i THE GREAT MYSTERY OR,

HOW CAN THREE BE ONE ?

R.bbi TIYI NASSI IHiJiffl Prl"",]

LICTUI•• or "1'••_ OlU'OJU) Univ.,rdty

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AN OLD BOOK WITH A MESSAGE FOR TODAY

Much time has elapsed since Hirsch Prinz wrote this small treatise. Much has also changed in the Jewish religious &cene. Few rabbis today will still claim (see page 5 bottom) that the Sepher Yetzira (Book of Creation) was written by "Our father Abraham. , :' of which the author says, "All the rabbis are of this opinion. II

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Nevertheless, the inescapable conclusions of the author still hold: that the Tenach (Torah, Prophets & Writings) defmitely present the God of Israel in a threefold way: as Father and King, as eternal Son, or Angel of the LORD, which in rabbinic writings is often referred to as Metatron, and in the Targumim as Memra (the Word), and as Ruach Hakodesh (the Holy Spirit). Hirsch Prinz sets out to prove it from the Targumim, the Talmuds, both Palestinian and Babylonian, and the books of the Jewish Kabbalah especially the book of Zohar. He has no difficulty as the Jewish Encyclopedia also says, (Vol. 12, page 261), "The Cabala, on the other hand, especially the Zohar, its fundamental work, was far less hostile to the dogma of the Trinity, since by its speculations regarding the

r~t@t..-tbe son, !U-c!...!.~!!!t..!L~Y.olved a new trinity ./ ... " As the Zohar says, ---------------~ r~

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I (OTl'Dm:lH • 'J J'O "., MID" .",..l How can they (the Three) be On& P Are tb"y vAril, One. beclluse we call them Ono P

J How Three can be One, can only be known througb tbe reve!J.tion or the lio!)' Spirit. (ZohB.r, yol. 2., p. 43, Yer..... p. 22, •. )

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CONTENTS.

PART I. I'AILAO..... l'll PJiOtl

I Nathalll.fll q1ves an aeoount of himaeU •••••••••••• I 2 The effect of Divine life in the lIOul . l,3 Nathanael eIpllLilll the plll.n of inqlliry he punued •• 40 N'lllhll.oll.el givell ulIllsketch altha Iivel!I of!.heee

Sa..Cjar:., .. • ~ _. • . . . •.. - • 3 Onkelo8 .. . .. . .....•••. 3JOllathan hen Uziel ...•••.. , •••••••........••••.• •The holy Zohar, 'Z7T1j:':1 "10"'11:'1 '0 ........••••••••.•.. •

Tikoone Hs.Jobu, '\'"TIi'l ':l'i'n······················ •m-r "\DC, The book of the Creation .•..••.•••.•.• •6 A g~mmlLticalluLiom in the Habre'" Illngu~••.•.• •• Logit:aJ .greemen1. between the eubject and the predi·

caLe. or between t.ha noun and the verb., .•••••••• 5

PART II.

TKII Don 01' 1&a.UtL,.

Nathanael examinee whether God hM revealed Him· .elf in a tbreefold nature .....•.•.•.•.••••••...

Hill naple, C'""" ....••..••.•••.•.•.•••..• , ••.••• 2 N8thanlloel's irrcsistiblttdeeire for the knowledge 01 God • 3 Tho .....", "Lobar, teaebell Natbanael loI'Il'I7vt "n, the

mYIIl.or)" of the Trinity e:ltpl.o.ined hy the word c--m.t, (.Mlhar "l., p. 66, AmllterdlUn Ed.) rm n~n, The

Three IIlepe in tbe Oodhead ...•••.•••.•. ,., •• ,. • 4. Nathanael'lI reOections, and that rm '1 co.nnol mean

certain attributell in Ood (l:Jb.Rr l, p. 281) .•..• 11 6 Corroboration of the truth IIlated in the Carmer para

graph .. , •• , .•...•• , •••••••• , •..• , •••••• "" •• 11 God ill Lifl:ht jn Hi.lI Trinity in Unity .....•.•••. , .• 11 '2ohu 3 , p. 288, ,e!'8ll ••••. , ••...••.••• , ••••••• , 11 God revealed. with Three HeedJI united in One •...•. The Trinity in Unity prom hom PI, Wi. 12, ':I'Pf' "

...,.". ((Jki;l.p.)8 'I p. 113, A..m.Itudam Rd.)••. , ,. 13

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PABAORAPH ~AO.

8 The world baa boon created by the m," 'l' the Three aubetanlive Beings in the ""''0:'1, in thl: Unity of the Godhead,................ 14

7 Nathan.lE'1 believes that there h but One Ood, but threefold in Hia nature ••.•.•• ,.............. 17

Inrerpret'l.tionorDtlut.6~f,'UI ~~. 7OlI:l •• ",18-19 8 EJ:planlltion. of the preceding pllrll.gTapb : the Three

PCI'80ns in tho Unity of the Trinity have one wiU and purpol!l~ ..••••••••.•••••••••.••••...••••. 19

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The signification of C"'T'\I));'l· the higher intelligenc88. Aug-ala. and n':M));'l, the implanted onea .. .. .. .. .. 20I o R Meullchem, of ReCll.T18ti. unfold, the m)"Aterr of the Trinity in the Ualty Crom D",ut. 6:".. 20

10 In the mystery of the creation of man, the mystery of tbe Trinity in the Unitr revl;Illled , 22

II KlI.tLlLnll.e! mt'et.llanotber friend, whom he inhoducce ill the number of hiB teachen ...•.•.. ,......... 24

I 'J The Unity io Lbc Trinity, and the Trinity in Lbe Unity 25 13 Subject aod predicate both in ~he plurll1.,.......... 26 14 Tho key to tbo mystery of tbe Trinity iu. Unity, and

tbo Unit}, in l'rioity .•.••. ,................... 27 rm' '1. the Three Spirits 10 the Oodbaad unikld inkl

One ..••.••••.•..• , .... , ... , ..••.•.....•.•... , 27 16 Only in the "l'::rll:l, ShechinaL. that ill, in Him, who ill

the briRhtnes1 of the glory of God, tho Midlll",-Pi!lar in the GodLelld, can tbe mystery of the Three in One, and the One in Three, be seen.,.. .. . 2S

Philo J udooull .. , .•...•.••.•.. , .•..• , •..... , 29 16 Nathlloael's detenninatiQII, to in \'efltig-ate the revelation

ofeach oftheThree self-exietillK Heings in the Trinily 29

l PART III. 1'1J:I..IIT DIVISIO~.

NatblLnael finds in the Scriptures, wbat his instrU1:lor~ also l"lich; tbe mplery of the revelation of 6Ilcb of Lbe Three Spirits, tm, n~n, alBa caUed n,.,tr n~n, the Three n~inga, i.u the Unity of Lbe Godb6lld .•.•.• 311

2 ,'~ M10'O' The WOltD of tho Lord ie called ',,',';'1'" Jebovah ., .• •..•. . ..•• •••• .• .•.•. . .• .. .• 31

3 ••., M1C"O, Tile WOl\!} of the Lord is the Creator of man and of the world....... . .• .••••• .....•.•. 32

i The Patriarcll& believed in .'., H"lD'O' the WeDnJehovah 32 6 Who "I'M the Lawgiver? 3t 6 Falber Abl"ll.b.a.m'e faith.. 3i 7 10. "hoao name our Fatller Abraham pl"ll.yed •. .••••• as

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1'....0"41'.. P.OB B Whelm did MOll8J, OIlT T-eher, wonhip' .•••.•.... 3~ 9 Moeee committed the h.ith or the Patriarchs to the

keeping or their descendants .•.•.••..•••..••..• , 3& 10 No oath ..as valiJ amorlgst my anceeLon. except hy

the .'., ~7.:I1 the WOIU> of the Lord., .•... , 36 11 The r611SOO wh}' my ancsstol1l swore by"" M"1O"O' the

WORII of the Lord ......•............•.• 38 12 The command of \-he sncient t.eschel"& of lars6l.... 39 13 w', 101::I"C. t.he WO~lI olthe Lord must. be obeyed 88 God 39 H Nsthanael di8oover1l1hat Uod ne,.er made a connant.

with sny of t.he Patriarcha, except t.hrough the mediation of ••.., M"1O"O. the WOKD of tho Lord .•...• 4 L

II) -"tltbanalll i8 led to belie,.e that there is no 8ll.lvation hut in ,'., W"'!O"O, the WOll.D of the Lard .•... "... 42

SI!COf'll) DrvI8IOIf.

1 ,'., It'107.:I. the Wow.n of the Lord is. n"'!J;'1 'JK'o. the Angel of the Covenant .•........ ,............. 4.i

:: mJOI 'JK'o. the Angel of the Covenant is an uncreat.ed Being, sod styled c~, mrr. and J"M' the Lord.. 4:i

S There is no Redsllmer beeides the Angfll oft.he Co,.enant 47 ." Nath.anael diseovers a gres.t !.rnth : God revealed H rm·

aelf in ~:"I 'JK'o. the Angel of thtl Covenant .,,8 :i Tho:Tlpl1, or the Plyslery of t.he offering up of leaa.c .,,9 6 Nathanael vlsitti in epirit the Mountain of HOl'eb ..• , 63 7 Thi~ Angel of the Oo,.ooan1, n--arr .....00, i~ the She-

chin&.h, the 11m,. of God _ _ ot 8 The promiae .......•..••. , .•... , , .. , . . . . . . • I)~ 9 The Angd of the Covenant is Lo be Obflyed. for God

iein Uim ' :'16 10 More light hreaks in upon Nathanael's mind...... 60

1'I-lIKD J)ll'IIIIOIf.

NaLhaQll,el discoven thw.t .'., 1OC"C1 thl! Woan of the Lord. is not. only called 11"U:"I 1"0' AngcJ. of the eo"enant, but oliO f"TDDC' t.he Metatron., .••... _, 60

2; bigoifi~tion of tbe name Ketat.ron, f"TDDC ••.•.•.. 61 3 No one, not even M.oees. hag ev61' IIet!D God, but he

allW the Mfltatron. who app6:Lred unLo Him 62 t T"tItI'O. Metatron, the lint begotten of God ,....... 63 6 rn~t1'O, !.:fetatroll., highly oultod., .•••• , , •••.• "., 6. 6 Im~lCO< the Metatr(ln. ill the (lnly MecUa.Lor between

God s.od man ,. . • •• .• . • .• •• • . .• . • . . .• 66 7 "'TlI:I. the Almighty h88 lel/8aled Hlmself in n(lother

thlW in the rntl'CO. Metatron, the Kocpcr 01 leraol 67 B Jl"IC'CI). MeWron. is called «.he Son 01 God ••••• ,.,.. 82

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l'\1VIlTH DI\'IIIIO!'l.

Th. Son oj God. l'A1UO •.\PH PAGE

""'n'OM,~, the Middle.PiIlarin the Godhead, hRlI

2 revtaled Him.elC lUI the &n o( God .. .• .. .. . . .. ..

The .son of God i. (rom et.,mity an emanation (rom 69

Gud, tbere{cre called '''''';'1'', Jehovah............ 70 3 The I50n o( God, the (ountain of light, two.gotten from

eternity .•.•...•......•.••••.......•.. " ••... 7' 40 Triumphing :faith in the &n o( (iod ......••.•••.. H

The IlLithful Sh~berd. . .• . . • . . . • • . . . . .• .. _ . 76 li R. Simeon hen Jocha.i'. prayer .••••••..•..•...•... 77

Hill Exhortation •••••• , •••••••••.•.......... 77

PART IV.

1t!'Ti';'1 rm, Tlaf! rIoly Spirit.

1 Ntl.lhlLnal"l ill led into tbe iunar ehllDlber of lil{bt ..... 77 j The Holy Spirit ill & ,ub.tantive Being in the God·

b6lid. the c;reator o( tbe worM ..........••...... 76 3 Inference dl'1l.wD, nlLlDrly, from _hom the Holy Spirit

proceedll , .. , , .. 79 40 A query. namply: 1& the IIoly ::ipirit the effect of

IIOme iovj.ible inJluenee of God? ..... , .........• 81 5 The Holy Spirit hitS all th6 OJ,·ille Il.tu-ibute•...... 81 6 Whot i. the olliee of the Hoi \'. Spirit P .., •.... 82 7 How can I know God from HIli \vord P , •.... 83 8 Tbe Holy Spirit WOII (rom the beginning the Guide

of the brs.el of God. . . • . • • • • • • • . • . • • . • • • • . • . . • • 840 $I The Holy !:'II irit &11 lIent the propbell, lind 8poken

througb thtlm ...........•..... , , .•...•. 85 10 The tloly Spirit IIhlLl1 quicken "he dead ....•....... 86 11 Sathanflel'. retrospective 'View, ILnd olllerWnll en·

couraging expectdionl ..•..................... Conclusion contllinin~ Iln Appeal .......•..••.... 89 " Error of modet1J .Judaism. Abraham ben David

tea.ebae a little IIOd a great God .•.•.•••.••...•.•• 00

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THE GREAT MYSTERY.

PAR T T.

§ I.

NATDANABL GIVES AX ACCOUNT OF HnlSELY.

[ HAV.!!: lIome peculiar and good reasons for calling myself NtJUuJn(J81. I am a. real and not aD imaginary person, and all that I am communicating in this little volume has verily and in reality taken place in my mind, when it pleased our God to bring me out of n turbulent ocean of Boul-distressing doubta and fears, strivings and wrestlings with the powers of darkness and with m.z own hearl, by nature ,~. (Ezekiel 1"~ 26,) into the glonou8 liberti~ chttdred 01 God.

