xii. 13). Thou
shalt ever hear the Law, even when thou dost not understand it. "Fear
God," and give thy heart to Him. "And keep His commandments," for on
account of the Law the whole world was created, that the world should
study it.
_Koheleth, as given in Tse-enah Ure-enah._
THE KABBALA
"The words of the wise and their dark sayings" (Prov. i. 6).
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
The Hebrew word Kabbal means "to receive," and its derivative, Kabbalah,
signifies, "a thing received," viz, "Tradition," which, together with
the written law, Moses received on Mount Sinai, and we are told in the
Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, fol. 19, col. 1, i.e., "The words of the Kabbalah
are just the same as the words of the law." In another part of this work
we have seen that the Rabbis declare the Kabbalah to be above the law.
The Kabbalah is divided into two parts, viz, the symbolical and the
real.
THE SYMBOLICAL KABBALAH
This teaches the secret of mystic sense of Scripture, and the thirteen
rules by which the observance of the law is, not logically, but
Kabbalistically expounded; viz, the rules of "Gematria," of "Notricon,"
of "Temurah," etc. To give some idea of this kind of exposition, we will
explain each of these three rules in a manner which, though in the style
of the Rabbis, will easily be understood by the Gentile reader.
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