Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah

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 James_Trimm EMail James_TrimmView member profileCheck IP address of this member "Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-05-2001 at 04:59 PM (GMT3)
As many of you know I have been studying Kabbalah in concert with the Aramaic text of the Zohar.

One of the things I have noticed in looking at the NT from a Jewish perspective, is a parallel between the 9 manifestations of the Ruach (1Cor. 12) and the upper 9 sefirot of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life diagram.

This diagram has three triads. The top triad has the following three sefirot:

KETER/DA'AT (crown/knowledge)

CHOKMA (wisdom)

BINAH (understanding)

These corespond with the manifestations which the KJV calls:

Word of Knowledge

Word of Wisdom

Discerning of Spirits

Now in Kabbalah it is taught that Wisdom differs from Understanding in that Wisdom is pure unified thought while Understanding seeks to divide and classify.

Interestingly where the KJV has "Discerning of Spirits" the Aramaic has:

0xwrd 0tw4wrp

Literally "Discernment of the Spirit" or
"Spiritual Discernment"

The word 0tw4wrp actually comes from a root meaning "to seperate or divide". The Aramaic of this term fits EXACTLY with the Jewish Kabbalistic understanding even more than the Greek!

Then when I got to the second triad I noticed that the Sefira if the Tree knowm as GEVRAH (Strength, might, power, severity, judgement) coresponds with the manifestation which the KJV calls "Effecting of miracles" but which the Aramaic has KHAILA. KHAILA means "power, strength or might" and is a good Aramaic renderring of GEVURAH (I know of places where Peshitta uses KHAILA to translate Hebrew GEVURAH).
However KHAILA ALSO means "miricals" in the Peshitta and also is used in the Peshitta to refer to the "power" the talmidim were given over the SHADIM (demons). So this word ALSO fits even better than the Greek and implies a missing link between a Kabbalistic Jewish Hebrew concept and the Greek used in the Greek NT pointing clrearly to the priority of the Aramaic over the Greek.

Well I hope this made sense to you all.

Shalom and Shlama,
Trimm


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 Table of contents

RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Savitri — May-06-2001 at 04:06 AM (1)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Andrew Gabriel Roth — May-11-2001 at 10:24 PM (2)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Samuel — May-12-2001 at 01:28 AM (3)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Andrew Gabriel Roth — May-12-2001 at 01:42 AM (4)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Samuel — May-12-2001 at 10:30 AM (6)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Savitri — May-12-2001 at 10:30 AM (5)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Andrew Gabriel Roth — May-12-2001 at 01:05 PM (7)
RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah
Savitri — May-16-2001 at 09:14 AM (9)
The Sefirot in Aramaic Peshitta
James_Trimm — May-12-2001 at 01:33 PM (8)

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 Savitri EMail SavitriView member profileCheck IP address of this member 1. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-06-2001 at 04:06 AM (GMT3)
Shlama, Dr. Trimm,

Of course, there are those who would argue that there was no Qabbalah, or even Qabbalistic understanding, at the time of Maran Yeshua. Then again, those who know Qabbalah seem to disagree; Carlo Suares even went so far as to call Maran Yeshua a consumate Qabbalist.

Your message above leaves out the one sefira that's been bouncing around in my mind lately with regard to the teachings of Yeshua. He uses the words "malkutha d'bwashmaya" to refer to a particular experience that has been translated as "the kingdom of heaven." I've always sensed that, at least when speaking of "the kingdom" in present tense, he was referring much more to an indwelling than to a physical kingdom, and have wondered why he would have chosen the word "malkutha" to refer to it.

But then, in Qabbalah, "malkut" refers very directly to shekinah, or indwelling. Is it possible that this was a common understanding of the word?

This is a realization I had only recently, and haven't had time to develop; I'd love to hear any comments you or any of the forum participants might have.

Many thanks for your knowledge and wisdom,

Savitr

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 Andrew Gabriel Roth EMail Andrew Gabriel RothCheck IP address of this member 2. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-11-2001 at 10:24 PM (GMT3)
Shlama Akhi Savitri:

Certainly quite a few statements in the NT virtually seem ripped out of a prototypical Kabballah. Paul talks about "manifestations of the Godhead" in Colossians, James talks about "Father of lights" (which may be a reference to God as Ein Sof, and Creator of the sefirot, splendors, supernal lights, etc.), and the statement in Revelation 22:1-2 mirrors Kabbalistic teaching EXACTLY as do references to "living water", "Memra/Miltha/Logos", etc.

