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The Kabbalah Unveiled

By S.L. Macgregor Mathers

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Concerning the Beard of Microprosopus

749. RABBI SCHIMEON commenced and said, Deut. iv 4: "And ye shall cleave unto Tetragrammaton your God," &c.

750. What nation is so holy as Israel? for it is written concerning them, Deut. xxxiii. 29: "Blessed art thou, O Israel! 1 who is like unto thee?" Because that they are applied unto God in this world through the holy name.

751. And in the world to come more than here, for therein shall we never be separated from that conclave wherein the just are assembled.

752. And this is that which is written: "And ye shall cleave in Tetragrammaton;" for it is not written "ChDPQIM LIHVH, Chedebeqim Le Tetragrammaton, Ye shall cleave unto Tetragrammaton;" but "BIHVH, Be Tetragrammaton, in Tetragrammaton," properly.

753. We have learned this. There is a descent from the beard which is venerable, holy, excellent, hidden and concealed in all (the beard, namely, of Macroprosopus), through the holy magnificent oil, into the beard of Microprosopus.

754. And if thou shalt say that this beard is not to be found, for that even Solomon only spake of the cheeks, 2 but not at all of the beard.

755. Truly thus have we learned (we make answer) in the "Book of Concealed Mystery." It is that which is hidden and recondite, and of which mention is not made, neither is it uncovered; it is that which is venerable and excellent before all things, seeing that it is Concealed and hidden.

756. And since the beard is the praise and perfection and dignity of the whole countenance, in these sacred things it is found to be hidden, neither is it discerned.

757. And that beard is the perfection and beauty of the countenance in Microprosopus. In nine conformations is it disposed.

758. But when the venerable beard of the Ancient of the Ancient Ones shineth upon this beard of Microprosopus, then the thirteen fountains of excellent oil flow down upon this beard.

759. And therein are found twenty-two parts, and thence extend the twenty-two letters of the holy law.

760. Also we have learned that this beard departeth from His ears, and descendeth and ascendeth, and toucheth upon the places of fragrance.

761. What are the places of fragrance? Like as it is said, Cant. v. 13: "Like a bed (singular) of spices," and not "beds" (plural).

762. But this beard of Microprosopus is disposed in nine conformations.

763. And also the hairs being black, and in careful order, like a handsome man, as it is written, Cant. v. 15: "Excellent as the cedars."

764. The first conformation. The hair is conformed from the portion which is above, and there goeth forth therefrom a spark which is of most intense brilliance; and it goeth forth from the Absolute of the pure ether, and passeth beneath the hair of the head, even beneath those locks which are above the ears; and it descendeth in front of the opening of the ears, hair above hair, even unto the beginning of the mouth.

765. The second conformation. The hair goeth forth, and ascendeth from the one part of the mouth even unto the other part of the opening of the mouth; and it descendeth beneath the mouth unto the other side, hair above hair, in beautiful arrangement.

766. The third conformation. From the midst, beneath the nose, and beneath the two nostrils, there goeth forth a certain path, and short and coarse hairs fill up that path; and the remaining hairs fill up the place from this side unto that, around this path.

767. But this path is not clearly seen (to be continued) below (the mouth), but only the upper part of it which descendeth even unto the beginning of the lips, and there is this path applied.

768. The fourth conformation. The hair goeth forth and is disposed in order, and ascendeth, and is spread over His cheeks, which are the place of fragrance of the Ancient One.

769. The fifth conformation. The hair is wanting, and there are seen two apples on this side and on that, red as a red rose, and they radiate into two hundred and seventy worlds, which are enkindled thereby.

770. The sixth conformation. The hair goeth forth as in a tress about (the border of) the beard, and hangeth down even unto the commencement of the vital organs, but it descendeth not unto the parts about the heart.

771. The seventh conformation. That the hairs do not hang over the mouth, but that the mouth is uncovered on every side, and that the hairs are disposed in order about it.

772. The eighth conformation. That the hairs descend beneath the beard, and cover the throat, so that it cannot be seen; all those hairs are slender, hairs above hairs, plentiful in every part.

773. The ninth conformation. That the hairs are mingled together with those which are joined unto them; and that they all are in equality from the cheeks even unto those hairs which hang down; all are in fair equality, like a brave man, and like a hero victorious in war.

774. Through these nine conformations there proceed and flow down nine fountains of magnificent oil, and these indeed flow down from that magnificent supernal oil (of the heard of Macroprosopus) into all those inferiors.

