Sefer Yetzirah Class No 8

Mishna Chapter 1 Verse 5 in the Ramak version; Many others will find it as Verse 6.

Hebrew

עשר ספירות בלימה צפייתן כמראה הבזק ותכליתן אין להם סוף, ודברו בהן ברצוא ושוב, ולמאמרו בסופה ירדופו ולפני כסאו הם משתחוים:

Transliteration

Esser Sefirot Belie Mah Tziafyitan CamarAh HaBazak Vetachlitan Ain Lahem Sof, Vedivarav Bahen BeRatzo VeShuv, UlmaAmro Besufah Yeradofu Velifnai Kiso Hem Mishtachvayim.

Translation

Ten Sephiroth of Nothingness. Their vision is like the “appearance of lightning.” Their limit has no end and His Word in them is “running and returning.” They rush to His saying like a whirlwind and before His throne they prostate themselves.

As said before, Chapters 2 through 6 are discussing MaAsei Beraishit or The Making of Creation. Chapter One is also discussing MaAsei Beraishit yet can also apply to MaAsei Mercavah or the Doing of the Mercavah or the Doing of the Chariot. In other words this Chapter is relating to us techniques that we need to learn in order to prepare for either Nivua - Prophecy or Making a Creation. In both cases we need to train our minds to expand their consciousness. That is what this whole Chapter 1 relates to and especially this particular Mishna. We will spend a long time discussing the concept of "Running and Returning." The movement in our minds from conscious to unconscious and back to conscious. This is delving deep into the methods of Prophecy and experiencing different realities. Yet as much as we discuss it nothing will be learned till you try to do it yourself. Using the techniques from the Sefer Yetzirah.

Chapter 1 discusses the Sefirot which are the essential forms and structures and stages of expanding our consciousness. The letters are the roads between the stages. One metaphor to relate to this idea is to view a road map of the United States. The Sefirot are the places of interest on the map that we want to see or visit. The Letters are the routes to get there. There are places to visit along the routes as well as the places that we plan to visit. Yet each place we stop along the route is marked by a dot while the routes are marked on the map by lines. What is a line? A series of dots connected to each other.

This Mishna as every Mishna we have studied opens with Esser Sefirot BelieMah. Let us learn to use a repetitive sound technique of these sounds. Esser Sefirot Belie Mah - Esser Sefirot Belie Mah - Esser Sefirot Belie Mah - Esser Sefirot Belie Mah, etc, etc, etc.

This technique was used by the author of the Shulchan Aruch - the Written Halacha to bring forth his Magid. I am speaking about Joseph Caro. He is not thought of as a Mekubal yet he was a Mekubal. When connecting to His Magid he wrote the Sefer Magid Mishnavim. He used this phrase as his repetitive sound to start. Then he went into another Mishnah that came from the Talmud.

Using the verse or phrases or group of verses from a Mishnah is a well known technique taught for thousands of years to connect to your higher self (to your Magid). Remember the word Mishnah has the same letters as Neshama - Soul

There is an ancient technique to use the Chapter 1 of the Sefer Yetzirah or each verse of Chapter 1 as a repetitive sound connetion. This is better known by the eastern term Mantra. I personally do not like to use this word as i do not know if the source is free of idol worship. I choose to call this repetitive sound technique.

The technique is described in the writings of Rabbi Chayim Vital in the 4th Perek of the Gate of Kedushah - The Gate of Holiness. Feel free to experience this by doing it. There is one caution. Do not do this with your intellect. Only when you do not seek will you be able to see. Only when you stop will you be able to go. The wise will be able to understand.

Using each verse by itself will send you to a different location/world. Using all of Chapter 1 will send you to a different location from the other individual verses. Each of you will experience something different than what others will experience. This is due to your individual perceptions of that world. This is how HaShem created the system of spiritual worlds.

Let us look at the gematriot of these three words as well. Esser =עשר = 570. 570 = 57 x 10. By now you should relate to 57. It is the Hebrew word Zan - Zion Nun. It is Parnasah or sustenance. The word Esser has the meaning of the number 10. 10 represents a complete structure or a partzuf.

Other words that have the gematria of 570:

עשר = Tithing as well as Ten.

ערש = Couch, bed, Malchut. Jacob sat on his bed to bless Menashe and Ephraim.

שרע = Burning up evil

שער = Gate, entrance, burning coitus (used as repetitive sound to stop Masturbation)

רעש = quaking, shaking, quivering, earthquake

רשע = Rawshaw - wicked man, injustice

לשמר = to guard

שכל טהור = Shechel Tahor - Pure Intelligence

מלך = Melech - King; Gematria comes from final letter value.

