Kabbalah-of-the-Golden-Dawn-Pat-Zalewski - D Ank Unlimited

The Early Books 39
2. Gives explanations of the formation of the first eight letters of the
Hebrew alphabet from Aleph to Cheth. When compared with the later
Zohar there are vast number of differences regarding the esoteric significance
of the formation of the letters. It is obvious that we are looking at
two periods of development of the Hebrew letters when comparing their
etymological origins. Rabbi Kaplan, in his translation of the Bahir, solves
part of this problem by associating the descriptions to the Ashur type
script, whereas the Westcott translation uses a later script.
3. Shemhamphoresch, name of 72 letters.
4. Discussion of the Seven Voices as heard by Moses on Mount
Sinai. This relates to the manner in which the Torah was given to
the jews.
5. Descriptions of the Sephiroth, which are given for the first time.
It is thus, the hands have ten fingers, relating to the ten
Sephiroth with which both the heaven and the Earth
were sealed. 25
Though the Sephiroth are not named directly in the Bahir, notes
made by both Westcott and Kaplan in their translations more than adequately
explain some of the hidden references to them.
6. The functions of the Kabbalistic Soul. Although not as sophisticated
as that found in the Zohar, the concept of the formation of the
Soul is given, showing that both the male and female souls develop from
each other.
7. Within the Bahir there is also a reference to what could possibly
be described as the practical part of Kabbalism, insofar as it speaks of the
making of a Golern/? by Rabba.
lS Westcott translation.
10 The Golem was a man made of clay who was brought to life by Kabbalisric meditations and rituals.
See The Golem of Prague by Yehuda Yudel Rosenberg (Warsaw, 1939), "The Kabbalah and its
Symbolism" by Gershom Scholern, pages 158--204.