06.30.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:03 pm by admin
Every once in a while with these verses of the Bahir the meaning comes through right between the eyes. It is the case with the next verse 54. When I think about these verses it is always in the moment. For example I was thinking about writing something about continuing to focus. My next thought was let’s see what the Bahir says in the next verse we are looking at. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that both the meanings that are hinted at in the next verse are remarkably close to what it is that I wanted to think about. Unity revolves around the ideas constantly one provoking and elucidating the other.
Bahir verse 54. What is its function here? What is this like? A king once had a daughter who was good, pleasant, beautiful and perfect. He married her to a royal prince, and clothed, crowned and bejewelled her, giving her much money. Is it possible for the king to ever leave his daughter? You will agree that it is not. Is it ever possible for him to be with her constantly? You will also agree that it is not. What can he then do? He can place a window between the two, and whenever the father needs the daughter, or the daughter needs the father, they can come together through the window. It is thus written (Psalm 45:14) , “All glorious is the king’s daughter inside, her garment is interwoven with gold .”
Wow. We are given two keys here right off the bat. The opening two questions are keys that we can use with every inquiry we make. You will notice that this is a standard form of inquiry both in the Bahir and throughout the Zohar. We ask of its function and then proceed to explain its function in allegory. We have a story which follows which is the allegory while the function is hinted at in the conclusion which says, ‘her garment is interwoven with gold. Let me explain.
Will is the King. Once you set forth your intention this then directs Mind. In the above verse daughter is both Mind and Manifestation or Malchut in the Sephiroth. As Mind it represents Binah or Understanding which is fully completed once the upper daughter (Binah-Understanding) passes into form (Malchut-Kingdom). When you see the form of your intention understanding comes in. It is the knowing that the original inspiration has found a home or a place in which to grow and be. This garment that is interwoven with gold is directly the result of the window that goes between the King and the daughter to communicate with each other. Read here instead between Will and Mind. Once you send out an intention you do not need to continually send this forth but you may from time to time check in with your Intention to see what Mind is doing with this. Likewise when Mind reaches a temporary impasse in its outworking of your Intention or the outworking of Will, then it seeks to communicate with Will for further inspiration. In this way you can see the King looking through the window at the daughter and the daughter looking back the other way at the King.
Now what does this all mean? When you have an Intention or you exercise your Will this is the first part of the creative process. The second part is Mind opening to your Intention and setting about to ‘deliver the goods.’ The third part of Mind is to formulate all the ideas which go into the outworking of your intention. This process continues in various steps until the thing itself is seen and known for the manifestation of the original Intention. When this occurs a returning wave of understanding flows back to the third part of Mind where the process of outworking is reinforces with successful outworking of the Intention of Mind. Throughout this process there are corrections which take place along the way either by Will which wants to reinforce its focus by continuing its focus, or by Mind which seeks new inspiration to move along the wave of the initial inspiration.
In plain language this means:
Make a wish and check it twice and be inspired to add to your wish to increase its flow into manifestation. Find the reasons for its certainty and build this certainty along with your wish.
Use the mystical method of creation outlined above in even the most simple requests. Remember you are always at the perfect place and time for miracles to grow including this very now.
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06.28.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:41 pm by admin
You make your world out of the thoughts you surround yourself with. By the simple act of choosing your thinking you activate the will of the one. The Will of the One only knows good and is sometimes called the Will to Good. It is a specialized area in Mind that becomes active through your efforts in changing your Mind from negative to positive. This type of dynamic occurs when Will engages Mind. Will says to Mind, this is what I will be and then experiences the results of this becoming directly through experience. Will must be actively engaged. When Will has been in place for a while the experience of momentum is felt and the tendency is to disengage Will and let the momentum carry you which it will for a time. Soon however without the attention of Will, Mind reverts to earlier thought patterns in increasingly negative circles. All is vibration and each level of vibration has a signature to it. The vibrations that Will has sent out has the signature of Will easily recognizable by the way you feel when you are grooving with these vibrations and then by their signature these vibrations of Will make it easier for you to traverse the life experiences that are the resulting forms.
What about these surrounding flows? You live in a universe of thought. If you are not actively promoting your own thinking your thoughts will be acted upon by these surrounding flows. The end result of these surrounding flows is karma. Up and down according to the random nature of these flows with no rhyme or reason.
