FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE June 21, 2010

Conclusion 215

―AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM. R. Hiya commenced to

discourse on the verse: The flowers appear on the earth, the time of song
is come, and the voice of the turtle[-dove] is heard in our land (S. S. II,
12). He said: 'When God created the world, He endowed the earth with
all the energy requisite for it, but it did not put forth produce until man
appeared. When, however, man was created, all the products that were
latent in the earth appeared above ground. Similarly, the heaven did not
impart strength to the earth until man came. So it is written. "All the
plants of the earth were not yet on the earth, and the herbs of the field
had not yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon
the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground" (Gen. II, 5), that is
to say, all the products of the earth were still hidden in its bosom and had
not yet shown themselves, and the heavens refrained from pouring rain
upon the earth, because man had not yet been created. When, however,
man appeared, forthwith "the flowers appeared on the earth", all its
latent powers being revealed; "the time of song was come", the earth
being now ripe to offer up praises to the Almighty, which it could not do
before man was created.

"And the voice of the turtle[-dove] is heard in our land": this is the word
of God, which was not in the world till man was created. 'Thus when
man was there, everything was there. When man sinned, the earth was
cursed, and all these good things left it, as it is written, "cursed is the
earth for thy sake" (Gen. III, 17), and again, "when thou tillest the
ground it shall not give its strength to thee" (Ibid. IV, 12), and again,
"thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to thee" (Ibid. III, 18). When
Noah came, he invented spades and hoes, but afterwards he sinned
through drunkenness, and the rest of the world also sinned before God,
and the strength of the earth deserted it. So matters continued until

215This chapter also serves as an introduction to the practical section of this book (i.e. that is soon to
be added.)

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Abraham came. Then once more "the blossoms appeared in the earth",
and all the powers of the earth were restored and displayed themselves.
"The time of pruning (zamir) came", i.e. God told Abraham to
circumcise himself. When at length the covenant existed in Abraham
through the circumcision, then all this verse was fulfilled in him, the
world was firmly established, and the word of the Lord came to him
openly: hence it is written, AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO
HIM.‖ 216

T HE above quote is part of a major occult leitmotif that echoes through

the main body of writings of the Zohar (and beyond), but its inner
meaning is well concealed from the uninitiated. The theme is repeated
again and again in the Zohar using various episodes and characters from
the Tanach. The esoteric concept it conceals is actually quite simple (once it is
grasped), but paradoxically, is quite difficult to communicate. To understand
this concept requires turning your normal mundane consciousness on its head,
in the manner of the Hanged Man (Maym, ‫ )מ‬of the Tarot, so that your
perspective of the world is fundamentally changed. This esoteric knowledge is
extremely important, and the future of humanity depends on the eventual
realization of its principles. It is based on the following three premises…

First Premise: Every individual human soul is carried to term within the
spiritual womb of the Great Mother, and therefore bears a unique
‘umbilical’ relationship with Her.

This statement appears simple and perhaps trite on the surface, but its
implications are tremendous. The metaphor is of a mother pregnant with child.
The child within the womb is intimately attached to the mother via an umbilical
cord. The umbilical cord provides sustenance to the embryo as it grows and is
carried to term. Similarly, each human soul (Ruach, ‫ )רוח‬is attached to the

216 Soncino Zohar. Vol. I. 97a-97b.

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Celestial Mother (the Higher Shekinah, Binah) by a spiritual umbilical cord. This
connection is unique to each soul because each soul requires its own special
kind of creative sustenance and nurture.

The first premise is complemented by a second one of equal importance…

Second Premise: Every incarnate human soul also has an outer

expression (i.e. a personal ego) that is carried to term within the earthly
womb of the Great Mother, and through it a second ‘umbilical’
relationship is established with Her.

The soul‘s outer expression is the human personality (or ego, Nefesh, ‫)נפש‬. The
incarnate human personality is encased within the womb of the physical world
(i.e. Mother Earth)—a lower reflection of the condition of the human soul
enclosed within the belly of the Celestial Mother. Just as there is an umbilical
cord connecting the human soul to the Celestial Mother (Higher Shekinah) so
too there is a invisible umbilical cord connecting the human personality to
Mother Earth (i.e. the Lower Shekinah). Thus, the third premise is…

Third Premise: The outer umbilical cord joining the human personality
to Mother Earth is a lower reflection of the inner umbilical cord that joins
the human soul to the Celestial Mother.

