Shem HaMephorash - Wikipedia
Shem HaMephorash - Wikipedia
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S hem HaMephorash (Hebrew: ֵׁש ם ַה ְּמ ֹפָר ׁשŠēm hamMəfōrāš , also S hem ha-Mephorash), meaning
"t he explicit name", was originally a Tannait ic t erm for t he Tet ragrammat on.[1] In Kabbalah, it may
refer t o a name of God composed of eit her 4, 12, 22, 42, or 72 let t ers (or t riads of let t ers), t he
lat t er version being t he most common.[2]
Early sources, from t he Mishnah t o t he Geonim, only use "Shem haMephorash" t o refer t o t he
four-let t er Tet ragrammat on.[3]
In addit ion t o t he Shem haMephorash, b. Qiddushin 72a describes a 12-let t er name and a 42-
let t er name.[2] The medievals debat e whet her t he 12-let t er name is a mundane euphemism,[4]
unknown,[5] YHVH-EHYH-ADNY ()יהוה אהיה אדני,[6] or YHVH-YHVH-YHVH ()יהוה יהוה יהוה.[7] Wilhelm
Bacher[8] and Adolphe Franck[9] suggest t hat t he 12-let t er name was Chokmah-Tevunah-Da'at
()חכמה תבונה דעת, but t he doct rine of t he Sefirot originat ed in t he 13t h cent ury, roughly a
t housand years aft er t he 12-let t er name was first described.[10] A. Haffer suggest s t hat it is אל
( יהוה אלהינוEl YHVH Elohenu) from Deut . 6:4.[11]
Wilhelm Bacher[8] and Adolphe Franck[9] suggest t hat t he 42-let t er name was t he full 10 Sefirot ,
but t he Sefirot did not yet exist in Talmudic t imes.[10] J. Goldberger argues t hat t he 42-let t er
name was derived by gemat riya, represent ing eit her אהיה אהיהor אלוה.[12] Ignat z St ern wrot e t hat
it represent s t he names list ed by Sifra d'Tziuta Ch. 4,[a][13] winning t he support of Ginsburg,[10] but
t his passage is not even as old as t he Zohar.[14] Robert Eisler derives it from Ex. 34:6.[b][15] A.
Haffer suggest s t hat it is יהוה אחד ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.[11]
According t o Maimonides and Rashi, t he 42-let t er name is unknown,[16][17] but Hayy ben Sherira
says it is t he acronym of t he medieval piyyut Ana b'Koach,[18] and Joshua Tracht enberg argues
t hat Hayy's t radit ion may legit imat ely represent t he Talmudic int ent .[2] By t he st art of t he
Rishonic period, t he t erm "Shem haMephorash" could also be used for t he 42-let t er name and t his
int erpret at ion was ret roject ed int o t he Mishnah,[19] alt hough even Hayy did not claim t o know it s
pronunciat ion. According t o Hayy,
Though the letters of the 42-letter name are known, the pronunciation
has not been [successfully] transmitted. Some say that it begins ַא ְב ִג יַת ץ
ʾabgîtaṣ while others say that it begins ַא ַב ְג ְיַת ץʾabagyǝtaṣ, and some say
that it concludes ְׁש קּוִצ יתšǝqûṣît while other say that it concludes ַׁש ְק ַוִצ ית
šaqwaṣît,[c] and there are many more disputes besides which none can
resolve.
Piyyut im which used t his 42-let t er name as t heir acrost ic were popular among t he Hasidei
Ashkenaz, and many different poems were composed based on different versions of t he name.
The only one of t hese t o survive in Jewish lit urgy is Ana b'Koach.[21]
22-letter name
Cairo Geniza amulet s (Oxford e.107:10, T-S K 1.127) cont ain t he name א ׄ◌ נ ׄ◌ ק ׄ◌ ת ׄ◌ ם ׄ◌ פסתם
פספסים ודיונסים.[22][23] A similar amulet is included in t he back of Sefer Raziel HaMalakh,[2][24]
cont aining אנקתם פסתם פספסים דיונסים,[25] which t he comment ary describes as "t he 22-let t er
name." It s origins are unknown, wit h no connect ion t o Hebrew or Aramaic being found, and no
agreement on any part icular Greek or Zoroast rian origin.[2] Nat han Hannover was responsible for
int roducing it int o popular Priest ly Blessing lit urgy, and also composed poems on t he model of
Ana b'Koach using t he 22-let t er name as his acrost ic.[26]
72-letter name
In Judaic Kabbalah
The 72-fold name is highly import ant t o Sefer Raziel HaMalakh.[2][24] It is derived from Exodus
14:19–21,[27][28][2][29] read boust rophedonically[30][31] t o produce 72 names of t hree let t ers. This
met hod was explained by Rashi,[32] (b. Sukkah 45a),[33] as well as in Sefer HaBahir (c.
