The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literatureGinsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Religion
The Kabbalah: its doctrines, development, and literature
Ginsburg, Christian D. (Christian David)
Cabala
5. The words of those verses which are regarded as containing a
peculiar recondite meaning are ranged in squares in such a manner as to
be read either vertically or boustrophedonally, beginning at the right
or left hand. Again the words of several verses are placed over each
other, and the letters which stand under each other are formed into new
words. This is especially seen in the treatment of three verses in
Exod. xiv, (viz., 19–21), which are believed to contain the three
Pillars of the Sephiroth, and the Divine Name of seventy-two words. The
following tables will illustrate this principle of interpretation. The
first of these three verses ויסע מלאך האלהים ההלך לפני מחנה ישראל וילך
מאחריהם ויסע עמוד הענן מפניהם ויעמד מאחריהם, and the angel of God,
which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and
the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind
them (Exod. xiv, 19), is read boustrophedonally, as follows:—
I.
ו א ל ש א ע מ מ
י ל פ ר ח ע פ ד
ס ח נ א ר מ נ מ
ע י י ל י ו י א
מ ם מ י ח ד ח ח
ל ח ח י ם ח ם ר
א ח נ ל ו ע ו י
ך ל ח ך י נ ח
ה ך י מ ס י ע ם
The second of these three verses ויבא בין מחנה מצרים נבין מהנה ישראל
ויהי העגן והחשך ויאר את הלילה ולא קרב זה אל זה כל הלילה, and it came
between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a
cloud and darkness to them, but gave light by night to these, so that
the one came not near the other all the night (Exod. xiv, 20), is in
the first place divided, and read from right to left, beginning at the
top, as exhibited in the following diagram.
II.
ו י ב א ב י ן מ ח
נ ה מ צ ר י ם ו ב*
י ן מ ח נ ה י ש ר
א ל ו י ה י ה ע נ
ן ו ה ח ש ך ו י א
ר א ת ה ל י ל ה ו
ל א ק ר ב ז ה א ל
ז ה כ ל ה ל י ל ה
It is then divided in the following manner, and read from left to
right, beginning at the bottom.
III.
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