The implications of the third premise are also great. The two umbilical cords
represent narrow channels of creative sustenance and nurture that flow from
two directions towards each human-being—i.e. from the Celestial Mother to
the human soul, and from the Earth Mother to the human personality. Both the
Celestial Mother and the Earth Mother are interconnected and inter-
coordinated expressions of the one Great Mother principle.

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The personality‘s umbilical cord is a reflection of (and dependent on) the

umbilical cord of the soul. The human personality, however, is unaware of the
higher spiritual link with the Great Mother until it becomes ‗soul conscious‘.
When the human personality achieves soul consciousness it becomes
increasingly aware of the nature of its unique spiritual relationship with the
Great Mother. As a consequence it is able to use that inner knowledge to realign
itself within the physical world so that it becomes open to receive the material
sustenance of Mother Earth, and (at the same time) involve itself in the divine
Plan of Creation. In other words, in becoming conscious of the inner ‗spiritual‘
umbilical cord the human personality is also able to perceive the outer ‗material‘
umbilical cord. As long as the human personality remains unconscious of the
soul‘s umbilical cord it stumbles blindly in the world, sowing its seed on barren
ground, and the earth brings forth naught but ―thorns and thistles‖. When
however, the personality awakens to the higher connection (and thus also to the
lower connection) then the earth brings forth ―blossoms‖, and ―flowers appear
on the earth‖.

―AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM. R. Hiya commenced to

discourse on the verse: The flowers appear on the earth, the time of song
is come, and the voice of the turtle[-dove] is heard in our land (S. S. II,
12). He said: 'When God created the world, He endowed the earth with
all the energy requisite for it, but it did not put forth produce until man
appeared. When, however, man was created, all the products that were
latent in the earth appeared above ground. Similarly, the heaven did not
impart strength to the earth until man came. So it is written. "All the
plants of the earth were not yet on the earth, and the herbs of the field
had not yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon
the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground" (Gen. II, 5), that is
to say, all the products of the earth were still hidden in its bosom and had
not yet shown themselves, and the heavens refrained from pouring rain
upon the earth, because man had not yet been created. When, however,
man appeared, forthwith "the flowers appeared on the earth", all its
latent powers being revealed; "the time of song was come", the earth

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being now ripe to offer up praises to the Almighty, which it could not do
before man was created.‖217

The biblical Adam in the Genesis narrative personifies the human soul. The
Earth was created by God as a material resource packed full of a very specific
potential, and it was provided as an environment for Adam to indwell and
cultivate. Adam (i.e. the human soul) is the only entity that can unlock and bring
forth the Earth‘s special potential (i.e. a potential that has been divinely ‗pre-
programmed‘ within the Earth‘s substance by the Creator). In other words, only
the human soul has the power to summon forth the ‗royal treasures‘ that God
has concealed (i.e. in latency) deep within the Earth (i.e. His Kingdom—
Malkut). Adam is able to draw forth this potential as a result of the passage of
Water (Maym, ‫מ‬, symbolized by ‗rain‘ in the quote above) that flows to the
human soul from the Creator (i.e. it falls upon the head of Adam). Then it
further descends to soak into the denser lower levels of the Earth (i.e. ‫אדמה‬,
Adamah, the ‗ground‘).

The concept of the Earth having a secret divine potential hidden within it
awaiting emergence when the right conditions arise, can be understood in terms
of human DNA.

―On the genetic level, it is interesting to note that human DNA is 173
centimetres long. Only 3 centimetres carry active genetic information.
Modern biochemistry is puzzled at this seeming wastefulness of nature
and calls the inactive parts of the DNA introns, useless waste material.
This is a very questionable assumption, as nature does not produce waste
anywhere. The introns are in my opinion (again I deviate from official
science) equal to the latent spiritual potential of the human being.‖ 218

217 Soncino Zohar. Vol. I. 97a.

218Enlightenment & the Brain: A Scientific Commentary on the Teachings of Sri Bhagavan. Christian Opitz.
From: DNA Monthly. May 2006 (Vol. 2, No. 5).

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It is thought (in some circles) that the inactive DNA within the human
organism represents latent abilities that are destined to become active at some
future stage of human evolution. For the activation process to occur the right
conditions must be present to stimulate the inactive DNA material to come to
life.

