b'Arafel & The Ark Of The Covenant

בערפל

From Israelhai.org on the location of the Ark Of The Covenant:

SOLOMON'S MESSAGE

Solomon was a formidable expert in riddles (we learn from Josephus). He also knew how to "double talk", as in the famous episode of the two mothers fighting for the infant (1 Kings 3:25). On ordering to have the child cut in two, he succeeded in understanding who was the real mother.

Therefore, one has to accurately analyze Solomon's words. This is particularly true when we read the speech he gives to the People of Israel at the emotional moment of the inauguration of the new Temple. He says, according to the accepted translations (1 Kings 8:12-13): "God said He will dwell in the midst ("arafel" in hebrew); I indeed built you a Palace ("beit zvul" in hebrew). These two words, "arafel" and "zvul", are eminently suspicious. There is no midst on the Temple Mount and the word "zvul" does not appear again in the Bible!

Later on, in the same speech, Solomon gives us a hint. He proceeds with the following words: " heaven and heaven's heavens cannot contain You…" (1 Kings 8:27). This is to remind us that, according to tradition, there are seven heavens. And the same tradition (see in the Kabbala) tells us that heavens have names: "arafel" is the lowest and "zvul" is a higher one.

Now we can "translate" the real message of Solomon: "God said that He will dwell in a lower level; I indeed built you a House on a higher level." In other words, the Temple was built on the apparent ground, but the Holy of Holies with the Ark itself were underground. This explains why the Temple could be destroyed but the Ark would not be spotted.

Ha'Arafel, A Word Like Fire

ד' באדר תשס"ז

Earlier this afternoon, I recorded this morning's unusual and extremely thick fog (arafel ערפל) as an additional piece of data significant to last night's Moses Spell. Further investigating the fog's significance, I find that Moses approached a thick fog (אל-הערפל) "where G-d was" in Shemot 20:18, parashat Yitro:

The people stood from afar and Moses approached the thick fog where G-d was.

Dr. Meshullam Klarberg (Morsels Of Hebrew Grammar) writes regarding arafel as a 4-letter root:

R' A. ibn Ezra comments 'a four-lettered root'. R' S. R. Hirsch points out that there are a number of roots which have this form. That is to say, a recognizable three-letter root with Lamed added at the end. His examples are giv'ol related to Gimmel, Bet, Ayin; Kuf, Bet, Ayin; Kuf, Vav, Heh; Gimmel, Vav, Ayin; Gimmel, Vav, Heh; Gimmel, Bet, Alef - all of which connote concentration of matter; barzel (close to Bet, Resh, Zayin; Bet, Resh, Dalet); karsol (Kuf, Resh, Samech - connoting bending); and karmel (close to Chaf, Resh, Mem) (Hirsch Commentary, Exod. 9:31; Levit. 2:14). From his discussion of these words, it appears that R' Hirsch regards the Lamed as indicating a strengthening of an aspect of the three-letter root. Similarly, in our case, Ayin, Resh, Peh connotes lowering and dripping, e.g. ya'arof kamatar (Deut. 32:2) ('drip like rain'). It seems that R' Hirsch sees arafel as being a strong form of moisture.

So what does this mean? Given the spell's connection to Moses and to the 6th night hour, it's clear that what is being "manifestly strengthened" (חזק חזק ונתחזק) is all that the letter vav and the spell represent. The 3-letter root ערפ can mean "to break into pieces" [1] - like pieces of data, for example. Another example of "breaking into pieces"can be found in Yirmeyahu 23:29 -

Is not My Word like fire? says G-d, and like a hammer that breaks rock into pieces?

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh (The Hebrew Letters) writes regarding this pasuk:

The "rock" of Torah itself, when broken into sufficient pieces - in the merit of those devoted to the study of Torah with a "broken" heart (the only perfect vessel to perceive the Divine) - repairs and elevates the broken pieces of Tohu, the primordial world of chaos (resulting in physical reality as we know it).

Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark (p. 193)

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Arafel ערפל

ג' באדר תשס"ז

More spell notes:

I awoke to an unusual extremely thick white fog this morning. Extremely thick. Dave at Balashon writes regarding fog, arafel:

It's (tariff) related to the Hebrew word oref עורף, meaning "neck", or the root ערף meaning "to drip" (and the source of arafel ערפל - cloud, fog). But one of the advantages of my acquiring Stahl's Arabic etymological dictionary is that I don't have to guess. And he clearly states that there is an Arabic root ערף meaning "to know".

Stahl doesn't connect the Arabic ערף to either of the Hebrew roots, and I imagine that if he could have, he would have. He does, however, mention that in Medieval Hebrew, ma'aruf מערוף meant "customer, clientele", from the Arabic root. In modern Hebrew slang, ma'aruf means "a favor", as in "do me a favor". This meaning is also taken from Arabic, and Stahl suggests that the development might have been from "to know" to "befriend" to "do a favor".

