Hebrew Literature

Tradition.-On that day on which the Companions were assembled together in the house of Rabbi Schimeon, and on which he had arranged his affairs because he was about to depart from the world, before him were Rabbi Eleazar his son, and Rabbi Abba, and the rest of the Companions; and the house was full.

Therefore lifting up his eyes, Rabbi Schimeon saw that the house was full. And Rabbi Schimeon wept, saying: "The second time when I was sick, and Rabbi Benchas Ben Yair was in my presence, and until I had chosen my place, life hath been prolonged unto me even until now.

"When I was restored, fire surrounded (my habitation) which hitherto hath never ceased, neither did any man enter in unto me without permission.

"But now I see that it is taken away, and that the house is filled."

While they were sitting down, Rabbi Schimeon, opening his eyes, beheld a certain vision, and lo! fire surrounded the house!

Therefore all (the others) went forth, and Rabbi Eleazar his son, and Rabbi Abba remained; but the other Companions sat without.

Rabbi Schimeon said unto Rabbi Eleazar his son: "Go forth, and see whether Rabbi Yitzchaq be present for whom I have made myself surety.

"And say thou unto him that he dispose his affairs, and that he may sit down with me. Blessed is his portion."

Rabbi Schimeon arose and again sat down; and he laughed aloud, and rejoicing said, "Where are the companions?"

[pg 302] Rabbi Eleazar arose and introduced them, and they sat down in his presence.

Rabbi Schimeon lifted up his hands and prayed a prayer, and was joyful.

And he said, "Let those Companions who were in the former Conclave792 assembled here."

Therefore, all the others having gone forth, there remained Rabbi Eleazar his son, and Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yehudah, and Rabbi Yosi Bar Yoqeb, and Rabbi Chiya.

In the meantime Rabbi Yitzchaq entered, to whom Rabbi Schimeon said: "How excellent is thy lot! How much joy is this day stored up for thee!"

Rabbi Abba sat down behind his (i.e., Rabbi Schimeon's) back, and Rabbi Eleazar before him (i.e., Rabbi Schimeon).

Rabbi Schimeon spake and said: "Surely now is the time of benevolence, and I desire to enter without confusion into the world to come.

"And verily these sacred things, which hereunto have never been revealed, I desire to reveal before the Schekhinah;

"Lest they should say that I have kept back anything, and that I have been taken away from the world; for even until now these things have been concealed in my heart, so that having entered into these very matters I may be with them in the world to come.

"But this is my arrangement of you; let Rabbi Abba write, and let Rabbi Eleazar my son speak openly; but let the rest of the Companions in silence meditate in their heart."

Rabbi Abba arose from his seat behind him, and Rabbi Eleazar his son sat down.

He said unto him, "Arise, O my son, for another shall sit in that seat"; and Rabbi Eleazar arose.

Rabbi Schimeon covered himself and sat down; and he commenced, and said, Ps. cxv. 17: "?'The dead shall not praise IH, Yah, nor all they who go down into silence!'

"?'The dead shall not praise Yah;' so it is certain that it is assuredly those who are called dead; for He, God, the most Holy One-may He be blessed!-is called the Living One, and is Himself commemorated among those who are called living, and not with those who are called dead.

[pg 303] "And the end of this text runneth thus: 'Nor all they who go down into silence;' for all they who go down into silence remain in Gehenna.

"There is another reason appertaining to those who are called living, for God the most Holy One-may He be blessed!-desireth their glory."

Rabbi Schimeon said: "How different is this occasion from that of the former conclave! For into a certain conclave793 came He, the most Holy and Blessed God, and His Chariot.

"Now verily He, the Holy One, is here-may He be blessed-and He hath approached with those Just who are in the Garden of Eden,794 which did not occur in the former conclave.

"And God, the Most Holy One-may He be blessed-more promoteth the glory of the Just than His own glory.

"As it is written concerning Jeroboam, who sacrificed unto and served other gods, and yet God, the Most Holy One-may He be blessed!-waited for him.

"But because he stretched forth his hand against Iddo the prophet, his hand became withered.

"For it is written, 1 Kings xiii. 4, 'And his hand became withered, etc.' Here it is not written that it was because he served other gods, but because he extended his hand against Iddo the prophet, etc.

"Now, therefore, God the Most Holy One-may He be blessed!-promoteth their glory (i.e., that of the Just), and they all come with Him."

He said, "Verily, Rav Hamenuna the elder is here, and around him are seventy Just represented in his circle, of whom certain shine with the splendor of the Ancient and Most Holy One, the Concealed with all Concealments.

