Sefer Yetzirah Class No 27

In this class we will start Chapter 5. Chapter 5 speaks about the Elemental Letters. While the same meditations and suggestions that relate to the Mother Letters and the Double Letters will be spoken about in later classes, this class is not going to read directly from any one of the Mishnayot.

The Sefer Yetzirah refers to the Elemental Letters as Pashut which is usually translated as Simple or Single Letters. Please understand the metaphors that have been described throughout the Sefer Yetzirah. In the first Mishna of Chapter 1, there are the three terms Sefer, Sephar, Sippur. We translated these as Book, Story, and Story Teller. In many other Mishnayot there is the 3 metaphors of Olam, Shana, and Nefesh. We have translated Olam as World or physicality or 3 dimensions of our world. We have translated Shana as Year, or Time. And finally Nefesh has been translated as soul, mind, or consciousness. Now in chapter 5 we are being introduced to another three level metaphor. The Mother letters, the Double letters and the Simple letters. They are similar metaphors if you do not get stuck in the level of the specific understandings but climb up above the glass walls of the fish tank and look down upon the true relationship. I do hope you understand what is being said here. Let's go on and i hope to clarify any misunderstandings.

Here is a new understanding of the three terms Sephar = Book; Sephar = Story; and Sippur = Story Teller. The book is Hashem; The Story Teller is man; The Story is up to us and our consciousness. This is the secret of the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil. Read this again; Learn this; What does your intuition tell you about this metaphor? Is it true or is it a lie? What is the difference between Good and Evil? Use these questions in your meditations!

Here is another name for these metapphorical relationships. Olam Brea, Olam Yetziira, and Olam Assiya. Our Sages teach that these three worlds are ultimately an illusion. Therefore we can jump back and forth with our terms and descriptions and we are really describing the same thing. Again use this in your meditations. Remember there is a reason it is called Cukoo Kabbalah. Don't let it make you cukoo.

On the Hand out you will see 13 different permutations or spellings of the Name we refer to as the Tetragramaton. You will also notice that there is a title and 3 rows of four spellings. Each row has within itself the Tetragramaton. This is seen by the first letter of each Spelling.

There is a relationship between each Tetragramaton and one of the 12 months of the Hebrew Calendar (Mishna 5.5). As is seen in the additional Mishnayot from Chapter 5, there are other relationships between the different spellings and the Elemental letters as well as the diagonal boundaries of the Tree of life (Misna 5.2)

.Also a relationship between the Spellings and Attributes of our Senses (Misna 5.1), although we do not think of some of these as Senses. For example is speech a sense? How about movement or action?

There is a relationship between the Spellings and the Signs of the Zodiac (Mishna 5.4). Also the 12 directors of the soul, which we will explain in later classes (Mishna 5.6). And finally we will need to learn which Spelling is Male and which is Female (referred to in many of the Mishnayot of Chapter 5).

Here is an amazing teaching from the Zohar that takes much meditation even to begin to intuit. The teaching is simple. Abba Bara Batya. Translation is Father creates Daughter!. What does that mean? Using multiple metaphors Abba is Olam Atzilut, The Mother Letters, Keter-Chochma, Daughter is Olam Assiya, the Elemental Letters, Malchut.

We can now ask What is the true meaning of this? Did not Atzilut create Binah also as well as the Son Zeir Anpin? So why does the Zohar say Abba creates Daughter and not the others?

The Zohar also teaches that The beginning thought was Malchut, while the last action was Malchut. Is this process, metaphor or something else. Please understand these questions are not philosophy although people perceive this as philosophy. Meditate and learn. Learn to intuit.

Even ask the question. What is meant by the word intuit?

What happens when we think? Are we still in the world of action? or have we managed to enter a higher world the world of formation Olam Yetzirah? According to modern string theory, our world of action has mass which is not true for the higher worlds. String theory calls worlds dimensions. There is an upper limit of vibration known as the speed of light. When we vibrate below that speed we are in the dimension of mass; when we vibrate above that speed we are in dimensions without mass. We call a dimension without mass a spiritual dimension.

My teacher postulates that when we meditate we are increasing the speed of our vibration which takes us into these other dimensions. While we are there we are building a body or a "soul" of something. When we run and return - remember that from the first chapter? - we bring that dimensional construct into our world of mass and it becomes mass. In my opinion this is the meaning of the teaching of the Sages that our prayers and actions create Angels.

Now lets turn back to the Hand Out. The 13th Name which is on a line by itself at the top. have you ever seen the Tetragramaton with these vowels. I know i never did until this chart. What is this Name? There was a time - over 2500 years ago or more that there was no reason to not say the correct Name of Hashem. This is it.. There is a Halacha which has become very enmeshed in our beings. Do not say this Name! Ever! Always say Hashem or Adonai depending on what you are doing. Praying say Adonai otherwise say Hashem.

Why do we do this? The answer given is usually that the energy when saying the Name might be too strong for the vessel - the person saying the Name. We have the experience during Temple times when the High Priest would say the Name properly one time during the year on the Holiday of Yom Kippur. There was a sequence of each High Priest would die in the Holy of Holies once he pronounced the Name. This happened over and over so that it became necessary that a rope was tied to his leg so that his body could be pulled out without anyone having to enter to carry it out. There are also Midrashim that the Man from Nazareth carved the Name into his skin one time so that he would Remember it and then used it to perform his Miracles. It is clear from the Talmud that the pronunciation was well known during the First Temple times but the Sages stopped us using it for the above reasons.