1150~1200).[34] Kabbalist legends st at e t hat t he 72-fold name was used by Moses t o cross t he
Red Sea, and t hat it could grant lat er holy men t he power t o cast out demons, heal t he sick,
prevent nat ural disast ers, and even kill enemies.[29]
In Christian Kabbalah
Johann Reuchlin (1455–1522) considered t hese 72 names, made pronounceable by t he addit ion
of suffixes such as 'El' or 'Yah', t o be t he names of angels, individuat ed product s of God's will.[40]
Reuchlin refers t o and list s t he 72 Angels of t he Shem Hamephorash in his 1517 book De Arte
Cabalistica .[41][42] According t o Bernd Roling,
After deriving a Shem ha-mephorasch of the 72 angelic names from the biblical
verses of Exodus 14,19ff., Reuchlin makes a statement concerning the
metaphysical significance of the names. [...] The names of the angels are
products of the will of God. They are substantially based on the tetragrammaton,
and through this connection they illumine and enhance man's spiritual return to
God. [...] With the insertion of divine names such as 'El' or 'Yah', angelic names
become pronouncable, and God himself (being nature) is the basis of angelic
individuation.[40]
Reuchlin's cosmology in t urn influenced Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa[30] (1486–1535) and At hanasius
Kircher[43] (1602–1680).
In 1686, Andreas Luppius published Semiphoras und Schemhamphoras , a German t ranslat ion of
t he earlier Lat in t ext , Liber Semiphoras (see previous sect ion), which Luppius augment ed heavily
wit h passages from Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia and ot her sources.[36]
Blaise de Vigenère (1523–1596), following Reuchlin,[44] feat ured t he 72 angels in his writ ings.[45]
De Vigenère's mat erial on t he Shemhamphorash was lat er copied and expanded by Thomas Rudd
(1583?–1656),[45][27] who proposed t hat it was a key (but oft en missing) component t o t he
magical pract ices in t he Lesser Key of Solomon,[31] as a balancing force against t he evil spirit s of
t he Ars Goetia [31] or in isolat ion.[46] Skinner and Rankine explain t hat de Vigenère and Rudd
adopt ed t hese t rilit eral words wit h '-el' or '-yah' (bot h Hebrew for "god") added t o t hem as t he
names of t he 72 angels t hat are able t o bind t he 72 evil spirit s also described in The Lesser Key
of Solomon (c. mid-17t h cent ury).[e]
Blaise de Vigenère's manuscript s were also used by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mat hers (1854–
1918) in his works for t he Hermet ic Order of t he Golden Dawn.[31] Mat hers describes t he descent
of power from Tet ragrammat on t hrough 24 t hrones of t he Elders of t he Apocalypse, each wit h a
crown of t hree rays:
Four is the number of the letters of the Tetragrammaton. Four is also the number
of the letters of the name ADNI which is its representative and key. The latter
name is bound with the former and united thereto, thus IAHDVNHY forming a
name of 8 letters. 8 X 3, the number of the Supernal Triad, yields the 24 thrones
of the Elders of the Apocalypse, each of whom wears on his head a golden crown
of three rays, each ray of which is a name, each name an Absolute Idea and
Ruling Power of the great name YHVH Tetragrammaton.
The number 24 of the thrones multiplied by the 3 rays of the crown which equals
72, the name of God of 72 letters, which is thus mystically shown in the name
YHVH, as under: (Or as the book of Revelation says: "When the living creatures
(the four Kerubim the Letters of the Name) give glory to Him, etc. the four and
twenty elders fall down before Him and cast their crowns before the Throne,
etc." (that is the Crowns, which each bear 3 of the 72 Names, and these 72 names
are written on the leaves of the Tree of Life which were for the healing of the
nations.)
