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One of the nice things that you get from reincarnation is more time to understand the Sefer Yetzirah.

Sepher Yetzirah, in my experience, is almost like a secret code that makes very little sense on the surface but it unlocks something in your unconscious. You start drawing weird connections that don't make logical sense but somehow it fits perfectly. Took me forever you understand what it meant for Hod to "have no root by which it can cleave or rest, save the hidden places of gedulah" meant. Its like saying the mind cannot rest anywhere save for in dwelling on faith and good will.

Fabulously lucid on a most difficult text. Mazel tov to you and your partner on the birth of Zohar Maqav. May they live up to their name with an incandescent and illuminating life.

So I am over the hill and have spent all but the earliest years of my life studying religion/magick/philosophy. Out of all the books I have read and studied on these topics I feel like the Sefer Yetzirah is the most important text I have ever studied. I come back to it and the Corpus Hermeticum over and over again.

I was blessed to discover this text almost a decade ago from a man named Serifa. This is the first time I've ever encountered anyone else who has studied the text. Thank you.

I “stumbled” upon your channel last night and I must say it’s destiny. I didn’t even know I was looking for this. I’m watching all your videos today! Gratitude 😊

Thank you for uploading this video - so grateful to creators like you who help satiate my curiousity

Along with everything else, you teaching these episodes I feel I am learning academic integrity of thought and research. You are a shining example. Grateful.

So much love and gratitude. Thank you for sharing the utmost quality content on the internet today with us all.

Interestingly in vedic astrology they link the nakshatra stars to linguistic syllables used in the naming ceremony. I would love to see some comparative analysis between ancient Jewish mysticism text and the ancient Vedic texts like the upanishads and the Brahmanas

This is the first video I have watched on your channel. Amazing work. Congratulations!

14:20 "We have a completely made up word, attached to a word that's only used once in one of the most enigmatic books of the Bible. Fantastic." I can tell I'm going to love studying this already

Love the way you present this. Esoteric things often presented as facts and without humility, but you've done a lovely objective presentation.

much appreciative of your channel Dr. Sledge, Thank You

exactly the information i was looking for, happy i found your channel!

Can't wait for the golem episode. Thanks for making these videos! :)

I wish I had access to these fifteen years ago, when I was looking Jewish mysticism. Thank you for this channel.

SO great as always! Love your caveat of this is the stance till a future change from new knowledge! Your humility and humor are well enjoyed in these videos bro!

Thank you rabbi! You have been an excellent guide through this magical and holy work. I am definitely not versed and have no background other than reading the kjv of the Bible while I was young. I believe that humanity is becoming more and more prepared to return to the realization that faith is science. People like you make that ancient wisdom a present possibility. That will make for all a great future. Keep up the excellent work!

Absolutely splendid, from the opening statements to the final quip.

A zillion thanks for this dense but very lucid work. Much appreciated! M.

Once again ..oh wise one...excellent presentation...in plain English and well done...I will need to watch it about 10 times...well done again..

Your hard work is appreciated!

I admire our Ancestors for trying to explain things. After learning a little Quantum Mechanics, Hard to say they are wrong. TY Doc.

Fascinating video! I love your channel and what it's about.

I just wanted to say thank you to all being trying to find and give information about humanity. A shame so much has been destroyed

Wow that's great! I'll watch calmly lately. 😄🙏🏻

I wish we as catholics were more urged to study Judaism, because this would be interesting to learn in Catechism! Of course, there were medieval polemics, but most people just do as their told now, and don't delve deep into their roots and religion anymore. It's sad.

I found my copy, an English version, in a box of stuff that was meant to be thrown away. I had no idea what it was and was mesmerized reading it, before reading more about it.

My first Merkava vision, as quick as a flash, fire... I will never forget how Yah appeared as I was reading Immanuel Kant describe the difference between beauty and sublime. He is deFinitely is beyond Sublime and Yeah, He proved it with Immanuel Kant's words. It hit me like AWE... Im hooked.

