Kabbalah Study: "Book of Creation" (Sefer Yetzirah)Creation of a Formation with the Sefer YetzirahThe "Book of Creation" is decodedBy Rob Zucker One of the oldest manuscripts in the world is also one of the first mystical books on Kabbalah ever produced. The English translation of the "Book of Creation," (also called the "Book of Formation") is from the text of the Hebrew manuscript, the "Sefer Yetzirah" ("Sefer Yetsirah"). Those who study this strange manuscript have pondered its meaning with a variety of conflicting interpretations, correspondences, illusions and delusions.
Where did the Book of Creation come from?The first time the teachings may have been first written down may be about 2,000 years ago, by Rabbi Akiba. But is claimed to originate thousands of years before as an oral tradition. Its origin is attributed to biblical ancestors like Abraham and Moses. After it was written and rewritten over the centuries, anonymous authors and scribes added and changed the content. This now creates many errors in the content and correspondences that we see today. But, the basic principles remain the same. The secrets within the text of the "Sefer Yetsira" were passed down by word of mouth for centuries through generations of Jewish mystics as part of the oral tradition called Qabalah (Kabbalah). The Book of Creation (or Formation) was probably written down in the 2nd century B.C.E. by Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph. But, the myth of this curious book dates back to Abraham the Patriarch and Moses. The text of the Sefer Yetzirah lays out the principles of Kabbalistic cosmology and the Tree of Life, how humankind (the microcosm) reflects the Divine (the macrocosm). It also sets forth the Hebrew doctrine of Logos – the creation of the world in numbers, letters, and sound. As such, it is a seminal text for all serious magicians. Most of all, the mystical secrets of the Sepher Yetzirah still has yet to be uncovered. While the text describes the universe, time and body in an organized order, it still is confusing to the average reader. "Sefer" in Hebrew means book. "Yetzirah" (also spelled as Yesirah, Yetzira, Yetsira) means the word "creation (YTzRH)" or to create (YTzR). Traditionally, the Hebrew word is usually spelled with a z (yetzirah) instead of a s (yesirah). Most Spanish translation use the s instead of the z. Sometimes, the word formation is used instead of the word creation. Great Jewish scholars like Aryeh Kaplan, Gershom Scholem and Moshe Idel have made some sense of the Sefer Yetzirah. But, what we read today are English translations of Hebrew and German (Yiddish) writings that have a tendency to lose some meanings in those translations. Aryeh Kaplan is probably best known for his work on the translation of the Sefer Yetzirah. In the late 19th and 20th Century, authors like Eliphas Levi, Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardie, William Wynn Westcott have published books about the Sefer Yetzirah. The most recent edition, by Kaplan, is considered to be the authoritative study on the subject. Copies are the book are sometimes hard to locate since its last printing was in 1977. In the English speaking world, it became to be known as The Book of Creation or Book of Formation. Using the Sefer Yetzirah to create a What??Out of all of the persistant traditions, the most common is the ability to create a golem, a living object, by use of the techniques described in the Sefer Yetzirah. This golem comes to life by the meditations of the golem-makers who learn their techniques from studying the manuscript. The golem has its appearances on non-Jewish mysticism as well- Egyptian, Greek and other cultures have their own versions of our Frankenstein. Read more about making a golem with the Sefer Yetsirah... But, the most discussed and known aspect of the Sefer Yetzirah is its definition of the Tree of Life and the ten sephiroth. This explains the organization of the Universe. New sections on the Sephiroth are included on my upcoming QBL software program. Create your own Universe with the Book of FormationThe Sefer Yetsirah (Yetzirah) is filled with mystery and shrouded with myths, misconceptions and illusions. Out of all of the Hebrew manuscripts that have survived over the centuries, the Sefer Yetzirah continues to amaze and confuse those who study its pages. This web site is the gateway to a computerized study of this mysterious manuscript which has influenced Judaism, Christianity, Occultism, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Science and Psychology for thousands of years. The Sefer Yetzirah is also known as Sefer Yesirah, Yesira, Sefer Yetsirah, Sefer Yetzira, Sefer Yesirah, Sepher Jesriah, Jeseriah and Sepher Yezirah. The various spellings are based on the Hebrew letters, Y, Tz, Y, R, H. Depending on how the author pronounces or translates the sounds, determine how that author spells the word. This section of the Qabalah website explores the Sefer Yetzirah, its history, theory and practice. Although most of my original material is still in handwritten notes in my file cabinets, more sections will be uploaded here with samples to a full printed book, interactive Qabalah study web site and software program. Read more... Next: OVERVIEW of the ancient manuscript: "Sefer Yetzirah"
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