In like manner, the Earth has its own DNA, some strands of which have
already been activated by the actions of humanity, but other portions of which
remain dormant. These dormant components are destined to become active
when collective humankind reaches a certain level of evolution. The right
conditions for Earth DNA activation will occur as humanity individually and
collectively steps forward on the ‗Path of Righteousness‘, 219 and in so doing
triggers each stage of the divine Creation to unfold.

In the biblical narrative Eve is formed as an extension of Adam. 220 Eve

represents the human personality that emerges as an outer stratum of matter
that covers the soul. Eve (as the human ego) represents an interface (i.e. a
sensory apparatus) through which Adam (i.e. the soul) is able to interact with
the denser physical dimensions of the Creation (i.e. his physical environment).

Prior to the ‗Fall‘ (i.e. Adam and Eve‘s expulsion from the Garden of Eden) the
human soul and its personality vehicle were in perfect harmony with each other,
and with the Shekinah (i.e. the Great Mother principle).

219 See below.

220 That is, she was created from Adam‘s rib.

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Figure 64: Edenic Consciousness

In the diagram above, the small yellow circle represents human consciousness in
the midst of the body of the Great Mother (i.e. the large blue circle). The upper
half of the blue circle symbolizes the Celestial Mother (or Higher Shekinah)
while the lower half represents Mother Earth (or the Lower Shekinah). They
signify two expressions of one divine feminine principle. 221 The green line (in
the diagram) abstractly represents the esoteric ‗umbilical cord‘—i.e. the
primordial perfect relationship that was established between human

221These two manifestations of the Great Mother are also symbolized by the two Hebrew letter Hehs
(H) in the Holy Name YHVH. In this case, the Hebrew letter Vav (V) represents the human
consciousness principle that separates and unites them.

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June 21, 2010 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE

consciousness and the Shekinah in the Garden of Eden (i.e. before the ‗Fall‘).
At that time the human personality (i.e. Nefesh, or Eve) was in harmonious
accord with the soul (i.e. Ruach, or Adam) and both were in mutual harmonious
alignment with the Higher and Lower Shekinah.

Because every human soul is unique, the green line (as per the diagram above)
should be imagined as being uniquely angled for each and every individual
soul.222 This reflects the ancient concept that the feminine principle of Form is
an ‗eternal virgin‘—i.e. her relationship with each human soul/personality is
original, uniquely intimate, and singularly focused. In all cases, this ideal
relationship (i.e. between human consciousness and the Shekinah) is
represented by a straight line diameter passing through the centre of the circle.

Genesis, 2:16-17. ―And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‗Of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die‘.‖

In the Genesis story, Eve‘s interaction with the Serpent (Samael) in the Garden
of Eden symbolizes an interaction between human consciousness and the
lowest physical dimensions of Earth.

The seduction of Eve by the Serpent, and Eve‘s consequent interaction with
Adam (wherein she effectively usurps God‘s divine authority) symbolizes the
human personality‘s proclivity to stray from the Path of God‘s Will (i.e. His
Path of intended Creation), and to selfishly indulge itself in its own superficial
activities within the realm of matter.

222Note that there are an infinite number of these uniquely angled axes (i.e. diameter lines) present in
the geometry of a circle.

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 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE June 21, 2010

The outer umbilical cord is a very narrow channel connecting the human
personality to Mother Earth. Its purpose is for the provision of material
resources that are required during the process of divine Creation. These
resources are specifically tailored to facilitate the realization of the divine
creative Purpose of each individual soul/personality. They emerge into
manifestation (and thus are made available) as the personality takes steps in the
right direction—i.e. towards the realization of its soul‘s creative Purpose. The
soul/personality‘s progress on this narrow Path is termed walking the ‗Path of
Righteousness‘ (or ‗Faithfulness‘), and a person who walks that Path is termed a
Tzadik223 (‫)צדיק‬. On that special Path (which is unique for every
soul/personality) there is no consciousness of good and/or evil (i.e. no
‗Judgment‘), there is only the Path.

The ‗tree of the knowledge of good and evil‘ is the ‗Tree of Judgment‘ (i.e. between
Good and Evil). Eating of the fruit of this tree symbolizes a diversion from the
Path of Unity (or ‗Faithfulness to YHVH‘). It represents a stepping off the Path
of Righteousness, and a misuse of the human ego‘s physical energy (or ‗life
force‘). To put it simply, it includes the human tendency to judge earthly
phenomena (including other people) according to our own personally (and
collectively) formulated opinions. But how can we reasonably do that when
every human soul/personality is unique?

