Magic and mysticism explores the deep mysteries of the sefer yetzirah. Sefer yetzirah book of formation, hereafter sy is the oldest known speculative treatise in hebrew. In two and thirty most occult and wonderful paths of wisdom did. Sefer yezirah book of formation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to kabbalah. Sefer ha yetzirah the book of formation gra version translated by aryeh kaplan chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 1 1. And so, sefer yetzirah begins by stating that god created the universe through lamedbet netivot, thirtytwo paths of creation. Sefer yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish mysticism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and. The sepher yetzirah although this name means the book of formation,is not in any sense a narrative of creation, or a substitute genesis, but it is a very.
Additionally, the starting point of the sefer yetzirah appears to be the need to. The second chapter is a discussion of the letters of the hebrew alphabet, and the 231 gates. The book of formation translated from the hebrew by wm. Probably, it is also he who authored a mishnah which speaks about abraham. Stopyourmouthfromspeaking,stopyourheart fromthinking,andifyourheartrunstothinkreturntoaplaceofwhichitissaid. In two and thirty most occult and wonderful paths of wisdom did jah the lord of hosts engrave his name. The power of sefer yetzirah sefer yetzirah is first explicitly mentioned over 1500 years ago in the talmud sanhedrin 65b, where rabbi chanina and rabbi oshaia studied it together on friday afternoons. What is the book of jasher and should it be in the bible. This version of the sefer yetzirah contains three versions. The sepher yetzirah is also known as the book of formation and the book of creation. The sepher yetzirah, according to adolph franck, differs from other sacred books in that it does not explain the world and the phenomena of which it is the stage by leaning on the idea of god or by setting itself up as the interpreter of the supreme will. A short and enigmatic judaeognostic text no more than 2000 words in even the longest version, known from the tenth century, and quite probably dating back much earlier, the sefer yetzirah is concerned with the symbolism of numbers and the letters of. Rabbi aryeh kaplan has therefore translated the sefer yetzirah the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative. Sefer yetzirah is first explicitly mentioned over 1500 years ago in the talmud sanhedrin 65b, where rabbi chanina and rabbi oshaia studied it together on friday afternoons.
The book of creation sefer yesira is a unique, isolated work that belongs to no school of thought daphne hadas freedman2 sefer yetzirah book of formation, hereafter sy is the oldest known speculative treatise in hebrew. Jan 16, 2014 sefer yetzirah hebrew, book of creation, is the title of the earliest book on jewish esoterecism. Sefer yezirah book of formation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on. The sefer yetzirah is the book of creation, one of the earliest extant texts about the creation of the world of the jewish tradition, a book that some scholars are supposing of an early medieval. He also offers a fantastic, simplified, and unique translation of the sepher yetzirah, the book of formation, for which he consulted nine separate translations in four languages english, german, hebrew and latin in order to assemble the most accurate modern representation of this classic, qabbalistic text. The sepher yetzirah, although this name means the book of formation, is not in any sense a narrative of creation, or a substitute genesis, but is an ancient and instructive philosophical treatise upon one aspect of the origin of the universe and mankind. Sefer yetzirah the book of formation or creation karen. Jun 01, 2004 the book of formation or sepher yetzirah. Sefer yetzirah download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi.
Introductionj the sepher yetzirah, or book of formation,is perhaps the oldest philosophicaltreatise which is yet extant in the hebrew language. Sefer yezirah book of formation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and. In the end, we must conclude that the book of jasher mentioned in the bible was lost and has not survived to modern times. Often translated as the book of formation, sefer yetzirah is the earliest extant jewish esoteric. It describes how the universe was created by the god of israel a list of all of gods hebrew names appears in the first sentence of the book through 32 wondrous ways of wisdom. Sefer yetzirah, the cube of space, and the emergence of the. Fire and water and air, and heat was created from fire, cold was created from water, and temperatestate from air balances the scales between them. It is the oldest known kabbalistic writing from which the zohar is derived. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sefer yetzirah. Sefer yetzirah dates from the 1st to 3rd centuries perhaps around the time of vettius valens and ptolemy, and presents a philosophical model of creation. The sefer yetzirah, or the book of creation, was written approximately 3,000 bce, and was the first kabbalistic book to be written.
