Sefer YetzirahChapter 1
1:1
With 32 mystical paths of Wisdom
engraved Yah
the Lord of Hosts
the God of Israel
the living God
King of the universe
El Shaddai
Merciful and Gracious
High and Exalted
Dwelling in eternity
Whose name is Holy -
He is lofty and holy -
And He created His universe
with three books (Sepharim),
with text (Sepher)
with number (Sephar)
and with communication (Sippur).
1:2
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness
And 22 Foundation Letters:
Three Mothers,
Seven Doubles
And twelve Elementals.
1:3
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness
in the number of ten fingers
five opposite five
with a singular covenant
precisely in the middle
in the circumcision of the tongue
and in the circumcision of the membrum.
1:4
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness
ten and not nine
ten and not eleven
Understand with Wisdom
Be wise with Understanding
Examine with them
and probe from them
Make [each] thing stand on its essence
And make the Creator sit on His base.
1:5
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness:
Their measure is ten
which have no end
A depth of beginning
A depth of end
A depth of good
A depth of evil
A depth of above
A depth of below
A depth of east
A depth of west
A depth of north
A depth of south
The singular Master
God faithful King
dominates over them all
from His holy dwelling
until eternity of eternities.
1:6
Ten Sefirot of Nothingness
Their vision is like the "appearance of lightning"
Their limit has no end
And His Word in them is "running and returning"
They rush to His saying like a whirlwind
And before His throne they prostate themselves.
1:7
Ten Sefiroth of Nothingness
Their end is imbedded in their beginning
and their beginning in their end
like a flame in a burning coal
For the Master is singular
He has no second
And before One, what do you count?
1:8
Ten Sefiroth of Nothingness
Bridle your mouth from speaking
and your heart from thinking
And if your heart runs
return to the place.
It is therefore written,
"The Chayot running and returning." (Ezekiel 1:24)
Regarding this a covenant was made.
1:9
Ten Sefiroth of Nothingness:
One is the Breath of the Living God
Blessed and benedicted is the name
of the Life of Worlds
The voice of breath and speech
And this is the Holy Breath.
1:10
Two: Breath from Breath.
With it He engraved and carved
22 Foundation Letters
Three Mothers
Seven Doubles
and Twelve Elementals
And one Breath is from them.
1:11
Three: Water from Breath.
With it He engraved and carved
[22 letters from]
chaos and void
mire and clay
He engraved them like a sort of garden
He carved them like a sort of wall
He covered them like a sort of ceiling
[And He poured snow over them
and it became dust
as it is written
"For to snow He said, 'Become earth'" (Job 37:6).]
1:12
Four: Fire from Water
With it He engraved and carved
the Throne of Glory
Serafim, Ophanim, and holy Chayot
and Ministering angels
From these three He founded His dwelling
as it is written:
"He makes His angels of breaths,
His ministers of flaming fire" (Psalms 104:4).
1:13
He chose three letters from among the Elementals
[in the mystery of the three Mothers
Alef Mem Shin]
And He set them in His great Name
and with them, He sealed six extremities.
Five: He sealed "above" and faced upward
and sealed it with Yud Heh Vav.
Six: He sealed "below" and faced downward
and sealed it with Heh Yud Vav.
Seven: He sealed "east" and faced straight ahead
and sealed it with Vav Yud Heh.
Eight: He sealed "west" and faced backward
and sealed it with Vav Heh Yud.
Nine: He sealed "south" and faced to the right
and sealed it with Yud Vav Heh.
Ten: He sealed "north" and faced to the left
and sealed it with Heh Vav Yud.
1:14
These are the Ten Sefiroth of Nothingness:
The Breath of the Living God
Breath from Breath
Water from Breath
Fire from Water
Up down east west north south.
Chapter 2
2:1
Twenty-two Foundation Letters:
Three Mothers
Seven Doubles
and Twelve Elementals
The Three Mothers are Alef Mem Shin
Their foundation is
a pan of merit
a pan of liability
and the tongue of decree deciding between them.
[Three Mothers, Alef Mem Shin
Mem hums, Shin hisses
and Alef is the Breath of air
deciding between them.]
