In a phone conversation, my very good friend Joe Swick shared something with me I wish to elaborate on. It ties in with the Tarot in an interesting way.
Take the name Abraham...
Ab - ra - ham
Ab - raham
Ab - rah - am
Abr - aham
Abrah - am
Various ways of syllabification mean interesting things as we
look into his name. The one thing Joe said that caught my ear was
the first 3 letters of the "Father of the Faithful."
"Abr" - in Hebrew, Aleph, Beit, Reish........FABULOUS!
Edward Hoffman, The Kabbalah Deck, Chronicle Books 2000,
notes:
Aleph begins the word for God, "Elohim." (p. 17)
Beit means duality, as well as the primordial receptive energy,
the universal honme, the womb of fertility. (p. 18-19) The Son I
would add as well, as the Second in the Godhead.
Reish is linked to higher consciousness, and begins the Hebrew
word for Holy Spirit, the "ruach ha-kadosh"
In "Abr..." we have the Godhead, the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. I personally note as well that the Holy Spirit is
sometimes seen as the Female counterpart of Elohim in some
traditions. Gary Anderson in his article "The Interpretation
of Genesis 1:1 in the Targums," in The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly, 52, (1990), notes that the Targum Neofiti "This
tradition understood the phrase bere-sheit to mean
"with/by means of (Dame) Wisdom, [God created...]."
This is found in Targum Neofiti:
milleqadmin behokma bera [memra] dYYY wesaklel yat semayya weyat 'ar'a'
"From the beginning, with wisdom, the word of the Lord created and perfected the heavens and the earth."
The Fragmentary Targum states:
br'shyt: behokma (marginal gloss: min leqadmin) bera' YYY wesaklel yat semayya' weyat 'ar'a'
"with wisdom [from the beginning] the Lord created and perfected the heavens and the earth." (p. 23)
This [Wisdom] is the "spirit" hovering over the waters in Genesis, as well as the Spirit in the form of a dove hovering over Jesus at his baptism. The Bahir: Book of Illumination, also states that "The word 'beginning' (Reshit) is nothing other than Wisdom. It is written (Psalm 111:10) "The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God." (Kaplan, Bahir, p. 2) Granted the Pistis Sophia, an Early Christian work, says the Father is in the form of a dove as well, (Violet MacDermot, The Fall of Sophia, Lindesfarne Books, 1978: 103) the dove is a sure sign of purity, and hence can represent either male or female, since they are ONE anyway, in the truest, most holy, sacred sense of the word. This is how a Jewish Mystic would analyze Abraham's name. I found the idea that Joe presented to me via phone to be most interesting.
Joe Swick adds Concerning the Hebrew phrase, M)rbhb "behiy bar am" (Heb.
"when they were created"
Gen. 2:4), the Zohar notes that these letters can be used to form
"b'Abraham," meaning "through Abraham." It
then comments: "It is ...
Abraham, who hath established the ends of the earth."
I would also note with this that the Bahir says "Why did
God add the letter Heh to Abraham's name, rather than
any other letter? This was so that all parts of man's body should
be worthy of life in the World to Come, which is liken to the
sea. [the Torah] To the extent that we can express it, the
Structure was completed ni Abraham. [Regarding this Structure] it
is written (Genesis 9;6), "For in the form of God, He made
the man." The numerical value of Abraham is 248, the number
of parts in man's body." (Aryeh Kaplan, The
Bahir:Illumination, Samuel Weiser, First paperback, 1989, p.
4)
My good friend Ken Shaw also has pointed out that The American Heritage® Dictionary
of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
in Appendix II under Semitic Roots has
the entry:
ENTRY: rwm
DEFINITION: West Semitic, to
be(come) high, exalted. Abraham, from Hebrew abrhm, the (divine)
father is exalted, from rhm, alternate
form of rm, exalted, participle of rm,
to be(come) high, exalted, rise.
