Sepher HaShorasheem - Tree of Life School
Transcription
Sepher HaShorasheem - Tree of Life School
Sepher HaShorasheem The Book of Gates: 484 roots from the Sepher Yetzirah Keys to Kabbalistic Meditation Joseph-Mark Cohen Copyright 2004: all rights reserved JMC Tree-of-Life Publishing No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the prior written consent of the author/publisher, except in the case of reprints, in the context of reviews. Contact joseph-mark@treeoflifeschool.com to order The Book of Gates on cdr from the Kabbalah Workbook Series: Codes of the Kabbalah Preface Introduction to The Gate-Book 1: a - Aleph The Gate-Book was first developed in a study group where many of the members of the group were learning Hebrew for the first time (in this lifetime). The author was the scribe for the group and two or three years later became aware of Fabre D’Olivet’s Hebrew Tongue Restored. I have included some of his roots and etymological interpretations in this Book-of-Gates even though I feel that he leaned too heavily on Arabic roots when no Hebrew root could be found. In our kabbalah group, when we could not find a viable Hebrew root in the lexicon, we resorted to meditating on the letters themselves. Sometimes we were able to find our two letter gate by sourcing the initial letters of a Hebrew phrase of two words. For example, the tree-of-life, (\yyj {u) aytz hayim, is stored by the Hebrew two letter root (ju) ayin hhet. This whole process of searching for and meditating with two letter Hebrew gates is suggested in the Sepher Yetzirah (Chapter 2, Mishnah 4) in an enigmatic, poetical way: “22 letters are the foundation: He set them in a cycle, like a kind of wall, with 231 gates, and the cycle rotates forward and backward.” What this means is that there are 231 gates moving from Aleph to Tav, 231 gates moving from Tav to Aleph and 22 gates that are the letters doubled (Aleph Aleph, aa, Bayt Bayt, bb, etc.). There are 484 gates in total (22 squared) and it is these 484 gates, with an emphasis on their idiomatic meanings that form the substance of this gatebook. It should be noted that most Hebrew scholars will swear that Hebrew roots are triliteral, that is, that the Hebrew language is based on three letter roots. The Sepher Yetzirah along with many most kabbalists will choose to differ. Developing the x-ray vision required to discern which Hebrew two letter root is at the core of a word does take time. However, with a gradual understanding of the roots contained in this gatebook (we occasionally referred to it as the root cellar!) it would be possible for you to decode the kabbalistic meaning of any Hebrew word or phrase. There are many ways to meditate with these gates, and I will suggest a few, letter by letter, and chapter by chapter as is 2 appropriate. You can surf the Gate-Book as you would the internet, and in time you will see that the whole universe is enclosed within it. For the letter Aleph, remember that all the idioms and metaphors you are about to read are but mere step-down vibrations and possible incarnations of the One that first appears in words like: Ehiyeh (hyha), Ayn Soph ([ws }ya), Elohim (\yhla), Ahavah (hyha), Avraham (\hrba) and Ehhad (dja). **Add Illustration: The Wall from the Sepher Yetzirah 3 The Letter Code 1: a - Aleph In order to better understand the multi-level meanings of the letter Aleph, let us look through the kabbalistic lens at a few of the more significant words from Genesis (B’raysheet) in which the Aleph first makes its appearance known to us. This is, in fact, an ancient kabbalistic meditiation method which a Moroccan kabbalist shared with me in Rosh Pinah a number of years ago. The idea is that each of the letters carry a potential meaning and possibility in the higher realms, and the first 10 or 32 incarnations of the letters in the words of the text of Genesis will give us a glimpse of the 22 letters in their fire letter or shamayim form. Once one has a deep grasp of the letters, each translation will be, as the Zohar puts it, ancient and new at the same time. What follows is meerly a sketch of a few of Aleph’s primary incarnations, plus the Sepher Yetzirah illuminations, along with my own initial translations: The Aleph: ([la)(aleph lamed phay) First letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a kabbalistic notation for the One, All-That-Is, the One Being, balance, integrity, the capacity to invite the timeless to dwell in time, the creative aspect of will. B’ray Sheet Bara Elohim: (myhla arb tycarb)(bayt raysh aleph sheen yod tav bayt raysh aleph aleph lamed hay yod mem) Carve out a space for the foundation, for the six dimensions; carve out a space for the elohim, the powers of creation. Create an empty space for the fire of the 10 spheres and 22 letters. Create the elohim. Light: (rwa)(aleph vav raysh) A manifestation of the One, a wave form vibration moving through the six dimensions of space, creating new seeds of creation, holograms of the Source vibration. 4 The Autiot: (twytwa)(aleph vav tav yod vav tav) The letters, signs, markings, constellations, vessels that invite the Infinite into manifestation. The Finger of God: (myhla ubxa)(etzba elohim) I will dip into, impress, be a scribe for hidden creative impulses. The World of Emanation: (twlyxa)(aleph tzaddi yod lamed vav tav) The place of precreative energies, the world of intention, the space from which Aleph puts forth deep roots, the space where the shadow of Aleph is mirrored in matter, the world of unity implanting itself through the tree of life and playing with zodiacal evolution. Ehiyeh: Pure Being: (hyha)(aleph hay yod hay) I am, I am becoming, I will be; the breath of Aleph and the breath of Yod, the pulse between being and becoming, the One Being that speaks to Moses from the burning bush: “I will be who I will be”; presently being translated by the new age as the “I Am Presence”. Mother of all Life: (yj lk ma)(eem kol hhai) The source of all life, the womb for all life; the 8 ancestors/seed-cells of the tree of life. Ayn Soph: The Infinite: ([ws }ya)(aleph yod nun samech vav phay) The Infinite One beyond dimension or spherot, literally means without threshold, kabbalistic contraction is nayss - meaning a miracle or wonder, the gematria is 207 - the same gematria as the word for light - Aur. The Aleph: “He caused the Aleph to reign over Air, and He tied a crown to it, and He combined them with one another, and He formed through them: Air in the universe, and in the temperate-state of the year, and the Geviyah (abdomen) in the body of male and female.” Sepher Yetzirah, Chapter 3, Mishnah 7. 5 The Letter of Our Father Abraham: “By means of 32 wonderful paths of wisdom, Yah, YHVH of the Constellations, Elohim of Israel, Living Elohim, and Eternal King, El Shaddai, Merciful and Gracious, High and Uplifted, Who Inhabits Eternity, Exalted and Holy is His Name, engraved.” “When Abrahan Our Father, may he rest in peace, came: he looked, and saw, and understood, and explored, and engraved, and hewed out, and succeeded. The Lord of All was revealed to him, and He set him in His Busom, and He kissed him on his head, and he called him ‘Abraham, my beloved’ and He cut a covenant with him and his seed forever.” “He Tied the 22 letters of the Torah in his tongue, and he revealed to him a secret: He drew them through Water, He burned them in Fire, He shook them through Air, He kindled them in the Seven, He let them through the twelve Constellations.” - From the Sepher Yetzirah, Chapter 1, Mishna 1, Chapter 6, Mishna 7. (**Add Hebrew text from Sepher Yetzirah plus black on white graphic of one large Aleph.) 6 The Gate-Book 1: a - Aleph I am who I will be, the will to create the finger of God the mantle of Elijah devouring fire the extended face (see Zohar) ehiyeh ehiyeh etzba elohim adaret eliyahu aysh ohhelet arehh apayim hyha/hyha aa \yhla ubxa whyla trda tlka ca \ypa ]yra Creator, Father, Author, First Ancestor, Master the Aleph-Bayt, the alphabet to germinate, to fructify, to shoot forth to long for, to breathe after, to desire, to love the original light; the light of creation (q) light of the covenant av aleph bayt aviv ahava or b’raysheet or b’reet ba ba ba bba hbha tycrab rwa tyrb rwa to gather, scrape together, bind in a knot to flow together; a cauldron, a resevoir the great light (see Genesis 1/16) photon light agad agal or hagadol or ganooz primal vapor, atmosphere, exhalation to surround, strengthen, aid, turn about, to gird Adam, humanity; aleph in the blood stream (q) for signs and for seasons (Genesis 1/14) ade adar adam l’autot ul’moadim to desire, to long after, to love to be, to exist, to happen, to come to pass ahava ehiyah 7 dga ga lga ldgh rwa zwng rwa da da rda \da \yduwmlw ttal hbha ha hyha hwat wa hwa wa to designate, to mark, to will, to lodge Inclination, choice, desire, lust the light emanating in 6 dimensions (q) t’ayva ava time, at/from that time, past time, future time to listen, weigh, balance; an ear to spin, gird, balance, repolarize; axial rotation az ozen azar to unify, unite, join together, adhere; one brother, ally, kinsman to come before, delay, substitute light/darkness ehhad ahh ahher or hhoshehh dja ja ja rja ]cj rwa to enclose, seal up, bind together slowly, gently, at leasure; a whisper the light that is good atam ayt ha’or key tov \fa fa fa bwf-yk rwah where? an emptiness, vacuity; projection, pre-eminence an island, a continent, the sea shore keter/malhhut, crown/kingdom, vision/manifest ay ay ee ahh surely, certainly, only, scarcely, just now ahh a limiting condition, an exception to bend, to impel, to urge to work; burden, ahhaf weight, pressure, compression, a pack-saddle 8 za za nza rza ya ya ya ya ]a ka ]a [ka strength, might, power, a mighty one, a hero to proceed, to roll, to be round, or turn towards a wild ram, stag, mountain goat an oak tree, a terebinth, an oath divine power found in nature, zodiacal light el el ayeel alon (Aur elyon) (q) mother, matrix, source, foundation, beginning handmaid, forearm, cubit; a metropolis, nation and Elohim spoke, (light mirrored on water) (q) aym aymah vayomer elohim to be present, approach, cause to meet strength, virile power, sexual intercourse; Helioipolis, city of the sun a fig tree; an uncanny event a ship, a vessel, the I of the self nothing, emptiness, premanifest, the cosmic nun hidden light anah ohn to turn aside, keep apart, arrest a movement to heap up, collect, gather together, store-house a physician; a prison; to be harmed/to be healed the Infinite, without threshold, without end asah asaph asah ain soph the light of the firmament from emanation to manifestation the 70 faces/witnesses/manifestations of the One ark of the testimony aur rakiah atzilut/assiah aleph ayin aron ha’aydat 9 ta’eynah ani ayeen aur nistar la la la lya }wla }wyla rwa ma ma hma \yhla rmayw hna na }a hnat yna }ya rtsn rwa hsa sa [sa hsa [ws }ya uyqr rwa ua hycu/twlxa ua tduh }wra pa pa hpa }pa \ynp rwa the nose, face, countenance; a breathing place to bake, to be cooked; to be complete to surround, revolve, rotate; a wheel, a year the inner light, light of the Countenance af afah ofen aur panim to put forth deep roots, to place by the side to connect together, join firmly; to be sprung from ancient stock, a noble to urge, hasten, press on, push toward an end atzeel atzal lxa xa lxa utz xwa Primordial Zodiacal Man to groan, cry out, empty; a roebuck, a wild goat Adam Kadman na’ak a light, a river, a revelation to stream; a river, a channel to kindle, inflame, intertwine, to become light, to give light, to shine aur ya aur ara fire, spirit, essence man woman create the essence of 10 spheres & 22 fire letters aysh eesh eesha b’raysheet the totality, archetype, the thing in itself a sign, a letter, a portant of things to come you, (another yourself, your partner in creation) from beginning to end, first to last letter et aut atah aleph/tav 10 }mdq mda qa qan rwa ra ray hra ca ca cya hca tycarb ta ta twa hta ta The Letter Code 2: b - Bayt The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Bayt, b, spelled (tyb) (bayt yod tav). The literal meaning of this letter is a dwelling place, a house, a home. The implicit meaning is a container, a vessel, a space where energy can be stored until that energy is ready to be transformed and utilized in an act of creation. The Zohar teaches us that the bayt is in the image of the female principle. When the b appears as a prefix, its meaning is: in, by, with, by means of, among or through. When one makes the sound of the b in one’s mouth, there is a build-up of energy behind the lips which eventually bursts forth in creative expression. Implicit in the b are two worlds: the internal and the external, the mystery and the revealed, the potential and the kinetic. The b makes reference to our capacity in the world of polarity to make a home for the aleph (a), to experience the blessing of the world of unity. The following words and phrases are primary to the meaning of the letter b. Bara (arb)(bayt raysh aleph) Create: to be housed in light, to hollow out an empty space for the aleph, in the first light. B’raysheet (tycarb)(bayt raysh aleph sheen yod tav) In the beginning: Create six (tyc arb), in the house of the original (car tyb), covenant of fire (ca tyrb). B’rahha (hkrb)(bayt raysh caf hay) A blessing: A vessel which can hold energy on all levels; see gematria 222, chapter 1, merkavah journey. (hkrb) A spring, an underground stream. ` B’riah (hayrb) (bayt raysh yod aleph hay) Creation, the second of four worlds: That part of the creative process where one’s intention and connection to source carves out an emptiness, a space, a blessing, a template, in order to give space for one’s creation to arise. 11 Vohu (whb) (bayt hay vav) Empty, void, preformative: The void of vohu is more like an empty womb containing the b’riah template of the middle two letters of the four letter divine name. Within the bayt (soft pronunciation vayt) is a hidden hhuu, the presence of the divine breath preparing to hover on the face of the waters. Tov (bwf) (tayt vav bayt) Good, fertile: The bayt of tov is a vessel for that which is capable of being fruitful and multiplying. Vayavdale (ldbyw)(vav yod bayt dallet lammed) Divided: The dividing of the first yavdale in Genesis is between light and darkness. The word implies a process of cell division (or multiplication) that goes 2:4 (db). In pure physics this is the process called fission. Bayn (}yb)(bayt yod nun) Between: The process of building and creating forms while maintaining the capacity to distinguish between them. Binah (hnyb)(bayt yod nun hay) Understanding: Discernment. The third sphere of the Tree-of-Life, also referred to as the “mother of seven”, ie: the seven spheres that follow her. Binah is the cosmic mother that holds in her womb the memory of all that is. B’tohh (]wtb)(bayt tav vav caf) In the midst of: Nested. 12 Introduction to The Gate-Book 2: b - Bayt One of the primary methods of meditation with the Gate-Book involves contemplation of each of the 231 double gates that are mentioned in the Sepher Yetzirah, one pair at a time. This can be most easily understood as a meditiation on polarities that manifest two faces of a hidden unity. Consider that there are two flow patterns within the flow of gates. One flow pattern is a movement from aleph to tav, from the one to the many, or from the light to the vessel that holds the light. From a certain vantage point, this looks like the movement from spirit to matter, or a process of materialization or manifestation. The other flow pattern is the return journey from tav to aleph, from the many to the one, from the light nested in the vessel as it is reabsorbed by the source light. The first example of a double gate is ab-ba, aleph-bayt/bayt-aleph. Metaphorically, one could say this gate represents the process of the one becoming two and the two returning to the one. Take a moment and look at the idiomatic meanings that illustrate this process in the Gate-Book. This process is one that you can do in the realm of pure physics, as well as within the realm of the idiomatic Hebrew roots. You will find that some double gates are complimentary, some clearly indicate a polarity, and that some show two psychological responses to a hidden action. After you have examined the 22 gates for bayt, take the time to find the evolutionary gates that are partners with them. You will notice that the process of returning to a bayt is quite different than the process of creation from within the bayt. That rumour that you heard about kabbalists reading things backwards and becoming ambidextrous (if not dyslexic) is 100% accurate. (Good luck!) 13 u - ub bf - fb bb - bb bp - pb by - yb bg - gb bx - xb bk - kb bd - db bq - qb bl - lb bh - hb br - rb bm - mb bw - wb bc - cb bn - nb bz - zb bt - tb bs - sb bj - jb 14 The Gate-Book 2: b - Bayt to enter into, to bring in, to come in to bring away, to acquire, to bring a present create the co-creators the house of Aleph bo bo bara elohim bayt aleph ab ab awb \yhla arb ab to hollow out, to empty out, to encompass a gate, the pupil of the eye, the inner eye a cavity, an entrance, an aperture the bayt of b’raysheet navav bavah bavah bayt b’raysheet bbn bb hbb hbb tycarb b food a garment, a covering, a cloth to cover, to clothe, to hide one’s self bahg beged bagad gb gb dgb dgb to divide, to separate, to be solitary to form, to fashion, to produce something new a thread, a part, something separated, a fiction 2/4, to double, fission, (q) badad badah bahd bayt dalet ddb db adb db db void, empty, pure, the energy before form to break into, to burst forth, to be stirred up bohu bahah whb hb hhb to penetrate, to enter into, to bring about to enter into (one’s body, a house, a woman) to have intercourse (to insert / be inserted) bo awb wb 15 zzb zb qzb hzb zub to snatch away, to pull in pieces, to seize to scatter, to disperse, to divide prey, spoil to be nimble, fleet; a pillar of Solomon’s temple bazaz bazak bezah boaz to prove, to examine, to select; to be chosen to love, to desire, to delight in that which is distinguised, chosen, elect binah / hohhmah, discernment / wisdom (q) bahhr vahar bahhir binah/hohhmah to confide in, marvel over, follow with one’s eyes the womb, the belly, the innermost part to be empty, vacant, hollow, free trust, security, confidence, hope heybeet beten batal betahh fbyh fb }fb lfb jfb to separate, perceive, distinguish between prayer, a request; an interval, the space between understanding, insight, discernment, intelligence bayn be binah }yb yb yb hnyb to break forth, to distill, to shed tears, to weep first born, first fruits, offspring, birth-right in our image, after our likeness (q) bahah bahhor b’tzalmaynu kadmutaynu 16 rjb jb rjb ryjb hmkj/hnyb hkb kb rwkb wmnlxb wntwmdk lb lb hlb lbh lub lb la-tyb to care for; an aggitated mind to fall away, be worn out with use or age an exhalation, a mist, a deluge; to disappear master the first and last letters of Torah (q) the house of the Elohim (q) bahl bahlah havel ba’al bayt lamed bayt el to elevate, raise up, raise up seed a height, a high place, mountain sanctuary in the image of Elohim (q) yavam bimah b’tzelem elohim to erect, build, produce a form, obtain a child an interval, the space between; to understand a son, the child of (a particular person or time) understanding, intelligence, discernment banah bayn bayn binah hnb nb }yb }b hnyb to tread, to stamp in, to establish firmly a basin, a threshing floor, an ancient name of Jerusalem with spices, incense, fragrance buse yebuse swb sb syby b’sameem \ymsb to swell up, to absorb, to seeth, to boil to seek, to ask; prayer, petition to possess, to own; lord, master to dip into to immerse, to dye a garment ancient covenant ba’ah b’ee ba’al tz’vah b’reet olam hub ub yub lub ubx \lwu tyrb 17 mby mb hmb \yhla \lxb to split apart, tear in pieces, make a fissure an egg; to make white Ffne white cotton, the clothing of kings & priests in the image of batzah beytzah butz b’tzelem to cleave, to open anything shut, to be hatched to inspect, consider, contemplate, search out to empty, pour out, to be poured out, the stream/river that Ya’akov crosses in an east wind, in an original breath (Ex 14/21) baka bakar yabok to carve out, to create, to form, to fashion to beget, to feed, to give to eat, to fatten beloved, chosed, clear, pure, empty; a son a pit, cistern, sepulchre; to search out, explore bara bara bar bore to make dry, to put to shame; to dry up dry ground, habitable earth to be confused, astonished, ashamed, silenced yavash yabashah boosh a young woman, the daughter of, the house of a house, tent, palace, temple the inner part, descendants, offspring the letter bayt; what is within baat bayeet bayeet bayt 18 b’ruahh kadim uxb xb hxyb {wb \lxb uqb qb rqb qby \ydq jwrb arb rb arb rb rwb cby cb hcby cwb tb tb tyb tyb tyb The Letter Code 3: g - Gimel The Hebrew letter gimel (g), the third in the alphabet, is a letter of mediation betwen polarities and has the capacity to neutralize or harmonize two contrasting forces. The root, gamal, has a panoply of meanings: to ripen, to nourish until completely ripe, to do good, to reward, to repay, to reimburse, to remunerate, to recompense, to be weaned. As a noun, this root means: a camel, or a camel driver. As a metaphor, this has a double implication. The first is a slow motion wavelike movement, the image of a camel in caravan making its way across the desert. In fact, the Hebrew root gal (lg) means a wave. The second is the capacity for storing water for a long journey. The gimel is the principle of nourishment on the metabolic level, generosity and gratitude on the psychological level as well as a form of wisdom or spiritual nourishment. The gematria of gimel is 73, the same gematria as hohhmah. In its full spelling (dml \m lmg), the total gematria is 227, the same as the words for blessing (brahhah) and to remember or to be mindful (zahhar). The first gimel to appear in Genesis appears in the word hageedoleem (\yldgh). In reference to the two great lights, the sun and the moon, created on the fourth day of Genesis to rule over the day and the night. Gimel refers to that which is large or great as well as a source of nourishment and light. The following are a few of the key incarnations of the letter gimel. The Gimel: (lmg) (gimel mem lamed) In terms of the pure letter code; a form of nourishment (g) for the womb, biosphere or consciousness state (m) that encourages evolution(l). Includes the verbs: to absorb, to drink up, to swallow, to wean, to ripen, to cherish, to repay, to benefit. A bridge between two separate spaces or two different times. Gadol: (ldg) (gimel dallet lamed) To grow or become great, to twist threads together, to tell a story of the lamed (the elohim, the evolution), to value highly.That which is magnificent or majestic. The gematria of gadol is 37, which is the one in the center of the circle of 36. There are 37 spheres when 4 Trees-of-Life are connected one to the other. 19 Gan: (}g)(gimel nun) Gan eden, the Garden of Eden, with four rivers flowing from it. This garden is a garden of spiritual and sensual delight, the innocense of childhood when the doors of perception are open before the consciousness falls into limiting belief systems and conceptual nets. (See William Blake). The process of gimel is in its ultimate state of balance and completion (}) either before or after cycles of evolution. Gal: (lg)(gimel lamed) A wave. Associated idioms: a well, a fountain, a spring, a bowl, a heap of stones; to go in a circle, to leap for joy. The slow motion movement of the gimel is quickened into a spiraling occillation whereby the energy changes direction with the lamed. A cycle is established with its peaks and troughs and symmetry patterns. The gematria is 33, which implies mastery of the 32 (the heart, the 10 spheres and 22 paths of the Tree-ofLife). Gilgal: (lglg)(gimel lamed gimel lamed) A circle, a wheel, a double wave, the two hemispheres of the brain or skull (gilgolet). Two different kinds of wave forms are implied here. The gimel is a line moving on a pathway from oasis to oasis (an up and down wave). The lamed is a spiral vibration that spins 360 degrees clockwise, stops for a moment, and spins 360 degrees counter clockwise. Gilgul: (lwglg) (gimel lamed gimel vav lamed) The wheel of reincarnation. The root galgal is a chariot wheel or a whirlwind with a central vortex. Gilgul is a cosmic cycle. The gift of spiritual nourishment (g) and an evolutionary response to that nourishment. Gilgul has a gematria of 72, the same as hhesed, compassion. Gevul: (lwbg) (gimel bayt vav lamed) A boundary, border, margin, limit of a field, a chain of mountains. The root verb means to twist together like a rope, a rope used to measure the boundary. There is both an expansion (g) and contraction (b) process here whereby the self finds balance at the boundaries in its evolutionary process. 20 Gever, Gibor: (rbg) (gimel bayt raysh) A hero, a soldier, the strength of a man; to be strong, to bind, to strengthen, to prevail. This is the root for the word gevurah, the sphere of strength, power, will and self mastery on the Tree-of-Life. There is an inner process implied here of expansion (g), contraction (b), connection to spirit (r) and capacity to set boundaries for the self and for the nation. Gad: (dg) (gimel dalet) Idiomatically: fortune, prosperity, corriander seed, the planet Jupiter. The root geed means to bind, to couple, to tell a story. The movement from 3 to 4, from gimel to dalet, is a movement from nourishment to manifestation, from the world of yetzirah to the word of assiah. Gavriel: (larbg) (gimel bayt raysh aleph lamed) The Archangel Gabriel, the Power of God. Gabriel is imaged as the angel of Aquarius by Ezekiel. He appears at moments of truth to test the truth of humans. Gesher: (rcg) (gimel sheen raysh) A bridge: the movement back and forth between organic nurture (g) and spiritual quickening (c). A bridge between any two land masses or any two states of consciousness. 21 The Wheel of Genesis: tycarb lglg: Gilgal B’raysheet rb insert in wheel form: ca qg xd ph uw sc nj mf ly tk *Note that this letter wheel is generated by a pattern that we find in the first four letters of the word B’raysheet (ca rb). This sequence generates letter pairs that total 22 in the sequence value of the letters. The last letter pair totals 33 and is the root for the word Keter, the crown, the first sphere of the tree-of-life. 22 Introduction to The Gate-Book 3: g - Gimel “Three stones build six houses” (from the Sepher Yetzirah, Chapter 4, Mishna 10). The stones referred to here are the Hebrew letters. Whereas the two letter gates give us the foundation stones (the 484 roots) upon which the language is built, three letter gates are commonly considered to be the radicals of Hebrew. From our kabbalistic standpoint, one could say that a single letter is in the world of atzilut. A double gate is in the world of briah, where the template is carved out. A three letter gate is in the world of yetzirah, where the variety of forms and colours and textures of the archetypes are brought into being. There is an interesting meditation that one can do with the three stones that build six houses. It involves making a star-of-david and looking at the meanings of the six possible combinations of three letters. Of course, one can look at each of the three letter combinations as a result of a combination of 2 two letter gates. Let us take, for example, the three Hebrew letters hhet (j), lamed (l), and mem (m). Individually, these letters signify the processes of an electromagnetic force field (j), an evolutionary spiral that is connected to the zodiacal energies of the elohim (l), and a biosphere or consciousness space (m). Aside from the doubling of the individual letters (jj,ll,mm), there are six combinations of these three letters: 1) lj 2) jl 3) mj 4) jm 5) ml 6) lm. You can look these gates up further on in the Gate-Book as three pairs of polarities: vitality & lack of vitality, heat & living water (or essence), the spiraling of the lamed proper and a process that leads to fullness. Ultimately, what we are looking at here are the six phases of an alchemical process. In fact, the word alchemy likely evolves from the Hebrew el hhemi, meaning the power or god of the sun, heat, Egypt. The 6 three letter words that we can build here are: 1) (mlj) hhalom A dream, to cause to recover, that which is fat or robust 2) (lmj) hhamal To be gentle, mild, long suffering, to have compassion 3) (mjl) lehhem Bread, food; to eat, wage war; that which is heated up 4) (jml) l’moahh To take out the marrow, extract the essence 23 5) (jlm) melahh Salt, the sea, to preserve; to be slippery, smooth, soft, to vanish 6) (ljm) mahhol To go in a circle, to dance **Insert graphic of Star-of-David with 3 letter gates. 