If Mind is anything is has to be a groove made up of all the thoughts that you’ve been thinking and all of the thoughts that are being thought through you. When you pick up a ‘vibe’ it is a thought energy that you do not fully resonate with. There is resistance in you because of this. The resistance comes from the different vibratory levels of the nexus of these thought energies. If you do not resist this negative vibe then sooner or later you will find yourself becoming a part of this negative energy much to your detriment. Your awareness of the ‘vibe’ alerts you to action. This action being to setup within yourself and then project out from yourself a positive energy of connection. You can do this by choosing to think about what you want in spite of the ‘vibe’ you are feelings. If you persist in thinking about what you choose the ‘vibe’ will lose its appeal to you. It will either dissipate around you or you will transcend it. This is especially evident when you perceive someone who by their words or their actions leaves you feeling drained or upset.. In their presence you feel attacked and walk away with a ‘vibe.’ Here is what happens in these cases and how to let go of the vibe.
The person who accepts negativity is cursed. That is they are continually drawing in this negative energy and do not know how to release it properly. They are cursed in the sense that they are ignorant of any method for releasing the negativity or they refuse to even try. Then the only way to ameliorate the situation is to project this negative energy on someone. Projecting like ‘it’s their fault, or they made me do it, or a host of other projections that make the other the evil party. When they come upon you a supposedly neutral party they seek your unity with their negativity so that they may feel justified and build a more powerful negativity as a result. If you resist in any way then you become an object to project upon. You begin to feel bad all over and cannot stop thinking about this person. That is because you are in a sense being cursed by their projections. However you aren’t ignorant of the psychic attacks you’ve been feeling. You know that if you return these attacks you will feel them twice as strongly. So what do you do?
Presumably before you were attacked you were working on something of your own. You were thinking about what you wanted to think about but were then interrupted in your flow. The answer is to return to your flow and consciously keep the flow of your Will intent upon the operation of your Mind. Then you are offering nothing for the projected negativity to latch on to. No matter what they say silently repeat to yourself. ‘This is not mine I do not accept it but return it from whence it came.’ This is a very powerful affirmation for dispelling negativity and returning it to its source. You may also add as a healing, ‘I bless this feeling so that it may return healed of its negativity.’ Then you are actually helping the person because not only won’t you spread their nonsense you are sending it back to them with the seeds of hope.
This is something you can use in case of feeling a ‘vibe.’ Another way to put a stop to negativity is to pay attention to what you want and use that meditation to produce positive results within yourself. You make sure that you are constantly fertilizing your thoughts with the chosen affirmations you are using to direct Mind in its outworking of your plan. You keep on grooving your positive message all day long and into the night right before you fall asleep. The result of this is that you will be feeling another kind of ‘vibe.’ This time your feelings will resonate with certainty. What you will be projecting all around yourself will be positive energy. Your thought atmosphere will become elevated. When this happens inspiration and miracles are the result.
The difference between success and failure with the two above methods depends upon persistence. This means to practice and practice being aware. Each act of awareness builds upon the other. Time as it happens is on your side. You are building momentum each time you change your mind and choose to groove the thoughts you would like to see as a result in your life.
Yes we make life up as we go along and we do not have to go along blindly. We have a choice to make in each moment. If you want to be sure of a prosperous and happy life, choose your properous and happy thoughts well. They will build up inside of you until they are overflowing and all may partake of the goodness that you are bringing forth.
There is another way to look at all of this. The master of wisdom becomes a vehicle for the divine, for the holiness of the Eternal. By choosing our thoughts well what we are really accomplishing is our connection with the Mystery. Through this connection then we are able to increase the level of positive energy flowing through us. This positive energy manifests then as our thinking. Each time we choose a positive thought we are saying to ourselves, ‘yes I open up myself to the divine and let this Eternal connection flow through me.’ Conversely when we choose negativity we are saying, ‘I choose to block this connection.’ When we look at this dynamic of energy and connection it is quite easy to see where our choices do indeed make the difference between experiencing positive results and experiencing negative results. Remember there is no coercion here. All of this is happening to yourself by yourself through knowing yourself.
I know this is a lot to think about. The main point here is that you can make a choice and everytime you do it becomes easier to make the right choice.