775. Those nine conformations are found in form herein (otherwise, in this beard); and in the perfection of the conformation of this beard is the inferior son of man called the brave man. 1

776. For whosoever seeth (in sleep) that his beard existeth in proper form, 2 in him is found courage and strength.

777. Rabbi Schimeon spake unto Rabbi Eleazar, his son, and said: "Arise, O my Son, and expound the parts of the holy beard in its conformations."

778. Rabbi Eleazar arose, and commenced and said, Ps. cxviii. 5: "'I called upon IH, Yah, in my distress; Yah heard me at large. Tetragrammaton is on my side, I will not fear; what can man do unto me? Tetragrammaton taketh my part with them that help me, and I shall see my desire upon mine enemies. It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton than to put any confidence in man; it is better to trust in Tetragrammaton than to put any confidence in princes.'

779. "Herein are delineated the nine conformations of this beard. For King David had need of these dispositions, that he might vanquish other kings and other nations.

780. "Come, behold! After that he had said these nine conformations, he added (verse 10): 'All nations compassed me about, but in the name of Tetragrammaton I win destroy them.'

781. "Therefore did he rehearse those conformations which we have repeated. But what was the necessity for so doing? Because that he said: 'All nations compassed me about.' For in this disposition of those nine conformations which are the name of IHVH, Tetragrammaton, are they cut off from the earth.

782. "This is that same which is written: 'In the name of IHVH will I destroy them.'

783. "Also this have we learned in the 'Book of Concealed Mystery.' David hath here enumerated the nine conformations; of which six consist in the holy name, for there are six names; 1 and there are three in the word ADM, Adam, or man.

784. "And if thou shalt say that there are only two (in the word Adam), assuredly there are three, because also the princes pertain unto the idea of the word Adam. 2

785. "This have we learned. These are the six names, because it is thus written: 'I called upon Yah in my distress.' The first.

786. "'Yah heard me at large.' The second.

787. Tetragrammaton is on my side, I will not fear.' The third.

788. "'Tetragrammaton taketh my part with them that help me.' The fourth.

789. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton.' The fifth.

790. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton.' The sixth.

791. "But in the word ADM, Adam, Man, are three; for it is written: 'Tetragrammaton is on my side, I will not fear; what can ADM, Adam, Man, do unto me?' The first.

792. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton than to put any confidence in princes.' The second.

793. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton than to put any confidence in ADM, Adam, Man.' The third.

794. "And come, behold! There is an Arcanum hidden in this thing; and wheresoever in this passage mention is made of the word ADM, Adam, thereunto the Holy name is joined; and truly for a reason, seeing that man subsisteth only, through that which is analogous unto himself.

795. "But what is it which is analogous unto him? The Holy Name; because it is written, Gen. ii. 7: 'And IHVH ALHIM, Tetragrammaton Elohim, created ADM, Adam, Man,' with the full Name, which is IHVH ALHIM, analogous to him (Adam), seeing that IHVH, Tetragrammaton, denoteth the masculine, and ALHIM, Elohim, the feminine. 1

796. "And therefore in this passage there is no mention made of ADM, Adam, Man, without the Holy Name.

797. "Also we have learned this. It is written: 'I called upon IH, Yah, in my distress; IH, Yah, heard me at large.' IH is here twice repeated, IH, IH, in reference to the two jaws unto which the hairs (of the beard) adhere, and from which it is seen that the hairs issue and depend.

798. "He hasteneth and saith (i.e., King David): 'IHVH, Tetragrammaton, is on my side; I will not fear; IHVH taketh my part with them that help me; wherein the Name is not written defectively (IH as before, but IHVH) which is the Holy Name, and with this Name mention is also made of man.

799. "And what is this thing which is said, 'What can ADM, Adam, Man, do unto me?' It is thus, as we have learned by tradition: All those sacred diadems of the King, 1 when He is conformed in his dispositions (that is, when the letters of Tetragrammaton are all conjoined together), are called ADM, Adam, Man, which is the Form 2 which comprehendeth all things.

800. "But when any portion is taken away therefrom (that is to say, when it is said IH, and not IHVH), then is understood (Microprosopus) the Holy Name (by the letter I, Yod) and ThORA, Tauara, or the Gate (that is, the Bride, to whom is attributed the name ADNI, Adonai, whose number when written in its Plenitude is 671, 3 as the word ThORA or ThROA exhibiteth it, summed up in the letter H, He, of the name IH), and that which is therein.