I remember some passages in Plato where he employs letters or syllables as images for how Forms are “fractally” one participating into one another. - in the Sophist, he takes some Forms to be analogues to vowels, which bind together the consonants, and so tend to span across the whole reality. Consonants are analogues of Forms that in themselves tend to be non-intelligible, but that become intelligible when bound together by vowels. Later in this same dialogue he uses nouns and verbs to convey the same idea: that what fits well together has being, and what doesn’t fit well together tends to fade away from being. - in Theatetus he uses syllables as a whole made out of letters in examining the theory of whether the ultimate elements out of which all reality is crafted are knowable or not. - in Cratylus, of course, he has a passage on the metaphysical symbolism of the Greek letters, ascribing a sort of Heraclitean view to the ancient architects of words. My personal guess is that this motif of the letters as images for building blocks of reality is very naturally suggested in Greek by the density that the word Logos already had in classical Greece. Logos conveys a sort of orderly, proportional and meaningful whole that emerges out of raw elements in themselves not-meaningful. So Logos can be Word as made out of vowels, Discourse as made out of words, and Proportion in emphasizing more this nature of the binding together of the parts into a unity. Heraclitus was already was aware of the power of this word. Maybe Plato took this suggestion from him. Plato also uses other metaphors apart from the linguistic one: sometimes talks about notes as the elements in crafting music, and there is a suggestion about prime numbers as elements of the other numbers. In the Timaeus, the demiurge binds the soul together out of Being, Sameness and Difference into a unity by means of Proportion. I guess that numbers would be his preferable analogy, since they are closer to what is true and eternal, but to think about numbers in this vein is quite dazzling and mind blowing, so for a more practical exposition, more mythical and less dialectical, physical analogies as of letters and sounds are preferable.

Great content! It remembers me of attended classes in History of Magick and Experimental Science and of 'Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition' book. 👏🏻

Thank you for this Dr. I would like to discuss more with you about Rabbi Hannina and Hoshiah creating the calf, as I am looking for information on tangible creation of a calf using the sefer yetzirah

You do important work.Mazel tov!

I bought a paperback book at a commercial bookstore once that I've lost and will never get out of my head = I don't know what it is but it was mainly concerned with descriptions of the physical nature of Adam Kadmon and it's mystical properties and how that related to scripture using the format of a saying, and the "as it is written" and giving a biblical example. "And his hair was perfect, not one being out of place.." - As it is written 82:23 Rfsjufsb etc, etc, etc... It read woe unto me if i reveal this, woe unto me if I do not. - But doesn't seem to be the normal book in which that quote is found. I don't know how modern my fabled book was, and it was, but I know it was uncommon enough.. I am aware there are many schools and this is one I found fascinating after thujone dream Visions of the fall of Adam Kadmon to dusty earth. I need that book again! A little help?

Love this video. Keep up the great work.

Finally subscribed, as I've been watching so many of your videos already. Thank you for so much and rare knowledge . I could spend hours asking you questions about those topics. Would you say that the Golem concept is similar to the Homonculus, tp describe an artificial human born from alchemical practices? Thank you.

Can you do a detailed documentary on sefer Harazim..... Explaining all the texts there in

Ive got a copy of Kaplan’s Sefer Yetzirah.Its a really good book with the long and short text.

I just got the Peter Hayman Sepher Yesira and it cost a $1000 bucks....well worth it though.... thanks for a great show..

To be fair, without proceeding farther than 4 minutes into the video, I have to say that “IDK I’m not dead yet” is about as good an answer we can give. It’s certainly better than gaslighting and shaming based on false promises, usually to the point of taking blind advantage of those who are impressionable to believe it. Just my opinion, but I digress, let’s continue digging into this esoteric knowledge haha

It will be nice if you do a video review of every one of the 18 historical Jewish commentators of this book, being Chachmoni, Ravaad's and Saadya's my favorites. btw Mazal tov!

Love your stuff! The academic rigor, and the slight tongue in cheek comedy is great! Curious if you have any videos about your personal beliefs. Curious because you have such a strong academic understanding of these beliefs, prominent contradictions across so many traditions, yet you still seem to have some kind of personal practice. Totally understand if that’s not something you share with your audience, but I’m always fascinated about how intellectuals balance their knowledge and their faith.

Since your goal is to pass this knowledge on that you find like this, I'm definitely going to make sure to subscribe and like every video even if I don't quite agree with it. What you're doing is truly important and I thank you. And by the way I'm a little upset even at the good guys in this and a lot of turns because they either hid the knowledge from us or they were egotistical and perpetuated a lie

As someone Christian and reaching out to other contexts that relate to the faith, I can't help but appreciate the "cut-to-the-chase" form the New Testament takes. It tells the reader what's expected and doesn't go deeper than saying "the mystery of God is revealed..." because the rest of our fathoming over supernatural mysteries will probably never end.

just great -concision and clarity. Hope i will take the time for the whole ride. Used to investigate the matter ten years ago but suspended it for cleaning a huge mess in my life. . inquiry waiting.. .?!?

I just love this channel! Keep up the good work! Say, what’s the name of the piano music in the intro?

I wonder if the forbidden nature of magic involves seeking power outside the covenant, ie demons and spirits to fulfill faith that should have been placed in God himself. Just like Saul seeking out a diviner to seek an answer that he had already received. Very intriguing conversations!

This man know all the best words.