The Ramak also teaches that the Elemental Letters when meditated upon converge into their higher selves and thereby take on the attribute of Pashut which means both simple and expansive. These letters expand until infinity and become the borders of our infinite universes. The power for this expansion comes from the permutation of the Tetragramaton. This is the meaning behind the correlation of the months of the year and the signs of the Zodiac which correlate to the permutations of the Tetragramaton and the 12 Elemental letters and the 12 borders and the 12 senses and the 12 parts of the human body. All of these correlations at a higher and higher level are unified, while in this world they appear as separation. With the proper meditation we can create unity and then change what appears in the lower worlds.

These 12 sets of correlations which are truly one higher essence become the 12 components of the Keter of the world of Atzilut of YetzirahTogether with a higher name as written at the top of the chart they correlate to the 13 attributes of Zeir Anpin which is revealed by the Torah in the Parasha of Ki Tisa.

These 13 attributes are Hashem, Hashem, El, Rachum, VeChanun, Erech, Apayim, Verav Chesed, VeEmet, Notzer (Large Nun) Chesed, LaAlaphim, Noseh Avon, Wapesha, VeChataA, VeNakay.

These 13 Attributes relate to the 13 parts of the Beard of Zeir Anpin. These 13 parts of the beard are available in the Tashlich service said once per year during the 22 days of Tishrai Holidays. Some say it at the Keter on Rosh Hashana and some say it on Hoshana Raba, the malchut level.

Please look at the jpeg. I will read them to you now. Each of the 4 Letters of the Tetragramaton produce three alternatives. Therefore there are 12 with the one source of all of them, they make 13. The one source has its statement yet we do not ever say this Name. Although you shouls recognize the first three letters with those vowels from many prophets Names. Eliyahu is just one. The last Letter takes its root vowel. This is the ultimate energy source in the Universe. This is the most powerful meditation you will experience when done properly. We always follow this same order when performing permutations on 4 letter words.

1 2 3 4

1 2 4 3

1 4 2 3

1 4 3 2

1 3 2 4

1 3 4 2

2 3 4 1

2 3 1 4

2 1 3 4

2 1 4 3

2 4 1 3

2 4 3 1

3 1 2 4

3 1 4 2

3 4 1 2

3 4 2 1

3 2 1 4

3 2 4 1

4 1 2 3

4 1 3 2

4 2 1 3

4 2 3 1

4 3 1 2

4 3 2 1

How many permutations are there? 24 so why are there only 12 permutations of the Tetragramaton?

Actually there is a special discussion by Chanoch at this point in the discussion.

Now you have reached a point where you can begin to learn how to manipulate matter. When we meditate on a letter, using the sound, the image, the vowel, the Tetragramaton, the correlations, the head movements, the breathing techniques we have taught you and all of the other aspects in the previous 26 classes YOU are raising the vibration of the strings of matter to something higher than the speed of light and this allows you to construct something in a subjective dimension and when you decide to bring this down to the physical dimension and you have the strength of focus and the emotional strength to maintain your consciousness you will bring this essence into manifestation. This is referred to as Mind Over Matter. You are able to do this only if you meet certain criteria of cleansing and Kedusha. There are certain checks and balances built into the system that will allow this to happen if you meet certain levels of purity called cleansing and certain levels of Kedusha. All you have to do is practice and work on reaching those levels of purity and Kedusha.

The exercise i will give you below is going to connect you to the source. To Hashem. To the source of your own body and soul. Yet this source is different that the 7 body parts i explained last week. It is not the two eyes two ears two nostrils and a mouth. It is speech which takes all parts of the speaking system. It takes vision which is different than the eyes because vision takes more than just eyes. And it will inclue senses that we do not think of as senses. Don't try to understand just experiment for yourself. It is very fun.

Now you have an intellectual understanding of what we have been teaching and an intellectual structure or box to put your experiences within. Keep in touch as you go forward with your practice. There is more i have to teach you. About 12-15 more hours worth.

Here is a practical demonstration. DON"T FORGET TO MOVE AND DANCE

i have one student who goes into nature takes his clothes off and does this whirling dirvish style of dancing while sounding like a Hopi Indian. What ever you do willl be fine, except only say the 12 correctly. Do not say the 13th but visualize the 13th with the vowels. Do this in a swimming pool or lake or stream. Do this while dancing in the water.

the purpose is simple. THIS EXERCISE WILL BRING YOU CLOSER TO HASHEM. Remember the verse from Tehillim. Keep Hashem before you always. This will allow you to do this even when you are doing mundane tasks. This will cause you to keep Hashem in front of you always when you are doing Holy Tasks and even when you are doing things that require your full attention like making love or caring for a baby. If you learn nothing else from me this exercise will cause you to become a spiritual warrior and change you without great effort. Please do it please.

Your home work is to prepare the same chart for the 24 permutations of Adonai