Abraham Abulafia and the Ecstatic Kabbalah John F

Fall 2008

Abraham Abulafia and the Ecstatic Kabbalah John F. Nash

Summary On his way back from Palestine, Abulafia spent a few years in Greece and then moved to braham Abulafia, whose writings were Capua, Italy. There he studied philosophy and A ignored or defamed for six centuries, is theoretical Kabbalah—the Kabbalah based on now recognized as the leading exponent of the the ten sefiroth—probably under the famous important field of ecstatic, or prophetic, Kab- Talmudic scholar Hillel ben Samuel of Verona. balah. The ecstatic Kabbalah focuses on at- Abulafia returned to Spain when he was about taining extreme states of consciousness and 30 years old. In Barcelona he studied under even receiving new revelation from God. It Baruch Togarmi, a rabbi most likely of Turk- contrasts with more familiar branches of Kab- ish origin who had written a commentary on balah that focus on understanding the nature of the early Kabbalistic text, the Sefer Yetzirah. the Divine and its relationship with humanity. It was probably from Togarmi that Abulafia Abulafia developed a system of meditation acquired a fascination for the Hebrew alphabet whose most conspicuous feature was the invo- and language. He also learned three methods cation of “divine names” created from endless of textual analysis which would support his permutations and combinations of Hebrew let- work. Those methods: temurah, notarikon and ters. Over the last several decades the ecstatic gematria, will be discussed later in this article. Kabbalah has been studied in depth by leading During his stay in Barcelona Abulafia began to Jewish scholars, and writings in English are experience visions that gave him unique in- now opening this field to a general readership. sights and also convinced him that he had a 3 This article summarizes and comments on special mission in life. work by Gershom Scholem, Aryeh Kaplan, Aside from Hillel ben Samuel and Baruch To- and Moshe Idel and presents a concise state- garmi, two individuals greatly influenced Abu- ment of Abulafia’s life and contribution to the lafia. One was Moses Maimonides (1135– western esoteric tradition. 1204), the preeminent Jewish philosopher of his time who, like Abulafia, hailed from Abulafia’s Life and Work Spain.4 The other was Eleazar ben Judah of braham ben Samuel Abulafia was born in Worms (c.1176–1238), a leading Talmudist A 1240 at Saragossa, Aragon, a kingdom in and Kabbalist and member of the group known the north of Spain, but grew up in the as the Haside Ashkenaz (“The Pious of Ger- neighboring kingdom of Navarre. Abraham man Jewry”). Maimonides influence gave was close to his father, a pious Jew, who Abulafia’s work a strong intellectual dimen- taught him the Torah and Talmud. After the father died in 1258, Abulafia made a pilgrim- age to Palestine, only to find the country dev- About the Author astated by the crusades.1 He returned to Europe but was never able to settle in one loca- John F. Nash, Ph.D., is a long-time esoteric student, tion. Moving from place to place, Abulafia author and teacher. Two of his books, Quest for the devoted his life to teaching—usually to small Soul and The Soul and Its Destiny, were reviewed groups of students—and writing. By the time in the Winter 2005 issue of the Esoteric Quarterly. of his death, sometime after 1291, he had au- His latest book, Christianity: the One, the Many, is reviewed in this issue. See the advertisements on thored a substantial body of works, many of 2 page 12 of this issue and also the website: which survive. www.uriel.com.

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2008. 51 The Esoteric Quarterly sion. Abulafia’s own background ensured that accusing him of “walking in darkness” and he was conversant with Sephardic (Spanish) dismissing his work as “inventions, imagina- Kabbalism. But Eleazor’s influence helped tions and falsehoods.”7 Chayit’s contempo- launch him onto a path that owed more to rary, Judah Albotini, chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Ashkenazic than to Sephardic tradition and was not critical of Abulafia’s methods, as such, which alienated Abulafia from rabbinical au- but warned that people had lost the purity nec- thorities in Spain and other parts of southern essary to meditate safely on the names of Europe. God.8 Because of Abulafia’s unpopularity, none of his writings was published for 600 While most Sephardic Kabbalists focused on years. Even today, most of his books are the theoretical or theosophical aspects of the available only in Hebrew, many are still in field, their Ashkenazic counterparts in Ger- manuscript, and some are in private collec- many focused on the ecstatic and magical tions. Gershom Scholem and Aryeh Kaplan Kabbalah. German rabbis had devised elabo- discuss his life and methods in considerable rate invocations of the divine names. In most detail.9 But the translation of Moshe Idel’s cases the intent was to achieve mystical union The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia with God, but some individuals sought to dem- is the only book in English devoted exclusively onstrate their spiritual attainment by perform- to his work,10 ing various kinds of magic. It was believed, for example, that a very holy person could Meanwhile, Abulafia had another close shave. bring a clay homunculus—a golem—to life. As Christian Kabbalists would do two centu- Eleazar of Worms explained that, in order to ries later,11 he entertained the dream of recon- be successful, incantations had to be made ciling Judaism and Christianity. In one of his over every limb of the golem.5 Golems could visions, while still in Barcelona, Abulafia re- not speak; but reportedly they could perform ceived a message that he should meet with menial tasks, occasionally serving as house Pope Nicholas III. He made several overtures servants.6 to the pope but each time was rebuffed. Unde- terred, Abulafia set out for the papal residence There is no evidence that Abulafia ever tried to at Suriano, hoping to be granted an audience. create a golem, and in general he regarded Upon receiving news that Abulafia was on his magic as a diversion from true spiritual ad- way, and angered at the Jew’s persistence, vancement. But the procedures he proposed Nicholas ordered that Abulafia should be for achieving ecstatic states were not unlike burned at the stake as soon as he arrived. Abu- those used for such purposes. The Sephardic lafia’s life was spared only because the pope rabbis frowned upon the publication of such died that very day. After being imprisoned for sensitive information. Abulafia’s claim to a month by the Franciscan Order of Friars Mi- have been given a special mission by God fur- nor, he quickly left the Papal States. Abulafia ther alienated him from the authorities. It spent some time in southern Italy and then raised suspicions that he had messianic ambi- traveled to Messina, Sicily, where he lived for tions. Rabbi Solomon ben Adret of Barcelona, about ten years. Later he moved to the island the leading Talmudic scholar of the time, of Comino in the Mediterranean. He was last emerged as Abulafia’s nemesis and denounced heard of in Malta in 1291 and is believed to him in a scathing diatribe. Ben Adret’s stand- have died there in his early fifties. ing guaranteed that other rabbis would follow suit. The study of Abulafia’s writings was Origins of the prohibited in Spanish Kabbalistic schools, and Abulafia eventually was expelled from Spain Ecstatic Kabbalah and Italy. For the rest of his life he searched ome of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible for a haven where he could pursue his work. Smay have experienced states of ecstasy, Solomon ben Adret’s denunciation had lasting and certainly ecstasy and prophecy are closely consequences. In about 1500 CE, a certain linked. But the large-scale exploration of ec- Rabbi Judah Chayit again denounced Abulafia, static states within Judaism began after the