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06.27.05
Posted in Bahir, Kabbalah, Uncategorized, torah at 10:30 am by admin
Here in verse 53 the idea of gold is expanded. Remember from our earlier commentary that gold referred to the joyful state of mind which produces the results of inspiration. Let’s take it from here to begin our commentary. Verse 53 follows for reference
Bahir Verse 53. Why is [gold] called Zahav ? Because it includes three attributes, [alluded to in its three letters, Zayin, Heh, Beth ]. [The first attribute is] Male, (Zachar) . This is the Zayin . [The second is] the Soul. This is the Heh. [The numerical value of Heh is five, alluding to] the five names of the soul: Nephesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chiah, Yechidah. What is the purpose the Heh ? It is a throne for the Zayin . It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 5:7), “For one above the other watches.” The Beth is its sustenance. It is thus written (Genesis 1:1), “In (Beth) the beginning [God] created…”
Commentary:
There are many offerings here. Each of them is meant to provide a tool for inspiration. By this I mean that what we see in these verses of Bahir are meant to awaken inspiration. When we think about something it awakens or inspires something else. This process of awakening is the basis for all of the Kabbalistic writings including the Bahir here and the Zohar and all of the Ari’s writings. It is this creative process that forms the sum total of the essence of Kabbalah. You may study all of the writings everywhere for the results of Kabbalah but in order to experience Kabbalah for yourself this awakening must take place within you. You are the object of every writing that has ever been written about Kabbalah. You are the purpose that is being revealed here. If you have questions about this aspect let me know. Now on with the exposition of this verse.
It says Zayin is the male influence. This is the active part of consciousness. In Tarot Zayin represents the Lovers. The basic form of this card has a man and woman and the angel Raphael above and between them. I mention this card here because there is a theme that we will see repeated over and over again. I spoke of Will in an earlier post. It is the directing influence. Will imparts to Mind, the feminine or subsconsciousness it’s directions. The angel Raphael is a healing influence. What happens to our present world in terms of what happens to the world to come could be seen as a healing of both our inner and outer worlds. When we think of what we want we direct by our attention (Will) that which we want to see. It takes place in Mind but before manifestation may take place, your current conception or your current view of your world must pass away. It must be healed of that which you no longer wish to see or pay attention to. This is the theme that we will see wherever we look in the ancient writing. Intend, Impress and Let Go. This is the three fold process of creation.
Zayin is also called the sword. It is the sword of discrimination. When you discriminate in your Mind between right and wrong thoughts for you, this is the sword that cuts off the negativity and allow your positive affirmations to flourish.
Heh is called a throne for Zayin and also alludes to the soul. In this sense Heh is then representative of Mind. Therefore it is the place where Zayin or Will in our present understanding sits. Will then is the Master or King of Mind, or as we’ve said previously, Mind is in service to Will.
In Tarot Heh is represented by the Emperor who is the master of Mind especially of the order of Mind. When soul is used here it is Mind in its Clay form that is impressed by Will with our Intention. The various levels of Soul are given, Nephesh (the animal or lowest level, think of it as a form that is first impressed but hasn’t gone through any permutations), Ruach (spirit or invisible force, think of it as Will going through its first transmutation operating as Will but inexorably becoming that which Will becomes), Neshamah (called our Higher Self, the result of our connection with the understanding that we are currently going through), Chayah (Beyond the grasp of our intellectual Minds but operating as a results of the continuing transformations of Neshamah. Here the angel Raphael from the Tarot key Lovers mentioned above operates), Yechidah (highest soul level, again beyond intellectual grasp yet the ultimate result of connection and the discovery of the divine inspiration. It is important to realize the stages that Mind connected now with Will goes through. Admittedly these stages go beyond our view but that is the purpose of this study to always take you beyond what you’ve experienced before to provide new products for inspiration. Think of this as an understanding which you are saving up for some future revelation.
The Bahir goes on and says for one above the other watches. We could see the angel above as watching the actions that are taking place from Will (Zayin) impressing (Heh -Soul-Mind) with its directives. Also we could say that once Will is in place it then oversees all of Mind’s outworking of the plan correcting where necessary the details that are taking place. The Bahir say lastly that Beth is its sustenance. Beth the house is the final form. It is the manifestation of the idea impressed by Will and watched over by Will as Mind works out the details. How do we know this has to do with the creation process? The last verse directly references Beth and “In the beginning….
