The Creation of God

by Jacob Hartmann

PHILOSOPHICO-ANATOMICAL VIEWS OF A CELEBRATED HEBREW AUTHOR, AFTER TALMUDISTIC INTERPRETATION.

Jehuda ha-Levi ben Samuel, whose Arabic name was Abulhassan, considered an authority and philosopher of repute, was born in Castile 1085 A.D. He adopted medicine for his profession, but was also a traveler, philosopher, and student, and a Talmudistic scholar and writer. He wrote a book called “Sepher Hakusir: Book Kusari.” It is a philosophico-theologico-scientific treatise, conducted in dialogue between himself and the king of Kusar, who became convinced of the truth of his argument and was converted to the Hebrew faith.

In the fourth part, section 25, page 246, Jehuda ha-Levi is explaining the harmonious working of the whole universe, and in evidence thereof he cites the world, soul, and year, very learnedly setting forth the mysterious working of creation, the supernatural origin and significance of the Hebrew letters, the secret and hidden meaning of their number, etc. This is based upon the principle that one rests on three, three on seven, and seven on twelve, as follows:

Letters:		A.	M.	Sh.
	Three Mothers,	Alof,	Mem,	Shin.
	World,	Air,	Water,	Fire.
	Man,	Chest,	Abdomen,	Head.
	Year,	Dampness,	Cold,	Heat.

Letters:	Seven double one.
	B.	G.	D.	K.	Ph.	R.	T.
	Bet,	Gimmel,	Dalet,	Kof,	Fe,	Rosh,	Tave.

World: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.

Man: Wisdom, riches, dominion, life, kindness, posterity, peace.

Year: The seven days in the week.

The twelve single one letters not mentioned—Man: Organs of hearing, seeing, smelling, speaking, tasting, begetting, dealing, walking, thinking, anger, laughing, sleeping.

World: The twelve Zodiacs.

“One on three and three on seven and seven on twelve. And these numbers have their functions in common one with another. For example, ‘the kidneys counsel,’ ‘the spleen laughs,’ ‘the stomach sleeps,’ ‘the liver gets angry.’ It is not to be wondered at that the kidneys have power to give counsel; we observe something similar when the testicles have been removed; one that has been castrated is weaker than a woman; the beard does not grow, and, what is more significant, the person can no longer give advice, counsel. The spleen laughs because of her natural functions, by reason of the blood being protected against the black gall and thickening and turbidity, and from this clearness, purity, nothing but brightness and joy comes. The liver is angry because of the bitterness she forms. The stomach sleeps by reason that it stands in relation with the organs of nourishment. The heart is not thought of, because it is the king. No more do they take in consideration the lungs and diaphragm, because they are necessarily so constituted to be of service to the heart; accidentally only do they serve the rest of the body, and are originally not designed to serve. The brain is under the senses, which emanate from that organ, and are thence distributed. Moreover, as to the organs that are situated below the diaphragm, therein lies a deep meaning. These are the primary vegetations, the primary generatives. The diaphragm separates the vegetative from the animal life, as the throat separates the animal from the rational (Plato in his Timæus explains). Out of the primary generatives, out of the world vegetative, there where the root of being exists, the seed comes, and there the embryo is fashioned out of four elements. God has selected certain parts for his sacrifices—fat, blood, the peritoneum on the liver, the kidneys. On the contrary, he did not select the heart, or the brain, or the lungs, or the diaphragm. This is a deep mystery; the explanation is forbidden. Therefore the prescript, that the Jezisa is permitted to be studied only after undergoing some preparation, by few persons, and only under certain formalities,” etc.

Maimonides, or Moses ben Maimon (Rambam), 1131–1205 A.D., wrote God Hazaker, the Strong Hand, a very celebrated commentary on the Talmud. He held similar views, and is also considered a very learned authority.