24 The Gate-Book 3: g - Gimel to elevate, magnify, lift one’s self up, be exalted to be proud, arrogant; to be ornamented to redeem, buy back; defile, pollute, be impure gai’ah gai’ah ga’al hag ag hag lag anything curved or vaulted; rim, circumference a well, pit, cistern, a reservoir for water; a den to gather together; to be curved, hollow a boundary, border, margin, limit, edge strong, mighty, impetuous, powerful; a hero gav gev gavav gevul geebor bg bg bg bbg lwbg rwbg the plain surface of anything, the roof of a house to spread out, to flatten; the surface of an altar gog, from the steppes of Asia (see Ezekiel 38) gahg gahg gog good fortune, the planet Jupiter corriander seed magesty, magnitude, greatness the front part, a nerve, tendon; a riverbank gad gad gidulah gadah to withdraw; to heal, to remove a bandage pathway on the Tree between gevurah & hod (q) gaihah gevurah/hod 25 gg gg gg gwg dg dg dg hlwdg hdg hhg hg hg to flow together, rise up, bring camels to water belly, middle, interior; a valley gathering water a people, nation, confluence of men belly, body, corpse gavah gav goy gaviah hwg wg wg ywg hywg fleece, shorn wool, a mown meadow to prune, sheer, cut, pay back to strip off, pluck away, cut off gaze gazah gazal zg zg hzg lzg to stir up, to burst forth, to break out to burst forth (from the womb, a hiding place) a river bursting forth from Gan Eden, the Nile to light a fire, a live coal (gahhelet) a serpent’s belly (Genesis 3/4) contraction/expansion, bounded/boundless (q) giyahh go’ahh gihon gahhal gahon gevurah/hhesed great/small, macrocosmos/microcosmos (q) a legal document, a bill of divorcement gadol/katan get a valley, a depth, a low lying region to flow together, a confluence spacial dimension (q) gayah gah gimel yod ayg yg ayg yg to receive a gift, (jupiter/sun conjunction) (q) to come to a turning point (q) gimel kaf gimel kaf kg kg kg 26 jyg jg jwg }wjyg ljg }wjg dsj/hrwbg }fq/ldg fg fg to leap for joy, to go in a circle to uncover, make naked, reveal a bowl, reservoir, fountain to roll, roll off, roll away; a heap of stones a wheel, circle, a cycle (wheel of reincarnation-q) diaspora, exile geel galah gulah galal gilgal galut lyg lg hlg hlg llg lglg twlg To drink up, to absorb, to swallow to do good, ripen, repay,wean an infant, a camel to add, accumulate; abundance, retribution gama gamal gum amg mg lmg mg a garden planted with trees; an enclosed garden to cover over, to enclose, to protect, to hide to take aside, deceive, steal; a thief gan gannan ganav }g }g }ng bng to become intimate, bold, familiar, inflated the action of feeling, groping, sounding (HTR) gus gimel samehh to light upon, to interceed, to shake up to stretch out, to labour, to be fatigued to touch, to reach into, to violate, to injure; pain the Garden of Eden (hidden pleasure) ga’ah yagah nagah Gan Eden the body, the back, a wing to turn to the side, withdraw; embody, preserve to bow down; a twig, a wild vine, vineyard hollow, hidden away; cavity, belly, body, corpse gaf gaf gefen goof 27 sg sg sg hug ug ugy hug }du-}g [g [g [g }pg pwg xg xg to shine, to glaze, to give off sparks; joy gaytz great/small; expand/contract; magnify/minimize camel/eye of the needle;to slow down & speed up awkward, untenable, paradoxical (q), 3/100=33.3 the rainbow bridge (q) gadol/katan gimal/kof gimal/kof gesher/keshet a stranger, sojourner, guest, nomad, alien to turn aside, to tarry, to fear, to assemble a grain, a bean, a coin; something that rolls the throat; roughness, grating sound a pebble used in casting lots, lottery, inheritance ger gur garah garon goral rg rg rwg hrg }wrg lrwg to approach, draw near, press upon, compel to harass, demand a debt, offer a present to cause to rain; a heavy shower to explore, grope, seek by feeling to be daring, to construct a bridge an act of acceleration or quickening (q) yegash nagash geshem geshash gasher gimel sheen cgy cg cgn \cg ccg rcg cg to squeeze, apply pressure; a trough, wine press a musical instrument used by wine-pressers gat geetee 28 }fq/ldg qg qg qg tcq/rcg tg tg ytg The Letter Code 4: d - Dalet The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is d dalet, (tld). This letter is a reference to physicality, the four elements of our physical world ( fire, air, water, earth) and the four basic chemical elements of life (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen). The dalet carries metaphorical meanings connected to the Hebrew word delet, meaning door, gate, entrance or portal. In the Phoenician letters that some feel antidates the King David Hebrew letters, the dalet is in the shape of a triangle. This triangle, on a flat surface, is the image of a delta at the mouth of a river. It is the place of fertility and abundance. In Genesis, the dalet represents the physical abundance of the garden of Eden and the four rivers that emerge from Gan Eden. The biblical palindrome for dalet is taylad, meaning shall bear or shall give birth to a child. The letter dalet refers to the whole process of giving birth to physical form, the process in Genesis, which is called dor vador, generation after generation. When we look at the dalet from the standpoint of sacred geometry, what we see is a tetrahedron. We can then perceive how the One radiates or projects along three vector axis to create an equalateral triangle. From this standpoint, a dalet can be used to create a complete spacetime continuum. In fact, the Star of David or Magen David, is imaged in the first verse of Genesis when one reads the Hebrew sheet (tyc) as a triangle, the spade of heaven and the spade of earth, which balance one another. The following biblical words will give us an enhanced understanding of tne Hebrew letter dalet. V’yavdale: (ldbyw) (vav yod bayt dalet lamed) And divided: This is the first dalet to appear in Genesis. It happens after Elohim has seen that the light is key tov, good, and creates a separation, distinction, membrane between the light and the darkness. It appears then, that the dalet of yavdale implies a dimensional membrane that separates the world of the formless or preformative (darkness) from the world of form and light. L’havdeel: (lydbhl) (lamed hey bayt dalet yod lamed) To divide: The division here is between the day and the night. (See Genesis 1/14). The dalet also appears in the word 29 moadeem (\yduwm), meaning seasons. The dalet here makes reference to the four cardinal directions and the four seasons that are demarcated by the solstices and equinoxes of the earth’s orbit around the sun. B’gan Eden: (}du-}gb) (bayt gimel nun / ayin dalet nun) In the Garden of Eden: In Genesis 2/10, one river goes out from Eden to water the garden and is parted and divided into four river heads, sources or origins (Pishon, Gihon, Hhedekal, and Parat). The word for parting in Hebrew is yeepared (drpy). This word is the root for the word pardes, or paradise. It carries the meaning of fruitfulness and abundance. Da’at: (tudh) (hay dalet ayin tav) The knowing: The Hebrew word da’at first appears in Genesis 2/9 as the Tree of Knowledge, the fruit of which allows us to discern between good and evil (biologically, anabolic and catabolic). The knowledge here is of time cycles, cycles of seed time and harvest. The sphere of da’at in the Tree of Life is a dimensional doorway that accesses the void, morphogenetic fields or a hologram projection from another dimension. Toldot (tdlwt) (tav vav lamed dalet tav) Generations: Cycles of birth and death, beginnings and completions. This word first appears in Genesis 5/1 before it is stated that humanity is created male and female in the likeness of Elohim. The Hebrew word for likeness is damoot (twmd). It has extended meanings of image, similitude, resemblance, appearance, model or pattern. Damah (hmd) (dalet mem hey) To imagine, think, meditate, remember, resemble, to liken in one’s mind, to be silent, to rest. The root for the word Adam (\da), or humanity, refers to the light of the aleph flowing through the blood stream of our consciousness. Davar (rbd) (dalet bayt raysh) A thing, a word, an affair, a discourse. That which has substance, coherance, inter-relatedness. The root davir (rybd) means an inner sanctuary. 30 The word for speech, utterance, saying, talking or discourse is debur. The dalet here gives a physical manifestation to any act of creation (rb). Dor vadoor (rdw rd) (dalet raysh / vav dalet raysh) Generation after generation: An age, a cycle, the period or circuit of the years of life. From one age or epoch to another. The root dor means to go around in a circle. Daveed (dwd) (dalet vav dalet) David. One who is loved, the Beloved. The letter dalet means a doorway, portal, entrance. It is particularly the leaf of a door as it hangs on its hinges. A magen david literally means from the garden of the Beloved. Or from the garden/shield of a double entrance. Daniel (laynd) (dalet nun yod aleph lamed) Daniel. One who has discernment and offers judgement in alignment with divine will. The root deen, meaning judgement in Hebrew, is seen kabbalistically as another name for the sphere of gevurah. The prophet Daniel is a seer who sees through to the “end times”, the time of gevurah at the end of an aeon. 31 Introduction to The Gate-Book 4: d - Dalet One fascinating way of working with the Gate-Book parallels a method of meditation that users of the I Ching will be familiar with: the meditation upon the inner trigrams that nest within the hexagrams. When one looks at a four letter Hebrew word, it is possible to view the two middle letters within the word as nesting within the two outer letters of the word. Let us look at a few examples. Take the word aderet (trda). The two middle letters are dalet - raysh.This nests within aleph - tav. Aleph - tav is a code meaning: the archetype of, from first to last, from beginning to end, the sign,the whole autiot. Dalet raysh, as a gate, means: to twist, to spin, to go in a circle; a generation, an age, an epoch, a cycle of time. In this way, one can see extended meanings for a word which is usually translated as “cloak” (Elijah’s). Let’s look at another four letter word: bareket (tqrb). Here we have the two letter gate raysh - kof, nesting within bayt - tav. Bayt - tav is a house, or a cosmic container, in a certain sense, a code for the whole process of b’raysheet. The raysh - kof is a code for ruahh hakodesh, the sacred breath, the Holy Spirit. The traditional translation of this word is “emerald”. One can look at any four letter word in this way. 32 The Gate-Book 4: d - Dalet had ad had \ydja \yrbd to soar, float, swoop down upon effortless movement, rapid flight, a bird of prey uniform words, language of unity (Gen.11:1) da’ah da’da d’varim ahhadim a she-bear (to go slow) to impel, be willing, give spontaneously to speak, bring into order; speech, word, oracle to adhere, be glued, be attached (to anyone) honey, a beehive (dabeshet) fusion (q) dov nadav davar davak davash dalet bayt fish, to be prolific to cover over; a great multitude to cover over, to set up banners; a flag dag dagah dagal gd gd hgd lgd breast to go slowly, to delay to love, to agitate beloved one, a friend, object of love friend, beloved double door, double entrance (q) dahd dadah dood david yadeed dalet dalet dd dd hdd dwd dwd dydy dd to go swiftly, to catch by surprise; be astounded dahar rhd hd 33 bd bd bdn rbd qbd cbd bd hwd wd wd to menstruate, grieve, to languish that which is twofold, double, dual (q) davah dalet vav fourfold division, abundance; maya, illusion (q) dalet zayin to thrust out, cast away, purge, expel to overthrow, thrust out, supercede to be seduced, expelled to repel, to hasten to diversify (q) duahh dahhah nadahh dahhav 8/4 a chamber, cell, compartment, adytum the knowledge of good, cell proliferation (q) dalet tet da’at tov sufficiency, abundance, a large enough quantity deserving, worthy; that which suffices justice, judgement, that which satisfies everyone! d’ya bird (resembles a small ego) da dae deen deya yd yd yd }yd hyd to crush, be broken, break to pieces/powder to be aflicted, humbled, purified, broken in spirit to pound, to beat to powder crushing (a peculiar mode of castration) to break the vessel (q) dahhah dehh duhh dakah dalet kaf hkd kd ]d ]wd hkd kd 34 zd zd jwd jd hjd jdn [jd jd fd fd bwf tud that which extracts, removes; water vessel to draw water, to dowse; zodiac sign aquarius to wave, suspend, draw out; a slender thread to wave to and frow, to swing like a pendulum a door (which hangs on its hinges) dal dalee dahlah dahlal dalet ld ld yld hld lld tld blood likeness to meditiate, think, imagine, liken in one’s mind image, likeness, appearance, vision dam dam damah damoot \d \d \d hmd twmd Dan, son of Jacob to rule, judge, regulate; justice; dissension ruler, master, lord; a foundation dan deen adon }d }d }yd }wda to mark, to differentiate, to make incisions to spring, to leap, to hasten; myrtle four orbits, to seal a secret (q) hadas hadas dalet samahh sdh sd sdh sd knowledge, knowing, opinion to perceive, inquire, discover, experience, know intelligence, understanding, knowledge kabbalistic sphere of existential knowing (q) knowledge of the four worlds (q) deyah ya’dah da’at da’at dalet olamim ud ud udy tud tud \ymlwu tld 35 to thrust, push, force, to make to fall to dispell, drive away, put to flight to knock at a door, drive a flock, beat a drum to thrust, repel, expel four faces (q) dafah nadaf dafak hadaf dalet pey hpd pd [dn qpd [dh pd to rejoice, to dance, to skip about to shake a sieve, be transported with joy four trees, four quadrants of a circle (q) dootz dootz dalet tzaddi xwd xd xwd xd to crush, beat into fine dust, examine minutely that which is thin, fine, scarce, subtle or minute four orbits, equinox and solstice points (q) dak dakak dalet kof qd qd qqd qd a large pearl, a spindle, a radiant star an age, epoch, circle, circuit of years, generation to walk, tread, trample; a path, a way of life to twist, spindle, fly in a circle, flow forth to drop down, fall out, make a vow; nadir to swell out, be wide; magnificence, a wide cloak dar dor derehh darar nadar adar rd rd rwd ]rd rrd rdn rda to sprout forth, be green; first sprouts to thresh, trample, tread to beat, pound; tread the earth with one’s feet dasha, desheh adash doosh acd cd cda cwd 36 dat a decree, edict, law given by fire law, statute, mandate; counsel, system of religion dot da’at knowlege of the appointed time 37 td td td tud The Letter Code 5: h - Hay The letter hay (h) is fifth in the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet, and has an idiomatic meaning of: here is, or behold. As a prefix it functions as the definite article “the.” In a certain sense, the letter hay makes reference to the fifth part of anything, or what is called the “quintessence.” In the body, the hay symbolizes the breathing process. We see it appearing twice in the four letter Divine Name. We see it appearing twice in the word for love: ahavah (hbha). We can read this word kabbalistically as the breath of Aleph and the breath of Bayt. The hay makes reference to the realm of space. It gives life and the power to be present. When we look at the letter hay as a pictogram, we see a kind of window or lattice. Metaphorically, this window allows the consciousness to observe and respond to life. There is a hhessed or compassion quality associated with the letter hay. This comes from the addition of the letter hay to Avraham’s name. We also find a miniature hay in the word behibaram (\arbhb) (see Genesis 2/4). The Talmud rearranges these letters to read b’haybaram, meaning: with the letter hay did God create all that was created. We can understand this to mean that the hay is the life-breath that is breathed into creation to animate it and give it life. When we image unity at a 360° circle, and divide that circle by the hay (or 5), we see a circle divided into five 72° sections (***add illustration in margin). We will delve deeper into the significance of this number 72 a little further on in this chapter. The following ten words will give us an idea of some of the earlier incarnations of the letter h: Elohim: (\yhla) (aleph-lamed-hay-yod-mem): Gods, deities, divine powers, and occasionally, angels. When prefaced by the letter hay in ha’elohim it can mean the true God. The hay in elohim is the first one to appear in Genesis. The gematria of elohim is 86, the same gematria as hatayva, the nature (ubfh). This leads some kabbalists to speculate that the elohim parallel the cosmic powers nested within nature called the neter in Egypt. Another 38 spin on it is el hayam, meaning the god of the sea, the god of the space-time, or the god of wave forms. hashamayim: (\ymch) (hay-sheen-mem-yod-mem): the heavens. The second hay in Genesis appears in the word hashamayim, usually translated as “the heavens.” The hay here gives definition and particularity to the shamayim which follows it. The hay represents a breathing out process in the universe, a giving of spacial dimension for all-that-is to exist. In this way of looking, the first hay in elohim repesents a creative in-breath. Moshe (mch) is nested here by anagram, as we follow the letters backwards toward the first bayt of b’raysheet. The elements of air (breath/ h), fire (c) and water (m) formulate this word. bohu: (whb) (bayt-hay-vav): emptiness, voidness. or a pregnant vacuum. It implies the creative vessel or container of the first bayt of b’raysheet awaiting the hu or the divine breath to appear to bring cosmos to the chaos. The gematria of bohu is 13, the same gematria as ahavah (love), ehhad (unity), and avi (my father). The word is a code that refers to the bayt of b’raysheet, the hay of elohim, and the vav of va’et, referring to the six days of the process of creation. In kabbalah, bohu represents the potential for creation, or the universe awaiting the process of tikkun, or restoration. yehee: (yhy) (yod-hay-yod): “let there be”, as in “Let there be light.” The hay here falls between two yods. It is the hay that gives breath or life or creation to what follows it. The gematria of yehee is 25 or 5 squared. This brings the hay to the next dimension. v’heenay: (hnhw) (vav-hay-nun-hay): “and, behold”. The first v’heenay in Genesis appears before the tov m’od (very good) blessing given by elohim on the sixth day of creation. The two hays of v’heenay indicate that the shehhinah, or Divine Presence, is nearby. b’hebaram: (\arbhb) (bayt-hay-bayt-raysh-aleph-mem): “When they were created.” This miniature hay appears in Genesis 2/4 (db, see Gate-Book) before the first mention of God’s 39 name as YHVH ELOHIM. In a certain sense, this hay indicates a process of re-genesis. It indicates a new cosmic day. One interpretation of this little hay is that everything before it is in the process of involution; everything after it is in the process of evolution. Avraham: (\hrba) (aleph-bayt-raysh-hay-mem): Abraham. Abraham was initially called Avram. After an initiation, an additional hay was added to his name. This happens after Sari’s yod is divided into two hays. We find Avraham’s name hidden in the phrase “bara elohim” (\yhla arb) “create the co-creators,” by taking the eli (yla) or “my God” out of the phrase. This indicates that Avraham has been with us since the first moment of b’raysheet. ahavah: (hbha) (aleph-hay-bayt-hay): translated as “love.” The kabbalistic spin on ahavah is that it represents the life-breath (h) of aleph and the life-breath (h) of bayt. In this way, the letter hay gives breath and life to each of the letters of the autiot. When two hays appear together in a word, there is a breathing, a balance, and a love making between the male and the female energies involved. 40 Introduction to The Gate-Book 5: h - Hay The fifth Hebrew letter, hay - h, carries with it a reference of the breathing process, the inspiration/expiration, in breath/out breath, that is the signature of all living beings. It refers to the gates of perception of a human being and the human connection to both the creative process and the realm of the elohim (the first word in the Genesis text where we find the letter hay appearing). Kabbalistically the hay refers to the five levels of the soul. In the fifth chapter of Genesis, we find the story of Enoch/Hhanokh, the initiate who comes from the starry realms, lives a full circle (365) of years on earth and walks with the Elohim before returning to the dimensional realm that is his home. It is a useful meditation to contemplate the fifth chapter of Genesis utilizing the gates as glyphs to illuminate some of the esoteric dimensions of the text. We must realize that the literal meaning of the gates is but a hint of the true cosmological significance of the creative power of combining each of the letters of the autiot with the cosmic breath of the letter hay. The conversion from chapter/verse number to two letter gates goes as follows: 5:14 - nh 5:13 - mh 5:12 - lh 5:11 - kh 5:10 - yh 5:9 - fh 5:15 - sh 5:8 - jh 5:16 - uh 5:7 - zh 5:17 - ph 5:6 - wh 5:18 - xh 5:5 - hh 5:19 - qh 5:4 - dh 5:20 - rh 5:3 - gh 5:21 - ch 5:2 - bh 5:22 - th 5:1 - ah 41 The Gate-Book 5: h - Hay a window, a lattice; to behold; the letter hey the definite article “the” that which defines, particularizes, articulates the number five hey hey hey hey ah ah ah ah ah yahav to give, place, set, deliver ahavah to breathe after, to love, desire, delight in breath, exhalation; transitory, evanescent, vanity hevel bhy bh hbha lbh to murmur, speak with oneself, meditate to flee, to take away, be removed the sound of a harp when struck; meditation haga haga higayon hgh gh hgh }wygh to resonate, reverberate, echo; to praise to stretch out the hand, to guide, show the way Yehudah, one who gives praise hod hadah yehudah dwh dh hdh hdwhy to be existing, to be conscious of life; was to be present, that which is; is to be, that which is to come; will be inhalation/exhalation; the breathing process (q) hayah hoveh yehiyeh hey hey hyh hh hwh hyhy hh 42 to be, the one who is; himself/herself to breathe, to desire, to love, to will; the breath emptiness, void; desert, waste; chaos, formless empty, void, pure; the potential for creation wave, gulf, abyss hu havah tohu bohu tohom awh wh hwh wht whb \wht to move to and fro, to be delirious that which is subliminal, subconscious; a dream hazah hazah hzh zh hzh the life, primal existence; life energy hahhai yjh jh to persevere, to bend, to struggle, to hide a flame, heat, passion; motivation; secret art hatah lahat hfh fh fhl to be, to exist, to come into being to happen, to become hayah hayoh yehiyeh elohim the power to create life in the womb hyh yh hyh hyhy \yhla kh a vigorous action, concentric movement 43 to receed, to remove, to be removed to elevate, to exalt, give praise prayer halah hallel tehilah alh lh llh hlht to put into motion, to disturb, be disturbed the tumult of ocean waves to hum; the sound of bees; internal emotion beast, domestic animal, water-ox, hippopotamus hoom tohum hamah b’haymah mwh mh mwht hmh hmhb behold! to be present, attentive, in the moment here; that which is immediate before the eyes to be present and ready hayn hinay hun }h nh hnh }wh to still, to hush, to make silent hasah hsa sh the source, the fountain, the depth (q) energy dispersal, a sudden irruption (q) hey ayin hey ayin uh uh uh to invert, turn around, transform, convert the opposite, reverse, contrary; folly the inner meaning (q) hafahh hafahh hey pay ]ph ph ]ph ph 44 a branch to leave, to depart, to branch out to tread down, trample; a threshing floor to be strong, fortified; arms, weapons hootz hutza yahatz hatzan xwh xh axwh xhy }xh to set in orbit, circle, bring into close contact an enclosure, circumference, intimacy, heartbeat hekafe hekafe [qh qh [qh to conceive, swell up, become pregnant a mountain, eminance, conception, thought-form radiance; to shine, give forth light to surround; a tower, castle, fortress, jail to shine, to be pure; splendour har har zohar sohar tzohar rh rh rh rhz rhs rhx to neglect, to cause to forget; to lend, bring a gift to quicken (q) heeshan hay sheen nch ch ch the action of plotting, scheming, conspiring a reflexive action; an act of self-limitation self-remembering, returning to source (q) hoot heet hay tav twh th th th 45 The Letter Code 6: w - Vav The sixth Hebrew letter, vav (ww), has a literal meaning of hook, nail, or pillar. It is the pillar of connection between heaven and earth. As a prefix, the letter vav can time shift, changing a verb form from past tense to future, or from future tense to past. The vav then has the power to connect us to that which is eternally present. It is also the letter that serves to connect the male and the female of the species. We see this illustrated in the sixth chapter of Genesis, where Noah is instructed to build an ark and to gather the male and female of each species into the ark. The vav by gematria refers to the number six, which Pythagoras considered to be a perfect number, given that its factors add up to six itself. In the world of sacred geometry the vav refers to a hexogonal matrix, like a honeycomb. It is the most elegant way to array matter in space. It is even possible that stars and galaxies are arrayed this way. The sixth sphere of the Tree-of-Life is the sphere of tiferet, or the sphere of harmony, beauty and balance. It is from this sphere that light radiates along three axes: above/below, past/future, left/right. The vav serves to balance these six dimensions of space. The vav ultimately refers to the six cosmic days of creation! The following ten words are primordial incarnations of the letter vav found in the Genesis text: Va’et taw (vav-aleph-tav) And connecting the beginning (a) to the end (t). V’ha’aretz ({rahw) (vav-hay-aleph-dalet-tzadi) And the earth. Tohu (wht) (tav-hey-vav) Void. Deserted, Empty. Inchoate. Vavohu (whbw) (vav-bayt-hay-vav) And pregnant. V’ruahh (jwrw) (vav-raysh-vav-hay) And the wind. And breath. Aur (rwa) (aleph-vav-raysh) Light. Vayeekra (arqyw) (vav-yod-kof-raysh-aleph) And called out. And encountered. Vayihee (yhyw) (vav-yod-hay-yod) And there will be, and there was. Yom (\wy) (mem-vav-yod) Day, space, time-space continuum. Makom (\wqm) (mem-kof-vav-mem) Gathering place. State of consciousness. 46 Introduction to The Gate-Book 6: w - Vav The sixth Hebrew letter, vav, can carry three different vowel sounds, depending upon its position or context in a word. When it appears at the beginning of a word, as the copulative or connective vav (meaning “and”), the vav carries the vowel “vah” or “veh.” In the middle of a word, the vav most often carries the strong “oh” sound, as in the word Yonah (dove). For our purposes, in discerning the 22 gates that begin with vav, I have most often chosen words where vav conveys the “uuh” sound, as in the word “who.” These three vowel sounds represent the three dimensional axes of space. It will be extremely useful, if you wish to understand the vav gates, for you to contemplate each one of the inverse gates (aleph-vav for vav-aleph, bayt-vav for vav-bayt, etc.) as a mirror for the vav gates listed here. Ultimately, when the vav appears before a letter, there is a quality of connection between the inherent polarities that are nested within the letter that follows the vav. The vav serves to connect heaven and earth (or the worlds of atzilut/emanation and assiah/manifestation), male and female, and past and future into the multidimensional present moment. 47 The Gate-Book: w - Vav taw aw \yhla rmayw \yhla aryw wa wa and from aleph to tav (Gen 1/1) “and God said...” (Gen 1/2) “and God saw...” (Gen 1/3) to be open to possibility (q) to be connected with Source (q) v’ayt v’yomer Elohim v’yira Elohim vav aleph vav aleph to sprout to turn about to return and grasp it by the tail (Ex. 4/4) to structure matter, unseen cosmic forces (q) uv nuv shuv v’ehhoz b’zanavo vav bayt to curve, bend, draw a circle; a sphere to depart, draw back, hedge about to be curved, go in a circle hhug soog oog to turn around; turning, inflection, circumstance to lift oneself; majesty, splendour, praise to praise, resound, give thanks to witness, to know, to give evidence od hod todah yodaya dwa dw dwh hdwt udwy the breath of living creatures the worlds of yetzirah/assiah, emotion/action (q) havah vav hay hwh hw hw 48 bwa bw bwn bwc wbnzb zjaw bw gwj gw gws gwu ww ww \yww ww a hook, a pillar; that which connects, copulates hooks that hang the Holy Tabernacle together the central pillar of the visible (q) vav vaveem vav vav to sprinkle, to fill with joy to reveal, make visible (q) vaze vav zayin to breathe, put a space between; animate to exhale, to blow upon, to blow through to rest, to draw breath, to give rest, to set down to sink down, bow down, subside ruahh puahh nuahh shuahh and it was good to collect, to fill, to nurish to cover over, to hide, to wrap up; hidden, a veil to impress, imprint, dig, to dip under water and behold it is good vayayteev toot loot oot vehinay tov to contract, condense, potentize (q) vav yod yw yw to cover over, to annoint to move to and fro, to waver, to involve oneself the interior, midst, middle of a thing soohh poohh toohh ]ws kw ]wp ]wt 49 zyw zw zw jwr jw jwp jwn jwc byfyw fw fwf fwl fwu bwf hnhw lwa lw lwj lwm lwa the belly, body, abdomen, pre-eminence; to roll a circle, sea-sand; to roll, to dance in a circle the front part; to oppose, cut off, circumcise folly; a fool uull hhull mol aval, aveel gathering place, station, state of consciousness to put into motion; to disturb a spot, a blemish the sixth day of creation (q) makom hoom moom vav mem to sprout, be prolific; a fish, progeny strength, power, ability, wealth; On/Heliopolis Jonah, the dove nun on yonah }wn nw }wa hnwy to leap for joy; a horse to spare; have compassion to hasten, flee from, put to flight soos hhoos noos sws sw swj swn zuah to vibrate, agitate, tremble, wander nuah to vacillate, to swing to and fro, to stagger to make a loud noise, sound a trumpet, to cry out ruah 50 \wqm mw \wh \wm mw uwz uw uwn uwr to be hollow, to be hid away; a cavity to agitate, wave, shake, sprinkle, scatter to cover with feathers, hover, hang in the air, fly to lie in wait, to attack; friction to surround, to circuit, to orbit goof nuf oof shoof koof [wg pw [wn [wu [wc [wq to urge oneself, to hasten, to be narrow to enclose, surround; outside, without, a wall a going out; that which is expelled, winnowed to impress, immerse oneself; soft, sandy earth to cut, to harvest; to be aroused (from sleep) ootz hootz mootz utz kutz xwa xw xwj xwm xwu xwq to empty out, to evacuate to be pressed, straightened to be narrow, compressed; to pour out to pour oneself out, to empty a vessel alchemical purification; returning to essence (q) book ook tzook rook vav kof qwb qw qwu qwx qwr qw to shine, radiate, kindle, become light watering, sprinkling; the early fall rain an archer, a teacher; one who points the way instruction, law; that which points the way aur yorah morah torah rwa rw hrwy hrwm hrwt to thresh, trample on, pound or beat to be swift, make haste; passions of the mind to knead (with hands, feet or dough) to assemble selves, gather together, accelerate duush hhuush luush uush 51 cwd cw cwj cwl cwu aut uut a sign, a token, a portent, a proof to bend, curve, aid, assist, confirm 52 twa tw twu 53 The Letter Code 7: z - Zayin The seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the zayin- }yz. This letter, which is shaped like a sword, carries the paradox of the polarity of war and peace, and the polarity of movement and rest. The movement aspect of zayin is heard in the sound of the letter. The rest aspect of zayin is implied by its gematria, the number seven, the Shabbat. There is also a slang meaning to the zayin, which means to lie with a woman, sexual intercourse or to be a womanizer. This appears in a rather ribald way in the 34th Chapter of Genesis, which contains the story of Shehem and Dinah. The zayin represents a movement, or flow, that opens up all possiblity and choice to us. As zerah (urz), the zayin represents the seed energy unfolding in space/time, which eventually comes to fruition and completion in the world of assiah. As a sword, the zayin refers to ideas of karmic activity, as well as the balancing of this activity on the scales of justice. There is also an aspect of abundance or radiance of reflected light gleaming from the surface of the sword of zayin. We find this in the zayin of the word zohar. It is as if the zayin is like a prism that refracts the white light of the aleph into the seven visible colours of the rainbow. The following ten words will give us an idea of some of the earlier incarnations of the letter zayin: Mazreah: (uyrzm) (mem-zayin-raysh-yod-ayin) Giving forth seed. The letter sequence here goes as follows: the-biosphere-waters-the-first-seed-allowing-it-to-take-root-in-the-worldof-assiyah. When the letters of this word are rearranged, we find the phrase mi zerah, or the question: who is the source of this first seed? Zerah: (urz) (zayin-raysh-ayin) Seed. The word for seed involves an unfolding of the potential carried by the zayin, broadcast or radiated by the raysh (the light, aur, and the breath, ruahh) until the seed takes root in the earth and in the world of assiyah. The seed (z), 7, is potentized, multiplied by 10, and actualized as 70 (u). 54 Zahar: (rkz) (zayin-kaf-raysh) The male. This root is also the root for the word “to remember,” zahhor. The root zahar appears in Genesis 1/27, in the phrase zahar unikayva (hbqnw rkz), “male and female”, where humanity is created in the image of the Elohim. The zahar radiates outwards, where as the nikayva gathers the zayin within, in a process of germination. Zahav: (bhz) (zayin-hay-bayt) Gold. Splendour, brilliance, radiance. The gematria of zahav is 14. The root alludes to the radiance of an inner essence. Ezer: (rzu) (ayin-zayin-raysh) Ally, helper. This root first appears in the phrase ezer kinegdo. This helper, which stands in juxtaposition, is what is referred to as “the helpmate” in the King James translation of the Bible. The Hebrew phrase wdgnk rzu has a gematria of 360. The ezer is a permutation of the zerah, whereby the ayin appears at the beginning of the word. By implication, the ally’s function is to remind Adam of his essential nature and purpose. The root ezer carries implicit meanings of girding, surrounding and defending. This root is the root for Abraham’s servant, Eliezar, and later, Lazarus. Ya’azav: (bzuy) (yod-ayin-zayin-bayt) Will leave. This root first appears in Genesis 2/24, where it is said that a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. The root azav means to let go of, to be set free, or to loosen bonds. It can also mean to leave or to desert. The zayin here is preceeded by an ayin and followed by a bayt. The ayin-bayt as a root is the number 72, the essence. The seed of zayin is placed wthin it. Zot: (taz) (zayin-aleph-tav) Zot appears in Genesis 3/13, in the phrase mah-zot asitah: “What is this that you have done?” The “this” spoken of here is the eating of the fruit of the tree by the woman in Gan Eden. This eating, and the offering of the fruit to Adam, apparently results in a change of vibration for the man and the woman of the garden, and a sexual rite of passage. The letter flow of this litle word means something like: the seed, or the cycle, from beginning to end. 55 Zohar: (rhz) (zayin-hay-raysh) Zohar means to be bright, to shine, to give forth light, to take heed, to take warning. The book Zohar is an extraordinary source text of channelings and midrash, compiled by the Spanish kabbalist Moshe de Leon. Mazal: (lzm) (mem-zayin-lamed) Mazal means a lodging place or a sign of the zodiac. Poetically, one could break up this word to mean a ray of light that emanates from the realm of the Elohim. The gematria of mazal is 77. The word has come to mean luck in contemporary Hebrew, as in the phrase mazal tov. Zeh: (hz) (zayin-hay) The first zeh in Torah appears in Genesis 5/1, in the phrase zeh sepher: . “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” This little two letter word could be read to mean the seed or cycles (z) of consciousness (h). 