Chapter XXI: Concerning the Bride of Microprosopus (3)

723 Lev. xxiii. 10, 17. The omer or wave-sheaf of barley was always cut
on the evening of the 15th Nisan, even though it were a Sabbath. It
must always have been gathered from a fresh harvest cultivated even
in the Sabbatical year. The reapers asked these questions three
times of those who were witnesses, “Has the sun gone down?” “With
this sickle?” “Into this basket?” “On this Sabbath [first day of the
Passover]?” “Shall I reap?” After the witnesses answered these
questions the sheaf was reaped. It was finally ground into flour,
and a handful of it mixed with frankincense was burned on the altar.
The remainder belonged to the priests.

724 Num. xxviii. The two wave-loaves of wheaten flour were always
offered on the Jewish Pentecost.

725 Deut. xxiii. 18.

726 Nehem. ii. 8. 1 Chron. xxix. 1.

727 According to Jewish tradition a dead body covered in with earth
conveyed legal uncleanness to everyone who walked over it; but if a
vault was over the body, or if air intervened between the corpse and
the surface of the ground, it was regarded as a non-conductor. There
are reckoned six degrees of uncleanness—the father of fathers, the
fathers, the first, second, third, and fourth children of
defilement. There are altogether twenty-nine fathers of uncleanness,
of which eleven arise from contact with a dead body.

728 Some commentators explain that “each heifer requires a fresh lad.”

729 Num. xix. 3.

730 The Pharisees asserted that a priest might be defiled, and that
after washing he was legally clean for burning the red heifer. But
the Sadducees maintained that he was not legally clean before
sunset. Num. xix. 9, 10.

731 Lev. xxii. 7.

732 The cedar, hyssop, and scarlet wool were laid parallel to each
other, and whatever portion of the scarlet wool remained too long
was wrapped round the bundle.

733 Num. xix. 9.

734 Or thick parts of straw.

735 If the vessels had been in the first row, someone might have touched
them, or some vessel might have come in contact with them, so as to
render them unclean.

736 Num. xix. 15.

737 It does not disallow the purifying pool if water flowed through a
crevice in the rock into the pool.

738 The principle laid down in this mishna is that if one merely carried
the rope for drawing the water, it was allowed to him to do so. But
if he used the rope for any work advantageous to himself it was
disallowed.

739 The modern Yebna (Jamnia).

740 The water is disallowed, because the man gained something for
himself during the act of drawing it. His intention was not
single-minded and pure.

741 Lev. iv. 12, 21.

742 Primary uncleanness arises from touching a dead body, leprosy, etc.
Secondary uncleanness arises from touching one who had primary
uncleanness.

743 A tertiary uncleanness follows from contact with secondary
uncleanness.

744 That is one over whom evening had not yet come, nor was his offering
yet made. Lev. xxii. 6, 7.

745 Gen. i. 10.

746 Isa. lviii. 11.

747 The river Jarmuk is the Hieromax of the Greeks. It falls into the
Jordan about four miles below the Lake of Tiberias. The Arabs now
call it the Sheriat el Mandhûr.

748 The well of Ahab is supposed by some to be the source of a river
near Beirut. This supposition is, however, very doubtful.

749 The modern Banias, one of the sources of the Jordan. It is situated
under Mount Hermon, close to the remains of the ancient Cæsarea
Philippi.

750 Literally, “from time to time.”

751 The meaning is, that if the greater part of the ashes be legal,
purification would follow; but if the greater part be ordinary
ashes, there would be no purification.

752 The dispute is now about what constitutes “a clean place.”

753 Heb. ix. 13, 14.

754 Num. xix. 15.

755 Maimonides translates “lattice-work.”

756 Or trelliswork.

757 This doctrine of intention has also been adopted into the system of
Romanism. The Council of Trent (Session vii. Canon xi.) teaches that
“Whoever shall affirm that when ministers perform and confer a
sacrament, it is not necessary that they should have at least the
intention to do what the Church does; let him be accursed.” It
follows, that if, for example, in the sacrament of orders, any
bishop in any age failed in due intention, all the orders which
flowed from him are invalid.

758 Chap. ix. 9; viii. 5.

759 Another rendering is, “in his garment.”

760 A log is about half a pint.

761 Before eating ordinary food the hands must be washed once. Before
eating consecrated food they must be washed twice.

762 Num. xix. 15.

_ 763 I.e._, from the uncleanness of a dead reptile.

