by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
Eleazar of Worms, Sha‘ar ha-Sod ha-Yihud we-ha-’Emunah pp. 147-148 The Creator has no body, physical stature, image or form at all… The glory is an appearance of the resplendent light, which is called Shekhinah, and the will of the Creator shows and images that...
by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
Judah the Pious, a commentary on the prayer ‘Aleynu The Creator places in the heart of the prophet a vision (hezyon), and the Creator governs that image (dimyon)… Within the image the Creator directs the image according to what He wills to do so that the...
by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
The Creator places in the heart of the prophet a vision (hezyon), and the Creator governs that image (dimyon)… Within the image the Creator directs the image according to what He wills to do so that the prophet will know the supernal Mind (da‘at ‘elyon) and bow down...
by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
Hayyim Vital, Sha‘are Qedushah (Jerusalem, 1983), pt. 3, ch. 5, pp. 89-90. The Holy Spirit (ruah ha-qodesh) rests on a person when he is awake, when the soul is in his body and does not leave it [as in sleep]. But [the prophetic state involves] the matter of...
by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
Tradition attributed to Hai Gaon by Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome in his Talmudic lexicon, Sefer he-‘Arukh Aruch Completum, 1-14 This is explained in Hekhalot Rabbati and Hekhalot Zutarti. They [the mystics] would do certain actions, pray certain prayers in purity,...
by hadassah | Oct 30, 2016 | Texts
Mekhilta de-Rabbi Shim‘on bar Yohai, pp. 154-55 “And the people saw it” (Exod. 20-15). What did they see? They saw the great Glory (kavod gadol). R. Eliezer said- Whence do we know that the Israelite maidservant saw that which the greatest of prophets did not...