There are many and varied earthly activities in which the human personality can
involve itself on planet Earth. There is however, only one activity (or direction
of focus) that, in any given moment of time, represents a step forward on an
individual‘s Path of Righteousness. Each step forward on this Path leads to an
abundant influx of divine ‗blood‘224 (DM, ‫דם‬, of ADaM, ‫ )אדם‬through the
earthly umbilical cord (i.e. from the Shekinah to the personality).

Eating of the ‗tree of the knowledge of good and evil‘ symbolizes the ‗path of
materialism‘ (i.e. for its own superficial sake) and leads to the experience of
Judgment—i.e. the need for the ego to choose between many greater and lesser
evils, and between many greater and lesser goods. This is the path of illusion

223 Derived from ‗Tzedek‘ – Rightness, righteousness, justice.

224 That is, ‗sustenance‘ from the Great Mother principle.

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because in divine Reality there is no Good or Evil, only the Path of

Righteousness that stretches before each individual human soul/personality. On
that Path there is no requirement to choose because the Choice has already
been made by the divine Creator. In other words, as we tread the Path of
Righteousness our life decisions are not made on the basis of whether
something is good or evil, ‗right‘ or ‗wrong‘, but rather on whether or not we
are effectively moving forward on our unique Path (i.e. as we intuitively know it
to be in our Heart).

Figure 65: Paths of Judgment

In the diagram above, the two brown lines represent examples of the human
personality misdirecting the use of its physical energy in wayward material
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pursuits on various paths of judgment. The personality‘s quest for worldly

riches, and/or to satisfy its material/physical desires (for example) stimulates a
reaction from the Great Mother that is described in the Zohar as relating to the
following biblical verse…

Genesis, 3:17-18. ―And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened
unto the voice of thy wife [i.e. personality], and hast eaten of the tree, of
which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee...‖

As long as the human personality does not heed the Will of God and instead
follows its own little will (and desire for personal gratification) then its
experience on Earth is characterized to a large extent by harsh judgment (i.e.
‗negative‘ experiences). This, for the simple reason that the substance of the
Earth has been pre-programmed by the Creator to react in certain ways that are
dependent on whether or not the human personality is following its individual
Path of Righteousness as it moves forward within the body of the Great
Mother.

Experience on the path of judgment (that is, when the personality and soul are
out of alignment) is characterized by the Earth‘s own inner elemental force—i.e.
Fire (Shin, ‫)ש‬.225 This encounter with the purging Fire of Shin produces great
discomfort, but ultimately has a positive transformative (i.e. evolutionary) effect
on the human personality.226

When on the other hand, the human personality is aligned with the soul and
moves forward on its individual Path of Righteousness, then it receives
elemental Water (Maym, ‫ )מ‬flowing to it from the soul, which it uses to mitigate
and creatively complement the latent inner Fire of the Shekinah.

225 Of which the Earth‘s fiery molten/solid core is the symbol.

226This Fire is associated with the concept of ‗Fire by Friction‘ that is described in the books of Alice
Bailey. See: A Treatise on Cosmic Fire.

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June 21, 2010 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE

It is only on the Path of Righteousness that the personality gains access to the
elemental Water of Maym. On the path of judgment the Water does not flow
down from the soul, and only the Earth‘s inner purging heat of elemental Fire is
experienced.

When the elemental Water of Maym is combined with the elemental Fire of
Shin (i.e. on the Path of Righteousness) an aspect of the divine Creation
emerges into manifestation upon the Earth. ―The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of song is come, and the voice of the turtle[-dove] is heard in our
land.‖227

If every human soul/personality were to follow its own unique Path of

Righteousness then a supreme effort of co-creation would occur on the Earth
(involving all of humanity) leading to the realization of the divine Plan and the
emergence of the Creation as it has existed in potential within the body of the
Shekinah since the beginning of Time. 228 Right now however (circa 2010), most
human-beings are treading a path of judgment and thereby contributing to the
chaos, disharmony, and turmoil that exists in the world. This will change as the
focus shifts within each personality, and we align ourselves towards the
umbilical cord that represents our own individual Path of Righteousness.

