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Loading... Book of Formation or Sepher Yetzirah: Attributed to Rabbi Akiba Ben Joseph (edition 2004)by Arthur Edward Waite (Alleged Author), Arthur Edward Waite (Introduction), Knut Stenring (Translator), R. A. Gilbert (Foreword)
Work InformationSepher Yetzirah by Akiba ben Joseph (Alleged Author)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Many esoteric Jewish texts are rather voluminous (think of the compilation which is the Zohar). If you find that daunting, the good news about the Sepher Yezirah is that it is extremely short. It is so short that my copy (published by AMORC) has Hebrew text on odd numbered pages, English translation on facing even numbered pages, extensive end notes, a glossary, a preface by the translator (Isador Kalisch) and is still only sixty one pages. The basic ideas of this ancient text (some modern scholars believe it may date back to the first century CE) are that the Lord created the cosmos by speaking (Hebrew of course) and tremendous divine power inheres in the characters of the Hebrew alphabet. It was a common idea among ancient people (and contemporary tribal cultures) that the name of a thing is a part of the very thing itself. Hence the great power attributed to names and language generally. Early in the text comes the description of the ten spheres (the first ten numbers) being creating in sequence like a flash of lightning. Then comes a description of three ranks of Hebrew characters (mother, double and simple letters) and how these were emanated and their qualities. There are also sections relating the Hebrew characters to various things such as as the directions (above, below, before, behind, etc.) and parts of the human body, and other schemes. no reviews | add a review
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan has translated Sefer Yetzirah, the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative, and magical implications to light. He expounds on the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the Sefirot, souls, and angels. When properly understood, Sefer Yetzirah becomes the instruction manual for a very special type of meditation meant to strengthen concentration and to aid the development of telekinetic and telepathic powers. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)296.16Religions Other Religions Judaism Jewish writings KabbalahLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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