s in 22. O r IInSrklrrl 4:1, p. 41 b C)n p. 53b, h e nlscr s t a t r s t l l r i t Sirtn~r(1I:'U) hriq
t h e year. Krtri Tori111 (7111>ln3) o f 11,isl i f e . I n i t s " n ~ i n o rn u ~ n e r i c a I v a l u e " / M i s ; ~ r n r
t h e sanle ncrmeric,il value a5 f.Iinl~1~111~ , ~ \ ~ 1 1 s.lntl
( ~ 1 5 1 7 ~ ' 71 1 ). th.7t t h i s i\'or.c\
Kn/nr;l Kctrt l'or~ilrhas a \..ilue o f 25, irltlicating t h a t t h i s is t h e age w h e n h e h a s t h e c o n n o n t a t i o n o f L l r i l Bolrs ( 1w o Halls). Tliir. p i c r r is deletcct f r o m
b e g a : ~ .I t is also significarit t o n o t e t h a t t h e same cxpression, Krtt-r Tornh, i n a rnany m a n u s c r i p t s of Or / i11Stklrrl.
sirnilar c o n t r v t can be f o u n d at t h e b e g i n n i n g o f Srler tlnl:rrrr/, w h i c h is 23. This ii1troduc:tory y o e m is in (;i~izryi l i r ~ k l r r ~ r oI ltt r K ~ ~ I ~ l ~ ~rlftc,r
i l r i l t ,.S~/'rr
ust~all!, a t t r i b u t e d t o A b u l a f i a . H o w e v e r : t h i s begins t o raise t h e possibility
/lrr()t. (1. 23.
t h a t t h i s tvas also r v r i t t e n b y G i k a t a l i a . F u r t h e r evrdence is f r o m t h e 24. Cienesis 38:Q, Nirlrlrllr 13<1.
e x p r e s i o n " K n o r v m y b r o t h e r , rnay Cocl w a t c h you," ivhicl1 IS f o u n d in t h e
25. See Zdhnr 1:19a, L:57a, 1:69a, 1:?.19b.
sanie rn,lnner I n .Srfrr /ln.T?rrri/ a n d i n (;rrriit tgo:. I t is \.cry possible t h a t 51.{rr
26. 5rih11t / /II\<~III1 4 1
I ~ i i 7 - r r i - r\l iv ~ i s~ v r - i t t e nby G i k c i t a l i ~wi h i l e u n d e r t h e i r ~ f l ~ r e i i coef A h u l a f i a . I n
27. C/. O r IlnSrklirl 4:4 (5?t,). I l e alscl rriakrs s r v r l ~ yl . r ~ ~ i i , ~ t r~i cv~i t ~t \i ~i ?
m a r l y rnantrscript.;, S:.lcr 1/:I T;crlr{ is foll(>\ved I.) : r ~ c l rI1~1Nrkkrr~l
I'rr ( c f I',ir.is, b l s
\vorci " t l r ~ i ~ o ~ ser~ s ,(~IIIII,I~,I,
" (11~1i11
tiirI~i111,17 I(lt7 ( i l l Krtr,ru \ ' , r ~ l RIIKI~I*I~II!!/I. p.
-71, 11. 38[7), ,inil t11c s)'sterr~ o f t h e l a t t e r 15 riot t h a t o f Abu1,ifia at all
26); ( l t r ~ i rEtlrrr Iln(lnrrrrz, p p . 20b, 153a.
J t e g a r ~ l i n gt h c ckpression Krtcr Tcrnlr, see also C;rl I/ii.iIrr,~ri~t ( ( l u f o r d , M s .
28. (llznr E i l c ~ rIfrlC;nr~lrz, pp. 21a.
1 6 3 ) u. 1 C l a .
29. n/lcr/lriirlr /!rrC 11flklri11ot(Jeb\~isIl7 ' h ~ o [ c i ~ i c a S lf s ! \ \ i r ~ a r y .MS. 1hc:6) p.
12. I.'rLc~tL r Y ~ I r r i ~ l ~p.~ hI 2, .
107b. t l e r e i t states explicitly t h a t h e is s p e a k i r ~ go f t h o C l r r i ~ t i a n s 111Ms.
1 3 . Srfrr 1f1iChrslr~k(Jewil;h T h e o l o g i c a l Seininary, M s . 1801) p . 12b.
I'arrna D e l i o s s i 141, p . 16b, q u o t e d I n Scholem, ~ M n j o Trrrr~ls r in]rlois/~iMu;liiisin
1 3 . See S11r~nN r t i ~ o tHnCl~nklrrrrnh( i n Jellinek, I'lrrl~~so~rlric r r r r i l Knlrlinlnh.
( N e w Y o r k , 1941) p . 379, n o t e 33, t h i s r e f e r e n c e i c rniscirig.