"He, I say, cometh, in order that with joy he may hear those words which I shall speak."795

And when he had sat down he said: "Assuredly here a seat hath been set aside for Rabbi Benchas Ben Yair."

The companions who were there trembled greatly, and they arose, and sat down in the lowest part of the house; but Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Abba (still sat) before Rabbi Schimeon.

[pg 304] Rabbi Schimeon said: "In the former Assembly we acted thus; namely, that all the companions spoke, and I also with them, by turns.

"Now I shall speak alone, and let all hear my words, superiors and inferiors; blessed be my portion this day!"

Rabbi Schimeon commenced, and said, Cant. vii. 10: "?'I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.'

"As long as I have been bound unto this world in one link with God, the Most Holy One-may He be blessed!-have I been bound, and therefore now is His desire toward me.

"For He Himself and His whole holy company come, so that with joy they may hear the concealed words, and the praise of Him, the Most Holy Ancient One, the Concealed with all Concealments.

"And He separateth Himself ever more and more; He is separated from all things, neither yet doth He altogether separate Himself, seeing that unto Himself all things adhere, and that He Himself adhereth unto all; HVA, Hoa, He Himself is all; He the Most Holy Ancient of all Ancients, the Concealed with all Concealments.

"He hath been formed, and yet as it were He hath not been formed. He hath been conformed, so that He may sustain all things; yet is He not formed, seeing that He is not discovered.

"When He is conformed He produceth nine Lights, which shine forth from Him, from His conformation.

"And from Himself those Lights shine forth, and they emit flames, and they rush forth and are extended on every side, like as from an elevated lantern the rays of light stream down on every side.

"And those rays of light,796 which are extended, when anyone draweth near unto them, so that they may be examined, are not found, and there is only the lantern alone.

"So also is He the Most Holy and Ancient One: He is that highest Light concealed with all concealments, and He is not found; those rays797 (proceeding from Him) being excepted, which are extended, which are revealed, and which are hidden.

"And they are called the Holy Name, and therefore are all things One.

"Which truly our companions have said in former books, [pg 305] that certain paths have been created by the Most Holy Ancient One, who is revealed through them collectively and severally; since they are the conformations of the Most Holy Ancient One, concerning them now there is not time for examination.

"I have spoken concerning them in the Holy Assembly, and I have beheld that which before I did not understand in such a manner, and I have hidden the matter in my heart.

"But now I alone will describe these things before the Holy King, and all those assuredly just men who have assembled to hear these words."

The skull of the White Head hath not beginning, but its end is the convexity of its joining together, which is extended, and shineth.

And from it the just shall inherit 400798 desirable worlds in the world to come.

And from this convexity of the joining together of this White Skull daily distilleth a dew into Microprosopus, into that place which is called Heaven; and in that very place shall the dead be raised to life in the time to come.

Like as it is written, Gen. xxvii. 27: "And Elohim shall give thee from the dew of heaven."

And His head is filled with that dew, and all the place of the apple-trees distilleth therewith.

He, the Most Holy Ancient One, is hidden and concealed, and in that Skull is the Supernal Wisdom concealed, who is found and who is not found.

For assuredly in Him, the Ancient One, nothing is revealed save the Head alone, seeing that that Head is itself the Head of all heads.

The beginning of that Supernal Wisdom which also is itself the Head, is hidden therein, and is called the Supernal Brain, [pg 306] the Hidden Brain, the Tranquil and Calm Brain; neither doth any man know it, save He Himself.

Three Heads have been formed forth, one within the other, and the other above the other.

One Head is the Concealed Wisdom, which is covered and is not disclosed.

And this Hidden Wisdom is the Head of all things, and the Head of the remaining Wisdoms.

The Supernal Head is the Most Holy Ancient One, the Concealed with all Concealments.

The Head of all Heads, the Head which is not a Head799-namely, that which is in that Head-neither knows nor is known, because it cannot be comprehended either by Wisdom or Understanding.

And therefore is it read, Num. xxiv. 11: "Fly thee in thy place;" and Ezek. i. 14. The Chaioth, living creatures, are said to run forth and return.

And therefore is the Most Holy Ancient One called AIN, Ain, the Negatively Existent; seeing that back from Him dependeth the AIN, the Negative Existence.800

But all those hairs and all those locks depend from the Hidden Brain.

And all are calm (otherwise, are disposed) in the Equilibrium; neither in any manner is the neck seen (i.e., because of the locks which overshadow it).

Because He the Most Holy Ancient One is in an unvarying condition of joy, neither changeth He from mercy forever.

But in the thirteen measurements801 of mercies is He found, because that Wisdom hidden in Him is divided into three802 paths in a quaternary, and He Himself the Ancient One comprehendeth [pg 307] them, and through them doth He reign over all things.