This WfL8 a free and gracious gift of God, 8S my adopted name, N"JluJntul, signifies.

§ 2.

THE &FFJ.CT OF DIVINE LlPE I..N TilE SOUL.

When divine life is poured into the !!loul through the Holy Spirit, there is nn insatiable thirst for the heavenly truth of ~tD'''tD~ ~", II TIw m .eery 0 tM

..1,iniey." ~his tnus can on q no e ugh the teachmg of the Holy Spirit, when He reveals God unto the !lOW through His Word.' (7..0har, vol.

1 Bee motto OD the reversD of the tiUe page.

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1:, p. 4S, versa.) TJu Bibk, and nothing but lh8 Bible, is designed by God to be unto us the rule o· our faith and practice i but alas! His people the children of Iarael, invented, in their vain imaginations. aI variety of traditions, and exalted Uiern abovlLth_e ~ord of Ond, t;UB IIiaklD~elaw and the J:l!'2.EhtlL

I I ; non effect. he conseq: ce i eaultiugtfierefrom

1VaS, that the children of Israe2 lost the right and Scriptural knowledge of God, which only a very few retained. As early as the second century of the Chri9tian era, those few had died out. In the rabbinic writings of the subsequent five or six centuries. we find only tlxtract~ from the teaching of their anciont masters, and thia oftentiD:i.es darkened ·nter 0_1~_t5.Q~rwnarrr-Odsaid ihrougn- 18 prophetJereIIlla 1\

i " (ph. "", 13), has not ceasAd sounding forth "My l I \peOPle hau committed two evib: they hau: forMlm MeI the Fovnta11l of hving waterfJ, and hewed litem out ctBtern~, j

broken cialerna, whigh Cdn hol~ no water." ..--' -- Great mord power is required to emerge out of

such a state of ignorance, into which my people, the children of Israol, have fallen. Thi!l power is not in man, but is of God j and He says (EzekiQ.L =-~. 37),

: "toliW" n':J." tD."tol ntolf ,.,;,1 iT,;1' ':ntol iCtol ;1~ " Thu4 8aith th8 Lord (Jud, I wilt !let for thil btl inquired of by the hou88 of I8raeJ.'J It is, therefore, my prayer;

1n,tol '!J,:z." "n"~ nm~ ,~ ~:l"mL;, lnctol~ ~'~''',n : O"jJ ,~ ~n',i' " Lead mfJ in Thy truth>rmd t,ril.cn-7iiif ;for Thou art tlte ma: of my sulvatlon.. o,~ 1'hefJ do I wall all tM day." (P~1.-l1t;.s.)

§ 3. NATIU.W.\EL E..XPL.HNS TUE PLAN 01' ENQUIRY wnlen

llE PU.h.SUED.

I I took from the heavily-burdened shelves of my

library tile Book of all 600k" ntOt:! n""i" 1M Biblia Alagna Hebraica, and said, Thou ,halt be my I",truclor .' ud my prayer was, ':I!J'''''' nt:!~n O'j"O~- I' In 'M

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Mddm pare 1."ou Ihalt male mB to IcIlOW wi,l'km." (PsabUon

But while I felt that the Holy Sciptur6s· were sufficient, and alone to be trusted, to lead me into all t.ruth necessary to salvation, I wished abo to consult the writings of the aneiont teachers of my nation; some of whom lived befor\1 the Christian era, and otbers somowhat later. These writer~, it is true, be~t fallible W(!I)" 1I1"fr:to be foIIowtld 80 far

-only as tTietrlfiaCIiiii and doctrine Ii ---e with tho fto1);~£u~e8; ut nev8rt e eSB was anxIous :JctiOWwha~8eJeun'Jh S4ge.s: .... J'athtt,s thought upon tho f1uhjeet about which I was enquiring; aud accordingly I made diligellt search in the archiH'B, where I found certain reclmls, which informed me what authority thes(J meD had in the ~ynligogue. and still have, and what their faith l'e:opectiog ~'ti t-ltl:l~'W" the MJI$tery of the Tri,~itJl, Was.

§ 4 llATDANAEL OIVES US A SKETCU OF TD& LIVES Oi,"

TllESK JJo:.WISII-CliURCll FATliERs.

Onkelo8.-0Dkelo~, surnamed ""~C1 the Prosel)'te, was probiLhly de:ocellded hom the Gentiles, and had embraceJ. the true religi'm. lIe lived long before the rabbinic schools came into existence, though the preci,se time cannot be ascflrtuiued with certainty. Most probubl)' he flouri8hed in the time of, or at the return from, tbe Dab.vloni:oh Cll.lltivity, when our nation had lost the knowledge of their holy mothertongue, the Hebrow language, and the mass of the people only understood the Chaldefl. (n?~""w ,fi\l:li'i1, p. 20.) Onkelos translated the Pentateuch 'info Chaldee, and paraphro.sed certain passages. This raraphrase or translation is called the Targum.

ThIS paraphrase on the Pentateuch has had, in the JewiBh Church, the same authority as the Hebrew teld, and was always read in the synagogues after the Hebrew had been read. It is even erronoou.sly

oonsidered 8.8 having been iDl!lpirod by God l 88 we Tead in .":Jj7i't M"'ttI"'~, p. 20, n"'::::t;7 N'n C,)jnn : ~J'OC n"~ ""0",,' 1'"., ., Thie paraphrase haa Moeee, our ma.ater of blepsed memory, (lit., Peace be upon him.) received upon Sinai." But after it had been enlirely forgotten, this crown was restored in all ita lUlltre through Dnkotos, the Proselyte. This para. phrase is of such canonical authority, that it ie 8aid our rabbie, : t:P)C' l:1'nc M1' ~'n ,....,~ 1:]'0'0". i"., "He who add~ Bny thing to it, behold! be ie a bas8 blasphemer. I! Thu8 much rflgarding the authodty of Onkeloe.

JowJl!lan om Usi81.-Thia celebrated teacher was the chief disciple of Hillel the Great, Bnd wrote 'h..i.e paraphrase long before the destruction of Our holy temple,(,nno~,p t7,co1.2:; 18, col.~·.; and 35, col. I.), and his paraphrase possessed in the synagogue ca.nonical authority.

The ellaldee parap/lraae. called tke 'C"'CO,.,' tm'l1 i.e., t.~e Jwu~all'm paraphralle.-This paraphrase ot' the Pentateuch is 1l1so said to have been written by Jonathan ben UzlCl. It contains only very short para.phrllStic notes, and not nIL the verses, but is of great value, havi[l~ preserved. faithfully and without alloy, the faith of my forefathers respecting the nature of God, o.nd of Ilomo other important doctrines founded upon God's holy Word.

When I considered that theBe Cbaldl:lB puraphrasee were written in such remoto times llS those before the Christian era, and by men of so greut authority as to bo acknowl(ldged by the whole (If my llIition throughout the world, I could not bnt feel anxious to know their faith and teaching, respecting the, nature and essence of God. Tho puraphrase, there~

I i fore, of tha Pentateuch, by Onkalo::!, and those of

the Pentateuch, and of the major and minor prophete, by Jonathan ban Uziol, I said, I will carefully consult.

7.. /wly loh..-, lD"i'n ~'" (Ih' holy Liyhl.)- now great was my joy, when I fOllDd this moat extraordi-

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nary book in my father's library-a book so replete with profound mysteries, written in & style so lofty. and in a language understood by few in our age. excl&imed, I will GUO con~"lt tAl': hut mlleA dI I kn;_ lJu" Yft t~" mult 68 hnu41A eM Word of Ood. Thy testimony I canDot receive, further than it agrees with Moses and the prophets.

This book iii known among my people 8S the holy book lohar. It was written by R. Simon ben Jochai, and his 80n R. Eliezer is said to have assisted him.

They flourished "hartly after the destruction of our Holy City by the Romans. On &ccount of a decree of death ptl.8sed against them by one of the Roman emperot'8, both father and Bon hid themselves in a cave,' where they wrote this wonderful book, which is considered among my Datiun to be of the highest authority in things pertaining to the knowledge of the nature and essence of God.

The statements regarding R. Simeon ben Jochai and R. Eliezer, and the legends, in which the vene. ration of my nation for the holy book Zoharis wrapped up, shew that they have considered that in it has been preserved the right knowledge of God; what He is in His nature and essence.

There is another book of n. Simeon ben Jochai in existence, called "in" ')'lj?n, "The propositions of the'1ohar," of which I shull make some use.

"".. ':{.. ,,~O. Tk~ BooT.: (ljtJu Creat:"on.-This book is said to have been written by our father Abraham. (Tittle page, Mantua Ed.) R. Moses llutarili (also caUed Butril) says in his commentary on this very extraordinary book (p 21, col. 1),

: ""''S''' ..,!:o H1j)1'1 "'~O1'1 1'11 ')"~H Ci1":::tH ":::tn j.~., .. Our iather Abrahum wroto this book, which is called the book of tho Creation." All the rabbis are of this opinion.

Of course I do not belieys thisj lor then we should find it in TJ"n, j.~., amongst the canonicS'l books;

II At Bukea., in OalilQeo

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yet it is of great antiquity. Though written in pure Hebrew, the style ie difficult to be understood. The book has great authority in the synagogue.

It is probable that it may have heen written shortly before or 800n aCt.er the Babylonish captivity. Though this hypothesis may be disputed, at any rate it existed before the Christian era.

§ 5.

A. llRAld.MATIOAL AXIOM IN THE RKBRBW LA.NGUAGE.

Every Qne who ie acquainted with the rudimentfl of the Hebrew and Chaldee languages, must knoW' that God. in the holy 'VritiIlgs, very often speaks of HimsOff in the plural. _The passages are numerous, In whlCh, !neteall of a grammatical agreemont between the subject and predicate. we meet with a construction, which some modern grammarians, who possess more of tbe so·called philosophical than of the real knowledge of the OrientallanKuage!i, call a pluralitJ ercellentite. This holps thom out of every apparent difficult)'. Such a plural~·tJ exceluntia was, huwever, a thing unknown to Moses and the prophets. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, David, and all the other kings, throughout '''~''J'', (the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa) trpeak in the singular, and not as modern kings in the plural. They do not say we, but I, commaud; as in Gen. ~, ~ 41; Dan-j"tl 29 i Ezra 1. 2, etc., etc.

§ 6.

LOGICA.L A.GREEMENT DEl'WEE..'O{ TrJll: SUBH.CT A1i1J THE

PREDICATE. OR BETWEl1:X TIlE NOUN .o\ND VERB.

A few examples wiIl8ufficf!_ In Gene:sis 1~·. 26, 27, we find Laban saying to J Ilcob, 'JC'~C::l 1::1 n~1P tool", nJi"'1~"l n~l ]',::Itt' ~",C : n-r",~n ,~~", nj']''s:n nl"l" : "C1'7 '::I]'n jtt'~ n,,:nl::1 n~l' n~ OJ ,"" i.f., .. It mu~t not be done ijO in our plac., to give the younger

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Wont IIul 1In~bum. I'uIliI her week, &lid _ wil1 rinthee thiealaofortheeenice which t.hou.halt een8 WUh me. The pronoun would be, ... i.D. the former ID8Iilben of the Tene, in the plural. namely, II with 0;" illAban had l5pOken ... m.odem mighty meD ill the ,,.,,." III\c/llati.. He would also baTe had • &ling opporiunity of lelling l"""h feol his im~08 aDa weight, .hen be overtook him in his Ilighl (Gents;, ~I: 26-31), bnl he lIpOke in the

Th,g;oal agreemenl bel.·_ IIul .nbj~ and &he predjcate, is laban saying (1'81'88 26). in ourU place ., ('Yene 27), Cl we will give;" i.fI., I. laban, and my boueohold, will gi... Then. Laban add&. If Fo:r the ll8nice.hich thou sbalt aerv8 .ith me.n _pIoying lbe oinguhor nember, he oIone being Jacob'.ID&I&8r.

Tb... aleo we lind, 1 Kings ~: t, \hal Rohobeam aid, : nm am 11M ~, :::::a"a:m ~'Q C1"1It nc i..., II Wha1 oouDB8.l gi'". ye, thd we may .......er lhia poopl. , ..

II We "m-.oa, I aad my companiou. The ~ ..._h in hie own lUUDe, and in the DalDe of thoe8 wUh "hom ba had uniled hi....u, .. IIul oonlulsh..... (800 aleo 2 Bam'" II: SO; lob I.: i; 1JaDIII :t.'6.)

I plainly peroei... 1Iul~ in lboee lim.., lbe groal OD88 of the earLh did not u.ee a"""" ac.UM,;.. 'Deep, how8T8r, iathe mystery of the logical agreement betW88D the uoun aad its verb .iD. thoee p&lB&geB which mer to God, &I I shall endeavour to abew in IIul following pul.

I

PART II.

THE GOD OF ISRAEL.

§ I.

:PI'ATHA1l'A'ZL UA.IIIINIl8 WlIETIIJl.:R OOD HAS liK-

VEALEJ> HUIBELP IN TDRI:BFOLD N ATURB.

HI8 NAME.

ON opening my Bible, the very first sentence drew my mind forcibly into deep w"ditatioD. n~lt'H":: c'n\;~ ~i:1, that ie, •• In the beginning c'n"~ (God) (He) created." I cannot make H"::J, (He created), being in the lIingular, agree ,ra",,,uJfictJlly with C"'""toI (God) in the plural. Tbt-re muet therefore be a w!1ical agreement between the nOUD and the verb.