56 Introduction to The Gate-Book 7: z - Zayin The seventh Hebrew letter zayin contains a paradox. It is the letter of radiatory movement. It indicates often a new energetic beginning that goes in a new direction. We get a sense of a beam of light that hits the surface of an object and is refracted in a new direction. The zayin implies both a new centre of gravity and a new centre of balance. However, the zayin, as the seventh letter, is connected to the Shabbat and thereby represents a place of dynamic equalibrium or equipoise that serves to balance the three polarity axes of our 3D universe. From this vantage point the zayin represents time cycles that bring a seed (zerah, urz) through its seasons and cycles from potential to maturation. The Sepher Yetzirah points to a connection between zayin and the zodiacal sign Gemini. The zayin symbolically “runs and returns” between the male and the female, active and passive, energy potential and kinetic, movement and rest in the universe. We find the zayin in the word for scales (ma’znayin), for ears (ozen - the organ of balance) and for the mezuzah that is placed at the entrance to a house. From this we learn that the zayin teaches us about perspective, direction, momentum and energy thresholds in any cyclical or karmic activity. When we begin our meditations on the twenty-two pairs of zayin gates we will take care to note the difference between gates that begin with zayin and gates that end with zayin. In most cases, it appears that an opening zayin sets an energy into motion; a closing zayin tends to balance and equilibrate the energies that it is absorbing. Take the time to meditate on the sonics of the zayin to better experience how this letter affects the centre of balance and resonance in your body. The French painter/kabbalist Carlo Suares noted a unique synchronicity that connects the seventh Hebrew letter zayin (the ear - ozen) with the sixteenth letter ayin (the eye). This synchronicity refers to the cycle of seed/manifestation. It is illustrated in the following chart of the flow of letters from aleph to tav and back to aleph: 57 t a c b r g q d x h p w u z s j n f m y l k k l y m f n j s z u w p h x d q g r b c a t 58 The Gate-Book 7: z - Zayin a wolf (with luminous rays flashing from its za’av eyes) zayin aleph an arrow, a flash zayin aleph the end / beginning of a cycle; unity ÷ by 7 (q) zerah ahher another seed, a new direction baz az az az rja urz bwz bz dbz bzu to flow, flow away, become liquid to endow, bestow a gift, a gallery to let go, loosen bands, desert zoov zavad azav the skin of a grape, bark of a tree, shell of an egg to be clear, pure, transparent to couple, match, join; an equal, a partner the seventh cycle or wave (q) zag zoog zavag zion gimel gz gz gwz gwz gz to swell, inflate, boil over; pride, premeditation that which overflows; pottage, cooked food to overflow; insolence, evaporation zayd zeed zood dz dz dyz dwz this specific one, one side, a reflecting surface to glisten, to shine like gold to glisten, shine, radiate; radiance, brightness zeh zahav zohar hz hz bhz rhz 59 wz wz hwz hywz tywz splendour; the month of bright flowers (zeev) to hide, to conceal, to preserve a corner (where light refracts) a prism zeev zavah zeviah zoot any moving thing; a full breast, streams of milk to move oneself about, to spout rays to strengthen, secure, make strong, be robust from this side and from that side a double edged sword; balance; abundance (q) zeez zuz azaz mezuzah zayin zayin zyz zz zwz zzu hzwzm zz that which creeps, drags, resists movement to creep, to crawl, to be afraid a serpent zuahh zahal zohhelet jwz jz ljz tljz sediment or deposit the catch of a fisher’s net good seed zoot zevet zerah tov that which is clothed in form, is adorned (HTR) splendour, brightness, ornament abundance zayin yod zeev zeez 60 fwz fz fwz bwf urz yz yz wyz zyz pure to be pure, to cleanse, to purify oneself to wash, to cleanse, to be purified to remember, be mindful, contemplate, recollect zahh zahhah zahhahh zahhar ]z kz hkz ]kz rkz to shake, tremble, pour out, squander a shoot, twig, sprig (which quivers in the wind) to take away, put aside, remove to spin, to roll, to go on a journey a lodging place, zodiac sign, constellation seven planets / 12 signs (q) zalal zalzal zul azal mazal zayin lamed llz lz lzlz lwz lza lzm lz to tie together, make a purpose, appoint a time to murmur, meditate, plot, have in mind to hum, buzz, murmur, make a noise counsel, uncleanness, premeditated, sin a set or appointed time; to prepare, establish zamah zamam zeemzoom zeemah zeman hmz mz mmz mzmz hmz }mz species a weapon, a sword to commit fornication, adultery; to imitate to feed harlot, prostitute, whore, hostess the ear; to ponder, weigh the scales, the balance, zodiac sign libra zahn zayin zanah zoon zonah ozen (azan) maznayim 61 }z nz }yz hnz }wz hnwz }za \ynzam rps hz sz sz sz \ds tquz this is the book (Genesis 5/1) procreative power: seed / egg, sperm / ovum (q) movement / rest, diameter / circumference (q) the outcry against Sodom (Gen.18:20) zeh sepher zayin samahh zayin samahh zaakat s’dome to tremble, agitate, shake, trouble, fear sweat; to be troubled wrath; to speak angrily, to be enraged to cry out, to exclaim, to assemble selves the seven eyes of the Elohim (q) zuah zayah za’am za’ak zayin ayin uwz uz huz muz kuz uz to flow, become liquid, melt into drops to diffuse a sweet smell to borrow, to flow, to become liquid pitch ear / mouth (q) zafah zafir zoof zefet zayin pey hpz pz rpz [wz tpz pz seed from the tree (Gen 1/11) to scatter, branch out, open up possibilities (q) zerah aytz zayin tzadi an arrow, a flame, a meteor, a shooting star fetters, chains, bonds an old man, an elder, man of very high eminence to strengthen, bind, make firm, fasten, retain to bind, tie, refine, purify; newly pressed wine to raise up, to hang, to comfort zayk zaykeem zakan hhazak zakak zakaf 62 {u urz xz xz qz qz \yqz }qz qzj qqz [qz border, edge, crown, collar; a stranger, enemy to press, squeeze, to take in hand; to turn aside to gird, to bind together, to surround to scatter, disperse, winnow out, sew seed seed, seedtime; semen, offspring, progeny to gird, surround, help, aid; an ally zehr, zar zoor azar zarah zerah ezer a second planting (q) the seeding on the third day of creation zayin sheen zera shleeshi an olive tree, olive branch, olive oil this, that, these, those zayeet zot 63 rz rz rwz rza hrz urz rzu cz cz ycylc urz tyz tz taz The Letter Code 8: j - Hhet The eighth Hebrew letter is the hhet, spelled tyj. This is the letter of life, hhai - yj. The root hhayah hyj means an animal or a beast of the field. Perhaps it means any living being that breathes and has been given the gift of life. The letter hhet itself is usually considered to be some kind of fence or enclosure used to surround, gird or protect a field. From this physical field or enclosure we can extrapolate the significance of the hhet to mean an energy field or an electromagnetic field. When we consider that the hhet also is the number eight, we can understand how it refers to infinite life energy, or \lwu yj -hhai olam. This connection with the life force is a connection to the flow of electrical energies in our etheric energy fields. The root for electricity is hhashmal - lmcj. The hhet also refers to the powerful desires that pour through the animal body -- that beast of the field is a wild animal. There is a connection with the preformative morphogenetic fields that we find in the hhet of the root hhoshekh, or darkness. This darkness is the matrix or container out of which the light is born. The hhet is a womb for all that will be born or given life. Therefore, we find the hhet in the roots for the first woman, hhevah - hwj - or Eve, refered to in Genesis as the Mother-of-all-Life, eem kol hhai - yj lk \a. Each of us is intimately connected to the letter hhet through our breathing process. The second incarnation of the letter hhet in the B’raysheet text is in the word ruahh - jwr. This word can mean breath spirit, wind, or the force that animates us. The following ten words or phrases will help us meditate a little further into the mystery of the hhet. Hhoshekh: (]cj) (hhet-sheen-khaf) Darkness. In the Genesis text, the word for darkness appears before the word for light. This first hhet in b’raysheet refers to a preformative darkness or inchoate energy field that is in existance before the spirit of the elohim hovers and breathes life into the first seed souls and before the Light is invoked into being. 64 Ruahh: (jwr) (raysh-vav-hhet) Spirit, breath, wind, vitality. The first ruahh of b’raysheet appears in the phrase ruahh elohim, the Divine Breath or Spirit of the Elohim. Kabbalists have noted that the gematria of the whole phrase is 300, the value of the letter sheen c. A little later on in the Genesis text, Esha (the woman) explains that the nahash (the serpent) gave her the sheen to eat (as a gift, along with the fruit of the Tree-of-Life). The ruahh refers to the breath and the prana we take in through the lungs. It refers to higher aspects of the emotional body, referred to as hhessed and gevurah in the Tree-of-Life. Marhhepet: (tpjrm) (mem-raysh-hhet-pay-tav) Hovered or quivered. The true root of this word is the root rahhaf (pjr), which means to brood over young ones (like an eagle), to tremble, or to cherish with tender love. The root rahhaf has a gematria of 288. According to Lurianic kabbalah, this 288 refers to a division of the “Divine Light” igniting 288 “sparks” at this moment of creation. These sparks are archetypal soul sparks created on higher planes even before the light begins to find a vessel in the world of atziluth. Note that the partner of 288 is 72 (to create a full circle, 360). Ehhad: (dja) (aleph-hhet-dalet) The first ehhad to appear in Genesis appears in the phrase yom ehhad, translated as day one. The gematria of ehhad is 13, the same gematria as avi (yba), my father, and ahava (hbha), love. The unity of the One in its full gematria is hidden and nested by the twelve that surround it. The letters that form ehhad may be a code that refers to the Light (aur - rwa), the Darkness (hhoshekh: ]cj) and the separation (yavdeel - ldby) or the garden between them. Hhayah: (hyj) (hhet-yod-hay) From the phrase nefesh hhayah, which is usually translated as living creatures. In the kabbalistic notion of the five veilances of the soul, the hhayah is a level of etheric life force that in this century may equate with what are being called the “morphogenetic fields.” The nefesh hhayah is the animal vitality of any creature that breathes in this life force. Hhayah may be seen as a code for all three pillars of the Tree-ofLife. 65 Tahhat: (tjt) (tav-hhet-tav) Appears in Genesis 1/9 in the phrase “from underneath the heavens.” The hhet refers dimensionally to the hidden depths of anything as opposed to the pay p, which refers to the surface presence. The hhet is the implicate order, the pay is the explicate order. Vayeepahh: (jpyw) (vav-yod-pay-hhet) In Genesis 2/7 it is said that the nishmat hhayeem is breathed into the nostrils of the Adam. This root for breathing into the nostrils connects the surface of the breathing process (the pay, the face, the nostrils) with the depth of the breathing process (the hhet, the belly, the contraction at the source of breath). A later root for pay/hhet is a sheet of lightning or to bend like a serpent. Aytz ha’hayeem: (\yyjh {u) (ayin-tzadi hay-hhet-yod-yod-mem) The Tree-of-Life. When one contracts the letter of aytz ha’hayeem one finds the root aytzem, which means bone, essence, bodily form, greatness and to bind up. The gematria of aytz ha’hayeem is 233, which Rabbi Abraham Abulafia equated with “the life of above and below” (hfmw hlum hyj). 233 follows 232, the gematria of yehee aur, “let there be light.” Perhaps we could translate this phrase, aytz ha’hayeem, as the Tree-of-Life-Energies. Ha’nahhash: (cjnh) (hay-nun-hhet-sheen) The serpent. The root nahash means to whisper, to hiss, to divine, to augur, to guess, to practice enchantment. It is also the root for to shine, and brass. When we look at the letter flow, we can see a nefesh hhayah or nishmat (kol) hhai hiding in the nahash. The sheen of nahash we have already seen as a kind of cosmic fire connected to the Ruahh Elohim. The root noahh means to draw breath or to take rest. Nahash may mean to breathe fire. Hhashmal: (lmcj) (hhet-sheen-mem-lamed) Electricity. Amber. Polished brass. The root implies smoothness and brightness. In the Mediteranean world, the electrostatic qualities of amber may have given us hints at what we now call electricity. Another way of looking 66 at this word is “the silence” (cj) which “speaks or is full” (lm). When one reads this word backwards, it means to annoint (jcml). 67 Introduction to The Gate-Book 8: j – Hhet One of the fascinating things about the early chapters of B’raysheet/Genesis is how the mythological content of each of the chapters parallels and illuminates the symbolic meaning of the letter it unfolds. The eighth chapter of Genesis begins with Elohim remembering Noah and all living things that were preserved in the ark. Elohim passes a wind or spirit over the earth to dry up the flood and restrain the rain that has been falling from heaven. The letter hhet appears early in this chapter in the words noahh/jm, h’hhayah/hyjh, ruahh/jwr, vayahhasru/wrsjyw, hhodesh/cdj and hhalon/}wlj. In fact, one could surf the eighth chaper of Genesis and make a notation of all of the various incarnations of the letter hhet that appear in this chapter. In the process of cell division, we find that a cell divides into two, then four, then eight, and then returns to a level of unity once again. The number eight represents a self enclosed electromagnetic field of energy. It also refers to the eight primordial or original cells -- the archetypal family out of which the complete gene pool (8x8=64) generates, the permutations and combinations of which generate the extended family of any species. The human family is represented on the ark of Noah by the eight humans aboard the ark: Noah, Shem, Hham, Yafet, and their four wives/female counter parts which the text leaves mysteriously unnamed, or nested in a cipher code for those who need to know such things! One mediation worth exploring involves converting the chapter/verse numbers of Genesis, Chapter 8 into gates as follows: 8:14 - nj 8:13 - mj 8:12 - lj 8:11 - kj 8:10 - yj 8:09 - fj 8:15 - sj 8:08 - jj 8:16 - uj 8:07 - zj 8:17 - pj 8:06 - wj 8:18 - xj 8:05 - hj 8:19 - qj 8:04 - dj 8:20 - rj 8:03 - gj 8:21 - cj 8:02 - bj 8:22 - tj 8:01 - aj 68 The Gate-Book 8: j - Hhet aj aj the unity within the 8 primordial cells (q) hhet aleph to hide oneself, to be hidden; to put out a fire to love, cherish, breathe upon; beloved the lap, the bosom to be liable to penalty; a debt to twist, bind, tighten a cord; to writhe with pain a rope, measuring line, birth-cord/pains, portion to join together, adhere; fellowship, brotherhood the spheres of wisdom and understanding (q) hhavah hhavav hhov hhoov hhaval hhevel hhavar hhohhmah binah abj bj bbj bj bwj lbj lbj rbj hnyb hmkj a refuge, a festival, a festival sacrifice; to dance to describe a circle, to encompass; circle, sphere to gird, to bind oneself, to surround the spheres of compassion and power (q) hhaag hhoog hhagar hhessed gevurah gj gj gwj rgj hrwbg dsj one; to unite, join together, collect oneself, unify to be joined, united together, in union, mutuality to tie in knots, to propose an enigma or parable an enigma, parable, oracle, vision the only one; level of the soul closest to God (q) ehhad yahhad hhud hhidah yehidah 69 dja dj djy dwj hwyj hdyjy hjn hj hj to show forth, to emerge, to lead the right & left pillars of the Tree-of-Life (q) nahhah hhet hay to breathe, to live; life the first woman, mother of all life (Eve) to join together; reeds, bullrushes, a cord a declaration, brotherhood hhavah hhavah ahhoo ahhvah hwj wj hwj wja hwja to seize, adhere, join, take hold of, possess to see, envision, contemplate, behold a seer, prophet, visionary to tie, to bind, make firm, hold fast; strength a divine vision, revelation ahhaz hhazah hhozeh hhazak hhazon zja zj hzj hzj qzj }wzj a thorn, hook, clasp, nose-ring, fish hook a thorn, thorn-bush, thicket the 64 rna/dna codons; gene pool (q) hhahh hhoahh hhet hhet jj jj jwj jj to sew together; a thread, a line, rope, cord to miss the mark, wander; misstep, penalty to hew wood, cut stones, mark with stripes to explore, dig, engrave, write wheat hhoot hhatah hhatav hhatat hheetah fwj fj afj bfj ffj hfj 70 yj yj hyj lyj twyj fresh, living, alive, prosperous; life to breathe, live well, be healed; to revive, restore strength, power, might, valor the life force hhai hhaiyah hhayeel hhayoot the palate, the jaws; the organ of speech to tie in a knot, bind, weight to be wise, skillful, intelligent; to teach wisdom to be dark, obscure, doubtful, confused, drunken wisdom, dexterity, skill khay hhakha hhahham hhahhal hhohhmah ]j hkj \kj lkj hmkj kj to be fat, smooth, lubricated; pericardium; milk to be polished, rubbed, worn down, sick that which is common, profane, unholy a grain of sand; a circle; the phoenix to remain, to hope, wait, expect, delay to perforate, pierce, lay open, dissolve a flute, a pipe hhelev, hhalav hhala hheel hhool, hhole yahhal hhalal hhaleel blj hlj lj lwj ljy llj lylj lj to join together, grow together, a father-in-law; heat; Egypt; Hham/the son of Noah heat, anger; curdled milk to guard, surround with a wall; the sun, warmth to be hot, to conceive, have sexual intercourse to desire, covet, take delight in that which is leavened, sharp, sour; vinegar hham \j mj hheyma hhayma yahham hhamad hhamatz, hhometz amj hmj \jy dmj {mj 71 grace, favour, good will to bow down, bend, incline, encamp; grace to be favourably inclined, give graciously Enoch; initiated, initiating; inventor of letters hidden wisdom, esoteric wisdom hhayn hhanah hhanan hhanokh hhohhmah nistar }j hnj }nj ]wnj rtsn hmkj nj to flee, take refuge love, zeal, kindness, mercy, grace, benevolence to pity, to spare, to have compassion hhassah hhessed hhus hsj dsj swj sj an electromagnetic field (q) eternal life hhet ayin hhai olam uj \lwu yj uj the sea shore; to wash over to cover over, to veil, overlay, protect a wedding canopy, a nuptual bed to vibrate, to hover depth and surface (q) hhof hhafah hhoopah marhhepet hhet pay [j hpj hpj tpjrm pj pj an arrow, spear, weapon; a wound to divide, to halve, to be divided a half, the middle, a portion to divide one’s share with another; cut in pieces to enclose, to surround; without, besides, abroad hhaytz hhatzah hhetzey hhatzatz hhootz xj hxj yxj xxj xwj xj 72 that which is established, definite, appointed statute, law, decree to surround, enfold; the bosom to engrave, to carve, paint, draw to carve out, engrave, delineate; a sceptre hhokh hhokh hhaykh hhakah hhakak qj qj qyj hqj qqj qj noble, free born; a hole to hollow out, bore a hole or cavern; a bay to be dried up, laid waste; dry land; a sword Horeb, a summit of Mt. Sinai to prohibit/consecrate; a fisher’s net, adytum another, behind, afterwards; to tarry or delay to keep silence, to inscribe; a mason, engraver hhor hhure hherev hhorave hharam ahhare hharash rj rwj brj brj mrj rja crj rj to surround with darkness to whisper, divine; a serpent, enchantment to think, meditate, compute, invent, compose feelings, pleasures, lusts, passions of the mind to keep silence, to be still hhosheh nahhash hhashav hhoosh hhashaw ]cj cjn bcj cwj hcj cj to take hold of, seize; fear, terror to seal, seal up, set a seal upon, complete to descend, come down, prostrate oneself to seize, grasp, mark, take hold of hhet hhatam nahhat hheetah tj \tj tjn htj tj 73 The Letter Code 9: f - Tet Tet (f), the ninth Hebrew letter, means something that is rolled up or twisted together. The root teen (}yf) means potters clay, silt or mud. The letter tet is a code for the earth mother and for the nature. When we look at the letter as a hieroglyph, we see a container with an aperture at the top that allows water or light to flow in. The tet is a principle of inflection, deflection, protection and extension, depending upon context and circumstance. The tet appears in Genesis as the first letter of the word tov, goodness. The root, tavah, can also mean to immerse oneself, to dip into, to plunge into or to impress a seal, or to make an impression. The tet as the number nine carries the implication of the nine (human) months of pregnancy. Within the root beten, it can mean the belly, the womb, the innermost part. It is that which is hollow or empty. Within the realm of pure number symbolism, the number nine deals with the interpenetration and interaction of energies. The nine is the child of the eight ancestors. Let us now have a look at ten key incarnations of the letter tet: Tov: (bwf) (tet-vav-bayt) Good, goodness. The kabbalist, Carlos Suares, equates goodness with anabolic or form-building processes. The flow of this word in letter code goes 9 - 6 - 2. The womb of the tet is connected to the cosmic container of the bayt. The gematria of tov is 17. Heemateer: (ryfmh) (Gen. 2/5) (hay-mem-tet-yod-raysh) To bring rain upon. This raining upon may have a meaning similar to the English verb materialize. It is a permutation of the root terem (\rf), translated as wild or undomesticated. The gematria of heemater is 264. This is the gematria of the word seder, order. Lahat: (fhl) (Gen. 3/24) (lamed-hay-tet) To kindle, to burn, to flame, to breathe out fire, to hide, to make esoteric. This word appears in the phrase lahat haherev, usually translated as flaming sword or revolving sword blade. It could also mean the hidden wilderness or to hide in the desolate place. This juxtaposes against the fertility and abundance of the Garden of 74 Eden. Kabbalistically, hatal (lfh) refers to the gentle distillation of spiritual energies that happens when the pineal gland is open to cosmic frequencies. Lahat refers to what is called the kundalini energies, the serpent fire that is stored at the base of the spine. Katan: (}fq) (Gen. 1/16) (kof-tet-nun) Small. The first katan in Genesis refers to the moon as the aur katan, as opposed to the sun, the aur gadol. Here the tet appears as a reflector of light to the human eye as well as an illusion to lunar and feminine cycles. Lotaysh: (cfl) (Gen. 4/22) (lamed-tet-sheen) To forge. This root could also mean to escape (fl) the fire (c). Tal: (lf) (tet-lamed) Dew. This root can refer to the “goodness” of the processes of the Elohim. The tet refers to earth energies. The lamed connects and opens out to the celestial energies. The tet is involutionary. The lamed is evolutionary. Tavah: (ubf) (tet-bayt-ayin) To dip, to press into, to impress a seal. The root hetayvah means the nature or the nature principle. One could call this the goodness of the world of asiyah, where things manifest. Beten: (}fb) (bayt-tet-nun) The root batan means to be hollow or empty. Beten means the belly, the womb, the inmost part (occassionally a corpse). It has the same gematria, 61, as the Hebrew word for nothing (}ya). Taharah: (hrhf) (tet-hay-raysh-hay) Cleansing, purification. The root tahar means to shine, to be bright, to become pure or to be cleansed. It can also mean to wash oneself in the water. The root tahar has the same gematria as ruahh, spirit or breath. Taval: (lbf) (tet-bayt-lamed) To dip into, to immerse, to immerse oneself. A ritual cleansing by water. 75 Natah: (hfn) (nun-tet-hay) To stretch out, to extend, to unfold, to incline, to turn aside, to deflect, to decline. 76 Introduction to The Gate-Book 9: f - Tet The ninth chapter of Genesis opens with the blessing of Noah and his family to be fruitful and to multiply and to replenish the earth. This replenishing, or filling, of the earth refers to the repopulation of the planet after the flood and the earth changes that capsized Atlantis. The process of p’ru oorvu is intrinsic to the symbolic meaning of the letter tet itself which refers to the process of cell division and cell replication. The replenishing of the earth is a process of goodness, or tov, being impressed or sealed into the earth or clay. The root for this impression or seal is tava ubf. When we look at chapter 9:7 the injunction to be fruitful and multiply is repeated once again. There is no idiomatic Hebrew root that contains tet and zayin. The early incarnation of these letters appears in the words for good (tov: bwf) and for seed (zerah: urz). In the ninth verse of the ninth chapter Elohim establishes a covenant with Noah (the breath of all life forms) and with the seed / generations that will follow. The root tet:tet, ff , or 9:9 refers to the earth itself as the clay, or potter’s clay, that is formed or shaped during the whole evolutionary process. In the twelfth verse of the chapter Elohim refers to the sign or the letter of the covenant that connects Elohim with nefesh bhayah or all living creatures for perpetual generations. The gatebook root, or glyph, for 9:12 is the root tal: lf referring to the dew of heaven or distillation of spiritual energies bestowed upon our planet by the Elohim. In the thirteenth verse the sign of the covenant, the rainbow, is set in the density of the cloud as aut b’reet, the sign of the covenant between Elohim and the earth. The root for 9:13 is tet mem mf which refers to the process of hiding, burying, immersing, tasting, and purifying. Elementally, this gate refers to the alchemical interaction between earth (f) and water (m). This gate could also be seen as a code for the whole collective evolutionary process. In the sixteenth verse the keshet: tcq or rainbow is referred to as an everlasting covenant or a b’reet olam. The root for tet ayin that seems most applicable here is the root natah, meaning to set upright, fix, fasten, plant. The metaphor of the rainbow as the sign of the everlasting covenant is profound. The earth is imaged from space as one drop of water, illumined by light that spreads out into the full colour spectrum of the rainbow. In the 77 twentieth and twenty-first verse Noah is referred to as ish h’adamah or a man of the Earth who plants a vineyard, drinks of the wine and becomes drunk. The gate for 9:20 is tur or natar. This gives us the images of a wall, a fence, a row, or an enclosure in the process of surrounding, guarding, and keeping watch. The wine that Noah drinks, if the gatebook hints correctly, is what we call tal hashamayim, the dew of heaven. This is the kabbalistic root for 9:21. At the conclusion of this chapter we learn that Noah lives to the ripe old age of 950 years. If we were to convert this into Hebrew letters we find the root tet nun }f . This root refers to the process of twining, threading, or binding together. It is in fact the root for the potter’s clay that forms our planet. 78 The Gate-Book 9: f - Tet awf af afaf af to be miry, to be like clay to take away clay; to sweep that which reflects, refracts, bends, rebounds (q) tuwah teetay, tatay tet aleph to be good, prosperous, fruitful, happy to sink, plunge, impress a seal to dip, dip into, immerse tov tavah taval bwf bf ubf lbf to fry with oil; a frying pan tigan }gf gf to make firm, establish, structure, justify structural integration, pattern recognition (q) atad tet dalet dfa df df to stretch out, extend, deflect, elongate stretched out, inclined downward, beneath, below; rod, branch, staff to purify natah yutah mateh tahar hfn hf hfy hfm rht to twist, to spin, to roll together; hunger pains tavah hwf wf 79 zf zf zf cell division, generation, collectivization (q) good seed tet zayin tov zerah to spread out, to stretch out, to cover with to inlay, place in safety, guarantee to grind in a hand mill tuahh tuahh tahhan jwf jf jwf }jf mud, mire, clay, loan that which gushes forth, splashes the evolutionary process teet teet tet tet fyf ff fyf ff to bend, turn, incline, reflect, give way to open the hand (q) tet yod tet yod yf yf yf rampart, earthworks and planted a vineyard ( Gen. 9:20) tikas v’yeeta kerem dew to prostrate oneself, send forth, cast down to be fresh; a young animal of any sort to moisten gently, to overshadow, take shelter that which is protected from above (q) tal tool taleh talal tet lamed 80 skyf kf \rk ufyw lf lf lwf hlf llf lf to be impure, unclean, polluted, defiled taste, flavour, intelligence, reason to hide, to bury, immerse, hide oneself tamay ta’aym taman amf mf \uf }mf potter’s clay, earthenware; to form out of clay to twine, to weave a basket to bind together; a thread, yarn, string, cord teen tanah aytun }yf nf anf }wfa glittering, flying; foil to glisten, to fly swiftly to cause to fly sagittarius (see lamed wheel) (q) tas toos haytees tet sameh sf sf swf syfh sf to wander, be lost; to err, deceive, be led astray to taste, to test, to discern, to examine to make ready for travelling, to be laden; to sue to set upright, fix, fasten, plant tenacity, obstinacy, persistance (HTR) ta’ah ta’am ta’an natah tayah huf uf \uf }uf ufn uf little children (a brisk and tripping gate) to come in close contact, strike hands, stamp feet to sew together; to frame speach artfully to be brisk or nimble in walking to trickle thru, fall in drops, irrigate; prophecy taf tafahh tafal tafaf nataf [f pf jpf lpf [pf [fn 81 xf xf archetypal development; womb/limbs; 9/90 (q) tet tzadi to fit closely, be densely packed to draw the bow, prepare for battle takas tahhavay keshet to surround; a wall, fence, row, enclosure to guard surround, keep watch to pour down rain, to water a fresh green leaf; to pluck, tear in pieces toor netar matar tayrayf rwf rf rfn rfm [rf to soften, make viscid, plaster, polish, smear over to send away, forsake, desert, let go, loosen to hide, protect, reserve, be hidden the dew of heaven (q) toosh cwf cf to turn into, turn away; involution/evolution (q) rolled up, twisted together; a serpent (q) 82 natash tashah tal heshamayim sqf qf tcq ywjf cfn acf \ymc lf tf tf The Letter Code 10: y - Yod The tenth Hebrew letter, Yod, is usually spelled yod, vav, dalet (dwy). The root without the vav is yad, which means hand, handle, portion, or place. The root yadah (udy) means to perceive, discerne, know, be aware of, or have sexual intercourse with. The letter yod is the smallest of all the letters and caligraphically the yod is the seed of all of the other letters. It is the first swirling or motion to come out of the egg or envelope. As the number ten, the yod represents the covenant of the hands or the joining together of the two hands of a human being to form a unified energy field. The ten also represents the ten spheres of the Tree-of-Life or a complete cycle of manifestation from the sphere of keter to the sphere of malhhut. The letter yod is the vehicle for translating energy from the realm of atzilut to the realm of assiah. The yod translates energy from the sphere of being to the sphere of becoming. It empowers that which is a potential in future time to become actualized in present time. We feel this in Genesis when we first hear the word yehee (yhy) which is usually translated as: let there be. The following are ten of the primary incarnations of the letter yod: B’raysheet (tycarb) (bayt-raysh-alef-sheen-yod-tav) Create the fire of the ten spheres and the twenty two letters. Elohim (\yhla) (alef-lamed-hay-yod-mem) Divine powers. These particle-wave phenomena. Hashamayim (\ymch) (hay-sheen-mem-yod-mem) The heavens. The oscillation between electrical (c) and magnetic (m). The oscillation between particle (y) and wave (m). Hayeeta (htyh) (hay-yod-tav-hay) Was, she was. The root here is yod-tav which grammatically serves as past tense (feminine) for the root haya which means to be. Kabbalistically the root yod-tav resonates back to b'raysheet and refers to the ten spheres and twenty two letters of creation. 