Summary: We separate the letters of gold Zahav in order to see how each works with the other in order to produce the meaning that is gold. Gold is however given a meaning beyond its mineral sense and is equated with whereby creation itself comes into being. In terms of Modern Kabbalah, Will initiates the action of wanting to be a certain thing. It must become this thing and yet it cannot force its way for then Will turns into Willful or the Ego. It must let go of itself into Mind which it does so by the agency of Love which is a universal symbol for letting go. This Love as we see in the angel above in the Tarot key the Lovers brings about the transformation of Mind or Soul in five stages until the thing itself appears in view. This manifestation then becomes the home of our process of creation or the Beth of creation, its beginning wherein the end is also contained.
Lots to think about here. Questions are welcome. Much more to come.
Mark Siet
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06.24.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:43 am by admin
Mind is the constructor. As such it is the hammer and the saw and indeed all of the tools of construction are contained by and utilized by mind. When mind produces images this is a specialized kind of construction akin to bringing in a subcontractor to put the electrical systems in place. The more detail that you place in your constructions by mind the more easily these constructions may find their place in your world around you. If mind is the constructor then what is Will.
Will is the muscle that holds the tool of Mind in place. Will tells the hammer to hit the nail and the frame of the construction to be square. Will focuses Mind. More directly put, Will holds Mind in place long enough so that Mind may experience the outcomes of its focusing. Will enables Mind to transcend the levels of time and space. Will empowers Mind in the first place to begin its construction acting then as the Master of Construction.
These are abstract concepts that we’ve lived with all of our lives. Sometimes we know them to be one thing and then another. The truth is that by analogy may we come to understand the process that works inside of us and learn about the way things work.
Why? Because chaos is not an alternative. We learn about the way things work because on some level we have experienced things working upon us and we want to know how we may get in line with the way things work. Another way of putting this is to say that we are seeking to be in harmony with the Will of God.
Once we say God we point to something that we cannot define. There is a purpose in contemplating this undefinable something. The purpose is to bring Mind back under the control of Will. By seeking God we look at the undefinable and come up with Will that is innate within our being.
In a very real sense we awaken Will by calling to it with Mind. Mind is the sheep and Will the shepherd.
Try this sometime. Start with an Intention. Example. I want to think about having a million dollars. You’ll be on this subject and start enjoying yourself in the process and then minutes or hours later you remember your Intention and start to think about having a million dollars. What brings you back to your Intention. It is Will. Intention then is the statement of Will. It may also be seen as the direction of Will.
Remember that Will is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Each time you bring Will to bear upon Mind it makes it easier for Mind to stay focused. The more focus the greater the detail which will be shown. The more detail the sooner you will see the efforts of Mind in the material world. The Material or the Mind Stuff is that which is shaped by Mind through the efforts of Will. We talked about the shaping of clay and how it must be fired in the Kiln of Will. Notice how again by analogy we strengthen Minds attachment to Will.
Okay lets get practical. Mind is composed of the thoughts you are thinking, the thoughts that you think about anything. A single thought is representative of Mind as are a whole series of thoughts representative of Mind. Will is not exercising until you decide to change Mind into the image of your own making such as instead of thinking about what that person said to you just now you think about that million dollars or that new car you would like to have or the relationship that fulfills you or the work that you are meant to do. You. Once again You. Hello in there. I’m talking to You. This You is your eternal self. It only surfaces by its own efforts. Others in their ignorance may try and overshadow You, but You combined with Will, won’t let them. You must be what you say you are.
If you are wondering what the purpose of learning Kabbalah is, the above lessons are pointing directly at this purpose in as direct a manner as can be achieved in these moments we are sharing. Assert You. Be You. The ancients used to say, ‘Awake, Arise, Go Forth and Claim Your Kingdom.’ In this morning before this Shabbat (my time PDT) I adjure you to do the same.