764 And consequently does not purify the place covered by the splinter
or stone, which remained unwashed by the first water.

765 Those that were legally clean continue clean, and those legally
unclean continue unclean.

766 His hands render unclean what they touch.

767 His hands render sacred things unclean.

_ 768 I.e._, the putting his hands into a house infected with leprosy.

769 Literally “father of uncleanness,” such as a corpse or dead reptile,
etc.

_ 770 I.e._, uncleanness not containing the principle of uncleanness.

771 An object unclean in the secondary degree cannot make another
unclean in the same degree.

772 Num. x. 35, 36. The rabbis count these verses a distinct book of the
law.

773 When R. Eleazar, the son of Azariah, was made president of the
school in Jamnia.

774 A cab is about three pints.

775 And could not contain water enough to wash one foot.

776 Of an unclean person.

777 It continues as long as its name, and as such cannot become unclean
from pressure.

_ 778 I.e._, with Israelites dwelling there.

779 Tithe for the poor could be eaten anywhere.

780 Second tithes could only be eaten in Jerusalem. Deut. xiv. 22, 23.

781 The sixth year was fixed for the tithe to the poor, consequently in
countries outside the land of Israel, and not subject to the
Sabbatical rest, Israelites should pay the second tithe.

782 Mal. iii. 8. It is assumed that the prophet means the consecrated
second tithe, and not the unconsecrated tithe for the poor.

783 Ps. xxv. 10.

784 Deut. xxiii. 3.

785 Isa. x. 13.

786 Jer. xlix. 6.

787 Amos ix. 14.

788 The ancient Hebrew letters are now called Samaritan. They are still
used for writing by the small community of Samaritans who dwell in
Nablus, in the Holy Land. The Jews now use the Chaldee characters;
and the Talmud therefore errs in calling the old national letters
Assyrian.

789 Some suppose the writings of Homer are meant; others think that
these were books against revealed religion.

790 Exod. v. 2. The name of Pharaoh cannot be considered an insult to
Moses, since it precedes the name of God.

791 Exod. ix. 27. This is merely added to avoid ending with Pharaoh’s
blasphemy.

792 That is, who had formed part of the Greater Holy Assembly

793 Meaning that the Greater Holy Assembly had been as it were the
reflection of the conclave of the Sephiroth above. The word used for
“chariot” is not “Mercavah,” but “Rethikh.”

_ 794 I.e._, the Paradise above.

795 In the original both this and the foregoing section, apparently by
an oversight, have the number thirty-three attached to them.

796 Carrying on the simile of the lantern and its rays.

797 The Sephiroth.

798 Which is the number of Th, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet,
which includes the symbology of the cross.

799 That is to say, which will hardly admit even of so vague a
definition, seeing it is the Indefinite Absolute in Kether.

800 We must be most careful not to misapprehend the meaning intended to
be conveyed in this passage. Kether, the Ancient One, Macroprosopus,
is not in the more restricted sense of the first Sephira, the AIN,
but that that idea links back from Him must be manifest on
consideration. Yet even He, the Vast Countenance, is hidden and
concealed; how much more, then, the AIN! From Negative to Positive,
through Potential Existence, eternally vibrates the Divine Absolute
of the Hidden Unity of processional form masked in the Eternal Abyss
of the Unknowable, the synthetical hieroglyph of an illimitable
pastless futureless Present. To the uttermost bounds of space rushes
the Voice of Ages, unheard save in the concentrated unity of the
thought-formulated Abstract, and eternally that Voice formulates a
Word which is glyphed in the vast ocean of limitless life.

801 The thirteen conformations of the beard of Macroprosopus.

802 The Trinity completed by the Quaternary.

803 Kether, the first Sephira, from which all the other Sephiroth
proceed, namely, those which are summed up in the Tetragrammaton.

_ 804 I.e._, his manifestation is triune.

805 This refers to the Triads in the Sephiroth, when the Autz Chaiim is
formed. (See Introduction.) It will be found that in this
arrangement of the ten Sephiroth there are ten Triads, viz.:

(1) Kether, Chokmah, Binah.

(2) Chesed, Geburah, Tiphereth.

(3) Netzach, Hod, Yesod.

(4) Chokmah, Chesed, Netzach.

(5) Tiphereth, Yesod, Malkuth.

(6) Binah, Geburah, Hod.