Proverbs, 8:20-21. ―I lead in the way of righteousness [TzDQH, ‫]צדקה‬, in

the midst of the paths of judgment [NThYBVTh MShPT, ‫]משפט נתיבות‬:
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance [YSh, ‫ ;]יש‬and I
will fill their treasures.‖

Proverbs, 10:2-3. ―Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but

righteousness delivereth from death. The LORD will not suffer the soul
[NPhSh, ‫ ]נפש‬of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the
substance [HVH, ‫ ]הוה‬of the wicked.‖

227 Song of Solomon. 2:12.

228 This is technically termed the ‗World to Come‘ in the symbolism of the Zohar, etc.

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Figure 66: Elemental Fire and Water

The diagram above illustrates an encounter with the Fire of Shin (‫ )ש‬that occurs
on the Path of Righteousness, and also, on the many paths of judgment. The
Water of Maym (‫ )מ‬is made available to the human personality (Nefesh) to
mitigate the Fire of Shin (‫ )ש‬when it is traversing the Path of Righteousness.
The full unmitigated heat of the purging Fire of Shin however, is experienced
on every path of judgment. A joyful creative experience is had on the Path of

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Righteousness as the Water of Maym flows into and combines creatively with
the Fire of Shin.229

―And the voice of the turtle[dove] is heard in our land": this is the word
of God, which was not in the world till man was created. 'Thus when
man was there, everything was there. When man sinned, the earth was
cursed, and all these good things left it, as it is written, "cursed is the
earth for thy sake" (Gen. III, 17), and again, "when thou tillest the
ground it shall not give its strength to thee" (Ibid. IV, 12), and again,
"thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to thee" (Ibid. III, 18). When
Noah came, he invented spades and hoes, but afterwards he sinned
through drunkenness, and the rest of the world also sinned before God,
and the strength of the earth deserted it. So matters continued until
Abraham came. Then once more "the blossoms appeared in the earth",
and all the powers of the earth were restored and displayed themselves.
"The time of pruning (zamir) came", i.e. God told Abraham to
circumcise himself. When at length the covenant existed in Abraham
through the circumcision, then all this verse was fulfilled in him, the
world was firmly established, and the word of the Lord came to him
openly: hence it is written, AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO
HIM.‖230

The Holy Covenant that the Lord (YHVH) established with Abraham
represents the divinely prescribed means by which humankind is able to resolve
the dilemma of Adam‘s ‗Fall‘. This biblical episode adds a new layer of
symbolism to the fundamental leitmotif that we are investigating.

During this important event, the biblical character Abram undergoes a name-
change that results in him being called Abraham.231 Similarly, the name of

229In the diagram, elemental Air (i.e. Alef, ‫ )א‬is represented by the yellow circle of human
consciousness.

230 Soncino Zohar. Vol. I. 97a-97b.

231 Genesis 17:5

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 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE June 21, 2010

Abram‘s wife is changed from Sarai to Sarah. 232 In both instances, the Hebrew
letter Heh (‫ )ה‬is added to the spelling of their names. Like Adam before him,
Abraham represents the human consciousness principle, while Sarah symbolizes
the object of his desire.

Kabbalistically, the letter Heh symbolizes the Shekinah (or Great Mother
principle)233 and its inclusion here indicates that a special relationship has been
established between Abraham, Sarah, and the Shekinah. That special
relationship forms the basis of the Path of Righteousness upon which Abraham
had (by that time) become firmly focused.

The physical aspect of the ‗covenant of circumcision‘ is essentially symbolic of

‗acquiring spiritual focus‘ as a result of the removal of the distraction and allure
(or ‗excess‘) of materialism. The foreskin signifies that which prevents a human-
being from treading the Path of Righteousness, and thus from joining himself
creatively with the Shekinah.

There are, in fact, three ‗initiations of circumcision‘ that a human-being must

undergo in order to become fully involved with the Shekinah and the divine
creative process.

1. Circumcision of the Genitalia (Yesod – Physical)

2. Circumcision of the Heart (Tifaret – Astral)
3. Circumcision of the Tongue (Da‘at – Mental)

The deeper meaning involves the removal of all impurities within the human
psycho-physical organism that prevent a human-being from joining with the
Shekinah in a destined ‗sacred marriage‘ (or ‗consummation‘)—a consummation
that leads ultimately to the birth (or materialization) of a small facet of the
divinely preordained Creation.

232 Genesis 17:15

233That is, in terms of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) the two Hehs signify the higher and lower
Shekinah.

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The Lord declared to Abraham234 that the circumcision of the genitalia is

required to be performed on the 8th day from birth, symbolizing the 8th sefirah
(counting upwards from Malkut) which is Da‘at. The three circumcisions all
lead to (and reinforce) Da‘at—i.e. Da‘at itself symbolizing the ‗Covenant of
Abraham‘.