Westcotts translation of the sepher yetzirah was a primary source for the rituals and knowledge lectures of the golden dawn. According to tradition, it was authored by none other than abraham the only person whose name appears in the work. Often translated as the book of formation, sefer yetzirah is the earliest extant jewish esoteric work and the only one mentioned in the talmud. The book of creation by aryeh kaplan, rabbi online at alibris.
Trees of life from the book of sefer yetzirah book of formation after the sefer hashmoth book of names and ancient portions of the torah that predate master mosheh, the sefer yetzirah book of formation is the oldest book of the written mystical qabalah, dating to the times of and attributed to master abraham. The central star contains the three hebrew mother letters, which represent the three primal sounds, and correlate to the elements air, water, and fire, making up the three horizontal bars of the tree of life. Now in its 7th printing since republication in 1997, the sefer yetzirah has established itself as a primary source for a. He expounds on the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the sefirot, souls, and angels. In thirtytwo mysterious paths of wisdom, yah, eternal of hosts, god of israel, living elohim, almighty god, high and extolled, dwelling in eternity, holy be his name, engraved and created his world in three sefarim. Book of creation, oldest known hebrew text on white magic and cosmology. Like the tao teh ching, it is a brief work whose terse verses can easily mask its depth and complexity.
The goal of the gnostic tradition is the perfection of the human being. The sefer tells the origin of the world as it was revealed to abraham. The book of creation in theory and practice by aryeh kaplan. Dec 16, 2009 sepher yetzirah chapter 1 of 6 higher quality version than the original ch 1 video join our discussion group concerning the sepher yetzirah at. The sepher yetzirah or the book of creation, aka the book of formation, is one of the most famous of all the ancient kabbalistic texts. The book of solomon which is called ars notoria and liber semamphoras mentioned mentioned in a correspondence attributed to roger bacon cf. The sefer yetzirah also serves as the very foundation stone of the western mystery tradition. The book of creation in theory and practice kindle. Magic, the occult, astrology all have been painted in the modern world as fringe and we have been discouraged from even learning about such knowledge but what do. The sefer yetzirah is, according to the different approaches, the earliest jewish scientific treatise, or a treatise on mathematics and sacred grammar, or the earliest and most enigmatic book on jewish esotericism. The bok of formation, and the thirty two paths of wisdom. Pdf the creation of the world in the sefer yetzirah.
And the living creatures ran and returned, 19 and upon this word a covenant is cut. Abraham the patriarch abraham is the author of the first recension of the book of formation. It was written prior to rabbi shimons zohar, or the book of splendor. Aug 30, 2017 magic, the occult, astrology all have been painted in the modern world as fringe and we have been discouraged from even learning about such knowledge but what do you do with the fact that the. Read sefer yetzirah the book of creation in theory and practice by aryeh kaplan available from rakuten kobo. Taken together, they were said to comprise the 32 paths of secret wisdom by.
The name sepher yetzirah is hebrew for book of formation or creation. Rabbi kaplans translation of this oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts provides a unique perspective on the meditative and magical aspects of kabbalah. Sefer yetzirah book of formation the title page to an early print of the sefer yetzirah credit. Three mothers alef a, mem m, shin s are in the body of male and female.
