HADRA RBA QDIShA

(HA IDRA RABBA QADISHA);

OR,

THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.

CHAPTER I.
THE INGRESS AND THE PREFACE.

1. TRADITION.--Rabbi Schimeon spake unto his companions, and said:

"How long shall we abide in the condition of one column by itself? when it is
written, Psa. cxix. 126: 'It is time for Thee, Lord, to lay to Thine hand, for
they have destroyed Thy law.'

2. "The days are few, and the creditor is urgent; the herald crieth aloud daily,
and the reapers of the land are few; and those who are about the end of the
vineyard attend not, and have not known where may be the lawful place. (That
is, do not study holiness, which is called the vineyard.)

3. "Assemble yourselves, O my companions, in an open space, equipped with

armour and spears; be ye ready in your preparations, in council, in wisdom, in
understanding, in science, in care, with hands and with feet! Appoint as King
over you, Him in whose power is life and death: so that the words of truth
may be received: things unto
p. 110

which the supernal holy ones attend, and rejoice to hear and to know them."

4. Rabbi Schimeon sat down and wept; then he said: "Woe! if I shall reveal it!
Woe! if I shall not reveal it!"

5. His companions who were there were silent.

6. Rabbi Abba arose and said unto him: "With the favour of the Lord, also it is
written, Psa. xxv. 14: 'The Arcanum of the Tetragrammaton is with them that
fear Him.' And well do these companions fear that Holy and Blessed One; and
now they have entered into the assembly of the tabernacle of his house, some
of them have only entered, and some of them have departed also."

7. Moreover, it is said the companions who were with Rabbi Schimeon were
numbered, and they were found to consist of Rabbi Eleazer, his son; and
Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Yosi the son of Jacob, and Rabbi
Isaac, and Rabbi Chisqiah the son of Rav, and Rabbi Chiya, and Rabbi Yosi,
and Rabbi Yisa.

8. They gave their hands unto Rabbi Schimeon, and raised their fingers on
high, and entered into a field under the trees and sat down.

9. Rabbi Schimeon arose and offered up a prayer. He sat in the midst of them,
and said: "Let whosoever will place his hand in my bosom." They placed their
hands there, and he took them.

10. When he began, he said (from Deut. xxvii. 15): "Cursed be the man that
maketh any graven or molten image, the work of the hands of the craftsman,
and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say
Amen!"

11. Rabbi Schimeon began, and said: "Time for Thee, O Tetragrammaton to
lay to Thine hand." Why is it time for the Tetragrammaton to lay to His hand?
Because they have perverted Thy law. What is this,
p. 111

they hath perverted Thy law?' The higher law, which is itself made void, if it
be not carried out according to his commands. Wherefore is this? (Or, as
others read: Wherefore is this name Tetragrammaton here employed?) This
hath been said concerning the Ancient of Days. 1

12. "For it is written, Deut. xxxiii. 29: 'Blessed art thou, O Israel: who is like
unto thee?' Also it is written, Exod. xv. 11: 'Who is like unto thee among the
gods, O Tetragrammaton?'" 2

13. He called Rabbi Eleazer, his son, and commanded him to sit down before
him, and Rabbi Abba on the other side, and said: "We are the type of all
things" (that is, "we represent the three columns of the Sephiroth;") "thus far
are the columns established."

14. They kept silence, and they heard a voice; and their knees knocked one
against the other with fear. What was that voice? The voice of the Higher
Assembly, which had assembled above. (For out of Paradise came the souls
of Me just thither, that they might hearken, together with the Schechinah of
the Presence Divine.)

15. Rabbi Schimeon rejoiced, and said. "O Tetragrammaton! I have heard Thy
speech, and was afraid! (Hab. iii. 1). He hath said: 'It is therefore rightly done,
seeing that fear hath followed; but for us the matter rather dependeth upon
love.' Like as it is written,
p. 112
  Deut. vi. 5: 'And thou shalt delight in Tetragrammaton thy God.'
[paragraph continues]

Also it is written, Mal. i. 2: "I have loved you.'"

16. Rabbi Schimeon said further: "'He who walketh, going up and down (from
one house unto another) revealeth the secret; but the faithful in spirit
concealeth the word' (Prov. xi. 13).