(7) Chokmah, Tiphereth, Hod.

(8) Binah, Tiphereth, Netzach.

(9) Chesed, Tiphereth, Hod.

(10) Geburah, Tiphereth, Netzach.

Wherein Kether and Malkuth are each repeated once; Chokmah, Binah,
Chesed, and Geburah, thrice; Tiphereth, six times; Netzach and Hod
each four times; and Yesod twice.

806 In many of the ancient mysteries a “feast” was part of the ceremony,
analogous to our Eucharist. Verbum sapientibus.

807 That is, the greatest triad of the Sephiroth, the Crown, King, and
Queen; which finds a parallel in the Osiris, Isis, and Horus; the
Axieros, Axiochersos, and Axiochersa of Lemnos and Samothrace, etc.

808 Described in other places as the Supernal Eden and the Inferior
Eden.

809 The Duad equated in the Monad. Compare what I have previously
remarked concerning the profile symbolism of Macroprosopus.

810 The student will observe throughout the Qabalah that great stress is
laid on the power of names, which arises from the fact that each
qabalistical name is the synthesis of a power. Hence to “pronounce
that name” is to use that power.

811 The word I have translated “Maternal” is AMH, Amah, with a double
Kametz point. Rosenroth renders it, “Yod Membri.”

812 Speaking of the unity, the “Sepher Yetzirah” says: “One is She, the
Spirit of the Elohim of life (blessed and more than blessed be His
name who is the life of ages), Voice, and Spirit, and Word—this is
She, the Spirit of holiness.”

813 The word is OVTRA. Rosenroth translates it by “Aporrhea.” It may
also be translated “vapor,” or “nebula.”

814 The ten numbers and twenty-two letters.

815 MZL = 40 x 7 x 30 = 77, which is OZ, Strength or Vigor. This
Gematria is worthy of note as giving the idea of foundational power.

_ 816 I.e._, the containing power.

817 Daath is the conjunction of Chokmah and Binah. (See “Book of
Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. § 40.)

818 This is analogous to the teaching of the “Sepher Yetzirah,” that the
Three Mothers, A, M, Sh, radiate into three paternal forms of the
same. A, M, and Sh symbolize the potencies of Air, Water, and Fire.

819 For “commencement” denotes end, and end denotes “commencement”; how,
then, in the Absolute can there be either? Nevertheless, in the
Absolute must we seek for the hypothetical starting-point of life.

820 Let the student carefully note that this is the second Sephira, the
I of IHVH, the Father proceeding from Macroprosopus, Kether, as He
proceedeth from Ain Soph.

821 The Sephiroth, or numbers.

822 “Chokmoth” is plural of “Chokmah,” Wisdom.

823 Chokmah is the second and Binah is the third of the Sephiroth. This
section is a sufficient condemnation of all those who wish to make
out that woman is inferior to man.

824 This clause refers to the “Unwritten Qabalah.”

825 Chokmah, the second Sephira, which, however, is as it were the
repetition of Kether.

826 That is, the letter I, Yod, in HIVH, which is said in the “Book of
Concealed Mystery” to symbolize Macroprosopus only in its highest
point.

827 See “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. ii. § 37; chap. iv. § 11.

828 See “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. ii. § 37.

829 The amount of occult symbolism in this section is enormous, and the
key of it is the name of the letter I, which is IVD, Yod. This is a
trinity of letters, and their numerical value is I = 10, V = 6, D =
4, total 20, equivalent to double I; but for reasons given in the
“Book of Concealed Mystery” the second I is reproduced by a Hexad
and a Tetrad—namely, V and D. I = 10, the decimal scale of
Sephirotic notation, the key of processional creation; V = 6 =
Tiphereth, and Microprosopus the Son united to D = 4, the Cross.
Here is the mystery of the crucifixion of the Son on the tree of
life; and again the Qabalah agrees with Christian symbolism.

830 “Be Ama,” “with the Mother;” here Ama, AMA, Mother = 42. Be Aima, in
the Mother; here Aima, AIMA = 52 = BN, Ben, Son. This Gematria is
most important, because, be it noted, Aima, AIMA, is the letter I,
Yod, which we have just been told represents Chokmah, joined to AMA,
Mother, which is Binah, BINH, which again is BN IH by Metathesis,
Ben Yod He—_i.e._, son of IH, eternally conjoined in Briah.