2:2
Twenty-two Foundation letters:
He engraved them, He carved them,
He permuted them, He weighed them,
He transformed them,
And with them, He depicted all that was formed
and all that would be formed.
2:3
Twenty-two Foundation Letters
He engraved them with voice
He carved them with breath
He set them in the mouth
In five places
Alef Chet Heh Eyin in the throat
Gimel Yud Kaf Kuf in the palate
Dalet Tet Lamed Nun Tav in the tongue
Zayin Samekh Shin Resh Tzadi in the teeth
Bet Vav Mem Peh in the lips.
2:4
Twenty-two Foundation Letters:
He placed them in a circle
like a wall with 231 Gates.
The circle oscillates back and forth.
A sign for this is:
There is nothing in good higher than Delight (ONeG)
There is nothing in evil lower than Plague (NeGA).
2:5
How?
He permuted them, weighed them, and transformed them,
Alef with them all
and all of them with Alef,
Bet with them all
and all of them with Bet.
They repeat in a cycle
and exist in 231 Gates.
It comes out that all that is formed
and all that is spoken
emanates from one Name.
2:6
He formed substance out of chaos
and made nonexistence into existence
He carved great pillars from air
that cannot be grasped.
This is a sign
[Alef with them all, and all of them with Alef]
He foresees, transforms and makes
all that is formed and all that is spoken:
one Name.
A sign for this thing:
Twenty-two objects in a single body.
Chapter 3
3:1
Three Mothers: Alef Mem Shin
Their foundation is
a pan of merit
a pan of liability
and the tongue of decree deciding between them.
3:2
Three Mothers: Alef Mem Shin
A great, mystical secret
covered and sealed with six rings
And from them emanated air, water and fire
And from them are born Fathers,
and from the Fathers, descendents.
3:3
Three Mothers: Alef Mem Shin
He engraved them, He carved them,
He permuted them, He weighed them,
And with them He depicted
Three Mothers AMSh in the Universe,
Three Mothers AMSh in the Year,
Three Mothers AMSh in the Soul,
male and female.
3:4
Three Mothers, AMSh,
in the Universe are air, water, fire.
Heaven was created from fire
Earth was created from water
And air from Breath decides between them.
3:5
Three Mothers AMSh
in the Year are
the hot
the cold
and the temperate.
The hot is created from fire
The cold is created from water
And the temperate, from Breath,
decides between them.
3:6
Three Mothers AMSh
in the Soul, male and female,
are the head, belly, and chest.
The head is created from fire,
The belly is created from water
and the chest, from breath,
decides between them.
3:7
He made the letter Alef king over Breath
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined them one with another
And with them He formed
Air in the Universe
The temperate in the Year
And the chest in the Soul:
The male with AMSh
And the female with AShM.
3:8
He made Mem king over water
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Earth in the Universe
Cold in the Year
And the belly in the Soul:
The male with MASh
And the female with MShA.
3:9
He made Shin king over fire
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Heaven in the Universe
Hot in the Year
And the head in the Soul:
The male with ShAM
And the female with ShMA.
Chapter 4
4:1
Seven Doubles:
Bet, Gimel, Dalet,
Kaf, Peh, Resh, Tav.
They direct themselves with two tongues
Bet-Bhet, Gimel-Ghimel, Dalet-Dhalet,
Kaf-Khaf, Peh-Pheh, Resh-Rhesh, Tav-Thav,
A structure of soft and hard,
strong and weak.
4:2
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT
Their foundation is
Wisdom, Wealth, Seed,
Life, Dominance, Peace and Grace.
4:3
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT
in speech and in transposition.
The transpose of Wisdom is Folly
The transpose of Wealth is Poverty
The transpose of Seed is Desolation
The transpose of Life is Death
The transpose of Dominance is Subjugation
The transpose of Peace is War
The transpose of Grace is Ugliness.
4:4
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT
Up and Down
East and West
North and South
And the Holy Palace precisely in the center
and it supports them all.
4:5
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT
Seven and not six
Seven and not eight
Examine with them
And probe with them
Make [each] thing stand on its essence
And make the Creator sit on His base.