These are also the 72 names of the ladder of Jacob on which the Angels of God
ascended and descended. [...] The 72 Names of the Deity are thus obtained. The
19th, 20th, and 21st verses of the XIV Chapter of the Book of Exodus each consist
of 72 letters...[47]
Reuchlin's angels of the Shem HaMephorash
Glasya-
25. Nithhaiah Psalms 9:1 (https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Psalms%209:1&version=nrsv)
Labolas
A cont emporary book on Hermet ic Qabalah which discuss t he subject is Lon Milo DuQuet t e's The
Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Ben Clifford. [54]
See also
Notes
a. St ern list s t hese as " "אהיה אשר אהיה יה יהויה אל אלהים יהוה צבאות אל חי אדניt o make 42
let t ers. In t he t ext only ""אהיה יה יהו אל אלהים [יהוה] צבאות שדי אדני.
b. יהוה יהוה אל רחום וחנון ארך אפים ורב חסד ואמת נוצר חסד
c. Each manuscript of Hayy's responsum cont ains different proposed pronunciat ions. This
follows MS Oxford heb. d.2.
d. This is compat ible wit h opt ions ment ioned in Hayy, if read t o represent ְיַת ץ/ ֲא ַב ְגand ִצ ית/ְׁש קּו.
e. Skinner and Rankine's explanat ion (in Rudd 2007, pp. 71–73) of how t he t rilit erals are
produced corresponds wit h t he explanat ion given in McLaughlin & Eisenst ein n.d., and t he
Hebrew names t hey give in t heir t ables (pp. 366–376, cf. pp. 405–407) also correspond wit h
t he t rilit erals in t he t able given by McLaughlin & Eisenst ein.
References
Citations
1 Bacher (n d )
2. Tracht enberg (1939), pp. 90–98, 288ff.
4. Maimonides (1904), Part 1 62:2 (ht t ps://www.sefaria.org/Guide_ for_ t he_ Perplexed,_ Part _ 1.
62.2) .
8. Bacher, Wilhelm (1878). Die Agada der babylonischen Amoräer: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der
Agada und zur Einleitung in den babylonischen Talmud (ht t ps://books.google.com/books?id
=NCsVAAAAYAAJ) (in German). K. J. Trübner. p. 18.
9. Franck, Adolphe (1926). The Kabbalah: Or, The Religious Philosophy of the Hebrews (ht t ps://
books.google.com/books?id=1oU2AQAAIAAJ) . Kabbalah Publishing Company. p. 71.
12. Ben Chananja: Monatsschrift für jüdische Theologie und für jüdisches Leben in Gemeinde,
Synagoge und Schule (ht t ps://books.google.com/books?id=gAxFAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA2-PA41
1-IA8) (in German). Burger. 1867.
14. Webmast er. "Hilufim Terumah SdT 2 176b - 179a" (ht t ps://www.sup.org/zohar/aramaic/varian
t s/?sel=197#link_ foot 7) . www.sup.org. Ret rieved 2024-08-08.
15. Eisler, Robert (1926). "Le myst ère du Schem Hammephorasch" (ht t ps://www.persee.fr/doc/rj
uiv_ 0484-8616_ 1926_ num_ 82_ 163_ 5506) . Revue des études juives . 82 (163): 157–159.
doi:10.3406/rjuiv.1926.5506 (ht t ps://doi.org/10.3406%2Frjuiv.1926.5506) .
16. Maimonides (1904), Part 1 62:3 (ht t ps://www.sefaria.org/Guide_ for_ t he_ Perplexed,_ Part _ 1.
62.3) .
19. Rashi (ht t ps://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_ on_ Sanhedrin.60a.7.1?lang=bi) , Ibn Ezra (ht t ps://ww
w.sefaria.org/Ibn_ Ezra_ on_ Genesis%2C_ Int roduct ion.25?lang=he) , et c. See Hayy's
responsum of previous not e and cf. Eshkol (https://hebrewbooks.org/9047) vol. II p. 97 and
Albeck's not es, and t he parallels not ed t here and in Ibn Ghayyat 's Shaarei Simcha vol. I (ht t p
s://www.hebrewbooks.org/9030) p. 62.
