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Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakanah, author of the Bahir, achieved his high mystical state by separating from worldly concerns:^[609]

Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakanah said: Whoever takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, from him are removed the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care; but whoever casts off the yoke of the Torah, upon him are placed the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care.

The Bahir discusses that there are 70 nations in the world each having a guardian angel. This is the gematria of Gog vMagog – גוג ומגוג. In that time all the nations of the world rose up against Israel.^[610]

But in regard to the war of Gog and Magog it is written: Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain, but it is not written: ‘How many are mine adversaries become!’

Canaanite tradition held to a pantheon of 70 gods who served under El Elyon, G-d Most High. Judaism purified the dross from the silver and saw that these gods were no more than the angels who served the Lord Most High.^[611]

(the teacher says) What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 15:27), “And they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy date palms, and they encamped there by the water?” (the student asks) What is so special about seventy date palms? In one small place there can be a thousand. (the teacher responds) But [this teaches us that] they were worthy of their counterpart. They are likened to date palms.

Elim in Hebrew is Elimah – אילמה, which contains the same letters as the name of G-d, Elohim – אלהים.^[612] At this point the children of Israel are heavenly counterparts. They are a reflection or correspondence of the heavenly world. There is an element of parallelism here.

Israel passes the test of judgment to be elevated to the level of a counterpart. In Exodus 15:26, G-d tells the children of Israel to hearken to him, which they do and arrive at the place of Elim:^[613]

And [Moses] said, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, [transitioning to the voice of G-d] I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that heals you.

The Bahir is the major source text specifying the structure of the kabbalistic tree of life. For the first time the ten sefirot are described in detailed symbolism explaining the biblical source text for each quality. The juxtaposition of the sefirot Keter (will or (thought?^[614])) and Daat (knowledge) where only one exists at a time has its source in the Bahir. Furthermore the Bahir provides the source explanation for the descent that precedes the ascent in advanced Kabbalah meditation:^[615]

What is the meaning of the expression, “It rose in thought”? Why do we not say that “it descended [in thought]”? Indeed we have said, “One who gazes into the vision of the Chariot first descends and then ascends.” We use the expression [of descent] there because we say, “one who gazes into the vision (Tzafiyat) of the Chariot.” The Aramaic translation of “vision” (Tzafiyat) is Sechuta [meaning a covering, and alluding to the fact that one is looking down from above]. It is also written, “And he called as a lion: ‘Upon the watchtower (MiTzPeh), O God.’” Here, however we are speaking of thought, [and therefore only speak of ascent]. For thought does not include any vision and has no ending whatsoever. And anything that has no end or limit does not have any descent. People therefore say, “Someone descended to the limit of his friend’s knowledge.” One can arrive at the limit of a person’s knowledge, but not at the limit of his thought.

In the realm of Keter there is no vision, no floor, no sky above. There is only suspension in blackness where the will of G-d waits, waits for what? The will of G-d waits for the thought that will manifest reality.

The Bahir teaches in two genres. The first is a didactic conversation between a teacher and a student. The second is by parable most often that of a king and his daughter.

Sefer Yetzirah 2:4 describes 231 gates that are the Gates of Creation. The number of combinations (ignoring order) of all Hebrew letters, taken two at a time, is 231. The procedure is to visual each pair in ones mind using the alphabetical order as a mnemonic device. Like a family tree the largest number of gates is at the top where we start and at the bottom there is one gate, that of our self.

Eloah created all by these Gates of Creation. For us the Gates of Creation illuminate forms with a light of
their essence. This is the creation of a calf for food or a man for service.^[616]

The process of creation is to ascend in prayer with the Name of God from the upright triangle and return with the creative flow – Shefa releasing from the inverted triangle.

An alternative, but equally old reading of Sefer Yetzirah, records that there are 221 gates:^[618]

In the psalm, the gematria of רויה is 221:^[620]

You placed oil upon my head and my cup overflows - דשנת בשמן ראשי כוסי רויה

The shin and mem of oil relate to fire and water, and the feeling of mystical consciousness in the head. These are the 221 Gates of Reward.