למך = Lemech - Son of Methusalech, Grandson of Chanoch, Father of Noach. Humble Teaching

נפתלי = Naftali = Tribe related to Virgo.

Sifirot = ספירות = 756. Plural of Sifirah. Other words with gematria of 756:

שנות = years; transmutation

עולמים = Worlds and Ages; Gematria includes Final Mem value.

נון = Letter Nun; fish; Gematria includes Final Nun Value.

BelieMah = בלימה = You should know the meaning by now. Without What? Gematria of Mah = what? Is 45 the same as Adam the primordial First Man. Gematria of Bli = 42. It also has the meaning of "My Heart." Gematria of both words as one is 87. 87 is the gematria of Anoki when spelled with the missing Vav. Anoki is the word "I" when applied to a humble personage like Moshe or HaShem. In the Torah Anoki is only used when applied to HaShem and Moshe. Other words with a gematria of 87:

לבנה moon, pale one

זמם = to think, to plan, plan, devise, purpose

פז = pure gold- Kabbalah sees this as a code for Desire to Receive.

אני יהוה = Anee HaShem - I am God.

The next word in the Mishnah translates as "to see from a distance." The root of this word is used with the concept of Mashiach. The modern Kabbalists teach us not to use it as it always puts the Mashiach off into the future - from a distance.

What do the Sefirot look like? They appear in a flash and then are gone just like lightning. Lightning is not seen close up - at least we hope we see lightning from a distance. We see in a flash of lightning and then it is gone and we see its aftermath on our retina. This is what the Mishnah is telling us to expect to see. Why do i neeed to be told to expect to see anything. Things that are afar off can only be brought close through expectations. This is continuing what we spoke about "oscillating consciousness." See something; it is gone; expect to see it again; it returns. What is it; what i expect to see; see it again; each time it is closer; and more expected.

If you read a description of someone seeing a bolt of lightning up close, they describe a total sensorial overload whereby afterwards they can not see; they can not hear. Their systems shut down, but the last sensation reverberates through their mind due to its intensity. This is the Sefirot when you get close if you are not expecting them just as these people did not expect lightning so close.

The next part of the Mishnah "Tachlitan Ain Lahem Sof: Do the Sefirot have tachlit - ends? Are they endless? The answer to both questions is no; yet the answer is not applicable to a Sefirah. These questions are intellectual. I ask you to speak to the Sefirot and ask them questions. I ask you to hold a conversation with the Sefirot. Is this possible? Can you talk to lightning? Is this phrase of the Mishnah an oxymoron?

On the intellectual level this is an oxymoron. On the psychic intuitive level everything exists and the parameters are both ends and endless. They exist and do not exist and that is not a conflict only an essence of what i sense on this level. Knowledge is experience. It is not a conflict yet it will overwhelm the intellectual mind. This is why there are some Rabbis who are incapable of studyiing KABBALAH. They can not shut down the intellect until the intellect is overwhelmed. Then what is left is too frighening to them. Or maybe just can not be described in words only in pictures and they have no tools to explain so they tell people to not go there. Then they must reincarnate as a dog - a Chalev - Like a heart. To learn to feel again instead of just to think.

The next phrase of the Mishnah- "His word in them is "running and returning." His word is our code for the word of HaShem. It is the meaning of Torah. It is a code word for Torah. Yet later we call it Amar not Daber. One is word; One is saying; Saying is a lower level just like running and returning is a lower level than Sechel denudah.

This phrase Ratzo VShuv is running and returning. It is the same as the concept of Sechel Denudah which we learned as oscillating consciousness. There is no synonyms in Hebrew. What is the difference? Sechel Denudah is in the frame of mind. Ratzo VShuv is in the frame of Angels. What does that mean? They are the same thing. One at one level and one at the other level. Therefore they are not the same[; yet they are the same. Run and return. Oscillating Consciousness. Experience this. Do not understand this.

To experience Amar - speaking from the level of the Divine is not a relaxed clear discussion between friends. That is why the Mishna reminds us of the Kiso. The throne of HaShem. This is a code word for the world of Beria. Yet it is telling us to expect something other than a still small voice within. Remember the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of the still small voice. Yet his friends the other two prophets did not see or hear anything yet they were extremetly afraid of something.

Look through your fear. Look past your fear. Become your fear to calm your fear. This allows you to hear this still small voice midst the storm surrounding you. The running and returning continues within your fear.