83 Pinay (ynp) (pay-nun-yod) Surface. Hamayim (\ymh)(hay-mem-yod-mem) The waters. The yod here represents a period of manifestation between two creative cycles or wave forms. Vayomer (rmayw) (vav-yod-alef-mem-resh) And spoke. Connecting-becoming-to being-to the first matrix. Yihee (yhy) (yod-hay-yod) Let there be. Grammatically, the future tense of the root for being haya. Invokes that which resides in the being realm to appear in the realm of manifestation. Bayn (}yb) (bayt-yod-nun) Between. The yod serves to maintain identity in the world of polarity. Yom (\wy) (yod-vav-mem) Day. Space of time. 84 Introduction to The Gate-Book 10: y - Yod The Hebrew letter Yod represents the first swirling or seed of each of the letters of the aleph bayt. Kabbalistically, the yod symbolizes the ten spheres of the tree of life. It is the yod that brings the world of atziluth and the world of the aleph into the world of form. In the world of number symbolism the yod is the number 10 which divides into two fives, two breaths (inhallation and exhalation) and the two hands of the human body with five fingers each. An ancient representation for the yod as the number 10 is a series of dots that represent the four worlds of the Kabbalah. It looks like this: o o o o o o o o o o The yod teaches us about the laws of manifestation. The first sphere represents the world of atziluth / emanation. The second line of two spheres represents the world of B’riah/ creation . The third line composed of three sphere refers to the world of yetzirah/ formation. The last line (four spheres) represents the world of assiah/ manifestation. The complete triangle of spheres represents the creative process of how an idea moves from the world of vision to the world of manifestation. When you begin to meditate with the gates that begin with yod consider that the yod ( on an archetypical level) is empowering or birthing whatever letter follows it. It is useful to examine the polarities here: yod aleph: aleph yod yod gimel: gimel yod ya: ay yod bayt: bayt yod yb:by yg:gy You might also want to look at the yod gates in relation to their harmonic counterparts : yod -aleph in relation to aleph -aleph and kof - aleph. The tenth chapter of Genesis gives us a list of the various generations and descendants of the sons of Noah including the descendants of Shem, ancestor of the Hebrews. Peleg, who lives 484 years, the number of gates in our gate book is mentioned here. 85 The Gate-Book 10: y - Yod hay ay lay \yhla rmay ay suitable, worthy, elegant, becoming to go before, to endeavor, to will / be willing God spoke malhhuth/keter (code for 10th/1st sphere) (q) ya’ah ya’al yomar elohim yod aleph to marry the wife of a deceased brother to rain, flow copiously, to walk, to produce to exclaim, cry out, sound a trumpet to be an adversary to anyone; hostile mind to give, to place, to deliver, to give over “let there be morning” yavam yaval yavav ayav yahav yihee boker to be fatigued, exhausted; the fruit of labour to remove, to grieve, be sad yaga yaga ugy gy hgy to throw, extend a hand, give thanks, confess the hand to perceive, know, acquire knowledge, discover awareness, perception, foresight, knowledge the letter yod, the number ten yadah yad yada yada yod hdy dy dy udy udy dwy poetical name for The Creator / Absolute Being this time-space continuum (q) Yah yod hay 86 \by by lby bby bya bhy rqb yhy hy hy hy wy wy wy wy the manifested being / potential actualized the principal of expansion, space/substance a seed expanding in 6 directions; crystal matrix yod vav yod vav yod vav to set in motion, assemble, gather selves together yazah hzy zy to be joined, united; union, junction, together to expect, wait, wait for, hope, delay to delay, tarry; expectation yahad yahal yahar djy jy ljy rjy to bow down, to pitch a tent stretched out, attenuated, inclined, dilated natah yetah hfn fy hfy wine friend, beloved let there be the power of manifestation (q) yeeyeen yadeed yehee yod yod }yy yy dydy yhy yy to demonstrate, prove, argue, be clear, manifest to be able, to be powerful, to overcome and it was so yahhahh yahhol yihee-cane 87 jky ky lky }k-yhy to yell, wail, howl, lament to bring forth, to bear, beget, create, be born yalayl yelad lly ly dly the sea, the foaming of the sea the western quarter; heat, warmth the right side the day, this day; time, space of time particle / wave (q) yam yam yameen yom yod mem \y my \y }ymy \wy \y to awaken, stir up, oppress particularity, individuality, existance a dove; gentleness, amorousness; Jonah completion of an aeon (q) yanah yanah yonah yod nun hny ny hny hnwy }y to support oneself, sit together in counsel to found, constitute, establish, deliberate (yesod) to add, increase, augment yasad yasod yasaf dsy sy dwsy [sy to snatch away, remove, take away to rise above, to ascend a mountain an ostrich; to be greedy to point out, to find, come together, rendezvous “let there be evening” formation / manifestation (q) ya’ah ya’al ya’an ya’ad yihee erev yetzirah/assiah 88 huy uy luy }uy duy bru yhy hycu/hryxy to shine, be bright, be beautiful; beauty to give light, cause to shine splendour, beauty, gracefulness yafah yafah yifee hpy py upy ypy to go forth, lead out, depart, deliver, carry out to spread out, spread under; a bed, couch, floor to form, fashion, create, devise yatzah yatzah yatzar axy xy uxy rxy to hollow out, excavate, bore a hole to cut off, tear away, dislocate, alienate precious, dear, rare, magnificent, valuable yakah yakah yakar hqy qy uqy rqy to shoot arrows; cast lots; sprinkle water awe, reverence, trembling, fear “let there be a firmament” to go down, descend, go to a spring or river yarah yaray yehee rakiya yarad being, existance to stand upright, set upright, to be to dwell, inhabit, sit down to set free; deliverance, aid, safety, spaciousness “the sixth day” yaysh yasha yeshav yaysha yom hasheeshee 89 hry ry ary uyqr yhy dry cy cy hcy bcy ucy ycch \wy hayeetah bayt yod tav yod tav being, existance, quality of being a house that which is reflexive, acts upon itself (q) 10 spheres & 22 pathways of the tree (q) 90 htyh ty tyb ty ty The Letter Code 11: k - Kaf The eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter kaf (k). This letter can be seen visually and experienced in your hand when it hand reaches to grasp something. The kaf refers to the hollow of the hand, the palm, a hollow vessel. The related verb, kapha, means to bend, to bow down, to submit oneself; to be curved, arched, hollowed out. A key derivative root is the word kaphal (lpk), which means to fold together, to double or to divide equally. The hieroglyphic image of the kaf gives us a picture of the hand cupped in the action of grasping, ready to take hold of an object, with thumb and forefinger arched. From another perspective, we see the palm of the hand curved up in receptivity. Yet another image gives us a picture of two hand cupped together in the act of making the first hand made cup to drink water from a stream. Grammatically, the kaf is used to signify the act of assimilating, moulding and comparing. Its sound can be either hard or soft, forceful or receptive, masculine or feminine. You can hear the hard vocalization in the word kaylev (blk), Joshua’s friend, who is noted for his courage and his strength of heart. The soft vocalization is heard in the phrase layhh le’hha (]l ]l), which means to go on your way. Consider the two kafs as the two palms of the hands. From our Tree-of-Life energetic model of a human being, there is a line of light that enters in at the place of keter (rtk) (the positive pole of a human being and the receptive centre for light from the upper realms) and flows to the place of malhhut (twklm)(the negative pole of a human being and the emanating centre in relationship to earth energies). The keter/malhhut connection speaks of a vertical alignment in relationship to the Great Light. At the sphere of tiferet, or the heart, the electrical energy divides into a male and a female current that emanates to the palm chakras of the right and the left hand. It is through the reconnection of the two poles of this electromagnetic field, held with a resonance to the unity consciousness and love vibration, that healing happens. The Sepher Yetzirah considers the kaf to be the guardian of the pathway between keter and tiferet. When one considers the astrological connection of the sun with the letter kaf, with the knowledge that the sun is a star, then the 91 Hebrew word for star, kohhav (bkwk), is illuminated. The two kafs that you see in kohhav parallel the positive and negative poles that you find in any magnetic field. To unify the polarities of a field, you need only place your palms together! The kaf has a gematria of twenty. Its position as the eleventh letter in the aleph-bayt is highly significant. The aleph-bayt symbolically doubles over or bends between the eleventh and twelfth letters. Therefore, the gate kaf-lamed (lk) means all or the whole, and the gate lamed-kaf (kl) means to go on one’s way. The number eleven, according to Pythagorean mathematics, is the one that balances two fives. Eleven is the number of the Tao according to the Chinese. What is said about the Tao can also be said about the kaf: “Tao is a hollow vessel, its use is inexhaustible.” (Tao Te Ching) The following are ten key incarnations of the letter kaf: Key-tov (bwf yk) (kaf-yod tet-vav-bayt) As it is good. Betohh (]wtb) (bayt-tav-vav-khaf) In the midst. Hakohhavim (\ybkwkh) (hay-kaf-vav-kaf-bayt-yod-mem) The stars. The two kafs in kohhavim represent the positive and negative electrical poles of a complete magnetic field. Kadmutaynu (wnytwmdk) (kaf-dalet-mem-vav-tav-yod-nun-vav) After our likeness. the root damut means to resemble. Zahhar (rkz) (zayin-kaf-raysh) Male of the species. To remember. Vayahhaloo (wlkyw) (vav-yod-kaf-lamed-vav) And were completed. Keter (rtk) (kaf-tav-raysh) Crown. That which receives the upper light. 92 Malhhut (twklm) (mem-lamed-kaf-vav-tav) Kingdom. That which receives and integrates all the signals and messages from the world of intention. Koahh (jk) (kaf-hhet) Strength. Pathway between keter and hhohhmah. Kippur (rpk) (kaf-pay-raysh) To cover over, pardon, expiate, forgive. 93 Introduction to The Gate-Book 11: k - Kaf The letter Kaf is figuratively the palm of the hand that performs the functions of grasping, holding, assimilating and making something ones’ own. When a Kaf comes before a letter it means like, as; when a Kaf follows a letter it is possessive, making somethings own. When we join two Kafs together, we have the image of two palms embracing one another. This brings together positive and negitaive energy poles or streams into a unified field. The Hebrew word that contains two Kafs is the word kohhav: a star, a planet, globe, cave, cavity, embryo. As the Kaf is the 11th letter , the gate kaf:kaf will refer to the 11th verse of the 11th chapter. The 11th chapter of Genesis gives us the facinating story of the tower of Bavel. It begins by telling us the entire earth had one language with uniform words ( divareem ahhadeem/ \ydja \yrbd) . The second verse takes us to a valley in the land of Shinar or Sumaria. The gate here 11:2 bk speaks of that which is large, great, abundant, weighty, magnetic, bound together. In the fourth verse the people of Sumaria intend to make a name (shem) for themselves, by building a city with a tower that reaches into the sky ( the Sumarian scholar, Zecharia Sitchin has speculated that this Sumarian ziggurat may have been some kind of control tower or extra terrestial space port for the Annunakki! ) The gate for this verse is the gate kaf-dalet which refers to the act of striking fire, or drawing water from a well. In the sixth verse YHVH notices that “they are a single people, all having one language.” The Zohar suggests that this passage speaks of the power humans have when their collective will and language is one, as it once was during the time of Atlantis. In the seventh verse the unified speech and language of the people of Sumaria is confounded so that one person will not understand anothers speech. After this time humanity is dispersed over all the face of the earth. The gematria for the phrase migdal bavel ldgm lbb is 111, the gematria for aleph. It appears in the 11th chapter of Genesis the unified language and intention of a people (the Sumarians) is confounded due to the collective hubris or egoic identity of the people. Try reading this 11th chapter with the aid of the gate book! 94 The Gate-Book 11: k - Kaf hak ak akn bak to reprove, restrain, rebuke, be rebuked to be stricken, afflicted pain of body, sorrow of mind ka’ah nihha ka’ayv to roll up, cover over, bind together, harden to be heavy, large, great, abundant, honoured density, weight, magnetism; the liver, the soul a star, planet, globe; to roll up in a ball keter/ binah pathway on the tree of life kavah kavod kavod kohhav keter/binah great strength, stamina, enthusiasm the high priest koaahh gadol kohane gadol lwdg jk gk lwdg }hk draw water from a well; a bucket, water-pitcher to strike fire; a sparkling gem a spark, a dart a ruby kohhav daveed/ 3D Star- of- David ( q) kad kadad kadar kodkod kohhav daveed dk dk ddk rdk dkdk dwd bkwk in this place, in this specific way; coincidence that which is conformable to a given model to be feeble, weak, pale, dim to presage, predict; a priest (of the here & now) ko ko kahah kohayn 95 hbk bk dwbk dwbk bkwk hnyb/rtk hk hk hk hhk }hk a window, aperture, cavity to penetrate, excavate, hollow out, pierce a burning; that which is charred, pierced kav kava kaveeya to deceive, lie, falsify; a mirage to shrink, to be shriveled, to be shy to be bold, daring; to route an enemy gold cherubim kazav kazav kazar keruveem zahav strength, power, might, ability, substance/wealth to be clear, manifest, in the front; to demonstrate to dispute, altercate, judge, decide, correct to paint the eyes, to blacken; kohl, stibium keter/hhokhmah (first 2 spheres of the Tree) (q) koahh nahhahh to fill beyond measure (q) because it is good distillation from the crown (q) kaf tet kee tov keter tal ideas of causality, comparison, inter-relatedness who, although, because, in order that kee kee 96 nahhahh kahhal keter hhokhmah wk wk hwk hywk bzk zk bzk rzk bhz \ybrk jk jk jkn jkn ljk hmkj rtk fk fk bwf yk lf rtk yk yk yk a star, planet, globe, cave, cavity; an embryo a circle, globe, round cake, coin, tract of land two palms joined; sphere with magnetic field (q) kohhav kekar kaf khaf complete, whole; all, altogether to be completed, finished, prepared, consumed a vessel, utensil, implement, tool, weapon the whole, totality, perfect, complete to eat, taste, devour, consume; food, provision sustenance kol kalah kaylee kalal / kaleeyl ahhal kalkol to pine for with longing; to desire a heap, cluster, bundle; the Pleiades constellation to heap up, make globular; a globe the crown of the kingdom, first & last spheres (q) kama keema koom keter malhuth stability, solidity, consistency, physical reality yes; upright, erect, honest, just so; a base to address honourably, call kindly, flatter to cover, protect, defent he right hand column of Solomon’s temple yes, of course, naturally cane cane canah canahn yaheen nahon 97 bkwk kk rkk kk lk lk hlk ylk lylk / llk lka lklk hmk mk hmyk \wk twklm rtk }k nk }k hnk }nk }yky }wkn to cover, cover over, conceal; a veil a cup, recepticle, vessel to shave, to shear the head a royal throne (covered by a canopy); full moon silver, money, wealth to be eclipsed, to put to shame; to long after kasah kos kasas keesay / keseh kesef kesaf hsk sk swk ssk ask [sk [sk to be displeased, irritated, vexed; to provoke now covering of the eyes; gift of appeasement to cover the eyes (q) ka’as k’an kasot aynayim kaf ayin suk uk }uk \ynyu twsk uk the hollow of the hand, palm, a hollow vessel to bend, to press, bow down, tame, turn aside a doubling, folding, two folds; a double portion to cover over; to pardon, expiate, be forgiven to be hollow, arched, bent over kaf kafa kafal kafar kafaf that which branches out, offers resistance (q) kaf tzaddi kaf tzaddi xk xk xk that which absorbs a shock (q) kaf kof kaf kof qk qk qk 98 [k pk hfk lpk rpk [pk a pasture, a well fed lamb, a meadow a battering ram, an executioner; to penetrate to dig, pierce, engrave to entertain a guest; a feast, banquet a cherub, minister, one who is near to God to contemplate, recognize, return to memory to remember, be mindful, recollect; a male kar kar karah karah karuv heekir zahhar an enchanter, witch, magician; Ethiopia to waver, totter, stumble, enchant to pray, worship, use enchantments, incantations the stars of heaven (q) koosh kashal kashaf kohhav shemayim to write, inscribe, decree, prescribe; writings to surround, to put on a crown to beat, hammer, forge, crush keter: first sphere of the Tree; to receive light (q) the crown of the kingdom (q) katav keter katat keter keter/ malhhut 99 rk rk rk hrk hrk bwrk rykyh rkz cwk ck lck [ck \ymc bkwk btk tk rtk ttk rtk twklm/rtk The Lamed Wheel 100 The Letter Code 12: l-Lamed The Hebrew letter lamed is the one which reaches up towards the heavens with a spiraling torque, like the arms of a human being in a moment of exultation or initiation. The lamed is the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of thirty. It is the only letter that gives us a picture of a full 360° circle when we multiply its sequential value (12) with its numerical value (30). As a prefix, the lamed can mean: to, toward, with, belonging to, according to, or for. The root lamed (dml) means to teach, to learn, to instruct, or to be accustomed to anything. It has hidden meanings of to chastise, to discipline, or to train. The root m’lamed is an ox goad, which is used to instruct an ox to move in a new direction (one interesting meaning of the first letter eleph - [la is an ox). When we look to find the lamed in the human body, it appears in the arms from shoulder to fingertips. It is arms that can channel the energy from the above through to the human heart. It is the spiral motion of the arms in a vast array of gesticulation that images our capacity to embody every pattern of light. If we looked at the letter lamed as spiraling either clockwise or counter-clockwise upon its base, we will see the energy dance of a whirling dervish. Through this we learn that the lamed is our connection to the elyon, the upper reaches and realms of consciousness. When we look at the full spelling of the lamed (dml), we find the hidden root midah, which means to stretch out, to extend, or to measure. This is the root for the word dimension. In terms of sacred geometry, the lamed is connected to unity (to love, to source, the number 13) and projects this energy along twelve vectors, meridians, arms of the universe into twelve dimensions. It is the lamed that connects us to those creative principles in the universe which we call the elohim. The following are a few of the key incarnations of the letter lamed. Lamed: (dml)(lamed mem dalet) As a verb, the letter lamed means to instruct, to train, to acustom, to teach, to discipline, and to chastise. The meaning of this word in pure physics involves a spiralling energy that torques along an axis of symmetry. In terms of gematria, lamed totals 74 (30+40+4). This is the same gematria as the root ayin-dalet (du), which means “to witness” and the word v’hhaham (mkjw), meaning “and to be wise.” 101 Elohim: (\yhla)(aleph lamed hay yod mem) The lamed in elohim serves to connect heaven and earth. As a flow pattern, this formula allows the source energy of the aleph to be distributed to the twelve zodiac signs or arms of the universe (l), to be individuated and given consciousness (h) and to be given Tree-of-Life genetics (y) and a home planet (m). The gematria of elohim is 86, the same as the Hebrew word hatayvah (ubfh), which means “the nature.” Lave: (bl)(lamed bayt) Means the heart, understanding, affections, the middle part, the life or the soul of something. It is the seat of the will and purpose, and the emotions of the mind. The gematria of this root is 32 and it refers to the 10 spheres and the 22 pathways of the Tree-of-Life. The letters are the last and the first letters of the Torah. This flow instructs us to look towards the beginning of the creative process hidden in Genesis. Lilah: (hlyl)(lamed yod lamed hay) Meaning night. This root, which means play in Hindu, has a vibratory quality in Hebrew that appears to allude to the motion of the stars in the night sky. Thw two lameds in Lilah or Lil give us the image of a spiral staircase or a passage-way. Mavdeel: (ldbm)(mem bayt dalet lamed) means to divide or to separate. This is one of the earlier incarnations of the letter lamed in the Genesis text. The first appearance of this word is when the elohim divide or make a distinction between the light and the darkness. Ohel: (lha)(aleph hay lamed) means a tent, tabernacle or habitation of any kind. The gematria is 36, which is a code for a full 360° circle. This ohel, or tent, may be the source that generates the Elohim. The 36, by gematria, refers to the lamed/vav tzadikeem, who uphold the universe with their righteousness. 102 Elyon: (}wylu)(ayin lamed yod vav nun) means high, higher or the highest most places or elevations. In Genesis 14/18, we find the phrase “el elyon” referring to the Supreme or the Most High God. Aliyah: (hylu)(ayin lamed yod hay) means to go up or to ascend by steps. It can also mean a ladder, a loft, or an upper chamber. The ayin is the letter that has the deepest roots going down into the earth. The lamed is the letter that spirals up towards the heavens. The gematria of aliyah is 115, the same as the word hinayni (ynnh), meaning “here I am.” Sulam: (\ls)(samehh lamed mem) means ladder in Hebrew. It is the word used in Genesis 28/12 for Jacob’s ladder, which is set up on the earth with the top of it reaching to heaven. It is on this ladder that the angels of the elohim go up and come down. 103 Introduction to The Gate-Book 12: l - Lamed Before we begin to meditate on the twenty-two gates that begin with the letter lamed, let us pause for a moment and consider some of the implications of the letter wheel which we are calling the Lamed Wheel. This wheel was first channeled by my friend Yohannah (in 1974) and we often made reference to this wheel when working with the Gate-Book. The letter lamed came to mean any pivotal moment or turning point whereby consciousness comes to still-point, the momentum of a former cycle comes to completion, and a new energy or spin enters one’s awareness. The lamed opens consciousness to full 360° vision, as it connects us to all twelve zodiacal frequencies and the creative energies of the elohim. When we come to see the gates bayt-tav / tav-bayt (tb / bt) as archetypal energies connected to taurus (imaged as house/ark) or dalet-raysh / raysh-dalet (rd / dr) as archetypal energies connected to cancer (imaged as generation/territorial imperative) some extraordinary astrological implications surface. In this way of looking, the pair of gates aleph-lamed / lamed-aleph (la / al) (el & lo in Hebrew) can be seen as involutionary and evolutionary gates that show up at a border crossing or cusp between aries & pisces or the first & last energies in a twelvefold process. Perhaps the most fascinating gate, for meditation purposes, is the lamed-lamed (ll) gate. If one were looking at chapter and verse numbers in a Torah text, this would come up at every chapter 12, verse 12. The root lamedlamed appears in Hebrew words that speak of wheels, cycles and passage ways. My favourite root for this gate is b’lulim, which I translate as a winding staircase. This gives us an image of a spiral or a circle/cycle of energy moving through time. It is what people are speaking of these days as “the ascension process.” I have had students, on occasion, meditating at 12:12 (am or pm) with interesting results. If you take a moment out of time for daily 12:12 meditations, or surf the text of Torah for 12/12 verses, you will be startled by what you find. 104 The Gate-Book 12: l - Lamed a warning, prohibition; no, not, not yet to labour, be weary, be exhausted Leah; to be weary, short-sighted lo la’ah leyah al al hal hal the heart, vital centre, middle part (the seat of the senses, emotion, will, wisdom) to be white, hollow; to cleanse, purge oneself Lavan, to build, the moon The 10 spheres & 22 paths of the Tree-of-Life (q) lave lave lavav lavan lamed bayt bl bl bl bbl }bl bl a deep cavity, basin, a measure of liquid space to be deep, the depth of the sea to contest, to divide; a legal dispute a slow motion movement (q) log l’gag peleg lamed gimel gl gl ggl glp gl to bring forth, to bear, beget, give birth progeny, a lineage, a child generations yelad yeled toldot dly dl dly twdlwt to flame. to kindle; to burn with thirst, to hide the tongue thrust out, intense longing, madness co-creative powers lahat lahah elohim fhl hl hhl \yhla 105 to cling, cleave to, be closely joined ideas of cohesion, coherance, liason, mutuality to curve, bend oneself as a serpent; sea monster the thirty-six tzadikeem (just souls) (q) lavah lavee leviathan lamed vav an almond tree; (which bends, yields, gives way) luz, later called bayt el to bend, incline, turn away, depart luz luz luz to be moist, vital, fresh, smooth to eat, lick up, devour, wage war, be lustful jaw bone, cheek a tablet of stone, the leaf of a door bread, food; to heat up the flaming sword (q) lahh leahh l’hhee luahh lehhem lahat hahherev ladanum (a gum resin); hidden; opium to cover over, wrap up, hide; hidden, secret a covering, a veil; Lot (who was in hiding) to slip away, to escape, be delivered; Malta to cause to escape, deliver from danger occult arts; mysteries of heaven l & earth f (q) lat, lot lut lot malat palat, palet lamed tet the first person possessive; to me, mine a wreath, a garland; that which is pliant, flexible lee loyah 106 hwl wl ywl }tywl wl zwl zl zwl zwl jl jl jl yjl jwl \jl brjh fhl fl fl fwl fwl flm flp fl yl yl hyl hkl kl ]al ]lh ]lm twklm to consult, minister, wait upon, send a messenger servant, minister, messenger to go, walk, migrate, wander; to go one’s way counsel, king (one who sends messengers) the kingdom; sphere of manifestation lehha la’ahh halahh malahh malhhut to wind, to twist, to turn around; winding stairs time, a circuit, a loop, a passage-way night Galilee (place of rolling hills); rolling; a ring the Most High God; God of the Upper Realms and Elijah ascended to climb up to the next elevation or dimension to spiral, to ascend; a double spin (q) lul la’yeel lilah galeel el elyon vaya’al Eliyahu vaya’a layhu el ha’aliyah lamed lamed the question why? to discipline, learn/teach, receive instruction complete, whole; retribution, reward lamah lamed shelem hml ml dml mlc to turn in, tarry, seek shelter, pass the night to murmur, rebel; to be stubborn, obstinate an oak tree an inn, a lodging place lune yaleen alon malon }wl nl }yly }wla }wlm to make level; to balance, weigh balance, equalibrium pallas pelles slp sl slp 107 lwl ll lyl hlyl lylg }wylu la whyla luyw hyluh la whluy ll to swallow/be swallowed up; to speak harshly the throat, a mocker, a hasty discourse; parasite to stammer, to speak in a foreign tongue to devour, to eat greedily loah luah la’ah la’at uwl ul uwl hul ful to accustom oneself, to join together, to be gentle to alter, exchange, revive; to be changed to shine, to flame, to light the way; a torch ideas of refraction and metamorphosis (q) aleph hhallef lapeed lamed pey [la pl [lj dypl pl to stammer, mimic, mock, deride to translate, interpret; to make a play on words an interpreter, a trickster, a clown; an enigma lutz lutz mayleetz {wl xl {wl xylm a doctrine, an academy that which is seized by tongue or mind (HTR) the holy language lahak lamed kof leshon kodesh to light (Gen 1/7) “and Elohim made the firmament” to spread out like a hemisphere l’or eloheem / harakia l’rakia 108 qhl ql ql cwdq }wcl rwal rl uyqrh / \hyla uyqrl language; to slander to soften, to knead, to make ductile a tongue, a people, a nation an understanding heart l’shon lush lashon lave shomeya a mutual union, a sympathetic bond (HTR) lamed tav 109 }wcl cl cwl }cl umc bl tl tl The Letter Code 13: m - Mem The Hebrew letter mem is referred as to as a “mother” letter in the Sepher Yetzirah. The mem is a code for the element of water, or mayim, in the Hebrew. When one looks at the letter, one sees a wave form moving on top of it, like waves upon the ocean. One also sees a container, a form to hold the constantly changing element of water. Carlo Suares suggested that the mem served as a code for our biosphere, our planet that is seventy-two percent water. In the early passages of Genesis, the mem appears in the words: elohim (divine powers, hashamayim (the heaven), tohum (the deep), marhhepet (hovering), hamayim (the water), vayomer (and it was resonated), yom (a day, a space of time), mavdeel bayn mayim l’mayim (divided between water and water). The mem also appears in the word rehhem or womb that is fertilized by the wind or the spirit (ruahh). The womb, or the female matrix, is called the “mother-of-all-life” in the Hebrew phrase “eem kol hhai” (yj lk \a). This is the euphamism for the being called Hhevah, or Eve, the first mother. The letter mem has a gematria of 40. This symbolic number appears many times in the Hebrew scriptures. As 40 is 1/9th of a circle, or one month out of a gestation cycle of a human being. The mem refers to any “day” or time period that allows for a phase in a cycle of growth or maturation. The following ten words or phrases are among the earlier incarnations of the mem in Genesis: Elohim: (\yhla) (aleph lamed hay yod mem) This word can be understood as a plural form that translates as: these creative powers, these creative principles or cosimic days, or the godof-the-space or god-of-the-waters. The contemporary new-age translation of this word is the-creator-gods. The gematria of elohim is 86, the same gematria as hateva, the nature. The kabbalistic letter flow implies a unity principle that is translated into twelve creative energies bringing consciousness of the Tree-of-Life to this particular biosphere! Tohom: (\wht) (tav hay vav mem) The Deep. 110 Hamayim: (\ymh) (hay mem yod mem) The Waters. The letter flow speaks of a consciousness (h) that alternates between wave-form consciousness (m), particle consciousness (y), and returns to wave-form consciousness (m). Mavdeel: (lydbm) (mem bayt dalet yod lamed) Dividing. This word takes the primordial unity and divides it into 2 (b), and then 4 (d) and then into the world of manifest forms. Vayomer: (rmayw) (vav yod aleph mem raysh) And Spoke. This speaking is a kind of vibratory emanating of the aleph on the mirror of the water. It is a translating of energy from the realm that precedes thought to the mirror of the subconscious and inchoate mind. The resh broadcasts the thought-forms of the aleph throught time and space. Hashamayim: (\ymch) (hay sheen mem yod mem) The heavens. This word refers to the vault of the sky as a kind of celestial fire-water. The root shem, meaning name, signature, The Name, implies that the divine signature is imprinted throughout the heavens. Makom: (\wqm) (mem kof vav mem) Space/place. The makom is the place where the waters (the two mems) are gathered by the organizing principle of the kav (vwq), the line of light. The gematria of makom is 186, symbolically the speed of light. Makom can mean a station or a state of consciousness. U’l’mikvay: (hwqmlw) (vav lamed mem kof vav hay) And the gatherings (of water). These initial gatherings are called yameem, or seas. A mikvah is a bathing pool of living water that is used for physical and spiritual purification. Eem-kol-hhai: (yj lk \a) (aleph mem khaf lamed hhet yod) mother-of-all-living-beings. Malahh: (]alm) (mem aleph lamed khaf) An angel. A messenger. 