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The Mystery of Sandalphon

(From Merkabah Rabbah)

abbi Ishmael said: I beheld the King of the Universe sitting upon a high and exalted throne,

and a ministering angel (Heb. gedd) standing from the Earth up to the Firmament;Sandalphn was his name. And in the hour when He, RZZYHWH - , the God of

Israel, seeks to swear by prayers (tefilin), and to cast a curse by his hand, he takes prayers from hishead and he suspends decrees from the earth and whoever is able to hide from beforeRZZYHWH, the God of Israel, whose face is His name, and whose name is His face; theutterances of His lips are His name; His words are the fire; the breath of His lips is fire. With Hisbreath He ordained the whole world. Therefore, happy is the person who uses this mystery, andsanctifies it with the holiness of heaven and earth: his days shall be forever lengthened.

Thus spake Rabbi Ishmael unto Rabbi Aqiba regarding the mystery of Sandalphon:Sandalfon spake to me, he whose name is: Tzepap APLA Negril, who is the terrible God,

Kebdril (or Zebudril - in other mss) Nagryy Angyy Apppa Apyerayu Anga;additionally Derayu Reaf Zean YHWH, the God of Israel. These three beloved names:

Gedudyayy Tehuryayy Habibya (orHabibiel in other mss)..

When he revealed unto me the names of the angels, I stood, and I memorized them withpermission. And there was light in my heart, like the lightning, which goeth forth from one end ofthe Universe to another.

Rabbi Ishmael said:The man who uses this mystery and the names of the angels, he should write them according to hisauthority, and thus shall he obtain light from their hands. Give me five shepherds and I shall giveunto them a share of this matter.

Rabbi Ishmael said:The man who uses this mystery and the names of the angels should mention 2 names, 2 of them

seated and 2 standing. And he should mention the name of RZZ YHWH, God of Israel before hewrites them down. If he writes them down without mentioning, his heart shall succumb to folly.

R. Ishmael said:I asked Rabbi Aqiba concerning the word of Atzeret (i.e. Simhat Torah), the word of Rosh Ha-Shanah, the word of every single New Moon, and the word of the first of the month of Adar. Hesaid to me concerning all that I asked:

R

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As to holiness and purity, uprightness and piety are in your heart, and you can take your stand ontheir vigor.The word of Atzeret: HP YH HPY HPA HYZA ZYHA YDA DS YHW. Write these on myrtleleaves on the eve of Atzeret. At cockcrow he must put the myrtle inside his mouth and blot them(the letters) out.

The word of Rosh Ha-Shanah:YH has seen YY' NBRAfearsome SB SBYB DS ZYHA. Writethese on bay leaves on the eve of Rosh Ha-Shanah. At cockcrow he must put the bay leaves insidehis mouth and blot them out.

The word of every single New Moon: DD TBA TRTY NYTA- . Write theseon your fingernail and put your fingernail inside your mouth and blot them out.The word of the first of the month of Adar: splendour of the way KYWYA BBBYH YTRPADWM PYRYAY YKNYS AWRAHY AHHHW HH YH YHW YHY YSDYRand wisdom.Write these on a dish of silver and pour wine inside it and blot out the letters with wine: Acts ofknowledge ofYHWH, a multitude of praise-songs and confessions, psalmodies, acts of holiness,fearsome acts, mighty acts, and acts of salvation belong to our King, to our Savior, to our Redeemer.Amen. Amen. Amen. Peace.

For a revelation: Purify yourself for seven days and bathe in a river three times a day, and purifyyourself from bad food and from wine. And in the hour that you come to pray this name, put inyour mouth a rolled leaf and chew it first and afterward pray: Blessed be Thy name AH AH YHYH HW HW HY HY HA HA.

Mikael - , the great angel who is the prince at the throne on which God is engraved, praises

Him with these in the first firmament:AHA AHA AHA, 3 times,YHWH AY A Y AWA W YAW.

Gabriel - , the righteous angel, praises with this in the second firmament: TzabaotAW AW

Y W A A AW Y W YAW HA AH HW the explicit name (Shem ha-meforash) BH.

Suriel - praises in the third firmament:YY' YHWH, merciful and gracious God. BN living

and abiding. HW, 3 times;AW, 3 times; PW, 3 times; PY, 3 times;AHW AHW BH.

Akatriel - praises in the fourth firmament: AW AW AY AY HWH HWH Ehyeh

Asher Ehyeh BAT ( ). It is the explicit name.

Metatron sits on his throne of glory,AHY AHY PLMKS KK MRAWT AWTAWAW HY HY HW HY HW AY Y W HYA BH.

Raphael - praises in the fifth firmament: YW AW HWYA YW HW, 4 times; HW HW

MAHW Y HW AHW YA W Y AA AWWA WAW YA A.

Budiel - praises in the sixth firmament:Adonai,Adoniel Elim Shaddai TzabaotAH, 3

times;AW, 3 times; BH BH HG HG HWD HW HW WHW HHW HW HA BH .

Yomael (orYomiel) - the angel praises in the seventh firmament.

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And fumigate yourself and your clothes with myrrh, frankincense, and white blossom. And in anyplace that you wish, you may pray and it shall be heard, whether day or night, whether on the sea oron dry land, any time that you invoke in purity. And keep yourself from all evil, lest it harm you. Forit is the explicit name.

Bibliography

Synopse zur Hekhalot literature, 655-670, by Peter Schfer

Merkabah Shelemah by Shlomo Mossayeb

Descenders to the chariot: the people behind the Hekhalot literature

by James R. Davila.