Many Blessings,
Mark Siet (JJ Slim)
www.jjslim.com
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06.22.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:27 pm by admin
Here in the middle of speaking about the voices they bring in gold and silver. There are certainly veils over this one. Let’s see what we can do about uncovering them quickly in the commentary:
Bahir 52. “Let him without silver come” can also be explained in another way. Let him come to God, for He has silver. It is thus written (Haggai 2:8) , “Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold.” What is the meaning of the verse, “Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold”? What is this like? A king had two treasuries, one of silver, and one of gold. He placed that of silver to his right, and that of gold to his left. He said [of the silver], “This should be ready, and easy to take out.” He keeps his words calm. He is attached to the poor and directs them calmly. It is thus written (Exodus 15:6) , “Your right hand, O God, is mighty in power.” If he rejoices in his portion, then all is well. If not, then (Exodus 15:6), “Your right hand, O God, crumbles the enemy.” He said to them: This is referring to the gold. It is thus written, “Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold.”
Commentary: There are three parts to this verse, plus a conclusion.
Part One: Silver is inspiration. Read the first sentence as “let him without inspiration come.” It goes on to say without inspiration we go to God for God has both silver and gold. Read the effects of inspiration for gold also you may read treasure for gold in the above sentences. Go to God because God has inspiration and the effects of inspiration. Go to the source of your being where inspiration may always be found. Once you find your inspiration then the results of that inspiration are assured. Your treasure then is in not only finding the inspiration but in realizing the connection between it and the subsequent results.
Part Two: The King with two treasuries. Yes he has inspiration and its effects. Inspiration is given to the poor calmly. The poor in this case are those who are poor in imagination or thought. God will teach you how to reach for your good when you turn to That which is God. It is calm because only in a peaceful state of mind may you see that which is full of light, your inspiration. “Easy to take out,” yes inspiration comes upon you all of a sudden and is readily understood.
Part Three: When we next turn to gold of the effects of inspiration we are told to have a certain state of mind during this phase of intention. “If he rejoices in his portion, then all is well,” this means have a joyful state of mind following your inspiration and watch the good that flows from this. If you do not have a joyful state of mind “God crumbles the enemy,” this should read the enemy of God is the crumbling of inspiration. If you have a strong desire and see much good coming from this, your enemies are your doubts or inability to move forward as a result of your inspiration. It speaks about referring to the gold here. The gold is the effect that you would see when you do keep a joyful state of mind or certainty following your inspiration.
Conclusion: “Mine is the silver, mine is the gold,” refers to your source from whence our of your good comes. We are always directed back to the source for this is the thought that we are to keep uppermost in our minds at all times. As in the SHMA, Hear Oh Israel, or more appropriately put, Listen to what is real, listen to the reality of your shining self. Bless the ground you walk on for it is indeed holy ground. It is made holy by your acceptance of your inspiration and your focus on what is real within you.
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06.21.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:21 pm by admin
When you deepen the awareness of what you hear you deepen the awareness of what you see.
In the language of the Bahir, What is this like?
A King asks his ministers to bring him the greatest beauties of the land so that he may choose a wife. The ministers do as they are told. The King sees that there are many wonderful beauties in the land but he still cannot decide. After days of contemplating each in turn he begins the process once again only this time he asks each one to tell him their fondest wishes.
Most respond that they would want to marry the King and bring him many children. All of their answers are genuine and so very much alike. Finally one of these beauties answers that she would like make the lives of people better in the land. The King listens. He knows nothing of the troubles the people are having. She goes on to tell him that taxes are too much and there isn’t enough money left over for food.
The King makes his decision and marries the beauty who spoke from her heart about what she could do for others. It took persistence but the King saw through to the heart of the matter. He also decreased the taxes and made sure everyone had enough and more than enough to eat.
This is what it is like to see deeply and hear even more.
When we hear deeply we listen to our greatest good which is the beauty of our life. As we listen we open up our hearts to accept this great good. We keep opening up our hearts and experience the love of the divine. We are persistent in this loving attitude that we have opened ourselves up to. Through our persistence then we hear more deeply or listen more deeply. Our of this intentional listening our hearts open to love and then the wonders of the universe begin to unfold to us. Then and only then do we begin to see more deeply and by our deeper seeing experience the things that are of our greatest love, our greatest life, those heartfelt desires are now molded forever into the things we may accept as commonplace everyday.
Here when you think you have try some more and then go beyond even that. Why put in such effort?
The golden pearl is truly worth any price. A time will come when you are feeling exhilirated inside of this circle of love caused by your listening and evidenced by your seeing.
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06.20.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:22 pm by admin
Use these words to amplify your certainty about anything that you are about to undertake.