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Moses Spell - Data & Notes

ג' באדר תשס"ז

Data and notes for Moses Spell.

Health/mood, good. Weather, clear night.

Core spell actions began at 11:02 pm, during 6th night hour.

Core spell actions took 26 minutes to perform.

Moon void of course (see Light of Rectified Tohu) from 10:33 pm 2/20/07 through 12:15 am 2/21/07 (which included the entire 6th night hour).

Moon entered Taurus at conclusion of void of course (immediately following the 6th night hour). Taurus good for manifestation. Taurus correspondences: vav, shor, contemplation, Isaachar, keter to binah.

Moon began spell in 20th degree, constellation Pisces (Adar the month of Purim, kuf, expropriation of transcendent Divine lifeforce by the material realm, Naftali, laughter, binah to chesed), signe Aries (hei, expression, Yehudah, keter to chochmah).

Core spell under the planetary influence of Mercury.

Mercury correspondences: pey, mouth, communication, authority, Aaron, gevurah to hod.

Pomegranate candle to burn into the 9th night hour, where the 9th hour is under the influence of Jupiter.

Pomegranate of candle symbolizes core biblical mitzvot in unity.

Ninth hour correspondences (other than Jupiter): tet, Divine benevolence, vessel, water-pouch, hearing, Shimon, chochmah to tiferet.

Jupiter correspondences: tav, shabbat, reshimu, code, more, mouth, grace, David, yesod to malchut, life, peace, good, prosperity, joy, political advance.

Spell "adorned" spontaneously following core spell (but during 6th night hour) by adding extra pinches and drops of various incenses and oils to the still-burning charcoal in censer (I refuse to waste fire) - remaining "mashiach blend" in cauldron, loose rosemary, mugwort blend, ground garlic sprinkles, saffron strings, vanilla oil, lavender oil, sage in no set order.

Kosher Mogen David concord wine used for spell.

Spell sealed with - פקד פקדתי את ואתה - at 12:01 am 2/21/07, Adar 3 5767.

Incense notes:

kabbalistic name incense, mashiach's brew & vanilla, rosemary, sage, mugwort blend, garlic, lavender

saffron - sun-tiferet, healing, wind-raising, strength, happiness
patchouli - earth element-malchut, feminine, grounding

Interestingly, where is netzach in my notes?

From The Inner Dimension on Purim & Netzach:

The only sefirotic term missing in the book (spell) is netzach, the seventh sefirah and one which has unique relevance to the holiday of Purim at which time the events of the book of Esther are commemorated. (The Arizal states that it is on Purim that the sefirah of netzach achieves its tikkun, i.e. rectified expression.) It would thus appear that the absence of the term netzach from the text, like the absence of G-d's Name, actually points in a paradoxical way to the term's pervasive, and thus unrecognizable, presence throughout the book (spell) as a whole.

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Purim Torah, Mysteries Of The Night

ג' באדר תשס"ז

לה Five sacred times fall out this year for this Jewitch on Saturday, 3 March. Each time is represented by one of five Welsh goddesses of Avalon (Isle of the blessed). (Goddess information from Avalon Traditions)

Shabbat - Blodeuwedd is the Lady of Initiation.

She calls us to cast off the garments of expectation and to peer into the darkness of the self to find, and ultimately live, our inner truth. She teaches us to fly where others would see us grounded. Mythological Sources for Blodeuwedd – The Mabinogion - "Math, Son of Mathonwy"; Hanes Blodeuwedd.

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Lunar Eclipse in Virgo - Ceridwen is the Lady of Transformation.

She calls us to enter into our darkness to seek out the seeds of our wholeness. She teaches us that the only path to wisdom is through trial and experience [1]. In Her Cauldron, the mysteries of death and rebirth are revealed, and we emerge to initiate the process once more. We ride the Wheel with our newfound insight and understanding, so that we may illume the next phase of our journey with what we have learned. Mythological Sources for Ceridwen: The Tale of Gwion Bach and Hanes Taliesin.

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Full "Worm" Moon - Arianrhod is the Great Teacher.

She holds the energy of the active principle. She is the embodiment of the Wheel, yet not Herself subject to it. She is the force of Bound and Rebound, the Karmic Lesson Bringer that brings the Universe into Balance. All cycles and time are within Her realm of influence. Arianrhod is the Source of Awen, the Divine Spark of Inspiration, although it is through Ceridwen that Awen is bestowed. Mythological Source for Arianrhod: The Mabinogion - "Math, Son of Mathonwy".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon (begins at sundown) - Rhiannon is the Lady of Manifestation.