52 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2008 Fall 2008 destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 notations, including “number,” “writing,” CE. It took two forms. One was the Merka- “revelation,” and “luminosity.”15 The remain- bah movement inspired by the account of ing 22, each identified by a letter in the He- Elijah’s ascent to heaven: brew alphabet, referred to the connecting links among the sefiroth. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a The Sefer Yetzirah placed considerable empha- chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted sis on the Hebrew letters, divided as they are them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a into three “mother” letters, seven double let- whirlwind into heaven.12 ters, and 12 single or “elemental” letters. The divine names, along with all other words in the The word Merkabah was derived from the He- language, were constructed from those letters. brew word for “chariot.” Merkabah mystics The most important name, YHVH (Hebrew believed that they too could visit heaven, the ),16 was so awesome that only the high “throne world,” and experience ecstatic vi- hwhy sions. The ascent re- priest was permitted to speak—or perhaps quired the seeker to ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– chant—it, and then only pass through seven once a year in the pri- “palaces” or “cham- There is no evidence that vacy of the Holy of Ho- bers,” which can be Abulafia ever tried to create a lies. Otherwise it was interpreted as levels of golem, and in general he re- simply alluded to as consciousness.13 Pas- “the Name,” or Adonai sage from palace to garded magic as a diversion was used as a substitute. palace, which became from true spiritual advance- The Sefer Yetzirah in- progressively more ment. But the procedures he spired both the theoreti- difficult, demanded proposed for achieving ec- cal Kabbalah of knowledge of secret Sephardic Judaism and passwords as well as static states were not unlike the ecstatic Kabbalah of purity of heart. Mer- those used for such purposes. the Ashkenazim. Some kabah mystics ap- authorities interpreted proached the ascent The Sephardic rabbis the text as a description with great caution and frowned upon the publication of creation. God created prepared themselves of such sensitive information. the universe by speaking by rigorous ascetic words of enormous disciplines. Literature power, much as he had of the period describ- created the Torah from Hebrew words. As the ing terrible pitfalls discouraged all but the most psalmist had written: “By the word of the Lord zealous seekers from ever trying. But success were the heavens made; and all the host of offered the rich prize of unity with the Divine. them by the breath of his mouth.”17 The The other expression of ecstatic mysticism, work’s title—Yetzirah literally means “crea- closely related to Merkabah mysticism, was tion”—supported that interpretation. Others the early Kabbalah. An important Kabbalistic interpreted the text as a manual for the spiritual text of uncertain date was the Sefer Yetzirah quest. Each path offered a distinctive experi- (“Book of Formation” or “Book of Creation”). ence or opportunity for spiritual growth. Per- Some legends attribute it to the patriarch haps the pathways could be compared with the Abraham, while others claim that it was writ- ascent from one palace to the next in Merka- ten by the first-century Rabbi Akiba or his bah mysticism. Indeed, the words “throne” near-contemporary, Elazar ben Arakh.14 The and “palace” appeared in the text. Sefer Yetzirah discussed 32 paths to God. Ten Influenced by a commentary on the Sefer of those “paths” corresponded to the sefiroth Yetzirah by Eleazar of Worms, Abulafia em- (singular: sefirah), a word with multiple con braced the latter interpretation. He was particularly intrigued by the passage in the Sefer:

Twenty-two letters… Engrave them, carve was the divine Name YHVH, for which 12 dis- them, weigh them, permute them, and tinct forms could be derived: transform them, and with them depict the YHVH ( ) YHHV ( ) YVHH ( ) soul of all that was formed and all that will hwhy whhy hhwy be formed in the future. [The letters] are HVHY (yhwh) HVYH (hywh) HHVY (ywhh) set in a circle as 231 gates. The circle ro- VHYH (hyhw) VHHY (yhhw) VYHH (hhyw) tates back and forth… Weigh them and HYHV (whyh) HYVH (hwyh) HHYV (wyhh) transform them, Alef with each one, and These were all regarded as “god-names.” each one with Alef; Bet with each one, and each one with Bet. They repeat in a cycle. The second method was notarikon in which Therefore, everything formed and every- new words were formed from letters in succes- thing spoken emanates in one name. Form sive passages from a text, usually a scriptural substance out of chaos and make nonexis- text. One of the best-known examples, and tence into existence. Carve great pillars out one that Abulafia himself put to good use, was of air that cannot be grasped. This is the the “seventy-two name of God” derived from sign: One foresees, transposes, and makes Exodus 14:19-21. The three verses are shown all creation and all words with one Name.18 below in English, Hebrew (written, as is cus- tomary, from right to left), and Roman translit- “Engrave” and “carve” did not necessarily re- eration (from left to right): fer to making indentations in stone or wood; More likely they meant “to imprint firmly on 19. And the angel of God, which went before the mind.” Kaplan comments on the “circle of the camp of Israel, removed and went be- 231 gates.” He notes that 231 is the number of hind them; and the pillar of the cloud went combinations of two letters that can be selected from before their face, and stood behind from a population of 22 letters. And he pro- them. vides an evocative “mandala” formed by draw- hnxm ynpl Klhh Myhl)h K)lm (syw ing lines between pairs of the letters arranged equidistantly around the circumference of a dwm( (syw Mhyrx)m Klyw l)r#y circle.19 Mhyr x)m dm(yw Mhynpm Nn(h Abulafia concluded that the Sefer Yetzirah was VYSE MLAK HALHYM HHLK LPNY MChNH YShRAL VYLK MAChRYHM VYSE EMVD addressed to initiates, hinting at the possibility HENN MPNYHM VYEMD MAChRYHM of gaining mystical insights or ecstatic experiences by the permutation and combination of 20. And it came between the camp of the Egyp- letters. His fascination for the Hebrew letters tians and the camp of Israel; and it was a became the subject—even the obsession—of cloud and darkness to them, but it gave lifelong study. light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. The Divine Names hnxm Nybw Myrcm hnxm Nyb )byw Analytical Techniques r)yw K#xhw Nn(h yhyw l)r#y t was mentioned earlier that Abulafia hlylhlk hzl) hz brq)lw hlylht) I learned three methods of textual analysis VYBA BYN MChNH MTzRYM VBYN ChNH that had long been employed by advanced stu- YShRAL VYHY HENN VHChShK VYAR dents of Kabbalah. The first was temurah, in AThHLYLH VLAQRB ZH ALZH KLHLYLH which new words were formed by rearranging, or permuting, the letters in a word or phrase. 21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the For example the letters of “Tree of Life” (ETz sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back H-ChYYM , Myyhx c() could be rearranged to by a strong east wind all that night, and form “Life of Essence” (ChYY H-TzEM, made the sea dry land, and the waters were 20 divided. Mc(x yyh). A favorite target for permutation

Klwyw Myhl( wdy-t) h#m +yw Abulafia’s Applications hz( Mydq xwrb Myht) hwhy Abulafia made occasional use of notarikon and hbrxl Myht) M#yw hlylh-lk gematria, but he found temurah to be the most Mymh N(qbyw useful technique. Just as an unlimited number of melodies could be created from a finite mu- VYT MShH AThYDV ELHYM VYVLK sical scale, endless series of words could be YHVH AThHYM BRVCh QDYM EZH created from a finite alphabet. Indeed, refer- KLHLYLH VYShM AThHYM LChRBH ences to music were more than simply meta- VYBQEV HMYM phorical.25 Abulafia encouraged seekers to The first “name” VHV (whw) is formed from the chant the sacred names, claiming that the prac- first letter of verse 19 (that is, the letter to the tice dated back to the temple practices of biblical times. extreme right in the Hebrew), the last letter of verse 20, and the first letter of verse 21. The In addition to combining and permuting the 22 second name YLY (yly) is formed from the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, all of which are second letter of verse 19, the next-to-last letter consonants, Abulafia experimented with vow- of verse 20, and the second letter of verse 21. els, which, from the early Middle Ages on- ward, had been incorporated into Hebrew texts The procedure is continued until 72 names are 26 constructed.21 by means of “vowel points.” The main purpose of vowel points was to assist—and possi- Choice of the particular scriptural passage was bly to help standardize—pronunciation, which not arbitrary. Each verse conveniently con- had always been problematic in classical He- tains 72 letters. And Moses reportedly in- brew. voked the 72 names to part the Red Sea, allow- In some cases Abulafia used what he called the ing the Israelites to escape from the pursuing “natural vowel,” the first vowel appearing in Egyptian army. the expanded name of the Hebrew letter. For example, the natural vowel associated with The third method was gematria, which at- lamed ( ) was “a,” shown by the qamets taches significance to the numerical equiva- dmelfe 22 point ( )f under the l. In other cases he con- lents of the Hebrew letters. The gematric sidered all five vowels, the equivalents of our value of words or phrases is formed by sum- 27 23 “o,” “a,” “e,” “i” and “u.” Since the five ming the values of their component letters. vowels alone could be permuted in 120 differ- For example, the divine name YHVH has a ent ways,28 the total number of permutations of value of 26 (Y = 10, H = 5, V = 6, H = 5). Words a “word” consisting of both vowels and conso- or phrases with the same numerical value were nants could be quite large. Abulafia was not believed to be related in some way. It will be concerned whether the composite word had noted that permuting the letters of a word, as in linguistic meaning. He believed that each He- temurah, leaves the word’s numerical value brew letter was a distinct divine entity, and unchanged. Thus the 12 names created from combinations of letters assembled with sacred YHVH all have a value of 26. intent automatically acquired spiritual value. Abulafia noted that the word for “language” Abulafia may have experimented with random (LShVN, Nw#l) had the same value, 386, as permutations of letters, but more generally he “combination” (TzYRVP, Pwryc), reinforcing favored highly structured permutations. In fact his belief in the power of these analytical tech- deviations were considered so serious that a niques.24 Abulafia sometimes used noms de seeker who made a mistake was instructed to begin a whole section over again. Noting that plume, such as Raziel (RZYAL, l)yzr) and the Sefer Yetzirah correlated letters with parts Zekariyahu (ZKRYHV, ), all of which whyrkz of the body, Abulafia warned darkly: had the same numerical value as his first name, Abraham (ABRHM, Mhrb) = 248). [O]ne has to be most careful not to move a consonant or vowel from its position, for if

