Sefer Yetzirah Class 5 - Mishna 2

This is Mishna 2 in the Ramak Version

In Most versions it is Mishna 3. i give you this information to help you find the Mishna in the book that you are using. The usual Mishna 2 is an informational Mishna about the Letters. it is duplicating information that comes later and it confuses people about Chapter 1 which deals with the Sefirot.

עשר ספירות בלי מה במספר עשר אצבעות חמש כנגד חמש וברית יחוד מכוונת באמצע במלת לשון ובמלת המעור:

Transliteration

Esser Sefirot Beli Mah BeMispar Esser EtzbaOt Chamesh Keneged Chamesh VeBrit YeChud MeKavenot BaEhMTzAh Bamilot Lashon VeBamilot HaMeor

Translation from "Secrets of your Birthday"

Ten Sephiroth of Nothingness in the number of ten fingers five opposite five with a singular covenant precisely in the middle in the circumcision of the tongue and in the circumcision of the membrum.

A literal translation by Chanoch

10 Sefirot Without What with and from a story; 10 fingers; (10 toes);5 opposite 5 and a Brit to set aside with the Kavenot "in the middle with the circumcision of the speech/tongue and with the circumcision of the skin.

There are 17 words in this Mishna. There are 76 letters. 17 is the gematria of Tov which means good. 76 is Ayin Vav. In reverse order of these letters Vav Ayin translates as "And Ayin". Kabbalistically this relates to "And vision or see".

After this class - Your homework is to meditate using the Prophetic position (which i will describe to you) on the question implied in the above paragraph.

Before we delve into the MIshna let us discuss the body from the standpoint of Kabbalah. You will find this information difficult to absorb. It is simple yet it is an affront to the western mind.

Where does the sexual desire derive?

Why do you have 10 fingers? 10 toes?

Does the tongue get circumcised?

What if i am not circumcised? or a women who does not get circumcised?

What if i am out of shape? Or 5 to 10 pounds overweight? Or 50 + pounds overweight?

How many body parts are described in the Mishna? Why?

Is there a relationship between these body parts described in this Mishna and the Hebrew Letters? If so which Letter goes with which part? A Home work assignment using meditation.

Sex and the Sefer Yetzirah

With respect to the consciousness of Mind Over Matter people fall into three categories. There are people who are married. There are people who do not have partners right now. There are people who have partners who are not married.

General discussion of sexuality in Kabbalah

Love and relationships including marriage is highly regarded in Kabbalah. It is highly recommended and it is very important to bring children and create continuity in your life. In fact some people have a tikune related to bringing children.

It is necessary to bring at least 2 children - one boy and one girl - in each lifetime. This is a complicated subject with respect to Reincarnation and this is not the class to go into it. We cover this subject in our advanced reincarnation classes.

To bring children it is necessary to have an orgasm from the male. It is also a strong recommendation that the male delay his orgasm until the female has reached her pleasure peak.

This is extremely important:

When doing the meditations and techniques taught in the Sefer Yetzirah there is a strong energy flow into source of sexual desires. This source is in the mind not the sex organ as many people think. The reason for this strong energy flow to the source of sexual desire is due to the utilization of the sefira of Yesod which is the source of creative energy. Sexual energy is creative energy. The techniques of the Sefer Yetzirah is using creative energy. Getting closer to Hashem uses creative energy.

Learning to channel this energy away from the physical orgasm is very important. These techniques are not taught in this modern world. They are best taught to the pubescent child of 12 for a girl and 13 for a boy. Since our students are older than this the techniques will be less effective.

I am not going into these techniques in this class except to make you aware that it is important to learn to channel the sexual energy away from the physical orgasm. This means that both sexes need to learn to transform the moment of orgasm into something else.

Please realize that this separation between your orgasm and your astral travels are necessary. When you are married this will no longer be true since there is an appropriate and Holy way to maintain the balance that is necessary for proper Kosher Astral Travel. Until that time it is necessary to keep standing on your toes.

It is wonderful and beneficial to do sexual play with partners as long as an actual orgasm does not manifest on the person who plans to utilize the techniques of the sefer yetzirah within two months....Please Stop Laughing.

Please remember male and female is truly a wonderful creation of HaShem. The pleasure of an orgasm is only 1/60th of the pleasure of Olam HaBa - The world that is coming. One of the purposes of the male female split/of the male female creation is to taste the pleasure of Olam HaBa.

