Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Bahir Verse 114-115-116

The idea of movement is introduced here and in the next two verses. Lets see where this takes us.

Bahir Verse 114. What is the meaning of the word Shevet [which has the connotation of both a tribe and a rod]? It is something simple and not square. What is the reason? Because it is impossible to have one square inside another square. A circle inside a square can move. A square inside a square cannot move.

The movement that is being spoken of is the movement in mind that occurs when our ideas meet one another. The explanation that is given is that these ideas need to flow or to have movement within them. The study of Torah represented by our meditation on the Bahir most certainly has had the movement of ideas taking us into remarkable realms for contemplation. The comparision of tribe and rod in the same word Shevet shows how an idea can be both a singular supporting structure or contain a number of related thoughts bonded together in the central idea of the tribe or concept that unifies the whole amalgamation of thoughts.

These ideas continue in the next verse and expand internally.

Bahir Verse 115. What are the things that are circular? They are the vowel points in the Torah of Moses, for these are all round. They are to the letters like the soul, which lives in the body of man. It is impossible for [man] to come [into this world] unless [the soul] endures within him. It is impossible for him to speak anything, great or small, without it. In a similar manner, it is impossible to speak a word, great or small, without the vowel points.

We are speaking about the vowel points and of their importance in making words come to life. If we look deeper we can see that what we are talking about are our emotions that color our lives and give substance to the things we hope to see appear in our world in response to our envisioning. To carry the analogy above further our emotions enable us to produce the forms of our hearts desire without which these thoughts remain in their unrealized state. This idea is extended even deeper in the next verse.

Bahir Verse 116. Every vowel point is round, and every letter is square. The vowel points are the life of the letters, and through them, the letters endure. These vowel points come through the pipes to the letters through the fragrance of a sacrifice, which immediately descends. It is therefore called "A descending (pleasant) fragrance to God" ­ indicating that it descends to God. This is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 6:4) , "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."

Perhaps the deepest meaning of all is indicated here. Our emotions imbue our thoughts with the energy of awakening into the life of our hearts desire. In doing so their unity of expression is assured indicated by this opening verse of the SHMA (Deuteronomy 6:4) , "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." Listen all that is existent to that which is supreme above all, that which is the maker of all and that which is the becoming of all. Thought through emotion is eternalized in creation. A deep wisdom here that bears much reflection.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Philosophy Blogs - Blog Top Sites

Religion Blogs
Religion Blogs

Religion Blogs
Start Blogging Add to Technorati Favorites

ThinkExist.com Quotes