he errs in reading the letter commanding a States of Ecstasy certain [bodily] member, that member may be torn away and may change its position or n the methods he developed for attaining alter its nature immediately and may be Iecstatic states, Abulafia emphasized not only transformed into a different shape so that in the words to be used but also the preparations consequence the person may become a for meditation and the procedures to be fol- cripple.29 lowed during the meditation session. Recita- tion was to be combined with controlled Clearly the letters had power on physical as breathing and gestures, particularly head well as higher levels. movements. Two of Abulafia’s structured meditation pro- Whereas some other authorities insisted that cedures call for special note. The first, de- ecstatic meditation only be attempted in the scribed in a text entitled Light of the Intellect, presence of an experienced teacher, Abulafia focused on the four letters of the divine Name, recommended that the seeker retire to a private YHVH. Each of these letters was combined location where he would not be disturbed. Af- and permuted in a prescribed order with each ter bathing, the seeker was told: letter of the alphabet and also with the five vowels. Table 1 shows the sequence for the Drape yourself in your prayer shawl and letter alef (A), as provided by Kaplan.30 The put Tefillin on your head and your arms. sequence begins: AoYo, AoYa, AoYe, AoYi, This will increase your respect and your AoYu; AaYo, AaYa… AaYu; and so forth.31 thrill before the Shekinah that visits you at After all combinations are exhausted, produc- this time. Wear clean clothes. If possible, ing a 5 x 5 matrix,32 the order of the conso- all your clothes should be white. This is of nants is reversed: YoAo, YoAa, etc., etc., pro- great help for the concentration on awe and ducing a second 5 x 5 matrix. Two hundred love. If this is done at night, light many “words” are formed for alef alone, or 4,400 for candles so your eyes are illuminated. Then the complete alphabet. take in your hand a tablet and ink. They serve you as you will observe that you are One may ask why Abulafia felt comfortable going to serve God with joy and good pronouncing the sacred Name, complete with heart.35 vowels, when Jews had avoided doing so, at least since the Exile. Abulafia’s answer was The seeker then began to recite the sacred that a new millennium had now dawned; the names: Jewish year 5000 began in 1240 CE—which Begin then to interchange a number of let- just happened to be the year of his own birth! ters. You can do this to a few or to many. The second procedure, described in Life of the Transpose them and interchange them Future World, focused on the 72 Names of quickly, until your heart is warmed as a re- God. Fortunately, from the standpoint of sult of these permutations, their movements economy, he did not combine those names and what follows. As a result of these per- with all five vowels. Instead, he confined him- mutations, your heart will become ex- self to the natural vowel associated with each tremely hot. Through the permutations, consonant. Thus the first name is expanded you will gain new knowledge that you from VHV to VaHeVa, the second from YLY to would never have learned by human tradi- YoLaYo, and so forth. tions or intellectual analysis. When you experience it, then you are prepared to re- In the final list provided by Kaplan (Table 2), ceive an Influx of Divine Light. The Influx “el” or “yah,” alternative root words for will be conferred on you. It will come to 33 “God,” are appended to the names. Kaplan you as many words, one after another. Pre- does not disclose the origin of that convention, pare then your inner thoughts to reveal the but the same appendices appear in an anno- Name and the highest Angels. Think of tated translation of Occult Philosophy by the them as being in your heart, like human be- 34 16th-century occultist Cornelius Agrippa. ings sitting or standing around you. You