17. "'He who walketh going up and down.' This saying meriteth question,
because it is said, 'going up and down.' Wherefore then I walketh?' The man is
already said to be going up and down: what is this word 'walketh?'

18. "For truly it is true concerning that man who is not stable in his spirit nor
truthful, that the word which he hath heard is moved hither and thither, like a
straw in the water, until it cometh forth from him.

19. "For what reason?" Because his spirit is not a firm Spirit.

20. "But concerning him who is firm in spirit it is written: 'But the faithful in
spirit concealeth the word.' (But this phrase) 'faithful in spirit' denoteth
firmness of spirit; like as it is said, Isa. xxii. 23: 'And I will fasten him as a
nail in a sure place.' Matter dependeth upon Spirit.

21. "And it is written, Eccles. v. 6: 'Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to
sin.'

22. "For neither doth the world remain firm, except through secresy. And if in
worldly affairs there be so great need of secresy, how much more in the things
of the most secret of secrets, and in the meditation of the Ancient of
Days, 1 which matters are not even revealed unto the highest of the angels."

23. Rabbi Schimeon said, moreover: "I will not say it unto the heavens, that
they may hear; I will not declare it unto the earth, that it may hear; for
certainly we are (the symbols of) the pillars of the Universe."
p. 113

24. It is said in the Arcanum of Arcana, that when Rabbi Schimeon opened his
mouth, the whole place was shaken, and his companions also were shaken.

Footnotes

111:1 I.e., one of the names of Macroprosopus, the first emanation, the crown.
Kether. (See Introduction.)
111:2 In the above verse it is well to note that by Notariqon, the second
division of the literal Qabalah. the initial letters of the first quotation give the
word AIMK, Aimakh, "Thy terror," the addition of the numeration of which
by Gematra, the first division of the Literal Qabalah, is 71; and that in a
similar manner from the second quotation, the word MKBI, Maccabee, is
obtained, whose numeration is 72. Now, 72 is the number of the
Schemhamphorasch, or "divided name," to which Maccabee is always
referred. And if to the 71 Of the first quotation we add A, expressing thus the
hidden unity, we obtain 72 again. Furthermore. It is well to note that each
quotation consists of four words. thus answering to the letters of the
Tetragrammaton.--TRANS.

112:1 Macroprosopus, the first Sephira.

Next: Chapter II: Of the Condition of the World and the World of Vacancy

HADRA RBA QDIShA

(HA IDRA RABBA QADISHA);
OR,

THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY.

CHAPTER I.
THE INGRESS AND THE PREFACE.

1. TRADITION.--Rabbi Schimeon spake unto his companions, and said:

"How long shall we abide in the condition of one column by itself? when it is
written, Psa. cxix. 126: 'It is time for Thee, Lord, to lay to Thine hand, for
they have destroyed Thy law.'

2. "The days are few, and the creditor is urgent; the herald crieth aloud daily,
and the reapers of the land are few; and those who are about the end of the
vineyard attend not, and have not known where may be the lawful place. (That
is, do not study holiness, which is called the vineyard.)

3. "Assemble yourselves, O my companions, in an open space, equipped with

armour and spears; be ye ready in your preparations, in council, in wisdom, in
understanding, in science, in care, with hands and with feet! Appoint as King
over you, Him in whose power is life and death: so that the words of truth
may be received: things unto
p. 110
which the supernal holy ones attend, and rejoice to hear and to know them."

4. Rabbi Schimeon sat down and wept; then he said: "Woe! if I shall reveal it!
Woe! if I shall not reveal it!"

5. His companions who were there were silent.

6. Rabbi Abba arose and said unto him: "With the favour of the Lord, also it is
written, Psa. xxv. 14: 'The Arcanum of the Tetragrammaton is with them that
fear Him.' And well do these companions fear that Holy and Blessed One; and
now they have entered into the assembly of the tabernacle of his house, some
of them have only entered, and some of them have departed also."

7. Moreover, it is said the companions who were with Rabbi Schimeon were
numbered, and they were found to consist of Rabbi Eleazer, his son; and
Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Yosi the son of Jacob, and Rabbi
Isaac, and Rabbi Chisqiah the son of Rav, and Rabbi Chiya, and Rabbi Yosi,
and Rabbi Yisa.