She calls us to stand strong regardless of the challenges to our truth. She teaches us to ask for what we need, and grants abundant and loving support to carry us through our dark times. Mythological Sources for Rhiannon: The Mabinogion - "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed" and "Manawydan, Son of Llyr".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Purim (begins at sundown) - Branwen is the embodiment of Sovereignty and is the Guardian of Avalon.

She holds the energy of the passive principle. She is the Whole, the Center, the Axis Mundi. The primal Feminine energy, all things emanate from Branwen. She is the Goddess of the Land Manifest, as well as the Spirit of the Land. On Avalon, Branwen was primarily consulted in matters dealing with Her Realm – that is, concerning the full tapestry of Avalon, rather than the individual stitches. She is the Goddess of the grand scheme of things, the broader perspective that allows the greater patterns to be revealed. Mythological Source for Branwen: The Mabinogion - "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Footnote:

[1] "No one is wise (in Torah) but the mistress of experience." - Akeidat Yitzchak 14

Note: Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon lasts for 3 nights, from sundown March 3 through dawn March 6. Purim and Shushan Purim last for 2 nights, from sundown March 3 through sundown March 5 - for a total of 5 nights (where 2 of those nights are "double nights") followed by 1 dawn.

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Night Moves, Simple Moses Spell

ב' באדר תשס"ז

A spell good only for the 6th hour of the night tonight, 20 February 2007, Adar 3 5767.

First, calculating sha'ah zemanit, a proportional (variable) hour, by night according to my time zone and location:

sunset is 5:31 pm this evening
sunrise is 6:35 am tomorrow morning

From these data, I can calculate that there are 784 minutes of "night" (as opposed to "day") tonight, inclusive of the minutes of sunset and sunrise.

5:31 to midnight = (60 X 6) + (60 - 31) = 389 minutes
midnight to 6:35 = (60 X 6) + 35 = 395 minutes

389 + 395 = 784 total minutes of "night" between sunset and sunrise

784 total minutes/12 hours = 65.3 minutes per "night" hour

Thus, 1 planetary night hour for tonight is 65.3 minutes long. Rounding to 65 minutes for ease of basic calculation,

hour 1 = 5:31 pm - 6:36 pm
hour 2 = 6:36 pm - 7:41 pm
hour 3 = 7:41 pm - 8:47 pm*
hour 4 = 8:47 pm - 9:52 pm
hour 5 = 9:52 pm - 10:57 pm
hour 6 = 10:57 pm - 12:03 am*
hour 7 = 12:03 am - 1:08 am
hour 8 = 1:08 am - 2:13 am
hour 9 = 2:13 am - 3:19 am*
hour 10 = 3:19 am - 4:24 am
hour 11 = 4:24 am - 5:29 am
hour 12 = 5:29 am - 6:35 am*
sun rises at 6:35 am

*add 1 minute to adjust for fraction (0.3 of 65.3)

According to (Gra version) Sefer Yetzirah (Table 36 in Aryeh Kaplan translation), the first hour of Tuesday night (the night before Wednesday day) is ruled by Saturn. Thus, the planetary associations for the hours of the night tonight are:

hour 1 - saturn
hour 2 - jupiter
hour 3 - mars
hour 4 - sun
hour 5 - venus
hour 6 - mercury
hour 7 - moon
hour 8 - saturn
hour 9 - jupiter
hour 10 - mars
hour 11 - sun
hour 12 - venus

Using all this information, a spell performed during the 6th night hour February 20/Adar 3 is under the planetary influence of mercury. Mercury influences wisdom, skill, writing and language. Consequently, between the hours of 10:57 pm and 12:03 am tonight (in my location and time zone) is a favorable time to perform spellwork to infuse wisdom and skill into my use of mystical language, ability to communicate effectively and to bestow understanding.

The season is winter. Thus, a "communication spell" concerning some "conclusion" to something like galut is appropriate for both tonight's 6th hour, for the season, and for a creative 3-day old waxing crescent moon.

Candle/Incense Magick Moses Spell For The 6th Night Hour

Inscribe pomegranate red pillar candle on the top around the wick:
פקד פקדתי את ואתה

Dress the candle with essential lavender oil, stroking inward

Core spell actions:

set up
purify
dedicate space and time, cast circle
state purpose
raise energy
light red pillar pomegranate candle [1]
light charcoal in censer, add pinch of name incense [2]
add a pinch of organic rosemary [3]
add a pinch of sage [4]
add a pinch of mugwort blend #1 [5]
add a pinch of saffron [6]
light and burn patchouli incense cone [7]
pour wine into chalice, say blessing [8], drink it
let candle burn into the 9th hour
let incense burn out
ground, release, record
reinforce spell by writing (in BOS) פקד פקדתי את ואתה

Footnotes:

[1] blessing - Blessed is She, goddess of all life, Who transforms darkness into brilliance.

