Kabbalah: Chayye Ha Olam HaBa

72 Mystical Names of G-d

Kabbalah's Secret Circles, Robert ZuckerThese pages are from the new book on the legends and history of the Kabbalah, the Book of Creation and Abraham Abulafia's techniques, Kabbalah's Secret Circles, Read some of the chapters and download a free PDF sample of the book to preview. Also, download other free books on Kabbalah.

By Robert Zucker

The Shem Ha Meforesh

Exodus 14.19-21

19: And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them;

20: and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud, and darkness here, yet gave it light by the night there; and the one came not near the other all the night.

21: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

These three passages in Exodus (14.19-21) describe Moses’ miracle to depart the Red Sea. In Jewish mysticism, these passages also hold a very mystical, and secret, meaning.

A special arrangement of those 216 consecutive letters in the three passages reveals the hidden 72-triplet Names of G-d called the Shem Ha Meforesh – the Explicit or Hidden Name of G-d. Moses was said to have used this formula in order to spread the waters.

The pronunciation of the Name is done through a meditative technique. This Name was known in early Jewish history.

The Shem Ha Meforesh was the Key to the SEFER RAZIEL. Instructions to form the Names are mentioned in the BAHIR, the ZOHAR, and among several prominent rabbis of the Middle Ages. The 72 Names of G-d One of the most important Kabbalists during the 13th century,

Rabbi Abraham Abulafia (b. 1240AD) was among the first to discuss the purpose and provide the exact methods to construct the sacred Names (see following diagram). According to the BAHIR, each of the 72 Names are comprised from each one of those three verses in Exodus.

He instructions the student to write down the three verses in its Hebrew form:

  • Write the letters of the first verse (19) in forward order
  • Reverse the order of the second verse (20)
  • Write the third row (21) in its original, forward order

To construct the first Name:

  • Take the first letter of the 19th verse, which is a Vav (?).
  • Take the last letter of the 20th verse, which is a Heh (?),
  • Add the first letter of the 21st verse, which is a Vav (?).

Combine these three letters to produce the first Triplet, V-H-V (???) Follow these same steps to create the second name:

  • Yod– 2nd letter of row 19
  • Lamed– 2nd from the end of row 20
  • Yod– 2nd letter of row 21

Combine these letters to produce the 2nd Triplet Y-L-Y (???) According to Abulafia, the first three-letter Name is V-H-V (pronounced as Va-He-Va). The second is Y-L-Y (pronounced as YoLaYo). Continue the same pattern to create the third name using 3rd letter of each verse.

The results provide the three-letter consonants to form each of the 72 Holy Names. This method is called letter permutation. In Hebrew, the process is called tzeruf (???).

The activity of forming the letter combinations, and contemplating on the meaning of each permutation will produce “new knowledge that you never learned from human traditions nor derived from intellectual analysis. When you experience this, you are prepared to receive the influx, the shefa (???). Clear your mind completely. The, complete concentration, and a proper, pleasant, sweet melody, pronounce the Name of the 72,” Abulafia explained.

Using the natural vowel sound to each letter, pronounce each Triplet: VaHeVa (???), YoLaYo (???), SaYoTe

“We have a tradition that the divine influx will come to a perfected individual after he completes (pronounces) the 24 Triplets,” Abulafia wrote. The following chart, from Abulafia’s book, depicts the 72 Triplets of Names broken into 3 letters each. Start from the upper right square to the left (see “X”). X

This chart displays the 72 Names of G-d from Abraham Abulafia, CHAYE HA OLAM HABA (LIFE IN THE FUTURE WORLD). Read from right to left. This is similar to the chart on the previous page, but in a different arrangement.

The BAHIR gives further instructions on the Name, “[There are therefore] 12 stones [each containing six names] making a total of 72. These parallel the 72 Names of the Blessed One.” These 72 names are then compared to the 72 spoken languages.

Continue reading about the 72 Names of the Angels

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Books on Abraham Abulafia

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If you have an interest in this book or would like to request a copy of "Kabbalah's Secret Circle," please email bob@emol.org. Robert Zucker, Arizona, USA.

Kabbalah's Secret CirclesKabbalah's Secret Circles 

Now Available on Amazon.com and internationally

Read selections from the new book by author Robert E. Zucker, "Kabbalah's Secret Circles," examines the practices, literature and history of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah and the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation).

Discover the many lost and forgotten secrets of the Kabbalah through the words of famous Rabbi’s and authors throughout history.

Follow a historical time line of Judaic mysticism and understand some of the basic principles of the Kabbalah and Cabalah.

Devise your own Kabbalah Wheel to spin the legendary 231 Gates of combinations and permutations, as described in the ancient book on Jewish mysticism– the Sepher Yetzirah.

For more information on this Kabbalah book, contact author Robert Zucker.

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Copyright by Robert Zucker © 2007-20176 No part may be copied, reproduced, republished or digitally stored without permission from author.