4:6
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT of Foundation
He engraved them, He carved them,
He permuted them, He weighed them,
He transformed them,
And with them He formed,
Seven planets in the Universe,
Seven days in the Year,
Seven gates in the Soul,
male and female.
4:7
Seven planets in the Universe:
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,
Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.
Seven days in the Year:
The seven days of the week.
Seven gates in the Soul, male and female:
Two eyes, two ears, two nostrils,
and the mouth.
4:8
He made the letter Bet king over Wisdom
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
The Moon in the Universe
Sunday in the Year
The right eye in the Soul,
male and female.
4:9
He made the letter Gimel king over Wealth
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Mars in the Universe
Monday in the Year
The right ear in the Soul,
male and female.
4:10
He made the letter Dalet king over Seed
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
The Sun in the Universe
Tuesday in the Year
The right nostril in the Soul,
male and female.
4:11
He made the letter Kaf king over Life
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Venus in the Universe
Wednesday in the Year
The left eye in the Soul,
male and female.
4:12
He made the letter Peh king over Dominance
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Mercury in the Universe
Thursday in the Year
The left ear in the Soul,
male and female.
4:13
He made the letter Resh king over Peace
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Saturn in the Universe
Friday in the Year
The left nostril in the Soul,
male and female.
4:14
He made the letter Tav king over Grace
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Jupiter in the Universe
The Sabbath in the Year
The mouth in the Soul,
male and female.
4:15
Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT
With them were engraved
Seven Universes, seven firmaments,
seven lands, seven seas,
seven rivers, seven deserts,
seven days, seven weeks,
seven years, seven sabbaticals,
seven jubilees,
and the Holy Palace.
Therefore, He made sevens beloved
under all the heavens.
4:16
Two stones build 2 houses
Three stones build 6 houses
Four stones build 24 houses
Five stones build 120 houses
Six stones build 620 houses
Seven stones build 5040 houses
From here on go out and calculate
that which the mouth cannot speak
and the ear cannot hear.
Chapter 5
5:1
Twelve Elementals:
Heh, Vav, Zayin,
Chet, Tet, Yud,
Lamed, Nun, Samekh,
Eyin, Tzadi, Kuf.
Their foundation is
speech, thought, motion,
sight, hearing, action,
coition, smell, sleep,
anger, taste, laughter.
5:2
Twelve Elementals
HVZ ChTY LWS OTzQ
Their foundation is the twelve diagonal boundaries:
The east upper boundary
The east northern boundary
The east lower boundary
The south upper boundary
The south eastern boundary
The south lower boundary
The west upper boundary
The west southern boundary
The west lower boundary
The north upper boundary
The north western boundary
The north lower boundary
They extend continually until eternity of eternities
And it is they that are the boundaries of the Universe.
5:3
Twelve Elementals
HVZ ChTY LNS OTzQ
Their foundation is [that]
He engraved them, carved them, permuted them,
weighed them, and transformed them,
And with them He formed
twelve constellations in the Universe
twelve months in the Year
and twelve directors in the Soul,
male and female.
5:4
Twelve constellations in the Universe:
Aries (T'leh, the Ram)
Taurus (Shor, the Bull)
Gemini (Teumim, the Twins)
Cancer (Sartan, the Crab)
Leo (Ari, the Lion)
Virgo (Betulah, the Virgin)
Libra (Maznayim, the Scales)
Scorpio (Akrav, the Scorpion)
Sagittarius (Keshet, the Archer)
Capricorn (Gedi, the Kid)
Aquarius (Deli, the Water Drawer)
Pisces (Dagin, the Fish)
5:5
Twelve months in the year
Nissan, Iyar, Sivan,
Tamuz, Av, Elul,
Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev,
Tevet, Shevat, Adar.
5:6
Twelve directors in the soul
male and female,
The two hands, the two feet,
the two kidneys,
the gall bladder, the intestines,
the liver, the korkeban,
the kivah, the spleen.
5:7
He made the letter Heh king over speech
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Aries in the Universe
Nissan in the Year
And the right foot in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Vav king over thought
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Taurus in the Universe
Iyar in the Year
And the right kidney in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Zayin king over motion
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Gemini in the Universe
Sivan in the Year
And the left foot in the Soul
male and female.