Our Jater rabbisJ having inbibed infidel notioDS, could give me DO Msietance. Even the rabbie of the twelfth century, 88 Aben Ezra, epeak of God all epeaking like modern king8. If our great master, MOBee, of blel!8ed memory, had known of 8uch a uee of the plural in reference to Ood, he would have put the verb aleo in the plural 'V't1:1, .4 lAIr ef'~tJUd." At any rate O"n"H is a plural.

I went to R. Bechai (Oenolll: 1, p. 1, col. 2), and he expla.ined to me the word c"n"tol in the following mallDer :

n~n n~n' •Crt "to' n''l',c "nttl n'ln own • c"n"tol •""":1 H"C , ......,,::::1 .MH "";:)'1' ',....n .""n ttl..... !:!

• 1":1" "";:)ttlcn, Tha.t is, Elobim (c'n~) is compounded of two

words, OJ::' ,""" i.~., TIw,.",.. God. The plural is -\ ---\ iiii".U

. , ci 1

9 70p

uprOlled bylh. lolte. jod

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1. R. Eliezer sat before hill father and said: II SlDI we have learned that c~n"H (God) expre81181 : every place the justice of God, how is it that wher ever we meet "'M' "::J~, (Gemli....."'.8,) that n,"'" pronounced c~;:1"~. though the letters of the WOl n,n~. expres8 alw~Y8 the mercy of God ?'" M~''''' • ::l"n=>' • t' ,::1:1" "H M'l::ltl7n, c,..

: c"n~n t·nn . 2. He aU8wered him: "It i8 written in the Scri]

tuN (Deut. ,,; 39), I Know therefore this day, at consider in thine heart, that (n,n") the Lord He (c"n\:Ho~) God. '" 1oC" n"ton "f1loC;, tQt',.. tn n'?t:I n"" "eN 3

: "en" M' 3. The other replied; ,I I know that 80metiml

justice can exiat with mercy. and merr.y with justice "MH ",:>:1 nH'ln"l tonn "l:ln, M"M n"" "eN 4 1",.:J H)""" ,",!:)n., ' ..:1....n ..:'l~nC' n~I:tt::l'l • "!'Y'

: C"n",H n'? 1=1",'")'1 "'In" ::J,"r 4. He 88.id: .. Come &bd see i it ie thus. The naD

",n' (Jehovah) certainlyexpres8es mercy; hut Whl mercy must he turned illt-I justice, theD the WOl written "'not (Lord) is read c'mH (God)."":n . 1\:>'1< l'J"' 'J n'lc, "', ,n /?n ""I< 5 '\.,It'i''n~, .,n H":>' )"~H' • '",n"~ HJ"" HJ~:H, 1~ N'1 'tl7"!:lno H'" .,r

5. II Eliezer's f&ther said to him: Come and Sl the mystery of the word, 'M'''M'', J ehova: there a: three steps, each existing by iteelf; neverthele they are One, and 80 united that one cannot 1 eepar&ted from. the other."

• The Rabbi 'I rem&l'b on Lb.e connesion in .bicb C'M and""" an &1"""1 Kid to stand, il one with .hieb we m~ DOt be IU.ppolI8d to coincide. Ria won-, bowe..er, n8C8f8ri uuolve & be1ial in .. Triune God.

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§ f. WA.TIIIJfAJ,L'S B.BJ'L'BCTJOl'lB.

It is clear to my mind that the unity of the three aleps cannot mean certain attribo.te8 of God. Which three of the attributes should be meant by the three Btepa? Why only three instead of all? One attrihute in the Godhead i8 aa great lUI another. By theee tArN,Up. Dluat be UDdentood tArN distinct and ,ubuantive bs!!!gs in ~n,," (God). ~ This &{)pean to hays been th8d.&tnne or my flthen, whlch R. Simeon ben Jochai ud other ancient teaohen h• .,.e pl'e88ned in their 8.teemed writings.4

rr'n" • n)":::2 ':1 • "n::l ':1 .1":1.." n"nc ",,""::I :r::l : 'n....'''.,n """::I i.,.• the two and twenty letten (ofthe Hebrew alphabet) comprehend elY lltrw 'up.; (:,) the letter KtJPi, lignifies the crown (our he.Y8oly Father); and the letter b) B,tla, 'lY MAtlw,ttmtlirtg (the SOD, because the Hebrew word for n:1":::2• • ru:l«-,taIuli"" baa implied the two words, "" }::Ii. the SOD of God). and Jehovah includee both.

S 6. OORBODO&ATIOllf OF THE TRlJ'TJI BTATED III mB lOB.lrZ1l

PAIL6.0.RAPH.

I find that I am oot too bold in BuppoBiog that my Fathen couidered that theBe tAr...Up. in c\",," (God) are three Bubetanti...e beiogB U'Diied in one i for R...8imeon ben Jochai explainB himself.(20bar, YoI.3., p. 288, 'l'8n&, Amsterdam Ed')l 8&ytn~:

0041 .. LigAt ... In. n-i"it, ,a U.it,. ~~nn lt4 :::2"ro N"I' ,,~, ."D~:t C\i"''"T~ rr404' 1"""" ""t4111 ,,~ l,",mnc 14",. ',,",,' • ...., .". t'l.,~ .l\:::20' HX) ~"nl' "'tIM • l\!D4 ""1"~':::2l\""n'"T

. l'~' 1'''''~ .,~ "'~ 1,",1O~1'Il:l' M"'~" n.."~ i Zobarj vol. i .•, Po 281, ~

'

... I

•.,j .".

u perfection. ThU8 the other lightsl are two complete onea, yet ia the Ancient Holy Oue described and complete a8 one, and He ia one, poBitiyely ODe i thus are the other lights united and glorified in one; because they are one.

I find also in the other celebrated work of R. Simeon ben Jochai, "'n'ln 'J"t,n (cAaf* r J8.) p. 113, Amaterdam Ed.), these worde:

1""":01 •1''''':0 l"1'!lO n"ne ".".,:> """:0 "11":>" Mn.- • 'M17Ctz:7 " O'Mt:t o'mN i:t., nnH iCnz.t Mrn.a l'n::l -.'Cnz.t"T 1~"17 l''''~ n"n Nn l:)'Mztt,.,:t., Mrn.a H'n tr1" • l'.,nH n"n nnH, nnH : TnH 1"" 'T':tIl T1'::l Y"r • 'M17Cltt ." O'MltJ O'li'::H i,~" the exalted Shechina comprehends the Three highest Sephiroth;1 of Him (God) it is said, (Pa. lxii. 12), II God bath spoken once; twice have I heard tbilll." Once and twice means the Three exalted Sepbirotb, of whom it ill eaid: Oncs, once, and ODce ; tblit ill, Three united in OU8. This is the mystery : God bath bpok6D, on6, two,-I heard On6 (God). y', baa th6 8&Dl6num6:rcw ",allie &8 m~ 0114, namely:

TI. I - 7 - I , 6 ~"" " 8-~ 4"

la la· l Lit., Shiniog 0081• • Though uod6l' the Dame &plli"utA ten attributes of God. are

IIOmf'timM nllderlltood (from "l'U:);1 roJ~ Exod4" :1o.l;~lO. ~ide R. Bt:chlY"i, p. 114. vena, 001. 2, AwelenilLm Ed.) .. And they AW the God or loaael ; Iud then! .... uoder Hill feet, aa it "ere, .. paved work of wpphire ,toOIll;" yd ..e w.h.J.l 8ee in the aNluol, that &pAirotA. oftoDtimel ,ignif}"... in the passage qlloted.aoove from ,.,C1 ~l'n'iTfT' V'l"l"M tn..,.. I, Jehovah; 2, our Go"; 3, J.,hovll.h ;, tbe Tllr., 86

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§ 6. 'U£ 'WORLD BA$ BEE:oi CIUUTJtD BY TIlX n'''''n ') I

THE THREE BVBBTANTIV'K JlEINOe IN TBE .,n'''On. TUE UNITY OF THE aOI)IlEAI).

A contemporary of R. Simeon Leo J ocho.i speaks, if possible, still more plainly of TltreB di8tinct n,"'~' Boings, in the one undivided Godhead. R. Eliezer Ho.lrkalir writes on Genesis l: 1. (See m"~" .,~C, p. 18, versa, Mant. Ed.) thus :-

Qn, C ...,t;C ')::l '~"'::l ,~",~ n~ n":J.i'n M"::lW~ , ..,,~ .. ,;y i1W"W" c,n . "~::l' T • itlQ•••C"tO" : .,1;::1=1T ; c"cu:rn M,,",n n?H • n'tt'H"'::::l j'1W~~::l :pn:rl n1M:l ttl..,·~ "","j'1::1 ",on ,"'oN' • CH""I::::z":J V"'Hn, ,nt, • n",i1 ') tz::" n'Hi1 ,.,HI::l' • C"'~i'1 Hi:::lJ N"n inN' • ";" C"i17t-1l M-'::::Z iT'tD'l"o-':l niCtot::l n""nn ''0 • C'~tt" V"'M O"i17H n,,,' n'lt':p O''':::l itlH ':1 'W~:l C"Ctl::' n,n" ":1,:1 .""ON j'1"J:' ii'l:t'Cn,

: CH::::Z~ 7:1 "!:l n,-':1'i.,., "When God created the world, IIe created it through the Thrue Bephiroth, namuly, through St'pher, Sapher antI Vesaphur, by which the Three nl'lJ'1 (B~illgS) uro mount; buco.use it i~ writton in the history of tho creation, Gen~,'> 1", 4, • These are the generations of the heo.vens and the eo.rth. CH"':J11:J, when thoy were created.' Our rahhis, of blllssed memory, have expounded the letter n. in the word Qpl,i::::l.i1:J, thus: through the letter n He created; thus the world is created through the letter n ; becaU!:le in this letter i1 (signifying :'·W"~, Jehovah I') are indicated the three Boings (n,",n), and tbis is tile secret of the law, when saying, • in the beginning God created,' etc. ; and afterwards when i~ is daid, • In the day thfLt the Lord God, C'i"'l?M nm\ made the earth and heavens,' The Psalmist (peace be upon him) said, PsalRl 1:5: 6, 4 By the Word 01 the

,l~ Lord were the heavenl!l made, and aU the host of them by the Spirit 01 Hililll mouth.' n

And again (p. 29), says the 8&DlB writer :

n'"" ~,tlC, i"'::lO i"t10 ~,,~ 7l ,...,c "'H ~in, : 0':1,:3)'" l-M~ n,cm" ,,,~ ']:::l ':lIP., • m..,"t-e n","" ...,., II The Rabbi, my Lord Teacher of blessed memory, explained Bephel', Bapher, and Bippur, to be 8]1l0nymou8 to Js, Jehovah, and God (Elohim), meaning to say, that the world W&8 crea.ted by these three names." I

The most corroborating evidence of the !lDcient beliof in the truth slated abova, that the "''1'il ,J the three Beings in the Unity of the Godhead, created the world, I read in n.,'l~'l .,~o (p. 20, versa, Mant. Ed.) "'"':IN M'IO~ mil' n"'l i'i'n······, . ron, c'm ~ c",," "T~' C"rl C'n'", ""...." n'C'':l0:::l • ,em m"i" C'MC ':3) ,:nw Htt7J' 0"

: ""/!J'lo't "00' "OO:::l C"'''!lO i.,., II Ja, Jehova.h of hosts, the God of Israel, the living God, tbe everluting King, the merciful and gracious, the high and exalted One, inhahiting eternity, the heaven, holy Is His name, created'

The ancient Jewish teachef1i were anxious to avoid any oxpre.lllion, whioh might imply anyeorporM.1 idea respeeting the adorable Oodbe.d: therefore they UMd thil e:r.prouion, TAr,. Namu; modern writ.en would lI&y tAr'll Pefl(P1U, wiLbout therefortl atw.cbing to it; any eorporeal idea; God i.I a Spirit. By op Na""", tile JewiBb writen meaD very oft.en Gr». mD1l' 'J mean bear ~be three Divine beings in God. ap. N-.. i. often ued in the Holy Seriptul'eL'l inllte&d ot mt1', Jebovah: Psalm '2fJ~ I; 51; 3. Hebrew text). PrOT.

'B ~ IU; 1.&""- 10:27. 'W" aignifiM commonly to ""'''/1011, Mal em. The author

of m"!' '0 111M it in Lbe lI8Ille to w,at" IQ u~abli.l!l, lo,fiz. BiB commootator, R. MOBeI Butarili. sari on tbil p.....ge ; p. 23 Te1"8&, col. 2, I trI:n~ ti:1fD ~J coop TO'n., I"It M'U' P'i1" 'I", i.II., The al1t.hor m6llIl8 by ;:n. lie treated the world aDd, .tabll.bfd i& lor e"Sl', th.&~ it shall Dot be mOTfd.

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the world through 8epher, Bapher, and 8ippuJ', (the three Beings, M'I"l'ln ':I. in the Godhead)."

The very oeme doctrine I find taught by R. M:enachem, of Becanati, in his Commentary on Deut. IQ',17 (p. 278, col. 2, Venice Edition).