This is a warning: Using the techniques of the Sefer Yetzirah when there is no partner in your life can cause you to go out of balance. The typical method for going out of balance is sexual promiscuity including masturbation. Please be careful and watch yourself carefully. We live in a society that solicits medical advice which says that it is "healthy" to masturbate. This is not true according to Torah. Human Beings are one of the few animals who do not have a cycle that allows for pregnancy to happen at set cycles of the female. Our female cycles 12 times a year normally. Her reception capability is potentially daily. Be aware and use your free choice.

There is a very important reason why the Gemara of the Talmud teaches the Talmid Chacham is to limit his marital intimacy to twice a month. That is the two Shabbatot each month that is wife is not a Nidah. We will discuss this briefly below.

Fingers and Toes

We have 10 fingers and 10 toes normally. This is related to the ten sefirot. There are 10 Sefirot above and 10 Sefirot below. This also applies to the two other body parts mentioned in this Mishna. The two parts are the sex organs and the tongue. There is a part above and a part below.

The Mishna says that there are 5 opposite 5. There are many writings/commentaries on this subject by the Kabbalists. Some say one thing some say another. Below are three different writings that connect each finger to a specific Sefirah. My teacher said he tried all three and found only one to be useful for him. I will identify it below.

Which also implies the two different Trees in the Garden. Or the two different systems. The Holy and the Negative System.

One possible meaning of 5 opposite 5 is written by my teacher from his study. The 5 are 1) Will; 2) Intuition or Psychic ; 3) Mind or Intellect; 4) Emotions or Heart; 5) Form in which they all congeal - Our world or the word Manifestation.

5 Partzufim which is the language of the Arizal. They are 1) Arich Anpin - Large Face; 2)Aba - Father; 3) Ema - Mother; 4)Zeir Anpin - Small Face - Son; 5)Nok - Maluchut - Daughter.

Letters also have 5 parts. 1)Ta'amim - Trope - Tastes - Marks of Song - Also Marks of Syllable emphasis; 2)Tagim - Crowns on the Letters; 3) Nekudot - Dots - Vowels; 4) Sounds of the Letters; 5) Form of the Letter.

The 4 Phases also has 5 parts. 1)Fulfillment; 2) Phase 1; 3) Phase 2; 4) Phase 3; 5) Phase 4.

Please understand these are all metaphors for the same thing. This thing can only be experienced and then not described in words - perhaps a picture can be drawn in multiple dimensions. Perhaps.

Let us summarize for your contemplation:

Everything has a form

Everything has a Heart

Everything has a Mind

This Mind has a conscious part

This Mind has an unconscious part

Everything starts with a source/spark that includes all of the other aspects.

After your contemplation - apply this to a tree; a bacteria; a human; an atom as you understand it;. Until you are able to this you do not understand the 4 phases and this will limit your spiriual growth and your study of Kabbalh.

Aryeh Kaplan's Version of the 5 opposite 5

Right Thumb - Keter opposite Left Thumb - Binah

Right First Finger - Chochmah opposite Left First Finger - Gevurah

Right Middle Finger - Chesed opposite Left Middle Finger - Hod

Right 4th Finger - Tiferet opposite Left 4th Finger - Yesod

Right Little Finger - Netzach opposite Left Little Finger - Malchut

This is following the Arizal System.

My teacher indicates that his experience this is not correct and does not work for him.

Ramak Version of the 5 opposite 5.

Right Thumb - Keter opposite Left Thumb - Tiferet

Right First Finger - Chochmah opposite Left First Finger - Netzach

Right Middle Finger - Binah opposite Left Middle Finger - Hod

Right 4th Finger - Chesed opposite Left 4th Finger - Yesod

Right Little Finger - Gevurah opposite Left Little Finger - Malchut

This is the order that my teacher uses.

Rabbi Itzak of Acco has a third order

Right Thumb - Netzach opposite Left Thumb - Malchut

Right First Finger - Yesod opposite Left First Finger - Hod

Right Middle Finger - Tiferet opposite Left Middle Finger - Gevurah

Right 4th Finger - Chesed opposite Left 4th Finger - Binah

Right Little Finger - Chochmah opposite Left Little Finger - Keter

In essence experiment for yourself and see what works for you.