21. משה, ;חלמישHallamish, Moshe (2015). "Anna Be-Kho'ah / ( "על הפיוט אנא בכחht t ps://www.jst
or.org/st able/24235662) . Daat: A Journal of Jewish Philosophy & Kabbalah / עת- כתב: דעת
75–55 :)78( לפילוסופיה יהודית וקבלה. ISSN 0334-2336 (ht t ps://search.worldcat .org/issn/033
4-2336) . JSTOR 24235662 (ht t ps://www.jst or.org/st able/24235662) .
22. Schäfer, Pet er; Shaked, Shaul (1994). Magische Texte aus der Kairoer Geniza (ht t ps://books.
google.com/books?id=q6S1zwEACAAJ) (in German). Mohr Siebeck. ISBN 978-3-16-
146272-6.
23. Naveh, Joseph; Shaked, Shaul (2023-08-28). Amulets and Magic Bowls: Aramaic
Incantations of Late Antiquity (ht t ps://books.google.com/books?id=At j7EAAAQBAJ) .
BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-67214-7.
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ISBN 978-90-04-15231-1.
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Translat ed by M. Friedländer (2nd ed.). London: Rout ledge & Kegan Paul – via Sacred-
t ext s.com.
Mat hers, Samuel Liddell MacGregor (2021). "Golden Dawn Lect ures: Shem HaMephorash and
The Seals of t he Shem HaMephorash" (ht t ps://www.t arrdaniel.com/document s/Thelemagick/g
d/publicat ion/english/Schemhamphorash.ht ml) – via G∴D∴ Library.
McLaughlin, J. F.; Eisenst ein, Judah David (n.d.). "Names of God" (ht t ps://www.jewishencyclopedi
a.com/art icles/6727-god-names-of#anchor12) . Jewish Encyclopedia . The Koppelman
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ort al/8320555/c12.pdf) (PDF). In Bremmer, Jan N.; Veenst ra, Jan R. (eds.). The
Metamorphosis of Magic from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period. Leuven: Peet ers.
pp. 231–66. ISBN 978-90-429-1227-4 – via Universit y of Groningen.
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Press. pp. 37–78. ISBN 978-0-271-05143-7.
Further reading
Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Book 3, part II, chapt er 25 (ht t
p://www.esot ericarchives.com/agrippa/agripp3b.ht m#chap25) feat ures t he sevent y t wo
angels of t he "Schemhamphorae." This was lat er copied by Francis Barret t in his book The
Magus, in Chapt er 21 (ht t p://www.sacred-t ext s.com/grim/magus/ma224.ht m) .
Anon (1880). Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses . This pseudepigraphal work feat ures an
appendix t it led "Semiphoras and Schemhamphoras" (ht t p://www.esot ericarchives.com/moses/
67moses2.ht m#appendix3) .
Avery, Maximus Tyrannus (2020). Book of the Hidden Name: Magick of the Shem HaMephorash
Angels . Empyrus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-578-76540-2.
Crowley, Aleist er. Liber 78: A description of the cards of the Tarot (ht t ps://www.sacred-t ext s.co
m/ot o/lib78.ht m) . A comment ary on t he Tarot , Shemhamphorash, and Goet ia.
Fanger, Claire, ed. (2012). Invoking Angels: Theurgic Ideas and Practices, Thirteenth to Sixteenth
Centuries . Universit y Park: Pennsylvania St at e Universit y Press. ISBN 978-0-271-05143-7.
Meegan, William (2006). "The Sist ine Chapel: A St udy in Celest ial Cart ography" (ht t ps://web.arc
hive.org/web/20060716051045/ht t p://www.rosecroixjournal.org/issues/2006/New%20Folder/
vol3_ 45_ 128_ meegan.pdf) (PDF). The Rose Croix Journal. 3: 45–128. Archived from t he
original (ht t p://www.rosecroixjournal.org/issues/2006/New%20Folder/vol3_ 45_ 128_ meegan.p
df) (PDF) on 2006-07-16. Discusses a possible relat ionship bet ween Michelangelo's fresco in
t he Sist ine Chapel and t he Shemhamphorash.
Wilkinson, R. J. (2015). Tetragrammaton: Western Christians and the Hebrew Name of God:
From the Beginnings to the Seventeenth Century. Net herlands: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-28817-1.
External links