To understand the Golem, we first turn to the source text from Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 65a-66a. The Golem subject is inserted in the midst of superstition to distinguish that there is some supernatural reward for those who serve the Almighty in purity.

Our Rabbis taught: Ye shall not use enchantments nor observe times. This refers to those who practice enchantment by means of weasels, birds, and fish.


The Maharal describes the following characteristics of the Golem.

The practice of making a golem is the meditative exercise of drawing down a pure soul or creating a pure soul within oneself. In order to do this one must purify oneself of impure thoughts or emotions. Removing hametz or leaven on Passover from one’s possessions is the same.

Rabbi Isaac of Acco wrote the following on the subject:^[627]

The “Light of the Eyes” interprets the creation story showing the analogy with the creation of a golem.^[639] The span of existence of ‘formation – Yetzirah’ is not forever while that of ‘emanation – Atzulut’ and ‘creation – Beriyah’ have a spiritual length to their existence.^[640]

The secret of creation of man (refers to) the speculative soul [haneshamah ha-hakhamah], which stands forever. And the secret of his formation (refers to) the animal soul, which does not stand forever ... And emanation (Atzulut) and creation (Beriyah) are more spiritual than formation (Yetzirah).
The Lower Golem is that of Asiyah and Yetzirah versus the higher Golem who is drawn from Beriyah and Atzulut. Isaac of Acco’s very address to the ‘Advanced Students’ may have been an exercise in the creation of a Higher Golem. He attempts to draw from Beriyah a higher speaking soul and implant that spiritual understanding within the bodies of the ‘Advanced Students’. What is the nature of that soul? This is a soul that seeks after the Kabbalists, the prophets of their generation to draw close to G-d, to pursue the word of G-d and to express the word of G-d. Let us conclude that the creation of Higher Golems is the process of drawing higher souls into human bodies.

The mystery remains on the creation of Lower Golems. They are the product of a meditation to draw down animal and appetitive souls from Yetzirah and Asiyah. This is the cow that R. Hanina and R. Oshaia made that fed them dinner or filled their appetites.^[641]

“R. Hanina and R. Oshaia spent every Sabbath eve in studying the ‘Book of Creation’,²⁴ by means of which they created a third-grown calf,²⁵ and ate it.^[642]”

(25) (I.e., a calf that has reached one third of its full growth; others interpret: (i) in its third year; (ii) third born, fat].

The Genesis creation story is an analogy for the creation of a human golem by God forming man from the earth.^[643] Golem making endows the physical with the spiritual, as Hashem breathed life into man. The maker reforms the world around according to the ideal images that once existed in the Garden of Eden. Hence, to make a Golem is the process of drawing down souls and binding them in the same manner as G-d, our Creator did ‘In the Beginning’—as He does every day with the birth of each new living thing.

While Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev would draw a person to the side of good by seeing the good spark within, a Golem maker would place that spark within by reshaping the form of his being.^[644]

During astral projection, a mystic’s corporeal body becomes an automaton that moves by the spiritual will of its master while in a trance stance. While the Golem usually does not talk, the mystic may bring a voice down into the body although the body is detached from the soul. The speaking voice is connected on high and directed by the spirit.

The Twelve Elemental Letters correspond with the Twelve Monthly Constellations. The associations in the Sefer Yetzirah with the Seven Double Letters vary between the Gra and Raavad versions. Dissolving the paradox, there are not only seven planets and they were all fashioned on Wednesday, but the qualities that associate are in order of their spiritual distance that is also their sidereal period:^[646]

The BeGeD CaPaRoT – בגד כפרת – the Garment of Atonement is Creation. Ultimately we are born to improve in the physical world for eternal life in the World to Come. Creation is the gift and means of Atonement. While in the microcosm described above, the qualities of the seven planets have a strong influence upon the Earth; in the macrocosm described below; the Seven Double Letters are the creative force behind the Seven Garments of Atonement.^[647]

The Sefer Raziel provides some of the keys to unlock the Sefer Yetzirah.