C"t:l'~t) rm;, ,'n~,.,n .,;,;, .~, C~""'l4 ..''.., ':) , ....,..," 1"NW Mnt'1 1"Y'IH ,,",'t)N ""'M:I: ,"... ':I ClCt'M ':::l lt4::l "''':::l1" 't:J l:1n'l ."::1 c","n C""',,,:' '''''nM'I c'n"...n ';'1"'" ''''nH' i1"nn '""0" • :J'IfO ':::l , ...." "n" 'om:nc:J 1:::l'l • C')'''t4n ':I'''''' ")~ """'''''nH' .D'i1"toln .. ""~ ",n '''''MM • "")'1D4in m"m Mrtt"rtt" cn:J \,ein, C"r't4n n:l':> n,':>,,) n'''~!l) nll7'~':> ":lln 1'II7",n ':>~, M'1M""t) M':J'n:J :J~:l ".,,~.. "90::1 -rotan ,')-':::l • M)'CM:J C'CEttM MIt".,,, .,CN ':::11:1'" ''It'l • ne:!n ':>,,)n ':»In 'u, C"cn ':>~ I',,,n ~i"'':> '1I7'':>lI7n ,,~, •":l)n ':>,...,n •1"':>~ ':»I ",n ':>"n •,.,,)n, •":lln :n,~ n0",an lC" • H"'1'1:::li" i.,., .. For tbe Lord your God, &c. I have oftentimes made thee to bow, that there is not in the law (the Pentateuch) a lingle leUer upon which great matters do not depend. Con8ider, he (Moeea) mentions here first God's e8pecial name, ",n', Jehovah, and then, the God of gods, and then the Lord of lords. So in P&;;l11O\ ,:\,,: 1-3:' 0 give thanks unto the Lord, for

He is good j' then, '0 give thanks unto the God of I gods j' and then: 10 give thauks unto the Lord of

lord's.' He alludes with these three names of God

I to the TlarH fir" Bnng, in the Godhead. 01 the first, he (David) 8ays, vel'. 4. f To Him who alone I d08th great wonders.' (According to the opinion 01 the book, n""flY', pp. 20 and 102, col. 1.') Concerning the second (n''\n) Being, eaith David. vel'. 6. I To Him, who by Wi,tlom (Proverbs 8) made

, LiL. the cb.pter commencing with theae woTd,: .. Through thirty_two hree.1biDli the wopden of God', wiadODl have. been revealed." Th.t ii, in the tint chapter 01 Geu_ia, we find

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"l..'

\he hea.OIlI.' OonoomiDg lho \hird (".",1 Being, he Mith, over. 6, 'To Him that Itretohed out the earth above the waters,' &c. The GOO, the great, the mighty, and the tel'Tible one. The God, that is, God \ho high..\. Wilh lhooo lhroe adjocti.... gnat, mighty, &Ild tenible, he &Uud. to the original Bei.J:a.g8 (lit., Fathers)."

§T•

• A.TDABABL BBLIBVg TB.4T naU II BtIT OR'.

GOD, B'DT TBILBU'OLD Dt UlB ."''I'mLJI:. It is the duty of every Israelite to make a daily

CODleseion of his faith in ..-a:,,"m., Nn. the mY8tery of the Trinity, and Unity in Trinity, when saying hia prayers. This confession is Dot taken from human but divine Wl'it, namely, from Deut. vi. 4, : 'TnN i"'11i"'1'l 'U'lj'''''' ","' ,,"itz1'! 17D;', ".11., "H'M, 0r.,.GIII, 'lw LIra OIlr fJod;, mu Lwtl." In these worda we hear fint the lingular, m".., 1ehovah, then the pllU'Ol ,)'n,," , .... Gotl (olriclly God,). and \hon again the singular, JIIMtJd, concluding with .,n... J One, meaning to 8&y, U TiM, TAr" .u6dlJrstiH B,ing. tin tIN (),u God."

I found, to my infinite joy, that this interpretation of this pueage had been coDsidered in the Jewish Church, long before the Ohristian era, the only true one.

Tbus we read in 'Zohar (vol. 2., p. 43, vena, Amsterdam Edition),

nH'n:~I"" 17"1)t:I" ''''''11'''1' 'In"" • He,' "::1., ..,.,", : ~'17'"

I. Tho proscribod daily form of p"'y'" (a ..,do..

ULlrty-l.wo am. God lpeakl (breathing) wheD He enat.ed ilul ~cutar puts of Uu onJI,aoD. (RAfM'~. Comllumt&ry on &be book Jet.i..... p. I. MlLDtll& Ed.)

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,iOD of the Unity in the Godhead). has for ita objeo~ that thou shalt know aDd comprehend it.

?:l'~ 'Tin' "'n:"I~ nl:l~:l 1'CM loin .l'h MTln'" 2 • nND~jJ ...., ?mett' ~ctt' • l'Mj'TT '~'n'l '"'l'I: NDl'

: ~MN 'l'jJN "'~'1 • ~n 'M?:l loin • 'I"" 'tt'n':-M 2. We have Mid in many places, that thi.s daily

form of prayer is ODe of those passages concerning the Unity, which is taug,ht i. the Scriptures. In Deuter. ,: 4, we read first in"" (Jehovah). then, "O"n'">", (our God). aDd again, ",n" (Jehovah), which together make oue Unity_

?~ J1M' ~n l')"N ,'n '1')'" ".,t:ttl n?n Mn 3 n'l'~ ~::I"Tn::l .,I?N • in lU"'" T'n • inN l::1"ij1i :J::I rm:l? •HD"no ...::1"1'. n'n:J ll~"~ • 1l'l''''l'''\N Ml:D~jJ

: 'lMM 1""'" Mn"m 3. Buthow can three Namee'be one? Are they verily

one, because we call them one? How three caD be ODe can only be kuuwn through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and, in fact, with closed eye8. a

• m '1n"~ "'i' .~cnW"'i ?,p, "'t" 'In..... ~"1 4 ,n "In?:l' ......C"l ...n,""1 ...w'" .l"~''n ...n?n "In'""

: ?'i" ~'''::1 4. This i~ also the mystery of the voice. The

voice i8 beard only a9 one 80und, yet it con8ists of three 8ubstances, fire. wind, and water, but all three are one, a8 indicated through the my8tery of the voice.

l":n'l~ ~n?n ,n l'l~"'" 'r"" '::I"n?~ "".. toOn '1"''1 .5 """"::1 tt7::1 -0 ""::1~i ?'i' 'In..... ~" .,n l'l::l"Ni

e '.e., Tbe Tb",e .Iubetantin Beings. (See loot note, p. 16.) • Thi. ~fenl literall)' to tbe enetom, tbat when we say tbi.

prayer (Deu~ h: "). "8IG', 0 l"rul," WEI Ibut our eyel. The eeholar 1t'ilI percllive, tbilt the Rabbi means to sa)', that "'n~n ..ith do,ed 'f" (1t'ith .. deficient nndentanding) 1t'e can kDo.. hy royelatioD (,rm) that .. T.Ut1 TAr" Gr, em, ... llul OodIt.Nd. •

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lO!l'O '11 ~10 I'I 16~, l'l"n':l n'fWM nl'fl'lZ>?' :,n 1'::1\"" Hmn '::Ji'1~ .,,~'t' Hi" \"i' '1Hl'::l •M"~"

6 Thu8 are (in this place, Deuter: -6:3) ",n"" ",n' '::1'"""', .. The Lord. our God, the Lord," but One Unity, three Substantive Beings which 8.re One; and this is indicated by the voice which a. person usa8 in reading the word8, II Hear, 0 Israel," thereby comprehending with the under8to.nding (will) the m08t perfect Unity of Him who i8 infinite i becau88 all three (Jehovah, Elohim, Jehovah) are read with oDe voice, which indicate5 a Trinity.

n'''' toUi::! "~::Jl1M' ~c'''' ,,~, H"r1' 'i'1'H ..." 6 : HtD"i'

6. And thi8 i8 the daily (confe88ion of faith) of the Unity, which i8 reveo.led by the Holy Gh08t in II mY8tery.

1HC • t::I'I0j1 ,n"~, ,.,1'(1H ""'n'., ''''::1,,::1 i'TC~' 7 : "::117 'Hn '''::l't', 10' ":::It' 'Hi'1 "::1'1:"

7. Although theTe are so many PArsons I united in the Unity, yet each Person i8 a Verity (a true one) i what the one does, that does the other.

§ 8. EXPLA.NATION OF THJ: PRECEDING PARAGRAPH.

":l~ 'Hn ":l'tl 10', II What th, on, do,th, tlwt dHth tM other," which is evident from the Unity they form, as there cannot b~ any difference of will or purpose among them. The attributes of the one must be the attributes of the other, as is taught by R. Menachem, Recanati; hi8 words are these: (pp. 266, § pnn",.) ,~ f111'? f1''''''''' nruo C11C' ,~ """''0):1 r,,~i''' M"tD n:m~i1 •C'n?Mn M'M "'""I

1 r"u or, &8 above, (4) 811betanOOll, alaowilh the significatioa or •• excellent ooea." .. mighty onea," &8 in the TarR'um, Eoc1eB. ..f.7. 1""1 f"UU' .. Bt.rong men." nl ocoun also in the HDle of Ufonn," .. maDDer."

1 .~ ...'-- ..

i 20

Me ":J Q~::::t.., n'O'W":1 c ....,:)'t~ ,""'t:lMltl '!) 'L;.~ 'ltl .." '''''"1'1 1""''' ,";" 1nH ,~n, nl::a U1"" "t::::t lZ''"W ')'1'1 ''JO ::I:'ro'l NEl7""p H"pn ""~rn::l' "'::2 '"""OOr'\tl:'"N''\''''' iA., the reason why it is said: I Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know, that lb. Lord H. i, God' (D••_. \':3~), i, tb. deslte that thou IIhouIdeet Dot separate the In~ herent 00e8,' the 1'Ij"J, the three Persons united in the J'l'O 1"~, the eternal, altbough the attributes afB spoken of in the plural, yet wha.tever a.ttributes are in the one are alao in the other." (Here followll & quotation from the ohaf.) R. Manachem concludes: "These lU'e aocrete which are revealed ooly to those who a.re reaping upon the holy field, aa it is writton (PBal-'lS:14), 'The secret of tbe Lord is with them that fear Hial.' "

§ 9. lUTHANAZL RElI..A.I!'{S IN THE OOMPANY OF R. ME

N'AClIEK. of BEOANATE, WDO UNFOL08 TO RIM: TlI:B IlYSTEBY OF 'fHB t-lW,"ltl', tolli, TRINITY IN THE

UNITY, J'BOII: DEUTHaorIBMY6~q.AII ll. IIUtE()N DB}(

.loonAI. Uf § 7. P. 17.

ThAt in thia our daily 'Confession of fllith (Deut.&: 4), the mystery of the threefold na.ture in the

Unity of the Godhead is undeniably revealed. is cl&a.rly taught by a.noth6T of OUT celebra.ted rabbies• R, Menachem. of Recana.ti. in hill Commentary

f !~S

-' ..

'.21

M1M i"'IC!:m •.,nM ...... ,,"n"~ ,"'1 "tMtD' l'Cl:t' tTI,;,..,n "l ""InN ,~:aM p 'tP, .MJ'ICt'M l:Z7"l:D ,,~,l:t'\ l'CtD n"c ''''!], - .MJ,':Jn 'l~'L;, "1::1 iiJ7n, •",:>m "~'OI' l'tl7"C "'IlllD I7ClD" I'lD"C 'tl7'"'~''' n".." nn.. ]':> n'I7'c~:> v:m" ~'" l:> "~":>"' "'lett' nm'L:Hz, ""':nn, .n"lI"" ~'YO rHO .,ntoln "11'

: O":1'''''1'n n"l:r.H MlZ7"lZ7" en: tei"' '.6., II • Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God i8 Doe Lord.' i'his verse is the root of our faith (religion), therefore MOBes records it arter the teo commandments. The reason (that there is said ""In' I Lord, '1:1"''''''toa, our God, aod "'In"', Lord) is, bQCaUS8 the word 1l't:ltD does not. here Bigoify H6M' .. but to gather together, to unite, as in 1 SamwufS'i 4. I Saul gathered together the people! The meaning implied iB, The IDhereDt~ODeB I are 80 united together, Doe in the other without end, they being the exalted God. He mentioDs the three names mystically to indicate the three exalted original Ones (Lit., Fathel'l!l)."

This doctrine I find in all the Ancients j thus (or brevity's sake I shall only mention what the book n'''s'' teaches (p. 88 versa, and p. 89 versa, Mant. Edition) :

................... 'l,"'n,~",n, n':>M ""'''lD

.. ~C'I7 ,~:>., ""'''lD~n.. ••11., .. There are three original onee (Lit., Fathers), and their generations (the Angels). Three there are, each eXUlte by Himsell (though they a.re one.)

• Lit., loplanLed·OI:l•.

22

§ 10

:Pl'ATH.lI'U..BL POlfDBItS OVEa THB )(YBT£RY OF THB

cB....noN OF JU.N, ABD DISCOVERS TOE ~"I"I2:'''i ~,

THB III YSTER I' OF TlIB TaUUTY IX TOB UlflTY,

ILBVEAUD TBEB.lCIlf.

I pondered much upon the mystery which hovers over the creation of the first of mankind, AdlUIl and Eve.

I went to my only certain guide, the Word of God, and my spirit within became deeply engaged with these words (Gen. 1: 29), 'X)"~:::l C~H nl:t'~::1 .. Let U8 make 'alaD in our ims.ge."

God evidently speak: here in the plural. To whom dOBa He speak: P No laM then three times is the word u. repeated in ODe verse. I :find that aU our modern rabbies, from the twelfth century downwards, have had DO small perplexity about these worde. Those who maintain that i1W~::l is to be rendered in a passive Benae, 14 there ie made It (the Niphal), and that the worde "in our image, after our likeness," are added by ?dosos, al'6, as Aben Eua observes, "without sense,":::I." ion 1:t''r1~~n n'f.