Belie Mah

Belie בלי translates as "without". It has a modern Hebrew connotation of "wear and tear". Please note that it can permute to be "my heart" לבי . Also note that the gematria of the word is 42. The normative gematria is 24. Ever wonder why there are 24 hours in a day?

Mah spelled Mem Hay translates as "what". Mah according to the Zohar is a level of consciousness related to malchut. It has a gematria of 45 with a normative gematria of 18. You should all know that the gematria of 45 is Adam - Man and Women in Zvug. Also you should know that 18 relates to life.

Belie Mah translates as "Without What". This is usually translated as "Nothingness" yet that is not completely correct and leads to misunderstandings. A better, in my opinion, translation is "without Malchut". This hints at the idea that the Sefer Yetzirah is teaching about the spiriutal world. This will become quite meaningful when we speak about creating a Golem, since a golem needs a body and a soul. This is hinting that the laws of creation described in the Sefer Yetzirah does not deal with malchut except as the spiritual is the cause of the physical.

Another possible meaning of the word Belie Mah is "without form" or "wthout body". This meaning is saying that the 10 Sefirot are essences and not something that can normally be sensed by us. The Sefirot are levels of consciousness. Whatever consciousness means. Is an atom consicous? How about an electron. How about the sun? The earth? An Ocean? The Suez Canal? If you are not sure meditate and ask that thing. If you get an answer in your meditation than it is conscious. Please note the Suez Canal is man made. How does its consciousness differ from a river? or a rock?

The Kabbalist known as the Ramban - Nachmanides commented on the Sefer Yetzirah. With respect to this particular phrase of belie mah He said "Realize that the letters are needed to make you aware of the Sefirot. You are obligated and required to silence your mouth from speaking and silence your heart from contemplating; The sefirot are the inner essence of the letters. The Sefirot are not written in the Torah like the Letters. There are 22 foundation (remember foundation is the meaning of Yesod - Yetzirah) letters. There are 3 Mothers; 7 Doubles; and 12 Elementals."

The missing second mishna in most versions is There are 22 foundation (remember foundation is the meaning of Yesod - Yetzirah) letters. There are 3 Mothers; 7 Doubles; and 12 Elementals. The Ramak says it is out of place and we will deal with it later in later chapters. The Ramban says it is important to realize that without silence there can be no true contemplation/understanding/grokking of the Sefirot. One aspect of what he is saying is that the sefirot must be related to on the 5 letters and then unify these 5 levels.

In the opinion of my teacher there is no better explanation for the words belie mah than "silence your mouth from speaking and your heart from contemplating the sefirot." This is the path to grokking the sefirot. Remember the lesson i always gave to my 5th grade and earlier students. If your mouth is open your ears are closed.

The meaning of this teaching is that human beings can not do two things at once. When they try to do so something gets lost. With the idea of experiencing the Creator nothing can be lost or it leads to corruption.

Important to realize

When ever one does Tzerufim - Letter Combinations and Unifications one must reach a point where we stop the sounds. The purpose of the Tzerufim is to elevate our consciousness. Yet there comes a point where the elevation continues without the Tzerufim on the level of sound. There comes a point where the Tzerufim will continue on thelevel of visualization. Then there comes a point where even that Tzerufim must stop.

Here is a metaphor to relate the ideas of the Sefirot as taught by the non-experiential teacher. I am pointing my finger to the moon and say look at the moon. I start to describe what i see of the moon. then i notice you are not looking at the moon you are looking at my finger pointing to the moon. NO i say look at the moon not at my finger. You are loooking at the moon by looking at my finger. You are receiving a corrupted perception of the moon.

Understand this next statement well

You will never understand the Sefirot. Why not. Understanding is of the realm of conscious mind. Understanding is of the realm of Binah. Sefirot are above this realm they are in the realm of Atzilut.

Brit Yechud

The central column of the body is from the nose through the split in the tongue through the erection of the male sex organ or the opening in the female vagina lips.

the word Yechud means unification. it means singularity or oneness. While Brit means covenant or agreement. Does the body have a covenant. Who or what does the body make an agreement with? The answer is himself. When the body agrees to limit its access to sexual orgasm and to say only a few words or even no words especially when one is being embarrassed by his own mistake, then the body will receive a greater amount of pleasure in the world that is coming. NO ORGASM and SILENCE IS GOLDEN is the agreement.