Not gonna lie, ive been playing final fantasy 7 a lot lately, and the moment i heard you say sephirot, i got really excited. :)

Great break down, thank you

Great episode as always. This was hilarious. The Sepher Yetzirah is the type of text that can't really be understood without the ancient Kabbalistic context in my opinion. Kabbalah is not a course or a book. I think that its a journal where, like the Zohar, many "people" speak. I don't think they are people but voices that the author transcribes.

Professor can you do a video on the Sefer Raziel HaMalach? It’s one I’ve been excited to study!

Excellent and entertaining

Love the videos. Apparently you had a baby so congrats! Whenever you get back to making videos, I would love to know your opinion on Zoroastrian Magic (I'm only a bit familiar with it from the work of Stephen Flowers).

I know this is an old video but I hope you will respond. Is it as taboo to study esoteric or magical text in the Jewish community as it is in the Christian community? I can remember some Christian parents not letting their child read harry potter because its sorcery! Its actually kind of funny because studying non canonical text and other sacred books has brought back my knowledge of god and I'm no longer an atheist. Knowing god has brought a certain calmness to my life that I cant describe. It's like my subconscious was battling with all these questions. Now that I have some answers my mind feels clear I can actually think and follow through. Thank you for this channel. Your going to be huge one day!

Dr. Sledge, many modern occult circles subscribe the sepherot and the 22 paths of wisdom to the tarot. Do you believe there is any correlation between the two, symbolic or otherwise? Also, I am confused as to what the purpose of Kabbalah is exactly. What is the purpose in studying Kabbalah?

I would never have got that curious detail about Bezaleel reading the King James Version (Exodus 31:3). Can you recommend which version with that kind of clarity, short of learning a new language?

About the 3-letter divine name vs the 4-letter: I have a very half-baked thought (I don't have a lot of base knowledge yet, I've only recently converted, forgive me). An explanation I'd heard about why Avram (AVRM) was changed to Avraham (AVRHM) was that G-d was giving Abraham a 'piece' of The Name as a sign of the covenant. Maybe there's some sort of parallel there? (Idk how/if this matches up with Sarai (SRI) to Sarah (SRH) though.)

dear Doctor: firstly thanks for this great video, I would liek to ask you if you could help me to spot a copy of the Sefer Yetzirah HaShalem online to buy? thanks in advance

I'm most definitely a layman in the most literal sense of the word. So frankly I don't even know why I bought this thing. But I'm going to dive in because I'm very interested in how the Lord made you and me. I need all the help I can get so take all suggestions on how I could understand this better if at all...?

Thank you for the great video :) how does one get to know their Hebrew name?

Thank you!

Allergies towards origins and afterlife is great. Judaism for me is a thoroughly secular religion (we’re an ethnoreligion so it’s possible) and hearing that our community leaders aren’t hugely concerned with before and after life is gratifying.

At 23:58... *JUSTIN SLEDGE:* _The closest thing we have to a critical edition of the Sefer Yetzira is a text by Peter Hayman, which, if you can find used, is only six hundred and fifty dollars..._ *- Narrator runs out of steam, takes his glasses off, rubs his head and groans. CUT: Esoterica logo and title page for a few seconds, and... -* *JUSTIN SLEDGE:* _Welcome back..._

Near death experiences...NDE experiments, reports on Heart maths institution.... Weight of your soul measured. Does the rah at the end of sefer (cipher) yetzi rah (Ra ray light frequency) link to Pharo? Top job again matey👍

I need to learn Hebrew and Aramaic languages. I happen to be the Messiah but I only know English and lead a busy lifestyle helping people.

Cool channel Thanks

What are the thoughts on the paperback version translated by Knut Stenring 2nd Edition circa 1988? (I've had this copy since early 2000's)

Brothers, you keep the letters on your fingers, that way you can manage the 231 gates of lights you r now the physical typewriter of god or word yoga,not one person mentions this finally practical approach.

Oy vey gonna have to go back and watch this and take notes lol although the subtitles butcher the Hebrew, it’s useful for the Latin based English words😂 thanks so much for this content, its invaluable🎉

