Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

the zohar [1:7b]
that his fatherhad originally inscribed on him 335 flew away from him
alphabet
he died. Now that Elisha embraced him, he inscribed on him all those
when
of the seventy-two names. The letters of these seventy-two engraved
letters
are 216 letters, 336 all of which Elisha inscribed with his breath to restore
names
YGYC
a name fulfilling all sides: fulfilling embracings, as explained, and
(Ḥavaqquq),
fulfilling the mystery of the 216 letters of the holy name. 337
The Book of King Solomon One of
332.
many volumes housed in the real or im-
the
library of the author of the Zohar.
aginary
1:13b, 33b, 225b; Matt, Zohar, 25; and the
See
on this passage by Shim'on Lavi,
comment
``All such books mentioned in the Zo-
KP:
...have been lost in the wanderings of
har
is left of them except what
exile....Nothing
mentioned in the Zohar.''
is
He inscribed on him Elisha in-
333.
on Habakkuk, the son of the Shunammitscribed
woman.
engraved name of seventy-two
334.
The divine name derived from the
names
of the splitting of the Red Sea:
description
14:19±21. Each of these three verses
Exodus
seventy-two letters. The name is composed
contains
of seventy-two triads (or ``words''),
to the following pattern: the first
according
the first verse, the last letterof the
letterof
verse, the first letter of the third
second
(forming the first triad); the second
verse
the first verse, the penultimate letterof
letterof
the second verse, the second letterof
third verse (the second triad); etc.
the
by means of a divine name recalls
Revival
legend of the Golem, according to which
the
could be animated by the recitation of
dust
names, and in fact Abraham Abulafia
magical
notes that the seventy-two-lettername
the Golem. See Idel, Golem, 98±101;
animates
in Kiryat Sefer 63 (1990±91): 1318±21.
Liebes,
to a magical text (British Museum
According
107a), Elisha used the forty-two-letter
752:17,
(see Scholem). Sefer Ḥasidim
Shunamite
Wistinetzki, par. 219) states that Elisha
(ed.
punished with illness forusing the fortytwo-lettername
was
of God to curse a group of
who had insulted him by calling
children
``Baldhead'' (2 Kings 2:23±24). As a result
him
his curse, forty-two of the children were
of
by two she-bears.
killed
the seventy-two-lettername, see Leqaḥ
On
Exodus 14:21; Bereshit Rabbah 44:19;
Tov,
Rabbah 23:2; Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah
Vayiqra
2:2; Hai Gaon, Otsar ha-Ge'onim, Ḥagi-
on
23; Rashi on BT Sukkah 45a, s.v. ani; Ibn
gah,
on Exodus 14:19; Bahir 79 (110); Zohar
Ezra
2:51b, 132b, 270a; 3:150b±151a; Trachtenberg,
1:17a;
Jewish Magic and Superstition, 95±97;
Torah Shelemah, 14:67, 284±86.
Kasher,
letters ...that his father... Habak-
335.
the son of the Shunamite, was born
kuk,
the power of the letters of the al-
through
but not the particular combination
phabet,
seventy-two triads of letters that Elisha
of
employed.
216 letters The total numberof
336.
in the seventy-two triads derived
letters
the three verses (Exodus 14:19±21).
from
216.
with words The seventy-two
338.
whose greater spiritual potency is required
triads,
for the restoration of the spirit.
with letters The 216 individual
339.
whose potency suffices to restore
letters,
have discovered in The Book of King Solomon: 332 He inscribed on him 333
``I
words the engraved name of seventy-two names. 334
in
Forthe letters of the
him to life through the letters of the seventy-two names. He called him
I
He was revived
with words, 338 restoring his spirit, and with letters, 339 reviving his entire body
48
I GYC Y 337.
(Ḥavaqquq)...216 letters...
I
GYC
Y
has a numerical value of
The name
the body.
name of God to revive the son of the