831 The number answering to the “fifty gates of Binah.” See “Book of
Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. § 46.

832 Compare this with the Egyptian Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris.
Also notice the interchange of symbols between Amen, Kneph, and
Khom. The name of the great Egyptian God Amen is noticeable when we
compare it with the qabalistic name AMN.

833 Compare with this the alchemical symbolism of Duenech, the King of
Earth, after being overwhelmed by the waters, rising again,
glorified and crowned with the triple crown of silver, iron, and
gold—Chesed, Geburah, and Tiphereth, in the alchemic Sephiroth of
the metals.

834 The meaning is, that Father and Mother are contained in the Son; for
these are the second, third, and sixth Sephiroth—_i.e._, 2, 3, and
6; and both 2 and 3 are contained in 6, for 2 x 3 = 6.

835 The reflexive essence of Kether, the Crown, which operates in
Chokmah and Binah.

836 Plural of “Däath.”

837 By Metathesis.

838 Meaning the period of revealing these matters, not exactly a day of
twenty-four hours: day in the scriptural and qabalistical sense.

839 In other words, where there is unbalanced force, there is the origin
of evil.

840 Because in those severities, and behind them, he can see the
Countenance of God.

841 Chokmah.

842 Binah.

843 See Introduction concerning the parts of the soul, Chiah, Neschamah,
Ruach, and Nephesch.

844 See “Greater Holy Assembly,” ch. xlii. §§ 984-996; ch. xxvi. §§
513-532.

845 See “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. §§ 2, 3, 4 et. seq.

846 Compare this with Miölner, the hammer of Thor, of Scandinavian
mythology.

847 Chokmah and Binah, included in Kether.

848 It is to be noted that this word is MNA, Manna, and is a Metathesis
of the letters of AMN, Amen, which has been shown in the “Book of
Concealed Mystery” to be equal by Gematria to IHVH ADNI.

849 Astral Light.

850 Right and left; while in Macroprosopus “all is right.”

851 At first sight this seems a contradiction, but on careful
examination the difficulty disappears. A triangle is a fit
expression of the number 3. It has three angles, it has three sides;
but there is the whole figure itself also, which is the synthesis of
the sides and the angles. So there are the three angles and the
whole figure itself which contains them, and thus completes the
Trinity by the Quaternary: in the Tetragrammaton, IHV, and H final,
which forms the synthesis.

852 Thus rigidly following out the rule of the symbolism before given,
that Chokmah and Binah are contained in Kether. In this is the key
of all religions.

853 BCHKMTHA, Be-Chokmatha; CHKMTHA is the emphatic Chaldee form of
CHKMA, which is Chaldee for Hebrew CHKMH.

854 That is, the locks which have their origin in the influence of the
Great Mother are interwoven mutually with those which originate from
Chokmah.

855 Meaning, let him supplicate Macroprosopus, developed in the forms of
Chokmah and Binah, which are summed up in Aima the Great Mother, to
incline Microprosopus to be favorable. This is identical with the
Catholic custom of invoking the intercession of the Virgin with her
Son; for Mary = Mare = Sea;and the great Sea is Binah.

856 The word translated “forehead” is MTZCH, Metzach; now if a
metathesis be formed of this word by placing the last letter between
the first and second letters, we get MCHTZ, “he shall smite.” Hence
the first form symbolizes Mercy, and the second Severity.

857 And therefore is the divine name of Tzabaoth, or hosts, attributed
both to Netzach and to Hod, the seventh and eighth Sephiroth.

858 And 20 is H, He, in the four worlds, for H = 5, which multiplied by
4 = 20.

859 The simple meaning of this and the preceding section is, that the
eyes can only see when the upper eyelashes are separated from the
lower ones by the lids being raised.

860 Moses, in this passage of Deuteronomy.

861 That is, MRSHITH, instead of MRASHITH.

862 That is, irrevocably, so that the word would cease to bear the same
meaning were A not there. In other words, were A a radical letter of
it.

863 The first, RASHVN, Rashon, where this word, derived from the same
root as RASHITH, is spelt with A.

864 The Hebrew idiom for having mercy always refers to the nose, as “to
defer anger” is in Hebrew “to lengthen the nose,” etc.

865 The three divisions of the Brain of Microprosopus.

866 See Introduction concerning the names of the parts of the Soul.

_ 867 I.e._, the various degrees of the whiteness.