are among them as an apostle to whom the The experience of uncontrollable convulsions kingdom and its Servants want to entrust a was viewed as an essential demonstration that mission.36 the seeker had attained the desired state of consciousness. If the physical symptoms of Instructions regarding head movements and the ecstatic experience call to mind epileptic breathing could be quite specific; for example: seizures, we must remember that, from earliest When you come to the cholem [a vowel times, epilepsy was regarded as a sign of ex- point corresponding to the sound “o”] with ceptional mystical or prophetic potential. Par- the letters Yod and Qof, turn your head to allels can also be drawn with the kriyas exhib- the right. Do not incline your head right or ited by certain yogis when the kundalini rises left, or down or up. Keep your head up the spine. straight, as if you were facing a person of When the convulsions ended, the seeker was the same height as yourself. Then, while left in a state of inexorable peace: you make the sound of the letter, start moving your head upward toward to the sky. You will then feel as if an additional spirit Close your eyes, open your mouth, and let is within you, arousing you and strengthen- the words come forth. Clear your throat so ing you, passing through your entire body that the sound is clear and does not disturb and giving you pleasure. It will seem as [if] your pronunciation. While you exhale, you have been anointed with perfumed oil, continue to raise the head so that you end from head to foot.40 the exhalation and the movement of the 37 The seeker might gain a profound sense of head at the same time. enlightenment. One of Abulafia’ students re- Initially, the seeker wrote the names on his ported experiencing an all-pervading light: pad. But, as the ecstatic state heightened, the I noticed that the candle was about to go pen and tablet might fall from his hands and he out [and] rose to put it right… Then I saw would recite or chant the names. Or the seeker that the light continued.… I noticed that it might simply allow them to flow through his issued from myself… I walked to and fro mind. In due course, he would experience pro- all through the house and, behold, the light found physiological and psychological effects: is with me; I lay on a couch and covered myself up, and behold, the light is with me The blood within you will begin to vibrate 41 all the while. because of the living permutations that loosen it. Your entire body will then begin The seeker might gain insights of revelation to tremble, and all your limbs will be seized like that acquired by the prophets of biblical with shuddering. You will experience the times. A common experience was for the terror of God, and will be enveloped with seeker to see a figure in human form facing fear of Him.38 him and speaking words of wisdom. The figure might be recognized as a revered teacher or Elsewhere Abulafia explained: a maggid, an angelic messenger. Alterna- tively, the seeker might recognize the figure as Your whole body starts to shake until you himself. In the words of another of Abulafia’s think you are going to die. This is because disciples: your soul separates from your body as a result of the Great Joy that you experience When an individual completely enters the when you perceive and acknowledge these mystery of prophecy, he… becomes totally things. In your mind, you choose death unaware of his own essence, as it were con- rather than life. Because death only in- cealed from him. Then he sees his own im- volves the body and as a result, the soul age standing before him, speaking to him, and telling him of the future. It is regarding lives forever when it is resurrected. You this mystery that our sages say, “Great is know when you've reached a level where 39 the power of the prophets, since they liken you get the Divine Influx. a form to its Creator.”42

Seeing oneself in a vision has come to be in- developed in any of several different ways. As terpreted as a confrontation with one’s higher it turned out, the theoretical Kabbalah soon 43 self, the Holy Guardian Angel. became dominant, eclipsing the ecstatic Kab- balah of Abulafia and his disciples. Signifi- Reflections cantly, the enormously influential Sefer ha- mberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendu- Zohar, which was compiled at roughly the U lum44 makes numerous references to same time Abulafia wrote his books, does not 46 Abraham Abulafia. Its leading characters in- discuss meditation. It was on the Zohar that vent fictitious occult societies by permuting the Safed scholars of the 17th century built names in a personal computer fondly called their vast edifice of Kabbalistic theosophy, “Abu.” In Myla Goldberg’s novel Bee Sea- 45 Perhaps Abulafia’s work was considered too son —made into a movie starring Richard dangerous. Perhaps his own personality and Gere—Saul Naumann, a professor of Judaic prophetic ambitions soured contemporary rab- studies, teaches his daughter Eliza Abulafia’s binic opinion to the point where his approach methods, propelling to Kabbalah was her to national fame in ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– doomed. Perhaps his spelling bees. At the [T]he seeker might gain in- ecstatic mysticism was end of the story Eliza linked too closely with achieves the ecstatic sights of revelation similar to the more sensational and state, complete with that acquired by the prophets bizarre aspects of Ash- convulsions and sub- of biblical times. A common kenazic Kabbalah, even sequent “enlighten- though Abulafia tried to ment,” which had experience was for the seeker distance himself from eluded Saul through- to see a figure in human form them. In any event, the out his life. Why does facing him and speaking growth of Hassidism in Abulafia’s work hold the 17th and 18th centu- such fascination in the words of wisdom. The figure ries channeled the ec- popular imagination, might be recognized as a re- static Kabbalistic im- as well as among ad- vered teacher or a maggid, an pulse of northern Europe vanced students of the into popular pietism. western esoteric tradi- angelic messenger. Alterna- tion? Modern interest in the tively, the seeker might rec- ecstatic Kabbalah is One reason may be a ognize the figure as himself. based in large measure widespread fascina- on the juxtaposition of tion with perceived intellectual and mystical patterns in letters, elements that Abulafia managed to capture. numbers, and other entities, even—or perhaps The intellectual dimension of his work, which especially—in random or chaotic patterns. may have been stimulated by respect for the From time immemorial, people gazed at flights philosophy of Maimonides, is evident in Abu- of birds or at the stars and saw significance in lafia’s use of the term “Active Intellect” for what lay before them. Mathematicians fre- God.47 It is still more evident in the structure quently report similar fascination when they and precision of his meditation procedures and contemplate patterns in topology, algebra and in his interpretations of the experiences that number theory, though rarely do they experi- resulted from them.48 On the other hand, Abu- ence convulsions. Another reason is an inter- lafia’s work makes no reference whatever to est in exotic spiritual practices of the past, the sefiroth, which feature so prominently in practices that might have relevance to our own other branches of Kabbalah, and there is virtu- times. ally no appeal to symbolism.49 The early Kabbalah, represented by the Sefer Interest in Abulafia’ work is also motivated by Yetzirah, the Bahir, and other texts, could have a desire to see how the broad and popular field