Leili7ig, 1 8 5 4 ) p 22. H e also m e n t i o n s h a v i n g m a s t e r e d Elr~~rrrot VrDryot by
3<?. 5 / r r / i ~ i ~ ~ h ~ ~p ,/ r 26b.
r k , -1-his is diqc115se11ill t / ~ l K ~ ~ I ~ ?/rr/ l ~ ~ Yit-{r,r
~lnl:
Ratlhi Saatlia Ciaon, Clrot~o\I f r i L r i ~ n ~ ~ t ~c ~yR.
t B a c l ~ y aibn Pakuda. a n d t h e w o r k s
HII I~~-IIIIIII~/I p. 185,
VcS/~el/ l I ~ r n l ~ ~,hl/~~~/n/in.
ir~r
o f I<. A b r a h a m Jbn Ezra. See L'eZot Le Yrlr~rrlnlrp 18. IHe ivas also f a m i l i a r ~ v i t h
31. See n o t e 42.
Tikkrdi~iInAfiil11ot. b y R . S o l o m o n 1hn G a b r i e l . Sce Olznr Erlrrr IIn(;nrr~cr ( O x f o r d ,
3 2 . O r /f,15t-lkel7:3, p. 9 2 a C/. Cfinv~iv01111ir IfnRolr 7b.
h4s O r 606) p . 44b.
33. VPZII~ LrYrlr/rlinh, p. 1 9 , See Mn[tr(~cIr l ~ ~ i ( ~ / ~ nla, ~ ~alnrd~ :~t f ~
, ~o~ t r i i r
1 5 . T h i s w a s p u b l i s h e d i n Lyck, 1 8 7 4 .
If~iSker~rot (Je~visT h h e o l o g i c a l Sernindry, M.;. 1807) 1,. 702. l v h e r e t h i s A c l l i t c ~ v
16. Otzir Eilrfr IfnCnrrirz p . 131a. I-le ,ilso m e n t i o n s C7tiiit l i n l ~ l iAkrlw i there.
i s c o u n t e d a m o n g Abulafia's closest disciples.
A m o n g o t h e r k ' l b b a I < ~ htexts that h e m a s t e r e d w e r e Slriirr~rslrr~Turnh a n d
34. The S a m b a t i o n is a m y s t i c a l r i v e r , hr:;ond whi[h t h ~ T I ~ . o snt 1 r i h r s
Slrirrtirslrr~Trlrrllirt:. [ b i d . p. 48b. T h e s e t w o books are m e n t i o n e d by t h e I i a r n b a n
w e r e exiled. I t i s r e p u t e d t u b o i l ant1 toss i r p s t c , n ~ se r r r y clay b u t t \ ~ r ! j ~ ~ l . l . ~
i n Tor(i! lli75hr111I r i r r i ~ u n h( i n Kit11ry Rn~rrlrn~. Jerusalem, 1 9 6 4 ) p lC.8. Sr\er
See Snrrlre~lriir 65a, T a r g ~ ~J.mon E x o d u s 34:1@. Yrr~cchnl,rri10:s (5317). l',,.r.shit
Ifn~lririurrnh is m ~ n t i o n e d i n Clinynu ~?lnrn I f n B t ~ l p~. h h . I n 5hrt.n Nrlivot
/<n\~/rnh 73:6.
HnC1111khtnnl1.p . ?.I, he m e n t l o n s h a v i n g m a s t e r e d Pirkry Rnlrhi Ishr!rneI ( t h e
3 5 . I t is t o h i m t h a t \ ' ~ Z a f I.ttYrhtrrlnh \vas w r i t t c n . S i ~ l c eh c li\-*<I ill
kfckhriot J . Otr.lt l i n l ~ i l iAl:ibn. St-frr ~inl<i~zrrrr.
Srlrr 1in:irl. a n d ~\~lrslir~rrrtlt
IfnElyorriirt
Barcelona, t h e place o f t h e R a s h b a , i t is possible t h a t ,4hrilafia rncant hi1111 0 be
VrHn Ti~[-htoiri~:i.
an adovcate.
1 7 . I n \'rZo! LeYrlririinh, p . 17, h e uses t h e t e r m A o i r Knri~nor~. T h i s is a
36. H e is t h e a u t h o r o f a c o m m e n t a r y o n Asnrn Sr/it.ct IlnUrner, L.-illzig,
Zuh,lric tern), see lilrn 12n17/m11,Zohnr 2:135b. C/. Etz Chnirtr, Slrnnr NoNesirnh 7 (p.
M s . 12.
81).
37. I n A?n/tmrlr /fnClrokl~~irot,A h u l a f i a e n n u r r i r r ~ t e s his diqciylcs i n
1 0 . L/eZo! LnYch~~dnh, p . 15.