I might also add
In the Brown, Driver, Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon
of the Old Testament, we also find the Semitic root, rb) which compares to the Assyrian abaru
= "to be firm, strong." The Hebrew word rb) also means "pinion" (from
strength) a figurative sense as in the strength or pinion of a
dove or eagle (Isaiah 40:31). hrb) is
the feminine noun "pinion" as in hytwrb) (avroteyha) of the dove in
Psalms 68:13 – "Though ye have lain among the pts, yet
shall ye be as the wings of a dove…" Hebrew ryb) (‘Avir) is the adjective for
"strong" or "the Strong" an old name
for God. The Hebrew adjective ryb) (‘Avir)
also means "mighty, valiant," even "stout of
heart" as at Isaiah 46:12 – bl
yryb) (‘avirey lev) – "Hearken unto me ye
stouthearted…" (p. 7)
Yet another take on this is in the book Mysteries of the Alphabet, by Marc-Alain Ouaknin, Abbeville Press, 1999, wherein he notes:
Aleph is the Ox, which symbolizes strength, "the energy that is important for living, for agriculture, for transport, the elemental energy that sets everything in motion, which changes from being to existence." (p. 118).
Beit is the house, with the opening symbolizing the reception of the energy from the Aleph. It symbolizes the intimate, nutritional food, shelter, the celestial vault, a receptacle, the marriage of a couple. (p. 133).
Resh is the initial letter of Rosh, the head, the organizer, the beginning as in Beresheith, the first word of the Bible. It conveys the meaning of origin. "The beginning is not content, but strength. Returning to the origin implies the strength to make a fresh start each time, to realize the fundamental fact in which living is being born at every moment." (p. 302)
Another interesting thing about Beit, the letter, is the Bahir
notes it always indicates a blessing. (Kaplan, Bahir, p.
2)
I would point out as well that the Tarot cards Fool, Magician,
and the Sun represent the "Abr"
Aleph = Fool
Beit = Magician
Sun = Holy Spirit
Johann Reuchlin, the great Medieval Qabalist noted that the aleph, the Great Aleph is seen as the cause of all things. This happens through the second letter, Beit! "So you will find this letter Beth doing all things. So Aleph accepts this letter as the closest letter to itself and as the most productive and it is called AB, meaning "father of all generating and producing." It is also worth noting that according to traditional Kabbalah understanding, Abraham definitely studied and knew Kabbalah. (Reuchlin, On the Art of the Kabbalah, Abaris Books, 1983: 289).
Lawrence Kushner in his book Eyes Remade For Wonder, (1998) notes that Aleph starts the important word "Echad," meaning "One." God is One. The name of the FIRST man was Adam, beginning with Aleph. The name of the first Jew was Avraham Avinu, "Abraham, Our Father." Aleph beings the word "aysh" meaning fire, the fire that flames but does not destroy. "God shows you the primordial fire." The first letter of the first word of the first great commandment begins with the first letter which has no sound: Aleph, "anochi" "I am the Lord your God." (p. 5)
I also think it is of particular interest that in the Joseph Smith Alphabet and Grammar, the names:
"Ah" = The first being who exercises supreme power."
Ah = The Number One.
Ah L ish = The name of the first being - supreme intelligence; supreme power; supreme glory; supreme justice, mercy; without beginning of life or end of life, comprehending all things - the invisible and eternal Godhead.
Ah me os = God without beginning and end.
A l e Ph = In the beginning with God, the Son, of First Born.
Pha Ah = A more universal reign, great dominion, possession of power.
Ph Ah eh = The First man, or Adam, coming from Adam - keys or right over, Patriarchal right by appointment.
C. F. Burney in his fascinating article, "Christ as the APXH of Creation," in the Journal of Theological Studies, #27 (1926) notes that Beresheith the beginning of the Bible means "in" or "by" or "into" or "head" meaning all things were created by Him, or all things came into existence because of Him [the Creator, Christ, following Paul in the New Testament], etc.
Beresheith: in reshith
Beresheith: by reshith
Beresheith: into reshith
Reshith: Sum Total
Reshith: Head
Reshith: First Fruits
The idea of Paul's understanding of Christ being the Creator of all things is that of bringnig all things under reshith in Christ, who is the Head and Sum Total of creation. (Burney, p. 176)
Günther Schwarz in his article "Gen 1:1 2:2a und Joh 1:1a.3a – ein Vergleich" in Zeitschrift fur Neutestemantliche Wissentschaftlich 73 (1982): 136-137, noted something else interesting from the Targums:
Vom Anfang her mit Weisheit brachte hervor [das Wort] Jahwes [und] vollendete die Himmel und die Erde. Und es beendete das Wort Jahwes am siebenten Tag[e] sein Werk, das es hervorbrachte.