8. They gave their hands unto Rabbi Schimeon, and raised their fingers on
high, and entered into a field under the trees and sat down.

9. Rabbi Schimeon arose and offered up a prayer. He sat in the midst of them,
and said: "Let whosoever will place his hand in my bosom." They placed their
hands there, and he took them.

10. When he began, he said (from Deut. xxvii. 15): "Cursed be the man that
maketh any graven or molten image, the work of the hands of the craftsman,
and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say
Amen!"

11. Rabbi Schimeon began, and said: "Time for Thee, O Tetragrammaton to
lay to Thine hand." Why is it time for the Tetragrammaton to lay to His hand?
Because they have perverted Thy law. What is this,
p. 111

they hath perverted Thy law?' The higher law, which is itself made void, if it
be not carried out according to his commands. Wherefore is this? (Or, as
others read: Wherefore is this name Tetragrammaton here employed?) This
hath been said concerning the Ancient of Days. 1

12. "For it is written, Deut. xxxiii. 29: 'Blessed art thou, O Israel: who is like
unto thee?' Also it is written, Exod. xv. 11: 'Who is like unto thee among the
gods, O Tetragrammaton?'" 2
13. He called Rabbi Eleazer, his son, and commanded him to sit down before
him, and Rabbi Abba on the other side, and said: "We are the type of all
things" (that is, "we represent the three columns of the Sephiroth;") "thus far
are the columns established."

14. They kept silence, and they heard a voice; and their knees knocked one
against the other with fear. What was that voice? The voice of the Higher
Assembly, which had assembled above. (For out of Paradise came the souls
of Me just thither, that they might hearken, together with the Schechinah of
the Presence Divine.)

15. Rabbi Schimeon rejoiced, and said. "O Tetragrammaton! I have heard Thy
speech, and was afraid! (Hab. iii. 1). He hath said: 'It is therefore rightly done,
seeing that fear hath followed; but for us the matter rather dependeth upon
love.' Like as it is written,
p. 112

 Deut. vi. 5: 'And thou shalt delight in Tetragrammaton thy God.'

[paragraph continues]

Also it is written, Mal. i. 2: "I have loved you.'"

16. Rabbi Schimeon said further: "'He who walketh, going up and down (from
one house unto another) revealeth the secret; but the faithful in spirit
concealeth the word' (Prov. xi. 13).

17. "'He who walketh going up and down.' This saying meriteth question,
because it is said, 'going up and down.' Wherefore then I walketh?' The man is
already said to be going up and down: what is this word 'walketh?'

18. "For truly it is true concerning that man who is not stable in his spirit nor
truthful, that the word which he hath heard is moved hither and thither, like a
straw in the water, until it cometh forth from him.

19. "For what reason?" Because his spirit is not a firm Spirit.

20. "But concerning him who is firm in spirit it is written: 'But the faithful in
spirit concealeth the word.' (But this phrase) 'faithful in spirit' denoteth
firmness of spirit; like as it is said, Isa. xxii. 23: 'And I will fasten him as a
nail in a sure place.' Matter dependeth upon Spirit.

21. "And it is written, Eccles. v. 6: 'Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to
sin.'

22. "For neither doth the world remain firm, except through secresy. And if in
worldly affairs there be so great need of secresy, how much more in the things
of the most secret of secrets, and in the meditation of the Ancient of
Days, 1 which matters are not even revealed unto the highest of the angels."

23. Rabbi Schimeon said, moreover: "I will not say it unto the heavens, that
they may hear; I will not declare it unto the earth, that it may hear; for
certainly we are (the symbols of) the pillars of the Universe."
p. 113

24. It is said in the Arcanum of Arcana, that when Rabbi Schimeon opened his
mouth, the whole place was shaken, and his companions also were shaken.

Footnotes

111:1 I.e., one of the names of Macroprosopus, the first emanation, the crown.
Kether. (See Introduction.)

