Kabbalah-of-the-Golden-Dawn-Pat-Zalewski - D Ank Unlimited
Kabbalah-of-the-Golden-Dawn-Pat-Zalewski - D Ank Unlimited
Kabbalah-of-the-Golden-Dawn-Pat-Zalewski - D Ank Unlimited
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The Early Books 43<br />
Franck, in his The <strong>Kabbalah</strong>,34 divides <strong>the</strong> essence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sepher Yetzirah<br />
into <strong>the</strong> following: 0) In general, <strong>the</strong> composition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world; (2) In<br />
<strong>the</strong> division <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year or in <strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> time in which <strong>the</strong> year<br />
is <strong>the</strong> principal unit; (3) The structure <strong>of</strong> man, <strong>the</strong> main principal uniting<br />
all <strong>the</strong>se factors being <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> book to <strong>the</strong> Macrocosm<br />
as well as to <strong>the</strong> Microcosm.<br />
It would be fair to say that up until <strong>the</strong> 9th century <strong>the</strong> main <strong>the</strong>me<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jewish doctrine was very much against Kabbalistic teaching, and in<br />
many instances was aimed at trying to prevent it from being taught. Gaon<br />
Saadiah (892-942 C.E.), head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Persian Academy at Sura, and one <strong>of</strong><br />
those who did an enormous amount <strong>of</strong> Hebrew Linguistic research into<br />
Kabbalistic teachings, was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first to give Kabbalism its full due as<br />
a metaphysical doctrine in its own right. He wrote a reputable commentary<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Sepher Yetzirah which still exists today and which brought a<br />
new understanding <strong>of</strong> Kabbalism to <strong>the</strong> Jewry <strong>of</strong> his own era. Gaon Hai<br />
(939-1038), a contemporary <strong>of</strong> Gaon Saadiah, also wrote a commentary<br />
on <strong>the</strong> Sepher Yetzirah, as well as o<strong>the</strong>r works that have strong Kabbalistic<br />
references, such as "The Voice <strong>of</strong> God in its Power."<br />
The Sepher Yetzirah is a very different book in style from <strong>the</strong> Bahir<br />
and has none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> question and answer phrasing which is so characteristic<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Zoharic documents. Possibly one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first published versions<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sepher Yetzirah was in 1562, Mantua Edition. 35<br />
The actual title <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sepher Yetzirah is a little ambiguous for instead<br />
<strong>of</strong> a being a study <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sephiroth it in fact is concerned with <strong>the</strong> formation<br />
and structure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pat</strong>hs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Kabbalah</strong>. The book itself is broken<br />
down into six chapters:<br />
Chapter 1 gives <strong>the</strong> breakdown <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ten Sephiroth and <strong>the</strong> 22<br />
paths. It also discusses <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lightning Flash and <strong>the</strong> hidden<br />
method <strong>of</strong> ascending "Jacobs Ladder" through meditation. The formation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> elements is <strong>the</strong>n discussed; from Spirit came Air, and from Air<br />
came Water, and from Water came Fire. The Three angelic Choirs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Auphanium, Seraphim and Kerubim are <strong>the</strong>n named. The Name <strong>of</strong>YOD<br />
'" First French Edition 1843, Paris. First published English translation in 1967, by University Books.<br />
I found a number<strong>of</strong>Englishtranslations<strong>of</strong> variousparts<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> text at 'Whare Ra. For<strong>the</strong> most part<br />
<strong>the</strong>y differ only slightly from <strong>the</strong> later English publication. When quoting from Franck, I will be<br />
using <strong>the</strong> old Whare Ra translations, which no doubt were done in <strong>the</strong> late 1880s by <strong>Golden</strong><br />
<strong>Dawn</strong> members.<br />
'", Gulielmus Postellus did a Latin translation in 1552, but it was not for general publication.