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The Kabbalah Unveiled

By S.L. Macgregor Mathers

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Concerning the Brain and the Wisdom in General

168. OF this Most Holy Ancient One, Concealed with all Concealments, there is no mention made, neither is He found.

169. For since this Head is the supreme of all the supernals, hence He is only symbolized as a head alone without body, for the purpose of establishing all things.

170. And He Himself is concealed, and hidden, and kept recondite by all things.

171. His conformation is that He is formed forth in that brain, the most hidden of all things, which is expanded and formed forth, and hence proceedeth the superior and inferior ChSD, Chesed, Mercy.

172. And the superior Chesed is formed forth and expanded, and all things are comprehended in this concealed brain.

173. For when that White Brilliance is formed forth in that Light, it acteth upon that which acteth upon this brain, and it is enlightened.

174. And the second brain dependeth from that very glorious Influence, it is expanded into the thirty-two 1 paths, when it is illuminated, then it shineth from that very glorious Influence. 1

175. Therefore are the Three Supernal Heads illuminated; Two Heads, and One which comprehendeth them; and they hang in that Influence, and by It are they comprehended.

176. Hence becometh the ornament of the beard to be manifested, which is the occult Influence.

177. And those inferiors are conformed, like as the Most Holy Ancient One.

178. The Three Heads surround Him; thus all things can appear in the Three Heads; and when they are illuminated all things depend together from Him in the Three Heads, whereof two are on the two sides, and one which includeth them.

179. And if thou sayest, "Who is the Most Holy Ancient One?" Come and see. The Supreme Head is that which is not known, nor comprehended, nor designated, and that (Head) comprehendeth all things.

180. And the Two Heads are contained in Itself. (Otherwise hang, &c.)

181. And then are all these things thus ordained; truly Himself existeth not in numeration, nor in system, nor in computation, but in the judgment of the heart.

182. Concerning this it is written, Ps. xxxix. 2: "I said I will take heed unto my ways, that I offend not with my tongue."

183. The place of commencement is found from the Most Holy Ancient One, and it is illuminated by the Influence. That is the Light of Wisdom.

184. And it is extended in thirty-two directions, and departeth from that hidden brain, from that Light which existeth in Itself.

185. And because the Most Holy Ancient One shineth in the beginning (otherwise, in the wisdom), this itself is this. And, the same is that beginning from which manifestation is made.

186. And is conformed in the Three Heads, which One Head includeth.

187. And those three are extended into Microprosopus, and from them all things shine forth.

188. Thenceforth this Wisdom instituteth a formation, and produceth a certain river which floweth down and goeth forth to water the garden.

189. And it entereth into the head of Microprosopus, and formeth a certain other brain.

190. And thence it is extended and floweth forth into the whole body, and watereth all those plants (of the garden of Eden).

191. This is that which standeth written, Gen. ii, 9: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, &c."

192. But also this Wisdom instituteth another formation, and is extended and goeth into the head of Microprosopus, and formeth another brain.

193. That is the Light from which are produced those two rivulets which are associated together, carved out hollows in the One Head, which is called the depth of the fountain. 1

194. Concerning which it is written, Prov. iii. 20: "In DOTh, Daath, 2 Knowledge, the depths are broken up."

195. And it entereth into the head of Microprosopus, and formeth another brain.

196. And thenceforth is it extended and goeth into the interior parts of His body, and filleth all those conclaves and assemblies of His body. 3

197. This is that same which is written, Prov. xxiv. 4: "In Daath shall the secret places be filled."

198. And those shine from the Light of that supernal concealed brain which shineth in the Influence, MZL, of the Most Holy Ancient One.

199. And all things depend mutually from Himself, and mutually are bound together unto Himself, until He is known, because all things are one, and HVA, Hoa, He, the Ancient One, is all things, neither from Him can anything whatsoever be separated.

200. Into three other Lights, which are called the Fathers, do these three Lights shine, and these fathers shine into the children, and all things shine forth from the one place. 1

201. When He, that Ancient One, who is the Grace of all Grace, is manifested, all things are found in light and in perfect happiness.

202. This Eden is derived from the superior Eden, the Concealed with all Concealments.

203. And therefore is that Eden called the beginning in the Ancient One; neither yet, however, is there beginning or end. 2

204. And since in Him beginning and end exist not, hence He is not called AThH, Atah, Thou; seeing that He is concealed and not revealed. But HVA, Hoa, He, is He called.

205. But in that aspect wherein the beginning is found, the name AThH, Atah, Thou, hath place, and the name AB, Ab, Father. For it is written, Isa, lxiii. 16: "Since Atah, Thou, art Ab, our Father."

206. In the teaching of the school of Rav Yeyeva the Elder, the universal rule is that Microprosopus be called AThH, Atah, Thou; but that the most Holy Ancient One, who is concealed, be called HVA, Hoa, He; and also with reason.

207. Now truly in that place wherein beginning is found, is He thus called, although He is concealed.

208. And therefrom is the beginning, and it is called AThH, Atha, Thou; and He is the Father of the Fathers.

20g. And that Father proceedeth from the Most Holy Ancient One, like as it is written, Job. xxviii. 12: "And ChKMH, Chokmah, 1 Wisdom, is found from AIN, Ain, the Negatively Existent One;" and therefore is He not known.

210. Come and see! It is written, ibid. 22: "The Elohim have known the path;" His path, properly speaking.

211. But again, further on: VHVA, Va-Hoa, and He Himself knoweth His place; "His place properly speaking; much more His path; and much more this WISDOM which is concealed in the Most Holy Ancient One.

212. This Wisdom is the beginning of all things. Thencefrom are expanded the thirty-two paths: ShBILIN, Shebilin, Paths, I say; and not ARChIN, Archin, Byways.

213. And in them is the Law comprehended, in the twenty-two letters and in the ten utterances. 2

214. This Chokmah is the Father of Fathers, and in this Chokmah is beginning and end discovered; and therefore is there one Chokmah supernal, and another Chokmah inferior.

215. When Chokmah is extended, then is He called the Father of Fathers, for in none else are all things comprehended save in Him. (Otherwise, when they are expanded all things are called Chokmoth, 3 and the Father of Fathers; all things are comprehended in no place, save herein.) 

20. As it is written, Ps. civ. 25: "All things in Chokmah hast Thou formed."

217. Rabbi Schimeon lifted up his hands, and rejoiced, and said: Assuredly it is Eden or Paradise, and all things have their operation in this hour.

Footnotes
276:1 The ten numbers and twenty-two letters.

277:1 MZL = 40 + 7 + 30 = 77, which is OZ, Strength or Vigour. This Gematria is worthy of note as giving the idea of foundational power.

278:1 i.e., the containing power.

278:2 Daath is the conjunction of Chokmah and Binah. (See "Book of Concealed Mystery," ch. i. § 40.)

278:3 "See Greater Holy Assembly," ch. xxviii § 566.

279:1 This is analogous to the teaching of the "Sepher Yetzirah," that the Three Mothers A, M, Sh, radiate into three paternal forms of the same. A, M, and Sh, symbolize the potencies of Air, Water, and Fire.

279:2 For commencement denotes end, and end denotes commencement; how, then, in the Absolute can there be either. Nevertheless, in the Absolute must we seek for the hypothetical starting-point of life.

280:1 Let the student carefully note that this is the second Sephira, the I of IHVH, the Father proceeding from Macroprosopus, Kether, as He proceedeth from Ain Soph.

280:2 The Sephiroth, or numbers.

280:3 Chokmoth is plural of Chokmah, Wisdom.