Figure 67: Covenant and Circumcision

On the kabbalistic Tree of Life, the sefirah Yesod (Tav, ‫ת‬, Moon) represents
the male sex organ because it is through the interface of Yesod that human

234 Genesis 17:12.

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 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE June 21, 2010

consciousness interacts creatively with the external physical world (symbolized

by the sefirah Malkut and the Lower Shekinah). In other words, it is through
Yesod that the Consciousness principle is able to penetrate and impregnate the
lower Form principle, and this is the case for both male and female human-
beings.

The deeper meaning of the circumcision applies to both men and women
because every man and every woman has the same psycho-spiritual faculties (as
symbolized by the sefirot of the kabbalistic Tree of Life). The male/female
gender distinction does not apply except within the lowest material realm of
existence.

In parallel to Yesod, the sefirah Da‘at symbolizes the higher ‗sex organ‘ that is
located in the head of Adam.235 Just as Yesod provides the faculty for
communion with the Lower Shekinah (i.e. Malkut), so it is through the interface
of Da‘at that human consciousness is able to maintain its creative union with
the Higher Shekinah (or Binah, the Celestial Mother).

The fabled ‗exile‘ of the Shekinah symbolizes Humanity‘s disconnection in

consciousness from the Celestial Mother. This sorry state was/is indicated by
kabbalists by their omission of the sefirah Da‘at from the Tree of Life diagram
(or by calling it a ‗non-sefirah‘). We are now however, at a point in human
evolution when we can restore Da‘at to its rightful position as a true sefirah of
the Tree of Life. Thereby is the link to Binah (and Hockmah) symbolically re-
established in human consciousness and the divine process of Creation (i.e.
through the agency of Humanity) is able to proceed.

Traditionally, it is thought that union with the (otherwise ‗exiled‘) Shekinah is

best achieved on the Shabbat (i.e. Friday evening).

―Because medieval kabbalists believed all liturgical and ritual acts affect
both the terrestrial and heavenly realms, halakhically sanctioned physical
intercourse between a male mystic and his wife on earth could foster

235 Corresponding biologically to the pineal gland.

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June 21, 2010 FORMATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE

both divine and mystical union, for the act enables both Tiferet and the
male mystic to unite with the Shekhinah. Wives thus became a conduit
through which their husbands could attain divine union. Drawing from
Talmudic tradition, medieval kabbalists deemed Friday night to be the
most auspicious time to engage in sexual intercourse.‖ 236

This symbolism is reflected in our Tree of Life diagram. 237 (See below.)

You will note (in the diagram below) that the sefirah Da‘at (‫ב‬, Bayt) is
connected to Binah (‫ש‬, Shin) via the pathway of Tav (‫ת‬, Moon). This
combination of Hebrew letters spells ShaBaTh (‫—)שבת‬the Shabbat, the ‗day‘
when Israel unites with the Shekinah, and the day when the coupling of a Jewish
husband and his wife is blessed by the Shekinah. The pathway of Tav (‫)ת‬
represents the Ruach‘s (i.e. soul‘s) unique relationship with the Higher Shekinah
(‫)ש‬. The sefirah of Tav (i.e. Yesod) is its projected lower correspondence and
represents the relationship that is established between the Nefesh (i.e.
personality) and the Lower Shekinah (Malkut).238 Ideally, the lower sefirotic
expression of Tav should embody/reflect the nature and quality of the higher
pathway expression of Tav.

236 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 18. Pp. 443-444.

See my book: Formation of the Tree of Life. The sefirah Tifaret connects with the Higher Shekinah via
237

Da‘at, and the Lower Shekinah via Yesod.

238The sefirah Malkut is not shown in this diagram. Malkut, representing the ‗World of Assiah‘ (or
‗Action‘), is located immediately below Yesod and directly adjoined to it.

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Figure 68: The Shabbat and the Tree of Life

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the structure and meaning of
the Tree of Life diagram (as illustrated above) because it forms the foundation
of the system of practical kabbalah that will be outlined in Part Two of this
book. In the present chapter, however, we are mainly concerned with some
background concepts that are needed for a full appreciation of the practical
system.

The esoteric symbolism of the Shekinah principle is also woven into the ancient
prophesy of the coming of the Jewish messiah at the ‗end times‘.