M e s i n a : Saadia ben Y i t z c h a k Scgalrnaas, A b r a h a m then Shalorn K o m t i , a n d
l o . VeZot LnYehrriinli, p. 15. T h e s e are listecj i n Cltznr Edrti Iln(;rtnrrrtr, p. 16a,
N a t h a n ben Saadia C h a r a r . I n Palerrno (I'altles?) his disi1:plrs w e r e A c h i t o v ,
a n d t h e list is p u b l i s h e d in Brt HnSeJcr. V o l u m e 111, p. XL11.
son of Y i t z c h a k t h e p h y ~ i c i a l i ,h i s brr)tlier, D a v i d t h physic-ian,
~ Sho1'1mc
20. /bid. T h i s book i.; e x i s t a n t i n r n a n u s r r i p t , Paris, M s . 771, Jervish
C l l ~ z a i l s, o n o f Yachin, , i r \ t l S h l ( ) n ~ ttih e k)hysiciarr, sc111o f 1)aviJ Yitirct~ak.S e e
T h e o l o g i c a l S e m i n a r y , M s . 835. T h e e n t i r e t e x t is p u b l i s l l e d i n G . Scholem,
n o t e 33. O r I~lnSckhelwas Jeclicated t o N a t h a n arid A b r a h a m , \\*bile Scfrr
finKnbl~nInlishe1 Srler HnTrrnunnh 1'eSlrrl Alirnhnrrr Abrrln/in (Jerusalem, 1965) p.
HnChrshrk was w r i t t e n f o r Saadia a n d Yaakov, s o n o f A b r a h a m .
2 2 Q f f . t-le is m e n t i o n e d i n c o m m e n t a r y o f M o s h e B o t r i l o n Selrr Yetrirnlr 4:2,
38. Paraphrase o f D e u t e r o n o l r l y 28:34.
 3'3. 1 !I(, \ \ . r ) r - t l .\Iri.ir/r rrscd 11rrt.a1sooft?rl r-ricl.s t o a n o c t ~ r r ael r n n l i s s i o n .
6 7 , Cllz.flr k r j c ~/~! f l < ; f l f i f r z , llic. r i l . i < c y , a t [ l i d ~ spr~i11);
~ 1111(:'<o \ v t \ ( ~ t t ' , crc.
40. O/:rr ~ ~ I ~/ lO~I i ( ~ e11. l~ l cl?~ i frrll ill Urt l / i ~ h , f i ~ i r n . ~ h ,
, ll~:l' ,.r t ~ i sis p ~ r b I i s h e (111
Slioslrnrr Soriclt. q u o t e d b e l o w , ~ 1 1
. 0 0 . See notc. 4 2 .
\ ' o l r ~ r n e Ill, jl,lr:t7 Yl., ,lnd i n IItiki~l~l~~il~i/r Shrl i r f c r Iln~Ti~rirtrin/r \/rS/rcl Alrrnhnrrl
68. O l r n r Eilcrr Ffr~(;nrricz, l o c c i t .
.'I /,II/[III(Z 17. IQ 3 ,
6 9 . Sc(cr Yrtzirnlt 1:G. Olznr Tdrr~/~nC;nriirz, 101- rrt.
41. T h e l ~ l r l ~ r ei\vvo r i l f o r "these," E/P/I, has r l ~ l r n e r i c avl a l u e o f 41. T h i s
b l p . 5 ~p .)37.?.b, r ) u r r t c c l
7 0 . O t r n r EI~FIIH n G n r r t r ~p, . 7a, (;nv Nn'ltl ( k l u n i c t l ,
r i i i g h t be a n allusicm to t h e y e a r 5041, o r 1 2 8 0 .
in HnKnbbnlnh S h ~Spier
l /fn.lt-rnicnnh Vt-Slrcl Alrtnhnm Alrulnfilr, p. 1.53. Sce b e l o w .
42. X?rrnicli, h l s . 2 8 5 , p u h l i s h c d in b t C , \ V J 3 6 : 5 5 8 , a n d i n II ~ ~ K ~ i h l , nShrl
ln/~
pagPs 105, 106, 137,.
5rfrr / ~ I ~ ~ I . ~ I I I I I \'L'S/I~I
~I/I :lllrti/1:7rri A / ~ / l l / i f l , p . 147. t i e ~ v r i t e st h a t Ire w a s
71. Lit-Lrl l.eYf/trrdr~/rl ? a . SFP n u t ? I..
c.,lptui-cd o n t h l',ist ~ ( ' f G e r l ~ l i ~l iv,h i c h is t h e (lay a f t e r t h e N e l v Y e a r . .
7 2 . Brit h f ~ n u t / t n h2a. C(. M~lbim
o n C;er~ecis 4:26.
1 3 . l'a~-apilr,l.;e of I ~ e u t e r o n o r n ! 28:61.
~
73. A4iirnrhol 43b, Bnlrir 9 6 .
4 4 . A n ' i l l ~ r s i o nt o Cuoclr~.; 3 : l S .
7 4 . Seft-r tinC/it-shrk 35a.
4 5 . 1'ulllishetl i n l e l l ~ n e k ,(;iri:l-!i pp, 12-14,
C/riiklrrrri~tl~i:~K17/r/~nln/r.
7 5 . Mnltenrh tJnCltnkltrlrot 9 0 a .
