No
one knows who first wrote the original Book of Creation, or
"Sefer Yetzirah" in Hebrew, more than 2,000 years ago. But, several
preserved versions from the early centuries AD are still available.
The Internet is full
of web sites on "Sefer Yetzirah." Many of these sites have been online
for years and provide a good source of understanding and personal
commentaries.
But, there are only a
few authorities recognized in Kabbalah as authors of early versions of
the "Sefer Yetzirah." Rabbi Akiba's writings about the Boof of Creation
is perhaps the most revered,
The Sefer Yetzirah
text in Hebrew and English can easily be found on the Internet. Since
the Sefer Yetzirah is open to much interpretation, controversy and
discussion, there is one true, difinitve source. A true Qabalist must
take all of the sources into context and decide which combinations suit
their own path.
Links to books on Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), Kabbalah, Kabbalah Bracelets and more at the Kabbalah Shoppe
Other Kabbalah Websites
Walking Kabbalah Devorah's The Walking Kabbalah Blog, a collection of notes and understandings from studying with Kabbalist Samuel Avita.
Most popular and reliable books about "Sefer Yetzirah"
These
are the most popular books on Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Creation
(Book of Formation). All of them can be purchased through these links at
Amazon.com. Check for free shipping eligibility on some books.
By Aryeh Kaplan.
This is the most authoritative text on the study of the "Sefer Yetzirah"
or Book of Formation (Book of Creation). Kaplan's explanations are easy
to understand and make common sense. Hebrew with English translations
in great detail and insight. A must have manual for anyone ready to
decipher this ancient manuscript. Paperback: 398 pages. Publisher:
Weiser Books; Rev. Sub edition (May 1997). Language: English.
By
Arthur Edward Waite (Editor, Introduction), Knut Stenring (Translator)
and R. A. Gilbert (Foreword).Stenring has made a word-for-word
translation from several texts, choosing only those parts which he
believed to be authentic. He reveals the text’s secrets in his diagrams,
tables, and extensive notes. His "Master Key to the Theoretical and
Practical Kabala" is a diagram of the correspondences between the
English and Hebrew alphabets and is not found in other translations of
the Sepher Yetzirah. The introduction by Waite surveys the historical
background of the Sepher Yetzirah translations and the import of this
foundational Kabbalistic text. Knut Stenring was a Swedish Hebrew
scholar. He published this work in 1923 and it is regarded as a major
resource, although some translations are dubious. 78 pages from Ibis
Press (June 2004).
By W.
Wynn Westcott (Author) A selection from INTRODUCTION: The "Sepher
Yetzirah," or "Book of Formation," is perhaps the oldest Rabbinical
treatise of Kabalistic philosophy which is still extant. The great
interest which has been evinced of 1ate years in the Hebrew Kabalah, and
the modes of thought and doctrine allied to it, has induced me to
translate this tractate from the original Hebrew texts, and to collate
with them the Latin versions of mediaeval authorities; and I have also
published An Introduction to the Kabalah which may be found useful to
students. Three important books of the "Zohar," or "Book of Splendour,"
which is a great storehouse of Kabalistic teaching, have been translated
into English by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, and the "Sepher Yetzirah" in
an English translation is almost a necessary companion to these abstruse
disquisitions: the two books indeed mutually explain each other. Sepher
Yetzirah (Paperback: 48 pages). Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
(December 30, 2005). Language: English (Format: Kindle Edition). File
Size: 226 KB. Print Length: 112 pages. Publisher: Oak Grove (March 20,
2008). Sold by: Amazon Digital Services.
No
one knows who first wrote the original Book of Creation, or
"Sefer Yetzirah" in Hebrew, more than 2,000 years ago. But, several
preserved versions from the early centuries AD are still available.