The complete sepher yetzirah, an important book of kabbalah. Much later, rabbi akiba assembled the correct reading of abrahams composition. Benton the sefer yetzirah, or book of formation, is one of the oldest extant works on jewish kabbalah. The sefer yetzirah is devoted to speculations concerning gods creation of the world. This unusual text describes the creation as a world of pure forms and ideas, a time prior to genesis in the beginning there was the word. The ascription of its authorship to the biblical patriarch abraham shows the high esteem which it enjoyed for centuries. Meira epstein presents sefer yetzirah, one of the oldest jewish mystical texts, in a new, accessible and easy to read translation with commentary. It is traditionally ascribed to our father abraham, though modern scholarship tends to date it around the 9th century ce. Sefer yetzirah wikisource, the free online library. Sepher yetzirah in an english translation is almost a necessary companion to these even more abstruse disquisitions. Sepher yirah, book of formation, or book of creation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish mysticism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to kabbalah. Pdf the sefer yetzirah is the book of creation, one of the earliest extant texts about the creation of the world of the jewish tradition, a book.
Pdf the creation of the world in the sefer yetzirah researchgate. Sefer yetzirah hebrew, book of creation, is the title of the earliest book on jewish esoterecism. Yetzirah is more literally translated as formation. Although the name sefer yetzirah means the book of formation, or the book of creation, is not in any sense a narrative. Also included are three alternative versions to make this volume the most complete work on the sefer yetzirah available in english. Three mothers alef a, mem m, shin s are in the year. It describes a total of 32 intelligences or emanations that make up the body and mind of.
Rabbi aryeh kaplan has therefore translated the sefer yetzirah the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative and magical implication to light. The sefer yetzirah is the earliest hebrew text of speculative mystical jewish thought, appearing sometime between the third and sixth centuries c. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The sepher yetzirah, although this name means the book of formation, is not in any sense a narrative of creation, or a substitute genesis, but is an ancient and instructive philosophical treatise upon one. The sefer yetzirah is a small and concise book, only 0 words long in the short version and 2500 words long in the long version. This symbol illustrates the order of creation outlined in the jewish kabbalistic work sefer yetzirah hebrew, book of formation. Additionally, the starting point of the sefer yetzirah appears to be the need to reconcile two rabbinical theories of creation. The sefer yetzirah, which means book of formation, is a short book about the theories of maaseh bereshit, the mystical account of the creation of the universe. The book of creation 1997, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. The largest online provider of hebrew sifrei kodesh.
Pdf sefer yetzira the book of creation download full pdf. The book of creation in theory and practice kindle edition by kaplan, aryeh. This ancient work rather reveals god by estimating his manifold handiwork. I chose this version because it was a rosicrucian order, amorc, publication. Sefer yetzirah, the cube of space, and the emergence of. God of the armies of israel, everliving god, merciful and gracious, sublime, dwelling on high, who inhabiteth eternity. The sepher yetzirah or the book of creation 1 of 2 youtube. He expounds on the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the sefirot, souls and angels. Sefer, book of formation, or book of creation is the title of the earliest extant book on jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to kabbalah. Rabbi aryeh kaplan has translated sefer yetzirah, the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative, and magical implications to light. The sefer yetzirah is the book of creation, one of the earliest extant texts about the creation of the world of the jewish tradition, a book that some scholars are supposing of an early medieval origin. Additionally, both the time of its composition and its author. Library of agudas chassidei chabad ohel yosef yitzchak lubavitch. The sepher yetzirah translated from the hebrew by william wynn westcott note.
Timeline of esoterica twilit grotto esoteric archives. There are ten intangible sefiroth, shut your mouth from speaking and your heart from thinking. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book of formation sefer yetzirah the matheson trust. Chapters three to five discuss the divisions of the letters in relation to astrology. Wynn westcott the sepher yetzirah is one of the most famous of the ancient qabbalistic texts. Attributed to rabbi akiba ben joseph waite, arthur edward, stenring, knut, waite, arthur edward, gilbert, r. The sepher yetzirah is one of the most famous of the ancient qabalistic texts. Rabbi kaplans translation of this oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts provides a unique perspective. The text of the sefer yetzirah is much shorter than that of the better known zohar, and in many respects it is like a slim math book, i. Pdf sefer yetzira the book of creation download full. Sefer yetzirah and the 32 paths of creation mayim achronim. Trees of life from the book of sefer yetzirah book of. Click download or read online button to get sefer yetzirah book now.