111 The-source-of-all-life; the Introduction to The Gate-Book 13: m - Mem The mother letter Mem carries an association with water, wave forms, space, and the Elohim. When we examine the 22 gates that begin with Mem, we could consider that each of the letters of the alphabet is being born or birthed out of the matrix or cosmic womb of the Mem. There are a number of gates here that have taken on deep symbolic meanings in the world of Kabbalah.The gates ym (mee) hm (maw) refer to complete worlds in Kabbalistic thought. The world of ym (mee) refers to the Creator or The-One-Who-Created-It-All. From the stand point of pure physics the ym hints at the wave/particle paradoxical nature of our existence. The world of hm (maw) refers to the whatness of existence, the phenomenal world, the world of Yetzirah. The gate nm (mem-nun) may very well be the most significant gate of all the 484 gates in this gate book. It refers to the manna, spiritual food, essence, sustenance, and faith that we find in the phenomenal world that links us to the world of unity and spiritual reality. The Mem here represents the cosmic womb or envelope giving birth to the individuated consciousness of the nun. It is an interesting meditation practise to surf through the chapter 13/ verse 14 parshas of biblical text with this understanding in mind. The gate which proceeds the mem-nun gate is of course the \m mem-mem gate which is the root for water proper, but with the yod missing or hidden. The mem-mem gate also serves as a code for the Hebrew phrase \mytmh hyjm, m’hhiyay hamayteem which means to give life back to that which is asleep, to resurrect the dead. The mem-mem gate refers to the mother or source of all life. The km mem-kaf gate makes reference to the zodic sign aquarious on the lamed wheel. On the tree of life this gate refers to the flow of energy from the sphere of Malhhut up the central pillar of the tree to the sphere of Keter. Take the time to familiarize yourself with all twenty two of the mem gates. Then look up each of the reverse gates where mem is the final letter of a two letter gate. When you 112 feel guided to do so surf through Torah taking note of all the manna stored in chapter 13/verse 14 of a variety of texts including the prophets. Let us have a look at the 13th chapter of Genesis, verse 14: After Lot left him, God said to Abram, “raise your eyes, and from the place where you are now standing, look to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the west. (15) for all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. Abraham (Abram) is being shown here his inheritance in verse 14. The 15th verse is the inheritance of all the children of Abraham. Kabblistically the gate sm refers to the pathway on the tree of life between malhhut and yesod. It may actually refer to The kingdom of Yesod or the whole realm of genetics that connects children to their ancestors. When we meditate on the name \rba, Avram as an encoding or spin on the opening phrases from Genesis \yhla arb, bara elohim --then we can begin to fathom how Abraham represents our genetic link back to the realm of the Elohim! 113 The Gate-Book 13: m - Mem ham am 100, the hundreth part what is developed to the extent of its faculties to go everywhere, extend everywhere, fill space one place, one space water/air; the process of evaporation (q) may-ah makom ehhad mayim/avir dja \wqm rywa/mym an entrance, an expectation a flood; to inundate the tower of Bavel (q) mavo mabul migdal bavel awbm bm lwbm lbb ldgm a mage, a magian priest, chief of the magi to flow down, melt, dissolve noble, honourable, precious to hand over, deliver up, give in to one’s power a shield, that which protects a covering, a veil mogh moog meged magan magayn megihna gm gm gwm dgm }gm }gm hngm to stretch out, measure, extend to stand firm, be established; length, extension that which fills its measure; is multidimensional perpetual, continual, persevering; to stand firm madah m’od tameed omad hdm dm dam dymt dmu what? what exists, the phenomenal world mobility, fluidity, passivity; water ma ma 114 hm hm hm water, seed progeny to flow, melt, dissolve, be disolved ideas of attenuation, variation, permutation (q) the forty-six chromosomes / genetic coding (q) mo moog mem vav mem vav wm wm gwm wm wm place which is sown, a fertile field a doorpost upon which hinges turn to bind with a girdle, hold, restrain lodging place, zodiac sign; luck mizrah mezuzah mazahh mazal urzm zm hzwzm jzm lzm the brain, the marrow, the living part to ravage, efface, blot out, strike upon the preserving of life; food; a sign Living Waters (q) moahh mahha mehhiyah mayim hhayim to branch out, reach, come upon, fall upon branch, staff, sceptre; tribe; that which is below to shake, totter, incline, waver, turn aside to pour down rain, to keep watch matah matah mot matar water, gushing forth; an image of abundance to melt, to flow, to pour out water Who? ; the mind looking up with wonder mai mai mee 115 jm jm hjm hyjm \yyj \ym hfm fm hfm fwm rfm ym ym ym ym to sell one’s self, give one’s self up, trade, betroth a place, habitation, foundation, basis number, price, tribute; a tax-gatherer vibratory absorption (q) malhhut/keter pathway on the tree (q) mahhar mahhon mehhes mem hhaf malhhut/keter rkm km }wkm skm km km fullness, abundance, plentitude, exuberance the front part, opposite to, in the presence of cut off, purge, circumcise/be circumcised word, speech, discourse, a thing malay mol mol mala alm lm lwm lwm hlm the letter mem; water; that which melts, flows to bring that which is dead back to life (q) mayim m’hhayay hamaytim appearance, form, species, kind; pretense manna; a portion, time; to number, appoint to trust, lean on, confide in, believe; faith to sustain, support; an artificer; a covenant to turn to the right; the right side, the right hand manna, spiritual food, the essence (q) one thing emanated from another, a part taken out of the whole; the act of imagining a form (q) meen manna aman aman yameen mem nun mem nun tribute, tax, toll; to pine away to melt, flow down, dissolve; trials, temptations to dissolve, melt away, reject, despise to mix, mingle, cast, cover over; spiced wine malhhut / yesod pathway (q) maas massa ma’as maasahh malhhut / yesod 116 \ym mm \ytmh hyjm }ym nm hnm }ma }ma }ymy }m }m sm sm hsm sam ]sm dwsy /tyklm mayeh ma’ohn mayeen hum um }wum }yum mof Memphis (necropolis, gate of the blessed) mapal what falls off, ruins; a waterfall a miracle, wonder, portent; sign of a future miflah event mapahh an out-breath, exhalation; the bellows miftahh an opening [m pm lpm halpm the womb, belly, bowels, inner-most part a cave, dwelling, den, asylum, refuge a fountain, spring, pool, source of pleasure to arrive at, obtain, acquire; solve an enigma to suck out, drink out, press out juice; sweetness to be alert, firm, strong, nimble, swift-footed pressure, squeezing; juice unfermented, unleavened bread King-of-the-Just, Malkitzedek, (q) matzah matzah amatz meetz matzah Malki-tzedek a place, station, abode; state-of-consciousness a calling together, a gathering place to melt, flow, dissolve, pine away to deepen; a valley, depth; what is unfathomable makom makom makak omek 117 jpm jtpm axm xm jxm xma {ym hxm qdx-yklm \wqm qm \wqm qqm qmu rm rm rm hrm rrm rwm harm rma to distill, flow down; to be bitter, rebellious myrrh (a bitter gum with a sweet smell) saddness, grief, bitterness, rebellion to flow down,weep, pass away; a channel; bile to change/exchange, to buy/sell; a variation a form, appearance, look, vision; mirror, image to say, speak, command, bring to light mar more marah maror moor mara omer to draw, to draw out, to save, to preserve Moses (who is drawn from the water) to feel, to touch, yield, give way water/fire (q) masha moshe moosh mem sheen hcm cm hcm cwm cm to stretch out a cord extention, space of time to die, to perish, to be destroyed; death (Hades) firmness, stability, integrity, truth matah matai mot, (mavet) emet htm tm ytm twm tma 118 The Letter Code 14: n - Nun The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter nun. The nun in Hebrew means a fish, progeny, or off-spring; to sprout, spread, propogate, generate or blossom. The nun is a letter of fertility, birth, regeneration. The Egyptians spoke of the nun as a kind of primordial, cosmic soup out of which creation sprang. For the Egyptians, the nun was a state that existed before cosmo-genesis. It is likely that the earliest version of the nun in Hebrew made reference to the nahhash, the snake or the serpent. The Hebrew word for the largest sea creature, the whale (a serpent, a dragon), is the word taneen (}ynt). The root for taneen is tanan (}nt), which means to extend, to endure, to be continual. The nun final carries this meaning of that which endures until the end of time. The nun is the primary letter of the Hebrew word yonah (hnwy), the dove. The dove is noted for its gentle and amourous nature, as well as being a symbol of peace. The letter nun represents the consciousness that is born out of the waters of the mem. This consciousness is a balancing process within the world of polarities. The nun of the dove (hnwy) represents a primordial innocence; the nun of the serpent (cjn) represents a primordial wisdom. The nun is also found in two of the five realms of the soul: the nefesh (cpn) and the neshamah (hmcn). The nefesh is the animal vitality (the pole of the nahash); the neshamah refers to the unique spirit/soul signature (the pole of the yonah). As the fourteenth letter, the nun is a balancing between two sevens. The gematria value of the letter nun is 50. 50 is the number of the jubilee. The jubilee is like a cosmic Shabbat that frees us from the cycles of karma. Seven times seven represents seven karmic cycles or the seven cosmic days of creation. The number 50 represents the completion of this process, and a return to source. The final nun (}) represents this process whereby consciousness has migrated through all the evolutionary cycles and processes and has returned from the world of polarity to a unified and androgynous state of being. In the world of physics, the nun represents something similar to what has come to be known as 119 Heisenberg’s Principle. It is the understanding that in any experiment, the consciousness that observes the experiment will inevitably become a determing part of the outcome! The following ten incarnations of the letter nun appear in the early passages of Genesis: Pinay (ynp) (pay-nun-yod): The surface. The first incarnation of the nun in the Genesis text occurs in the word pinay, in the phrase al pinay t’hom, “on the surface of the deep.” The nun here serves as the fulcrum at the interface between two elements: air and water. Bayn (}yb) (bayt-yod-nun final): Between. The first final nun to appear in the Genesis text appears in the word “between”, where the Elohim creates a distinction between the light and the darkness. Hhayn (}k) (kaf-nun): It happened. From the phrase “va’yehee hhayn”, “the happening” involves a setting of things upright or in order. There is a receptivity and agreement in the world of assiah with that which is spoken in the world of atziluth. L’meenayhu (whnyml) (lamed-mem-yod-nun-hay-vav): After their kind. The root here is meen (nym), which means species, kind or portion. Here the nun is appearing in its root meaning of offspring, in the act of generation: mazreah zerah, seed generating from seed. Nefesh (cpn) (nun-fay-sheen): Living creatures. From the phrase “nefesh hhayah” (Gen 2/20). The nefesh refers to the animal vitality level of the soul. It is first found on the fifth day of creation when speaking of the swarms of living and flying creatures. Hataneeneem (\nynth) (hay-tav-nun-yod-nun-mem): The sea creatures. These creatures have been called the great sea monsters, and also the whales. The root tanan (}ynt) means to 120 extend, to endure, to be continual. The sea creatures have been with us since the fifth day of creation. The gematria of hataneeneem is 555. Heenay (hnh) (hay-nun-hay): Behold! Be present! Be aware! Nehhemad (dmjn) (nun-hhet-mem-dalet): Pleasant. In the phrase “nehhemad l’mareh” (Gen 2/9), “pleasant to the sight.” The letter flow nun-hhet-mem-dalet can actually mean the breath of life extending through all dimensions. Neshamah (hmcn) (nun-sheen-mem-hay): The soul. The neshamah is the unique vibratory signature (mc) of that part of the soul which is conscious of its Divine origins. The letter flow goes: consciousness-fire-water-breath. Yonah (hnwy) (yod-vav-nun-hay): Dove. Initially, the dove sent forth from the ark by Noah. The dove is an amorous principle sent forth to bring peace to the earth. The yonah represents the sphere of hhessed in the Tree-of-Life. Nahhash (cjn) (nun-hhet-sheen): Serpent, snake, divination. The snake that makes its appearance in the third chapter of Genesis carries a kind of alchemical wisdom. The word means to whisper and to divine. Nun-hhet is a code for nefesh hhayah (hyj cpn), the vital soul or breath of all life. One possible translation of nahhash: is breath-of-fire. Its gematria is 358, the same gematria as meshiahh, to annoint or the annointed one. 121 Introduction to The Gate-Book 14: n - Nun The 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet carries with it a vast array of associated meanings. It refers to the generative power of the fish along with the androgynous stream of consciousness that the Egyptians refered to as nun, the cosmic waters. The nun refers to two distinct soul realms: the realm of nefesh, the kinesthetic or sexual realm; and the realm of neshamah, the spirit-soul breath of life. The nun also refers to a twin stream of consciousness that moves between heaven and earth. The nun of yonah alludes to the descent of spirit; the nun of nahhash alludes to the evolutionary ascent of earth energies and consciousness. The nun itself speaks of an energy that moves like electricity between two poles in an magnetic field as it strives to attain balance. It is interesting to notice the difference between the gates that follow that begin with the letter nun and their inverse gates whereby the nun is the last letter of the gate serving to balance that which comes before it. Take the time to meditate on each of the 22 nun gates. Go to the inverse gates for each one of them to see if you can determine the cosmic polarity that is at play in the field of gates. Remember that the letter nun has a gematria of 50 referring to the attainment of the 50 gates of understanding in the opening of the sphere of Binah on the tree-of -life. When you feel comfortable with your meditations upon the letter nun go to the 14th chapter of B’raysheet / Genesis. Read the chapter in its entirety before utilizing the gates to gather an extra dimension of meaning for each of the verses. In the 14th verse you will notice a veiled reference to Abraham’s servant Eliezar whose name has the gematria of 318. The 18th verse has the gate nun-tzaddi referring to the soul spark or naytz, the sphere of netzahh and the process the netzar, of watching or guarding over. This is the verse where we first hear of Malkitzedek, the King of Peace, and messianic precursor. When we look into the Hebrew text closely we find three nun finals in the phrase v’yayeen v’hoo cohane l’ayl elyon. Genesis 14/18 (xn) }wylu lal }hk awhw }yyw \jl ayxwh \lc ]lm qdx-yklmw. This 122 phrase serves has a hint to the ultimate meaning of the letter nun final. When you have completed your meditations on this chapter of Genisis allow yourself to meditate on the forms and shapes of the 22 letter gates in their pure creative energetic realm that far transcends the idiomatic meanings you have been playing with. Consider that each of the following 22 gates speak of the neshamah of each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 123 The Gate-Book 14: n - Nun an an an an han han that which is new, recently born, graceful a modest request, a plea Thebes/Luxor; the portion, measuring line raw, half-cooked, inexperienced, unsteady the seat, dwelling; quintessence nah nah no nahah nahah to bubble, to burst forth, to speak, to prophecy a bubbling spring; to be mad; to sing holy songs Nebo (the planet mercury) a prophet/prophetess to sprout, germinate, rise above navah navah navo navee/naveeyah nuv to illuminate, shine, bring to the light (venus) to be opposite, in the presence of; to be manifest to streatch out, reach into, touch, violate that which is delicate, soft, delightful nogah nagad nagah oneg hgn gn dgn ugn gnu to be agitated, shaken, moved; to wander a heap, a pile to impel, urge, incite; to offer oneself freely a vow, sacrifice, declaration of intention to remove, to flee, go away; impurity; to exclude nadir, to fall out, drop down; promise voluntarily nod nayd nadav nadar nada/needah nadir dwn dn dn bdn ddn hdn rdn 124 abn bn abn wbn aybn bwn here; to be present, state of being alert netzahh / hod; balancing thoughts & feelings (q) heenay nun hay hnh hn hn to hinder, restrain, deny, decline to rest, to dwell; pasture, habitation humility, gentleness, meekness, modesty the point of equilibrium, peace, calm noh navah anav nuahh awn wn hwn wnu jwn to fill anyone with joy; to leap, to sprinkle a Nazerite, a prince; an unpruned vine to flow, to run, to descend; a stream to string pearls on a thread nazah nazeer nazal nazam hzn zn ryzn lzn \zn Noah; to cause to rest, reside, remain to draw breath, comfort, to sit oneself down, rest to possess, distribute, receive an inheritance breath, soul, life force (q) living creatures noahh nuahh nahhal nun hhet nefesh hhayah an off-shoot, tendril, branch, sceptre, reed to stretch out, to extend, incline, unfold, deflect to move, to shake, an off-shoot to take up, to lift up, elevate; a weight, burden to fix, to fasten, pitch a tent; to plant, be planted nat natah noot natal natah 125 jwn jn jwn ljn jn hyj cpn fn fn hfn fwn lfn ufn I to be indeterminate, to waver, to be undecided offspring, progeny ani nun yod neen yna yn yn }yn a blow, shock, strike; the act of rebuking to strike, to smite, to pierce to contemplate, know, acknowledge, recognize a foreigner, alien; a strange lot, fate or fortune an exclamation of acknowledgement; yes! nahh nahhah nahhar nahhar nahhon kn kn hkn rkn rkn }wkn to finish, to make an end, to close ideas of sequence, abundance, consequence (htr) to put on sandals nala nun lamed naal hln ln ln lun to murmur, to mutter, to speak in a low voice to go to sleep, indolence to delight in, to be pleasant; beauty naam noom naeem \an mn \wn \un a fish; to sprout, to blossom, to put forth offspring, progeny; abundance to extend, endure, lengthen, be continual noon neen taneen }wn nn }yn }nt 126 somthing lifted up, a flag, a banner to try, to prove, to put to a test; to smell to lift up, to pull up, to intertwine to lift up, to exhalt; to pine away a drink offering, a libation to pluck up, to break camp, to migrate nays nasah nasah nasas naseehh nasa sn sn hsn hsn ssn ]sn usn to vibrate, vascillate, oscillate, totter to move to and fro, to stagger, to wander to bolt a door; to put on sandals na nua naal un un uwn lun Memphis (city in Egypt) to blow, to breath, disperse, to breath out wave up & down, agitate, sprinkle, shake; sieve to take breath, to breathe; soul, feeling, purpose nof nafahh noof nefesh [n pn jpn [wn cpn a spark; a flower; a feather; a hawk to strip off a garment; to make a land empty to shine, superintend; to lead in music, to excel to observe, to guard, to watch , to keep naytz natzah netzahh netzar {n xn hxn jxn rxn to be empty, vacant, pure, innocent, absolved to bore a hole, hollow out, designate, call by name to mark with points, to select, to distinguish nakah nakav nakad hqn qn bqn dqn 127 to give light; a lamp, a candle a candelabrum, a candlestick a channel, aquaduct, pipe, tube neshamah/ruahh; the light of the soul (q) nare menorah tzinor neer rn rn hrwnm rwnx rn to take up, to lift up (eyes, face, voice, soul) to be carried, lifted up, exalted; a prince; a nerve women to borrow/lend; forget/desert; to neglect; a debt to bite, vex, oppress; lend on usury nasah nasah nasheem nashah nashahh hcn cn hcn \ycn hcn ]cn to give, allow, permit, offer, teach; a gift to cut into pieces, apportion, disect to tear off, separate out, draw away, pluck up natan natahh natak 128 }tn tn jtn qtn The Letter Code 15: s - Samehh The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the samehh (s). It has a number value of sixty (the number which was the root of the Babylonian calendar and system of mathematics). It is the last letter of the 22 to appear in the early passages of Genesis. It appears in the word hasovev, in Genesis 3/11, with the meaning that which encompasses. This root can also mean to turn about, go around, encircle, surround, encompass, revolve, rotate, spin or orbit. A similar verb, seebave, means to cause, to alter, to change. This change is a response to changing circumstances and the samehh serves here as a structure supporting a dynamic equalibrium. We can see all of these meanings implicit in the circular form of the letter as pictogram or hieroglyph. The word samehh itself is a verb meaning to trust in, support, aid, assist, encourage; to draw near, make close, lay hands upon. This drawing near, or act of assistance, or laying on of hands, can also be interpreted as the act of ordaining whereby spiritual blessing is transmitted from one being to another. The letter samehh appears in the word sepher, which means to narrate, to number, to count, to recount, to speak, and to inscribe. This root is also the root for the art of writing and reading and means a book. The biblical sepher is, of course, a torah scroll or parchment that is stored rolled-up, and unscrolled for public reading. The samehh is the root for the word sphira, a sphere of energy or spiritual influence, ten of which compose the Tree-of-Life. The root b’sameem means incense or spices in Hebrew. The samehh here likely refers to the way smoke rises in spirals in the air while it is burning. The root sulam is a ladder. The samehh often refers to any circling or spiralling form, and occasionally to a vortex or whirlwind (sa’arah, hrus). The kabbalist, Carlo Suares, liked to refer to the samehh as a code for what he called “female sexuality.” there is certainly a sensual aspect associated with the sound of the letter samehh. It appears in the word for secret, mystery or assembly of friends: sod (dws). In Arabic, the sod refers to the cushion or pillow that supports one. We find the samehh appearing in only one sphere of the Tree-of-Life: the sphere yesod (dwsy). This 129 sphere is the foundation of the Tree and refers to the foundational realm of sexual and psychic energy that has its roots in the four rivers that water the garden of Eden. The following are ten key words that should further help us illuminate the mystery of the letter samehh: Sepher (rps) (samehh-pay-raysh) Writing, book, number. To narrate, recount, enumerate. A scribe, a book, the art of writing. A sphere of the Tree-of-Life. Savav (bbs) (samehh-bayt-bayt) To turn oneself, to go around, surround, encompass, to be turned, changed. Saveev (bybs) (samehh-bayt-yod-bayt) Circuits, circles, orbits. Samehh (]ms) (samehh-mem-hhaf ) To uphold, rest upon, sustain, support, aide, ordain. Segula (hlgs) (samehh-gimel-lamed-hay) Property, wealth, treasure. Sala (uls) (samehh-lamed-ayin) To lift up, elevate, waver. A height, elevation. Soolam (\ls) (samehh-lamed-mem) A ladder. Sameem (\yms) (samehh-mem-yod-mem) Spices, incense, fragrance. Satar (rts) (samehh-tav-raysh) To hide. Something hidden, secret, clandestine, esoteric. A curtain, a veil. Ha’sneh (hnsh) (hay-samehh-nun-hay) A thorn bush. A senna bush. A burning bush. Kabbalistically refers to the esoteric centre of the Sinai peninsula or the wilderness of Sin where Moshe encounters an aspect of the Ayn Sof, The Infinite. 130 Introduction to The Gate-Book 15: s - Samehh In the book of Genesis the samehh is the last of the 22 letters to appear in the early passages of the text. The samehh, as you will notice exploring the gates, is a kabbalistic reference to the word sepher which means to number, to count, to enumerate, to tell the story. The sepher is the book or the scroll upon which to story is told. The samehh refers to a process of orbiting, spiraling, cycling, and connecting the end of something back to the beginning from which it came. The samehh refers to the Yesod in the Tree-of-Life the foundation, secret or source from which anything originates. In terms of pure physics the samehh alludes to a spiral vortex or an orbital path. We find this meaning nested in the hebrew word sa’arah hrus. Take the time to familiarize yourself with each of the twenty-two samehh gates. Notice the kabbalistic meanings and how they expand dramatically upon the idiomatic meanings for each of the gates. Take the time to explore the twenty-two inverse gates where samehh is the final letter of a two letter sequence. See if you can discern the symbolic difference between a samehh that begins a gate and one that completes it. Take particular note of the nun-samehh and the samehh-nun pairing (sn-ns). This pair gives us the root seen which is the root for the Sinai peninsula (the wilderness of Sin), and the s’neh, senna or burning bush where Moshe hears the Divine Presence speak the “I-am-that--I am” or the ehiyeh-asher-ehiyeh. The inverse gate is the root nays (nun-samehh) which means miracle or to lift up, elevate, intertwine. From the stand point of pure physics the nun-sammehh gate refers to the ascension of consciousness where as the samehh-nun gate refers to the evolution of consciousness. In the 15th chapter of Genesis we find Avram speaking to YHVH asking if he will remain childless and inquiring who the heir to his household will be. Avram in 15/5 is taken outside of his house and hears the Voice say: look at the sky and count the stars see if you can count them...this is how numerous you descendants will be. ]urz hyhy hk wl rmayw \ta rpsl lkwt-\a \ykkwkh rpsw hmymch an-fbh 131 This counting or numbering of the stars - s’phor hkohhveem - has Avram gazing at galaxies and genealogies at the same time! The samehh-kaf gate is also the root for the hebrew holiday of Sukkut, the Feast of Booths, the harvest holiday where one gazes up at the stars through a lattice of palm branches, inviting ones family tribe and ancestors in for a ceremonial meal. When we meditate on the inverse gate, kaf-samehh we find the root kasah: a veil; kos: a cup; & kesay: a throne. Avram is asked to connect the multitude of stars with the multitude of human souls who will be his descendants. He is looking at both the Yesod level and the Or Ayn Soph level of the Tree-Of-Life at the same time! In the 12th verse of the 15th chapter Avram falls into a trance. This trance tardayma - is yet another aspect of the letter samehh. The gate for this verse hints at a kind of cosmic silence (seleh) and a ladder or sulam that extends from earth to heaven. Avram is taken into a vision of what will happen further on in the timeline -- he is given a prophecy of things to come. In the 15th verse (samehh-samehh, yesod of yesod) Avram is told “you will join your fathers in peace and you will be buried at a good old age”. Explore this 15th chaper of Genesis and all other chapter 15’s that you find interesting with the aid of the gate book. 132 The Gate-Book 15: s - Samehh has as has }as to extend, expand, measure, circuit, emigrate a sack, a bag; to pack one’s bag a sandal, a shoe; clay sa’ah sa’ah sa’on to absorb, drink to excess; wine, a carousel to turn one’s self, to encompass, surround to cause/effect; to be transferred, to be changed an orbit, circuit, circle, neighbourhood to lift up, carry, bear burdens; to be pregnant the Book of the Covenant (q) sava/sova savav savav saveev saval Sepher Ha’breet abs bs bbs bbs bybs lbs tyrbh rps to go away, depart, draw back, set aside, mark dross, refuse to acquire property wealth, luxuriance; a special possession the Book of Reincarnation (q) gws gs gys lgs hlgs \ylwglg rps great tempest soog seeg sagal segula Sepher Ha’gilguleem sa’ar gadol a couch, cushion; assembly, council; a secret to set, found, establish, appoint, support oneself a base, a foundation to coordinate, master, arrange, set in order the ninth sphere of the Tree-of-Life (q) The Book of the Generations (q) sod yasad yesod sader yesod Sepher Ha’dorot dws ds dsy dwsy rds dwsy twrwdh rps 133 lwdg-rus rhs hs to surround, encircle; a tower, castle, prison sohar/sahar a covering, a veil; to protect, attract attention to hedge about, withdraw; a fence to turn aside, depart, withdraw, escape masveh soog sur circumference/diameter; egg/seed (q) rest/movement, receptive/active (q) the Book of the Zohar (q) samehh/zayin samehh/zayin Sepher Ha’zohar zs zs zs rhzh rps to scrape away, dissolve, to be disolved to swim, wash, be purified in water to sweep away; a torrential rain to travel about ; wealth, traffic, profit the Book of Life (q) sahha suhh sahhaf sahhal sepher ha’hhayim hjs js jws [js ljs \yyjh rps an accusation, an illegal action to turn aside, deviate, wander, go astray to draw back the bow; to be moved the Book of Nature (q) sayt satah soot Sepher Ha’tevah fs fs hfs fws ubfh rps that which is equal, regular, natural (HTR) milk which flows without being drawn (HTR) the Book of Yesheer Sepher Yashar 134 hwsm ws gws rws ys ys ys rcy rps ]s ks ]ks hks twks \ybkwkh rps a multitude, crowd, thicket of trees to weave, interweave, cover, protect a booth made of interwoven branches Sukkot, Festival of Tabernacles the Book of Stars (q) number the stars sahh sahhahh sukahh Sukkot sepher h’kohavim to lift up, elevate, weigh, esteem, balance to be quiet, silent; silence; a pause in music to lift up, elevate, cast up, waver a ladder a height, elevation; rock; the city Petra to pardon, forgive / be forgiven salah seleh salal sulam sala salahh als ls hls lls mls uls jls to place, aide, sustain, uphold, support, rest spices, incense, fragrance, aroma to smell, inhale a fragrant smell to mark off, designate, appoint samahh sameem samam saman ]ms ms \yms mms }ms to lift up, elevate; to be sharp a thorn bush, a senna bush clay, mud, dross Sinai Penninsula the leaf of a palm tree sanah sneh seen sinai sensena hns ns hns }ys ynys hnsns 135 to heap up, lay up; provision, storehouse a moth, a larvae a horse; to be swift, to leap for joy Sisera ( a horseman) riding on horseback yesod of yesod on the Tree-of-Life (q) asas sas sus sisera suseeyah samahh samahh ssa ss ss sws arsys aysws ss to rush, agitate, move about, migrate to break camp, depart; pluck up tent cords to be tossed, scattered, dispersed, shaken fissure, cleft, branches; a doubter, divided mind secret of the universe (q) the Book of the Universe (q) sa’ah nasah sa’ar sa’af sod ha’olam Sepher Ha’olam hus us usn rus [us \lwuh dws \lwuh rps to spread out; gather up, collect the stragglers to add, increase, continue, do more to accumulate; to be taken away to narrate, recount, number, enumerate a book, writing; a scribe, numbering a basin, a bowl, a threshold an end, a threshold; to be fulfilled seaweed, rushes; a whirlwind; to snatch away the path between yesod and tiferet on the Tree (q) asah yasaf safah safar safar saf sof suf samahh fay to branch out, extend, make a circular orbit (q) the Book of Formation (q) samahh tzadi Sepher Yetzirah to ascend, take up, lift up, to cause to ascend to stone / be stoned to death nasak sakal 136 [sa ps [sy hps rps rps [s [ws [ws ps xs xs hryxy rps qsn qs lqs to be rebelous, angry, sullen, audacious to depart, withdraw, expel; violation, offense to turn aside, go away; escape calamity to bind, fasten, be captive; to hold in prison an overseer, court minister, eunuch the Book of the Angel Raziel (q) sar sarah sur asar sarees Sepher Raziel to alter, substitute, supersede, be changed (q) the whirlwind of heaven (q) the Book of Gates (q) samahh sheen sa’ara shamayeem sepher h’sha’arim to pass the winter to stimulate, instigate, incite, set free; a garment to stop up, shut up, seal; to hide to be hidden, hide oneself; secrets, esoterica the Book of Torah (q) satah soot satam satar Sepher Torah 137 rs rs hrs rws rsa syrs layzr rps cs cs \ymch hrus \yruch rps hts ts tws mts rts hrwt rps The Letter Code 16: u - Ayin The Hebrew letter ayin (u) is the letter which has roots that go deep within the earth. In the two letter root for the word for tree, aytz (xu), the ayin gives us a picture of the roots and the tzaddi a picture of the branches. In the Phoenician script, the ayin is imaged as a circular form. The ayin has a contemporary meaning of an eye or a fountain. The number value of the letter ayin is seventy. This number appears many times in the torah as a symbol that means “all possible manifestations.” The ayin is a code for the world of assiyah (hycu), the fourth world, the element of earth. The letter ayin is pronounced in an aspirate gutteral way that requires a gentle gutteral breath arising from the source of breath at the depths of the abdomen. It is bioenergetically the most deeply grounding of all the letters. One of the early incarnations of the ayin in the Genesis text occurs in the word rakiyah (uyqr). The function of the ayin here is to anchor the ruahh hakodesh (sacred breath) of the Tree-of-Life to the vibrations of the earth. As the sixteenth letter of the alphabet, one can picture the ayin geometrically as a kind of medicine wheel of the four worlds with one placed in each of the four directions (see diagram). When we square the ayin (so to speak), 16 x 16, the outcome is 256, the gematria of kol devar, all things, the everything. The following are ten of the primordial incarnations of the letter ayin: Aal (lu) (ayin-lamed): This two letter root appears in the phrase aal pinay, in Genesis, when darkness is said to be on the face of the deep. This root conveys the idea of elemental connection, of energy moving from centre (u) to periphery (l), or from depth (u) to height (l). Rakiya (uyqr) (raysh-kof-yod-ayin): Firmament. This firmament, or divider between celestial and terrestial waters can have alternate meanings of first fountain or sacred breath in the act of manifestation. The complete phrase yehee rakiya has a gematria of 405. It is the higher harmonic of the words adam and mah. The rakiya may refer to the morphogenetic fields that mediate manifestation. 