“I can and I will.” When you repeat these words to yourself during the day or just as you are retiring for the night they set up a very special sequence of invoking. This invoking is the same kind of energy that is brought into play during a prayer that you might say.
The blessings you say for example in Hebrew over various foods and occasions are just for this purpose of invoking. What are you invoking? You are invoking the God force, the presence of the Eternal, the all surrounding essence of the Perpetual One, you are calling all of this into your life experience right there in the moment that you are experiencing.
I can and I will identifies you immediately with these all powerful currents and gives to yourself the certainty to practice the direction of the flow as it pertains to your life both immediately and for your planned times to come.
Get used to saying yes to your connection with the creative power. Build up this certainty by repetition and by recognition. Repeat this phrase with your attention on your connection. It is kind of like saying, ‘let me be a vehicle for the divine influx of all power, or I open myself to this divine influx so that what I see in mind I prove in kind.’
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06.19.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:22 pm by admin
Bahir 50- 51 The word that is one
We come upon verse 50. We are one quarter of the way through the Bahir. In this verse the word is spoken of. In the commentary we will give its simple meaning and how you can use this information to find your own word.
Bahir Verse ‘50. We have learned (Proverbs 25:2), “The glory of God is to hide a word.” What is “a word”? That of which it is written (Psalm 119:160), “The Beginning of Your word is truth.” [It is also written] (Proverbs 25:2), “The glory of kings is to probe a word.” What is this “word”? That of which it is written (Proverbs 25:11), “A word spoken in its proper place (Aphen-av) “, do not read “its proper place” (Aphen-av), but “its wheel” (Ophen’av).
Commentary:
When we have a thought it comes from either a reaction to something else or an inspiration. It is to our inspirations that we will now speak. Our thought comes in at first very fast in an emotional coursing through our mind. Sometimes this thought cannot be
deciphered immediately because it is so full of light. Later however when the brilliance clears we recognize this thought and its adjuncts, the places where it may now lead us. This is how a thought is at first hidden. This glory of God is no more than the
recognition of our connection with God within the words of this thought. Then our thought is determined to be truth. This truth means that this thought comes as an inspiration to us. What do Kings probe? It is treasure they probe, they probe the treasure inside of our inspiration, the initial thought now going forth with our intention and connection fully behind it. Next the proper place is mentioned but spoken of in terms of its wheel. Wheel in Kabbalah refers to the generation of being as in Reincarnation. The
generation of being proceeds from this word which is more than a word and carries with it the many faces mentioned in Ezekiels chariot or wheels within wheels. Thoughts generate other thoughts and transform the being in which they generate. We are that being. Start with an intention of the mastery of your thinking and the innate knowledge of your being. Then reaffirm and bring forward this attention so that now these wheels are directed according to the will of the one. Your will combined with the creator will becomes the one will. All of this is generated by a word which transformed itself in meanings to suit the vehicle in which the word is first formed, yourself.
We continue in the arcane way of the Bahir the lessons of the promulgation of the word. Look to the commentary for its explanation and unwinding.
Bahir 51. The students asked Rabbi Berachiah, “Let us discuss these words with you,” but he would not give them permission. Once, however, he did give them permission, but he did so to test them, to see if they would now pay good attention. One day he tested them and said, “Let me hear your wisdom.” They began and said: “In the beginning” is one. [Two is] (Isaiah 57:16), “The spirit that unwraps itself is from Me, and I have made souls.” [Three is] (Psalm 65:10), “The divisions of God are filled with water.” What are these “divisions?” You taught us, our master, that God took the waters of creation and separated them, placing half in the skies and half in the ocean. This is the meaning of “the divisions of God are filled with water.” Through them, man studies the Torah. Rabbi Chama thus taught: Because of the merit of deeds of kindness, a person can study the Torah. It is thus written (Isaiah 55:1), “Ho, let all who are thirsty come for water, let him without silver come, stock up and eat.” Go to Him, and He will do kindness with you, and you will “stock up and eat.”