801. "When therefore it is called Tetragrammaton, man is mentioned, with the Gate Tauara included, and those which are therein [otherwise, concerning the inferior worlds. And when it is taken away from the gate (that is, when the letters Vau and He are not joined hereunto, of which the latter denoteth the inferior gate), then is understood the Holy Name (by the Yod), and the Gate and those which are therein (by the He in the name IH). But when it is called IHVH, it is called the man, ADM, and all the rest (conjoined therewith), namely, the gate and those (paths) which are therein.] 4

802. "And therefore did David enumerate those nine conformations; because he unto whom it is allowed to touch the beard of the King can do all which he desireth.

803. "Wherefore then the beard, and not the body? Because the body is hidden behind the beard, but the beard hath no place (of concealment) behind the body.

804. "But he in reckoning it proceedeth in a duplex manner 1--once as we have given it; and next thus, when he saith: 'I called upon Yah in my distress.' The first.

805. "'Yah heard me at large.' The second.

806. "'Tetragrammaton is on my side; I will not fear. The third.

807. "'What can man do unto me?' The fourth.

808. "'Tetragrammaton taketh my part with them that help me.' The fifth.

809. "'And I shall see my desire upon mine enemies.' The sixth.

810. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton.' The seventh.

811. "'Than to put any confidence in man.' The eighth.

812. "'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton.' The ninth.

813. "'Than to put any confidence in princes.' The tenth. 2 (Otherwise: 'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton than to put any confidence in man.' The seventh. 'It is better to trust in Tetragrammaton.' The eighth. 'Than to put any confidence in princes.' The ninth.)

814. "'I called upon Yah in my distress.' What is this which he saith? Assuredly doth David say all these things which are here said concerning the form of the beard."

815. Rabbi Yehudah answered and said: "'I called upon Yah in my distress.' From the part where the beard beginneth to extend, which is from the more remote part (is one), before the ears, beneath the hair (is the second). And therefore is it twice said, IH, IH.

816. "But in that place wherein the beard is expanded, and descendeth before the ears, in wider extension, the name of ADM, Adam, Man, hath place (that is to say, the complete Tetragrammaton). Also this expansion was necessary to David when he wished to subject to himself the Icings and nations through the dignity of this beard. (Otherwise, when therefore he saith, 'Tetragrammaton is on my side, I will not fear;' for this is such a one who spareth not the wicked, and this was altogether necessary, &c.)

817. "Also we have learned this in the 'Book of Concealed Mystery' 1: Whosoever seeth in his sleep that he toucheth the beard or moustache of the supernal man with his hand, or extendeth his hand unto it, let him know that he is at peace with the supernals, and that those who afflict him are about to be subjected unto him." 2

818. "We have learned that the supernal beard is disposed in nine conformations, and that it is the beard of Microprosopus..

Footnotes
204:1 It must not be forgotten that Israel is a mystical name which was substituted for Jacob.

204:2 Namely, in the description in the Song of Solomon. ch. v.

207:1 Meaning, that as is the Supernal Man so is the earthly man.

207:2 Meaning, if he dreams that his beard is arranged like that of Microprosopus.

208:1 I.e., then are six repetitions of the name of the Deity in the verses under consideration.

208:2 Meaning, that the word princes, in the verse "than to put any confidence in princes." refers also to man.

209:1 For Elohim is from the feminine root ALH, and is really a FEMININE PLURAL, for while many masculines form their plural in VTh, many feminines conversely form theirs in IM. In both these cases. however, the gender of the singular is retained in the plural. (See Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, § 86, art 4.)

210:1 The King--i.e., Microprosopus. (See Introduction.)

210:2 For it is said that the Tetragrammaton, written vertically top to bottom in the Hebrew letters, gives the figure of a man. For Yod = the head, He = the arms, Vau = the body, and He final = the legs, (See Table of Hebrew letters in the Introduction.)

210:3 That is to say, when the letters of ADNI are spelt thus: ALP, DLTh, NVN, IVD, Aleph, Daleth, Nun, Yod; for A + L + P + D + L + Th + N + V + N + I + V + D = 1 + 30 + 80 + 4 + 30 + 400 + 50 + 6 + 50 + 10 + 6 + 4 = 671. And ThORA or ThROA = 400 + 70 + 200 + 1 = 671 also.

210:4 The long piece above in brackets, but in ordinary type, is from the Cremona Codex.

211:1 Referring to the order of the conformations, and the way in which in the passage those referring to IHVH and ADM are conjoined.

211:2 The reader will of course also observe that these answer to the ten Sephiroth.

212:1 See ante, "Book of Concealed Mystery." ch. iii. § 17.

212:2 This is apparently the end of Rabbi Yehudah's short interpolation regarding the duplicated IH. Rabbi Eleazar now apparently resumes the discourse.