The Kabbalah Jewish Mysticism and the "Sefer Yetzirah" Time Line
The history of the Qabbalah (Kabbalah) and the mystical Book of Creation ("Sefer Yetzirah") are Intertwined.
Kabbalah
is the ancient oral tradition. The Sefer Yetzirah is one of the
earliest, and most important, book written about the Kabbalah.
Over
the centuries, the principles found in the Book of Creation became the
tools of the Kabbalist. The Sephiroth (spheres), the elements, the
Tetragrammaton, all derive from concepts found the Book of Creation.
 KABBALAH TIMELINE:
The
history and origins of the manuscript "Sefer Yetzirah" is unknown prior
to the beginning of the 1st Century AD. Most authors over the centuries
have numerous speculations about how the book on creation actually was
created.
Qabalah,
the "Oral Law," was passed from mouth to ear generation after
generation until it was finally written down by Abraham, the patriarch
of the Jewish religion.
Abraham
is considered the original author of the "Sefer Yetzirah" who wrote the
book upon his conversion from idol worshipper to the religion of the
True G-d.
Another
tradition is that "Sefer Yetzirah" was part of the "Oral Law" which the
Lord gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Moses was said to have received the
Oral Law along with the Written Law, according to Jewish tradition.
Links to books on Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), Kabbalah, Kabbalah Bracelets and more.
It is possible that the original concepts were conceived by Abraham,
and the again revealed to Moses. No record exists of who actually
started the Tradition.
 In
several manuscripts the Sefer Yetzirah is called "Otiyyot de-Avraham
Avinu" which means the Letters of Abraham Avinu in Hebrew, or abeena
Ibraheem in Arabic.
The
attribution of the Sefer Yetzirah to Rabbi Akiba appears in the 13th
century onward. This is derived from the late Midrash "Otiyyot de-Rabbi
Akiva" (Scholem," Kabbalah," p. 28).
R.
Akiba is attributed to be the author of the first written version of
the Sefer Yetzirah in the first century AD. He took the concepts passed
down from generation to generation, the commentaries, and put it into
the format we use today.
The Letters of Abraham the Patriarch
According to a
statement in "Rokeah (Hasidut Zakuyyut 'Arum)," at age 48, Abraham was
moved by the deeds of the generation of the Tower of Babel to reflect on
Gd and the universe.
He first contemplated
the original concepts of the Sefer Yetzirah for three years by himself.
Afterwards, by the command of Gd, he was taught by Shem, until he
became so wise he composed the "Sefer Yetzirah." Read more about Abraham from wikipedia.
Then G-d appeared to him, took him unto Himself, kissed him,
called him His friend, and made a covenant with him and his descendants
forever. ("Legend of Jews", Ginsburg, 210 from "Sefer Yetzirah" 6.)
The "oral tradition" (Qabala) was then passed down by word of mouth to his sons, then to:
- Jeremiah, who passed it on to
- Joseph b. Uziel, who passed it to his son,
- Ben Sira who passed it to his son, Uziel.
- It was
transmitted until the sages of Jerusalem put it to writing at a time
when the Jews were at a period of destruction, sometime in the first or
second century AD possibly by Rabbi Akiba.
- The first printed edition of the Sefer Yetzirah was in the middle ages.
The golem and Kabalah
 The
Sefer Yetzirah is deeply rooted into the theory of the creation of a
golem. The first mention of the creation of a golem, or an artificial
being, is found in the Babylonian First Talmud passages of Sanhedrin
65b, Sanhedrin 66b, treatise Erubin, p. 63.
"But, alas, your
iniquities have separated between you and your Gd." Sandhedrin 65b, in
reference to Isaiah 59:2, LIX.2. This section is preceded by a
discussion on ba'al ob and conjuring the dead to foretell the future.
"Raba said: If the righteousness desired it, they could [by living a
life of absolute purity], be creators, for it is written, 'But your
iniquities have distinguished between, etc.' (ed. ibid to above quote.
Raba understands mabadilim in the sense of "draw a distinction." Read
more about golem.
Most popular and reliable books about "Sefer Yetzirah"
These
are the most popular books on Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Creation
(Book of Formation). All of them can be purchased through these links at
Amazon.com. Check for free shipping eligibility on some books.
This
is the most authoritative text on the study of the "Sefer Yetzirah" or
Book of Formation (Book of Creation). Kaplan's explanations are easy to
understand and make common sense. A must have manual for anyone ready to
decipher this ancient manuscript. Paperback: 398 pages. Publisher:
Weiser Books; Rev Sub edition (May 1997). Language: English.
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by R. A. Gilbert (Foreword),
Arthur Edward Waite (Editor, Introduction), Knut Stenring (Translator)
Stenring
has made a word-for-word translation from several texts, choosing only
those parts which he believed to be authentic. He reveals the text’s
secrets in his diagrams, tables, and extensive notes. His "Master Key to
the Theoretical and Practical Kabala" is a diagram of the
correspondences between the English and Hebrew alphabets and is not
found in other translations of the Sepher Yetzirah. The introduction by
Waite surveys the historical background of the Sepher Yetzirah
translations and the import of this foundational Kabbalistic text. Knut
Stenring was a Swedish Hebrew scholar. He published this work in 1923.
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by W. Wynn Westcott (Author)
A
selection from INTRODUCTION: The "Sepher Yetzirah," or "Book of
Formation," is perhaps the oldest Rabbinical treatise of Kabalistic
philosophy which is still extant. The great interest which has been
evinced of 1ate years in the Hebrew Kabalah, and the modes of thought
and doctrine allied to it, has induced me to translate this tractate
from the original Hebrew texts, and to collate with them the Latin
versions of mediaeval authorities; and I have also published An
Introduction to the Kabalah which may be found useful to students. Three
important books of the "Zohar," or "Book of Splendour," which is a
great storehouse of Kabalistic teaching, have been translated into
English by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, and the "Sepher Yetzirah" in an
English translation is almost a necessary companion to these abstruse
disquisitions: the two books indeed mutually explain each other.
Sepher Yetzirah (Paperback: 48 pages). Publisher: Kessinger Publishing (December 30, 2005). Language: English
Sepher Yetzirah (Kindle)
(Format: Kindle Edition). File Size: 226 KB. Print Length: 112 pages.
Publisher: Oak Grove (March 20, 2008). Sold by: Amazon Digital
Services
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by Charles F. Horne (Editor)
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing (December 30, 2005). Language: English
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Follow the time line year by year of the development of the Kabbalah:
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