All that i just read to you is the experience of prophesy. This is what the prophets felt and experienced as best as Rabbi Akiva could describe the intellectual and intuitive differences within the experience. There are significant teachings in the above paragraphs that must be experienced. Are you willing to experience this? Then do so. You have the tools now. There will be more intellectual process but experience first. Use the Mishnah as a repetitive sound. See what you will see. Hear what you will hear. Return with what you will return with. And expect to be overwhelmed initially. Then learn to keep your experience to yourself. If you need to ask why this is necessary you are not using Binding by Striking in your life sufficiently yet.

The Ramak teaches that when we read the Prophets we get an impression that God spoke and the Prophet said. " Yes sir, i understand." This is a totally false impression. The Ramak says:

The Prophet would enter a meditative state either through music and / or repetitive sound expression. Then he would fall into the prophetic position which would be followed by silence or sound. The sound would come from his mouth? Maybe or maybe from his throat. His students would be sitting around with parchment and pen and write what they heard. Later the Prophet might remember what was said and sometimes he did not. Sometimes he would ask the accompanying Angel for an explanation of what he saw. Sometimes he would see it and sometimes he would not see it. Then someone edited the scroll and some one else would put this into what is our bible and Torah. In essence we need to interpret what is being said to us by the Prophet using the same technique. He did not see clearly (except for Moshe). We do not see clearly except our intutitive knowledge. Do what is right and you will become righteous.

Rabbi Chaim Vital explains these things in his 3rd Gate of Kedusha. Every mind is a veil. When we see through our minds it is not clear; it is veiled. Perceptions of the mind come through the effects of our human senses which are designed to conceal. You all learned this in the first class. Yet you still do not use this information in your life. Your unconscious mind does not get its information through a filter of mind. It gets its information directly from the world of Atzilut. Yet we can not perceive the world of Atzilut directly. Where do the Sefirot exist? In the world of Atzilut. So the unconscious presents the experience of Atzilut as a image that is through the senses of the human body. In other words it lowers itself to be perceived through a veil. What you see/ sense/ perceive is all false - always false.

You have all heard of the Book of Chanoch. Some of you have read an English translation of this book. The Book speaks of a Heicalot (a palace). What is the definition of a palace? It is a world. It is a place where my mind can travel and experience and bring back that experience. This is a palace. It is not a set of walls with gold and jewels and other wealth of this world. It is a spatial perception of the mind.

Now where does this palace exist? Some say in Alpha Centauri. Some say in another galaxy like the Pleiades group of stars. All right, let's go there and find out. All i have to do is send a robotic space ship since that is cheaper than taking my body with me. Of course i can not be sure that it is sending me a complete and accurate picture of what is there. It only shows me one view at a time. Perhaps the palace moves to not show up in my camera view. So what do i do? What is the most efficient way to get there? Send my mind there. How do i do that? You know how to do that now. How can you bring that back to other people and prove things to them? Do you need to do this or can you just teach them how to get there themselves? This is the most efficient system. This is the system devised by HaShem. That is why it is important in our generation to learn how to utilize these techniques of Mind over Matter. This will feed the hungry; this will shelter the homeless; this will remove the conflicts of the world. Please try these techniques. Eventually someone will be able to draw/show/describe a picture of what they see. Why has this not been true up to now? It has. The periodic table was a picture brought back from a palace. The drawings of Michelangelo and Leonardo Davinci are drawings that come back from a palace. Then bright egotistical man build these things instead of use them to travel in their minds.

Now let's have a quick discussion of what happens to a Prophet when he is Prophesying. Each Prophet would see what he would see at his level of consciousness. Moshe saw HaShem and what He said clearly. Every other Prophet saw what he saw through a veil. This is because he was unable to see what he was shown directly. He needed to see it through a veil since it was so overwhelming. Prophecy is not a normal comfort zone. It is not quiet meditation. The Prophets would do what they would do and then they for the most part became overwhelmed. Once overwhelmed they lost control of their bodies. They also frequently lost control of their minds. The terms Ratzo Vashuv refers to this loss of control as well.

When they returned to their mind and body control but not fully returned they had an Angel who they could turn to and ask what did i see? What is the meaning of what i did see? These terms Ratzo Vashuv are metaphors for the Angels Metatron and Sandalphon. The gematria of Ratzo VaShuv is 611 which is the same gematria of the Torah. The Torah consists of the written and oral laws. The Torah consists of two levels - the rational and the irrational. The Prophet would see what he would see and then turn to one of these two Angels which were standing next to him and ask what does it mean. The Angel would explain it to him in terms that he was able to understand. This was true for the Prophet. It was still true for the level of the Talmid Chacham who went into astral travel. They had guides. That is one of the indications that where you go in your meditations is still the earth bound planes when there is no guide.