46. \'r%r3t Lr\'i./iiiiiii/r, 13, I;.
7 6 . St-(er ~ f n T z f t ~ r (Paris,
t( M s . 7741, O. l a .
,47. l ~ ~ lSi/.~~ d c'r!,q~
~ ~ v t ei n
t j 1 ~ 1 ~ K ~ i / ~S/rc/5cf1.r
l ~ ~ i 1 1 1 //in~~~r1~11c111i/r
1 V~S/rcl/l/~rn/rnrn
77. Ihid. C/. Mnfle~-/rotH17Knlrlrnln/t, p , 2 3 0 . See Chapter 4, rlc)te 1 2 4 .
, ~ l / ~ l l / ~ l /p.
l f l ,1 2 6 .
78. St-(t-r HnJzerreI. p . 1 b .
4 % 51ft.1 t i i i i i r r ~ / r t . ir?. 1311.
79. See C h a p t e r 2, n o t e 18.
80. St-fer tlnTzcruf, p . 2h.
81. See St-fer Yrtzirirh 4:3, Unlrir 70, 11 7, 154, 1 ik~crirwZl'hl~r I 8 ( 3 2 ~ ) .
/I 1 ~ t 7 ~ ~ / 1 ~ ~ 17.
sL3. ,\ f:i1tt~~1l ~ / 1lcl
10~~1,
82. SfIfr tiflJzfrlef. p . 2 b .
5 1 ( 1t::il /'iif.ir / / ( 7 ( ;,111r1:, 1). 25,i.
83. Itlid. 3a. ( I f , Dnlrir 1.
5 2 . ?Jiri',i N r l ~ : ~ ,/ ~ l i ti jilt-iiir, i r i / ) l i i l : l ~ ~ l IIIII~
~ ~ / ~I;,~/~lli~l,i/~.
r~~ p . 2 3 . -l.his \"as
84. Ibiii. 4a.
i v r i t t e n t o i\l.r-aham her1 S l ~ n l o r nC o r n t i , o t i c o f l l i s disciples in M e s s i n a , t o
85. Ihid. 4b, Chnyny O l n i t ~HnBnh, p . 5 b . See above, C h a p l e r 1, n o t e 6 . i\isO
\ v h o r n (1,- / l , : . ~ ~ ~ il/vrar sl als(, ciedicatrd.
see Pfrreslr /fnARndot o f R a b b i A z a r i a h o f G o r o n d a , I<ecanti, rlucltrd i n C:haptel
.53 5 p e , i h o v r , pp. 6 8 - 6 0 .
1, n o t e 1 0 .
5 1 . 5cfrr 1I ~ L ~ / I ~ ~ ~ /pI .~ 3 A 1~ A,
. L'rZot /~r\'c/rreii~~/r,
p . 15.
8 6 . Srtlnrn H n A l i y n h 1 0 (Jerusalem, M5. 8" 33.11, I>, o f l a , i n Kiti'ry Ynrl
55. , i f i i f l r ~ ~ tliiiSlrrr,rclt.
-/~ p . 5 8 b . Cf. Icecanti, Bactlya, nti /(,i.
BnKnhlinlnh, p . 2 2 8 .
5 0 . 9rfr1 \ rt:irn/r 6:4. See U t z n r Eiirn /inC;nrrrcr, p. 814. Cf. S ~ f c r\'cliirn/r 2:2.
8 7 . St-frr Yplzirnh 1:s. See Olznr tdt-11 Iin(;nrritz, p . Oa. See n o t e s 68, 1 1 1
57. RabL.i Y e h ~ i d d hh e n U a r z i l a i , C o m m e n t , l r y o n Srfrr. Yrtrirn/r (Berlin
18851, p . 2 2 6 . A b u l a f i a v i r t l . ~ a I l yq u o t e s t h i s v e r b d t i m i n C;rt tfnSlrr~not( O x f o r d ,
88. OrHnSrkhcl 10:4, p . 125b, Chnvnv Olnnl HnPnll, p . 21a t.
89. Otznr Edt-rr IinGnnrtz, p . 1 4 7 a . See IfnKnlrlrnlnll cllr/.';ffcr t i n ~ f r ! r ~ i r t f l V
~ rC ~ / I F !
h?s. 1658), p OOa See also C)t;iir E ~ E I H I n C ~ i ~ l pp.
i i , 16a, 17a. A v e r y idea Abrnhnrtr Abulnlin, p . 1 7 9 .
is f o u n d i n P a r u c h T a r g o m i ' s i\ln(frr/rcf HnKiilrllirln/r, in HnKnhhnlnh s/lfl
Sffrr
90. O l r n r Ederr HnGnnuz, p . 61a, Or F i n S ~ k l r ~1 I: 4 ( p . 201).
\ 'r.</rr/ A / * r ~ i h ~,4/rrt/nfi~i,
1In 7~t~rirririn1r ~rr~ ~ 7 .2 3 4 ,
91. Kiddushirl 7 1 a.
56. \ ' r . Z ~ l/.r'I"r/rir~~n/r,1). 14, 1 5 .