58 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2008 Fall 2008 of Kabbalah might have evolved under differ- and failed. Nor do we know whether the pro- ent circumstances, along with curiosity as to its cedures could be applied successfully in a continued relevance. modern environment. Ecstatic religious rites with some similarity to Today, relatively few people seek to attain ec- the methods of Abulafia date back to pre- static states, and they have options ranging history; and certainly they were not confined to from the use of hallucinogenic drugs,52 to vari- Judaism.50 Abulafia did not even invent the ous types of yoga, to the Hesychastic practices ecstatic Kabbalah. Nor was he the first or last of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, to the ec- to explore the mysticism of letters and num- static experiences of Pentecostal Christianity. bers.51 However he created a distinctive sys- Even fewer people would probably be willing tem of meditation that was impressive in its to commit to the kind of discipline Abulafia scope and detail, and the ecstatic Kabbalah demanded of his followers, even though his cannot be understood without reference to him. methods were less extreme in their asceticism His “divine names” resembled mantras, but a than were other forms of mysticism.53 conspicuous difference between his methods Whether seekers could gain insights of any and conventional mantra meditation is the validity or would experience spiritual growth avoidance of repetition. Even during hours of from ecstatic meditation depends heavily on meditation, every spoken, chanted or mental- the purity of their lives and the intent with ized word was unique—like a melody that which they approach the work. We have seen never repeats itself. Abulafia’s system can that even in the 16th century concerns were also be compared with the practice of glossola- expressed that humankind might have lost the lia, or “speaking in tongues,” in charismatic necessary purity to meditate safely on the Christianity. But glossolalia is essentially un- names of God. Whether that remains true is a scripted, whereas the structured permutation of question each of us can ponder, recognizing letters was central to Abulafia’s ecstatic Kab- both the potential and the responsibilities in- balah. volved in pursuing such a path. Any type of meditation can produce altered states of consciousness. Ecstatic meditation is distinguished by the intensity of the experience and its effects on the physical, emotional and 1 Saladin conquered Jerusalem in 1187, and the mental vehicles. What special character did last crusader stronghold of Acre fell to Muslim Abulafia’s system have that could produce forces in 1291. such intensity? How essential to the process 2 Reportedly Abulafia wrote 26 Kabbalistic and was the permutation of letters in divine names? 22 prophetic works. See: Gershom Scholem. How reliable were the procedures in producing Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Schocken the desired psychological states? Books, 1946/1995, p. 124. 3 The auspicious date of his birth will be men- Short of running extensive trials, we can only tioned later. offer tentative answers. We can surmise that 4 The Christian scholastic Thomas Aquinas re- the controlled breathing may have induced hy- portedly held Maimonides in high regard. 5 perventilation, and the repetitive gestures may Moshe Idel. Kabbalah. Yale University Press, 1988, p. 100. also have played a role. Recitation of long 6 lists of words, with heavy emphasis on follow- The folklore of golems goes back at least as far as the Talmud. However, the most famous going the precise sequence, was a powerful exer- lem story involved the 16th-century Rabbi cise in concentration. Perhaps the divine sig- Judah Loew ben Bezalel of Prague. He is said nificance attached to the words had a bearing to have created a golem to defend the Jewish on the outcome. community against anti-Semitic attacks. Unfor- With regard to reliability, Abulafia and his tunately, the golem grew in power until it went on violent rampages around the city and eventu- students testified that the procedures could ally turned on its creator. work, but we do not know how often they tried