[2] blessing - Blessed is She, mistress of the mysteries of incense and spices, the One over death, and She who chooses me for life.

[3] blessing - Blessed is She Who remembers us.

[4] blessing - Blessed is She Who bestows wisdom.

[5] blessing - Blessed is She Who guides understanding with insight and vision.

[6] blessing - Blessed is She Who raises and moves the wind.

[7] blessing - Beruchah shem kevod malchutah le'olam va'ed.

[8] blessing - Blessed is She Who guides me to wise understanding, proper compassion and right action. Amen. So mote it be.

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Insect Of Redemption

א' באדר תשס"ז

In a previous post, I mentioned performing a "brit milah" on my witch's pestle this past shabbat. I also wrote of the formation of a man's figure in the dripping wax of my black shabbat candle as I made my kabbalistic name incense the same night. I had already prepared the reversal candle for the upcoming full moon reversal ritual prior to both blending the incense and to noticing the wax formation. In the entry, I also noted that I had let the wax figure fall off naturally as the candle melted. But, there is more to the story than previously reported ...

I let the wax man's figure, which amazingly still looked exactly the same as it had on the side of candle, remain where it had fallen from the candle onto the pentacle altar tile overnight. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so strange and perfectly formed was it, so I just left it there. I went to bed.

The next morning as I lay in bed not fully awake yet, I had a sudden vision in my mind of a black "shadow" insect running from the wooden altar box (in which my prepared reversal candle had been safely stored) over to and merging with the black wax of the figure laying on the pentacle. I knew this was not a "real" bug, but an insect of some mystical importance. I immediately got up, lit dragon's blood incense and a sage smudge stick, running the wax figure through the smoke of both. I then immediately put it in a box for leftover ritual candle wax for "burial in the earth" later.

I didn't know what the black bug meant, but I didn't want any negative energies attaching to something which was clearly important.

Insect in Hebrew is חיפושות and has a total gematria of 810. The digit sum of this value is 9, which is the value of the letter tet ט. Interestingly, insect - though one appears ugly - is from the shoresh חפש meaning "freeing" and "redeeming".

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Magickal Judaism Academic Resources

Jewish Magic In Late Antiquity Reading List


General


Books

Aubin, Melissa, Gendering Magic in Late Antique Judaism (Ph.D. Dissertation, Duke University, 1998)

Dennis, Geoffry W., The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2007)

Gaster, Moses, Three Works of Ancient Jewish Magic (Chthonios, 1986)

Harari, Y.Early Jewish Magic: Methodological and Phenomenological Studies (Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation; Jerusalem: Hebrew University of Jerusalem 1998) [Hebrew]

Hunter, Jennifer, Magickal Judaism (Citadel Press, 2006)

Saar, O., Superstitions in Israel during the Roman and Early-Byzantine Periods, (Masters Thesis, Tel Aviv University, 2003 (in Hebrew)


Articles in Periodicals and Chapters in Books

Baron, Salo, “Magic and Ritual,” in Salo Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews: Vol 2, The Christian Era, the First Five Centuries (NY: 1952), pp 15-23

Benin, S., “Megillat Ahima’az u-Mekomah ba-Sifrut ha-Bizantit,” Mekherei Yerishalayim be-Mahshevel Yisrael 4:3-4 (1985), 237-250

Eisenstein, J.D., “Alpha Beta Ben Sira,” in Otsar Midrashim vol. 1 (NY: J.D. Eisenstein, 1915)

Hamilton, Gordon J., "A New Hebrew-Aramaic Incantation Text from the Galilee: 'Rebuking the Sea'," JSS 41 (1996), 215-249

Harari, Yuval, "How to Do Things with Words: Philosophical Theory and Magical Deeds," Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Folklore 19-20 (1998), 365-392 [Heb].

Harari, Yuval, "If You Wish to Kill a Person: Harmful Witchcraft and Protection from it in Early Jewish Magic," Jewish Studies 37 (1997), 111-142 [Heb].

Harari, Yuval, "Love Charms in Early Jewish Magic," Kabbalah 5 (2000), 347-364 [Heb].

Harari, Yuval, "Religion, Magic and Adjurations: Methodological Reflections Aimed at a New Definition of Early Jewish Magic," Daat 48 (2002), 31-56 [Heb].

Harari, Yuval, "Power and Money: Economic Aspects of the Use of Magic by Jews in Ancient Times and the Early Middle Ages," Peamim 85 (2000), 14-42 [Heb].