5:8
He made the letter Chet king over sight
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Cancer in the Universe
Tamuz in the Year
And the right hand in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Tet king over hearing
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Leo in the Universe
Av in the Year
And the left kidney in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Yud king over action
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Virgo in the Universe
Elul in the Year
And the left hand in the Soul
male and female.
5:9
He made the letter Lamed king over coition
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Libra in the Universe
Tishrei in the Year
And the gall bladder in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Nun king over smell
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Scorpio in the Universe
Cheshvan in the Year
And the intestine in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Samekh king over sleep
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Sagittarius in the Universe
Kislev in the Year
And the Kivah in the Soul
male and female.
5:10
He made the letter Eyin king over anger
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Capricorn in the Universe
Tevet in the Year
And the liver in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Tzadi king over taste
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Aquarius in the Universe
Shevat in the Year
And the Korkeban in the Soul
male and female.
He made the letter Kuf king over laughter
And He bound a crown to it
And He combined one with another
And with them He formed
Pisces in the Universe
Adar in the Year
And the spleen in the Soul
male and female.
He made them like a trough
He arranged them like a wall
He set them up like a battle.
Chapter 6
6:1
These are the Three Mothers AMSh.
And from them emanated Three Fathers,
and they are air, water, and fire.
and from the Fathers, descendents.
Three Fathers and their descendents.
And seven planets and their hosts,
And twelve diagonal boundaries.
A proof of this
true witnesses in the Universe, Year, Soul
and a rule of twelve
and seven and three:
He set them in the Teli, the Cycle, and the Heart.
6:2
Three Mothers: AMSh
Air, water, and fire.
Fire is above, water is below,
and air of Breath is the rule
that decides between them.
And a sign of this thing
is that fire supports water.
Mem hums, Shin hisses,
and Alef is the breath of air
that decides between them.
6:3
The Teli in the Universe is like a king on his throne.
The Cycle in the Year is like a king in the province.
The Heart in the Souh is like a king in war.
6:4
"Also God made one opposite the other" (Ecclesiastes 7:14).
Good opposite evil,
Evil opposite good.
Good from good,
Evil from evil.
Good defines evil
And evil defines good.
Good is kept for the good ones
And evil is kept for the evil ones.
6:5
Three:
Each one stands alone
one acts as advocate
one acts as accusor
and one decides between them.
Seven:
Three opposite three
and one is the rule deciding between them.
Twelve stand in war:
Three love,
three hate,
three give life
and three kill
Three love: the heart and the ears.
Three hate: the liver, the gall, and the tongue.
Three give life: the two nostrils and the spleen.
Three kill: the two orifices and the mouth.
And God faithful King rules over them all
from His holy habitation
until eternity of eternities.
One on three
three on seven
seven on twelve,
And all are bound, one to another.
6:6
These are the twenty-two letters
with which engraved
Ehyeh, Yah, YHVH Elohim, YHVH,
YHVH Tzavaot, Elohim Tzavaot, El Shaddai,
YHVH Adonoy,
And with them He made three Books,
and with them He created His Universe,
and He formed with them all that was ever formed,
and all that ever will be formed.
6:7
And when Abraham our father, may he rest in peace,
looked, saw, understood, probed,
engraved and carved,
He was successful in creation,
as it is written,
"And the souls that they made in Haran" (Genesis 12:5).
Immediately there was revealed to him the Master of all,
may His name be blessed forever,
He placed him in His bosom, and
kissed him on his head,
and He called him,
"Abraham my beloved" (Isaiah 41:8 ).
He made a covenant with him
and with his children after him forever,
as it is written,
"And he believed in God, and He considered it
to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
He made with him a covenant
between the ten fingers of his hands -
this is the covenant of the tongue,
and between the ten toes of his feet -
this is the covenant of circumcision,
And He bound the 22 letters of the
Torah to his tongue
and He revealed to him His mystery
He drew them in water,
He flamed them with fire,
He agitated them with Breath,
He burned them with the seven [planets]
He directed them with the twelve constellations.
End of Sefer Yetzirah