One (path) which shineth in the midst of the hairs going forth from the Skull, is that path by whose light the just are led into the world to come.

Like as it is written, Prov. iv. 18, "And the path of the just shineth as the Light."

And concerning this it is written, Isa. lviii. 14, "Then shalt thou delight thyself in Tetragrammaton."

And from that path803 are all the other paths illuminated which depend from Microprosopus.

He the Eternal Ancient of the Ancient Ones is the highest Crown among the Supernals, wherewith all Diadems and Crowns are crowned.

And from Him are all the Lights illuminated, and they flash forth flames, and shine.

But He verily is the Supreme Light, which is hidden, which is not known.

And all the other Lights are kindled by Him, and derive (their) splendor (from him).

He the Most Holy Ancient One is found to have three heads, which are contained in the One Head.804

And He Himself is that only highest supreme Head.

And since He the Most Holy Ancient One is thus symbolized in the Triad, hence all the other Lights which shine are included in Triads.805

Moreover, the Most Holy Ancient One is also symbolized by the Duad.

And the division of the Ancient One in the Duad is so that the (one form is) the Highest Crown of all the Supernals, the Head of all Heads.

And (the other is) that superior Head, and It is not known.

[pg 308] So also all the remaining Lights are mystically divided into Duads.

Furthermore, the Most Holy Ancient One is symbolized and concealed under the conception of the Unity, for He himself is One, and all things are One.

And thus all the other Lights are sanctified, are restricted, and are bound together in the Unity or Monad, and are One; and all things are HVA, Hoa, Himself.

The Forehead, which is uncovered in the Most Holy Ancient One, is called Grace.

For that Supernal Head concealed in the Higher, which no man hath known, expandeth a certain external manifestation, beautiful and gracious, which is comprehended in the Forehead.

And since He Himself is the grace of all graciousness; hence He assumeth the conformation of the Forehead, which is disclosed in the most intense light (otherwise, hath a formation in the figure of a leaf).

And when It is disclosed, the grace of all graciousness is found in all worlds.

And all the prayers of the Inferiors are accepted; and the countenance of Microprosopus is illuminated, and all things are found to exist in mercy.

And since (through this) all judgments are hidden and subjected, hence in the Sabbath, in the time of the afternoon prayers, in which all judgments are excited, that Forehead is disclosed.

And all the judgments are turned aside, and mercies are found.

And therefore is the Sabbath found without judgment, as well that which is above as that which is below; also the fire of Gehenna is restrained in its place, and the transgressors are at rest.

[pg 309] And therefore is the Spirit NShMTh, of joy added on the Sabbath.

And it behoveth man to rejoice with three feasts on the Sabbath; for all truth, and the whole system of true faith, is found therein (i.e., in the Sabbath).

And it behoveth man to prepare the table, that he may eat in the three feasts of true faith, and rejoice in them.806

Rabbi Schimeon said: "I attest concerning myself, before all these who are here present, that through all my days I have not omitted these three feasts, and that because of them I have not been compelled to fast on the Sabbath.

"Furthermore, also on other days I have not been compelled (to fast), much less on the Sabbath, for he who rightly acteth concerning these (feasts) is the adept of perfect truth.

"The first feast is that of the Great Mother; the second that of the Holy King; and the third that of the Most Holy Ancient One, the Concealed with all Concealments.807

"And in this world, who can thoroughly follow out, through them, those paths?

"If this RTzVN, Ratzon, Grace, be revealed, all those judgments are enlightened, and are diverted from their concentrated rigor.

"The conformation of Him, the Most Holy Ancient One, is instituted through one form, which is the ideal Syntagma of all forms.

"The same is the Concealed Supernal Wisdom, the synthesis of all the rest.

"And this is called ODN, Eden, or the supernal Paradise, concealed with all occultations.

"And it is the Brain of the Most Holy Ancient One, and that Brain is expanded on every side.

"Therefore is it extended into Eden, or another Paradise,808 and from this is Eden or Paradise formed forth.

"And when this Head, which is concealed in the Head of the Ancient One, which is not known, extendeth a certain frontal formation, which is formed for brilliance, then flasheth forth the Lightning of His Brain.

[pg 310] "And it is formed forth and illuminated with many Lights.

"And it produceth and designeth (a certain effect) in this Light (otherwise, in this opening), in this Forehead, whereon is inscribed a certain Light, which is called RTzVN, Ratzon, Grace.

"And that Grace is extended backward into the beard, even unto that place where it can remain in the beard, and it is called the Supernal, ChSD, Chesed, Mercy.

"And when this Grace is uncovered, all the Lords of Judgment behold It, and are turned aside."