Hildesheimer, E.E., “Mystik und Agada im Urteile der Gaonen R. Scherira und R. Hai,” in Festchrift fur Jacob Rosenheim (Frankfurt-am-Main, 1931), 259-286

Naveh, Joseph, “On Ancient Jewish Magical Books,” in A. Oppenheimer, I. Gafni, & D. Schwatz (eds.), The Jews in the Hellenistic and Roman World (Jerusalem: Merkaz Zalman Shazar le-toldot Yisra'el : ha-Hevrah ha-historit ha-Yisre'elit, 1996), pp. 453-456 [Heb]

Schafer, Peter, "Jewish Magic Literature in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages," JJS 41 (1990), 75-91

Schafer, Peter, “Magic and Religion in Ancient Judaism,” in Peter Schafer, and H.G. Kippenberg (eds.) Envisioning Magic: A Princeton Seminar and Symposium (Leiden--NY--Koeln: E.J. Brill, 1997), pp. 19-43

Scholem, Gershom, "Havdalah de-Rabbi Akivah: Maqor le-maroet ha-magiah ha-yehudit bi-tkufat he-geonim," Tarbiz 50 (1980-1), 243-281 [HEB]

Swartz, Michael, “Magical Piety in Ancient and Medieval Judaism,” in Marvin Meyer and Paul Mirecki (eds.) Ancient Magic and Ritual Power (Leiden: EJ Brill, 1995), pp. 167-183

Tobias Lachs, Samuel, “The Alphabet of Ben Sira,” Gratz College Annual of Jewish Studies 11 (1973), 9-28

Wolfson, Elliot R., “ "Phantasmagoria: The Image of the Image in Jewish Magic from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages,” Review of Rabbinic Judaism: Ancient, Medieval, Modern 4 (2001), 78-120


Magic and Merkaba Literature


Books

Cohen, M.S., The Shi'ur Qomah: Liturgy and Theurgy in Pre-Kabbalistic Jewish Mysticism (NY: University Press of America, 1983)

Lesses, Rebecca, Ritual Practices to Gain Powers: Angels, Incantations, and Revelation in Early Jewish Mysticism (Harrisburg, PN: Trinity Press International, 1998)

Swartz, Michael, Scholastic Magic: Ritual and Revelation in Early Jewish Mysticism (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996)


Articles in Periodicals and Chapters in Books

Alexander, Philip S., “Response,” [to Peter Schafer] in Peter Schafer and Joseph Dan (eds.) Gershom Scholem's Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism 50 Years After (Tuebingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 1993), pp 79-83

Elior, Rachel, "Mysticism, Magic, and Angeology: the Perception of Angels in Hekhalot Literature," JSQ 1:1 (1993-4), pp. 5-53

Hermann, Klaus, "Magische traditionen der New Yorker hekhalot-handschrift JTS 8128 im Kontext ihrer Gesamtredaktion," Frankfurter Judaistische Beitrage 17 (1989), 101-149

Hermann, Klaus, "Magische traditionen der oxforder hekhalot-handschrift michael 9 in ihrem verhaltnis zu Ms. New York JTS 8128," Frankfurter Judaistische Beitrage 19 (1991-1992), 169-183

Lesses, Rebecca, "The Adjuration of the Prince of the Presence: Performative Utterance in a Jewish Ritual," in Marvin Meyer and Paul Mirecki (eds.) Ancient Magic and Ritual Power (Leiden: EJ Brill, 1995), pp. 185-206

Maier, Johann, "Magisch-theurgische uberlieferungen im mittelalterlichen: beobachtungen zu 'terafim' und 'golem'" in Helmut Birkhan (ed.) Die Juden in ihrer mitterlalterlichen umwiet (Bern: Peter Lang, 1992), pp. 249-287

Schafer, Peter, "Merkavah Mysticism and Magic," in Peter Schafer and Joseph Dan (eds.) Gershom Scholem's Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism 50 Years After (Tuebingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 1993), pp. 59-78

Schafer, Peter, “Ein neues Fragment zur Metoposkopie und Chiromantik,” Frankfurter Judaistische Reitrage 13 (1985), 61-82 [=P. Schafer (ed.), Hekhalot-Studien (Tubingen: 1988), pp. 84-95]

Scholem, Gershom, “Esoteric Knowledge: The Heikhalot, the Ma`aseh Bereshit, and the Literature of Magic,” in G. Scholem, Kabbalah (NY: Meridian, 1978), pp. 14-20

Shaked, Shaul, "'Innen' und 'Aussen' in der religiongeschichte: Einige typologische beobachtungen," in J. Assmann (ed.) Die Enfindung des inneren Menschen (Görersloh : Göthersloher Verlagshaus G. Mohn, c1993), pp. 15-27

