Patach Mashiach

An unusual word found by kwaw93 in a 13th century manuscript reproduced in a book by Moshe Idel¹ in association with the divine name אה-יה is ביט. The question was asked, what does it mean?

Not knowing the document or the context in which the word was found exactly, here's a theory I propose based on hebrew roots, both 3 letter roots (shorashim, roots) and 2-letter roots (she'arim, gates):

Follow the logic through to ביט ... in dynamical terms of consciousness, these shorashim mean (in the alphabetic order of rachamim, midat harachamim):

בטא - express, speak rashly
בטה - speak
בטח - trust
בטל - void, cease
בטן - protrude at center, body, convex

There are only 5 Xבט shorashim listed as 3-letter roots in the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (R. Matityahu Clark). The common "gate" of these 5 roots are the letters בט. Also, all the shorashim pertain to the "action" of "cycled speech-consciousness".

In other words, beginning with the chicken, so to speak, one has a "void" (בטל) or an empty space in which to receive the divine word. Consciousness through the letter ל reaches upward (toward the supraconscious source, joined with consciousness in the א of בטא) eliciting a "reverse" protrusion (בטן) of the ל (the letter נ) of consciousness, creating an convex "opening" (patach) in the void (which is a targum/tarah² gate into ein sof). Now, "speech" begins to "be expressed" by "falling" into the א of בטא.

However, at the level of בטא, speech is "rash"; it is chaotic, uncontrolled and going everywhichway because it is "all there" wrapped up together with everything and nothing in the א. It's still in a "congealed state" and not "thought out", a terrible ice yet beginning to melt. In other words, it is still primarily above the rational mind - in the universal or suprarational mind (with a mere "tail" into the mind through the virtue of being yoked to a letter in the first place).

Transforming the root בטא to בטה, we can now bring down the melting insight (we gathered while in א) into the rational mind (through the receiving letter ה, the letter of expression and understanding) to create coherent speech.

Through the next root, בטח, communication (as opposed to mere expressive speech) occurs through the letter ח. The difference between speech (ה) and communication (ח) is that no one needs a "hearer" to speak, but to communicate, one does indeed need a hearer (or an engaged audience who will take in the information, consider it and respond). Importantly, to fulfill the spiritual mission of humankind "to receive for the sake of giving" (in kabbalah, called reishit), it is better to communicate than to merely speak. The root בטח allows us to fulfill what it means to be human - to communicate with another being through integral connection rather than to merely "tell". Necessarily, honest communication is established on trust.

In fulfilling the ideal of speech (which is to allow honest communication between souls), we are allowed back into the empty place (בטל) which has the potential to lift (ל) us again into the suprarational mind to receive another dose of divine communication, to repeat the process of receiving for the sake of giving.

Now, the 5 shorashim which describe this process are themselves rooted in the 2-letter gate (tarah/targum) בט.

The unusual word is ביט. The letter י is a letter which "projects" consciousness. In other words, it represents the medium of the soul or the vehicle which carries out the dynamic process described by these 5 shorashim.

Consequently, I suggest that this unusual word, ביט, is a shorthand code for the process of receiving and communicating the divine word.

In other words, it is the key to prophetic communication.

Footnotes:

¹ Hebrew manuscript connected with R. Eleazar of Worms [published in Kabbalah:new perspectives by Moshe Idel, p.193, hebrew text on p.372].

² associated with the divine name, Adnut

This is My Name forever and this is My remembrance ... Shemot 3:15