The Seven Planets of major influence upon the Earth are depicted in their spiritual distances below with the order from closest to furthest being, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.^[648]

The OaKYaNoS – אוקיינוס – the ‘ocean’ is also understood as the Sea of (covering) the dead – וקיינוס ים המת. This word seems to be from the Greek.^[649] The position of the planets was based on the sidereal period of the planet around the Earth. The sidereal period is the time a planet takes to return to the same background of stars. From this perspective, the order of planets with lengthening periods is the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.^[650]

The Zohar, illustrious light, is a work of Kabbalah. The major core is a commentary on the Five Books of Moses similar to the Midrash but instead, with an emphasis on mystical interpretations of the text. Three other works of the Zohar describe the G-dhead, and the physical form that corresponds to the crown of behavior of man in the image of G-d.^[651] The following example text traces the meaning of the ‘beard’ of G-d from its physical form to the thirteen gates of repentance.

The following translations are difficult to follow.

The leap year of the Hebrew calendar includes a 2^nd month of Adar called Adar Sheni. In this particular year there are thirteen months and they afford and extra month to understand the concepts of the Idra.^[653]

That is the beard of adornment, true and perfect, from which flow down thirteen fountains, scattering the most precious balm of splendor.^[654]

The thirteen parts of the beard are thirteen aspects in the sefira of Keter in the world of Atzilut. They correspond to the primal ratzon, will or desire of G-d.

Mathers writes in his commentary on this passage,^[655]

The “thirteen divisions of the influence in the supernal world” are of course those thirteen parts of the beard of Macroprosopus considered in the sense of Atziloth, the archetypal world, the habitation of the pure Sephiroth alone: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.”

I would like for a moment to trace the origins of this Zohar text to the prophet Micah. Moshe Cordovero writes in his Tomer Devorah:^[656]

These Thirteen Attributes reveal the absolute desire of Hashem to forgive even above wisdom (Hochmah), understanding (Binah), and knowledge (Daat). Why is forgiveness in the highest of all places? Because all heavenly doors are opened after a person chooses to return to G-d and G-d accepts the repentance and forgives. How do we now that G-d will accept the repentance? Hence we learn that forgiveness is the highest of all G-d’s desires (Keter). What are the doors that are opened? These are the Gates of Repentance, which reveal all the heavens as we learn from Moshe Rabbeinu:

Repentance

The Hebrew word for stubborn is Akshanit – עקשנית, stubbornness has kept the Jewish people and will bring her back to Israel.^[657] Because of stubbornness, we will never forget Jerusalem, because of stubbornness, we will never forget G-d, because of stubbornness we will never forget our family and the land that we love.

Furthermore, the thirteen attributes from Exodus overlap the thirteen attributes from Micah. The Tashlich service for Rosh Hashanah contains these passages.^[658] Tashlich is a service for cleansing of sins recited before a living body of water.^[659]

Daniel describes his vision of the G-dhead. This vision is the basis for the G-dhead and the River of Fire that descends from the beard. The River of Fire that descends from absolute mercy eradicates sin above and beyond even repentance. The River of Fire reveals the sovereignty of G-d’s mercy to purge sin from the repentant.

The Zohar Great Holy Assembly says:^[661]

After Rabbi Moshe de Leon discovered the Zohar in the 13^th century, the Arizal contemplated its ideas in the 16^th century. The Arizal’s concepts of the sparks of creation were elaborated from the Zohar.

There are, however, strong questions regarding the veracity of the story told to Rabbi Isaac.  It is well known that the ignorant often destroyed manuscripts, or on occasion, sold them so that the parchment could be used.  It is quite possible that the wife did this, and then embarrassed at not having them, claimed that they never existed.  What is most important, however, is the fact that Rabbi Isaac of Acco investigated the matter, determined to ascertain the truth.  Although the exact results of his investigation are not known, it is obvious that he eventually accepted the authenticity of the Zohar"—Meditation and Kabbalah pp. 28-29

Quoting the Zohar, Rabbi Isaac of Acco wrote:  M&K p.149

These are the words of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and it is forbidden to depart from them.  They are the living words of God ... sweeter than honey.
Also in Otzar Chaim:

From the Zohar we see that G-d can turn a person’s suffering into atonement for others and without death.
Specifically, Zohar III 231a, comments on Job as a living atonement: 
 

“The early pillars of the world were divided.
 One maintained that Job belonged to the righteous Gentiles.
 Another said that he was one of the pious of Israel
 and he suffered in order to atone for the sins of the world.”
 