Swartz, Michael, "Book and Tradition in Hekhalot and Magical Literatures," JJTP 3:2 (1994), 189-224

Swartz, Michael, "'Like the Ministering Angels' Ritual and Purity in Early Jewish Mysticism and Magic," AJS Review 19:2 (1994), 135-167


Sefer Yesira


Books

Goldschmidt, Lazarus, Sefer Yetsirah (Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1969)

Kalisch, Isador (trans. and ed.), The Sepher Yezirah: the Book of Formation (Gillette, NJ: Heptangle Books, 1987)

Kaplan, Aryeh, (trans. and ed.) Sefer Yetzirah: the Book of Creation (Northvale, NJ: J. Aaronson, 1995)

Kaplan, Aryeh, The Book of Creation (York Beach, ME: S. Weiser, c1990, 1997)

Kordo’ero, Mosheh Sefer Yetsirah: ha-Meyuhas le-Avraham Avinu: im perush Or Yakar (Jerusalem: Hevrat Ahuzat Yisrael, 1988/9)

Lambert, Mayer (trans. and ed.) Commentarie sur le Sefer Yesira de la creation, par le gaon Saadya de Fayyoum (Paris: E. Bouillon, 1891)

Menaham Mendel ben ha-Rav Barukh be`ndet me-Shaklav, Sefer Yetsirah: `im hamishah perushim [Rabad, Ramban, Saadya Gaon, Eliezer me-Garmaziya, Moshe Botarel, Gaon Eliyahu me-Vilna] (Grodno: 1806)

Moucka, Ladislav, Sefer Jecira [Czech and Hebrew] (Praha: Pudorys, c1991, 1993)

Papus, Gerard Encausse, The Qabalah: secret tradition of the West [complete translation of the Sepher Yetzirah] (Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1977) [translated from the French]

Pincherle, Mario, Fonti Archeologiche della magia: il Sfr Isire, primo libro dell’umanita (Ancona: Filelfo, 1977)

Sefer Yetsirah [heb and eng] (New York, NY: L.H. Frank & co., 1877)

Sefer Yetsirah: ha-Meyuhas la-Avraham Avinu: ve-alav kol shilte ha-Giborim ha Mefarshim ha-Mekubalim….Sefer Yetsirah: mesudar bi-Shelemut ‘al pi nusah ha Ari Ashkenazi, zal: im perush ha-Gera. Yatsa le-or me-hadash (Brooklyn: NY: 1987/8)

Sefer Yetsirah: ha-Meyuhas le-Avraham Avinu: ve-‘alav kol shilte ha-Giborim ha Mefarshim ha-Mekubalim (Jerusalem: Yeshivat Kol Yehudah, 1989)

Sterning, Khut (trans. and ed.) The Book of Formation (Sepher Yetzirah) by Akiba ben Yoseph (New York, NY: Ktav Pub. House, 1970)

Toaff, Gadiel (ed.), Sefer Yezirah: il libro della creazione (Roma: Carucci, 1979)

Vainshtok, Ben-Tsiyon Mosheh Ya’ir (ed.) Sefer Yetsirah ha-Shalem (Jerusalem: ha Makhon le-hotsa’at kitve yad ve-sifre Maran ha-Mehaber ha-Gaon ha-mekubal ha-tsadik Rabi Mosheh Ya’ir Vainshtok; New York: Li-fenot-nekhed ha mekhaber Sh. A. Vainshtok, 1982/3)

Vaynshtok, Bentsiyon Mosheh Ya`ir (ed.) Sefer Yetsirah ha-Shalem (Jerusalem: Defus S. Vaynfeld, 1965)

Westcott, W. Wynn, The Book of Creation: with a Bibliography of Modern Translations (Cambridge, England: I.A.M., 1978)

Westcott, Wm. Wynn, The Book of Formation and the Thirty Two Paths of Wisdom (London: Theosophical Pub. Society; New York: The Path, 1893)


Articles in Periodicals and Chapters in Books

Ben-Shamai, Haggai, "Saadya's Goal in his 'Commentary on Sefer Yezira'," in Ruth Link Salinger (ed.), A Straight Path: Studies in Medieval Philosophy and Culture (Washington D.C.: Catholic University Press, 1988), pp. 1-9

Chaze, Micheline, "De l'identification des Patriarches au char divin: recherches du sens d'un enseignement rabbinique dans le Midrash et dans la Kabbale prezoharique et ses sources," REJ 149:1-3 (1990), 5-75

Dan, Joseph, "The Language of Creation and its Grammar," in Dan, Joseph (ed.), Jewish Mysticism I (Northvale NJ: J. Aaronson, 1998), pp. 129-154

