[[155]]
TABLE OF COMBINATION.
| שת | רש | קר | צק | פצ | עפ | סע | נס | מנ | למ | כל | יכ | טי | חט | זח | וז | הו | דה | גד | בג | אב | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | רת | קש | צר | פק | עצ | ספ | נע | מס | לנ | כמ | יל | טכ | חי | זט | וח | הז | דו | גה | בד | אג | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | קת | צש | פר | עק | סצ | נפ | מע | לס | כנ | ימ | טל | חכ | זי | וט | הח | דז | גו | בה | אד | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | צת | פש | ער | סק | נצ | מפ | לע | כס | ינ | טמ | חל | זכ | וי | הט | דח | גז | בו | אה | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | פת | עש | סר | נק | מצ | לפ | כע | יס | טנ | חמ | זל | וכ | הי | דט | גח | בז | או | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | עת | סש | נר | מק | לצ | כפ | יע | טס | חנ | זמ | ול | הכ | די | גט | בח | אז | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | סת | נש | מר | לק | כצ | יפ | טע | חס | זנ | ומ | הל | דכ | גי | בט | אח | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | נת | מש | לר | כק | יצ | טפ | חע | זס | ונ | המ | דל | גכ | בי | אט | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | מת | לש | כר | יק | טצ | חפ | זע | וס | הנ | דמ | גל | בכ | אי | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | לת | כש | יר | טק | חצ | זפ | וע | הס | דנ | גמ | בל | אכ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | כת | יש | טר | חק | זצ | ופ | הע | דס | גנ | במ | אל | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | ית | טש | חר | זק | וצ | הפ | דע | גס | בנ | אמ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | טת | חש | זר | וק | הצ | דפ | גע | בס | אנ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | חת | זש | ור | הק | דצ | גפ | בע | אס | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | זת | וש | הר | דק | גצ | בפ | אע | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | ות | הש | דר | גק | בצ | אפ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | הת | דש | גר | בק | אצ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | דת | גש | בר | אק | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | גת | בש | אר | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | בת | אש | |||||||||||||||||||||
| . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | . . | את | |||||||||||||||||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 5 | + | 6 | + | 7 | + | 8 | + | 9 | + | 10 | + | 11 | + | 12 | + | 13 | + | 14 | + | 15 | + | 16 | + | 17 | + | 18 | + | 19 | + | 20 | + | 21 | = 231 |
[[156]]
In order to ascertain how often a certain number of letters can be transposed, the product of the preceding number must be multiplied with it. Thus—
| Letter | 2 | × | 1 | = | 2 | |
| 3 | × | 2 | = | 6 | ||
| 4 | × | 6 | = | 24 | ||
| 5 | × | 24 | = | 120 | ||
| 6 | × | 120 | = | 720 | ||
| 7 | × | 720 | = | 5040 | and so on. |
Accordingly, the material form of the spirit, represented by the twenty-two letters of the alphabet, is the form of all existing beings. Apart from the three dominions, the macrocosm, time, and microcosm, it is only the Infinite who can be perceived, and of whom this triad testifies; for which reason it is denominated “the three true witnesses.”[9] Each of this triad, notwithstanding its multifariousness, constitutes a system, having its own centre and dominion.[10] Just as God is the centre of the universe, the heavenly dragon is the centre of the macrocosm; the foundation of the year is the revolution of the Zodiac; whilst the centre of the microcosm is the heart.[11] The first is like a king on his throne, the second is like a king living among his subjects, and the third is like a king in war. The reason why the heart of man is like a monarch in the midst of war is, that the twelve principal organs of the human body[12] “are arrayed against each other in battle array; three serve love, three hatred, three engender life, and three death. The three engendering love are the heart, the ears and the mouth; the three for enmity are the [[157]]liver, the gall and the tongue; but God, the faithful King, rules over all the three systems. One [i.e., God] is over the three, the three are over the seven, the seven over the twelve, and all are internally connected with each other.” (Chapter vi, Mishna iii.) Thus the whole creation is one connected whole; it is like a pyramid pointed at the top, which was its beginning, and exceedingly broad in its basis, which is its fullest development in all its multitudinous component parts. Throughout the whole are perceptible two opposites, with a reconciling medium. Thus, in the macrocosm, “the ethereal fire is above, the water below, and the air is between these hostile elements to reconcile them.” (Chapter vi, Mishna i.) The same is the case in the heaven, earth and the atmosphere, as well as in the microcosm. But all the opposites in the cosmic, telluric and organic spheres, as well as in the moral world, are designed to balance each other. “God has placed in all things one to oppose the other; good to oppose evil, good proceeding from good, and evil from evil; good purifies evil, and evil purifies good; good is in store for the good, and evil is reserved for the evil.” (Chapter vi, Mishna ii.)
From this analysis of its contents it will be seen that the Book Jetzira, which the Kabbalists claim as their oldest document, has really nothing in common with the cardinal doctrines of the Kabbalah. There is not a single word in it bearing on the En Soph, the Archetypal Man, the speculations about the being and nature of the Deity, and the Sephiroth, which constitute the essence of the Kabbalah. Even its treatment of the ten digits, as part of the thirty-two ways of wisdom whereby God created the universe, which has undoubtedly suggested to the authors of the Kabbalah the idea of the ten Sephiroth, is quite different from the mode in which the Kabbalistic Sephiroth are depicted, as may be seen from a most cursory comparison of the respective diagrams which we have given to illustrate the plans of the two systems. [[158]]
Besides the language of the Book Jetzira and the train of ideas therein enunciated, as the erudite Zunz rightly remarks, shew that this treatise belongs to the Geonim period, i.e., about the ninth century of the Christian era, when it first became known.[13] The fabrication of this pseudograph was evidently suggested by the fact that the Talmud mentions some treatises on the Creation, denominated הלכות יצריה and ספר יצירה (Sanhedrim 65 b; 67 b) which “R. Chanina and R. Oshaja studied every Friday, whereby they produced a calf three years old and ate it;”[14] and whereby R. Joshua ben Chananja declared he could take fruit and instantly produce the trees which belong to them. (Jerusalem Sanhedrim, cap. vii. ad finem.[15]) Indeed Dr. Chwolson of Petersburg has shown in his treatise “on the Remnants of the ancient Babylonian Literature in Arabic translations,” that the ancient Babylonians laid it down as a maxim that if a man were minutely and carefully to observe the process of nature, he would be able to imitate nature and produce sundry creatures. He would not only be able to create plants and metals, but even living beings. These artificial productions the Babylonians call תולידאת productions or אבונאת formations. Gutami, the author of the Agricultura Nabat, who lived about 1400 B.C., devoted a long chapter to the doctrine of artificial productions. The ancient sorcerer Ankebuta declares, in his work on artificial productions, that he created a man, and shows how he did it; but he confesses that the human being was without language and reason, that he could not eat, but simply opened and closed his eyes. This and many other fragments adds R—, from whose communication we quote, show that there were many works in Babylon which [[159]]treated on the artificial productions of plants, metals, and living beings, and that the Book Jetzira, mentioned in the Talmud, was most probably such a Babylonian document.[16]
As the document on creation, mentioned in the Talmud, was lost in the course of time, the author of the Treatise which we have analysed tried to supply the loss, and hence not only called his production by the ancient name ספר יצירה the Book of Creation, but ascribed it to the patriarch Abraham. The perusal, however, of a single page of this book will convince any impartial reader that it has as little in common with the magic work mentioned in the Talmud or with the ancient Babylonian works which treat of human creations, as with the speculations about the being and nature of the Deity, the En Soph and the Sephiroth, which are the essence of the Kabbalah.[17]