else. In God, in the world, in man, everywhere we meet these ten Sephiroth, at the head
of which is God manifest, or the Memra (Logos, the Word). If the ten Sephiroth give the
Substance, the twenty-two letters are the form of creation and of revelation. "By giving
them form and shape,. and by interchanging them, God has made the soul of everything
that has been made, or shall be made." "Upon those letters, also, has the Holy One,
Whose Name be praised, founded His holy and glorious Name." These letters are next
subdivided, and their application in all the departments of nature is shown. In the unit
creation, the triad; world, time and man are found. Above all these is the Lord. Such is a
very brief outline of the rational exposition of the Creation, attempted by the Sepher
Yetsirah.'41
41. 'History of the Jewish Nation,' pp. 435, 436.
We subjoin a translation of the book Yetsirah, only adding that much, not only as regards
the meaning of the expressions but even their translation, is in controversy. Hence, not
unfrequently, our r endering must be regarded rather as our interpretation of the
mysterious original.
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Alfred Edersheim
1883
Appendix 6
PEREQ. - MONTHS - GOVERNORS, ETC.
THE BOOK YETSIRAH
Pereq I.
Mishnah 1. In thirty-two wonderful paths of wisdom, Jah, Jehovah Tsebhaoth, the God of
Israel, the Living God, and King of the World, God merciful and gracious, High and
Exalted, Who dwelleth to Eternity, high and holy is His Name, hath ordered [established,
created?] (the world) by three Sepharim [books]: by Sepher [the written Word], Sephar
[number, numeral] and Sippur [spoken word]. Others, pointing the worlds differently,
render these mysterious terms: Number, Word, Writing; others Number, Numberer,
Numbered; while still other see in it a reference to the threefold division of the letters of
the Hebrew alphabet, of which more afterwards.