Let us learn a little bit about Metatron. He is amalgamation of the human being Chanoch ben Yered and the race of Angels called the Chayot who live in the world of Beria. Metatron brings the message the energy down. He is also called the Angel of God and the Man of War. Nobody in a physical body can understand what the word amalgamation implies in this discussion.

Let us learn a little bit about Sandalphon. He is an amalgamation of the race of Angels called "wheels" and Eliyahu HaNavi who is a composite of 4 men. Nadav V'Avihu the sons of Aaron the High Priest and Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aaron. The 4th person is called Eliyahu HaTishbi and is written about in the book of Kings or Samuel. Again the word amalgamation is not well understood at this level. Sandalphon is in the world of Yetzirah. Sandalphon takes it up from the lower world.

This information is necessary for you when you study the book of Prophets. It is necessary when you meet your higher self in your astral travels. Always remember to leave your body at home and keep the golden thread connected. We will talk more about this in later classes.

The gematria of the first letters of this Mishnah is 317. 317 is 314 + 3. 3 is the Colel for each letter of the Name Shaddai which has a gematria of 314. Remember Shaddai is the attribute of God that says "enough" which is the Hebrew word Dai from the song at Pesach "Dai Dai Enu." This Mishnah is a connection to the Torah to the Name Shaddai. To the boundaries that do not exist within or without of the Sefirot. Lastly the number 317 is 231 + 86. 86 is the Name Elokim. The name used in Creation and natural development and Nature. 231 is the number of Gates that we will explain later in the book of Sefer Yetzirah. It is the number of two letter combination of sounds taught as part of building and creating a Golem.

Here is a commentary on "run and return" from the Chabad organization and the teachings of the Rebbe. I feel it will enhance your understanding of this phrase although the ultimate understanding can only come from your experiencing it.

The World Is a Symphony

Tammuz 8, 5775 · June 25, 2015

From the series: Sparks of Things to Come

By Tzvi Freeman

All that exists sings. Not that it exists and it sings. No. Its song is its being.

Why? Because each and every being emerged out of the infinite light. And to there it desires to return—not to be a thing, but to return to nothingness, re-absorbed within its source.

Yet, when it comes close to its source, it feels the desire of that source—that it must go back and exist.

And so it goes on, oscillating back and forth between being and not-being, each thing with its particular rhythm and pattern. According to that pattern, so are the properties of that thing. And that is its song.

Today, we call this string theory. The prophets and the ancient Book of Formation call it “running and returning.” It is the secret of all life and all being. There is not a thing that exists that does not throb, pulsate, and travel its journey undulating in a manifold pattern of waves. Every particle of life sings.

As a master composer is invested in every nuance of His composition, so too with our universe. It may be a nebula or an exploding supernova, it may be an ant or a microbe of even some subatomic particle that fleets in and out of existence before any laboratory can detect it—in each one is invested all the infinite wisdom and beauty of an infinite Composer.

How much more so in the totality of all these trillions upon trillions of parts, all in perfect harmony and counterpoint, each playing its unique part in the counterpoint of a single symphony.

That is the way it is in all the higher, spiritual worlds. In our world, the parts are out of synch. In the higher worlds, the light of wisdom creates a harmony between all parts. Our world awaits us, the human being, to find harmony among ourselves.

Once we find that harmony, our world responds with a symphony to outshine all others. Because in the higher worlds, the Composer only dreams of His music. Our world is a world of action. In our world, it all becomes real.

Create harmony—at home, at work, in all the world around you. Create wonder.

Astrology

5 of the inner planets go retrograde. The sun and the moon do not go retrograde. The moon nodes deal with reincarnation and life lessons. The sun will be discussed elsewhere in this series of classes.

You should realize the connection of the 5 to the worlds and the 4 phases and the Tree of Life. Keter Chochmah Binah Zeir Anpin and Malchut. Yet all of the 5 retrograde planets are relative planets. Everything is relative to something else.

Retrograde Periods of Time relate to Ratzo Vashuv - Run and Return as during retrograde the planet is bringing the person and the world back to an earlier time period. This earlier time period has unfinished business. In Hebrew astrology this unfinished business relates to the periods of Teshuvah.

We will discuss more of this over the rest of these classes.