7 Aryeh Kaplan. Meditation and Kabbalah. 24 Laenen, Jewish Mysticism, p. 123. Combina- Weiser, 1982, p. 60. See also: Scholem, Major tions and permutations are closely related Trends in Jewish Mysticism, p. 124. mathematical operations. The former, typically 8 Kaplan, Meditation and Kabbalah, p. 114. drawn from a larger population, do not attach 9 Ibid., pp. 57-114. Also: Scholem, Major Trends significance to the order of sets of objects in Jewish Mysticism, pp. 118-155. whereas permutations do. 10 Moshe Idel. The Mystical Experience in Abra- 25 Edel, The Mystical Experience in Abraham ham Abulafia. (Transl: J. Chipman.) State Abulafia, pp. 53-71. University of New York Press, 1988. 26 The Masoretic system of vowel points was de- 11 John F. Nash. “Origins of the Christian Kab- veloped by Jewish scholars in Tiberias, Galilee, balah.” Esoteric Quarterly, Spring 2008, pp. in the 9th and 10th centuries CE. Most promi- 43-58. nent among those scholars was Aaron ben 12 2 Kings 2:11 (All biblical quotations in this Moses ben Asher (died c.960). article are taken from the King James Version.) 27 At that time the precise number and order of 13 The notion of ascending through seven levels of vowels varied from one author to another. reality was not unique to Merkabah mysticism. Other medieval writers considered six vowels. In particular it can be found in Mithraism and in It may also be noted that ancient Egyptians used certain Gnostic sects. See: Adela Yarbro chants involving seven vowels “to give strong Collins. Cosmology and Eschatology in Jewish feeling of piety and humility.” See the website: and Christian Apocalypticism. Brill, 1996, p. www.coptic.org/music/copmusic.htm. (Ac- 49. cessed 29 July 2008.) See also the discussion 14 Most modern academic historians continue to in: Clement Salaman et al. The Way of Hermes. insist that it was a medieval composition, but in Inner Traditions, 2000, p. 84. recent years attitudes have softened to some ex- 28 The number of permutation of n distinct objects tent. is equal to “factorial n,” customarily written n! 15 The roots of Sefirah may include: sefer (“text”), 29 Quoted in: Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish sefar (“number”), sippur (”telling”), and sappir Mysticism, p. 138. (“sapphire,” “brilliance”). The first three are 30 Kaplan, Meditation and the Kabbalah, pp. 90- mentioned in the Sefer Yetzirah, 1:1. 91; Sefer Yetzirah, pp. 128-129. 16 Since biblical Hebrew contained no vowels, the 31 For clarity’s sake, vowels are shown in lower correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton case and consonants as capitals (or diphthongs (literally “name of four letters”) is not known. like Tz with a leading capital). In modern English texts it is written as Yahweh. 32 If the vowels were regarded as subscripts, the The Hebrew alphabet is shown in Appendix 1, matrix would be defined by {AmYn; m, n = o, a, along with transliteration rules adopted in this e, i, u}. article. 33 El (l)) appears in the Hebrew Bible by itself 17 Psalm 33:6. and also in combinations such as El Shaddai. 18 Sefer Yetzirah (short version), 2:2-6. (Transl: Yah (hy) is the root of Yahweh. Our word “Hal- A. Kaplan.) Weiser, 1997, pp. 262-263. lelujah” is formed from halal (“praise”) and yah 19 Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah, p. 111. (“God”). 20 See the discussion in: J.H. Laenen. Jewish Mys- 34 Cornelius Agrippa. Occult Philosophy, book ticism: An Introduction. Westminster Knox III, ch. XXV, 1533. Donald Tyson (ed.). Three Press, 2001, p. 123. Laenen erroneously spells Books of Occult Philosophy. Llewellyn, 1993, both Chayyim and Chayyei with the letter he p. 540. (h), instead of cheth (x), but the equivalence 35 Abraham Abulafia. Life of the World to Come, still holds. §§10-18. Author’s translation from a French 21 For this purpose, distinctions between the regu- version. See also Kaplan’s translation of this lar and the final versions of Hebrew letters are text in his Meditation and Kabbalah, p. 96-106 normally ignored. Tefillin, usually inscribed with scriptural verses, 22 Greek and English forms of gematria have also are worn on the head or wrapped around the been explored extensively. arm. Each branch of Judaism has rules govern- 23 Note that the Hebrew alphabet contains no vow- ing who can wear tefillin and at what times. els, so only consonants have numerical equiva- 36 Ibid., §§19-29. lents. 37 Ibid., §§53-59.

38 Abraham Abulafia. Treasury of the Hidden terestingly) at the prestigious Mount Sinai Eden. (Transl: A. Kaplan.) Quoted in Medita- School of Medicine in New York City. tion and Kabbalah, p. 85). 53 Idel, The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abu- 39 Abraham Abulafia. Life of the World to Come, lafia, pp. 143-144. §§38-42. 40 Abulafia. Treasury of the Hidden Eden. (Transl: A. Kaplan.) Quoted in his Meditation and Kabbalah, p. 85).. 41 Anonymous. Gates of Righteousness. (Transl: M. Idel.) Quoted in his The Mystical Experi- ence in Abraham Abulafia, p. 79. 42 Anonymous. The Rose of Mysteries. (Transl: A. Kaplan.) Quoted in his Meditation and the Kabbalah, p. 109. See also: Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, pp. 139-140. 43 The Holy Guardian Angel plays a role in the western esoteric tradition similar to that of the Solar Angel of eastern theosophy. A procedure for invoking the Angel was developed by the early 15th-century Ashkenazic Rabbi Abraham of Worms. See: Georg Dehn (ed.). The Book of Abramelin. Ibis Press, 2006. 44 Umberto Eco. Foucault’s Pendulum. Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1989. 45 Myla Goldberg. Bee Season. Anchor, 2001. Bee Season also deals with the shattering of the vessels, a Kabbalistic concept that gained mo- mentum among the Safed scholars of the early 17th century. 46 Kaplan, Meditation and the Kabbalah, p. 160. 47 Idel, The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abu- lafia, pp. 13, 83, 89-90, and elsewhere. 48 Ibid., pp. 144-145. 49 Idel, Kabbalah, pp. 201-202. 50 We could also cite the Mithraic rite in which a candidate for initiation practiced controlled breathing while reciting a long sequence of meaningless words. See: Marvin W. Meyer. The Ancient Mysteries. University of Pennsyl- vania Press, 1987, pp. 214-215. 51 Moses Cordovero, the Safed scholar better known for his work on the theoretical Kabbalah, developed a system of meditation on the sefiroth, in which the seeker invoked the divine Name along with as many as nine distinct vowels. See: Kaplan, Meditation and the Kabbalah, pp. 179-186. In recent times, a vast literature has emerged to explore number symbolism. See also Note 27. 52 Use of hallucinogens is illegal in most jurisdic- tions, but clinical research on its therapeutic— and even its recreational—use has resumed after a generation in which such research was “off limits.” One study was conducted in 2007, (in-