111:2 In the above verse it is well to note that by Notariqon, the second
division of the literal Qabalah. the initial letters of the first quotation give the
word AIMK, Aimakh, "Thy terror," the addition of the numeration of which
by Gematra, the first division of the Literal Qabalah, is 71; and that in a
similar manner from the second quotation, the word MKBI, Maccabee, is
obtained, whose numeration is 72. Now, 72 is the number of the
Schemhamphorasch, or "divided name," to which Maccabee is always
referred. And if to the 71 Of the first quotation we add A, expressing thus the
hidden unity, we obtain 72 again. Furthermore. It is well to note that each
quotation consists of four words. thus answering to the letters of the
Tetragrammaton.--TRANS.

112:1 Macroprosopus, the first Sephira.

Next: Chapter II: Of the Condition of the World and the World of Vacancy

HADRA RBA QDISHA

(HA IDRA RABBA QADISHA);

O,

LA SANTA ASAMBLEA MAYOR.

CAPÍTULO I.

EL INGRESO Y EL PREFACIO.

1. TRADICIÓN.--Rabí Schimeon habló a sus compañeros y dijo: "¿Hasta cuándo

permaneceremos en la condición de una columna por sí misma? Cuando está escrito, Sal. cxix.
126: 'Es tiempo para Ti, Señor , para imponer a tu mano, porque han destruido tu ley.'

2. "Los días son pocos, y el acreedor apremia; el heraldo clama cada día, y los segadores de la
tierra son pocos; y los que están al final de la viña no atienden, y no saben dónde puede estar
el lugar lícito (es decir, no estudiéis la santidad, que se llama la viña).

3. "Reúnanse, oh mis compañeros, en un espacio abierto, equipados con armaduras y lanzas;

¡estén listos en sus preparativos, en consejo, en sabiduría, en entendimiento, en ciencia, en
cuidado, con manos y con pies! como Rey sobre vosotros, Aquel en cuyo poder está la vida y la
muerte: para que se reciban las palabras de verdad: cosas para

pags. 110

a los cuales asisten los santos excelsos, y se regocijan al oírlos y conocerlos".

4. Rabí Schimeon se sentó y lloró; luego dijo: "¡Ay, si lo revelara! ¡Ay, si no lo revelara!"

5. Sus compañeros que estaban allí callaron.

6. Rabí Abba se levantó y le dijo: "Con el favor del Señor, también está escrito, Sal. xxv. 14: 'El
Arcano del Tetragrámaton está con los que Le temen'. Y bien temen estos compañeros a ese
Santo y Bendito; y ahora que han entrado en la asamblea del tabernáculo de su casa, algunos
de ellos solo han entrado, y algunos de ellos también han salido".
7. Además, se dice que los compañeros que estaban con el rabino Schimeon fueron contados,
y se descubrió que consistían en el rabino Eleazer, su hijo; y el rabino Abba, y el rabino Yehuda,
y el rabino Yosi, hijo de Jacob, y el rabino Isaac, y el rabino Chisqiah, hijo de Rav, y el rabino
Chiya, y el rabino Yosi, y el rabino Yisa.

8. Dieron sus manos a Rabí Schimeon, y levantaron sus dedos en alto, y entraron en un campo
debajo de los árboles y se sentaron.

9. El rabino Schimeon se levantó y ofreció una oración. Se sentó en medio de ellos y dijo: "El
que quiera poner su mano en mi seno". Pusieron sus manos allí, y él las tomó.

10. Cuando comenzó, dijo (de Deut. xxvii. 15): "Maldito el hombre que hiciere escultura o
imagen de fundición, obra de manos de artífice, y la pusiere en un lugar secreto. Y todo el la
gente responderá y dirá ¡Amén!"

11. El rabino Schimeon comenzó y dijo: "Es hora de que Te, oh Tetragrámaton, te pongas en la
mano". ¿Por qué es hora de que el Tetragrámaton se ponga en Su mano? porque han
pervertido tu ley. Qué es esto,

pags. 111

han pervertido tu ley?' La ley superior, que es en sí misma anulada, si no se lleva a cabo de
acuerdo con sus mandatos. ¿Por qué es esto? (O, como otros leen: ¿Por qué se emplea aquí
este nombre Tetragrámaton?) Esto se ha dicho acerca del Anciano de los Días. 1

12. "Porque está escrito, Deuteronomio 33:29: 'Bendito eres tú, oh Israel: ¿quién como tú?'
También está escrito, Éxodo xv. 11: '¿Quién como tú entre los dioses, oh Tetragrámaton?'" 2