"[the Word] Jahwes,created from the start, with wisdom [and] completed the heavens and the earth. And the word, Jahwes, finished his work that he produced on the seventh day."
These lines are extremely exciting therefore, because in them, in one typically targumic paraphrase (as regards the completely equivilant content), is what we only knew up to now from the Prologue of John: (John 1:1)
As here [in this Targum], with John’s " Ho Logos", ["the Word in John 1:1] there is also, in the Targum the power of Jahwes, to which everything which is, owes its existence, not, as in the Massoretic Text [The Hebrew Old Testament], Elohim. (p. 136-137) So the Targums apparently have identified the power, the Word, with Jahwes power as it is in John’s Gospel as well. He was quite correct to note the obvious tie in with Jahwes and Christ, the "Word" since the power is identified in the Targums with the "Word of Jahwes (Christ in John’s Gospel).
I think it fascinating that the Magician is the one card in
the three with the lemniscate above his head = infinity. Notice
this could easily mean the Reshith, the Head and Sum Total
Into and By whom ALL Things Come into manifestation.
Interestingly the uroboros is around his waist, also =
unendingness, eternal, forever, repetition, infinite, Ewigkeit
for the Germans. Notice also all three cards have flowers as a
common theme in them. Notice also how all their robes are the
same color, red, which in my opinion can = blood, the Aleph-dam
(A-dam) falling (the Fool), the red robe of the Magician = Jesus,
the red flag/robe of the sun on the horse = the Spirit blowing
where it will.
Note how it really is flowing powerfully upward. Also, this sun
is the "energy" card, the diffusing of light, heat,
warmth throughout the universe with its fingers. It is all
influential, as the Holy Spirit can be as well. It filters into
every nook and crevice eventually, providing life, intelligence,
warmth, and yes joy. Look at that kids face on that horse and
tell me he isn't grateful and feeling good about the sun! Another
influence the sun has is its gravitational pull, pulling all
together in the Solar System, hence providing a family in the
Cosmos, i.e. life. The Face on the sun (usually it's just the
moon isn't it?!) shows us perhaps a Great Living Intelligence.
The Hermetic doctrine of "As Above, So Below," comes
into play here. As above, the face in the sun, so below, the face
of the child on the horse. The earthly reflects the heavenly. In
the book "Jewels of the Wise," we read that the
straight rays of the sun = male, while the curvy rays of the sun
= female, all bound up in one. Just some minor observations
whilst pondering......
And from the mighty pen of Joe Steve Swick III, I can only heartily add these nuggets of wisdom as well!
From Joe Swick we learn more interesting ideas on this root Mwr
FIFTH STAGE of SPIRITUAL UNFOLDMENT: REGENERATION. Tarot Card
Keys 5, 12 and 19:
Intuition regenerates us through meditation, or the stilling of
the mind. As
the body of the aspirant is slowly transformed (Keys 4, 11, 18),
it becomes
an instrument better suited to recognize the Voice which leads to
Liberation. In such an individual, the five senses and the
thought processes
subject themselves to that One Voice: both the rational (Pillar
of Severity)
and intuitive (Pillar of Mercy) faculties turn together in love
and
adoration toward It; when by discipline they are brought into
perfect
submission, they hear the SILENCE, mmd (DaMaM),
described in 1 Kings 19:12 as "a
still (damamah) small voice."
"And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (hqd hmmd lwq – literally, "gentle whisper voice)
The "still small voice" is specifically associated
with the meditative state (Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah,
Samuel Weiser, 1997: 97), the voice was "a fine humming
sound"). While it is
described as a "humming sound," it is in fact a
"voice of perfect
stillness." The Hebrew word mmd (DaMaM)
has a numerical value of 90. This is also
the value of the Hebrew word Mym (MaYiM),
or Water, which is associated with Key
12, the Hanged Man.
In fact, deep meditation is the interior condition of the
Hanged Man; he has
achieved the state which is sometimes called "stopping the
world," and which
Hindus call samadhi. In samadhi, the body and mind
are held in a state of
suspension. The primary colors yellow, red and blue of the Hanged
Man's
clothing are those of the primary elements of air, fire and
water,
respectively. They are represented in Kabbalah by the letters
Alef -
Shin -Mem. Among other things, this may refer to the scales
of BALANCE --
with Mem as one pan, Shin as the other pan, and Aleph
as the tongue or
middle fulcrum. This points to the idea that the body of the
Hanged Man is
in perfect equilibrium or balance (Key 11, Justice), and that
such balance
is a prerequisite for the meditative state.
