Sample of the charts from the pages in the book
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By R. Zucker

This is a section about a growing study and translation of R. Abulafia's work on the Chaya Ha O'lam Haba ("Life in the World to Come"). As the title suggests, it covers life in the afterworld. But, also provides extensive meditation techniques, charts and instructions.

This manuscript is written in 1280 by Rabbi Abraham Abulafia. It is R. Abulafia's explanation about the secret of the 72 names, Abulafia's circles, and YHVH.

According to Encyclopedia Judaica 1, 86, the treatise involves "explanations of the 72-letter name of G-d, partly illustrated by circular figures, with exact instructions for mystical meditation."

There were about 40 manuscript copies exant until the book was recently published for the first time (Jerusalem, 1999). Abulafia was born in Toeldo, Spain in 1240 and died at age 52 in 1292.

My recent purchase of this book from Nehora, enables me to finally see the original Hebrew used in quotes from Scholem, Kaplan and others. The actual translations, word by word, in today's English is a bit different than what original translations show. As I edit the work, I will add portions of the translations for others to study.

This book, Chaye HaOlam HaBa, provides an amazing insight into R. Abulafia's techniques. I discovered some specific new techniques using the two letter gates, 231 letters and other meditative techniques not discussed in other English Kabbalah meditation books. The translations are difficult because what the words meant back then, do not mean the same today.

The book ends (page 114) with the charts of 28 phrases, then proceeds 30 pages of double ringed circles (4 per page) with the Qabalistic letters and phrases designed by Abulafia- 120 circles, with 9 letters and phrases each, totaling 1080 letters. Discussions how to use the letters, vowels, directions and sets permutations of YHVH are printed. See a sample of the charts.

Although the entire book is in its original Hebrew, the opportunity to study from the original source and to compare against other translations has been an enlightening experience.

There seem to be some common content between Abulafia's book and the "Sefer Raziel HaMelech," especially in the description of the 72 names (based on the 3 lines of Exodus 14:19-21).

"Life in the World to Come" has been quoted by many Jewish Kabbalah authors in discussions about Sefer Yetsirah or the golem. The Jewish belief in an afterlife (reincarnation, gilguleem - gilgil, metempsychosis) is not an ancient one, though no ancient text has mentioned such a subject until near the middle ages.

The database I am compiling is with FileMaker Pro and contains some word-by-word translations, images and pages from the reprinted book, Chayye Ha Olam Haba, and plenty of information from a variety of sources. This stand-alone program (able to be used on just about any computer with or without FIleMaker), is part of a growing database library and Jewish Kabbalistic resource. The Qabalah Stacks will be available in the near future. Learn more.

I'll also be adding some of the translations from the book as I can get them coverted to web format.

If you have an interest in this book or related books, please email bob@emol.org. Robert Zucker, Arizona, USA. Chayye Ha'Olam Ha Ba is also written as Chaye or Chai' Ha Olam Ha Ba.

Also see the golem, Sefer Raziel and Sefer Yetzirah.

Sample of the circles from the pages in the book
Web Links and Free Downloads