Gershom Scholem, the 20th century's leading mystical authority and a very conservative scholar, admits that the position of the Kaballah as being originally done by Moses de Leon in the year 1300 is flawed. He further acknowledges that the fact that the medieval text in not unified harks back to an earlier version, but how early Scholem does not tell us. SInce his death however, most scholars have concluded that the Bahir and/or Sefer Yetxirah may date as early as the third century, but still few place stock in the theory that the Kabbalah was done by Simon ben Yonai, a chief compiler of the Mishnah, whcih was Moses de Leon's original intention.

However, for my money, the absolute proof of the Kabbalah stretching back to the first century (other than the great mystic Yukhanan bar Zawdee and his Gospel and Revelation) is found in the writings of Philo. Philo Bar Judaeus, died in the common year 50 and wrote extensively about the dangers of JEWISH mystical teachings in his native Alexandria. Ironically, Philo wanted to stamp it out. He thought Jewish mysticism was literally hazardous to one's sanity. We can also infer that if these teachings were in Alexandria this early, they must have been in Israel singificantly prior to this period. If you want, I will show you the writings directly and you may judge it or yourself.

Hope this helps!

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth

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 Samuel EMail SamuelView member profileCheck IP address of this member 3. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-12-2001 at 01:28 AM (GMT3)
Akhi Andrew:
The Qaballah means received from the Hebrew term Qibal. In Perkei Avoth in the opening statement it says Moshe Qibal Torah Har Sinai(Moses received the Torah on Mont Sinai..)The origins are mostly midevil and combine Platonic philosophy with the Torah of Metaphysics. In Hebrew they call the Qabalistic aproach the fith meaning or sod meaning secrete. Its real origins is a form of Jewish Gnosticsm from pre-Christian times. It is refelected in the Psuedepigrapha a Greek term for Old Testament styled writings falsely ascribed to Biblical charachters. Examples are Adam and Eve, Enoch, solomon,Abraham and ect. They have theological value in the historical form of how Jewish thought developed in the Helenistic intertestimental period of roughly 323B.C. - the year 100A.D. Some other Rabbinc writings come to mind like Perkei Rabbai Eliezer(The Chapters of Rabbai Eliezer) and Tanna Rabbai Eliyahu. Rabbai Yehudah Ha Nasi(Prince) circa 175A.D. wrote most of the Mishnah. Rabbai Shimon Bar Yokhai, also a second century Tanna did have some quotes but he hardly wrote the majority of the Mishna which is a code of Jewish Law on the traditional observence of the Torah. It has 63 tractes or books. The first book is titled Berkhot meaning blessings,books also exist like Shabbath,Pesakh, Eruvin, Yoma (Yomkippur) and ect. It also has six divisions on the Law called Seeds dealing with agricultural law,seasons, dealing with Holy Days,Women,Nezikin(deals with criminal and civil law),Holyness(deals with Holy things), and Purity. I hope this enlights the people about the contexts of the Mishnah and the two Talmuds (Gemoras) Babylonian and Jerusalem which are commentaries in Aramaic on the Hebrew Mishnah. Shabbat Shalom, Todah Rabba,Shlama W'Berkhata, Sam
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 Andrew Gabriel Roth EMail Andrew Gabriel RothCheck IP address of this member 4. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-12-2001 at 01:42 AM (GMT3)
>Akhi Andrew:
>The Qaballah means received from the
>Hebrew term Qibal. In Perkei
>Avoth in the opening statement
>it says Moshe Qibal Torah
>Har Sinai(Moses received the Torah
>on Mont Sinai..)


HI AKHI SHMUEL!

OF COURSE MOSES RECEIVED THE TORAH ON MOUNT SINAI...BUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT EVENT AND WHAT IS ORAL TORAH, OR THE RUAKH HA KODESH, BAT KOL, TAKE YOUR PICK, IS A MATTER OF DEEP DISCUSSION WAY BEYOND OUR LITTLE POSTS.

The origins are
>mostly midevil and combine Platonic
>philosophy with the Torah of
>Metaphysics. In Hebrew they call
>the Qabalistic aproach the fith
>meaning or sod meaning secrete.

THE FINAL EDITION OF KABBALAH IS MEDIEVAL, YES. HOWEVER, THE TRADITIONS CONTAINED IN IT CLEARLY GO BACK MUCH EARLIER. PERHAPS NOT TO EDEN OR SINAI AS SO MANYKABBALISTS CLAIM, BUT THE MERKAVAH SCHOOL OF EZEKIEL IS CERTAINLY CREDIBLE TO ME. THE DISCIPLINE YOU REFER TO "SOD" IS THE FOURTH AND FINAL LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO THE FIRST CENTURY RABBI HILLEL, AND IN THAT CASE WE ONLY KNOW THAT HE WAS THE FIRST TO WRITE THEM DOWN. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN EARLIER IN ORAL FORM AND HILLEL'S NAME JUST GOT ATTACHED TO IT.