―And at the time when the Holy One will raise the dead to life He will
cause dew to descend upon them from His head. By means of that dew
all will rise from the dust, as it says, "for thy dew is as the dew of lights"
(Is. XXVI, 19), these being the supernal lights through which the
Almighty will in future pour forth life upon the world. For the tree of life

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exudes life unceasingly into the universe. Life in the present dispensation
is cut short through the influence of the evil serpent, whose dominion is
symbolized by the darkened moon. Under the same influence the
celestial waters, as it were, fail, and life is not dispensed in the world in
proper measure. At that time, however, the evil tempter, who is none
other than the evil serpent, will be removed from the world by the
Almighty and disappear, as it is written, "and I will cause the unclean
spirit to pass out of the earth" (Zech. XIII, 2). After he disappears the
moon will no more be obscured, and the waters of the celestial river will
flow on perennially. Then will be fulfilled the prophecy, "Moreover the
light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun
shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days, etc." (Is. XXX, 26).‖239

The Moon, in the writings of the Zohar (etc), symbolizes the Shekinah. Her
exile from Israel is represented by the ‗darkened Moon‘ that is unable to reflect
the light of the Sun. The ‗evil serpent‘ signifies the lure of ‗materialism‘ that
causes the human personality to sow its seed in barren fields, or in ground that
puts forth naught but ‗weeds‘.

The ‗dew of lights‘ that descends from the ‗Head of the Almighty‘ during the
‗end times‘ symbolizes the Water of Maym flowing from the divine Father
(Hockmah, ‫ )מ‬to the Son (Tifaret/Ruach) and then to the faithfully aligned
human personality (Yesod/Nefesh). This divine Water then flows from the
human personality to the Lower Shekinah (Malkut) combining creatively with
Her innate Fire of Shin. Thus it is written: ―the light of the moon shall be as the
light of the sun‖.

The enlightened state of consciousness that this imagery represents occurs

towards the end of Human evolution within the Earth sphere, but evolved
individuals are able to pre-empt that future collective event by passing
individually through the three initiations of circumcision.

239 Soncino Zohar. Vol. 2. 130b-131a.

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In all three ‗circumcision‘ initiations there is required a curbing of excess, and a

focusing of the spiritual Will through each of the three bodies of human
manifestation—the physical, astral, and mental bodies.

The ‗circumcision of the heart‘ is mentioned in a few places in the Hebrew

Tanach. For example…

Jeremiah, 4:3-4. ―For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and
Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your
heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come
forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of
your doings.‖240

Here Jeremiah alludes to the intense heat of the Fire of Shin being felt (without
the relief of the Water of Maym) as a repercussion of not removing the
‗foreskin of the heart‘. The purification of the astral body is implied in this ritual
of the ‗circumcision of the heart‘.

The ‗circumcision of the tongue‘ is one of the highest mysteries of the

Kabbalah. As such, it is mentioned only in the most occult of treatises—the
most famous one being the Sefer Yetzirah.241

―He placed him in His bosom, and kissed him on his head, and He called
him, "Abraham my beloved" (Isaiah 41:8). He made a covenant with him
and with his children after him forever, as it is written, "And he believed

240 The ‗Circumcision of the Heart‘ is also mentioned in Deuteronomy, 10:16 and 30:6.

241 Translated: Book of Formation.

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in God, and He considered it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).

He made with him a covenant between the ten fingers of his hands—this
is the covenant of the tongue, and between the ten toes of his feet—this
is the covenant of circumcision, And He bound the 22 letters of the
Torah to his tongue and He revealed to him His mystery.‖ 242

The ‗circumcision of the tongue‘ is code for the purification and control of the
mental body, and its consecration to fulfilling the sacred Purpose of the human
soul. The means to achieve this third initiation of circumcision is given in the
text of the Sefer Yetzirah, but it‘s cloaked in extremely opaque symbolism. One
of the purposes of this book is to shine a light into the darkness of the Sefer
Yetzirah and consequently, to provide a framework for understanding (and
completing) the ‗circumcision of the tongue‘.

As mentioned briefly above, the story (in the Tanach) of the exile of Israel and
the Shekinah adds yet another layer of symbolism to this important esoteric
teaching.