While this theology is not directly stated in the Tanach, God’s mercy for the sufferer to find meaning in his/her suffering is an explanation.  This explanation cannot apply to Christianity because Christianity’s focus is that Jesus had to die for the sins of humanity while here G-d acquiesces to the sufferer for the sufferer’s sake and not humanity.   There is no requirement of death/sacrifice/blood letting and yet there is atonement!
 
But is the Zohar really authentic to the Torah here.  Self-sacrifice/vicarious atonement seems to be struck down in the Torah.  In the major case of Moses, G-d did not accept a similar offer:  (Exodus 32)
 

35. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
 
The Torah in numerous places does not allow vicarious atonement, even when Moses offers to be blotted or punished in the place of the people!  Moreover the Christian idea that we are all sinners needing grace is pushed aside here as G-d can see the true station of everyone and the relative significance of sin, “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot from my book.”  G-d is not referring to everyone here.
 
As for Isaiah 53 these passages are not about self-sacrifice, but one who suffered while being taken into captivity for the sins of the whole nation though he was innocent.  Isaiah 53 is more about inspiring the guilty to repentance – Tshuvah by seeing the suffering of the innocent!  This is also the Holocaust effect that led to the creation of the State of Israel.  The Jews have been the suffering servant of the world on too numerous an occasion.
 
Nevertheless, returning to the singular account in the Zohar of Job atoning for the world, a few mystics and Hasidic groups adopted the principle of vicarious atonement through suffering.  Suffering is another form of living atonement.
 
Returning to the subject of messiah, I recall:  Isaiah 45, which shows the relationship between the prophet and the messiah.  Before the messiah can be recognized, there must be a prophet to announce him.
 

Thus says the Lord to His Messiah to Coresh (Cyrus) whose right hand I have strengthened.
to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him doors and gates;
and the gates shall not be closed;  I will go before you, and make the hilly places level;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;
And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places,
that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.
For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my elect, I have called you by your name;
I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else, there is no God beside me;
I girded you, though you have not known me;
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else.
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things.
 Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open,
and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up also; I, the Lord, have created it.
Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.
Shall the clay say to him who fashions it, What do you make? or your work, He has no hands?
Woe to him who says to his father, What are you begetting? or to the woman, With what are you in labor?
Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons,
and concerning the work of my hands command me.
I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, my own hands, have stretched out the heavens,
 and all their host have I commanded.
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build my city,
and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts.
Thus says the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Kush and of the Sebaim, men of stature,
 shall come over to you, and they shall be yours; they shall come after you; in chains they shall come over,
 and they shall fall down to you, they shall make supplication to you, saying, surely God is in you;  
and there is no one else zero gods – ואין עוד אפס אלהים.
Truly you are a God who hides yourself, O God of Israel, who saves them.
They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them;
they shall go to confusion together those who are makers of idols.
But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation;
you shall not be ashamed nor confounded to all eternity.
For thus says the Lord who created the heavens; God himself who formed the earth and made it;
he has established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited;
I am the Lord; and there is no one else.
I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I do not say to the seed of Jacob,
Seek me in vain; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you of the nations who have escaped;
they have no knowledge those who carry the wood of their carved idols,
and pray to a god who cannot save.
Declare, and bring them near; yes, let them take counsel together;
Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Did not I the Lord?
And there is no other God beside me; a just God and a savior; there is none beside me.
Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else.
I have sworn by myself, a word of righteousness is gone out of my mouth, and shall not be reversed,
That to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Surely, he said to me, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength; to him shall men come;
and all who are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

 
G-d is our savior, our only True savior.  If he should send Cyrus to help the Israelites return to Israel, this does not make Cyrus a deity to be worshipped, although some made this error as Isaiah points out above in the boldface.  Is this not the error that Christians make, compounded by misunderstanding the word ‘moshia’?  Savior in Hebrew is ‘moshia’, which refers to being saved from physical oppression.  Hebrew doesn’t really have a word for salvation, because in the Torah salvation is not by grace, but by hard work and responsibility.  This is not to say that G-d isn’t merciful, but one makes an effort to change to be better.
 