>Its real origins is a
>form of Jewish Gnosticsm from
>pre-Christian times. It is refelected
>in the Psuedepigrapha a Greek
>term for Old Testament styled
>writings falsely ascribed to Biblical
>charachters. Examples are Adam and
>Eve, Enoch, solomon,Abraham and ect.


I PARTIALLY AGREE. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A COMMON ROOT BETWEEN JEWISH GNOSTICISM (FUNNY TITLE SINCE REALLY ALMOST ALL GNOSTICS WERE JEWS WHO TOOK A GREEK NAME) AND PROTO KABBALISTIC TEACHING THAT EVOLVED INTO THE BAHIR AND SEFER YETZIRAH. I DON'T THINK THOUGH THAT IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED THAT ONE IPSO FACTO JUST EMERGED FROM THE OTHER. HOWEVER, YOU ARE RIGHT IN THAT THE SO-CALLED "MANDEANS" ARE AN IMPORTANT LINK IN THIS FIELD, AND MOST OF THE WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN THEM. TH BOOK OF ENOCH IS CERTAINLY A HIGH POINT OF JEWISH GNOSTIC LITERATURE.

>They have theological value in
>the historical form of how
>Jewish thought developed in the
>Helenistic intertestimental period of roughly
>323B.C. - the year 100A.D.

I AGREE TOTALLY.

>Some other Rabbinc writings come
>to mind like Perkei Rabbai
>Eliezer(The Chapters of Rabbai Eliezer)
>and Tanna Rabbai Eliyahu. Rabbai
>Yehudah Ha Nasi(Prince) circa 175A.D.
>wrote most of the Mishnah.
>Rabbai Shimon Bar Yokhai, also
>a second century Tanna did
>have some quotes but he
>hardly wrote the majority of
>the Mishna which is a
>code of Jewish Law on
>the traditional observence of the
>Torah.

I THINK YOU MEAN SIMON BAR YONAI, WHO IS CREDITED NOT SO MUCH WITH WRITING THE MISHNAH AS IN HELPING COMPILE AND EDIT IT. MOSES DE LEON, WHO WROTE THE FINAL KABALAH IN 1300, CREDITS THIS SECOND CENTURY RABBI WITH THE KABALAH AS HE KNEW IT. ALTHOUGH, I TEND TO DOUBT THIS CLAIM MYSELF, BUT I ALSO THINK IT DOES POINT TO OLDER TEACHINGS AROUND THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.

It has 63 tractes
>or books. The first book
>is titled Berkhot meaning blessings,books
>also exist like Shabbath,Pesakh, Eruvin,
>Yoma (Yomkippur) and ect. It
>also has six divisions on
>the Law called Seeds dealing
>with agricultural law,seasons, dealing with
>Holy Days,Women,Nezikin(deals with criminal and
>civil law),Holyness(deals with Holy things),
>and Purity.

YES OF COURSE, AND I HAVE A COPY OF THE TRANSLATION DONE BY JACOB NEUSNER OF YALE UNIVERSITY. I HAVE SEEN IT IN THE ORIGINAL HEBREW, BUT DO NOT OWN THAT AT PRESENT. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THOUGH, THE NEUSNER EDITION IS FABULOUS.

I hope this
>enlights the people about the
>contexts of the Mishnah and
>the two Talmuds (Gemoras) Babylonian
>and Jerusalem which are commentaries
>in Aramaic on the Hebrew
>Mishnah. Shabbat Shalom, Todah Rabba,Shlama
>W'Berkhata, Sam


I'M SURE IT HELPS A GREAT DEAL. I AM VERY GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE TO SHARE THESE INSIGHTS WITH US SINCE WE HEBREWS NEED TO STICK TOGETHER! :O)