Like Adam, and Abraham, and many other male characters from the Tanach, the
third patriarch Jacob also personifies the human soul. His name was changed to
Israel after ―wrestling with a man (AYSh, ‫)איש‬243 until the breaking of the
day‖,244 or in others words, after he underwent a major initiation.245

242 Sefer Yetzirah. 6:7. Translated by Aryeh Kaplan.

243The ‗man‘ mentioned in the verse is generally interpreted as being an angel—usually the angelic
representative of Esau, Jacob‘s twin brother.

244 Genesis 32:24-29.

245 That is, the second initiation—the Circumcision of the Heart.

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In the mundane world, the name Israel has come to collectively represent the
Jewish race. Tradition has it that after the destruction of the two Temples of
YHVH in the first millennium BCE, the people of Israel became alienated from
the Shekinah, and were cursed to wander the Earth in exile from their God.
This is a motif that is buried deeply within the religious psyche of the Jewish
people, and in its most concrete and literal form is represented by the
philosophy of Zionism.

The Temple of Solomon (and, its later replacement) symbolized a sacred house
wherein dwelled the Shekinah (i.e. the divine Presence of YHVH). The Temple
was thus able to provide a means through which the ancient Jewish priesthood
could receive the blessing of YHVH for the people of Israel. In other words,
the Temple provided a locus through which the sacred marriage between Israel
and the Shekinah could be consummated. This was (and is) a very literal
interpretation of a very esoteric doctrine that was received by the ancient
Hebrews through their beloved prophets and patriarchs.

It is time now, however, to complement, expand, and enhance the literal

interpretation with the inner esoteric meaning of the Holy Torah. This new
understanding brings with it the realization that there is no need to wait for the
re-establishment of a physical Temple of YHVH on Mount Zion. Instead, we
can focus towards building a Holy Temple within the human psyche—the
building instructions for which are given in the Sefer Yetzirah, and (hopefully)
translated into clearer language in Part Two of this book.

In the Temple of Solomon the Shekinah was said to rest upon the Ark of the
Covenant within the Holy of Holies—the most sacred room in the Temple. On
the Tree of Life diagram, the Ark of the Covenant is represented by Da‘at, and
the ‗Most Holy Place‘ by the sefirah Geburah. 246 The Shekinah is of course,
symbolized by the sefirah Binah as it alights (via the Tav/Moon pathway) upon
Da‘at ‗between the two wings of the Cherubim‘.

All these religious terms, images, and expressions are actually symbols for inner
psycho-spiritual faculties and processes that are made manifest within the
conscious mind as the inner Temple is constructed.

246 This will be more clearly explained in Part Two of this book (entitled Holy Temple of Magic).

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Like all the great temples of history, the architecture and construction of the
historical Temple of Solomon was based on sacred geometry and the
metaphysical symbolism of numbers. The most sacred numbers employed
traditionally in temple construction are the numbers three, seven, and twelve.
For example, with regard to the number seven...247

―I should like to draw attention to two texts that connect the creation of
the world and the construction of the Temple which have not been
remarked before. 1 Kings 6:38b tells us that it took Solomon seven years
to build his Temple. According to 1 Kings 8, he dedicated it during the
Feast of Booths (Sukkot), which occurs in the seventh month (verse 2)
and which, in Deuteronomic tradition, is a festival of seven days duration
(Deut. 16:13-15). Moreover, the speech in which Solomon dedicates his
shrine, just completed, is structured around seven petitions (1 Kings
8:31-55). Can the significance of the number seven in this Temple
dedication be coincidence? In light of the argument on other grounds
that Temple building and creation were thought to be congeneric, this is
improbable. It is more likely that the construction of the Temple is
presented here as a parallel to the construction of the world in seven days
(Gen. 1:1-2:4).‖248

The Holy Temple that we will construct later during our course of practical
kabbalah is also based in large part on the number seven, and like its physical
counterpart—the Temple of Solomon—it will provide a holy sanctuary for the
Higher Shekinah to indwell.

The Holy Temple that we build within the human psyche will enable each
individual to establish conscious communion with the Higher and Lower
Shekinah. It will provide the means by which to draw down the ‗dew of lights‘

247Among others, the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza was also based on the number
seven. See Appendix II in my book: Esoteric Harmonics.

248The Temple and the World, by Jon D. Levenson. The Journal of Religion, Vol. 64, No. 3 (Jul., 1984),
pp. 275-298. The University of Chicago Press. Pp. 288-289.

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(i.e. the Water of Maym) from the Holy One, so as to blend it creatively with
the Fire of Shin (i.e. of the Lower Shekinah).

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