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The Kabbalah Unveiled

By S.L. Macgregor Mathers

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Concerning the Thirteenth Part of the Beard of Macroprosopus

466. THE thirteenth conformation. The hairs which are beneath the beard hang down on this side and on that in beautiful and excellent dignity, and form a covering even unto the chest, and nothing is seen of the countenance and of the places of fragrance save those two brilliant and beautiful apples.

467. Rabbi Schimeon spake and said: "O how blessed is his portion who is found in this excellent holy assembly, 1 wherein we are (assembled)! Blessed is his portion in this world and in the world to come.

468. "For we are seated in that excellent holiness which surroundeth us.

469. "And all those excellent conformations are coordinated, and crowned, and placed round about, each in its own (proper) position, in the holy form of the beard.

470. "And this thirteenth disposition is the beautiful disposition which exciteth in itself so great desire that the head 2 ariseth towards it.

471. "From it depend all those which are comprehended in Microprosopus; from it depend alike those which are supernal, those which are inferior.

472. "This is the form of perfection which consummateth all the dispositions, and which perfecteth all things.

473. "We have learned by tradition. Those parts 1 are called QDM, Qadam, 2 ancient days, days first of the first. But those which are found in Microprosopus are called OVLM, Olahm, everlasting days, or days of the ages.

474. "Also we have learned that those QDM, Qadam, ancient days, are all conformed in the conformations of the beard, wherein is composed the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, the Concealed of the Concealed Ones. But this thirteenth (conformation) comprehendeth them. 3

475. "And all the concealed superiors and inferiors are concealed in it, and they are comprehended in that influx from which all things emanate; like as it is said:

476. "And that day is not comprehended in them, seeing it comprehendeth all things.

477. "And in that time wherein is stirred up the Ancient of Days in the superior conformations, that is called one day wherein He ariseth to magnify His beard.

478. "Which is intimated in those words, Zech. xiv. 7: 'One day which is known to the Lord.'

479. "That alone prevaileth over all, that includeth all things that is called by the known name.

480. "For thus we have learned. In that place where there is day there is also night, seeing that day cannot exist without night.

481. "But because in that time shall be the time of the dignity of the beard, that day is found alone.

482. "It is called neither day nor night, for it is not called day except for our (better understanding of the symbolism involved), neither is it called night except for the same reason.

483. "And because that form includeth all things, hence nothing whatsoever is known or seen concerning it.

484. "And from it streameth down the oil of magnificence in thirteen directions, which flow down upon all the inferiors in order that they may shine forth.

485. "In that oil are consummated the thirteen parts of the holy and excellent beard.

486. "And those forms which are in that beard are disposed and descend in many directions, neither can it be seen how they are extended nor how they arise.

487. "They are hidden in all things, and they are concealed in all things; and no man knoweth their place, except Him, the Ancient One.

488. "In their expansion are they all included, like as it is said:

489. "He is known, and He is not known; He is concealed, and He is manifest.

490. "Concerning Him it is written. Isa. xlii. 8: 'ANI IHVH HVA 1, Ani Tetragrammaton Hoa, This is My name, and My glory I give not unto another.'

491. "Also it is written, Ps. c. 2: 'HVA, Hoa, He, hath made us, and not we ourselves.'

492. "Also it is written, Dan. vii. 9: 'The Ancient of Days did sit,' that is, He remained in His place, and Him hath no man known. He sitteth, but He is not found.

493. "Also it is written, Ps. cxxxix. 14: 'I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.'"

Footnotes
166:1 Because this assembly of ten Rabbis, as I have before remarked, was intended to typify the ten Sephiroth and their grouping.

166:2 This somewhat obscure text means this: The number of the parts of the beard are 13, which are now completed in this disposition. But 13 = AChD, Achad, Unity, and also AHBH, Ahebah, Love. Hence love of unity ariseth when the 13 are complete. And the head of Macroprosopus ariseth, because that is Kether, the first Sephira, the number one, unity.

167:1 That is, the thirteen conformations of the beard.

167:2 And hence is Macroprosopus called the "Ancient of Days." Qadam also means the east, eastward. "Tetragrammaton Elohim planted a garden, MQDM, Miqedem, eastward (or of ancient time), in Eden." It is worthy of notice that the Gematria of QDM and OVLM are 144 and 146 respectively; the least numbers of which are 9 and 2--Yesod and Chokmah, foundation and wisdom.

167:3 By way of synthesis, as if it were a repetition of the rest conjointly.

168:1 There are 10 letters in this phrase = 10 Sephiroth. "Ani Tetragrammaton Hoa, This is My name;" for in this are contained Macroprosopus, Microprosopus and the Tetragrammaton. ANI represents Microprosopus; HVA represents Macroprosopus and is also ABA the Father; and IHVH is between them. Ani is 61 and ABA is 4 which together give 65, which is ADNI, Adonai, Lord; and IHVH = 26, which added hereunto is 91 = AMN, Amen. Now, apart from the sacred ideas we attach to Amen, it is well to know that the ancient Egyptians called their greatest Deity Amen, AMN, Amen-Ra. and Ra = Light, AVR in Hebrew; Amen our Light, the light of the two countenances.