92. M ~ k h i l t no n E x o d u s 12:1, Sifri or1 D e n t e r o n o ~ n yl8:15, Tnrrrltrtrrrn. 130 5
5 0 . ~ r r - i l i l r t l %a.
t R e t 7 . ~ l e \vas
l t h e o n e \ v h o c o n s t r u c t e d t h e Tabernacle
Midrnsh T f l r i l l i m 1 3 2 . 3 , Rashi, R a d a k , or] J o n a h 1:3, [ i a m b a n o n 13e~1terorionl;.
uncler M u s e s ' a u t h o r i t y (Exodrrs 3 5 3 0 ) . See Ra;l\,ad 011 SeJcr Yrtzirnh 6:4. Cf.
18:15, Zohnr 1:85a, 1:121a, 2:170h, Ernrr,rot VrDfyol 3 5 , Kirznri 2:14, lbrl E l r a c ? r ~
Ot:~ir 1:1ir!i /I:iG:irr~t: 2ob. 5rfrr l i n i : l ~ r ~ / r r k3 1 b. A b u l a f i a rliscussep t h e c o n c e p t o f
J o e l 3:1, Tshri~lotRndbnr 2:842.
1:i.rrtI in d e t a i l 111 i 3 r FliiSri/rrl 7 ( p . 89a f f ) .
93. S e f ~ rHnChesltt-k, p . 32a.
94. St-fir Yetzirnh 4:12. O n e ~ n u l t i p l i e sa l l n u r n l ~ e r sLIP t o a n d i n c l ~ ~ d i nttlr.
g
n u m b e r in q u e s t i o n t o a t t a i n t h e r e s u l t . I n m a t h e m a t i c s , t h i s i s called i
hl. s!-/r1- /~ii?(l/~r.;!rrk. / o r . r i l . See Psalrrl? IZ:?,1 1 0 : 140, f'r~.)verbs 3 0 : 5
factorial.
b 2 . See ,\friii/ntiori nriii l/re Dililr 3:7.
95. Or 1 f n S P k k ~7:1,
I p. ?Oa, Srtlnrrl Iin/.llivnlr 1. See rnrrles I?irrr~r~irn, :5hli.-l
0 3 . 0 1 - i i r Eiirrr Hii(.;iir~icz, p . 1 6 1 a . T e x t i s b e l o w , p . 8 4 .
HaTzfru( 1.
6 4 5liiiiirrw T:riirk (Jerusalem, h45. 8" 148?, p. 6 4 b . See (./in!iny Olnrlr HnDnh,
96. Sp(t-r H n C h ~ s h ~ kp., 20b; Or 6:1, p . 79.1.
q t ~ o t ~ bcei l o l v , p. ~ 6 .
9 7 . Otznr Edt-11IfnGnnur, H o d l e i a n L i b r a r y , O x f o r d , M s . O r . 606, p p . 1 6 0 -
b 5 . I h r c e i n c l u d e Scfrr I I n T z r r ~ f .5h1111rr~ 1zc1ii.l. a n d S~elnrrr /fn,9/ivnh.
1 6 2 . 1 w o u l d l i k e t o a c k n o w l e d g e t h e C u r a t o r s o f t h e D o d l e i a n ~ i b r a frr i~r
I(c'gtll.din): t h e a u t l i o r s l l i l > o f 5 c k r iinTrrr-rrf. see n o t e I I.
permission t o reproduce this p o r t i o n o f [heir manuscript.
0 6 . / i r i / i r i i ~ Rnll,~ltii
l 1 : l . Dr~/rir80; Otznr- E~irrrtin(;~~rrrrz $a, 5eftr HnChcshck
98. See Ibid. p. 30b, w h e r e t h i s i s discussed at l e n g t h .
3 1 b, 5iri.;,,i Nrli;.ot liiil'clr-nh ( i n Phrlosol~/rirr e r r i i Knhlrnln/r) p . 1 1
9 9 . T h e w o r d tzt-rut u s u a l l y m e a n s t o p u r i f y . H e r e A b u l a f i a uses i t ill 11:
s n m p sense as t h e T a l n ~ t l dIISPS i t w i t h r e ~ a r dt o n e t 7 a l ~ lSPP . n o t e < 5 0 , 6.1
 t h e essence of this n a m e is t h r e e f o l d . It is t h ~ r e f o r en o t necessary t o also
1 0 0 . SeeA4otrlr Nr~lrrrlri~~r 2:30, Ramh.ln o n C r n e s i s 1:2. In rn'lny the includr t h e l e t t e r itself. Cf. A,fn~nlnhArrr~rkatIT?.