13. Llamó a Rabí Eleazer, su hijo, y le ordenó que se sentara delante de él, y Rabí Abba al otro
lado, y dijo: "Somos el tipo de todas las cosas" (es decir, "representamos las tres columnas de
los Sephiroth;") "hasta aquí están establecidas las columnas".
14. Guardaron silencio, y oyeron una voz; y sus rodillas chocaban de miedo. ¿Qué era esa voz?
La voz de la Asamblea Superior, que se había reunido arriba. (Porque del Paraíso vinieron mis
almas justo allí, para que pudieran escuchar, junto con la Schejiná de la Presencia Divina).

15. El rabino Schimeon se regocijó y dijo. "¡Oh Tetragrámaton! ¡He oído Tus palabras, y tuve
miedo! (Hab. iii. 1). Él ha dicho: 'Por lo tanto, está bien hecho, ya que ha seguido el miedo;
pero para nosotros el asunto depende más bien del amor'. Como está escrito,

pags. 112

[continúa el párrafo] Deut. vi. 5: 'Y te deleitarás en Tetragrammaton tu Dios'. También está
escrito, Mal. i. 2: "Te he amado".

16. El rabino Schimeon dijo además: "'El que camina, subiendo y bajando (de una casa a otra)
revela el secreto; pero el fiel en espíritu oculta la palabra' (Prov. xi. 13).

17. "'El que anda subiendo y bajando'. Este dicho merece ser cuestionado, porque se dice,
'subiendo y bajando'. ¿Por qué, pues, ando? Ya se dice que el hombre sube y baja: ¿qué es esta
palabra 'anda'?

18. "Porque en verdad es verdad respecto al hombre que no es estable en su espíritu ni veraz,
que la palabra que ha oído se mueve de aquí para allá, como paja en el agua, hasta que sale de
él.

19. "¿Por qué razón?" Porque su espíritu no es un Espíritu firme.

20. "Pero del que es firme en espíritu está escrito: 'Pero el fiel en espíritu encubre la palabra.'
(Pero esta frase) 'fiel en espíritu' denota firmeza

es de espíritu; como se dice, Isa. XXII. 23: 'Y lo clavaré como un clavo en un lugar seguro.' La
materia depende del Espíritu.
21. "Y está escrito, Eclesiastés v. 6: 'No permitas que tu boca haga pecar a tu carne'.

22. "Porque ni el mundo permanece firme, sino a través del secreto. Y si en los asuntos
mundanos hay tanta necesidad del secreto, cuánto más en las cosas del más secreto de los
secretos, y en la meditación del Anciano de los Días. , 1 cuyas cosas ni siquiera son reveladas al
más alto de los ángeles".

23. Rabí Schimeon dijo, además: "No se lo diré a los cielos para que oigan; no se lo declararé a
la tierra para que oiga; porque ciertamente somos (los símbolos de) los pilares del Universo."

pags. 113

24. Se dice en el Arcano de los Arcanos, que cuando Rabí Schimeon abrió la boca, todo el lugar
se estremeció, y sus compañeros también se estremecieron.

notas al pie

111:1 I.e., uno de los nombres de Macroprosopus, la primera emanación, la corona. Keter. (Ver
Introducción.)

111:2 En el verso anterior es bueno notar que por Notariqon, la segunda división de la Cábala
literal. las letras iniciales de la primera cita dan la palabra AIMK, Aimakh, "Tu terror", cuya
numeración por Guematra, la primera división de la Cábala Literal, es 71; y que de manera
análoga de la segunda cita se obtiene la palabra MKBI, Macabeo, cuya numeración es 72.
Ahora bien, 72 es el número del Schemhamphorasch, o "nombre dividido", a que se refiere
siempre Macabeo. Y si al 71 de la primera cita le sumamos A, expresando así la unidad oculta,
obtenemos de nuevo 72. Es más. Es bueno notar que cada cita consta de cuatro palabras.
respondiendo así a las letras del Tetragrámaton.--TRANS.

112:1 Macroprosopus, el primer Sephira.

Siguiente: Capítulo II: De la condición del mundo y del mundo de la vacancia