Commentary:
‘In the beginning is one’ they say. Of course it is the word which transformed everything after it and from which all things that have come have come from. Then ‘the spirit unwraps itself from Me, and I have made souls,’ is the word now expressing itself. From Me is the one will or the initializing word and I have made souls are the forms now that the word is engendering. You have a thought, it leads to another thought which produces action. These actions are the souls of the thought(s). What I am trying to show you here is the progression of events that take place in your mind as you are thinking about something, anything. I want to impress upon you the consciousness with which you develope your mind and the resulting actions which determine your life experiences. ‘The divisions are filled with water,’ refers to the surrounding consciousness in which all of us live. We are indeed surrounded by a sea of thought and yes we do study Torah only by means of connection with this sea of thought. Both the ocean and the skies refer to the places where our inspiration comes in from. We look to our higher voice which is the sky or we learn from our teachers that which has already been sourced in the waters of consciousness or the ocean of consciousness. What we are being told here is that we have a constant source of inspiration waiting for us. All we need to do is to partake of it. Are we thirsty for knowledge, then yes it is there to be found. What if we have no inspiration? Inspiration is the silver which brings in more knowledge, but if we aren’t inspired then we can become inspired at the wellspring of the word,the initialization of which we have found out about in the last verse. Lastly you are told to ‘go to him,’ this is the same word from which his voice utters ‘In the beginning is one.’ The focus here has now turned from speaking of voices to speaking of the words the ‘voice’ speaks. This is why we are now seeing ‘from one,’ appear here. This is the same word from which his voice utters ‘In the eginning is one.’ The focus here has now turned from speaking of voices to speaking of the words the ‘voice’ speaks. This is why we are now seeing ‘from one,’ appear here.
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06.17.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:31 pm by admin
There is a further explanation of seven voices and three sayings which also allude to the sephiroth, the seven as we have said are the lower seven and the three the supernal triad or the first three sephiroth. In verse 49 a deeper understanding is commented upon. Let’s go to the commentary to reveal some light.
‘49. Another explanation: It was so that the world should not say that since there were ten sayings for ten kings, it might be that He could not speak for them all through one. He therefore said (Exodus 20:2), “I am [the Lord you God],” which included all ten. What are the ten kings? They are the seven voices and three sayings (Amarim). What are the sayings? [They are the ones alluded to in the verse] (Deuteronomy 26:18) “God has said for you today.” “What are the three? [Two are mentioned in the verse] (Proverbs 4:7), “The beginning is Wisdom: acquire Wisdom, with all your acquisition, acquire Understanding.” It is thus written (Job 32:8), “The soul of Shaddai gives them Understanding.” The soul of Shaddai is what gives them Understanding. What is the third one? As the old man said to the child, “What is hidden from you, do not seek, and what is concealed from you, do not probe. Where you have authority, seek to understand, but you have nothing to do with mysteries.”
The ten Kings are the ten sephiroth. Where we talk about ‘the beginning is Wisdom, reference Chokmah the 2nd sephiroth along with Binah the third sephiroth. Remember Sephiroth are energy centers, points of conscious awareness that flow from on into another. Shaddai means almighty or all sufficiency. What does this mean in terms of our new Kabbalah method of referencing mind in all things. It is this. You have the capacity to connect at all times. This capacity is a direct result of your intention and your identification with I am. This I am is you. It is what you call yourself and how you identify the best you have. It is the pearl or the shining essence of you that cannot be hidden no matter what circumstances have forced upon you. The verse above goes on and tells the child not to look for things he doesn’t understand. The child in this case is the person who does not not that there are indeed answers to his questions. When by his intention and his seeking he gains the ‘authority’ as mentioned above then there can be answers to mysteries. The inference here is that you do not have the authority to call upon your connection to appear within you if you do not realize it is there in the first place. The biggest hurdle we have in studying and applying spiritual work is to make ourselves into a vehicle of spirituality. This vehicle operates on the principle of your your true self. Every day recognize the best that you have and then make your connection. Know that you can connect with the infinite within you and that this infinite may then speak through you using your voice and working within your life experiences. Lets look at the verse in (Deuteronomy 26:18)
“And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be His own treasure, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments;
Listen to this verse carefully in light of what we have been revealing all along. The Lord is your inmost self and is what I call above your true self, your best self. It is this true self that contains all of your treasures and this is why the ‘Lord takes thee to be his own treasure.” Of course your best self takes care of you and wants only the best for you. The best are your treasures. The voices of hope and exultation which ring inside of you and tell you that yes you can make it and yes your life can be totally wonderful are what you are being promised by ‘the best in you.’ The only commandment-read saying here or suggestion, is the one which tells you to remember this inmost self and to praise it. Praise is our way of simple recognition of that which is good. We draw down therefore the holiness from above into our waiting awareness and work within this holiness for all manner of good including miracles. Remember that the one voice we are listening for is our own highest voice. This is the Lord speaking within us and guiding us with the above wisdom and understanding.