Zolrnr speaks of n lilrtiitrn DrKritrlr.tri/rl. a n d according t o rnany c o m ~ n e n t a r i e s ,
7 24. Erl~ryn/2: 10, .Shnl~lln/7 52h, I<osl~I InSlrrirlnlr 1 7 ~ .
this m e a n s " t h e L a m p of Ll,~rknrss,"Cf.I - i a c r a o n I'ik-rrrrr"Zlllrnr 5 (Viln,l, 1 8 6 7 )
1 2 5 . C f . Exodus 25:lR.
p. 20c. Also see 5lriinrc!/ Kcrli~clrrrlr3:2, rvhere t h e atrthol- speaks of a "Liglit o f
1 2 6 . T h e s e a r e t h e only places i r i t h e T o r a h r v h e r ~ t l ~ rvr%rse ''1.i1
Darkrirss."
I~rChnvnlr"-"L?o riot let live," is f o u n d .
101. 7.lle w o r d O!iil! h e r e is normally translatctl as " t h i n g s t o come,"
1 2 7 . I'araphrase of Yerrrslrnlt~~i, fen11 1:1, f r o m D e r ~ t e r o n o r n y3%:47.
f r o m t h e root AtnOtnK), m e a n i n g t o "come." Usually, h o w e v e r , t h e w o r d
128. T h i s is taken f r o m Jewi5h 1-heologiral S e m i n a r y , M5 7 1-58. pp. 192
n i r a n s letter-s, a l t h o u g h i t is n e v e r f o u n d t o h a v e this m e a n i n g in t h e Bible.
f f . I would like t o acknowledge tlte J e w i s h S e m i n a r y of An163rica fur
102 S e e n o t e 7 .
permission t o publish portions crf t h r i r r n a r r ~ r c c r i in ~ t tr,lrrcl.tti~~rl P a r t s o f thiq
1 0 3 S e e Rcslr IIi1Slrn11r7lr21b, Lollnr 2 : l 15a, 3:%16a.
srction h a v e a l r e a d y b r e n publicllcvl i l l tile origirl,il in I r l l i n r l , I ' l ~ i l r ~ ~ r ~irrrJ
~lrrr
10.1. S e e Dnlrir 1 3 0 , 140, 1 4 2 .
Knlllrnlnlr, pp. 44, 45; Kiflrry YnA I3nKnbbnlnl1,p 27; 1 Infinl~l~nlnh rlrflt~lcrI I n Iftn~~rrnl.
1 0 5 . O r I-lnSrilrrl R:?, p. 1 0 8 h f., q u o t e d in I1nrr1ri Ri~trorrirrt2 1 : l . It is also
Ve511eI ,'lIrrtilrn~rrAbrtln{in, p. 210 f f . A small p a r t is translateti in S r h o l e m , hlnior
q u o t e d in 5r1Inrrr Hil,/\liynh ?, p. ?5a f f , q u o l e d in Kir!,nt Srfer 22:167 ff. 'The
Trrrrrls i r r ]ri~ris/tMys/i~i5rrr,p. 1 3 6 f f .
Rarnak rvri1c.s r e g a r d i n g i\buIafia's trac hing, "This is e i t h r r a d i r ~ c tradition. t
1 2 0 . 1-our m a n u s c r i p t s of this a r r knobvn, ]rr-trqalrrn, Ms. Po 1 4 P .
given o v e r frclni n i o u t h t o rnouth, o r else it w a s r e v r a l r d hy a A,lng,qirl (Angelic
C o l u m b i a University, M s . X 8 0 3 - S h . 43, I-eidrn, M s . IYarrlrr 24, 2 ; British
Spokesm:in)."
M u s e u m , M s . C a s t e r 954. O n l y t h e f i r s t t w o manirscripts c o n t a i n t h r
1 0 6 . ThisSrlrr I-lnNrhkrcrf is m e n t i o n e d In t h e c o n i m e n t a r y of M o s h e B o t r i l
autobiographical s k e t c h . S e e Ki/r.t.!i Ynrl DnK~~l~bnlnlr, p. 34, Kirvnf 5rlrr 1:1?.7 f f
or\ 51frt- )'rf:irnlr 1 : 1 ( 1 4 h ) . H r is 'ilso cited a s t h r ,ii~ttic>rof ,i book callrd
130. It slioulci be c c ~ ~ n p a r wit11 r ~ l O r IlnSrklrcl a n d 5rlrr Iln l7rtr,\ .
I111 1'11r ,ir,c
3 I I ,I 1I I r 1 i 1 r . I 47 ff.
1 0 7 . S e c 01\,11k11r or1 Z o h a r , SlrIt Ii17(;11iri1tr ( J e r u s ~ l r r i ihls.
, ,to 7 4 ) , q u o t e d
1 3 2 . Shnnrey Trerlrk (Jerusalem, M s . 8" 14R), I). 5Qb; cl~totcclin K r r w n f 5rftr.
ill K I / I ~ ~ u RnKiil~/~nlnl~.
