KABBALAH - Selected Writings. Bernhard Pick
throughout the world.
In uttering these words Rabbi Simeon was affected to tears and said: Woe unto me whether I speak or keep silence! For if I speak, sinners will know how to worship and serve the Lord, and refraining therefrom will thus add to their guilt, and if I keep silent then I keep back knowledge that ought to be imparted to you. The man whose fear springs from a dread of affliction that may assail him, falls under the power and influence of evil that becomes his tormentor. The only right fear is that described by scripture, as "The beginning of wisdom and knowledge." Whoever begins the divine life with it, begins well and observes all the other precepts which are included in it. On the contrary, whoever exercises it not breaks and violates them, and to him may be applied the words of scripture: "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the great deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. i. 2). In this verse are designated the four kinds of punishments inflicted upon the ungodly: Tohu (without form), the punishment of strangulation referred to by the prophet Isaiah (Ch. xxxiv. 11) as the cord of Tohu. Bohu (void), which ejected great stones by which criminals are stoned, is the second kind of punishment. The third is darkness (choshek) or death by fire, as it is written: "When ye heard his voice out of the midst of the darkness, for the mountain did burn with fire" (Deuter. v. 23). The words: "And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters," refer to the fourth mode of punishment, viz., death by beheading with a sword. It is written: "And he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. iii. 24). This flaming sword bears the name of "Spirit" and symbolizes the infliction of death meted out to transgressors of the commandments of the law.
Having described the first precept, viz., the fear of the Lord, come we now to the second which is intimately associated with it and never separated from it; that is, perfect love which everyone should cherish and entertain towards their Creator. If it he asked, what is perfect love, it is love of perfection, the one great love, as it is written: "Walk before me and be thou perfect" (Gen. xvii. 1). Furthermore, the scripture says: "And God said let there be Light" (Gen. i. 3). By the word Light is meant perfect love.
Then spake Rabbi Eleazar and said: My father, I have heard a definition of it which has just been given unto me. Rabbi Simeon said:
Then let Rabbi Pinchus hear it, now that he is here present. Said Rabbi Eleazar: Perfect love is that which manifests itself in two different ways or aspects and merits only to be called such. There are those who love God if he grants them wealth, length of days. offspring, worldly prosperity and success in their business enterprises, but hate and disregard him if the wheel of destiny or the good law brings them misfortune and suffering. Perfect love is that which changes not, but continues and abides the same in all circumstances, be they joyous or adverse. We should therefore love God even if he takes from us life, health, yea everything we hold dear.
When Rabbi Eleazar had ceased speaking, Rabbi Simeon, his father, embraced him, and Rabbi Pinchus thanked him and said: Truly the Holy One has brought me hither in order to behold the great Pearl whose radiant light will ere long illuminate the world.
Rabbi Eleazar began speaking again: The fear of the Lord is inseparable from his commandments, especially that of perfect love, and happy the man in whose life and conduct they are manifested and conjoined, as it is written: "Happy is the man that feareth alway" (Prov. xxviii. 14), for his fear and love are so associated that even if misfortunes assail and overwhelm, it matters not. He is unmoved and his heart becomes not hardened so that he falls into sin.
Again Rabbi Simeon spake and said: The third precept is that which teaches there is an all powerful Being who is Lord of the Universe, and also to proclaim his unity by the repetition of the six words of the Shema, which correspond to the six directions in space, with a fixed intention to do his will. The word One in the Shema should be equal in the duration of its pronunciation to the six words. This is the reason why the scripture saith: "Let the waters be gathered together in one place" (Gen. i. 9), that is, that the waters of the rivers running into the ocean may testify of the unity of the six directions. Stress should be laid also upon the letter "d" in the word echad (one), the numerical of it being equal to four and indicating the four directions of the rivers. For this reason this letter in the word echad occurring in this verse is always written larger than the others. The attestation of the six points or directions having been made, should be confirmed by six other words: "Blessed be his glorious name forever." In recognizing this unity symbolized by the letter d, man walks on dry land that brings forth trees and fruits. This also is why God called the dry land, earth, which is twice mentioned, land and earth being one and the same. "And God saw that it was good," symbolizing the unity above and the unity below. When this took place the earth was able to bring forth fruits and flowers.
The fourth precept teaches that Jehovah is Lord, as it is written: "Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else" (Deuter. iv. 39). The word Alhim is in the divine name to show that they are one and the same, and without distinction in nature or essence as implied in the words: "Let there be Meoroth (lights) in the firmament of heaven" (Gen. i. 14). This word is written without a V, being singular in its form to show that they, Jehovah and Alhim, are a unity, and not a duality. This is also symbolized by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night going before Israel in the desert, representing the divine Being who giveth light and guidance to all the world. In this consisted the sin of the serpent; he acknowledged the divine unity below but promulgated a multiplication above, a doctrine which has wrought great mischief and strife in the world. Man ought to acknowledge distinction below but unity on high, that is, distinction of the divine Being from the world, but unity of essence and nature which when recognized and universally acknowledged, then will the demon of evil and strife disappear from amongst mankind and have no longer power and influence in the world. This is also the occult meaning of "Let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven" (Gen. i, 15). The word A U R (light) is also a symbol of the divine unity as its letters are in alphabetical sequence. A first, then U, followed by R. This, however, is not the case with the word Muth (death) in which the letters are found inverted. M being the thirteenth letter of the Alphabet, U the sixth and Th the twenty-second. Now Meoroth is compounded of the two words A U R and Muth. If or be taken from it, Muth remains the symbol of death and separation. It was by these letters that Eve became the cause of evil in the world as the scripture saith: "And then the woman saw the tree was good" (Gen. iii. 6), she took the letters M V from Meoroth and with Th thus formed Muth, death, which then first entered into the world.
Then said Rabbi Eleazar: My father, we have learned that when the letter M was left, V, the symbol of life, took its departure. Eve then took the letter Th and added it to M as it is said: "And she took and gave to her husband" (Gen. iii. 6), and thus formed Muth (death). In order however to counteract its effects it is necessary to add further to it the letter A, whose numerical value is unity and symbol of the divine Being. Muth then becomes Ameth (truth), by which the world is saved. Said Rabbi Simeon: Happy art thou my son for the same explanation of the word has also been imparted to me.
The fifth precept. It is written: "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life" (Gen. i. 20). In these words are included three commands, having reference to the study of the secret doctrine, the multiplication of the human species and circumcision on the eighth day after the birth of a male child. He who addicts and gives himself up to the study and acquisition of esoteric science becomes eventually united to his higher self and equal to angels. Thus it is said: "Oh ye his angels, bless ye the Lord" (Ps. cxi. 20), signifying students of the secret doctrine who are called his angels upon earth as intimated in: the words, "and fowl that may fly above the earth" (Gen. i. 20), (also in Is. xl. 31): "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles" and so he able to go throughout the world as teachers and exponents of the truth that saves and purifies the souls and enlightens the minds of men. Thus the words, "fowl that may fly above the earth" refer to students of esoteric teaching called in scripture "waters." They are able to mount up to the great fountain of divine truth and partake of its living waters. That it might be so with him, David prayed: "Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. li. 10), that is, incline and open my heart for the study of the mysteries and occult meanings