Until next time,
Many Blessings.
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06.14.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:13 pm by admin
We continue in verse 48 by going deeper into the meanings of the voices which were heard. One voice, seven voices and three voices. Let’s see what our commentary can bring to light about this
‘48. One verse (Exodus 20:15), states, “and all the people saw the voices.” Another verse, however, (Deuteronomy 4:12) states, “The voice of words you heard.” How can [the two be reconciled]? At first they saw the voices. What did they see? The seven voices mentioned by David. But in the end they heard the word that emanated from them all. But we have learned that there were ten. Our sages taught that they were all said with a single word. But we have said that there were seven. There were seven voices. Regarding three of them it is written (Deuteronomy 4:12) , “The voice of words you heard, but you saw no form, only a voice.” This teaches us that they were all said with a single word. This is so that Israel should not make a mistake and say, “Others helped him. It might have been one of the angels. But His voice alone could not be so powerful.” It was for this reason that he came back and included them [in a single word].”
If there were one voice to hear that one voice would speak one word “Listen.” This means to listen for the highest voice, the one that is clear and does not emanate from a lower form of speaking such as the voice which berates you, or puts you down or the voice which tells you to do something that is wrong for you. We are all familiar with those voices. This familiarity we can make work in our favor. It can cause us to pause this unpleasant voice and say, ‘you know what I recognize this voice and frankly I do not think this voice has ever brought me anywhere that I would like to go. Let me then ‘listen’ for the higher voice so that I may become familiar with it and know it so that I can replace my lower voice with this higher voice.”
Simply put I recognize my thoughts and determine to do something about them. I intend to act on reaching up for my higher voice. I do not just say it but I begin to use the knowledge that I am learning about Kabbalah. What is this knowledge? It is the knowledge that I am always capable of changing my mind at a moment’s notice. It is the knowledge that I can choose to feel my connection right here and right now. It is the certainty that once I make this connection I will make it easier for myself the next time around when I am seeking to change my mind.
The verse above talks about seeing the voices. When we see voices we are seeing the images our mind makes up. These images that we can see are the ones represented by the Sephirot. The seven voices are the lower seven of the Tree of Life.
Gevurah – Chesed
Beauty
Hod-Netzach
Yesod
Malkuth.
The three voices are the supernals of the first three sephirot Keter-Chokmah-Binah.
What is the purpose of seeing these voices or of seeing their representation as in the Sephiroth of Kabbalah?
A symbol can contain many meanings and be a repository for meanings. Think of each sephioth in this way and then think of the wealth of information that is stored in each one. Each sephiroth is a like an endless memory chip which stores the information that you learn about it each time you study it. It isn’t like you study these sephiroth and then get it. It is a continuing process. It is also a convenient way to think about this kind of knowledge. Call it a shorthand of information processing because that is what it really is.
How does this help me with my problems?
Each answer you find is a part of this diagram of study. When you look at the sephiroth and consider the various meanings such as Wisdom and Understanding this begins to open those areas within you. You learn by focusing your attention.
Above in the verse it says ‘the voice of words you heard but saw no form only a voice.’ This is how you learn. Even when you do not use the sephiroth or other spiritual symbols you can still access the higher energy of communication by having the intention to connect with this energy and having the intention you succeed in opening within your self a doorway into that energy that widens the more your intention focuses upon this energy and the opening doorway it brings about.
The last part of which talks about Israel and the importance of recognizing that it is His voice that you are hearing means this. Who is His voice? Yes it is God, but more easily understood as the Highest Voice, a voice that you connect with and make your own. You identify with this higher voice and make it your own. Then you accept this highest voice as your own and become one with it. That is the purpose then of all of these voices being talked about. It is to bring you the experience of communion, of connection and oneness with the highest voice.
This highest voice is not something apart from you but it is your voice, your higher voice and yes this very voice is your soul.
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