The messiah’s role is quite different then G-d’s.  A messiah enables the Israelites to return to their homeland, to rebuild the temple, to keep all the commandments, and to worship G-d.  Some Jewish groups are very messiah centric.   I believe there is some merit here if folks don’t become ethnocentric requiring a messiah come from their own brand of Judaism, their own yeshiva, or their own dynasty.   
 
This is the great point of Isaiah who showed us how the messiah could even come from another people, but that we should be ready to follow his proclamations.

The Zohar holds a secret to healing that is related to the month of Nissan and Passover:

After consuming the bread of faith, one partakes of the bread of healing. The cessation of eating breads and raw sugar is beneficial as well preventing celiac disease.

The Zohar discusses reincarnation with an absolute conviction.

There are a few good resources here.^[663] Probably Daniel Matt’s translation and commentary is best. The B’nai Baruch translation online is very authentic. Berg’s translation includes source texts. Here is the B’nai Baruch translation and then my modified version:

Rabbi Hizkiah opened, it is written, “Like a rose amongst the thorns”. From where is the rose?

This is the assembly of Israel. Because there is a rose (physical) and there is a rose (Israel). As this rose is between thorns, the other is between red and white. So the community of Israel is between judgment and mercy. Just as the rose is between thorns, this is to be between red and white, so is the community of Israel between judgment and mercy. Just as a rose has 13 תליסר petals עלין, also – אוף the community of Israel has 13 attributes מכילין of mercy that are protecting (like a magic amulet)^[664] – דסחרין her from all – מכל harm (the other side – sitrahah – סטרהא).

Also – אוף , from Elohim until – משעתא (meanwhile, sha’a - hour) are 13 words that surround the community of Israel and guard her.^[665]

After this, in order to bring out the five rigid leaves that surround the rose, it is mentioned another time in the passage. The principle of five is the essence of salvation and the principle of five ‘shielding gates’ – תרעין.^[666] And this secret is written about, “I will raise the cup of salvation.” This is the ‘cup of blessing.’ The cup of blessing must rest on five fingers, and no more, just as the rose rests on five rigid leaves that represent the five fingers.^[667] This rose is the cup of blessing. From the second to the third mention of the name Elohim, there are five words.^[668] From this point, the Light was created and concealed and enclosed within that covenant that entered the rose and fructified it. This is referred to as a tree bearing fruit whose seed is within it and this seed really exists in the letter of the covenant.

And exactly – דדיוקנא like – כמה the covenant is sown – אזדרע with forty-two copulations for this one seed, so is sown the revealed and expounded Name with forty-two letters about the working of Creation.


The right hand blesses, the left takes and restrains. Hence there are five gates of salvation or blessing referring to the shefa or bounty from the five sefirot that lean to the right. Salvation refers to G-d’s protection, a physical salvation from harm. This is why they are rigid leaves protecting the flower. The Hebrew word ‘sha-ar’ – gate denotes the stronghold of protection in this case as opposed to an entryway.

There are 13 and 5 and 5 words between the usages of Elohim here. The first 13 allude to the Thirteen Attributes of G-d’s mercy that reside at the supernal Root of the Tree of Life. The next 5 words allude to the Male leaning Sefirot. The second 5 words allude to the Female leaning Sefirot of the Tree of Life. Hence, the second five refer to the creation of light and the seed that is the placement of the Torah in the center of the Rose, which is the community of Israel.

There are 42 intercourses – emissions of light into the rose for one seed, the covenant of Torah to be born. The forty-two letters divide into 7 groups of 6 letters describing the creative forces on each day of creation including the seventh when rest was created.^[669] Hence, the seed parallels the Name of G-d and the forty-two acts of intercourse are the forty-two composing letters.

Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona is the author of Shaarei Teshuvah – שערי תשובה, the Gates of Repentance:

Moshe Cordovero, the author of “The Palm Tree of Devorah,” provides training on improving one’s midos – character traits by learning to behave in the image of G-d. In summary, the book presents the following associations:^[671]

Moshe Cordovero revealed that each sefira has a leaning. Even the sefirot along the central trunk lean to either the left or the right and this leaning can be corrected. Cordovero teaches that we must strive to bring all the sefirot to lean to the right side.^[674]

Sefirot that lean to the left have emotions easily applied in negative, destructive manners. It is our duty to find the positive in these sefirot and harness the emotions in service to Hashem. Moshe Cordovero describes this process:

The chapter begins:

Understanding is symbolized by motherhood here. A mother corrects her child, sweetens the judgment, nullifies the bitterness, and helps the child fix any flaws.

Cordovero explains that hesed can only be achieved by placing the love of God before all other loves:

How should a person train himself in the attribute of hesed (kindness)? The main way to enter into the secret of hesed is to love G-d so absolutely that one will never forsake His service for any reason; for, compared with the love of God, Blessed Be He, no other love has any worth. Therefore, he should first attend to the requirements of his Divine service; then, the remainder of his time may be used for other needs.^[676]

The wants of ones family may distract from an opportunity for hesed. Combine hesed with the family activity and all will be blessed from Hashem. Plan a kindness activity with ones spouse and carry it out with the whole family involved.

Difficult events are also for the good.^[677] This is a binding of malchuts to hesed. Cordovero presents eight principles of mastering hesed. As they are between man and man they are between man and G-d. A person who loves G-d loves man.

I am certain that all of the sefirot really exist for the sake of Malchuts (reuniting the Shechinah) and Binah (repentance). In the same way man exists for the sake of women.^[679]

Traveling leads to becoming a “vehicle for the exiled Shechinah.”^[680]

The ‘Gates of Light’ by Joseph Gikatilla, is monumental for showing the source passages in the Torah for the principle ideas of Kabbalah. These source passages are also fundamental to Midrashic understanding, since the Midrash includes kabbalah.^[682]

To understand these verses is parametric to understanding the daughter:

1. And Abraham was old, and well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2. And Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I beg you, your hand under my thigh;
3. And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live;
4. But you shall go to my country, and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

From Abraham we learn that “all” is a daughter-in-law, a wife for his son. The ‘daughter’ quality manifests in the sefira of Malchut, also known as the daughter, feminine one – Nukvah, and the feminine presence of G-d – Shechinah. Abraham’s father quality derives from the energy of Hochmah, since Hesed is just below. In the stories of the Partzufim, the daughter energy often unites with the father on Shabbat.

“All” is the food that Rebecca, daughter in law of Abraham prepared. All is a euphemism for Rebecca for “All” that Isaac had was because of Rebecca.

For Jacob, “all” is that which he needs to live and serve G-d—“all” is “enough”. Here there is an allusion to the Name, Shaddai (Sha – that is dai – enough), which holds back the shefa or sustenance of G-d just above Malchut.

The Strength of the daughter’s energy comes from Truth that is Tiferet above. Here is the final secret of Kol, namely that all is of Truth.

Also see: Text ‎8-30: The Lord blessed Abraham with a daughter.

^[609] Perkei Avot 3:5
^[610] Berachot 7b. Also Rabbi Aryeh Rosenfeld on Samuel 2:1-11B.
^[611] Bahir 161, Kaplan, p.59.
^[612] Harris Lenowitz’s class in Kabbalah, 10/15/2002.
^[613] Exodus 15:26, which the Bahir quotes in Kaplan, 163 on p.61.
^[614] University of Utah, Kabbalah, Professor Harris Lenowitz, 10/8/2002. Harris pointed out that the crown is thought in the following Bahir quote.
^[615] Bahir 88, Kaplan trans.
^[616] See ‎5.2.3 Golem for a description of the creation of a calf and a man in the blue text.