The Hodian Waters existing within his mind are perfectly still,
like a
mirror; the FLOW has STOPPED, or suspended, within him. His
condition
represents the Law of Reversal -- a turning of consciousness 'on
its head.'
As water reflects everything upside-down, his yellow shoes and
red hose are
above his blue shirt. The yellow of his feet may also allude to
alchemical
Mercury. Atop the red (Sulphur) legs and blue (Salt) body, this
symbolizes
that the sattva quality prevails. The shape of his body
forms an inverse
triangle surmounted by a cross; together with the color red, this
is an
allusion to the Sulphur of the alchemists. It is the "sign
of personality,"
as Papus said, or what our Eastern Brothers would call the rajasguna.
In
this meditative state, self-concept is crucified, as the Hanged
Man directly
experiences union with the Self. The halo surrounding his head
represents
the sun, while the twelve branches on the Hebrew letter Tav
represent the
signs of the Zodiac; the body of the Hanged Man is that of Adam
Kadmon. The
background of the key is grey, an indication of spiritual
integration, which
integration has resulted from his current level of spiritual
enlightenment.
Note also that the blue jacket has the Qabalistic Tree firmly
imprinted upon
it. The ten sephiroth are represented by silver buttons,
appearing in a
line. The belt and trim of this jacket also form a crux ansata,
sign of
life, and a reminder of the words of Jesus: "I AM the
resurrection, and the
life" (see John 11:25-26).
The red crossed legs also allude to Key 4, the Emperor, who rules
by clear
vision and the power of reason; it is also an allusion to the
Binah-pillar
of the Tree of Life, and to the Sephira of Severity at the feet
of the
Hanged Man. And, as the feet are governed by pisces, the yellow
feet may
refer to mystical awareness and revelation.
The Hanged Man is suspended from the Hebrew letter TAV, in this
case, a
symbol of Cosmic Consciousness. In other words, freed from the
illusion of
the self, he is entirely supported by the One Life. The letters
Tav + Mem
spell the word Mt (TaM) (Strong
Heb. 8535, 8537), which means "completion,
perfection, innocence, integrity, piety, and 'moral
uprightness.'" It also
spells the word tm (MoT) (Strong
Heb. 4962), which means an ADULT -- one who is
"full-length," bringing to mind the scriptural promise
that we will one day:
"all come in the UNITY of the faith, and of the KNOWLEDGE of
the SON OF GOD,
unto a PERFECT MAN, UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE
FULNESS OF
CHRIST: That we ... BE NO MORE CHILDREN, tossed to and fro, and
carried
about with every wind of doctrine ... But speaking the truth in
love, may
GROW UP INTO HIM IN ALL THINGS, which is the head, even
Christ" (Ephesians
4:13-15).
Here, the self-concept is "undone" as one grows into
the greater
consciousness. And yet the paradox is this: through these Waters,
each of us
is REBORN into the Kingdom of the Sun, where we indeed
"become as little
children" (Matt. 18:3-4). The Cosmic Wheel (Key 10) and the
Sun Key ( is then a fairy-ring,
upon which dance the fully-integrated self-conscious and
sub-conscious
aspects of the One.
There are three Hebrew words (and various cognates) which involve
these
particular Keys. The first is rm (MaR),
(Strong Heb 4751-4753), which indicates
that which is bitter, great, or heavy (4751). It may also
indicate a drop,
or distillation (4752), and is related to the word errm (MaRaR) (Strong Heb 4843),
to make bitter, to trickle. With slightly different vowel
pointings, rm (MoR) may
also refer to myrrh -- as distilling in drops. rm (MaR) --the "Water" (Mem)
of
the "Sun" (Resh)-- is a veiled reference to the potable
gold of the
Alchemists.