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth


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 Samuel EMail SamuelView member profileCheck IP address of this member 6. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-12-2001 at 10:30 AM (GMT3)
Akhi Andrew:
There is a Sabbath Friday Night Hymn called Bar Yokhai, refering to the Praise of Rabbai Shimon Bar Yokhai , who Rabbai Moshe De leon acredited the writing of the Zohar (Raidence) to, a central Book of the Qabalah in the fourteenth centurey. The Hymn was writen by Shimon ibn(son of in arabic) Lavi around the sixteenth century. Here is a few stanza s as translated into English from the original Hebrew.
Bar Yokhai! You were anointed-you are fortunate-with your oil of joy from your fellows.
Bar Yokhai! With oil of sacred anointment were you anointed from the holy measure
You bore the headplate, a crown of holiness,
bond on your head is your glory.
chorus(opening line)
Bar Yokhai! In a goodly dwelling did you setttle on the day you ran you fled, In rocky caves where you stopped-
there you aquired your glory and strength.
The second stanza refers to a legend of the Talmud that Rabbai Bar Yokhai(Simeon the son of Yokhai) fled into a cave for many years to flee from the Romans who wanted his life for some negative comments he made about Rome. this is purely pious fiction. The composser of this Hymn was a Morroccan jew who spoke Arabic as wel as Hebrew since Arabic is the language of Morrocco at that time and even today. Originally he was born in Spain , but fled to Fez ,Morocco due to the Spanish inquition. Rabbai Shimon Bar yokhai lived in the late second century according to the Talmud and other Historical sources. Shalom Alekhim! Shlama W'Berkhata , Sam
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 Savitri EMail SavitriView member profileCheck IP address of this member 5. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-12-2001 at 10:30 AM (GMT3)
Shlama, Akha

Thanks to you both for your contributions. I, too, have no doubt that there was a mystical understanding of Torah and of Judaism that extends back far beyond the advent of Christianity, whether or not one chooses to call it "Qaballah." One of my favorite apocryphal stories is of the young Yeshua debating "Aleph-Bayt" with a rabbinical scholar. And, Akhi Andrew, of course I'd love to see your references.

And, if anyone has any hits, I'm still interested in reflections re: possible tie-ins between first-century mystical/kaballistic understandings of "malkut," and possible layers of meaning underlying "malkutha" as used by Maran Yeshua.

Thanks again,

Savitr

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 Andrew Gabriel Roth EMail Andrew Gabriel RothCheck IP address of this member 7. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-12-2001 at 01:05 PM (GMT3)

How is this quote from Philo as a beginning, Akhi Savitri?

When I have more time, I'll look into some of these other excellent inquiries of yours. Meanwhile, here are the words of Philo Bar Judaeus, who lived from 20 BCE to 50 CE:

Now it is very good that these three measures should, as it were, be kneaded together in the soul, and mixed up together, in order that so the soul, having been persuaded that the Supreme Being is God, who has raised his head above all his powers, and who is beheld independently of them and who makes himself visible in them, may receive the character of his power and benificence, and become initiated into the perfect mysteries, may not be too ready to divulge the divine secrets to anyone, but may treasure them up in herself, and keeping a check on her speech, may conceal them in silence; for the words of Scripture are ‘to make secret cakes’, because the sacred and the mystic statements about the one uncreated Being, and about his powers, ought to be kept secret; since it does not belong to every one to keep the deposit of divine mysteries properly.”

The Sacrifices of Abel and Cain, XV, 60


A lot of this same triune language (ECHAD) and "triads" ("tlita") is found in the Kaballah. Philo also comes very close to describing the sefirot ("powers"). Elsewhere Philo also writes on tri-unity and of "logos", the Word of God, as a creative force (memra/miltha). When I find those again, I will send them your way.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth

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 Savitri EMail SavitriView member profileCheck IP address of this member 9. "RE: Peshitta Aramaic and Kabbalah"
May-16-2001 at 09:14 AM (GMT3)
Shlama Andrew,

Thanks for the quotes, Akhi, and I'll look forward to hearing from you further. And congratulations, by the way, on the early release of your book!

Shlama w'Burkate,

Savitr

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 James_Trimm EMail James_TrimmView member profileCheck IP address of this member 8. "The Sefirot in Aramaic Peshitta"
May-12-2001 at 01:33 PM (GMT3)
The Sefirot in Hebrew and Aramaic

The three upper sefirot (unless otherwise noted, from Is.11:2
in the Masoretic Text and Peshitta)

1. Keter 1. K'lila (James 1:12)
2. Chokhma 2. Chekm'ta
3. Binah 3. Sukala

The seven lower sefirot (unless otherwise noted, from 1Chron. 29:11-13
in the Masoretic Text and Peshitta)

4. Chesed 4. Taivuta (2Chron. 20:21 & Hosea 6:6)
5. Gevurah 5. Ganavuta
6. Tefret 6. Teshbuchta
7. Netzach 7. Yayuta
8. Hod 8. Hedra
9. Yesod 9. Shetesta (Is. 28:16)
10. Malkut 10. Malkuta

This info can be useful in working with the Aramaic text of the New Testament
in terms of the Sefirot.

Also while these are helpful, other Aramaic words are also important, for example as I mentioned earlier Aramaic KHAILA also can indicate GEVURA.

Trimm

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