^[617] See ‎10.11 The 72 Letter Name of God p. 441
^[618] Talmud Yoma 76a
^[619] A ‘log’ is a liquid unit measure of a small bottle probably the size of full cup or glass or the volume of six eggs of that time: loogah or logah - לוגא
^[620] Psalm 23:5
^[621] Master of a Familiar Spirit
^[622] “Ventriloquist or necromancer” -- Soncino
^[623] To produce sounds making it appear that the dead are speaking through them.
^[624] Isaiah 59:2
^[625] “Raba understands mabadilim in the sense of ‘draw a distinction’. But for their iniquities, their power would equal God's, and they could create a world.” --- Soncino
^[626] The Soncino Talmud comments, “The Book of Creation, Heb. Sefer Yeziroh, is the title of two esoteric books. The older, referred to here, was a thaumaturgical work popular in the Talmudic period. It was also known as Hilkoth Yezirah (Laws of Creation), and is so called in the same story quoted on 67b. Rashi, there states that the creation was performed by means of mystic combinations of the Divine Name, which does not come under the ban of witchcraft. Its basic idea is that the Creation was accomplished by means of the power inherent in those letters (Cf. Rab's saying: ‘Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which heaven and earth were created’. Ber. 55a. Cf. also Enoch LXI, 3 et seq.; Prayer of Manasseh: Ecc. R. III, 11 on the magic power of the letters of the Divine Name), and that this same power could be utilized in further creation. The work was ascribed to Abraham, which fact indicates an old tradition, and the possible antiquity of the book itself. It has affinities with Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hellenic mysticism and its origin has been placed in the second century B.C.E., when such a combination of influences might be expected. It is noteworthy that Raba's statement above, though not mentioning the Sefer Yezirah, insists on freedom from sin as a prerequisite of creation by man, v. J.E., XII, 602.”
^[627] Golem, Moshe Idel, p.108.
^[628] Isaac of Acco refers to himself as “the young” in manner places. This is like the phrase ‘son of man’, a phrase of humility. The kabbalist acknowledges how with all he knows, he is yet like a child. Similarly Metatron was called, ‘Na’ar’ which means youth by the other angels. Yet the young is superior in knowledge than the others around suggesting that sometimes a child knows more. As Isaiah says, “a child shall lead them”. [Isaiah 11:6-9]

^[629] This is a kabbalistic technique whereby at higher levels an outer source (even if within the kabbalist’s mind) asks the question and the kabbalist prophesies the answer. At lower levels, the kabbalist asks questions and receives inspiration on the answers or an outer source answers them (within the kabbalist’s mind). See Meditation ‎2-2: Back to the Beginning on page 48.
^[630] This is the acrostic for the four worlds: Atzulut Beriyah Yetzirah Asiyah.
^[631] From the world of Beriyah
^[632] From the world of Atzulut
^[633] This is the great mystery of whether the golem is a magical entity or a meditative being.
^[634] From the world of Yetzirah
^[635] The intermediary world here, source of the animal and appetite soul, is Yetzirah, the World of Formation. Above this is the supernal world representing the intellect, Beriyah, the World of Creation. (Though Yetzirah is a lower world one ascends into it with meditation)
^[636] An interesting deduction is that a created Beriyah soul would not perish with the death of the body. (Though Beriyah is a higher world, one descends into it with meditation)
^[637] Kabbalah is the study of prophecy as well. Also Kabbalists inherit the prophetic tradition.