138 Aysev (bcu) (ayin-seen-bayt): Herbs, grass, greenery, food. This first herbal food has a gematria of 372, the same gematria as sheva, which means an oath or promise. Aytz ({u) (ayin-tzaddi): Tree. The ayin gives a picture of the roots of the tree tapping into the energy of the earth. The tzaddi gives us a picture of the branches of the tree opening up to the sky. Oseh (hcu) (ayin-seen-hay): Yielding, making, manifesting. The manifesting here involves bringing forth the fruit of the tree. Assiyah (hycu) process that goes: (ayin-seen-yod-hay): Manifestation. The fourth world in a creative emanation (intention/fire), creation (template/air), formation (archetype/water), manifestation (the-thing-itself/earth). Moadim (\yduwm) (mem-vav-ayin-dalet-yod-mem) Seasons. The root of moadim is ayin-dalet (du) which can mean to progress in space or in time. It is the root for the word for eternity or to witness. These two letters are enlarged in Torah in words: dja umc. The hint here is to listen for that which unifies or brings one to a perception of the One. Erev (bru) (ayin-raysh-bayt) Evening. Twilight. Dusk. To mix, to exchange, to barter, to mingle darkness with light. Evree (yrbu) (ayeen-bayt-raysh-yod) Hebrew. A passer-by. One who crosses over a river or a stream. One who comes from the region beyond, or the opposite side. Ayden (}du) (yod-dalet-nun) Eden. To live sumptuously, delicately, pleasurably. To be flexible, delicate, vulnerable, vibrating. 139 Introduction to The Gate-Book 16: u - Ayin The King David version of the letter Ayin gives us an image of a letter whose roots go deeply into the earth. The Phoenician image of the letter Ayin is a circular form. We find this carried through in the idiomatic meanings for the Ayin. We find it when we read the Ayin as the circular form of the pupil of the eye or the circular form of a fountain or a spring bringing water to the surface from the depths of the earth. The sound of the Ayin is a deep guttural sound that arises from the cauldron of the lower abdomen. The Ayin speaks of the power of manifestation, the capacity to bring the form world out of the primordial emptiness; To bring yaysh m’ayn, something out of nothing. The Ayin also speaks of time cycles, and moments of synchronicity, whereby one can perceive the pattern of time or the resonance of creative and formative worlds nested in that which is manifest. We find this notion nested in the pair of gates Ayin-sheen and Sheen-ayin. The Ayin-sheen gate is the root for the word assiah: to work, fabricate, produce, make, create. The inverse gate, Sheen-ayin has an idiomatic meaning of: to preserve, aid, liberate, deliver, set free. It can also mean the twinkling of an eye, or spiritual vision. As a general rule, when the Ayin precedes a letter, it gathers the energy potential of that letter into a powerful creative reservoir. When the Ayin follows a letter, it allows the potential of the letter that comes before it to be released into the manifest world. One of the more fascinating or mystical of our 484 gates is the gate: Ayin-Ayin. We find the two Ayins together as signature letters in a number of two-letter hebrew phrases like \wlu dbu eved olam (eternal servant, servant of the universe) and olam assiah (the world of manifestation). Some kabbalists look to a double gate the way a mathematician looks at the square of a number. In the case of the Ayin, one would look at its sequential position in the alphabet as the 16th letter. The square of 16 is 256, the gematria of the hebrew phrase kol devar (rbd lk), all that is, the everything. Kabbalistically this gate Ayin-Ayin can be considered the centre of the circle, the idea of eternal recurrence or the assiah of assiah, the deepest level of manifestation that spirit can penetrate. 140 The sixteenth chapter of the Book of Exodus gives us a unique spin on the meaning of the letter Ayin. Sepher Yetzirah teaches us that the Ayin is associated with liver in the body and the psychology of anger. In the sixteenth chapter of Exodus, the Israelite community begins to complain against Moses and Aaron due to an apparent shortage of food. Moses and Aaron let the people know that their complaints are not against them but against God. In the fourteenth verse, after the evaporation of the dew from the earth, what is later called manna appears. Exodus 16:16 speaks of the manna, suggesting that each human should take only as much of it as he/she needs. The verse teaches us how the universe responds in the world of assiah to the prayer of our collective heart and soul. It may also hint at the universal laws of perpetuity and how elements are cycled and recycled in the universe. The manna refers to minute yet concentrated grains of spiritual food that appear on the surface of desert, like frost crystals. (rpkk qd spsjm qd) is indeed the microcosmic manna that the gate Ayin-Ayin illuminates. 141 The Gate-Book 16: u - Ayin [la }yu au twlyxa hyxu dja }yu ykna yrbu au energy potential, atomic energy (q) the manifestation of essence (q) one eye, that which returns to its source (q) I am a Hebrew (a passerby) a movement of energy from yesod to tiferet (q) ayin aleph asiyah atziluth ayin ehhad eevri anohhi ayin aleph to condense, cover with darkness, wrap about to be thick, dense, compact to pass over, cross a stream, go beyond the opposite side, region on the other side a ferry-boat av avah avar evayr avarah to bend, to curve, go in a circle a round cake baked on hot cinders deep breathing, delights, voluptuous love to roll, revolve; a ring, a chariot a migratory bird oog egah agav agal agur gwu gu hgu bgu lgu rwgu to return, repeat, invoke, testify, bear witness to repeat, return; to witness, give testimony to pass over, to pass by; to remove, abrogate an assembly, appointed meeting, congregation pleasure, delight, flexibility, vibration to point out, to find, appoint, meet with a fixed point in time or space; periodic return (q) listen! understand the oneness! ahd ood ahdah aydah ayden ya’ad ayd shema ehhad du du dwu hdu hdu }du duy du 142 bu bu hbu rbu rbu hrbu dja umc the world of manifestation; sentient reality window into eternity, perception of periodicity (q) asiyah ayin hay hycu hu hu to bend, curve, twist, distort, subvert guilt, crime, perversity, calamity, penalty to turn away; curvature, inversion, declanation to be bent, inflected, crooked to be blind, blinded; to be awake, alert, watchful ava avon aval avat evayr; ur hwu wu }wu lwu twu rwu strong, fortified, harsh, might; a she-goat strength, might, power, firmness to flee for refuge; to set one’s things in safety to loosen bands, let go, desert, set a servant free to strengthen, become strong, make secure to gird, surround, defend, aid; helper, ally eye/ear, a karmic cycle (q) az; ayz oz uz azav azaz azar ayin zayin zu zu zu zwu bzu zzu rzu zu intense bonding; syntropic energy (q) the Tree-of-Life (q) the source of electricity; electromagnetic field (q) ayin hhet aytz hhayim ayn hashmal a stylus, chisel, incision, notch, cut to impress, immerse, engrave, inscribe to cover over, wrap up, roll up, clothe oneself to press upon, to be indignant; anger, rage to surround with a crown; diadem ayt oot atah ayeet atar 143 ju ju \yyj {u lmcj }yu fu fu fwu hfu fyu rfu the place where a valley opens; a heap of ruins to flow out (as water, tears) an eye, a look; a fountain, a source aye een ayeen ahhav to be agile, swift; an agile weaver, a spider ahhar to disturb, trouble, stir up; troubled water the helper who stands opposite one (soul-mate) (q) ezer k'inegdo yu yu }yu }yu bku ku rku wdgnk rzu lu lu (h)lu hlu hylu }wylu lu high, above, over, upon, near, beyond a yoke, servitude; pretext; burnt offering to go up, lead up, take up; to be elevated a loft, upper chamber, ladder, steps, ascension highest places; Supreme; Most High material extent, elemental energy, earth/heaven(q) ahl ohl/alah alah aliyah elyon ayin lamed a people, nation, race, family, common people together, with, at, by, near, in proximity to to stand, to stand firm, endure, remain, persist aam eem amad/amida \u mu \u dmu sing, call, read, answer, signify; lift up the voice to till the ground, cultivate, labour, oppress modest, humble, afflicted, poor thick cloud; that which condenses, forms a body fountain, eye, source, circle, centre, hole, recess anah anah anav anan ayeen hnu nu hnu wnu }nu }yu 144 ssu su sysu to tread down, to trample grapes under foot a new wine, juice asass asees the centre of the circle, eternal recurrence (q) eternal servant; servant-of-the-universe (q) to ascend from the depths to the Most High (q) ayin ayin eved olam aliyah elyon to cover with feathers, fly; to grow luxuriantly to fly, hang in the air, hover, cover with darkness to be light, swift, agile to be faint, to languish, fail in strength; darkness dust, dry earth, powder eyelids ayfah oof a tree, wood; substance, backbone to bind fast, be strong; make an impression upon to consult, council, predict, declare, decree essence, bone, bond, bodily form aytz yaatz ootz etzem {u xu {uy {wu \xu to be compressed, narrowed, arched to come from behind, circumvent, defraud; heel the end, reward, latter part of anything Jacob; who follows in the footprints, holds a heel ook akav ekev yaakov qwu qu bqu bqu bquy 145 auwf ayafe afar afapayim uu uu \lwu dbu }wylu hylu hpu pu pwu pwu pwu rpu \ypupu a city, town, watch tower; a watcher (angel) to be naked, alert, ardent, crafty, watchful; skin a newborn, a young boy, bridegroom honey freely flowing from the comb; forest air, atmosphere eer oor naar yaar avir rwu ru rwu run ruy rwu Ursa Major, the Great Bear, nightly watcher to labor, work, fabricate, produce, make, create to hasten, gather together, assemble, selves to be happy, to prosper, to enrich ash asa oosh ashar cu cu hcu cwu rcu now, at this time, the present moment to hasten, assist, aid; be skillful in an art prompt, ready, prepared, destined; impending knowledge, intelligence, awareness, knowing ayt oot ateed daat tu tu twu dtu tud 146 The Letter Code 17: p - Pay The letter pay or fay (p) is the letter that refers to the mouth, speech, saying, an entrance, an opening, or the surface of anything. It is the letter of beauty and of the Presence. When it appears in the word po (hp), it means here, in this place, at this moment. The pay is an invocatory letter that asks us to be physically and spiritually present at a moment where we are called to pay attention. It can refer to an internal spiritual event where one is called to be face-to-face (hp-la-hp) with the essence of oneself or Divine Presence. As a pictogram, the letter pay makes allusion to the sacred spiral, the beauty and goodness inherent in creation. It is the seventeenth letter, the gematria of tov, goodness. When we add the sum of the numbers one through seventeen (1+2+3+4...+17), we come up with the number 153, which is the gematria of the artisan Betzalel (lalxb), who is the archetype of the divine craftsman who creates with divine light in the shadow of the Elohim. When we map out the number seventeen as sacred geometry, we see it as the essence at the centre of the medicine wheels of the four worlds (See diagram). One of the concealed meanings of the letter pay has to do with deliverance from slavery and freedom from psychological attachment to the material world. It allows us to transform, transmute, to blossom, and to fly. The following are ten of the key incarnations of the letter pay: Al-p’nay (ynp-lu) (ayeen-lamed-pay-nun-yod) On the surface of. On the face of the waters or of the waves. Marhhehhet (tpjrm) (mem-raysh-hhet-pay-tav) Hovering. This hovering is said to be like the hovering of an eagle over her young. The inner root rahhaf has a gematria of 288. Habad teaches us that this refers to the 288 root souls that are breathed into incarnation. They symbolically receive the divine breath of hhesed. 147 P’ree (yrp) (pay-raysh-yod) Fruit. Nefesh hhaya (hyj cpn) (nun-pay-sheen hhet-yod-hay) Creatures which breath the breath of life. The nefesh refers to the first level of the soul which carries the animal vitality. Kanaf ([nk) (kaf-nun-pay) Wing. That which flies with the wind. Afar (rpu) (ayeen-pay-raysh) Dust. The dust of adama which is used in the world of yetsirah to form Adam is likely more like the physicists living enzyme soup than a dry pollen! Kabbalistically the word is a contraction of a tree (aytz) that bears fruit (p’ree). Adam is thereby formed from the Tree-of-Life. Vayeepahh b’apeev (wypab jpyw) (vav-yod-pay-het bayt-aleph-pay-yod-vav) And breathed into his nostrils. The first pay is a divine out-breath that inspires Adam. The second pay refers to nostrils of Adam that receive the divine inspiration. Yipared (drpy) (yod-pay-raysh-dalet) To spread out. This spreading out comes from one river which divides into four sources flowing out from the centre of the garden of Eden. The four rivers coming out of Eden refer to the four worlds of consciousness. Venifkehhoo (wjqpnw) (vav-nun-pay-kof-het-vav) (And your eyes) shall be opened. This opening of the eyes or enlightenment was offered to the woman by the nahhash in Genesis 3:5. Tiferet (trapt) (tav-pay-aleph-raysh-tav) Tiferet. The sixth sphere of the Tree-of-Life. Refers to the principle of harmony and beauty that radiates from the central sphere of the Tree. The root also alludes to the sewing together of the different limbs of the Tree into one garment of light. 148 Introduction to The Gate-Book 17: p - Pay The 17th letter pay/phay conveys meanings that have to do with breath, proportion, beauty and spiritual transformation. As the 17th letter it refers to the spirit essence that spins the ophaneem or the alternating faces of the four worlds of creation. The number 17 choreographs the permutation and combination of elements in the molecular world of the 16. The letter pay/phay is a double letter according to the Sepher Yetzirah. The pay is a hard sound where the breath pushes from within to without. The phay is a soft sound whereby the breath escapes the mouth gently through the teeth. Most words that begin with the pay begin with the hard sound or a propulsion. Most gates that end with the phay end with the soft phay that allows air to be released in a gentle way. This may prove to be useful when you examine the 44 gates that contain pay/phay. There are a few gates that stand out within the set of 22 that you will be meditating with here. The root pay-nun ( np ) is a root that teaches us much about the pure meaning of the letter. We find this root referring to : The face, presence, surface, countenance, corner, interior. As a verb it can mean to turn one’s self in any direction, or to alternate. It is also the root for the word ophaneem, an angelic realm which presents alternating facets or faces to one’s vision due to their multi-dimensional reality. The inverse gate to pay-nun is nun-phay ( pn ), root for the word nephesh, to take breath, breathe, soul, feeling, purpose. The double gate pay/phay has an idiomatic meaning of to glide, fly, waver in the air. Kabbalistically the two phays or pays represent that which has two wings or can fly. It is a reference to that which in Torah is called paneem-al-paneem. Presence to presence, face to face, spiritually present, a moment of intimacy and recognition. The 17th chapter of Genesis is the one where a covenant is cut between God and Avram. In the first verse pay-hey ( hp ) Avram’s name is changed to Abraham by the addition of the letter hey to his name. This signifies his new destiny as the father of a horde of nations. In the 11th verse Avraham is instructed about the mark of the covenant and the 149 rite of circumcision. In the 15th verse ( sp ) Sarah’s name Sarai is changed to Sarah so that she will be blessed and bare a child at the age of 90. The Kabbalistic teaching suggests that the Yod from Sarai is being divided into two heys. One is given to Avraham, one to Sarah. These heys represent the in-breath and the out-breath of the Divine Name. In the 17th verse of the 17th chapter Avraham falls on his face and begins to laugh. He is face-to-face, paneem-al-paneem, with a paradox, a divine intervention that makes him a father at the age of 100 and Sarah a mother at the age of 90. The Kabbalistic teaching points to the letter tzaddi, ( x ) as the letter representing the archetypal female energy and the letter kof ( q ) representing the archetypal male energy. These letters reoccur in the name given to the child of Avraham and Sarah : Yitzhak (qjxy). Yitzhak whose name means laughter (perhaps he is conceived in Avraham’s mind in the moment before he falls upon his face and laughs!), embraces the letters for the female x, the male q and life energy, hhai, yj. Take the time to meditate on the verses of the 17th chapter of Genesis and any other chapter 17 in Torah, the writings, and the prophets that you might find fascinating. 150 The Gate-Book 17: p - Pay to blow, to divide, to scatter, to segment a corner, portion, region, side, quarter the face of things pa’ah peyah pay aleph hap ap hap ap the dawning of a new day; a breakthrough (q) pay bayt bp bp to be cold, frigid, immature, static, undeveloped to light upon, strike; to strike a covenant incident, encounter, chance, event to be weary, exhausted, lazy; carcass cessation, rest, torpor pug puga puga pugar poog gp gp ugp ugp rgp gup to loosen, let go, set free, deliver, redeem, padah liberate pedon liberation, redemption pedar to nourish, to fatten hdp dp peh peh poh the mouth, opening, portion, edge, border an orator, spokesman, messenger, here, in this place 151 }wdp rdp hp hp hp hp his voice, his commandment, his word to breathe, blow, blow through, exhale, disperse to disperse, overflow, spread out, break in pieces to move to and frow, bring to an end po pooahh pootz pook wp wp jwp {wp qwp pure, purified, pure gold to ejaculate to leap, to bound; to be light, agile to separate and purify metals from dross mouth/ear (q) paz pooz pazaz pazaz pay zayin zp zp zwp zzp zzp zp to breath out, blow upon, breath into, animate a net, a snare; lascivious, wantoness to blow through, exhale; to blow out, to hasten to cook, to bake, to care for; governor fear, terror, trembling pahh pahh/pahhaz poahh pehhah pahhad jp jp (z)jp hwp hjp djp to break through, split, spread out, burst forth fissure, first-born, first-fruits to break, strike with a hammer, flatten patar patar patash rfp fp rfp cfp the mouth, edge, angle, proportion, message pi 152 yp yp flask, bottle, condensation; a lens to invert, counteract, overturn, be changed to waver to and fro; seaweed extending their wings pahh hafahh poohh parshay kanafeem to separate, distinguish, weigh out to let fall, to revolve, to level mystery, miracle, wonder, marvel, enigma to cleave, divide; a stream, river, channel pala nafal pele peleg to strike with the foot, to keep a beat; one stroke a bell to swallow down, understand; a footstep, anvil the surface of the waters pa’am pa’amon pa’am p’nay hamayim a prohibition; removing, taking away, lest to turn oneself in any direction; a face, corner surface; external appearance, personal presence inside, within, inner, interior, inward face, presence, surface, fore-part, countenance ophan, a wheel, an alternating face pen panah panah p’neemah p’nay ophan extremity; a tunic extending to wrist and ankles diffusion, abundance; a handful halt, limp, be dislocated; immunity; Passover a graven image, an idol to cease, leave off, come to an end; zero, nothing pas peesa pesahh pesel pasas/effes 153 ]p kp ]ph ]wp \ypnk ycrp alp lp lpn alp glp \up mp }wmup \ap \ymh ynp }p np hnp hnp hmynp ynp }pwa sp sp hsp jsp lsp spa/ssp hup up \ynyu jqp to cry out, bellow, shatter, crush, crumble to open the eyes pa’a pakahh aynayim to fly, glide, waver in the air two wings or surfaces, double edged (q) face-to-face, immediacy; spiritual intimacy affaf pey pey panim el panim the face of the earth to disperse, scatter, lay bare; a fissure to break a seal, burst open, shower, inundate to tear apart, deliver, snatch away, wound to peel, strip off bark p’nay ha aretz nafatz nefetz patza patzal to vascillate, alternate, move to and fro to oversee, visit, examine, enumerate; oversight to open one’s eyes, restore sight; see the unseen that which opens and shuts, is intermittent (q) pook fakad fakahh pay kof qwp qp dqp jqp qp to run swiftly; a bull, a wild ass that which is fertile, fruitful, productive; fruit to separate, expand, disperse to loosen, to leave off, become unbridled Pharaoh; leader of an army Persia; to divide/to be divided to break down, scatter, spread abroad, rupture par(ah) pari parad pharoa paroh paras paratz (a)rp rp yrp drp urp hurp srp xrp 154 [pa pp pp \ynp la \ynp {rah ynp xp xpn xpn hxp lxp pride, step to fall away, break away, defect; rebellion, fault a horseman leaping proudly and fiercely to take breath; soul, anima, will, living creature pash pesha poosh nefesh cp cp ucp cwp cpn to open the eyes; to be ingenuos, simple, deluded simplicity, folly, deceit to spread out, open, let oneself be persuaded to open one’s hand/mouth; to open oneself opening, entrance, door, gate, portal to interpret a dream pot p’ti patah patahh patahh patar tp tp ytp htp jtp jtp rtp 155 The Letter Code 18: x - Tzaddi The 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter tzaddi. The letter has a numerical value of 90. It means the side of, to hunt, or to capture. From a kabbalistic stand point, tzaddi has to do with symmetry patterns. The root tzadeek carries the meaning of one who is just, honest, upright, correct, righteous. The word is a contraction of the two letters tzaddi and kof which represent female and male energy vibrations. The tzadeek is a soul who has gained mastery and balance of receptive and radiating powers within him/herself and is willing to serve as a model and a mirror of spiritual mastery. In the Sepher Yetzirah, tzaddi is the letter associated with the zodiac sign Aquarius. It is the letter connected with the process of meditation. It is likely that this process was integral to the art of hunting in a time when the hunter needed to attune his imaginal realm and brain waves to the animal that was being hunted. Meditation, seen in this light, parallels the art of fishing. Tzaddi is sometimes seen to be a pictogram for a fish hook! When we look at the gematria of the letter tzaddi, we find that the number 90 is the fourth part of a circle. From this primordial circle we can take an image, a tzelem (\lx) and mirror it both vertically and horizontally to form a complete circle or wholeness. This holds a kabbalistic teaching whereby humans are created b’tzelem elohim, in the image of God. Also the divine spark is divided symmetrically into male and female vessels that mirror one another on the soul level. The tzaddi on a primary level refers us to aytz hahhayeem, the Tree-of-Life. This may include the whole creative process from the world of emanation to the world of manifestation along with the symmetrical mirroring of vibrational energies betweeen worlds or dimensions. The following are ten of the key incarnations of the letter tzaddi that appear in the early passages of Genesis: Ha’aretz ({rah) (hay-aleph-raysh-tzaddi): The earth. The three letters that preceed the first tzaddi to appear in the Genesis text are found in the words elohim (h) and b’raysheet (ra). The tzaddi stands in symmetry with the enlarged bayt of b’raysheet. The two together 156 refer to the cosmic egg that is being hatched here. The word ha’aretz holds the light (ar) created with/by elohim that catalyzes the photosynthesis process on our planet. The final tzaddi is a code for all of the vessels, branches and symmetry patterns that receive this light. Vatotzeh (axwtw) (vav-tav-vav-tzaddi-aleph): “and brought forth”, referring to the greenery and the seed that appear on the earth during the third day of creation. The tzaddi here implies a kind of unfurling from the world of potential into the world of the manifest. Aytz ({u) (ayin-tzaddi): Tree. Appearing in the phrase “aytz p’ree” or fruit tree. This two letter root serves as a pictogram for the process it represents. The ayin gives us a picture of the roots of a tree tapping into earth energy and underground water. The tzaddi gives us the image of the branches of the tree unfurling in space. B’tzelem (\lxb) (bayt-tzaddi-lamed-mem): “in the image”. The full phrase is b’tzelem elohim, which means “in the image of Elohim”. Another possible translation here could be “in the shadow of the Elohim” or “in the shadow of the Light”. Some commentators consider this phrase to hint at a level of unity that preceeds the journey through sexual duality or dialectics! The gematria of b’tzelem elohim is 248, the same gematria as Avraham and rehhem, or the womb of compassion. Vayeetzar (rxyyw) (raysh-tzaddi-yod-yod-vav): “and formed”. This word appears in Genesis 2/7 where the archetype of Adam is formed from the afar (earth fertility, cosmic soup, energy sprouts) that come from the Adamah. This root refers to the yetzirah level of creation where things are given colour, shape, form and the opportunity to permute, combine and mate with symmetry patterns that match their own. Aytz ha’hhayeem (\yyjh {u) (ayin-tzaddi hay-hhet-yod-yod-mem): The Tree-of-Life. The Tree-of-Life energies. This tree, which appears in the middle of the Garden of Eden, has something to do with the regenerative alchemy of our biological being. The word ha’hhayeem has the same gematria as the letter gimel and the word hhochmah: 73. The 157 gimel refers to metabolic processes and the capacity to nurture. The Tree-of-Life is also the Tree-of-Wisdom that teaches us through our intuition about the relationship between essence and form, light and vessel. The wisdom includes an attunement to cosmic cycles and synchronicities. Matza (axm) (mem-tzaddi-aleph): To search out, to find. The word appears in Genesis 2/20 where Adam is unable to find his partner/helpmate. The root matza implies a kind of thirst. It can mean, in the Hebrew idiom, to suck out that which is sweet. The water of the letter mem is being sucked up by the branches of the tzaddi and converted back to the world of aleph (light, unity, love). Hatzayla (ulxh) (hay-tzaddi-lamed-ayin): The rib. This is the famous rib in Genesis 2/22 that is taken from man and used to formulate woman. Let’s consider the root tzayla as a verb that means to incline to one’s side, or to limp. As a noun, the root means a beam, or side chamber. The limping implies, from our standpoint, a kind of shamanic wounding of Adam whereby his innermost essence is hidden from self. The cosmic principle that we are dealing with here is symmetry. With a little creative magic, a trick of breath and mirrors, an aspect of the world of form is empowered to restore wholeness and essence to humanity. The tzayla is a code for a buried aspect of the world of atzilut that we carry unconsciously within us. Perhaps we should translate hatzayla as: the mirror of relationship! Etzem (\xu) (ayin-tzaddi-mem): bone, strength, integrity, essence. The essence here refers to the whole process of the Tree-of-Life being watered from the realm of the elohim. It is the tree planted within us psychically and genetically that reminds us of our divine inheritance, b’tzelem elohim. Atzilut (twlyxa) (aleph-tzaddi-yod-lamed-vav-tav): The world of emanation. The world of nearness. The root atzal or atzeel means to put forth deep roots, to be sprung from an ancient stock, to connect together. The world of emanation involves a sending forth of light, through image projection into each of the four worlds of creation until essence is clothed with the 158 world of form. Emanation involves the connecting of these four worlds and the planting of roots deep into the world of asiyah, or manifestation. 