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The Book of Concealed Mystery
Chapter IV
1. THE Ancient One is hidden and concealed; the
Microprosopus is manifested, and is not manifested.
[The "Ancient One" is Kether. Eheieh, Macroprosopus, the Vast Countenance. See
introduction, §§, 42, 77.]
2. When he is manifested, he is symbolized by the letters (in the ordinary form
in which the Tetragrammaton is written).
3. When he is concealed, he is hidden by the letters which are not disposed
according (to the proper order) of the letters, or (according to another reading
of this passage) in their proper place; because also in him their superiors and
inferiors are not rightly disposed (because of the disturbed transpositions).
4. In Gen. i. 24 it is written: "The earth brought forth the living creature
after its kind, cattle and reptile," &c. Hereunto belongeth that which is
written, Ps. xxxv. 7: "O Lord, thou shalt preserve both man and beast."
5. The one is contained under the general meaning of the other, and also the
beast under the general idea of the man (on account of the mystery of the
revolution of the soul).
6. (And hereunto pertaineth that passage) Levit. i. 2: "When a man shall bring
from among you an offering unto the Lord, &c. Ye shall offer, &c." Because
animals are included under the generic term man.
7. When the inferior man descendeth (into this world), like unto the supernal
form (in himself), there are found two spirits. (So that) man is formed from two
sides--from the right and from the left.
8. With respect unto the right side he had NShMThA QDIShA, Neschamotha Qadisha,
the holy intelligences; with
respect unto the left side, NPSh ChIH, Nephesh Chiah, the animal soul.
[These answer to the right and left pillars of the Sephiroth. See Introduction.]
9. Man sinned and was expanded on the left side; and then they who are formless
were expanded also. (That is those spirits of matter, who received dominion in
the inferior paths of the soul of Adam, whence arose base concupiscence.) When (therefore)
both were at once joined together (namely by base concupiscence, together with
connexion, and the animal soul) generations took place, like as from some animal
which generateth many lives in one connexion.
10. (There are given) twenty-two letters hidden and twenty-two letters
manifested (which are the symbols of those sublime forms).
11. (The one) Yod is concealed; the other is manifested. (The one is the
understanding or mother, the other is the kingdom or queen; so that at the same
time it looketh back to the superior paths.) But that which is hidden and that
which is manifest are balanced in the equilibrium of forms. (That is, masculine
and feminine; the one, the father and the mother; the other, the foundation and
the queen; meaning principally the female idea, which includeth form and
receptacle.)
12. Out of Yod are produced male and female (if, namely, it be fully written as
IVD, Yod, they are then its augment), Vau and Daleth. In this position Vau is
male, and Daleth is female. And hence arise DV, the two letters which are the
duad male and female; and not only the duad, but also the co-equal duads (of the
superior and inferior conjunctions).
13. Yod by itself is male (the father); He, female (the mother).
14. H, He, at first was D, Daleth; but after it was impregnated by I, Yod (so
that thence it might produce the
form H--namely the I, Yod, placed at the left hand lower part of Daleth) it
brought forth V, Vau. (That is, the mother impregnated by the father produced
Microprosopus. But in the shape of the letter out of that minute I, Yod, which
is hidden within the H, He, V, Vau, is said to be formed. Or from the upper
horizontal line of the letter H, which is one V, Vau, and from the right-hand
vertical line, which is another V, Vau, and from the inserted I, Yod, is made
VIV, the full form of letter Vau.)
[This is again referring to the shape of the letter. See Table of the Alphabet
for Hebrew form.]
15. Whence it is plain that in the letter H, He, are hidden the letters D,
Daleth, V, Vau; and in IVD, Yod, is hidden H: whence are formed IHV. Therefore
it appeareth that IVD in its own form containeth IHV, whensoever it is fully
written by IVD, which are male and female (namely I, Yod, male, and V, Vau, D,
Daleth, in the form, H, He, female); hence is compounded (the son, who is) V,
Vau, and who overshadoweth his mother. (That is V placed after H, so that IHV
may form the father, the mother, and Microprosopus.)
16. (Therefore in the letter IVD, Yod, and in the name IHI are hidden two males
and two females, which is symbolized in that saying, Gen. vi. 2: "And the sons
of the Elohim beheld (the plural in its least form denoteth two) the daughters
of men" (and this also). This explaineth on this account that which is written,
Josh. ii. 1: "Two men as Spies, saying" (hence is revealed the mystery of the
two men). But how (is it proved that two females are understood) by the words, "Daughters
of men?" Because it is written, 1 Kings iii. 16: "Then came there two women unto
the king."
17. Of these it is written, ibid. 28: "Because they saw that the wisdom of
Elohim was in him." (Here are involved the two males, in the wisdom, the father;
in
Solomon, Microprosopus. Therefore) then came they (even the two women, the
understanding and the queen) and not before.
18. In the palace of the union of the fountains (that is, in the world of
creation) there were two connexions by conjunctions among the supernals; these
descended from above, and occupied the earth; but they rejected the good part,
which in them was the crown of mercy; and were crowned with the cluster of
grapes. (That is instead of benignity, they were surrounded with judgments and
rigours. Which also can be explained concerning Microprosopus and his bride,
first in the mother, and afterwards in the existences below, and in exile with
surrounding rigours and severities.)
[Referring to the previous symbolical explanation of Joshua ii, 1.]
19. (Also we find these two equations in that saying) Exod. xiv. 15: "And the
Lord said unto Moses (who is referred to the mother), Why criest thou unto Me?"
(But also a cry is referred to the mother, just as a groan is to the beautiful
path, and an exclamation to the kingdom. But) ALI, Eli, unto me (note this is
the same as, "and unto I, Yod;" or the father). "Speak unto the children of
Israel (the speech is the queen; Israel is the beautiful path) that they set
forward." Wherein note well the word VISOV, Vayesaau, "that they set forward,"
wherein are VI masculine letters; SO feminine letters).
["But also a cry, &c." Meaning the three Sephiroth, Binah, Tiphereth, and
Malkuth.]
20. From above the power of life flowed down in equilibrium, for he entreated
the influence of the Venerable One.
["The Venerable One"--i.e., the first Sephira, proceeding from the AIN SVP AVR,
Ain Soph Aur. See Introduction.)
21. Hereunto also pertaineth that passage, Exod. xv. 26: "And if thou shalt do
right in His eyes, and shalt hearken
unto His precepts, and shalt keep all His statutes." (Where in the last word
also two equations are placed.) "Because I am the Lord thy God who healeth
thee." (Note this, because again here is hidden the mystery of the understanding
and the wisdom, of the path of beauty and of the congregation of Israel.)
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