Table 1. Permutations of the Divine Name with Alef (A) and Five Vowels

Yod (Y) AoYo AoYa AoYe AoYi AoYu AaYo AaYa AaYe AaYi AaYu AeYo AeYa AeYe AeYi AeYu AiYo AiYa AiYe AiYi AiYu AuYo AuYa AuYe AuYi AuYu YoAo YoAa YoAe YoAi YoAu YaAo YaAa YaAe YaAi YaAu YeAo YeAa YeAe YeAi YeAu YiAo YiAa YiAe YiAi YiAu YuAo YuAa YuAe YuAi YuAu

He (H) AoHo AoHa AoHe AoHi AoHu AaHo AaHa AaHe … AeHo … … HoAo HoAa HoAe HoAi HoAu HaAo HaAa HaAe … HeAo … …

Vav (V) AoVo AoVa AoVe AoVi AoVu AaVo AaVa AaVe … AeVo … … VoAo VoAa VoAe VoAi VoAu VaAo VaAa VaAe … VeAo … …

He (H) AoHo AoHa AoHe AoHi AoHu AaHo AaHa AaHe … AeHo … … HoAo HoAa HoAe HoAi HoAu HaAo HaAa HaAe … HeAo … …

Table 2. The Seventy-Two Names of God with the Natural Vowels (after Kaplan)

1 VaHeVa [yah] 37 AaNuYo [el] 2 YoLaYo [el] 38 CheEaMe [yah] 3 SaYoTe [el] 39 ReHeEa [el] 4 EaLaMe [yah] 40 YoYoTza [el] 5 MeHeShi [yah] 41 HeHeHe [el] 6 LaLaHe [el] 42 MeYoKa [el] 7 AaKaHe [yah] 43 VaVaLa [yah] 8 KaHeTha [el] 44 YoLaHe [yah] 9 HeTzaYo [el] 45 SaAaLa [yah] 10 AaLaDa [yah] 46 EaReYo [el] 11 LaAaVa [yah] 47 EaShiLa [yah] 12 HeHeEa [yah] 48 MeYoHe [el] 13 YoTzaLa [el] 49 VaHeVa [el] 14 MeBeHe [el] 50 DaNuYo [el] 15 HeReYo [el] 51 HeCheShi [yah] 16 HeQoMe [yah] 52 EaMeMe [yah] 17 LaAaVa [yah] 53 NuNuAa [el] 18 KaLaYo [el] 54 NuYoTha [el] 19 LaVaVa [yah] 55 MeBeHe [yah] 20 PeHeLa [yah] 56 PeVaYo [el] 21 NuLaKa [el] 57 NuMeMe [yah] 22 YoYoYo [el] 58 YoYoLa [el] 23 MeLaHe [el] 59 HeReChe [el] 24 CheHeVa [yah] 60 MeTzaRe [el] 25 NuThaHe [yah] 61 VaMeBe [el] 26 HeAaAa [yah] 62 YoHeHe [el] 27 YoReTha [el] 63 EaNuVa [el] 28 ShiAaHe [yah] 64 MeCheYo [el] 29 ReYoYo [el] 65 DaMeBe [yah] 30 AaVaMe [el] 66 MeNuQo [el] 31 LaKaBe [el] 67 AaYoEa [el] 32 VaShiRe [yah] 68 CheBeVa [yah] 33 YoCheVa [yah] 69 ReAaHe [el] 34 LaHeChe [yah] 70 YoBeMe [yah] 35 KaVaKo [yah] 71 HeYoYo [el] 36 MeNuDa [el] 72 MeVaMe [yah]

Appendix 1. Hebrew Alphabet (including rules for transliteration)

Letter* Type English Trans- Numerical Equivalent literation Value alef ) mother a A 1 beth b double b or v B 2 gimel g double g G 3 daleth d double d D 4 he h single h H 5 vav w single v or w V 6 zayin z single z Z 7 cheth x single ch (guttural) Ch 8 teth + single t T 9 yod y single i or y Y 10 kaf k K double k K 20 lamed l single l L 30 mem m M mother m M 40 nun n N single n N 50 samech s single s S 60 ayin ( single a or e E 70 pe p P double f, ph or p P 80 tzaddi c C single ts or tz Tz 90 qof q single q or k Q 100 resh r double r R 200 shin # mother sh Sh 300 tav t double t or th Th 400

* Certain letters take alternative forms when they appear at the end (i.e., the far left) of a word.