Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

376 KABBALA
KABBALA
aged to escape with his son, and concealed
himself in a cavern, where he remained for
twelve years . Here in this subterranean abode,
he occupied himself entirely with the contemplation
of the sublime Kabbalah, and was constantly
visited by the prophet Elias who disclosed
to him some of its secrets, which were
still concealed from the theosophical Rabbi .
Here too, his disciples resorted to be initiated
by their master into these divine mysteries ;
and here Simon ben Jochai expired with this
heavenly doctrine in his mouth, whilst discoursing
on it to his disciples . Scarcely had
his spirit departed, when a dazzling light filled
the cavern, so that no one could look at the
Rabbi ; whilst a burning fire appeared outside,
forming as it were a sentinel at the entrance
of the cave, and denying admittance to
the neighbors . It was not till the light inside,
and the fire outside, had disappeared, that the
disciples perceived that the lamp of Israel was
extinguished. As they were preparing for his
obsequies, a voice was heard from heaven,
saying, `Come ye to the marriage of Simon b .
Jochai ; he is entering into peace, and shall
rest in his chamber!' A flame preceded the
coffin which seemed enveloped by and burning
lie fire . And when the remains were deposited
in the tomb, another voice was heard
from heaven, saying, `This is he who caused
the earth to quake and the kingdoms to shake!'
His son, R. Eliezer, and his secretary, R . Abba,
as well as his disciples, then collated R . Simon
b. Jochai's treatises, and out of these composed
the celebrated work called Sohar, (11D,)
i . e. Splendor, which is the grand storehouse
of I~abbalism ."
The Kabbala is divided into two kinds, the
Practical and the Theoretical . The Practical
Kabbala is occupied in instructions for the
construction of talismans and amulets, and
has no connection with Masonic science . The
Theoretical Kabbala is again divided into the
Dogmatic and the Literal . The Dogmatic
Kabbala is the summary of the rabbinical theosophy
and philosophy . The Literal Kabbala
is the science which teaches a mystical mode of
explaining sacred things by a peculiar use of
the letters of words, and a reference to their
value . Each of these divisions demands a
separate attention .
I. Trm DOGMATIC KABBALA . The origin
of the Kabbala has been placed by some scholars
at a period posterior to the advent of
Christianity, but it is evident, from the traces
of it which are found in the Book of Daniel,
that it arose at a much earlier day . It has
been supposed to be derived originally from
the system of Zoroaster, but whether its inventors
were the contemporaries or the successors
of that philosopher and reformer it is
impossible to say . The doctrine of emanation
is, says King (Gnostics, p . 10), "the soul,
the essential element of the Kabbala- it is
likewise the essential element of ioroastrism."
But as we advance in the study of
each we will find important differences, showing
that, while the idea of the Kabbalistic theosophy
was borrowed from the Zendavesta,
the sacred book of the Persian sage, it was not
a copy, but a development of it .
The Kabbalistic teachin* of emanation is
best understood by an examination of the doctrine
of the Sephiroth .
The Supreme Being, say the Kabbalists, is
an absolute and inscrutable unity, having
nothing without him and everything within
him. He is called ~`ID ,`K, EN SOPH, "The
Infinite One ." In this infinitude he cannot be
comprehended by the intellect, nor described
in words intelligible by human minds, so as to
make his existence perceptible . It was necessary,
therefore, that, to render himself comprehensible,
the En Soph should make himself
active and creative . But he could not become
the direct creator ; because, being infinite, he
is without will, intention, thought, desire, or
action, all of which are qualities of a finite
being only . The En Soph, therefore, was
compelled-to create the world in an indirect
manner by ten emanations from the infinite
light which he was and in which he dwelt .
These ten emanations are the ten Sephiroth,
or Splendors of the Infinite One, and the way
in which they were produced was thus : At
first the En Soph sent forth into space one
spiritual emanation . This first Sephirah is
called 1nD, Kether, "the Crown," because it
occupies the highest position. This first
Sephirah contained within it the other nine,
which sprang forth in the following order : At
first a male, or active potency, proceeded from
it, and this, the second Sephirab, is called
,1T»n, Chocmah or"Wisdom .' This sent forth
an opposite, female or passive potency, named
1~'Z, Binah or "Intelligence . ' These three
Sephiroth constitute the first triad, and out of
them proceeded the other seven. From the
junction of Wisdom and Intelligence came the
fourth Sephirah, called 1Dn, Chesed or
"Mercy ." This was a male potency, and from
it emanated the fifth Sephirah, named 111]a
Giburah or "Justice ." The union of Mercy and
Justice produced the sixth Sephirah, n1XEn,
Tiphereth or "Beauty" ; and these three constitute
the second triad . From the sixth
Sephirah came forth the seventh Sephirah, 11=,
Nitzach or "Firmness." This was a male potency,
and produced the female potency
named 171, Hod or "Splendor ." From these
two proceeded `I1D', Isod or "Foundation " •
and these three constituted the third triad of
the Sephiroth. Lastly, from the Foundation
came the tenth Sephirah, called rl)D Yt Malcuth
or "Kingdom, ' which was at the foot of
all, as the Crown was at the top .
This division of the ten Sephiroth into three
triads was arranged into a form called by the
Kabbalists the Kabbalistic Tree, or the Tree
of Life, as shown in the diagram on opposite
page .
In this diagram the vertical arrangement of
the Sephiroth is called "Pillars ." Thus the
four Sephiroth in the center are called the
"Middle Pillar" ; the three on the right, the
"Pillar of Mercy" ; and the three on the left,
the "Pillar of Justice ." They allude to these
two qualities of God, of which the benignity