159 Introduction to The Gate-Book 18: x - Tzaddi The hebrew letter tzaddi serves as a pictogram for the branches of the Tree-of -Life rooted in aretz, the earth. As the gematria 90 the tzaddi gives us the image of one quarter or fourth of a circle. The circle represents the Garden of Eden; tzaddi represents the four rivers that emanate from Pardase to water the garden of the 4 worlds of creation. The two letter gate ayin-tzaddi, aytz, xu images for us the roots of the tree with the ayin, the branches of the tree with the tzaddi. It is also possible to consider that this gate refers to olam atzilut or olam yetzirah , the world of emanation or the world of image creation. As the ayin can alternately represent a circular form, the tzaddi then refers to the four quarters of topography contained within the circle or sphere. This the tzaddi echoes back to the phrase we hear early in the creation: b’tzelem elohim. This image from the creative realm is initially mirrored on the reflective surface of the water via the breath or Spirit. This mirroring speaks of a geometrical projection of form from above to below or from right to left. The Zohar alludes to this mirroring process when the letters are seen as faceto face or back-to-back. (heaven-to-earth or earth-to-heaven). If the circle were to represent an electro-magnetic field, then the tzaddi would represent the 4 distinct energy quadrants of the field. The kabbalah would refer to these as the 4 tzittzit of the tallit or prayer shawl. With this in mind, we can understand the notion of the tzadeek or upright being who serves to connect the worlds of heaven & earth, of being & becoming, of what is & what will be. As we have seen before, the tzaddi has a discernable connection to the maternal & female function of taking seed into the womb & the evolution of forms within any timespace continuum or cycle of manifestation. It is the letter we associate with the matriarch Sarah who conceives at the archetypally ripe age of 90! We find this story appearing in the 18th chapter of Genesis in the parsha called VaYera in hebrew. In the fourth verse ( 18:4 dx ) we hear Abraham say to the three stangers/guests/angels : “ let some water be brought and wash your feet. Rest under the tree.” The tzaddi gate for this verse points 160 towards both a hidden ( tzelem) & a revealed ( dimoot) meaning for what one will find while resting beneath this tree. In the 9th verse, tzaddi-tet, the guests ask of Abraham: “Where is your wife Sarah? “Abraham replies: “Here, in the tent.” The gate here, tzaddi-et, refers to the cosmological principles of evolution & involution. In the 10th verse, one of the strangers/guests/angels suggests to Abraham that he will return in approximately one year, at which time Sarah will have given birth to a son. Sarah overhears the words of the messenger from behind the entrance of the tent and laughs (vateetzhhak, qjxtw). The laughter that separates/ connects Abraham& Sarah is a matter of perspective & perception that is truly possible in the realm of assiah. The teaching here is that nothing is impossible or too difficult for the One Being to accomplish! (ha’yeepalay mayyodhayvavhay : hwhym alpyh ) The remainder of the chapter involves the dialogue between Abraham & YHVH regarding the fate of the people of Sodom. Abraham learns that the just or upright souls that reside in Sodom will not be destroyed along with the evil or wayward ones. The story speaks of the power of the tzadeekeem, the just ones or the innocent ones, to purify or transmute the karma of their rasha/ not-so-innocent-or-just neighbours. Take the time to meditate on the nuances of the 18th chapter of Genesis while utilizing the hints given by the tzaddi gates that follow. Be aware that the idiomatic meanings are in the world of assiah. Ask the Gate-keepers themselves to teach you the true meaning of the gates in the world of Atziluth! 161 The Gate-Book 18: x - Tzaddi to go forth, bring forth, release, be cast out to germinate, to expand, spring forth things which spring up; descendents outflow, excrement yatzah yatzah t’zayah t’zayah t’zeayetzaeem to go forth as a star, as a soldier to a war to cause to swell, project, to be prominent a gazelle; splendour, glory to be willing, prone, inclined to pour out, to flow, to go slowly to dip into, to immerse, dye a garment to place, take a stand, speak what is true tzava tzava tzevee tzeva tzavav tzava yatzav to establish, place, make to stand, leave in place the great tree the tree in the garden (q) yetzag aytz gadol aytz hagan the side, a snare, a secret, a design; an adversary to fix the eyes on anything, to search for to lie in wait, to hunt, lay snares, catch birds a judge, a king, a righteous being; just, upright pattern/picture : hidden/revealed q tzayd tzadah tzood tzadeek tzelem/damot 162 axy ax axy hax hax \yaxax hbx bx hbx ybx abx bbx ubx bxy gxy gx lwdg xu }gh xu dx dx hdx dwx qdx twmd/mlx polished, shining, golden light to be white, shining, polished, sundried to be pure, to reveal oneself, to shine tzahav tzohar tzahah tzahar bhx hx rhx hhx rhx an order, comand, precept, direction, verbal will to appoint, delegate, commission, command tzav tzuahh wx wx jwx to chomp the bit; to feel restricted symmetrical balance (q) golden channels (Zech 4/12) tzooz tzaddi zayin tzinorot zahav to be sunny, dry, arid, radiant, glistening to be exposed to solar rays; to thirst clarity, sincerity; the forehead; a sonorous voice tree of life (q) tzahha maytzahh netzahh aytz hhayim to extend branches (q) evolution/involution (q) aquarius/leo ; meditation/hearing ( SY) tzaddi tet tzaddi tet tzaddi tel fx fx fx fx a desert, dry region; a ship, nomad that which is exposed to solar rays Zion; the south hill where Jerusalem is built tzee tzayaah tzyon yx yx hyx }wyx 163 zx zx zx bhz twrwnx hjx jx jxm jxn \yyj xu expansion/contraction, friction (q) netzahh-malhhut pathway on the tree (q) star constellations (q) tzaddi kaf netzahh/malhhut tzivaot/kokhaveem to put forth deep roots; connect together; image to withdraw, disappear; to snatch from danger a shadow, depth, canopy; prayer an image, shadow, likeness rib, side, quarter of the heavens; to limp ear-tingling sound; cymbals, zills, flapping wings atzal atzeel tzayl tzelem tzala tzalel/tziltzal to tie up, bind fast, press together to be thirsty, fast, suffer, contractions a yoke of oxen; an indisolvable bond essence, substance; bone, bodily form contraction tzoom tzama tzemed etzem tzimtzum to withdraw, reserve, restrain, preserve, guard to be cold, hard, compacted, hidden; a shield a channel, aquaduct, tube, water course tzeena tzanan tzanar to search for support; structural foundation (q) aquarius/ sagittarius : meditation/trance (q) netzahh-yesod pathway on the tree (q) tzaddi samehh tzaddi samehh netzahh/ yesod to cleave in two, to divide bread; profit to incline, spread out, spread beneath, unfurl to incline, bend back, empty a vessel; to step up, to mount; to go in slow motion betzah yatzah tza’ah tza’ad 164 kx kx twklm/jxn mybkwk twabx lxa lx lyxa lx \lx ulx lxlx/llx \wx mx amx dmx \xu \wxmyx hnx nx }nx rnx sx sx sx sx uxb ux uxy hux dux to arrange, select, put at the right place to look out, review, observe, see visions to overflow, float; honey dropping from comb the north; what is secret, destined, yet to come tzafa tzafa tzoof tzafon hpx px hpx [wx }wpx to blossom, flower, flourish, fly to glitter, emit sparks, glance, make eyes shine fringed edges, borders, extremities, feathers natzatz netzotz tztzeet {xn xx xwxyn txyx to be compressed, narrowed, straightened to pour out, melt ore, cast metal to tie together, cry out, clap the hands to make sport, to jest, mock, laugh repeatedly 90/100, female/male, expansion/contraction (q) tzook yatzak tzakal tzahhak tzadi kof qwx qx qxy lqx qjxy qx to form, form in the mind, fashion as a potter bind together, keep watch, preserve from danger a narrow road, straight; adversary; vertebrae a stone, pebble, rock, edge, flint knife, cleft Tyre; to press upon, cut with a knife, besiege yatzar yatzar tzar tzoor tzoor rxy rx rxy rx rwx rwx to separate the real from the counterfeit (q) tzaddi sheen cx cx to kindle, set on fire, burn with anger gematria for 490 (7x70) (q) yatzat tzaddi tav txy tx tx 165 The Letter Code 19: q - Kof The ninteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter kof (q). Its complete spelling is kof-vav-phay. The numerical value of kof, itself, is 100; when spelled out in full it is 186. The value 186 is, of course, the value of the speed of light. The kabbalistic notion here is that the kof travels at the speed of light and brings a kind of cosmic consciousness to any vessel that becomes aware of the embedded aleph that has been placed, like a divine spark, within it. The kof brings to self-consciousness or self-awareness the omniscience, the omnipresence and the indwelling essence of divine unity. Within the dialog of particle and wave (the yod and mem of elohim) the kof attunes the particle to its harmonic resonance with the wave. There are a number of other interesting words with the gematria of 186. Traditionally, kabbalists have seen this number as the square of the four letter Divine Name. Thus, the yod-hay-vav-hay, with its 10-5-6-5 gematria, is squared, letter by letter, as 102 52 62 52 (100+25+36+25=186). The first Hebrew word to appear in Genesis with this gematria is the word makom (\wqm), the place where the waters are gathered. This makom is referred to esoterically as any state or station of consciousness. The kof appears in the word rakiyah (uyqr), usually translated as the firmament. This word can also refer to the sacred breath or ruahh hakodesh (cdwqh jwr) that transports the seeds of the Tree-of-Life (yod) to the world of manifestation (ayin). Another key word with the gematria 186 is the word kolaynu (wnlq), meaning our voice. This alludes to a Kabalistic teaching whereby the creative gift of vocalization and spoken language is a gift given so that we may become vessels for the “language of light”. Other gematria for 186 include vaneyfen (}fnw) meaning and we turned; the implication being that we are returning toward Source. In the Hebrew idiom, the kof can refer to a monkey or an ape. I’m sure that those who hold to the theory of evolution will enjoy this! The kof can also refer to the eye of a needle. It is katan (}fq), that which is small, or microcosmic. There is a principal of contraction towards centre or essence that is carried by the kof. The Hebrew word for a 166 solstice, an equinox, or any still point in an orbit or a magnetic field is called a tikufah (hpwqt). The simple root here is hakafah, which means ringing, circling, circuit, to encircle or to surround (hakayf, [qh), and hekayf, meaning periphery, circumference, outline or orbit. The implication here is that consciousness is perpetually surrounding or orbiting the void, which is symbolized by the eye-of-the-needle or the hole-in-the-axe-blade, of which the kof is a pictogram. The reference here is to the cyclical nature of things and our capacity to enter ceremony, and attain a still-point at specific portals. This allows our consciousness to travel faster than the speed of light in order to gain a vision and an embodiment of the unity of the complete cycle. Tradtionally the solstices and equinoxes have been utilized by indigenous cultures as ceremonial moments or doorways that stop time and open up perception to eternal realms. One of the most important words in Hebrew illuminating the kof is the word kaddosh (cdq). This word is most often translated as holy, sacred, pure or sanctified. From a Kabbalistic vantage point it can also mean a singular point (from the word nikud, dwqn, vowel point) of spirit-flame c. The Sepher Yetzirah teaches us that the kof is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces and the human capacity for laughter (The kof found in Yitzhak, qjxy). This laughter is the bridge between personal and transpersonal realities, the awareness of the paradoxical nature of life and the attunement to a cosmic consciousness. The following ten words will give us a sense of the earlier incarnations of the letter kof in the genesis process: vayeekra (arqyw) (vav-yod-kof-raysh-aleph) and called. The first calling here is a vibration that goes from the elohim to the Light. It is an act of naming or distinguishing the first complimentarity to appear in Genesis light/darkenss as day/night. The kof of vayeekra sets things in orbit. 167 boker (rqb) (bayt-kof-raysh) morning. The dawning of the light. The bayt of boker comes from the bara of b’raysheet. The kof raysh of boker comes from kara, the calling out or naming. The primary polarities of implosion/explosion (b) and contraction/expansion (q) of light (r) are established in the word boker. rakeeya (uyqr) (raysh-kof-yod-ayin) firmament, canopy. That which is spread out like a hemisphere above the earth, with a heavenly ocean above it. There are a fascinating variety of speculations about the exact nature of the firmament. Some theorists consider the rakeeya to be like a photon belt or an atmospheric energy band between earth and deep space. The letter flow of the word suggests a ruahh kodesh, sacred atmosphere or breath that creates a bridge between energy potential (y) and energy manifested and kinetic (u). makom (\wqm) (mem-kof-vav-mem) gathering space, state of consciousness. A place, station, abode, habitation. The kof here collects the two mems from the word mayim. The inner gate kof-vav refers to the line of light that is spoken of in the Lurianc Kabbalah. The word makom has a gematria of 186, the same gematria as the letter kof (100-6-80), the speed of light, the square of the letters of the four letters of the divine name (100-25-36-25). hakatan (}fqh) (hey-kof-tet-nun) the litle one. Little, small, younger. This word first appears in Genesis making reference to the moon as the lesser light in the sky. The inner root kof-tet referst to the process of contraction (q) and embryonic process or involution (f). nikeva (hbqn) (nun-kof-bayt-hey) a woman, female. The root nakav means to hollow out, bore a hole, excavate, create a cavern. It can also mean to separate, distinguish, specify, call by name. The root kav (bq) has as its primary meaning the creation of a cavity or emptiness that allows one to be in a state of receptivity. 168 vayikadesh (cdqyw) (vav-yod-kof-dalet-sheesh) and sanctify. The first time this word appears in Genesis (Genesis 2:3) it is the seventh day or the shabbat that is being santified or made holy. The kof-dalet root refers to a point of light that is received at the kod-kod or the crown of one’s head. The sheen refers to the shehhinah or feminine divine presence that is perceived by the body as the presence of a subtle enveloping electrical field. kolaynoo (wnlq) (kof-lamed-nun-vav) our voice. Koyaynoo also has a gematria of 186. hakafa (hpqh) (hey-kof-pey-hey) means ringing, circling, circuit, orbit, encirclement. The root hakayf means circumference, outline, perimiter, periphery, environ. Hakafa can refer to the orbiting of a planet or the circling of anything about a magnetic centre. One could visualize an empty magnetic centre or void in the empty space of the letter kof itself. nikuda (hdwqn) (nun-kof-vav-dalet-hey) a dot, a vowel point. From the root nakad which means to mark with points, to select, to separate, to distinguish. Kabbalist cosmology suggests that everything that exists once emanated from one minute dot or point in space. Physicists presently refer to something like this as a white hole. 169 Introduction to The Gate-Book 19: q - Kof The letter Kof offers us a pictogram of the subtle electrical current that travels thru the spinal column of a human being from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The kof teaches us the mystery of cycles & orbits in relationship to the still point & the still small voice within that attunes to the timeless realm & cosmic consciousness & the wormhole at the centre of the galaxy! The Kof speaks of the makom or state of consciousness that a human being can attain; the Sepher Yetzirah associates it with the paradoxical awareness that precipitates laughter. When we examine the 22 kof roots in the Gate-book ( and their 22 inverse or mirror gates) we enter a highly coherent set of gates that speak of the acceleration of consciousness back towards oneness & the awareness of what the Kabbalah calls Adam Kadmon , the Primordial Human. This Adam Kadmon consciousness is aware of the interplay & connection between all that exists in the Universe. The particular gate that appears to be the most cosmic is the kof-kof gate. Etymologically this gate can make reference to the kodkod at the crown of the head, the kadosh hakadosheem the Holy of Holies or the most sacred part of the Temple. It also refers to the mihhokek, the ruler’s staff. In terms of pure physics the kof-kof gate can serve to symbolize the speed of light squared or a quantum leap that allows that which is circular &complete-within-itself to vector & ascend the spiral into the next dimension of consciousness. Keeping this in mind, it is not by chance that the prophet Isaiah speaks of the Great Pyramid at Giza in Chapter 19/ Verse 19 of his prophecy. ( where the gematria of the verse adds up to the exact height of the pyramid itself ) In Genesis 19:19 we hear Lot cry out in fear that he will not be able to make the kof-kof quantum leap required to reach the hills & outrun the evil that he fears will overtake him. In Exodus 19:19 we find Moshe speaking with Elohim & Elohim answering Moshe in the Voice ( vakol, lwqb ). In 1 Kings 19:19 we find the prophet Elijah casting his mantle ( adarto / wtrda ) upon Elisha or making his baraka available to the one who is destined to be his successor. 170 When you have weighed & examined & contemplated each of the following kof gates, then begin to study & meditate upon the chapter 19’s in Genesis, Exodus, Kings & Isaiah allowing the gates & your connection to the inner voice to teach you (through synchronity & paradox) the mysteries stored in these stories. And never forget that the letter kof teaches us through the vehicle of light & laughter ! ( Insert artists sketch / cartoons here of the 3 stories mentioned in the text. ) 171 The Gate-Book 19: q - Kof to arise, stand up, emit, spew out, vomit a beam of light keeya keren or a hollow vessel, receptacle a vault, tent, bedchamber, alcove to make hollow; winepress, vat; cave in a rock to come from behind, circumvent, take hold of the latter part of anything; heel; reward to excavate, bore a hole, pierce, distinguish a woman, female; a womb to receive; to come to meet; receive instruction kav kubah yakav akav akav nakav nikayvah keebale small / large; contraction / expansion the uttermost border, perimeter, last barrier katan / gadol kaytzeh gevulehha to proceed, go before, meet; the east beginning, origin, former time, pristine state pure, clean, sacred, holy to select, separate, mark with points; vowels to burn, kindle, set on fire the top of the head; the crown, coronel kedem kadmah kadosh nakad yakad kodkod 172 ayq aq rwa }rq bq bq hbq bqy bqu bqu bqn hbqn lbq ldg / }fq gq ]lwbg axq \dq dq hmdq cwdq dqn dqy dqdq lhq hq (t)lhq hq to congregate, assemble, call together a public assembly, crowd; an orator consciousness/breath; Leo/Lamad Wheel; 105 (q) kahal kahal/kohelet kof hay a rope, measuring cord, a line, a law; harp-string to twist, bind, tie fast, be strong to expect, await, be gathered together hope, desire gathering place, state of consciousness kav kava keeva teekva makom to divide; settle an account; strike a balance to puncture; to let blood/to be bled to compensate, to equalize nakaz kazaz kazaz to seize, grasp, take hold of to send after, captivate, take possession to adhere, stick together, perceive; doctrine, arts kach yeekach lakach jq jq jqy jql that which is little, small, young to be cut off, to be ostracized to burn incense, be fragrant; knots, smoke to gather; to collect anything lying on the ground katan koot katar lakat }fq fq fwq rfq fql 173 wq wq hwq hwq hwqt \wqm zqn zq zzq zzq hyq yq myq myq }yq uyqr to rise up, vomit up an uprising, insurrection; adversaries enduring, sure; a statute, edict to form, prepare, possess, forge iron; Cain firmament; that which is layered kaya keem kayam kayeen rakeeya intense compression/interconnectedness (q) kof kaf kq kq to be light, swift, smooth, thin, rarified sound, voice, speech, rumor; to call out, proclaim to make light of, despise; inflammation; shame to be diminished, cursed, lightly esteemed kal kol lq lq lwq kala kalal hlq llq to gather together, collect; be established, a makom place yakoom what ever lives on the earth; existance; cosmos the ability of standing and resisting; resurrection tikuma to acquire, possess, buy, set upright to forge iron; burn with zeal; to be jealous; spear a nest, chamber, cell of the ark to be jealous, envious, angry, zealous to found, acquire, possess; a cane, balance-beam a rectification, restoration, rebalancing 174 kayn kayeen kayeen kana kana teekoon \wqm mq \wqy hmwqt }q nq }yq }yq anq hnq }wqyt \sq sq tsq ssq an oracle; divination; a decision made by augury a vessle, cup, water pot to divine; to practice divination kesem keset kasas to be torn off, torn away, dislocated, alienated to divide in two, cleave open, halve, hatch firmament; that which is stratified a long, sharp blast of the shofar stigma, a mark branded on the skin yaka baka rakeeya tikeeya ka’a’ka uqy uq uqb uyqr huyqt uquq to contract, enclose, surround oneself; an ape eye of a needle; hole of an axe; back of the head to contract oneself, coagulate, curdle, whorl draw up the feet; be gathered to one’s ancestors to fasten, clasp, braid, go in a circle to circuit, to orbit; solstice, equinox ringing, circling; orbit, circumference, periphery kof kof kafa kafa nakaf tikoofa hakafa [wq pq [wq apq apq [qn hpwqt hpqh the end, extremity, harvest, finale, completion to wake up; to be aroused out of sleep to cut up; to harvest fruits; to pass the summer harvest of fruits, ripeness, summer to decide, finish, cut off, cut loose, cut short form, shape, pattern, measure, rhythm, cadence kaytz yakatz kootz kayeetz katza katzav {q xq {qy {wq {yq hxq bxq 175 qyq qq }wyqyq qqjm qqz \ycdq cdq qq a pelican a gourd, castor plant; hallucinogen (see Jonah) the ruler’s staff arrows, lightning bolts Holy of Holies, inner most part of the Temple (q) the speed of light squared; 361(19X19); full circle keek kikayon mihhokek zakak kadosh kadoshim kof kof to call or cry out, read aloud, designate by name to draw near, to meet; to evoke, cause to happen an encounter, a chance event, an accident to dig a well; to frame, make two beams meet to dig beneath, to undermine kara yikra karah koor kirker arq rq arqy hrq rwq rqrq to be obstinate, stubborn, unbending; perplexed hard, firm, fast, heavy, difficult; straw to bind, join together, confederate, conspire to shoot arrows; an archer(sagittarius); rainbow kash kashah kashar keshet cq cq hcq rcq tcq to serve, submit; to be overpowered, subdued to receive guidance,direction,light (q) spiritual transmission kata kabbalah torah 176 htq tq hrwt hlbq The Letter Code 20: r - Raysh The twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter raysh (r). Its full spelling is raysh-yod-sheen, which can mean the origin, the first, the head or the first ray, as well as poverty, or a kind of emptiness. Hidden within the raysh is the root yaysh (cy), which means existance, substance, reality, being or assets. When it is spelled with an aleph rather than a yod, we have the raysh (car) of b’raysheet, “in the beginning.” This raysh can be a signature for the ruahh, the spirit/breath/wind of ruahh hakodesh, the holy spirit or sacred breath. The raysh is a kind of cosmic container that stores and radiates the light and the wave-forms of Creation. We can see a progression, throught the lens of gematria, from the letter bayt to the letter kaf to the letter raysh. The bayt serves as a container or vessel for the light of the aleph. The kaf is a container that allows for the assimilation of the vibrations of the letter yod and of the Tree-of-Life. The raysh is a container for the plenum and the void, the pulsations and the orbitings of the kof, the kof of adam kadmon, the origin of humanity. These three letters, in a progression that goes bayt-kaf-raysh, rkb, are b’hhor: first fruits. Returning towards the aleph from the raysh gives us raysh-kaf-bayt, bkr, rahhav, to ride in a chariot. In one other spin of these three letters we find the word baruhh, ]rb, blessing. The letter raysh can also be understood as the image of the renewal of things and the letter of movement. There is a rushing sound that we hear in the sonics of the raysh that could be equated with the sound of the wind or a wide variety of tonal frequencies. The raysh has something to do with the process of harmonics, and the stepping down of vibratory frequencies to the level of vessels and bodies that can be moved and vitalized, and embody these frequencies. According to the Sepher Yetzirah, the letter raysh is associated, in our solar system, with the planet mercury, and the angel Raphael. Mercury is, of course, the first planet out from the sun and a distributor of solar vitality and pulsations through the planetary nervous system. One midrash on the word Raphael (lapr) is the first face of the elohim. 177 Raphael is considered to be the angel of healing, particularly the electrical and electromagnetic healing of frequencies that run through the spinal column and the cerebral spinal fluid. It seems that Raphael has a particular attunement to the celestial science of harmonics and the power of breath and of the wind. The following are ten of the key incarnations of the raysh from the Genesis text: raysheet (tycar) (raysh-aleph-sheen-yod-tav) the beginning, origin, visible foundation. The root of raysheet is rosh (raysh-aleph-sheen) which means head. The elements of wind (ruahh), earth (eretz) and fire (shamayim) are coded by these three letters. One could also see the three rays of will (ratzon), love (ahava) and intelligence (sheen, ruahh elohim by gematria) embedded within these three letters. bara (arb) (bayt-raysh-aleph) create, carve out, fashion, form. The root bara carries associations of purity, cleansing, properties and alkalinity. As a verb, bara carries notions of carving out a space or an emptiness for something to exist in. One could read this to mean the creation of a cavity, an empty space, even a template of anti-matter! aretz ({ra) (aleph-raysh-tzadi) earth. This word can be seen to mean the light of the treeof-life (or aytz), or light which produces vegitation, reflection, mirror images. Hidden words in aretz are light (aleph-raysh) and will (raysh-tzadi-vav-nun). ruahh (jwr) (raysh-vav-hhet) spirit, breath, wind, vital spirit, animating principle. As ravahh, it can mean to put a space between. vayomer (rmayw) (vav-yod-aleph-mem-raysh) and spoke. This kind of speaking appears to be a kind of vibratory emanation that is mirrored on or reflected by water. Vayomer can mean to bring to light, to say to one’s self, to command or to order. or (rwa) (aleph-yod-raysh) light. The source energy of the aleph infuses six dimensions (w) and is carried by the ruahh, wind, breath, spirit, to what ever vessel can receive or hold it. 178 vayare (aryw) (vav-yod-raysh-aleph) and saw. This word refers to the seeing of elohim of the implicit goodness in the light created at the begining of the genesis process. vyeekra (arqyw) (vav-yod-kof-raysh-aleph) and called. The calling here is a kind of proclamation, crying out, calling out, recitation or naming. The kof contracts and gathers energy; the raysh expands and broadcasts energy. Kara can also mean to meet, to occur or to happen. rakeeya (uyqr) (raysh-kof-you-ayin) firmament, that which is stratified. The energy fields and frequency bands which translate the ruahh ha koddesh (sacred breath) through the ten spheres of the tree-of-life into the world of manifestation. zera (urz) (zayin-raysh-ayin) seed, herbs, genetic source. That which is sown or scattered. 