Dan, Joseph, "Three Phases of the History of Sefer Yesira," in Frankfurter Judaistische Beitrage 21 (1994), pp. 7-29 [appears in Dan, Joseph (ed.), Jewish Mysticism (Northvale NJ: J. Aaronson, 1998-1999), pp. 155-187

Diamond, Jeffrey, "Sefer Yetsirah--el Libro de la Creacion," El Oliva 39 (1994), pp. 21-27

Finkel, Asher, "The Exegetic Elements of the Cosmosophical Work, Sefer Yesirah," in

Gruenwald, I., “A Prelimimary Critical Edition of Sefer Yesira,” IOS 1 (1971), 132-177

Gruenwald, I., “Some Critical Notes on the First Part of Sefer Yesira,” REJ 132 (1973), 474-512

Hayman, A. Peter, "Qohelet and the Book of Creation," JSOT 50 (1991), 95-111

Hayman, A. Peter, "Some Observations on Sefer Yesira: 1. Its Uses of Scripture 2. The Temple at the Centre of the Universe," JJS 35:2 (1984), 168-184; 37:2 (1986), 175-182

Hayman, A. Peter, "The Doctrine of Creation in Sefer Yesira: Some Text-Critical Problems," in Sed-Rajna, Gabrielle (ed.) Rashi, 1040-1990: Hommage a Ephraim E. Urbach. Congres Europeen des Etudes Juives [IV, 1990] (Paris: Cerf, 1993), pp. 219-227

Hayman, A. Peter, "The 'Original Text': a Scholarly Illusion," in Jon Davies, Graham Harvey, and Wilfred G.E. Watson (eds.) World Remembered Texts: Essays in Honour of John F.A. Sawyer (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995), pp. 434-449

Hayman, A. Peter, “Sefer Yesira and the Hekhalot Literature,” Proceedings of the First International Conference on the History of Jewish Mysticism (Jerusalem, 1987)

Hayman, A. Peter, "Was God a Magician? Sefer Yesira and Jewish Magic," JJS 40:2 (1989), 225-237

Hermann, Klaus, "'Feuer aus Wasser': sum Fortleben eines enbekannten Sefer Yesira Kommentars in der hekhalot-Literatur," Frankfurter Judaistische Beitrage 20 (1993), 49-95 Herrera, R.A. (ed.), Mystics of the Book: Themes, Topics, and Typologies (NewYork, NY: Peter Lang, 1993), pp. 45-55

Jospe, Raphael, "Early Philosophical Commentaries on the 'Sefer Yezirah': Some Comments," REJ 149:4 (1990), 369-415

Kiener, Ronald C., "Saadia and the 'Sefer Yetzirah': Translation Theory in Classical Jewish Thought," in Biderman, Shlomo & Scharfstein, Ben-Ami (eds.), Interpretation in Religion (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992), pp. 169-179

Kuyt, Annelies, "The Haside Ashkenaz and their Mystical Sources: Continuity and Innovation," in Ulf Haxen, Hanne Trautner-Kromann, & Karen Lisa Goldschmidt Salamon (eds.), Jewish Studies in a New Europe: Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies in Copenhagen 1994 (Copenhagen: C.A. Reitzel, 1998), pp. 462-471

Lacerenza, Giancarlo, "Il sangue fra microcosmo e macrocosmo nel commento di Sabbatai Donnolo al 'Sefer Jesirah," Atti della VI Settimana di Studi (1991), pp. 389-417

Langermann, Y. Tzvi, "A New Redaction of Sefer Yesira," Kabbalah 2 (1997), 49-64

Loewenthal, Elena, "Per una rilettura della premessa di Shabbetay Donnolo al commento al Sefer Yesirah: un capitolo inedito," Henoch 9:3 (1987), 345-352

Necker, Gerold, "Warnung vor der Schopfermacht: die Reflexion der Golem-Tradition in

Pines, Shlomo, "Points of Similarity Between the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Sefirot in the 'Sefer Yezira' and a text of Pseudo-Clementine 'Homilies': the Implications of this Resemblance," Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Proceedings 7:3 (1989), 63-142 [= Warren Zev Harvey & Moshe Idel (eds.), Studies in the History of Jewish Thought by Shlomo Pines (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1997)]

Scholem, Gershom, “Sefer Yesira,” Encyclopaedia Judaica (Jerusalem: Keter, 1973), Vol. 16, pp. 782-788

Sed, Nicola, "Rashi et le Pseudo-Sefer Yesirah," in Sed-Rajna, Gabrielle (ed.) Rashi, 1040-1990: Hommage a Ephraim E. Urbach. Congres Europeen des Etudes Juives [IV, 1990] (Paris: Cerf, 1993), pp. 237-250