Ynli p. 232. fHere, t h e l i a m a k s t a t e s , "Tile m e t h o d o f
S e e Ch,ipter 7, not^ 99.
p r o ~ i r ~ u n c i nt hg e bJame is fotrrid in t h e book O r I~irSrilrrlby Al~r-.?ham Ahulafia,
1 3 3 . liabbi Abraharn M a i m o n i d e s also s p e a k s a bc711t t h r hlo:lc%m S l ~ f i s .
a n d t h i s m r t h o d is t h e sccret of Srfer Yrfzirnlr." S e e rrote 1 0 9
see 5rfer /fnh!nspik Le01~1ley IInSl~rtrr,p. 1R5.
1 0 8 . S e e h,litl[lrnf Yeh~rrinlro n ,Mnnrrrllrrf Elakrrt 14, p. 107b. i'fPrirdrc Rirrrorritn
1 3 4 . Sl~nnrruT r ~ d ~ pp.k . 6 0 a , hob.
21:2.
1 3 5 . S e e C h a p t e r 4, n o t e 6 1 .
1 0 0 . S e e irtrei I-l~i~\,frlrkl~ (Arncterdarn, 1653) p o r . S e r r~clteI 07, C h a p t e r
1 3 6 . Sitnnrry 7 z d ~ k ,p. 62b, 63n.
7, n o t e 1
1 3 7 . S e e C h a p t e r 5, n o t e 5 6 .
1 1 0 . C f . G e n e s i s 17:3, J o s h u a 5:14.
138. See note 1.
111. S e e n o t e 8 7 .
1 3 9 . Shoshnrl Sodof (,Kcretz, 1 7 8 4 ) p. 6 9 b . A m a n u s c r i p t version h a s h c e r
1 1 2 . S e e n c ~ t e1 0 5 . S e e _Slro~lrn11 : , , i r / , p. 72h
published by G . S c h o l e r ~ i ,MCW] 77:287. 1 - h e a u t h o r of Slrrlchnrr .50rlclt i q I<
1 1 3 . Bnlrir 110, Zolrnr 2:270. Cf. Slfrr I+nknrlnlt ( C r , ~ c o \ \1894) ~, p. 8Ra, PnrrGs
M o s h e ben Yaakov of Kiev (1449-1518).
l ~ i l ! l ~ l l r ~ r2115.
ll
1 4 0 . M o s t probably N a t h a n be11 Saadia C h a r a r of Mesina, t o ~ v t l o r n(!.
114. Prcikfn Zlrtr,i!i~o n E ~ o d u s14:21, liashi, Sitrrnh 45,i, "Arri."
WnSekhrl w a s dedicated. S e e n o t e 37.
115. T h r s a m r systeni is f o u n d in Slrtr17r/f~rKnr,nrrot(Lvov, 1856). p . Ins.
1 4 1 , Bereshit /<n/r/~fl/~ 27: I .
A l ~ c >qce 51117111 l ~ ~ ~ l ~ ~p.r 8~0~ An I ~ I I ~r I~>'17+/1nl.
I It , (Lvov, 5610) 17. 5L3, 51rtr11111t
1 4 2 . Ibn E7ra o n Daniel 10:21. T h e T a l m u d l i \ . ~ \ v i s e c a yt h~a t (;(KI~ l l o k ~
LI'.iS~~tll~! Niflno! ( N e w York, 1 9 ~ ~ 4b. 8 ) Also s e e Slic,rrirnlr L~Chni111(Bagdad,
"with t h e voice of Moses," S e e lkrnkhnt 45a, Midrnsh I~elrillirn 1R:29, 24:11,
1 8 9 8 ) , Srlfrr fit11111/fnKf/~~rrq ( r ' r a g ~ ~ e1, 6 1 5 ) , cf. S111rri/-rtch?f /!nflrit ( J e r u s a l e r ~ ~ ,
Pnhfidhnr linlrlrnlr 14:21, Tntrrilrcrr~n,Ki TiFn 1 5 . T h i s is discussed in C'hnyny 0 l n r . r
1°60), \:olume 2, paEe 141b.
HnBnlr, p. 1b. T h i s is also discussed by R . Isaac of Acco, s e e Otznt Clrninl, p . 163,i
11 6 I'araphrase of A m o s 4 : 1 2 .
S e e C h a p t e r 6 , n o t e 44.
1 1 7 . I'araphrase of Isaiah 48: 17, Psalms 94:lO.
1 4 3 . S e e Recanti, beginning of VnYern.
1 1 8 . b l e t a t r o n a d d s u p t o 314, a n d adding six f o r t h e six l e t t e r s of t h e
w o r d , this yields 320. 1 4 4 . R. M o s h e of N a r b o n n e , Corrrrnfrrtnryon Morrlt Nr;14tltim 1 : 4 6 [Vienn.-,
1 8 5 2 ) p. 5 a .
1 1 0 . T h i s t ~ v ot v g e t h e r add u p t o 314, like b l e t a t r o n .
