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Sepher Yetzirah

By Isidor Kalisch

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Chapter II

There are twenty-two letters, stamina. Three of them, however, are the first elements, fundamentals or mothers, seven double and twelve simple consonants. The three fundamental letters ‏?????‎ have as their basis the balance. In one scale 17 is the merit and in the other criminality, which are placed in equilibrium by the tongue. The three fundamental letters ‏?????‎ signify, as ‏?‎ is mute like the water and ‏?‎ hissing like the fire, there is ‏?‎ among them, a breath of air which reconciles them.

‏??? ????.?‎
‏???? ??.?‎
‏????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????????‎

‏?????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ????????‎

‏???????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????????? ??? ????????? ???????????‎

‏?????? ??????? ???????? ?? ???????? ??? ????????? ?? ???????‎

‏????? ????????? ????????????‎

SECTION 2.
The twenty-two letters which form the stamina after having been appointed and established by God, He combined, weighed and changed them, and formed by them all beings which are in existence, and all those which will be formed in all time to come.

‏???? ??.?‎
‏????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????‎

‏???????? ?????????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ????????? ????? ????‎

‏???????? ???????‎

SECTION 3.
He established twenty-two letters, stamina, by the voice, formed by the breath of air and fixed them on five places in the human mouth, namely: 1) gutturals, ‏? ? ? ?‎ 2) palatals, ‏? ? ? ?‎ 3) linguals, ‏? ? ? ? ?‎ 4) dentals, ‏? ? ? ? ?‎ 5) labials, ‏? ? ? ?‎

‏???? ??.?‎
‏????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????‎

‏???????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ????????‎

‏????????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????? ????????????‎

‏???????? ??????????????‎

SECTION 4.
He fixed the twenty-two letters, stamina, on the sphere like a wall with two hundred and thirty-one gates, 18 and turned the spheres forward and backward. For an illustration may serve the three letters, ‏? ? ?‎. There is nothing better than joy, and nothing worse than sorrow or plague is. 19

‏???? ??.?‎
‏????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ???????‎

‏?????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????? ??????? ????????‎

‏???????? ??????? ???? ????????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????????‎

‏???????? ?????????‎

SECTION 5.
But how was it done? He combined, 20 weighed and changed: the ‏?‎ with all the other letters in succession, and all the others again with ‏?‎; ‏?‎ with all, and all again with ‏?‎; and so the whole series of letters. 21 Hence it follows that there are two hundred and thirty-one 22 formations, and that every creature and every word emanated from one names. 23

‏???? ??.?‎
‏??????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ?‎

‏? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ? ??????????? ??????? ????????????‎

‏??????? ????????? ????????? ??? ????????? ????? ????????? ??????‎

‏???????* ??????‎

‏*) ??? ????????‎

SECTION 6.
He created a reality out of nothing, called the nonentity into existence and hewed, as it were, colossal pillars from intangible air. This has been shown by the example of combining the letter ‏?‎ with all the other letters, and all the other letters with Aleph (‏?‎). He 24 predetermined, and by speaking created every creature and every word by one name. For an illustration may serve the twenty-two elementary substances by the primitive substance of Aleph 25 (‏?‎).

‏???? ??.?‎
‏????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ???????? ???????‎

‏????????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????‎

‏? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????‎

‏????????? ????? ???? ????????? ???? ????? ???????? ???????‎

‏????????? ??????????? ???????? ??????? ??‎