Thank you 👍

Hi, I'm a researcher and I'm currently working on the SY and on its commentary by Donnolo. You managed to explain a very complex matter in a simple way. כל הכבוד! Yet, I have a few remarks, if you don't mind. While listing the earliest commentaries, you didn't mention the commentary to the SY that was written in Arabic by Dunash Ibn Tammim in the 10th century. Regarding Weiss: although I'm totally fine with his ideas on a possible Syriac environment for the composition of the SY, its arguments for a 7th century redaction do not seem conclusive to me. Personally, I tend to adopt the latest date possible for its redaction, i.e. the beginning of the 10th century or the end of the 9th, at the earliest. In my view, the arguments presented by Weiss do not contradict this dating. After having read Hayman, I'm not even sure that there was *a* redaction in the first place, and I can't exclude that there were "macroforms" just like the ones defined by Schäfer for the Hekhalot literature, instead of one clearly defined text. My last remark is that I don't understand why scholars are perplexed about YHW. If I recall correctly, nowhere in the text is it written or implied that that is the (or even *a*) Divine Name. That is simply one of the six different permutations of the three letters of the Tetragrammaton that were used as seals for the six directions. Sure, the letters are the same that compose the Tetragrammaton, but one of the main topics of the text is letter permutations. So, "YHW" is simply one of the six possible permutations of the three letters that compose the Name and since it deals about permutations, duplicate elements, such as the second ה, are not taken in consideration. I personally don't see any problems with that. Anyway, thank you for your attention and most of all for your videos. You have a new subscriber. :-) כל טוב

Could I dare suggest a video on the 32 Paths of Wisdom too?

Could you make a video on the TWO snakes in eden, rarely spoken about! Thnx for every great video you made!!

Thanks

Have you read Kaplans version? It clarified a lot of things for me and gave me peace.

I like the theory that the Sefer Yetzirah was originally a book on Hebrew phonology that sorta got out of control.

Can you recommend an edition of sepher yetzirah that's available affordably on Amazon? Is there a superior translation or one that is loaded with images?

Very interesting video. Do you think that the omission of the final Hei has something to do with its link to Assiah? I recently read this in "Apples From The Orchard" - "In the ultimate future, after the soul returns from its temporary abode in the afterlife and is resurrected in the rectified physical world, there will be no need for the soul to experience such “processed” Divine consciousness, i.e., there will be no need for the Name Havayah to be spelled out. The hei’s of the Name will be able to experience the yud and vav directly, and in fact the vav will not be necessary. In the future, the Name Havayah will be spelled yud-hei-yud-hei, indicating that both thought and speech will be able to express Divine consciousness in its fullest form. This is alluded in the verse, “On that day, G-d [yud-hei-vav-hei] will be [yud-hei-yud-hei] one, and His Name will be one.” As it is written in Zechariah 14:9 - יהיה יהוה אחד Just a passing thought as I'm doing my best to make sense of it all. Great work on this mysterious little book!

do you have a show on the merkavah or can you recommend something Thank You

Might I just Say I have a few of the The Guitar Grimoire music Theory books. Some of The patterns, shapes, and cover pictures can be Quite Similar to the Ancient Books you Explore Here on Esoterica. Point being if You did a Video on Bardic history and how Guitar/Musical Grimoire might relate to the Magical, Alchemical, and Esoteric Text and writings I would Be Thrilled to see what You come up with...🎸🎶🎵🎼

Please. You need an alchemical episode on The Book of Abraham the Jew, which I think has come down to us since the early days of the Roman diaspora. I say that by the description he gives of the sorrows clinging on the Jews. You will find it @ rexresearch Also the Aesch Mezareph.

I noticed another commenter mention Aryeh Kaplan. What do you think of Aryeh Kaplan's books and translation of the Sefer Yetzirah? Is it simply a matter of there being better translations?

Kudos!

12:17 Oh come on Dr Sledge, you know that is the best we.couñd wish for, complicated text, complicated history, 2 or 3 languages uses indifferent classic or archaic ways.....can't beat that.

Kinda awesome to see "hapax legomenon" used for real, I didn't know what it meant before this, just the university challenge clip haha

What do you think about Tibet mysticism? Further, does Jewish mysticism have anything to say on dreaming or anything related to such, seeing how much the Tibetan monks do (apparently)

May I add, when your suggesting Books can you plz if possible provide Links to where the Books can be bought .

Could you do a video about a book called Phanerosis 1869 by Dr. John Thomas it is a type of Christian Kabbalah where Dr Thomas creates his own mystical understanding

Wow the Jewish history study is extensive!

re: Hayman's edition: the PDF is out there, thankfully

Just wondering: could 'sephirah' stand for 'sphere'?

I love Sephir Yetzirah. It's on my fave list with the Mathers translations called "Kabbalah Unveiled". I find them all much easier to parse out than zohar,aka "sephir ha so hard"😂

Maybe this is a dumb or silly question but is it believed that a golem is a physical possibility??? And if so is this believed by most Jewish people???

Tha mi tràth an-diugh. I'm early today.

Sonoluminence from 3rd initiation-5initiation.beginning of heaven and earths.

11:18, what did/does ritual burial entail? Is/was it a book burning or something else?

Mayan symbol for your page? What is the meaning?