1 4 5 . I-le is t h e a u t h o r of t h p hfnlrrhrt Shlrrr~r~lr c l r i t h e M i s h n a h . 1 liis i ;
1 2 0 . 1-his v e r s e refers t o M e t a t r o n , Snrrlrrrlritt 38b.
f o u n d in t h e Vilna, R o m , edition of t h e M i s h n a h , at t h e beginning of Tnhnrr):
1 2 1 . S e e Rashi o n E u o d i ~ s23:21.
( w i t h Yntltin U'Bonrl.
1 2 2 . S r e O r H~iScklr~l, q u o t e d above, p,lge 91.
1 4 6 . T h e n a m e of this c o m n i ~ n t a r yis Yrsad A4i~hrrnlr Tornh, Uritisll
1 2 3 . S e e Srfrr HnCl~c.sl~c.k, p. 4b, w l i e r e t h e a u t h o r w r i t e s t h a t t h e narne
M u s e u m , M s . Acld. 19.783, J p w i s h l'heological S e m i n a r y , b l s . D e i n a r d 39p.
clues n o t c o n t a i n Giniel, since t h e n u n ~ e r i c a lvalue of this l e t t e r is t h r e e , a n d
 1.17. 5ce S/r~.~~rrrr 5~i;,111 (Jel.~ls,ilt,n~, 18i.s) \'olr~ciie I, p . 6 a . A l s o scc krti1ry
\'ill{R i ~ K i ~ / i / ~ ~p, ; l i3.~3,/ i ,h;r!i~it 5cf1.1. ?.:272,
I C I P . T l ~ ci r n p ~ i l . t a n t libr,iry m a n u ~ c r i p t sarc, J c r ~ ~ s ~ ~ lMs. e r n ,8" 334,
discussed in !;ifi,r!i Yii:/ DnXi?i~l~n/nIi. p . 32. .i\notlier- r n , i ~ n ~ ~ . c r i it;
p tJ e r u s a l e r ~Ms.
~,
8" 1302, ,lnd Jetvish T h e o l o g ~ c a Seminarv, l Ms. 1810, t v h i c h are actually t \ v o
halves of the silriir 111~1111script. Ser Ma!-*,I'IZAJIt 4 : 1 6 l . The i n t r o d ~ ~ c t iaon~d l
1nt71e of c o n t c n t r ; bverr l i u b l i s l i e d In h~t!i,lrSr,frr 2:138-14 1; chapters 7 t o 9, i n
ki,,will 5c\l-, 2 2 : l t ; l f f . , 'ind chapter- 1 0 ir, Kitr>ry \'17ii 8nt<nl~il,rlii;l, pp. 79a-100b.
1 4 9 . 5itli~111 liti,-l/iu~il~ 9 ( J e r ~ r s ~ ~ l eM r ns ,. 8" 1 3 0 2 ) 1,. 1 3 h . See C h a p t e r 4,
llclte r o .
150. 5:tlnl1r Hnilliyn/t 3 ( l e t v i s l ~T h e o l o g i c a l S e r n i ~ l a r y .M s . 1 8 1 6 ) p. l o b .
1 5 1 . 51r'n11rI+ci.?iivr?/~1 0 ( J e r u s a l e ~ nMs. , 8" 334), i n h;ti,c.,u Y,ir/ li,il<n/~/~iiinlr,
[?p. 229, 2 3 0
152. ['~lr~i'l.,/,:IJJIOI;I*!I 30.
1\73 S r c i l i i i ~ i i i 0~l il r 1 1 1 / i , r f l i i l i , I). Q L ~ , be);gining c ~ .il.(,.; l /{,I l.;rrr~f.
1s.1. .GII~III,I / f 8 ~ , ' \ l ; \ : , s: l ~~ ~ C ~ I ~ hI C l ~'8J. 0I 1?c3z)
C I I ~13 , 8L).
1.55. ILii'! C - I i ' ~ p t c ~ 1 .0 , 111 K;/i.ry \',I(/ ~ ~ ~ ~ K , I / ~ fi, /~221,.
~~I~I/I,
156. :;I'~,,I / /~?i/lrq/:rk,{ ? . 3 8 J
157. ~ I I / R , I I II~I,'I/I!,~I/I 7 ( ~ ~ ~ L hI' l~ ~ 3. ~ I I ~ 13~ 6,)I ~(-1,~.~I./I'I
- 13172)~ , //~/C~/rli/:~L,
p. ? . 2 ~i \ l 5 c i stlt. Si~irirrt.liI ;c,/r.i. 11. 73b, t v i t h ~ r c g n r d st o t h e LJrirn . i r l c l l ~ l ~ ~ ~ r r ~ i r ~
1-50. .~I~/,II:, / / ~ ~ , ~ l l ~i 7! ~ ,13.~ lc-'i.
i/~
J(70. r t a I'hc: c3ntiref i r s t s c c t ~ r i ol ~f l'ii\'i~l,/ ,\.lt1~1rr.disr-~l~se~ this.
161. .51lln11:/fil.q/i!!til~ Q , 1). l o b .
102. lilrii. See C h a p t e r 4, ncite 28.