^[638] This Aleph refers to Atzulut the highest world. They drew a soul down from the world of Atzulut by their own soul reaching to the apex that is the root of Beriyah that is the leaves of Atzulut.
^[639] “Golem Jewish Magical Mystical Traditions on the Artificial Anthropoid”, Moshe Idel, p.110.
^[640] Golem, Moshe Idel trans., p.110.
^[641] Sanhedren 65b and see http://chaburas.org/magic.html
^[642] Commentary from the Soncino Talmud
^[643] Some magical tomes contain procedures involving different elements of earth to make a Golem.
^[644] See Meditation ‎30-2: Meditation for the Deaf
^[645] Acensions on High, Moshe Idel, 2005, pp.31-32.
^[646] See Figure ‎5-3: Seven Planets and Earth to understand the correct order. Also an online version is available from http://www.yarzheit.org/antiquesefer/raziel.pdf also shown in Sepher Rezial Hemelach, The Book of the Angel Rezial, Steve Savedow, p. 107, Fig. 4. Also See Table ‎8-4: The Sevens of Creation and Sefer Yetzirah 4:3
^[647] See Table ‎2-4: Seven Days of Creation
^[648] See Table ‎5-1: Corrected order of the Seven Planets formed by the Seven Double Letters, Table ‎5-2: The Seven Garments of Atonement, Table ‎5-4: Sefirot Leanings, and Table ‎8-4: The Sevens of Creation.
^[649] See Jastrow.
^[650] See Table ‎2-4: Seven Days of Creation, Table ‎8-4: The Sevens of Creation, ‎5.2.4 The Seven Double Letters
^[651] Genesis describes G-d walking in the Garden. Song of songs describes G-d as a young husband. Shiur Komah describes G-d in mystical terms like the Zohar.
^[652] The Kabbalah Unveiled, The Book of Concealed Mystery, pages 67-69.
^[653] In fact I am writing this text on Rosh Hodesh Adar Sheni which is also the Hebrew day of my birth.
^[654] The Kabbalah Unveiled, The Idra Rabba Kaddisha, the Great Sanctified Idra, page 134.
^[655] Ibid. page 69.
^[656] The Palm Tree of Devorah, Chapter 1.
^[657] Einat Talmon, Kibbutznik from Maale Hamisha, daughter of Sima Talmon, my cousin.
^[658] Art Scroll Siddur, page 771.
^[659] A body containing fish.
^[660] The horn is the shofar calling our soul back to Hashem in the trembling that proceeds a complete tshuvah or return. The beast is the yetzer hara or evil inclination which is separated from our soul and slain by Hashem.
^[661] The Anatomy of God The Book of Concealment, The Great Holy Assembly, and The Lesser Holy Assembly of the Zohar with The Assembly of the Tabernacle, trans. Roy A. Rosenberg, Ktav Publishing, New York, 1973.
^[662] http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/monthlynews-nissan.php
^[663] http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/zohar/the_book_of_zohar/introduction.htm http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/zdm/zdm002.htm
^[664] Sahar – traveling about, commerce, ‘minding about’ is better based on Arabic meaning of ‘practicing magic’ or an ‘amulet’, but this is not really Hebrew, but how would ‘traveling about her from all harm’ make sense?
^[665] Since Tohu vVohu are included in these 13 words, one would wonder how they could guard her? Instead they allude to the passage in Exodus 34:6-7.
^[666] The right hand blesses, the left takes away or restrains. Hence there are five gates of salvation or blessing referring to the shefa or bounty from the five sefirot that lean to the right. Salvation refers to G-d’s protection, a physical salvation from harm. This is why they are rigid protecting the flower. There is no other concept in Torah about ‘Five Gates of Salvation’.
^[667] These are the five fingers of the right hand that represent the five positive sefirot of the tzelem of Hashem, namely Keter Hochmah, Hesed, Tiferet, and Netzah. See Table ‎5-4: Sefirot Leanings
^[668] These are the five sefirot leaning to the left side alluding to the feminine and the procreative source.
^[669] See ‎10.10 The 42 Letter Name of God on p.420
^[670] Gates of Repentance, Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona, Feldheim, page 39.
^[671] The Palm Tree of Devorah – Tomer Devorah, Moshe Cordovero, trans. Rabbi Moshe Miller, Targum Press, page 48.
^[672] The Palm Tree of Devorah, Moshe Cordovero, Targum Press, Chapter 4, page 78.
^[673] Ibid, page 118.
^[674] Sefer Yetzirah, Aryeh Kaplan, p.34
^[675] Ibid, pp. 78-82.
^[676] The Palm Tree of Devorah, Moshe Cordovero, Targum Press, Chapter 5, page 84.
^[677] Ibid, page 86.
^[678] Tikkunim.
^[679] see For Women – 31, 32, 70, 72, 124
^[680] Hazal teach that one should remove oneself to a place of Torah learning. This teaches one to travel to live where there are more Jews involved in Torah.
^[681] Palm Tree of Devorah, Moshe Cordovera.
^[682] Gates of Light, Sha’are Orah, translated by Avi Weinstein, Sacred Literature Series, Harper Collins, pp. 101-102

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