THE PROPHETIC POSITION

One can not orgasm while in the prophetic position. That is why it is recommended to meditate in the Prophetic Position. I will teach other types of meditations. Yet please try this one unless you are overweight and physically not able to enter the position.

The prophetic position is designed to limit deep breathing. It is designed to make you almost black out if you exhale a long time with your letter sounds. the inhale is quite shallow as required by the physical position. You will understand this when you enter the position.

The actual position

Get on your hands and knees. Keep your feet together. Leave your knees slightly apart. Sufficiently apart that your head can fit between them. Put your feet straight out so that the soles of your feet point upwards and your toenails are lying on the floor. Your feet and legs are together except for your knees which leave room for your head to fit inside your knees. Lean back so that your hips are as close to your feet as possible. Now put your forehead on the floor for a moment. Lay your forearms on the floor and have your upper arms as close to perpendicular as possible. Now move your head downwards and tuck it into your chest while you inch your arms backward towards your knees. try to touch your elbows to your knees as you round your spine and force your upper body into a ball. Or as much of a ball as you can get. Now elevate your hands to be by the side of your ears such that your fingers of your hands are split into three components. The thumb is one part. The first and middle finger are another part and the last two fingers are the third part. This is done with both hads and the hand is parallel to the ear. If you are comfortable in this position, if you find breathing easy in this position you are doing it wrong.

Have you ever watched children play Ring Around the Rosie - Pocket Full of Posies? If not go to a playground and watch them do this. They do not go fast although they go faster and faster till they drop. This technique is done by the Sufi's of the Moslem religion today using ornate costumes and head dresses. The individual circle dancing was used by the schools of Prophets to get someone prepared for the Prophetic position. Make the circles while you are saying Pesukim; while you are doing Tzerufim; while you are going faster and faster and longer exhales and longer exhales until you reach the point of stopping. then fall to the ground and enter the Prophetic position where you will continue the mental picture of the Pesukim or the Tzerufim. This is the meditation of a Prophet. The Prophets would then start to speak in an other worldly voice while their students recorded what they said. I suggest you record yourself while you do this. You may not remember what you say.

By the way, the Sufi's learned their techniques by watching the Mekubalim of their early Moslem generations. Now American and Israeli Jews go to Turkey to learn the Sufi techniques. Unfortunately the technique of the Sufi's have become corrupted and will need to be modified and reintegrated into the Kabbalah techniques. This will happen soon.

Use the homework exercise to prepare for this position. Practice this frequently. This the best method of meditation taught by the Mekubablim. The body has the form of the 22 letters which includes all the energy of the universe. All of the energy in the universe in contained in the body.

Sefirotic Meditation

Do not do this in the Prophetic Position. Do it sitting comfortably at your desk or somewhere else. Turn out all the lights so that the room is completely dark. Light a candle or a flashlight and put this light behind your hands. Observe your hands. Not the lines that is another matter. Observe the Sefirot in your hands. Which finger is which Sefirot . Try to feel the flow of the Sefirot through your body and out you fingers. Bend your fingers. Bend your palms. how does this change your sefirot. How does this change your energy flow. Meditate and talk to your fingers - Sefirot. Do this with your toes as well. Experience the power of the universe in your body. Find out which letter goes with which hand / finger / toe. Do this until you are satisfied that you can use the Sefira in your fingers. Do this until you are satisfied you can use the Letters in your fingers and toes.

Astrological Connection

Do the Sefirotic Meditation for the following astrological influences: Use the Hebrew Names:

Pluto - same as English

Uranus - Same as English

Neptune - Same as English

Saturn - Shabtai

Jupiter - Tzedek

Asteroid Belt - HaGorot Asteroidim

Mars - Ma'Adim

Venus - Nogah

Mercury - Cochav

Moon - Yarayach

Sun - Shemesh

Aries - Taleh

Taurus - Shor

Gemini - TeUmim

Cancer- Sartan

Leo - Av

Virgo - Betulah

Libra - Scales - Moznayim

Scorpio - Acrav

Sagittarius - Keshet

Capricorn - Gidi

Aquarius - Dli

Pisces - Dagim