And, using all three Keys, we obtain rwm (MuR)
(Strong 4171 pron. moor), meaning
to alter, to dispose of, to change. By reading these Keys the
other
direction, we also discover the word Mwr
(RuM) (Strong Heb. 7311, pron. *room*),
which means, among other things, to raise, bring up, exalt, lift
up, mount
up, hold up, and go up:
"Thou, O LORD, ... [art] my glory, and THE LIFTER UP OF MINE
HEAD" y#)r Myrmw
(Psalm 3:3); "O LORD...thou ... LIFTEST ME UP ymmwrm FROM THE GATES OF DEATH"
(Psalm9:13); And NOW SHALL MINE HEAD BE LIFTED UP l( y#)r Mwry ABOVE MINE ENEMIES round
about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of
joy; I will SING, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD"
(Psalm 27:6).
Here is a lecture I presented to my Lodge on the meaning
of the word "RWM"
as it applies to the concept of "raising" in
Freemasonry:
-----
What does the term "raised" indicate in Masonry?
"The expressive term used to designate the reception of the
candidate into the third or sublime degree of Master Mason, and
alludes both to part of the ceremony and to our faith in the
glorious morn of the resurrection, when our bodies will rise, and
become as incorruptible as our souls Hos. 6:2 1 Co 6:14"
(Patterson, "One
Hundred and Sixty Questions and Answers Pertaining to the
Symbolism of Masonry and its Connection with the Bible,"
Question 127).
The fashioners of the various Masonic rituals were no dull
students of history, and were heavily influenced by the
languages, customs, and philosophical streams flowing to them
from the Near East. For this reason, I strongly suspect that the
RAISING also alludes to the Heb. word RVM (pron.
ROOM):
RVM Strong Heb. 7311. To raise, bring up; exalt, lift up; mount
up; hold up,
offer; go up; to be arrogant, proud, haughty; to lift up (self).
This word has several interesting connotations. It can refer to a
social, moral, or spiritual lifting up:
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and
with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt [CHALLAL] her, and
she shall promote [RVM] thee: she shall bring thee to honour,
when thou dost embrace her" (Proverbs 4:7-8).
While the word RVM can mean to be lifted up spiritually, morally,
socially, it nearly always alludes to a LIFTING UP or EXALTATION,
by the hand of God.
The Psalms read that "[GOD] RAISETH UP the poor .... [and]
LIFTETH the needy" (Ps. 113:7). "But my horn shalt
THOUT EXALT ... I shall be anointed with FRESH OIL" (Psalm
92:10), says David. "But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;
my glory, and THE LIFTER UP OF MINE HEAD" (Psalm 3:3)
And, perhaps of interest to Master Masons, we find:
"Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I
suffer of them that hate me, thou that LIFTEST ME UP FROM THE
GATES OF DEATH" (Psalm 9:13).
That early Masons saw in the "raising" of a Master
Mason not merely a moral or social "lifting up" or
"exalting," may be deduced from the Royal Arch Degree,
the origins of which appear closely tied to that of the Master
Mason's Degree. The Royal Arch Degree itself contains what is
commonly known as a "Rite of Exaltation."
Interestingly, the ceremonies there contains TWO
aspects -- that is, there is a PHYSICAL "lifting up"
which occurs as a part of the ritual proper (much as there is in
the Master Mason's Degree), but
there is another part of that ritual which clearly alludes to a
ascent into
the presence of the Divine, where one receives the symbolic wages
of work
well done, the symbolic crown of God's undeserved mercy. This is
of course a
further expansion of the themes found foreshadowed in the First
Degree
reference to Jacob's Theological Ladder, extended in the Winding
Stairs of
the Second Degree -- and forcefully and beautifully represented
in the
candidate's raising in the Master Mason's Degree.
As a closing observation, I note that the word RVM has the
extended and
negative meaning of "to be proud, or haughty," as one
seeks to lift one's
self up in they eyes of his fellows. This double meaning brings
to mind the
words of the Master, which also form a part of the Royal Arch
Degree:
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he
that shall humble
himself shall be exalted" (Matt 23:12).
Brethren, It is not my purpose to instruct you on how to believe
in regards
to Masonic symbolism -- but rather to open your minds to the
possibilities
within the ritual working.
It is my fervent desire, that whatever the Raising of a Master
Mason
symbolizes for you, that by the compassion and mercy of the Grand
Architect
of the Universe, you will realize it, that you too may one day
hear the
welcome words, "Well done."