But it appears to me that also Raehi, Aben Ezra, and the Yalkut Chadash (Nitsachon, p. 13, col. 2), could not have heen in earnest, when they maintained that God, the Creator, took counsel with Bis crea· turee, tbe angels. I exclaim, with the prol'het of old, V'~'n "'C nH, II With wbom took He couneel," ,nJ"':::I."'" .. and who bas instructed Him ?" (18a.40: 14.)

[ felt very much pained in my mind that our· modern teachers had fallen into such i~norance with, respect to spiritual thinge, that R. Yitachak. (NitBllChon, p. 13, col. 2), and even R. Abarbanel, teach, that in the passage mentioned above, the great Creator asked the earth to help to create man, and that He Rald to the earth, Let us make man i IIU implying that tho great God could bring forth th.

1

whole of the inferior creatures, but, for the creation of man, He needed the aaaistanca of His creatUr68. Truly suoh teaching is, as A.ben Ezra saith, :1" "on, II void of anderstauding."

I went with a wounded spirit to my ancient teacher, R. Simeon ben Jochai, and he gave me the following instraction (Zohar, Gen., p. 22, Amsterdam Ed.):

: "U' '''Hi'''' ,.... ,'lO .C"1H i1a:7~:J '''In''''- iCtoa"l 1 1. And God said, I< Let us make man." .. Tho

IeCret of the Lord i.e with them that fear Him." (P••:tS: 14.)

After some Rentences which we do not inltert, we read:

":J:J~~ l"'J:J no~ n"" n,n, toa~?C" it)t.l, nn~ 'l. C~'1n ':J~ nln toa" toac,..- toa,nn, .tOO'''' n"''' n'n,

: l'C~ ,,,~... n"n..-, tol',~ H:l"C' "iZ7iC H"..2. He, i.~., R. Simeon, bega.n and sa.id: A cerlaLo

king had a variAty of buildings to be erected; and he had /I. mll.ster-builder, who, however. was not permitted to do ~hing withoat the king's permi88ion, as so.id (Pro I: 30), II Then I W&8 by him a.s a master·builder. "

IH'1C~' H""'17" n..-"'~ nc~n In'..- "'...', ...~"c 3 :HMn" ...:~hc tooln"'J7'S~H'

3. The king is evidently the Wisdom in the heavens above, and the Middle-pillar is the king upon the earth.

c"'n"H'" """':P" tOC'H C"'mH " : nn", ~"J'::la:7 tool" IHnn" N:lC'''

4. O"'n"tool, Elohim, is the master-builder ahovS"• . . . ...... and c'n"H, Elohim, is the master-builder below, and thil!' is the Shechinah u.pon the earth.

: n1n HM,""I'$N ni!'C ,n,n, '''I'''I:J:J "::l1 5 5. The buildings could ooly come through the

Emanation from God (the Father).

,'c, ,,",::l, ''''::l' 14n"l ...•••• 'l'M"~:J H:J14 .,C", 6 B a

·'tn••"I' • "'H "In"l' i"'" "In"l Q"ln?N ..!::!~, H"'::::l nln : i"IH "In"l !::!"n"H? ~ Nnl

6. The Father spake through the WORD, toM!::!"I!::!, .•.........• thia and that be, and immediately it was j &8 it is written (Gen. I: 3). and He. FJohim, said, jj Let there be light, and there was light.II

•.,"l!::l ""Ij'P KJC'H' ,iC"IH In''lH toC"I)::::l.., "Ii~ 7 "In"l .,~ • n,n l'U'1'''''I~ niH:! l"1)"I)j ?::::l "I:ln,

: i"!::! ":l'Pl"'1l"I H',:l, n,,,tm 'n"l 'P"Ij'7"'1 7. The Lord of Creation commanded, and the

master· builder did it. Thue the Emanation' of God created all things. He aaid, let there be a firmament, let there be light, and it was immediately.

(C"I",,::I.)" C?''P In''lH1) ,an,.,!)., NC"'P? Ht::lC.,:l 8 • l~.n'IC':l l)C~~:! C-rN i'Ttr1'~) KJ"I):l "lj~? H)!::!'H iCH

IS. When God appeared in the world of the intelligences, which is the world of the separated ones (Angels), the master-builder aaid to the Lord of the buildinge: " Let us make man after our image, after our likenese." R. Simeon's disciples were rejoiced at these words, and all of them said CZohar, Gen., page 22, versa):

''PCntD'H H?' .1"1"C 'PCtD'C" KJ"I:ln ~Jj7?'M nH:n : 1~~ ~~

'j Blessed is our favoured lot to hear words which have not been heard till now.tt

§ 11.

lU,TBA1U,EJ, MEET8 ANOTHER FRIEND, WHOM BE

IlfTBODUCl'.B nu'o mB lflJKBER OF HIS T&AOH£Rs.

Onwards, onwards TUn my mind, and clearer became my pa~h in search of truth, the knowledge of God in His threefold nature and in His unity of eMence, which I perceive ia the great mystery, even

• We.hall in the .equel find tbat by \he Emanation iamllloDt Lb.. W'ID"t:l. .. tb8 UIUIIWoMd. WoM."

26

that godlines! which is Dot a dead external form and cold round of ceremonies, but light and life, affecting ~e inner mao. I met, to my gl'eat joy, a very old and eiooore friend, the Tikoone2ohar,5 amongst my father'.a books. My soul &8 well as my eyes became hed on opening at this paeeage, n?~ • C'1N i"10:PJ T,., "ltlH r,,?~n n?~ H?H • "ltlH~ l~tl? ",?~"

H.." ,.~, ~i'l. that is, I Let us make ma.n.' To whom did the Highest say this? (Answer). The Highest said it to J ehovah./I

I thanked myoId friend for his kind instruction, and felt much encouraged to press forward in my .Barch after the t'ltt"17un toll~, the mystery of the Trinity in the ,n,~oi1, the Unity.

§ 12.

TB.B UNITY J;N THE TRINITY, ABD THE TlLlN'ITY IN THE U1UTY.

I have investigated those passages in Holy 'Veit, where we find God as the subjed of the verb, in the plural number; but followed immediately by another ptUlsage, in which Ood is spoken of in the singular. ThitJ shews us that there is only One Ood, though there is a Trinity, and that the Trinity in Unity, and the Unity in the Trinity, is the God whom we wortJhip. Our teachers, in anciont times, expressed this truth, when speaking of the 1~:l.~' '),

1 26 ,c,,~~ b't-l:n n-a c,,,1:ll'l toM~"" II So God created man in His own image;" meaning to inUmate that God, c"n~r4, in whom are n""" nt:t'?l%', U Three Beinp," is only One God. Again, in GSUrul'> ••~ 5, MoeBe speake of God in the singular, 11"IK.,1:l v.. '-'" "')1n nl'l, Il And the Lord came down to see the city." In the 7th Ten8 God Hiweslf speaks in the plural, ',::n ClZ:' n1:l:1" n'''::1 n~n, Go to, let us goU down, and WlJ will confound their language."

§ 13. 8U11JBOT AND PBKDlQATB BOTH If( THB PLURAL.

If our teacher Moses, and aUf Prophets of blessed memory, had used the verb or the adjective attached to the Dame of God, C!"n"'~, always in the singu.lo.r, many objectioDB might have been urged. B.go.inet this primitive doctrine, W'U:~I'''''W' N''', "The mystery of the Trinity in ,m'ci1, the Unity;" but there are not. few paesagsa in the Holy Scriptures, in which the adjective or the verb, joined with c'n1:lH, is also in the plural. For example (GentU':521),13), C'j1~~ 'n..~ "'31l1j1, II And it came to pus, when Elohim (they) caused me to wander from my father's houtte." Genesis j'i ~ 7, C'j1-"H "-"H ..~::I::I Ct:' "::, .j BecaUBe there Elohim (they) appeared unto Him." JOShU,1 Vf:l9, H..n C'!:D"Jt' D'n1:ll'l, .1 Elohim. holy Ones j" i.6., He is a holy God." (2 Sam. 7; 23). ,::1:In .,tt'H V~:J. "JnH 'u 1:Il'Iitt":: 1l:l:P:: 'C'

:·m c", ,,> C,,,,,>, c:o'> ,,> r",~'> c'",>, II And what one nation in the earth 1S like Thy

people, even like Itl.rael, whom Elohim (they) wenl to redeem for Himself, and to make Him name," &c.

Psalm g: 12, Vile C''Otl.. t:' C'j11:1H tt" 1~ "Verily He is Elohim-(they are) judging in tht earth. 1I

188iah S~: 5, "~t:"» 1"!'~':l J II Thy makers ars thint husbWlds,JI i.6., u"Thy mAkel' is thine hWluand. tl

8

27

S 14.

THE KEY TO TH..E kYSTEB.Y OF TBS TRINITY IN

UNITY, .urn Tax UNITY IN TRINITY.

I continued my search in the'tahu for the key of this K1'eat my8tery, the threefold nature in the Unity of Elohim, and found the following passage (2ohar, Gen., p. 15, versa, Amsterdam Ed.) :

to:I"'1' ~,n., ~~i''' 1'1:1"" Hn"n ?~"l'4 "'I"' '1:!'1n"H "'In' C'Iil"H H-':J f"l'ltD'N":J nH"~ • i.6" Jehovah, Elohsnoo (our God), Jehovah (Dent. ~; "). are (i,~., denote) the Thrat' Steps in the Godhead, by wbich we can comprehend tho profound mystery implied in the worda. "In tlw h~9innin9 C'Iil"H, Elohim (God), crea.ted, It &c. (Gen. I: 1).

Thus my teachfill', R. Simeon ben Jochai, instructed me -(Zohar, voL.3 ., p. 26), that theBe three steps in c'ln~ (God) are threo Spirits, each e.xisting of itself, yet united into OnB. Bis words are these:

• MHnM nn • H.,n::;) i~j"lrtl'ji rn'i n"n"'1' l':l::l n'i 'l"jiH"'1' , n~~~CH:::I 'I~""'1' n'li • tD"jiM n'li 'lij)tol"'1' ...•.••••••• rn4nn n'li ~"i"H p'l • M~~:::I'I i'1o::;)n

,,::;) l~C"i" n~::l"'1' • ~'ltDn:::l C"MO ,n~~., i'1H"~ n'i : l~i~n~ rlJ:ltol ~:., .l'w""j) l'n'li •.•. , Thus a.re

28

Him are existing all the holy Spirit.s (the W';"i1 n,." the Holy Spirit, and the middle-pillar), IlDd all tha. is light " (lit., all faces giving light).

§ 16.

ONLY IN TIlE nJ~~tD J THE snEcniNAU, THAT IS, Il

HIM WHO IS 'tHE BRIOR'tNESS OF THE GLORY 0:

GOD, THE llIIDDLE-PILLAR IN TUE GODUEAD, OAl

THE MYSTERY OF TUB THREE IN ONE, AND TH)

ONE IN TURKE, BE SEEN.

Rabbi Simeon bon J ochai, in his instruction a.bOUl pruyer, alluding to Cant. 2.,: 6, H II,·, left hand il unthr my h/,ad, and Hi, right hand doell embracl m6," says hnti1 'J1j'ln, p. 66, versa, choir. 18_1. Amsterdam Edition) :

rin:J i'T'lnJ':::llt" iT":Ji' 'In'''~ ':n~ n1n' n"n 1':1'M1 : MI.;MCU'" 'J"Tto

21

pill.a.r. in the mysterious A.".".,' ... JMt1HA 11M ..tJ.tltmai 0Jw UtI",.l.

§ 16. • ATKANAEI!S nXTBBJUNA.TIOl'l ro IIfVUI'IOATB TUB UVEUTIOlf OP JIAOB OP TlUI TBUI; 8BL1'-BXIS'!'Jl(O

B:l.ING8 Ilf 'lHB TBIlfIn.

Bince there are in the Unity of the Godhead three distinct 8ubsistences (n,',n), Bach being perfect in itself, 8Mh called "'lin''', Jehovah, yet only OM (JiJd, it necessarily follows tha.t a revelation of each of them must have been made. Without this, there could not have been any knowledge of their ex· ietence.

I must therelOl"8 investigate tlLiB ·point, and ucertain whether 8uch revelatioDs, lIuch distinct BubaiateDcOB have been vouchsafed.

• It* TQJ.. .. 1ft ..,.U!ry of .AD tJwLit., 'Iu Hi", " i .•.• TIa, Trw"." lea. 4f:I4.. 1~1t';I'l¥:a TO' Y"'"2 "P.J1lOit "TCH i.I .• "That he who blell5etb himeel£ in the earth. shan blellll himIell in the God of Truth. I' )eM contracted (01" I'1DM J"OOM. ul"gadaughtu, (orn}!, fem.. Dfl:1,&eoo.

I By Adcm4~ the Lord. R. Bimeoo beD Jochai. mean. the ~ rm, the Holy Spiri'; whilst by m:T', be mMD,l oW' heanlaly Father.