868 Answering to the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which
together with the ten Sephiroth form the thirty-two paths of wisdom
of the “Sepher Yetzirah.”

869 See “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. ii. §§ 31, 40, etc.

870 In the “Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. § 31, HVA and ALHIM are
shown to be interchangeable, and they both are feminine. And now we
come to the “Three Mothers,” of the “Sepher Yetzirah,” the Great
Supernal Feminine Triad, which is even before the triune father. I
may say no more here; in fact, I have almost revealed too much. Let
the reader carefully meditate on § 651, for there the indicible
Arcanum is shadowed.

871 That is the number 18 on the plane of Asiah. And 18 is the fourth
part of 72. And 72 is the number of the Schemahamphorasch (see
ante), and the number of the Quinaries or sets of five degrees in
the 360 degrees of the Zodiac. And there are six such sets in the
thirty degrees of each sign. And thus we return to the twelve signs
of the Zodiac, and these are operated on from the ten Sephiroth
through the “seven paths of the Queen,” and these again depend from
the first three Sephiroth, and these again from Kether, and Kether
is Macroprosopus, from whom backward depend the Negative Existences
in their Veils; and Macroprosopus is called HVA, Hoa, which = 12,
and finds its expression in “Aima Elohim.” Thus rusheth through the
Universe the Flux and Reflux of the Eternal Word.

872 I am doubtful as to whether this is the best translation of the last
clause; Rosenroth has not translated it at all. The Chaldee is
MMTHQIM VDAI MAI CHKV KDA VCHIK ITOVM LAKVL, Mamthaqim Vadeai Maai
Chiko Kedea Vecheik Yitauom Leakol.

873 This whole section requires comment. I must first observe that Knorr
de Rosenroth in his Latin version has supposed that in the word
“MCHMDIM,” Machemadim, fire and water (ASH and MIM) are hidden as in
a sort of anagram. Now while it is true that “MIM” can be thus
extracted, “ASH” cannot, for the remaining letters, CHMD, will by no
exegetical rule I know of form a word signifying fire. The following
I take to be the real meaning of the passage. Chokmah is the fire,
I, and Binah is the water, H, the Father and Mother Who, conjoined,
produce the Son. Now the fire is symbolized by a triangle with the
apex uppermost, and water by a triangle with the apex reversed;
these two together united form the sign of the Macrocosm, the
external symbol of Vau, V, Microprosopus. And He inherits the double
qualities of the Father and the Mother, shown by the word “delights”
(“Machemadim”) being written in the plural.

874 The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are usually classed in the
following manner:

Gutturals = A, H, Ch, O (R by some).

Palatals = G, I, K, Q.

Linguals = D, Th, T, L, N.

Dentals = Z, S, Sh, Tz (R by others).

Labials = B, V, M, P.

The “Sepher Yetzirah” further classes them as—

3 Mothers (Primitives) = A, M, Sh.

7 Duplicated = B, G, D, K, P, R, Th.

12 Simples = H, V, Z, Ch, T, I, L, N, S, O, Tz, Q.

In the above classification it classes R as a dental.

875 This section contains references to the Edomite kings and their
symbology; namely, as denoting the primal worlds which were
destroyed. (See “The Book of Concealed Mystery,” chap. i. § 3; “The
Greater Holy Assembly,” chap. ii. and chap. xxvi.; and “The Lesser
Holy Assembly,” chap. x.

_ 876 I.e._, tracing out the properties, etc., of the Sephiroth which
form the King, Microprosopus, and, as appears from the latter part
of this section, those only in their aspect of Judgment and Wrath.

877 This section is another all-sufficient proof of the teachings
maintained throughout the Qabalah, namely, that Man and Woman are
from the creation coequal and coexistent, perfectly equal one with
the other. This fact the translators of the Bible have been at great
pains to conceal by carefully suppressing every reference to the
Feminine portion of the Deity, and by constantly translating
feminine nouns by masculine. And this is the work of so-called
religious men!

878 Chokmah, Wisdom, the second Sephirah, is Male in respect of Binah,
but Female in respect of Kether. This is somewhat analogous to the
Greek idea of the birth of Athené, Wisdom, from the brain of Zeus.

879 Compare the symbolism of the many breasts of the Ephesian Diana.

880 The original of the “Hymn of Unity” is in seven very long parts.
These short ones merely give the leading idea in each of the
original parts.