179 Introduction to The Gate-Book 20: r - Raysh When we examine the letter Raysh in the gatebook, we will notice that a raysh that opens a gate speaks of the vibrational origin in the world of light or harmonic frequencies of the letter that follows it. It is as if we could take a journey through the autiot with the raysh referring to the first, original, seed or regenerated vibration. The journey would go like this: ar the first light, br light of creation, gr first wave-form, dr river of light divided into four worlds,hr breath igniting the 5 soul realms, wr the first line of light, zr first & last ( secret of the seven cosmic days of creation, jr original ancestors ( seed of the the cocreators. spirit-breath ) , fr first cell or channel ( wind washing over the earth ), yr original tree of life , kr first vessel to embody the light ( first star, first planet ), lr breath of the elohim, mr original ocean of light ( first waves on water ) nr first-serpent-first-dove- firstriver-of-souls, sr first story of our origins ( first scroll, first telling of the tale, first whirlwind, first swirling galaxy), ur first circle of light in the sky ( RA, raysh-ayin), pr original face, first impression ( rosh pinah),xr first tree in the garden, wind in the trees, qr first circuit of light surrounding the void, sacred breath ( ruahh hakodesh), rr breath of light (ruahh aur ),cr raysh the origin, source of r’fuah shelayma, complete healing, tr spirit of wholeness, covenant cut with us since the beginning of time: b’reet b’raysheet ... Take the time to meditate on the beauty of the sequence of gates that emanate from the letter raysh. You may find that the gates come alive in fascinating & unexpected ways when you contemplate the verses of Chapter 20 in Genesis, Exodus & other texts that call out to you. You may also wish to meditate directly with gates by visualizing them flying off like sparks from a fire toward the stars. It is also possible to visualize the two letters of each gate meeting & kissing one another in the space where the wingtips of the keruveem meet above the Ark of the Covenant. There is a breath meditation that you may wish to practise that involves a series of 22 breaths where you call out one gate before each breath 180 & feel the vibration of the gates in your body & energy fields. This allows the Gate-keepers to speak with you directly. It can serve to open your mind to receiving the vibrations of the Ruahh Ha kodesh. Insert artists sketch or microcalligraphy of a letter wheel with the 22 raysh gates & their mirror images. The Gate-Book 20: r - Raysh 181 har ar har ary harm \yhla jwr a prophet, a seer, a visionary a vision, appearance; mirror, looking glass to fear, tremble, be afraid, reverence appearance, aspect, form, vision the breath of God (q) ro’ah ra’ee yareh marreh ruahh elohim to multiply, increase, become great; myriads a great man, leader, a master; vast, great to exalt, make great, magnify to knot, weave, intertwine, lie in wait; network to lie down, lie with; a 4th part, 4th generation four, fourfold, to divide into four parts rav rav ravah arav rava arbeh to gain momentum, roll, run; foot, spy, pace to contract, be still, tremble, wink; an instant to weave; a weaver’s shuttle, spider web regel rega arag / ereg lgr gr ugr gra to follow after, seek, wander to tread, subdue, rule over, possess to go to a spring, descend; to fall, bring down to sleep heavily; a deep trance the River Jordan to separate, disperse, expand rude radah yarad radam yardan parad dwr dr hdr dry \dr }dry drp 182 br br br hbr bra ubr ubra to found, lay a foundation to tremble; to be shot through with arrows to rage, press upon, urge; to be proud, fierce yarah yarah rahav hry hr hry bhr to irrigate, water, satiate, be satiated to be watered, irrigated, drunken to lift up, to elevate, be exalted an elevation, breadth, spaciousness ravah raveh ruhm ravahh hwr wr jwr \wr jwr a secret; to conceal a secret to spread out, make thin a prince; to be weighty, dignified cedar wood; the cedar tree; firm, stable head/tail, first/last, beginning/end (q) raz razah razon erez rosh/zanav wind, breath, spirit, space scent, odour, fragrance, essence to appoint a time; an era, an epoch a traveller, company, caravan; to walk, to travel the moon, a month; Jericho (city of the moon) ruahh rayahh arahh arahh yareyahh jwr jr jyr jra jra jry a channel, conduit, canal to precipitate, refresh, be wet; to scatter to chisel, engrave; a stylus, a scribe ratav yarat hharat bfr fr fry frj 183 zr zr hzr }wzr zra bnz/car to irrigate, water, permeate a stream, emanation; an irrigation the first yod/first manifestation (q) ree ree raysh yod yr yr yr yr to be tender, soft, delicate, weakened to ride in a chariot; to ride/be carried the thigh, loins, buttocks; the inmost recesses to stretch out, extend, prolong, delay, tarry first vessel; spaciousness; innermost part (q) rayhh rahhav yarayahh arahh kaf raysh kr kr bkr kry ]ra kr to tremble, stammer, reel in drunkness coarse, uncircumcised, impenetrable a pebble, stone; a lottery, chance divination code for ruahh elohim, divine breath (q) ra’al arayl gorel raysh lamed lwr lr lru lrg lr to elevate, lift up, exhalt to lift oneself up, become high, proud, exhaulted to be heaped up; craftiness, guile, nakedness the heights, an elevation, ascension; sublimity ram room aram ramah mr mr mwr mru hmr to shout for joy; to vibrate the voice to conquer, triumph, overcome to rattle, to shout, to chant a shout for joy; a mournful cry oren rone ranah reenah }ra nr }r hnr hnr 184 to moisten with dew, to sprinkle, to stratify to crush, atomize; to pull up the roots to be submissive; a eunuch (a court minister) departure, violation, offense, cessation whirlwind, vortex ( q ) rasas haras sarees sarah ruahh sa’arah an evil condition, calamity, sadness a companion, friend, lover, beloved to pasture, tend, nourish, feed a flock; shepherd evil to make a loud noise catabolic energy (q) roa raya ra’ah ra’ah yaroah raysh ayin to let down the hand, relax, desist healing; to comfort, heal, mend a wound to be ripe, to pluck off fruits reproach; to be betrothed/abandoned; autumn Raphael (angel of healing) the first face, original face (q) rafa refuah teraf hheraf/hhoref raphael rosh pinah the earth; land, country, earthy part to race, to hasten to oppress; an alliance energy; to be strong, forceable, powerful to be delighted, satisfied, well pleased, appeased delight, will, pleasure, good will, favour aretz rootz maratz ratzah ratzon 185 ssr sr srh srys hrs hrus jwr ur ur ur hur hur ury ur apr pr hawpr prf prj lapr hnyp car xra xr xwr xrm hxr }wxr the void, emptiness thin, lean; only, alone to pour oneself out, to empty out/be emptied to be green, shoot forth, to come into leaf firmament; atmosphere; stratified; many layers sacred breath, divine inspiration (q) reek rak rook yarak rakeeya ruahh hakodesh to enchant, to curse, to tremble bitterness, spittle; vexation of spirit an evil spirit, catabolic energy (q) aror maror ruahh ha-ra the origin, beginning, summit, head, archetype letter raysh; poverty; first assets, substance (q) to be needy, suffer want, feign oneself poor to take possession of, receive an inheritance the root, origin, shoot; fundamental source of abundance complete healing rosh raysh roosh yarash sharash rosh shefa r’fuah sh’laymah covenant to bind a thread around a finger; juniper tree to tie, to bind, to sew together Ruth (beautiful friend) spirit of wholeness, integrity (q) b’reet ratam/rotem ratak rut ruahh tam 186 qyr qr qr qwr qry uyqr cwdqh jwr rra rr rrm urh jwr car cr cyr cwr cry crc upc car hmlc hawpr tyrb tr \tr qtr twr \t jwr 187 The Letter Code 21: c - Sheen The twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter sheen (c). When you see a dot at the top right side of the letter it is pronounced sheen; when you see a dot at the top left side it is pronounced seen. The primary association of this letter is with fire, aysh, ca. This fire appears in the first word of Genesis: b’raysheet, tycarb. When one sees b’raysheet through this window, the phrase b’reet aysh, covenant of fire, appears. This creative fire is given to both man and woman in Genesis. A man is referred to as eesh, cya; a woman is called eeshah, hca. Both carry the aleph-sheen or the cosmic fire within; the man carries an extra yod, the woman carries an extra hay. The next sheen in the Genesis text is found in the word shemayeem, the heavens. The gematria of the letter sheen is 300 and kabbalists have noted that this is the gematria of another phrase found early in Genesis: ruahh elohim. We can translate ruahh elohim as the Spirit of God, Divine Breath, creative spirit, or perhaps creative spark. The sheen can be seen as a spark from the cosmic fire that kindles the creative process. We find the sheen as the first letter of the word shehhinah, which has come to mean the Feminine Divine Presence. This word first appears in Torah in the word mishkan, }kcm, the Holy Tent or Tabernacle of the Testamony. The sheen here becomes an electrical energy that oscillates back and forth between two keruveem, brain hemispheres or poles within a magnetic field. The Sepher Yetzirah suggests that the sheen serves as guardian of the pathway that connects two of the upper spheres of the Tree-of-Life: hohhmah and binah. When we look at the simple etymological roots related to sheen we find the word shannah, hnc, meaning to do a thing a second time, to repeat, to reiterate, to revise. It can also mean to change, to be changed, to be different. The root hashenah means the year. From this we can understand that the sheen has something to do with the repetition of cycles and the power of transformation. When the sheen represents the totality of an overall process, it is found in the words shalom (\wlc), peace, and shalaym (\lc), whole, intact, complete, full and perfect. 188 The following are some of the early incarnations of the letter sheen: B’raysheet (tycarb) (bayt-raysh-aleph-sheen-yod-tav): In the beginning. Create a foundation. Carve out the fire of the ten spheres and the twenty-two letters. Hashamayim (\ymch) (hay-sheen-mem-yod-mem): The heavens. The spiritual and constantly changing wave forms of creation. Hoshehh (]cjlw) (vav-lamed-hhet-sheen-khaf): And to the darkness. The sheen here vibrates like an electrical charge between the letters hhet and final kaf. The hhet refers to cosmic life energy and the feminine matrix of creation. The final kaf refers to the planet/star/magnetic field that receives the sheen. Shaneem (\ync) (sheen-nun-yod-mem): Years. Cycles. The root shaynee appears earlier in the phrase yom shaynee, second day, day of change. Memshalet (tlcmm) (mem-mem-sheen-lamed-tav): To rule over. To have dominion over. This word appears in Genesis 1/16 in reference to the day/night rulerships of sun/moon. Hasheeshee (ycch) (hay-sheen-sheen-yod): The sixth (day). This phrase (yom) hasheeshee is chanted every Friday night at the beginning of the kiddush that recollects the first shabbat of Genesis. The two sheens represent a double portion of spiritual energy gifted here by the meeting and mating of eesh and eesha (man and woman). The two sheens also represent the descent of the Shehhinah bringing peace to the house (shabbat shalom). Vayeeshavat (tbcyw) (vav-yod-sheen-bayt-tav): And (the creative spirit) rested, dwelt. This root for the Shabbat appears in Genesis 2/2 where Elohim completes the creative process and dwells/rests on/in day seven. The sheen or cosmic fire of the shehhinah vibration dwells within the house of all that is created. Nefesh (cpn) (nun-phay-sheen): Breath. Appears in the phrase nefesh hayyah, hyj cpn, living creatures or breath of all life. The nefesh refers to the animal vitality. It is the first of five levels of the soul. 189 Nishamat (tmcn) (nun-sheen-mem-tav): Soul. Appears in the phrase nishamat hayyim, Genesis 2/7, where it means the breath of life. This breath is blown into the nostrils of the man by YHVH Elohim. The neshamah refers to the third level of the soul. One could call it our unique and individualized soul memory. Ul’shamra (hrmclw) (vav-lamed-sheen-mem-raysh-hay): And to keep it. And to watch over it. This word appears in Genesis 2/15 where humanity is given the task of guarding and watching over the Garden of Eden. Nahash (cjn) (nun-hhet-sheen): Serpent. Divination, Breath-of-Fire. (See Chapter 3 for more on nahash.) 190 Introduction to The Gate-Book 21: c - Sheen The letter Sheen, composed of three yod flames connected at their base, is the letter most often associated with the fire of spiritual transformation. It is the letter of evolutionary acceleration, the letter that invites all the little yods, the soul-sparks, back home to the central fire from where they we birthed in the beginning. It is the sheen that is gifted to Eesha the woman, in the garden of Eden by the nahhash, the serpent. This controversial sheen has sparked millenia of discussions over the hot topic of sexuality. It is the first sheen or cosmic fire that we find in the first word of Genesis : B’raysheet . The Sepher Yetzirah teaches us that this sheen vibrates & serves as guardian of the pathway between Hhokhmah & Binah on the tree-of-life. It is the electrical energy that oscillates back & forth between the hemispheres of the brain along what neuralogists call the corpus collosum. Kabbalists see this sheen as the sheen of Shekhinah, the feminine divine presence. It is the sheen of Shefa, spiritual influx descending from the upper worlds & dimensions beyond the one that our physical bodies inhabit. And it is the sheen of Shabbat, and the extra neshamah (spirit-soul) that we receive when our consciousness enters the attunement to the spirit of the Shabbat that is our inheritance. Take a day to meditate & contemplate both the etymological meanings & the spiritual significance of each of the 22 sheen gates along with their inverse or mirror gates. Travel along the ley lines of the chapter/verse correspondances for each of the gates. (For example, begin to surf through all the chapter 21/ verse 22 with the various meanings of the sheen- tav gates in mind) Try out the Abulafia meditation where you simply write out the two letter roots quickly on a piece of paper or visualize them glowing before you in the air. Let the Gate-keepers reveal to you directly about the creative power of each letter combination! 191 The Gate-Book 21: c- Sheen to lend/borrow, to bring a present, extend credit to neglect, deceive, seduce, make to forget to make a noise; to contemplate; tumult, waves tempest, storm, desolation, ruin, holocaust, void heeshea nasa sha’ah shoah aych ac acn hac hawc to restore, make restitution, return to origin to dwell, inhabit, be still, cease from activity seven, seven times; a week, a promise, a oath to rest, to restore happiness, celebrate the sabath the Sabaeans (rich in gold, spices & gems) to take captive; captivity shoov yashav sheva shabat shava shavah bwc bc bcy ubc tbc abc hbc to lie with a woman, to be lain with/ravished to be brave, fierce, vigorous, impetuous a madman, fanatic, overcome with divine fury to wander, err, trespass, reel, go/lead astray to magnify, celebrate, praise oversight, thoughtless act, blind desire, craziness the gate of reincarnation shagal shega meshooga shagah shaga shageea sha’ar hagilgulim breast, tit, nipple, affluence, source of blessing nature, fortune, providence, force, power, master to be strong, powerful, violent; to rule lady, mistress, wife; a lord, master Most Powerful; god of nature; Providence shad/shayd shayd 192 shood sheedah shaday lgc gc ugc ugcm hgc agc haygc mylglgh ruc dc dc dc dwc hdc ydc seh hc hc sheep/goat; one of the flock to deliberate, tarry, pause, omit, neglect naseh hcn to be even, level, equal, equivalent ideas of proportion, symmetry, balance, parallel shavah shavah hwc wc hwc to set free, to be released/spared to scorch with the eye, to love passionately to twist several threads together; stem of a plant two olive trees (Zech: ) shazayve shazaf shazar shanayim zayteem to submit, bow down, prostrate self in homage to sink down, do homage, humble oneself to seek, break forth, to become black darkness; the dawn (just before morning light) a shrub; conversation, meditation shoohh shahhah shahhar shehhor seeyahh jwc jc hjc rjc rjc jyc to run quickly; to lie in wait; an adversary that which leaves it’s center, oscillates, shuttles to spread out, expand, overflow, inundate satan shoot shatahh }fc fc fwc jfc 193 bzc zc [zc rzc \ytyz \ync a gift, a present, an adornment to forget, neglect, omit, lay aside to bring, to impel, to give a gift to give a gift/to be seduced shee shayah shay’a hasheeya to incline oneself, to subside, to be appeased to vex, oppress, bite; to lend on usury to lie down, to sleep, rest, to lay with to dwell, abide, inhabit, be familiar with two cherubim shahhahh nashahh shahhav shahhan shinay keruveem to draw out, stretch out, ask a question; be safe to be complete, sound, whole, at peace to rule, have dominion; shield, protection tranquility, silence; inner peace three, three times, the third time, a triangle a necklace, a chain, a lineage, a musical phrase shel shalom shelot sheli shelosh shelshelet to designate, name, mark with a sign; reputation to hear, listen, be attentive, call, summon; fame to watch over, keep, preserve, guard; watchman the sun; authority, reputation fatness, oil, ointment; annointing oil shem shema/shayma shamar shemesh shemen 194 yc yc hyc ayc aych ]kc kc ]cn bkc }kc \ybrk ync lc lc \wlc flc ylc clc tlclc mc mc umc rmc cmc }mc }c nc anc }yc hnc hnc ync }cy a tooth, a sharp rock, ivory to change, transform; to be other, to be changed to be sharp, pointed, double a year; to be changed, to do a second time a circle; a change of state, a transformation a second time; crimson, deep scarlet to fall asleep; old, idle; the beginning of sleep shayn shana sheen shanah shanah shenay yashan to tear in pieces, cleave in two to plunder, spoil, upbraid, chide gatekeeper, guardian, watcher shasa shasas shomray hasapim to gaze upon, look around; a twinkling of an eye ample, wealthy, free, noble, liberal; spaciousness to set free, preserve, aid, liberate; deliverance spiritual vision (q) sha’a shooa yasha/yesha sheen ayin huc uc uwc ucy uc to scrape off, make bare, purge, file, filter to lie in wait for, to fall upon, to ambush do bare the lips, to judge/be judged the lip, edge, border, tongue, dialect, speech smoothness, nakedness, baldness; a jasper stone abundance, overflow, spiritual blessing shafah shoof shafat safah yishpha shefa hpc pc [wc fpc hpc hpcy upc to innundate, to overflow the sun of righteousness (Zech: shatzaf shemesh tz’daka ) 195 hsc sc ssc \ypsh yrmc [xc xc hqdx cmc hqc qc hqcm qwc qcn qc to drink, to give to drink, to irrigate a cup-bearer, butler, (bartender) a street, a market; overflowing with activity to arrange, put in order, declare fidelity; to kiss to kiss, to balance, to be mutually connected (q) shakah mashke shook nashak sheen kof to celebrate, sing; a song, poem, singer, celebrant an ox, bull, taurus; to look around; to take care to put in order, to lie in wait; a wall, an acrobat to be straight, even, level, upright; valour to twist like a rope; circular turn; the navel cord a shoot, a root; foundation; roots of a language that which measures, persists, liberates (q) sheer shor shoor yashar sharar shoresh sheen raysh ryc rc rwc rwc rcy rrc crc rc the number six; a foundation the sixth part to be white, hoary; an old man whiteness; a lily shabat shalom; double portion of Spirit (q) shaysh sheeshee yashaysh shoosh sheen sheen cc cc ycc ccy cwc cc to arrange, set in place, lay a foundation a drinking, a carousing; to fix the warp of a loom to drink, to banquet, to feast momentum/inertia; dynamic equilibrium (q) sheet shtee shatah sheen tav tyc tc ytc htc tc 196 The Letter Code 22: t - Tav The twenty-second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter tav - t. The root, tavah, hwt, means to mark, to delineate, to make a sign. The word tav presently, in Hebrew, has the meaning of mark, line, musical note or feature. The tav refers to the full complement of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. It makes reference to what are called the autiot, twytwa. An aut is a sign, a sign of something future, a portent, the sign of something which cannot itself be seen, token of the truth of a prophecy, signature. The tav is the seal of creation. It represents the embodiment of the whole of the creative process. As the number twenty-two, it represents mastery of the creative process in the world of numerology. The tav signifies the final phase of any creative process whereby the light and energy of the aleph becomes fully absorbed, nested and contained within the vessel of matter. The tav is the tav of Torah (hrwt), the way; the tav of tikkun (}wqt), rectification; the tav of t’shuvah (hbwct), return. T’shuvah, repentance, is actually a changing of our ways, a turning towards completion, or a changing of our consciousness or mind-set. The return of t’shuvah speaks of a psychological process whereby the soul (through ego loss, initiation or illumination) makes its turn to return back to the Source or the One that gave it being. The letter tav has a gematria of 400. It refers ot a full complement in each of the four worlds of creation. It can also refer to a total embodiment of an energy stream or what has sometimes been called “an unmovable object”! When we find two tavs together we have the gematria of 222, which refers to the 484 roots or gates of the Hebrew language. We find two tavs in the word autiot, twytwa, signs, marking, constellations, and in the word tiferet, trapt, beauty, harmony, radiance. The following are ten of the earlier incarnations of the letter tav: B’raysheet (tycarb) (bayt-raysh-aleph-sheen-yod-tav): In the beginning. The first tav in Genesis, the sixth letter, refers to all twenty-two letters of the autiot. 197 Et (ta) (aleph-tav): From Aleph to tav, from first to last, from beginning to end. Hayeetah (htyh) (hay-yod-tav-hay): Was established. The gate yod-tav is repeated here from the last two letters of the word b’raysheet. Tohu (wht) (tav-hay-vav): Formless. Emptiness. Chaos. B’tohh (]wtb) (bayt-tav-vav-final kaf): In the midst. Inside. M’tahhah (tjtm) (mem-tav-hhet-tav): From underneath, from the depths. This word appears as the waters are being gathered into one place from underneath the heavens. It is the first time that we find two tavs in the same word (balancing the two mems of shemayim). L’autot (ttal) (lamed-aleph-tav-tav): For signs. For constellations. The signs or constellations referred to here may well be a kind of alphabet visible in the night sky. Vayeetain (}tyw) (vav-yod-tav-nun): And placed. And gifted. Vayeetain is referring to the two great lights of the sun and the moon which are placed or gifted into the rakiyah, or fermament. Hataneeneem (\nynth) (hay-tav-nun-yod-nun-mem): The great sea creatures. The whales. This word has a gematria of 555. The whales were created on the fifth day of creation. Hhayat (tyj) (hhet-yod-tav): The living beings. The land animals. The beasts of the earth. 198 Introduction to the Gate-Book 22: t- tav Consider that the letter tav is the emblem of what we can call reciprocity or rectification. From a grammatical perspective it is reflexive, indicating an action that returns to the doer. Kabbalistically the tav refers to the process of T’shuvah or return to the state of being that connects us in the deepest & most intimate way to the world where we have our origin.With this in mind let us meditate on the first 18 verses of the 22nd Chapter of Genesis. This is the torah portion which is read on Rosh HaShanah at the time of the New Year in the Jewish calendar. It is the time for spiritual return, remembrance of the covenant, the time of teshuvah. After these events, God tested Abraham. And He said to him “Abraham” And he answered: here I am ( Gen.22:1 at to mark out, delineate, circumscribe; a sign , portent. token of the truth of a prophecy ) The hebrew root here for “ tested” is nisa - hsn- meaning : to try, to prove, to put to the test. On other occasions in Torah when an angel asks a human to be present the name is called out twice. On this occasion, Avraham answers elohim immediately with an Hinaynee- ynnh- . the two nuns of hiyanee correspond to the nefesh & neshamah soul levels. “Take your son, the only one you love- Isaac- and go away to the Moriah area. Bring him as an all burned offering on one of the mountains that I will designate to you.” ( Gen. 22:2 bt to return, restore, search out ; discernment; a model, an ark. The hebrew word yehhedehha - ]dyjy - refers to the yehidah soul realm , the soul spark that is connected always to its Source. The word l’olah - hlul - which Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan has translated as “ an all burned offering” means simply to go up or to ascend. 199 Abraham got early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took his two men with him, along with his son Isaac. He cut wood for the offering, and set out, heading for the place that God had designated. ( Gen. 22:3 gt sorrow, injustice, the giant sea creatures . The gate here hints at a very human emotional response to the mythodrama that is not mentioned in the text ) On the third day, Abraham looked up, and saw the place from afar. ( Gen. 22:4 dt to be ready, prepared for that which is pending. The hebrew for “from afar” is mayrahhok - qjrm - It is useful to meditate on the four gates held within in this word: qj rm jr & qm . The gematria is 348, the same gematria a mashahh, to annoint. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy & I will go to that place. We will prostrate ourselves and then return to you. ( Gen. 22: 5 ht to be lost in space, to gaze into the emptiness, approach the void ) Abraham took the offering wood and placed it on the shoulders of his son, Isaac. He himself took the fire and the knife and the two of them went together. ( Gen. 22 :6 wt to mark out, delineate, set a limit; a sign, symbol, mark. Reb Aryeh Kaplan suggests that the fire that Abraham takes in his hand is actually a fire-bucket or flint. We see the double gate yod-sheen, sheen-yod - cy-yc referred to here. The knife is ha’maahhelet tlkamh . the root for this word is ohhel - food ! The gematria is 496, gematria of the word malkhut - the 10th sphere of the Tree-of- Life. Avraham carries the Aleph (a) to balamce hhesed & gevurah ( love & fear), the Sheen (c) to balance hhokhmah & binah ( wisdom & understanding) , & the malkhut/ kingdom/ food that is to be offered up. The atzay ha’olah hluh yxu the tree that ascends ( burnt offering) is placed on Isaac. Look up the ayin-ayin gate to better understand this phrase. Isaac spoke to Abraham: “ Father “ “ Here I am, my son” “ Here is the fire and the wood.But where is the lamb for the offering? 200 ( Gen. 22:7 zt to see , to behold what is on the horizon....) “God will see to a lamb for an offering, my son.” replied Abraham. And the two continued together. ( Gen. 22:8 jt to veil, cloak, encompass : a surrogate ) When they finally came to the place designated by God, Abraham built the altar there. and arranged the wood, He then bound his son Isaac. and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. ( Gen. 22:9 ft to turn inward, to turn aside ) This verse is the tension point of what is called the akedah of Yitzhak. the root dquy means literally to bind, wrap, tie up with rope; to be striated. The letters connect the hand ( y) to the eye (u) to the crown of the head ( dq). The gate speaks of a turning inward for spiritual awareness in a moment of suspence. The worlds of yetzirah ( emotion) & assiah ( action) are uplifed to the place of sacredness ( kadosh), Abraham reached out and took the knife to slit his son’s throat. ( Gen. 22:10 yt to complete a cycle of manifestation ( q ) Avraham takes the knife ( that cuts food in the world of Malchut / manifestation ) to slaughter/ sacrifice his beloved son ( who was given to him as a gift by God at the age of 100 years ). The root lishhot fjcl to slay-- has the same gematria ( 347) as the word l’hasheev , to return... And the angel of YHVH called to him from heaven and said “Abraham,Abraham” and he said “ Here I am” (Gen. 22:11 kt to examine, weigh, balance, make even;to refine . Avraham is called to be present by the Angel of the Divine Presence. A divine intervention unbinds the cord of connection between the worlds of intention ( Abraham’s obedience to the Voice) & manifestation ( what is about to happen in the world of Assiah to his beloved son ). The gematria of the calling out to Abraham, Abraham -mhrba mhrba-- is 496, the same gematria as the knife ( hama’ahhelet -- tljamh ) & the sphere of Malhhut -- twklm . The 201 teaching here hints that the when we listen deeply enough, we will always hear the voice of the Angel of the Presence & perceive the possibility of Divine Intervention when the knife is about to divide life from life in the world of Malhhut. The knife divides ; the Presence unites. “ Do not harm the boy.Do not do anything to him.For now I know that you fear God.You have not withheld your only son from Him. “ ( Gen. 22: 12 lt to waver, to vibrate, to hang up, to hold in suspense. Kabbalistically this gate represents a turning point or a pivotal moment. The pychological truth here is that the act of surrender & letting go of what ( or whom) one loves allows the space for the return of the beloved. Abraham then looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He went and got the ram, sacrificing it as an all burned offering in his son’s place. (Gen. 22: 13 mt to marvel, to wonder, to make whole, to complete ; wholeness, integrity, simplicity . We enter the realm of wonderment & myth with this verse. The ram with its shofar horns caught in a thicket may speak of a sacrifice appropriate for the astrological age of Aries. The ram is an ayeel - lya - a great ram ( or mountain goat ) with curved and twisted horns. The root connotes strength, might, a prominence or a projection. It has a harmonic resonance with the power of the elohim ( the creative energies nested in the nature ). Anthropologically the mythologem speaks of the ending of the age of sacrifice of the first-born son to the local god Moloch. And the beginning of symbolic sacrifice of emotions in the form of animal sacrifices. From a radical perspective, the Elohim arrange to sacrifice one of their ancient one’s in place of Abraham’s beloved son Isaac. This line of thought is explored by Julian Jaynes in his The Origen of Consciousness In the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind) Abraham named the place “The One Who is Present is Seen”. Today it is therefore said “On the Mountain of God, He will be seen” ( Gen. 22: 14 nt to be constant, firm,stable, perennial; to praise, celebrate. The gematria for the phrase hary hwhy is 242. It is the same gematria as the word hrykbh 202 meaning the first born! The word yireh has the gematria of 216, the same as Gevurah. 2160 years is the measure of one astrological age. God’s angel called to Abraham from heaven a second time ( Gen. 22:15 st a storehouse, treasury, lineage) God declares ‘ I have sworn by My own Essence, that because you have performed this act, and did not hold back your only son, ( Gen. 22: 16 ut tikkun olam : to set the universe aright, healing all illusions.... This gate hints that Avraham’s alignment with Divine Will makes him an instrument for karmic rectification. I will bless you greatly, and increase your offspring like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will inherit their enemies gate. ( Gen. 22:17 pt to beat a drum, to sew together the spheres of the Tree-of-Life: Tipheret The blessing Abraham is given comes from the sphere of Tipheret. It is a restoration of cosmic harmony that happens after he has shown his willingness to listen to the Voice,& step out into the void without “ attachment” ( ut = Daat ) ) “All the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your descendants--- all because you obeyed my Voice. ” ( Gen. 22:18 xt the fulfillment of the seed in its full time cycle. Abraham’s blessing extends to all beings through the blessing of his descendants. This extends into the aykev - bqu the future world or the world to come because of Abraham’s deep listeneng into the rwsonance of the Divine Voice. The Hebrew phrase here is : ylqb tumc . Catching the resonance of the Divine Intention. ) 203 The Gate-Book 22: t- Tav at at hat rat \at hnat hwat a chamber to mark out, circumscribe, describe a form to deliniate, describe; a beautiful form to be twin, double; to bear twins a fig tree, a mutual desire desire, longing, lust ta ta’ah ta’ar ta’am ta’aynah tava’ah a chest, ark, coffer, vessel the habitable globe; planet earth intelligence, insight, discernment structure, model, exemplar, likeness to return, restore, improve, inquire, search out tayva tayvel t’vuna tavneet toov sorrow, sadness, pain, grief strife, contention, partiality, injustice the giant sea creatures, the whales toogah tigrah hataneeneem hagidoleem to drive in a nail, fasten a tent peg, fix firmly ready, prepared, prompt, impending, destined yatad atid dty dt dytu to waste, desert, make desolate to be lost in space, lead astray; emptiness, void commotion, waves, depths, abyss, oceans taha tohoo tohoom hht ht wht \wht 204 hbt bt lbt hnwbt tynbt bwt hgwt gt hrgt \yldgh \nynth wt wt wt to deliniate, mark out, set a limit a sign, symbol, feature, mark, line, musical note tav tav to see, to behold knocking off, cutting off, decapitating to cut off, cut away, fly off an axis, horizon; 22/7 pi (circumference/diameter) teez haytaza tazaz tav zayin zyt zt zth zzt zt the lower part, below, beneath, under; surrogate to spread out, veil, cloak; to expand, encompass tahhat matahh latahh tjt jt jtm jtl to turn towards, turn aside; to rebel/conciliate that which is extended, bent distorted, deflected to turn inward, to surrender to what is (q) tayt tayt tav tayt ft ft ft ft to mark time; complete manifestation; an aeon tav yod yt yt to be fitted, joined; to lean upon to make even, level; weigh, examine, balance arrangement, structure, measure, form the middle of anything, the midst, among to melt, cast, refine, pour metal tahhah tahhan tihhoonah tavehh natahh 205 hkt kt }kt hnwkt ]wt ]tn lt lt hlt llt \yltlt lt a hill, a hill of ruins to hang up, to suspend, to hold in suspense to heap up, make high, wave, vibrate palm branches vibrating in the air a turning point, pivotal moment (q) tel talah talal taltalim tal to make whole, to complete; to be solitary wholeness, integrity, innocence, simplicity to marvel, to wonder; astonishment to be twin, double tam tom tamah ta’am \t mt \t hmt \at praise, tanah hnt nt to give presents, distribute gifts; celebrate to be constant, firm, stable, perineal to extend, endure, enlarge, attenuate a vast fish, a giant whale, sea monster a jackal yatan tanan taneen tan to boil, ferment, bubble, break up the ground a storehouse, treasury, lineage tasas tisbara to err, wander, go astray, be deceived to move to and fro; to sport, stammer, imitate deception, illusion, misperception (q) setting the universe aright, healing all illusions - q ta’ah teetaya tav ayin tikkun olam 206 }ty }nt }ynt }t sst st arbst hut ut utut ut \lwu }wqyt [t pt [t lpt rpt cpt to tap a timbrel, beat a drum the bezel, the hollow where a jem is set to spit out, stick on; unseasoned, false, foolish to sew together; (root for tiferet) to take hold on, handle, enclose, overlay tof tof tafal tafar tafash that which exits; modality to chip off, to tear down 490 fulfillment of a karmic cycle (q) totzah natatz tav tzaddi to drive in, straighten; to overpower, unnerve to sound a trumpet, take heed, cut off abruptly a offset, ledge, terrace, segment, increment taka takaf atik uqt qt ]qt qyta to spy out, explore; to tremble, overflow; residue order, row, turn, circle; a string of pearls/beads instruction, doctrine, law, direction; a way to go untying, loosening; permission yatar tur torah hatarah rty rt rwt hrwt hrth the number nine; the ninth of a sequence to pluck up, expel, overthrow a billy goat under the sun taysha natash tayeesh tahhat hashemesh letters, signs, markings, symbols to fix firmly, fasten irrevocably an inner marking, trade mark; 222/484 gates (q) auteeot tav tav tav tav 207 haxwt xt {tn xt uct ct ctn cyt cmch tjt twytwa tt tt tt Insert graphic of the wall, white on black of the 484 gates. Insert graphic of the 484 gates as a wheel. 208