The rt1')II, Sheohinab, commonly tmll.ll!aW ll\he glory of God," blean.lil.erally 1M 411J~UiR9, lM pNl...ee t)f God, .AD dwelt in the Holy of Ho}iellt; ill the Shechinah, ealled by my teacher, R. Simeon ben Jocbai.. in the abo,", pall&Re, lit.U Righ/UltU Ow, ,he Amm" (the Tru\h). and ihII Middle-pillar•

• 'Chit passage is fl1l1y explained by Philo. the lew, who ftonmhed in the yeu 40 .ileI' ChrisL He ..... a man of high &ulhority amongat hie nat-ion. He wu ono ofth.e three &lQbu~ Mdon leot to CaliKula, to beg Lbe r8mOYai of the Emperor's ltat~ ou' of th.. HoJ.y ohbe tlolie". Philo,,, hU work, .. The Migration of Abraham," hall thiI :remarkable ~ al.m.e»t; ftrbatim with tbe above, p. 367:

u Omp ~" ftj" :>..aJJ1 0 ,J-or, ~.. ;",..;.. i~pa'i .. ..,paq-i.. ,. I _'l._~ ••O'-'.! ,.. ,q'troP11f o"0p.tz'r£ &'~I'JIU ,0 " ...~ 'II'fJP u.TePf -rp€

80

PART III

:fIBST DIVISION.

§ I.

lI'ATHABABL FIND!'! IN THE BCRIPrUB.ES, W'Hr,~U"DI: Otll ~ Mt110V u1J' ~t.QT€pR'l Tkoll oUllap.o,w ..a.piXH Til OptlTIIt.' 1JW.IIOltt Tlmi ,uv ~IIO~' TOTE 1J~ Tplii.!ll ~ 'II •.,....1IT1IG'1...

it.• 'J'he 1"IILhor oC all t.hinKS is in t.he til ddle, who in the I&Ued lScriptuNllI is c"lIed by Hi' pro~.. DlIme, He tAa' u, (0 all) j but on each ,ide artl the powen (.6.vlla,uE19, two in nutIll"'r,) which are mOlt Mcient lind ncarellt to Him; one o( which i8 CAlled the C,ttd.Cjll~ the ot!:ler the R~(J1 POIDfJr. TIle Grelltive Power i8 God (9E09)' (or by it He haa p1l.ced IiDd lIet io order all t!:liogs; aod the Royal power i8 called Inrd, (Kvp,o~). for it is rigbt that thiJ Maker should govero and command thld whi

,

, \ ..•

31

Holy Spirit and the Mn'~~" n,.,. the Spirit which is the middle pillar in the Godhead, have been manifested.

I found that the Hn'lV~" ",." the Spirit which is in the middle pillar in the Godhead, haa revealed

Himeelfae the "I""" ~C'C, u the WOaD oltha Llrd," &8 the uncreated, self-existing WOaD, to which WOILD the Holy S ...'1'iptur6e ucribe the holy name "'"', Jehovah, and all the attributes of God.

This middle Spirit i8 Dot caned ~)M~, because that alwaye eIpr08&08 what we call a word, an idea olothed with the articulation of our organs of speech i but H"""IC""C. in the Greek, AOrr0"

§ 2.

'''''' H"1C"IC, i.8., THE WORD OF THE LOaD, 18 OALLED

TTY"", IEROVA.II.

Our God has declared by the Prophet Isaiah, (Ill.: 8), 1M"'''''' ,n""",, ",~~, "IeEe' "," ill"" "I::l~ , .. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another." What a stream of light w&e poured into my mind, when inveetigating the myetery contained in theae words, ,,~ i"~C" ","", C"P.:l~" 10 ","" MHt:l ~~, M"""'I~J """'IC37 ,,~, c,~, •• Then the Lord rained llpon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brilIl8tone and fire from the Lord oat of heaven" (OenezR: 24). My teacher, Jonathan ben Uziel, taaght me, by his Jerl188.1em Paraphrase, ("C"lZ7'i" O\lin), thatthe Lord (il'"") mentioned in this pasaage of Scriptl11"8, is the WORD of the Lord. . . • . ni,O])' o,~.., "'1:l~ ,,]) M"r1!:l "," "'....., ""'~"C' N"C~ 1C "~,, o'i' 10 HnlZ7H, totn""~'J, i.,., "And the WORD flf the Lord caused to descend upon the people of Sodom and· Gomorrah. brilIl8tone and fire from the Lord from heaven."

8S

§ 8•

.... , N"'lC"Il::). THE WORD 01' THE LQRD, 18 TIlE O'RBAT<

OF )(AI( AND OF mE WORLD.

That this WORD is the 6ssontia.I and uncreatt

WORD, ono of the 1"ltz7"1" n"n (the Three Head p. 12), which are One, is evident from Hie being tl Creator of man, 8S the 1eru88.1em Paraphrase , Jonathan ben Uzial (Gen. I: 27) faithfully teach, me, 811ying : n"cn""I,n'C':l ::rnot./1' '''''' N'"'fC"Il::) ton: 1,nn"l ~:J n';1l1., '~l ''', tot':l ''', C'i' It:l. i.,., "AI the WORD of Jehovah created man in His likoDe6 in the likeness of Jehovah, Jehovah croll.ted, ma and 16wale created De them."

I clearly perceive that the WORn is called J ohovs: and that through Him (the uncr~ated. 8elf-e:r.ietiI: WORn) all thinge, visible a.nd invisible, were createl Thus I read in the J eruealem Targum. (Exodl 3: H). •"in ,.,n ~O"'i7? -r.:ltot11" "taO'" ,,,,, "'l"'lC'~ ~, "IJ:l~ "'o'n l,.,:l ~ . \,n, \''In n\'? 1l":l"1.:l~ '\n: t:l~\'?H \Jn~tz7 n\nH ':'to'ltz7\ , i,t'., "And the WORD the Lord eaid unto Moses: I am He who 8aid un' the world, De! and it was: and who in the futu' !thall say to it, Be! and it shall be. And He eai{ Thus thou 8halt eay to the children of brael: I A hath 8llnt me unto you."

§ 4.

TUE PATll.IAROHS BELlEYltD IN ....... w-'lO"O Tl

WORD JEHOVA.H.

I see the Patriarch Jacob, staff in hand, ready rrroceedin the mornin g, on the way to hiB uncle Laba rile night before, he haa had the wonderful vieio in .. dream, of the ladder rea.ch.ing from the ear

--

33

~..:

..

.'

.\ - -o-

to heaven, ud the Lord etanding above it, and repeating the promise which had been made in co· yenant with our Father Abraham. He liagen at Bethel, and vows a vow, saying {GeaeJl' 28: 20, 21) :

"1"1Z:::II't" '1'"ID1' D'711.;,... "'1M' Clot '"1CH? '"1"0 ;]i'3i" ..,Tl' 7:»17 cn7 '7 1"" 17'" ':>". "H nlM T":>",n"" "'n, '~H M"l;] ?t4 t:n?!t';] 'lOl:t" : It'::a'''' ':I:::a, rT"n' M::1'!t:1 'Mett' ..,!t'H t"lI"'tM l~n, : D'...,?H? '?

: 17 ,,.,tD11l' ""'11 '7 lMn "lDH 7:>' O'n'". n':> It And Jacob vowed a YOW, Baying. If God will be

with me, and will keep me in the way tha.t I go, and will R'iva me bread to e&lt, and raiment to llut on, 80 that I come &R'ain to my father's house 10 peace j then shall the Lord be my God."

My teacher, Onkoloe, in hie Chaldee Paraphrase, renden the vow of father Jacob in the fonowing manner : 'li»o::a "'"" l'IiC't:I 'M' cH • '"10'0" D'i' ~.,~ C'i" c'n'i '? 1"" 7tH l'I~ 'II, 1'1'" Hm"IH:::I 'JJ'C" 'n" H:>N n':>7 C7lD:> :>,"", "":>7C7 "':>, 7:>'C7

: N"72O '? "., ""c'D t.,., I. And Jacob vowed a vow, aaying. If the WORD of Jehovah will he my support, and will keep me in the way that I go. and will give me bread to eat, aDd raiment to put on, 80 that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the WOBn of Jehovah be my God. II

This 11.180 was the faith of my nation at the time when Jonathan ben Uziel wrote lhe Jeruwem Paraphrase. in which I find it written on Deutero'Domy U~ 17:

',n07 1" He" C:>'711 1'":>'7"" "'" ...,c'c rr n'CtD7 11:>'711 17"" "'" 1'~'C' •Hn7H7 1':>" ":>7 7'7C " nc 1'n n7U> 1'n H:>':>n C117

: "'v.> 7:> "to"7'i.,., "This day. you have made the WOaD of Jehovah

I

,to be King onf you, to he your God. And th W08.D of Jehovah shall rulo over you, ha.,.-iog tight I hereto, over a people beloved, 89 Ris peculia pEJople j &9 He hae spoken unto you, that you sboull keep all Ris commandments."

§ 5. WHO WAS THE LAWOIVER?

The ancient faith of my nation was, thl1t th yo" H'C~C' the WORD of the Lord, was the Lo.wgivel That DO other than ,..." H'C"!:l. the WonD of Jehovah has been their Lawgiver, is proved from the word of the Jerusalem Targum, on Exodus 'lQ: 1, in whic: we read 8S follows :: -:C"C? l'?tooa H''''~'' n~ttI' ~:> n" "I" .. , HiC"C ""P:I,i.,., II And the WOEm of the Lord spake all thea glorious words (n,'~,n mltl")."

§ 6. FATIIBR ADIUl'IAM'S FAITII.

It is evident that the faith of Jacob wae the su.m. as that of OUr father Abra.ham, for I find tha Abraha.m believed in the ,U" ~"O'O' the WORD CJ the Lord Bccording to the testimony of Onkelos, il his paraphrase of Genesis 15~ 6 :

: ,:It? i'1'? n:JrDn, ,~" NiO"O~ 1'0'1"" i.,., Abrahum believed in the Word of the Lord41 and He counted it to him for righteousne88."

Again, we see our father Abraham's faith in thl Memra, the uncreated WoaD, at the offerin~ up 0 his son laaac. Upon Isaac asking (Geno.SI'21: 7; "?»? nltl'n "'H, II Where is the Lamb for a burnt offering'? " our father Abraham replied, accordinl

.to the Jerusalem Targum :

H'" MH H? l'H"I •NiOH '? lOt' 'I"" NiO"O : ''"'l~ HM?»'

• ~I II III HiI OW'D name."

Yt

i"., 41 The WORD of the Lord will provide me 8. lamb i and if Dot, then thou, my eoD, ehalt be the burnto:ffering. 11

51· m WHOSE lfAKE on PATHBR ABRAHAM: PRAYED.

I find that Abraham prayed in the Dame of the WORD of the Lord, Bond addr88sed his prayers to Him, &8 the 'l""" ~D~l:l. This is taught by the Jerusalem Tergum (GeDI5IHl: 14):

MH ~H' 'l""., i1"1iD'D C'Zlr.:1 cnj~H "I"~' ""D' : "Icnnc H'" 'tin., ......, H,"

i.,., II And Abrabam worshipped and prayed in the Dame of the WORD of the Lord, and said, Thou art the J..ord \Tho dost see, but Thou canat not be seen."

This faith Abraham had taught his household, for we find Hagar ueing the same language 88 her master. Abraham, according to the Jerusalem Targum (GeD~ f", 13) : • n"~ '''J~'' "'''1, i1"1~"IC C0~ M"I'n:n "'1)" M'"H, " tl'tl"ll .,::> tl'r "n"" ",n M ,,~::> mtl"

: "Iil''!~ M'Cn i.tI., If And Hngar praised and prayed in the name of the ,"VORD ef the Lord, who had revealed HimseU un to her: she said, Blessed art Thou, 0 God, who livest to all eternity, who hast seen my affliction."

§ 8 WHOM DID Mosn, OUR 'I'BACHEU, WOR8HIP?

My heart leapt for joy when my teacher, Jonathan ben U ziel, in hiS Jerusalem Targum, taught me that our great Teacher, Moses, our master of blessed memory, never worshipped any other but the 'I"'" toMe"D, the WOlm of the Lord. (Targum Jerulalem, Num.'D~35, 36.)

"II,.,,, C~t't~ n0D n,n • "l!:)) ttl'''''' n,n "t~ non,

•••••

\\J

\ .

38

l'>'n ~,~n:> ....., """"C 117:> C,~ • "C", ,'>11:> 1'0 , .....Jrtt l'i''''']7'''1 ,t:l3''' "M"'~::l" "1"'»:1 ,,.,.,.:lM" '''I'TI 'l'lj'Jl "It'D ""In • """1tE7 "'," H~''''' U"I • "1tnl'"IT'''' ~;~n lC ....., ""C'C 117:> .,,,n ."'C>l' ''>11:> 1'I't)?H ""X1H'1 Nn':l" T'"1:l1 H"':1'O '1Cn"':l 1"3' :l'll'l'

:"H..,tl1\ "":):1"i.,., II It came to pB81 when the ark W88 lifted up, M0888 stood with hi. haucL. lifted up in prayer, and Mid; Stand up now, 0 WORD of the Lord, in the strength of Thy might, and let the enemies of Thy people be acattered, and those that hate Thee, flee from. before Thee. 'And when the ark came to lest, Moseelifted up his hands in prayer, and said: RRtUro now, 0 WOG of the Lord, from the Plight of Thine anger, and come to U8 in Thy mercies, which are 80 good, and bleea the ten thousands, and multiply the thousands of the ehildren of Israel. II

§ 9. KOIiEi OOlOlITnW THE FAITH OF TBX PATRIAROHS

TO THlI XBEPINO OP TBBlB. DB8CKNIU.~T8.

I find the cbildren of Ierael, having been brought in safety through the Red Sea, obtained the tfl8ti· mony. In Exodue . J'I: 31, we read, 'J~H" "Ib17 nlt'D:l"l mlT':I' t .•., H They believed in the Lord and in Bi8 l'Iervant Moae8."

