Letters That Create Change in the World

In the book "The Code," an attempt is made to present the principles and main ideas of the code inherent in each letter and its implications for a person's name, based on the remnants of wisdom left in our hands. A special effort was made to present the material in language accessible to all, focusing on the plain meaning (and a concise explanation of each letter at the sod level, according to the structure of the sefirot, is provided in each chapter in a special section, in white letters on a blue background, intended for those well-versed in the Talmud and poskim and suitable for this study). The book is based on major Jewish writings dealing with the secret of the letters, preserved in our possession and generally written in cryptic language. These include the "Sefer Yetzirah," attributed to Abraham our forefather. The Sefer Yetzirah is already mentioned in the Talmud and is attributed to Abraham our forefather, who received the secrets of divine creation hidden in the letters from Eber, son of Shelah, who received them from his ancestors dating back to Adam. Abraham passed this exalted knowledge to his son Isaac, born to him and Sarah, ensuring he would engage in them in sanctity and purity. He gave other information regarding various spiritual forces existing in creation to his other sons from other women, which even those not pure could engage in. For example, different energies flowing within the human body and the universe are still used today in Chinese medicine and other known healing methods in the East. This explains the verse: "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, and to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, he gave gifts and sent them away eastward to the land of the east." As stated by the sages in the Talmud: "What are these gifts? Rabbi Jeremiah bar Abba said, he gave them the name [“name” is a term for use of spiritual forces] of impurity."

Rabbi Saadia Gaon wrote in his commentary on Sefer Yetzirah that the content of the book was passed by Abraham to future generations and was secretly transferred from generation to generation until the sages of the Mishna committed it to writing. In the Kuzari, it is also mentioned that the Sefer Yetzirah originates from Abraham: "Sefer Yetzirah, it belongs to Abraham our forefather. It is deep, and its explanation is lengthy [its brief statements require lengthy and detailed clarification]." Such is written by commentators on Sefer Yetzirah throughout the ages.

Regarding the meanings of the secrets of Sefer Yetzirah, Rashi wrote in his commentary on Job that Hashem created the world and all creatures within it with letters, "as written in the secret of Sefer Yetzirah." The Sefer Yetzirah is written in cryptic language as is customary with secrets, for the reason provided in the Midrash Tanchuma regarding the ordering of the Torah's passages: "If people knew the order of the Torah, they would know how to heal the sick and resurrect the dead." And also in the Midrash Shocker Tov: "Rabbi Elazar said, the passages of the Torah were not given in order, for if they were, anyone reading them would know how to resurrect the dead. Therefore the order of the Torah was obscured." Likewise concerning the secret of the letters.

Certain combinations of letters create holy names with which one can perform wonders and alter nature by changing the elemental codes of nature. As written by Maharal in "Be'er Hagolah": "It is a tradition among the sages of Israel that Moses parted the sea with the 72-letter name, as there are in each of the three consecutive verses, 72 letters [these three verses from the Book of Exodus, chapter 14, verses 19, 20, 21, begin with the words: Vayisa, Vayavo, Vayet]. This is proof that Moses invoked the name of Hashem over the sea and with it parted it." And the "Chasam Sofer" wrote in his responses: "For the holy names are true actions, as I have seen with my eyes from a wonder-working man of the generation, my teacher Cohen Tzedek of blessed memory, and as the sages dealt with in Sefer Yetzirah and Rabbi Abba created a man, and Isaiah spoke a name and was swallowed by a cedar, and Ahitophel wrote a name and froze the depths – and it is the fill name of ‘El’, and Moses killed the Egyptian with the explicit name."

The Shulchan Aruch ruled: "Deceiving the eyes, forbidden. But through Sefer Yetzirah allowed [to change nature].” The Shach wrote there in the name of the "Ateres Zahav" that through Sefer Yetzirah it is allowed initially, for these are holy names, and the blessed G-d granted power in them for the righteous and prophets to act through them, showing the greatness and might of the blessed G-d's name. Provided they engage in them with sanctity and purity, and for the sanctification of Hashem or for a great mitzvah. Conditions not fully met in these generations. Even in their time, we find that Isaiah was punished for this, all the more so in our time, when one cannot act with purity and holiness.

On the seriousness of the matter, it is written in "Sefer HaIkkarim": "Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, 'One who uses the crown, passes' [is punished]. This is like someone who steals the ring or seal of a king and uses them, who is liable to the death penalty. Even Isaiah, who was a true prophet, was punished for mentioning a name for his own benefit and fell into the hands of his enemies and was killed." And Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote in "Shaarei Kedusha": "The one who uses holy names, our rabbis of blessed memory said, 'One who uses the crown, passes'. He is uprooted from the world, either he or his children will convert, die, or become impoverished." Additionally, he wrote elsewhere: "This is the secret of 'practical Kabbalah' written in books, it is in the world of Asiyah and therefore it is called practical Kabbalah. Therefore it is forbidden to use it, for evil necessarily clings to the good, especially since we do not have the ashes of the red heifer, and the impurity of the shells clings to a person approaching to attain through practical Kabbalah. Therefore, he who guards his soul should distance himself from them. Besides defiling his soul, he will be punished in Gehenna, and also in this world, we have a tradition that he or his offspring will become impoverished, sick, or convert. Take as evidence Rabbi Yosef de la Reina and Rabbi Shlomo Molcho who used practical Kabbalah and disappeared from the world. All this for the mentioned reason, because [...], not only that they are forced against their will [to act] through oaths, and then enticed and lured to improper ways, until they lose their souls. Greater than this, all these oath methods were hidden by the first ones and we are not proficient in them, and one should completely avoid them." Further reading can be found in the "Tikkunei Zohar".

In "Sefer Chassidim" it states: "Evil spirits only engage with those who engage them. Like someone who writes, or whose ancestors wrote amulets, or engaged in oaths or witchcraft or dream inquiries." See further in the responsa "Yachin uVoaz", and "Kanfei Yonah" by Rabbi Menachem Azariah of Fano concerning the students of Rabbi Judah the Pious who used holy names, and what became of them.

To conclude, we note that with the agreement of the renowned elder Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri, of blessed memory, in the book "Simple Faith" by the Kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Hillel, may he live long, the author explained the prohibition against turning to soothsayers and those using practical Kabbalah among others, and brought many letters from our great contemporaries on this matter, Rabbi Kaduri explained that in all the amulets he wrote, he never used practical Kabbalah which involves the conjuring of angels to compel them to do one's will, but they are founded in the language of mercy requests with holy names known to be without error such as "Ana Bekoach" and similar. Only requiring sanctity (the writer needs to guard the sanctity of his eyes, mind, and mouth), immersion, fasting, redemption with mercy requests and Psalms so that the name written will succeed in the amulet. He also warned of fraudsters posing as Kabbalists, mixing sacred with profane, impure names with angelic names, sometimes causing harm instead of benefit to those seeking their help. Midrash "Otiyot d'Rabbi Akiva", attributed to Rabbi Akiva. "Sefer Bahir" attributed to Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKana. "Sefer Zohar" authored by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

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