Smirnov, Andrey V., "The Universe as a Phenomenon of Language: Sa`adiah Gaon's Commentary to the 'Book of Creation'," in Raphael Jospe (ed.), Paradigms in Jewish Philosophy (Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; London: Associated University Presses, 1997), pp. 87-111

Wasserstrom, Steven M., "Sefer Yesira and Early Islam: A Reappraisel," JJTP 3:1 (1993), 1-30


The Sword of Moses


Versions

“The Sword of Moses,” in M. Gaster (ed.) Studies and Texts (NY: Ktav, 1971) [Vol I pp. 288-311—Introduction; pp. 312-337—English Translation; Vol III pp. 69-103 Hebrew Text]

Gaster, Moses “The Sword of Moses,”JRAS (1896) 149-198

Gaster, Moses, The Sword of Moses (Edmonds, WA: Near Eastern Press, 1986, 1992)

Gaster, Moses, The Sword of Moses (London: D. Nutt, 1896)

Gaster, Moses, The Sword of Moses (NY: S. Weiser, 1970)

Harrari, Y., Harba de-Moshe: Mahadurah Hadasha Umekhor (Jerusalem: Akedemon, 1997)

Schafer, Peter, Synopse zur Hekhalot-Literatur (Tubingen: 1981), 598-622 [Text]

Schafer, Peter, Ubersetzung der Hekhalot-Literatur (Tubingen: 1991), Vol. 4 pp. 1-17 [German trans.]


Studies


Harari, Yuval, “If You Wish to Kill a Man: Aggressive Magic and the Defense against it in Ancient Jewish Magic,” Jewish Studies 37 (1997), 111-142 [Heb]

Rohrbacher-Sticker, C., “From Sense to Nonsense, from Incantation Prayer to Magical Spell,” JSQ 3 (1995), 24-46


Sefer ha-Razim


Books

Margalioth, M., (ed.) Sefer ha-Razim [The Book of the Mysteries] (Jerusalem: 1966)

Morgan, Michael, (trans. & ed.) Sefer ha-Razim: The Book of the Mysteries (Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1983) [SBL, Texts and Translations 25: Pseudepigrapha Series 11]

Niggemeyer, Jens-Heinrich, Beschworungsformeln aus dem 'Buch der Geheimnisse' (Sefer ha-Razim): zur Topologie der Magischen Rede (Hildesheim--New York: Olms, 1975)


Articles in Periodical and Chapters in Books

Dan, Joseph, "Sefer ha-razim mahadarut Margalioth," Tarbiz 37 (1968), 208-214

Lightstone, Jack, “Christian Anti-Judaism and its Judaic Mirror: The Judaic Context of Early Christianity Revised,” in Stephen G. Wilson (ed.), Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity. Vol. 2: Speratation and Polemic (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1986), pp. 103-132

Maier, J, “Das Buch der Geheimnisse: zu einer neu entdecken Schrift aus talmudischer Zeit,” Judiaca 24 (1968), 98-111

Maier, J., “Poetisch-liturgusche strucke aus dem buch der geheimnisse,” Judaica 24 (1968), 172-181

Merchavya, Ch., “Review of Margalioth, Sepher ha-Razim,” Kiryath Sepher 42 (1966/7), 297-303

Merchavya, Ch., “Sefer ha-Razim,” Ecyclopaedia Judaica (Jerusalem: Keter, 1973), Vol.8, pp. 1594-1595

Sed, N., “Le Sefer ha-Razim et la methode de ‘combinaison des lettres,”REJ 130 (1971), 295-304

Sznol, S., “Sefer ha-Razim: El Libro de los Secretos: Introduccion y commnetario al vocabulario griego,” Erytheia 10 (1989), 265-288

More:

Jewish & Ancient Magic Bibliography - http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~barilm/bibmagic.html

Fifty Copper Hooks - A Witch's Understanding

witch's boline

ל' בשבט תשס"ז

In this week's Torah portion (Terumah), we are instructed to make "fifty hooks of copper" (קרסי נחשת חמשים) for the mishkan (Shemot 26:11).

In an earlier post, I mentioned that the witch's herb, mugwort, has copper in it. Interestingly, the word for copper in the phrase above from this week's Torah portion is נחשת - the same word used for a female enchantress. A witch.

Fifty (חמשים) pertains to Understanding, the feminine intelligence Binah.

The shoresh קרס means "curved hook" - like a witch's boline (curved utility knife) is a curved hook. Oddly, I saw this sickle-shaped hook in the wax of my shabbat candle last night as well.

Taking all this together, the phrase - קרסי נחשת חמשים - suggests that the "50 hooks of copper" in the mishkan are indeed referring to the "understanding of a witch" which "hooks" the truth.

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