Onkel08, io order to preeerve the true faith of the children of Israel, paraphraae8 theee words thue: ",~17 nlZ70 M'\H"::n:l"l "I""',. H'i0~ "1:10';"1"1 ,

II And they belined in the WOBD of the Lord, and in the prophecy of M08ee, His servant.H

§ 10. 11'0 OAm W...I Vll.ID .i.IIONOIT ICY .A.lfOUTOBI, BXClU"I'

By ......,. H""IO'D' TBK WORD O:r TIllS LOBD.

The Lord 0 ... GoD, ia joaioua of His glmy, ...d

'Hie ho11 Dame He _ impart to an1 oreoled being. Thia _lial and Be1f-existing lnl'l:l, WOBD. mUit neoeeeari.ly be a part of the eueDce ill the Godhead, otherwi&eJ'onathau. ben Uziel 'Would Dot have told lbe people that lbe Churdl, from lbe begin.ni.ng up to hie own time, considered DO oath ft1id unJ.888 taken in the Dame of the "'''''1' K"'1D"!:I, lbe WOAD of the Laid.

r.t:"""" ..,.. (Douter. 1>:13), lM'n "".,,, mM' MIl l'::ur1n 'tlCD::J' 'T:Il'n V'1"t4'1 • "Thou Bhalt 1881' - the Lord thy God, and serve Him, and ehalt .'WeBI' by Ria name. It Thia passage, Jonathan 'ben Uziel paraphrueo ;

•l1n';~n ''''''pl 'I"''''' 111nn rOno,,, "" CTo' JD : 11C'tM l!:l'I:I'j:l:l ...... H'""D~ 0'1:1':1'

i ..., UYe Bhall fear before the!,:nC8 of the Lord ;rour God, and before Him ,.. ...~S' aDd b1 the name of the WOBD 01 the Lord 18 .wear in truth. U

Hence I peroeive. that as long as the faith of the primitive OhUJ'Ch of my nation wu preeerved in ita purity. DO oath was taken in court of justice, but by the name of the WOBD of the Lord. A few Wtan088 out of man,. maYlltdliee to ?f01"8 thie.

I find Bahab ..;ring t.o !he spl" of ;roehua (loeW1'J2):

-won ~'P 'lfT'lltt'V ,,~ "'""':J. "" toI) U':lt'n nn." n'I4 ,." cnn:n "TOn ,,~ f'1"I:J. C"' cn4 OJ CM"ru'" ~ :MCM

...., II Now therefore swear unto me by the Lord, Rnce I have Bhewed you kindness, that y8 will &lao Ihow kindD888 unto my father's house, and give me a true t.okan," Tbis paaoaga is lbue paraphraeed b1 lonathan beD Uziel:

1=11 M""Oll "-.4 '"'" lnl'l:l:> ,,, Ill::! lC''i' 111::l1 1'DMl • 'C'1l:l leN n':> Cll 11"" .,.. 11"I:>llm • 'C'1l:l

: l:I,a:7f7'1 l"M .."

88

i.If" .. Now therefore swear unto me by the WORD 01 the Lord, since I have 8hewed you kindu888, that yE will &180 shew kindn81!8 unto my father's house, anc give me a true token."

Following the thread of the history of the purE faith, 8S retained in Israel, I learn that the elden swore by no other than the ..".., toI"~"~. the WORD oj the Lord, according to the Pl&raphras8 of Jonathsll hen Uziel, on Josh...·.19:

1,n"; ~JC""i' NJMJN : NnWJ:! ~:l~ tot"::l.i:li ~:l 'iON' Mj't:n·6 ",1::1::1 N", '~:l' .""""0" Mn':>toa ......, M""C"tl:

: 11M: i.If., .. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have aworn unto them by the WORI of the Lord, the God of Israel i and now, therefore we dare not injure them."

Even the Heathen knew that Israel swore by m other than by the WORD of the Lord; hence thl elders of Gilead, according to the Paraphrli.se 01 Jonathan ben Uziel (Judges Il~IO), said:

N))~::l. ,...no NM' '''''' ~C'!:l nnlJ'~ ,~"") "::l.0 ,ir.:lN' : ,':l17J P l"JM":l ..':> ".

i.e., ,I And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah The WORD of the Lord be witness between us, if W~ de not according to thy wo~d."

§ II.

THE REASON WIlY MY ANOESTORS SWORE BY ,..." ~C'!:l THE WORD OF THE LORD.

They believed in the WORD of the Lord as bein~ truly God. Thus we have, according to the PlU'a· phrasE" of Jonathan ben Uziel, Jonathan saying tc David (I Sam1Ol!ll:23):

'::I'::l. ,..." HiC'C Nn • nN' ~::lM N::I""",,C " NC)n~, : NC",,:P ,~ "no 1::1'::l.'

i.fI., 41 And &8 touching the matter which thou and ]

39

haye spoken of, behold, the WORD of the Lord be witnes8 hetween me and thee for ever."

According to the ChaldeePataphrase, Jonathan, on parting with David, says (verse 42):

N::In)H "'::1"'"'' NJO'i" c';ml;, 1;,1'N ",,? In,,n' "'l:N' -,:1'::1' '::1'1.:1 i'no 'In' ,,,'1, toMO'O "'0'0" 'I"" ...em::

: NC?~ ':P '''::1::1 ,"::1' '::I::l r:a,i.I., II And Jonathan said to David, Go in peac4;!, forasmuch as we have sworn both of UB iu the name of the Lord, Bllying, The WOll.D of the Lord be witnpss between me and thoe, and between my 80n and thy 80n for ever."

S 12. T.B..J: COJ.lJUJfD O~ TB:B ANCIENT TE,ACllEBB OF J8R.LEL.

Our aDdent teachers were vet)· anxiou8 that Israel should preserve the pure faith which had been committeu to them. Thus I find tho exhortation in Psalm n: 9, C'In?N C~::1::l" "::10" ':l!)W 017 n:p "~::l ,.:1 "Inl:::::1

: i1~C '1::1" i'1Cnt:l t.•.• "'!'rustin Him at all times; pour out your heart before llim: God is a refuge fur us. Selah:" which in the ChlLldee HuuplJruso is thus expressed;

"tl:' 1;,H"1lD' n'::::1, Ht:l~ 1'1] 1;,::1::1 n''"'l'C'T:::1 ,.,::to =1't:l1;,~1;, t-l~" ""l:1O t-ln1;,:-t ,.,eH 1'::1.:11;, 'n'nt "C'i' i.I., •• Trust in tho WORD of the Lord u.t ul1 times. 0 people of the house of Isruel! pour out Lefore Him the sig-hings of your heart i say. G....d is our trust for ever."

§ 13.

...." l-MO"t:l THE WORD OF TDE LOHD MUST B1. OBEYED AS 000.

Having discovered the path to the profound trea.lJUre9 of Divine truth, I wus led onwtlrd, by my

c

40

ancient teachers, and drank the refreshing 8treB.m~ altha cloven rock of ages. Thus I WlJ.8 enabled to di800ver that my forefathers had steadfastly believed that our ~eat teacher, Mosee, DC ble8sed memory, 'lequired from the children of Israel the l!Itrieteel obedience to '1".., lonC~C I the WORD of thA I ..ord. I read in DeutJ,".bon.,jL';1,2 ;

it:lW'~ Tn"M j1'ln'l "'i':::l :PCa7n t''lCtl:1 C~ j1'l"'l 'JnJ'l C'l"'n ,,'St:l 'l:l:lH ic::11't ,'l."'~C ?:l nN: n'ltttt'':: ?:l ''l?t' 'lM:n : Vit-ln "''1''1) t,;:) "t' 1"1'I?1:I ''In?N inn' : ''In''H n'ln' ?'li':J. Ilcmtl 'I;:) "J'lWi1'l ""tom .n'l;:)i:::lr'1 i.e., "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy Ood, tc ob8erve and to do 0.11 Hie commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will eet thee on high above all nations of the earth. And all these blaMinge shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the VOiCE of the Lord thy God."

Onkelos hR8 this paraphr8lle upon these words:

i~C" ,i1?N ~"~., NiC'C" ?~i'n H~:J.i' CN ~i""'~' l~' to=C'~ ,? 'i'~!:l MJN ~, ~""'i'~ ?:l n~ ":J.'l1':ll.;: ,'n~~'l . M1:IiN ~!:lC1:l ?:l ~~ T'1N?l1 ,n~M ~,,~ '::IJn~' MiC~C? ?:Ji'n ~~ • '::I'i'::::'~' '~?'M t-l~:li~ ?:l ,~:tI:,n"N ~"~, i.I., .. And it shall come to p8.l!lS, ifthou shalt hearkcn diligently to the WORD of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all Ilis commandments which I eommand thee this day, the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations on the earth. And all these ble88in~s shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou 8halt hearken to the WORD of the Lord thy God."

In case of diaobedience to the WORD of the Lurd, Moses threatens that all the eurses of the Law should come upon the people, as Onkelos paraphrases inD.ut.,'......j ~~:,'

~l

-triC'? ,""t4 ~.., ~O"C" "::1('''' "" eM "n".,," ~c N:lH "I., "n,c"i" "m"i'!) ,,;:) ITt .,:t'PD?

: ",.,,,.,', 1'''''''' ....to,,, "" 1"11 1'11"1" • 1" "I)'"i .•.• IIBu~ it shall oome to pus. if ye will Dot hearkeA til the WORD of the Lord thy God, to observe and III do all His eommandments anJ. Hi. ltatues whiell I command thee this day, that all the.e CU1'8eIl.ehaU IlOme DpoD thee and overtake (01' cleave unto) thee.U

WATHA,'f'AEL DIICOVER8 'I'D AT ODD "EVER MADE A

t'OV:IN'ANT 'WITH .

42

'I1~''''~ c'n"'"i ,,, n,'n':> C',," n'",,':> cn~~~,i : 1''''rut

....:. HAnd 1 will establish my covenant betweon He and thee and thy sf'od after thee in their generations lop t'D 8verla8tjn~ ('ovenant, to be a God unto thee. and to thy 888d afLer tbee.1I Paraphrased by Onkelos:

: "::;)' ,r::n 'iCC 1~::I. "C'ji n" C"i"~' i."., "And I will establish my covenant between M.y WORD and between thee," &c.

§ 15.

NATJU..NAEL 13 LED TO BELIEVE TUAT TUERB. 18 NO

SALVATION BUT IN v'" ""ie"C I TEl' WORD OF THE LORD.

Having 8~n that God had nover made a covenant except through or with tho WORD, !l.S the Rppresentative Or Mediator of RiB people, I examined whother ...." NiO'C, the WORD of tho Lord, may not btl the Saviour 80 ofton mentioned in tho IJoly Scriptures. 'M)' mind became satisfied on this subject, by cOllsideriofl' the following paBsageB.

When dying, Jacob, bleBsing his children, oxclaimed (GentS,," W"~I8), r"j"1' "n~'i' '("'I~,tl7'" "I have waited for Th,r salvation, 0 Lord!" 'fhose "ords J onath«.n Len U ziel paraphrnsea, in his J erllsalem Targum, in thiB manner:

II:N" "::1 l"l);,i:n i'1"i'-'''I!:!'' tool'" ::1~~' l:l"I::N ~CN plt~tz::t, ""i''''!:!'' N'" .j"1~tl7 ~~i'1' "11:':]) n".:Io ji!:)"C::1 n..,t:N' H:lil~'~" N"~ • "".:I'J1 lj'l-"~ N'"' : "tr!:!~ "".:10 "j'Jl'~'" .",,, ';......,W... "',::1 1C»" '''''C'' 1.6., .. Our fathor JlI.Cob said: My soul does not wait for do salvation such as that wrou~ht out by Gideon, the son of Joasb, for that WRS hut temporal i neither for a salvation like that of Samson, wEich W&.8 only transitory; hut for that salvation which Thou but

j

43

promised to come, through Thy WORD, unto Thy people, the children of 18I'ael; for Thy W'fatioD my lOW hopes."

That this WlL8 one of the cardinal points in the creed of my forefathers, is manifest from many passages of Holy Writ, as expounded by the ancient paraphr'aste. especially by Jonathan ben Uziel. I shall only cite two, out of many pa888.R~8 which have poured light into my mind. In laaWt. ~17, 25, I read:

V1~ nm'::l • C'C?tP n:3ntDM n'i1"'::l ~l:l1t] "K"'l;o'" : 'oN-1",' l>~1 .,::> '''''''l'I'''.4., I, nut Israel 'sha.ll be saved in the Lord with an

81'erlasting 8ll.lvo.tioll ..•••. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and ehall glory.ll

Jonathan ben UZleL renders thiB passage thus:

H""'lC'C::l • ~"'O,,:V H''''!:l "''''' N'10't:!::l i'...,~ M' ,,"il:tT\·:,,~.,w..,. ~'P"l' ,,~ 1,n::lntD" ":11''' ''''' i.~., Ii !Brael aho.ll be 8aved in the WORD 01 the Lord. with an everlasting 8alvaLion In the WORD 01 the Lord shall all the seod of Israel be jWltified, and (in the WOItU of tho J...ord) they 8ball glory,lI

In whatevel' part of the Holy Scriptures everlaeting sa.lvation is meutioned, we 611d that it is wrought out by no othor than the WORD of the Lord. Thus, for example, we read in Hosea I: 7 :

: Qn"'n"~ n'n"':J o"'n17W'r't"l on.,~ n."n'" n"'::l ntll i.,., "But I will have mercy upon the house 01 Judah, and will save them by the Lnd their God." This Jonathau bon Uziel paraphrases:

y,,. H""I~'c::t l'Ji'i~~' CrT1~ n,.,n'" n'::l" "17' : l'n'n"..

i.,., "But I will have mercy upon the house 01 Judah, and I will save them by the WORD of the Lord their God."

I preceive that t~is passge.speaks of two persons: I, Jehovah, will have mercy-I, Jehovah, willsBve j and this mercy and this salvation ehall be hrought

44

about by another person, namely, by the WORD of the Lord, which WOItIJ is their God. No wonder that Daniel prayed to be heard for the sake of the Lo.d. (Daniel " 17.)

"),)nn "1'1' 1':111 n"!Jn "1'1 'J'n"N ~J:l:r nnv' : ':l'H lV~" OCU7n 10'i'C ,",11 ":l!:l "'Nn,

...~•• II Now therefore, 0 our God. bear the pray~r of Thy Bervant, and biB BU1'1)licatioD8. and cauae Thy face to ahine UPOD Th)" sanctuary that ie desolate, for the Lord's sake." R. Simoon explained thiB passage th.U8 (lohar, part3 "' p. 21, verBa) :

: n'''''''~ ?:::I." n::J ..,w" N?' • ")'H lVt" tlCl1tJ"~ i.~.. lj What is the reasou that he aSYB for 'J'N, the Lord'. sake? BecauB6 Jehovah cannot be found 6K:OOpt in ":1,1'1 I the Lord, who is Bis dwelling." I

I find the same doctrine in m"~" '0, in the Commentary of "":lH""ln (ll. Abraham ben David), ]I. 32, veraa.:

: i1,n~ ':I"n"N "'M" CiD::l ::l::l'D ":1'1'1 !::Itt' ":> ]7"'" ...~., "It is thus known that "),H, the Lord, comprehend,,' Jehovah (Elobiw), our Goll, Jehovah."

• Hcglll'd.ing thi8 mY6ter.y: ~at C?t1. ilS only to be found in .1..... who III l'.,tl'llC' read rhllu Dn·lllIOR. § fl.

t Lit., encompU8ell.

45

SECOND DIVISiON.

§ I.

'1"''', tno~!:l, TTIE WORD OF THE LORD 18, , ...,,'.:1 n'i:Jil, 'TIn.: ArCOEL 0." 'Cllt: r:OVENA.N'l'.

Every thinking IDl:I.ll will readily gTD.nt that, when the spirit hll8 once taBted of the truth, it cannot rest till the fountain-head is found. 1 had been convinced that l"In'1:l:!!:l~' n''', the Middle Spirit, hus revealed Himself u.s tho ussential and substantive \VOIiD, nnd I b6camo desirous to know who could be '~"t n'i::lT"f I tho Angel of the Covono.nt in Mal. iii. I. and 80 often mentioned in tho rC'},n, the Chalde('

f:.ra.pbra.seB and other very ancient buoks of our earned teachors; men whom we regard 8S ho.ving 80 grout authurity in matters of faith, that hardl), Ull} one would think of doubting what they pronounced to be t.ruth.

1 have had the good fortune to discover that J"~'::1il '~"7:I J tho Angel of the Covenant, is the same persou o.s '''~., ~j~'b . the \VOUD of the LOki',

§ 2.

n".1il '~?b J 'nIE ANGEL 0): 'L'U~; l:On::VAN'T, IS AN t1~{;lt~ATED .Bl~INO, AliD IS STYLl':U C'il?toI, n,n', A~[) l"H, TIlE LOUD.

The patriarch Jacob is on the tbl'oslwld of the tnlO Canaan, aud he blessc!i the children of hilt beloved Joseph. In Genesis '18 ~ 1.5, we read thelle words:

: i'n~', cnj::1to1 "l'~~" 'n':IM ,~hiln" ,WH c'n"toIn : nln C"l'n ,~ ',Ulb 'ntol n-DjiT c'n"Hil

: C~'~::H' nM ',::1' ~., ":l'O 'j"'~ \~i~J;' ,toI"'On i.t., II The God, before whom my fathers ADraham and Isaac did walk the God which fed me

\~.

16

all my life long unto this day (verso 16), the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, ble88 the IRds.'1

One can perceive, without any grea.t Rmount of learning, that lIe who is to bless the lads is no other tha.n tho ~M) I the Redeemer, who is called c'n'M, God.

To my no tllliall delight, I found JA.~Ob'8 words expounded in tD"i':'1 n',::1l1 , wriUon by the famoua R. Muir ben Gabui (partJ "' p. 95, versa, according to the Lemborg Ed.) :

'''~M c,,"'e;::)n 11: ':3'1'4 lMl;oil i'1ttD n~M'1D i'1t;. :-T"", W"i'i'1 '~':!M' C''':P~i1 M~ Tl:J'n,',n, n:r1::::l: l'~'~ . ":;:1 l"l~ '''::I~W ,"'nJi10 u:'li::l'W ~·ni'1W ,,,:1, '~'l:7"1 ,,'.:l:tt7 'co ON ..~ t1Wj1::1.iC : ',;n n"M " 1'l'4 ,n"tn 'fDi'::I,,:n, 'j" ,n'l'?~n "n'il".e., "Tho truth tha.t this Angel is not one of thoso (created) intcllig"!ncfls. is corrobor;\tcd throllgll the words, • IHO!lS tho Illll!!..' De it far from our holy patrilnell (pence ho upon him 1), that heli'hould have soug-ht a hlessing for hi!!. chilrlron from a created Angel; ht'ean~e 110 h\cs~ing may he 8Qught o:\ Ill', who atOM is the One hto!l!Wd (lad. \VhO!!.Of~\'CI· s~~k~ a blessing [rum 11ny other, has no 001.1. "

I find tho same author using, if po~sihle, oven plainf>r langullge in hIS work (part 1-1 .. p. ll:HJ). IIiij lVords llre ;

,~"~n ~,w n',~ nnl" " ":I "." ,r:::,~ ,tl7~M • c":J~n:l ~fD lbW~::! "":!~M ." ,." "N'tl'''~ l"'l1,:::t'il 'M"~M l'1m "~M O",~,i"1 lU 1~'~ ''':I'i''1W ,to>,cn, • C'M':'Hn ~O" .':J :J'M:I;v to'1n, ~to'1)n,H"O ",i:J,n l"ctr'on H1iT1 c"n"HM 1'a1ntl7 ,~~O O",::.,n ":1 MH C";-r~M -,:t," -'Ot'l:JW ?H':D'"

: n'..n i.,., I' We may even say mOTe (as R. Johllnnan

,

47

agrees with me), that the Ten Commandmenta have Dot come to Israelonly through the mediator (Moses), according to the literal mtllUling of the Scriptu'l'68. It was the AROEL whom the patriarch Jacoh makes mention of, which ANOEL is Dot one of the (created) intelligences, hut the ANOEL, the Redeemer, of whom it is written (E:l:od~ Ilj~· 19), The Angel removed,'I and this Angel is God j He it is who made Israel to hear the 'fen Commandments, as it is written (E::r:odil4.2.o.~ 1), And Ood spake oIl these worde.' ,,",

§ 3.

mERE 18 }fO REDEEMtm nBSID:tl::; THE ANGEL OF Tlil:!:

l.-'OVENANT "" 1'':> 1'c,,,

3. Because He has taken them (theee blessings) from the begtnning, in order to bestow them afterYards on the world .

• I:ioe p. U, t 6. o 8

f----2 ---....., r \~.~~

• I 1

I t I

J,

48

T'ltl" ,H"C ""'I'D 'j»l n:ln :1"":» ~~ 1"~:l' 4: ":1'

4. Therefore it is written (Exod£..4..S 2.1: 20), .- Behold, I send an Alion before thee."

§ 4.

lfA.'\'II.&.NAEL DTSOOVEB.8A. OIl.'KA,T TRUTH: UOH RKVKAL1W

HINSELP IN ""i:lj"1 'tol\n~, THE ANGEL m' THE COVEK.&.NT.

I was led to inquire how Goll revealed Himself to the patriarchs, and made known to them the DlJ8teries of His Covenant, and the result of my inyesugatione was: .. 'fhat no ODe has seen God Ilt &111 time, but in the ANOEL of the Covenant." We read in Genesis .31: 11 ;

: c,"n:> c'n"..n , .."c ,,,.. ~c"" i.e., II And the Angel of God spake to me in a dream. tI My ancestors balland that this ANOEL WlUiI the uDcreated """''-l:ln , •.:i"o, AHOBL of the Covenant, as I read in tz1'11n M~'l:l'P (part 1 .. , t~"P. 31, p.120):

c'''n:t c"n"HiT '1H"Jc '?tol ~t4:4, :J'i"~l:D ne t·nn ":J,to; C""T"'1~:Jn 1C n1 rtol ~:J:Jn ""1CN'" :Ii'~~ "toOn ~::J:Jtol '"lON nt", 'P'"l ":JO 't"I,tol "torI,m 1N"Cil N1:::1tolctt MrD "'ll'ol:1t4ctt TIC" 1tol"C tol'"li':J' • "tol M~::t mn~ 1'"'''c H'"l~' ':::1 '"lCtol:Jn tonn, tol"cm~ toln'P'o:l 1""c H"!nltt "!:l71 • n)On 1'\l'1C ctttol n::t':I':J '''''H ~:»6c ""1"'" .':1 oJ,'"ln • 'O'!~ Citoln ":Jtl, '''':JI!) on'"l:1~::t '"lC,",:J1""'I • ",n" """H toli~' • 'ioth M,m ........,

... "':1' :::Ii'~" "'"' c"n",", a-r'l'" • ''"l0,",'' ;nit" • i'n'!~' n"n '"''' C""Titl11""'1 1C OT:JO::t nNi:Jn OT~n '''tol,I

: ·'tn 'JeC ''':J~ '"l"ncc n"'P n!:tlc ~••,., I' ConcerniDg what is written, And the Angel of God s.l!ake unto me in II. dream, saying, Jacob: and I 8&ld, Here am I."-This Angel ia not one

of the cre~tfld AngellJ,' but ie that Angel who had redepmed him from all evil (GeneSIS 3/: 13), &Dd which said unto him, II I am the God of Betbel." Be is called ~"c, Angel, on account oC tho mystery which I 'Will e:l.plain in the e&quel (with God's help. when I come to tl1&t p&888.ge). He is tbe ume of whom it is said (E:r.od~SJ: 2), "And the ANOBL of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses) in a Rame of fire out of the midst of a bush;" and he is thus called beca.US8 He is the Angel of God's countenance' (Reb. 1: :1), and He has the lace of a mao. Onkelo8 has translated, ExodJ...." '3: I, The glory oC the Lord appeared unto him, "And the AoJ:tol of the Lord appeared unto hiw," 8.8 if he had 5aid: Jehovah appeared unto him, 8.8 it is said of Abraham and Isaac (Gcn(S,\ IE: I; .:lb ~ 2-25), "And (c.".,...)God appeared unto Jacob," &0., &0. If He, who ap~ peared in the hush (E.x:odt.lS 3: 2), had been one of the (created) intelligences, M08es would not have hidd.m his face; bnt He was, as this my teacher iastructed me, 1'1''':J,n '''~!:I. the Angel of the Covenant, in whom God. revealed Hiulself ; therefore he is called God.

§ .,.

THE "'j)'t', OIL TIn; MYSTERY OF TilE O!'U~ltH'''(j 1,;1' O~· I8AAC.

The n'i"17. the offering up of IBElAc, has a.lway, been considered hy OUr nation as containing a great mystery. Hence it is, that the twenty-second chaptetof Genesis is read in the synagogue on the second New Yea.r's day ~ca""i ~ !:I"~ .,~,,).

II J( the chapter from lVbich 'hid extract i~ tuken had not beer.. S6 lonK, I wou.ld bave given it entire.

t Lt., The exprC81 imago of His pl!non; becalUOe i:)':~, fuca., or peraon, A.I in the phnuMl tno t«7' ~~, ~AieA I'rgoT,kIA DOt )MmIonll. (Dcul. Ie ;11 ; b:t.ta.h fit; v.)

The mystery in thia extraordinary transaction is two·fold. 10 1888C we lee the Messiah as spoken of in 188iah liii., and in Daniel 26, 1'rn n~rDrJ n";:)~ " I .. Messiah shall ho cut off, hut nut for HimselI; " and thcn again it teaches us that n~":Jn 1...1.:.0 J the Angel of the Covenant, is one oIthe ptD~i n1.:.n : in:J p~,~" I the Throe Heads united in One Godhead i or l as otherwiae expressed, One of the n1:ln l'm1, Three Spirits united in One; or, as the author of ni'~' '0 One 01 n':iHn Mtt>'J:,W J tho Three Fathers (originals). 'fhis became clear to my mind while pondering ovor Oen~S'.s.u.~ 11, and following verses, in which we read:

"01't''I C"tlwn It:1 "'In" 'H~~ ",,"tot 1'Oij7''1 11 ; "'JJi'1 ~H" on":J~ OTr'1::1...

11. " And the ANOEL of the Lord called unto biOI out of heaven, and said, Abrahllm, ALraham: and be said, Here am I."

to~n ")4' "~Jn "N ,,' n~wn "H iOI-l'., ]2I't" M~ C'i1~)4 N'i' ..~ ';"11:1'1" nn)' ';:) "O'~~ ."

: 'l'O':l ,,"n" ~ 'J~ nN n~tDn 12. " And ho ~ajll, Lay not thille band upon the

lad, neithor d() thou IUlY thillg uut,-, him; for now I know that thou feilre8t God, seeing: thou hast not