
1130 AD to 1150 AD, Psalm 104: The Bahir.
This generation is that of the 1130s and 1140s.
- Towards [1] the middle of the twelfth century appeared, within the Judaism of southern France (at the time, Provence and Languedoc), a mystical ideology, formulated in an anonymous writing rather brief but chaotic and obscure, that we usually referred to as Sefer ha-Bahir (The Book of Clarity). The pieces collected in this compilation seem to be, largely, of Eastern origin. They represent a kind of Gnosticism, with a certain impregnation of theurgic conception, all adapted to the Jewish monotheism and decked out with the literary coating of the Midrash. That is to say the exegesis and homiletics practiced by the doctors of the synagogue.
- All [2] insisting on the absolute unity of God, the Sefer Ha-Bahir can describe, with the aid of a symbolism that has not yet revealed all its secrets, the tensions and conflicts within the a deity manifested by his attributes; the latter take on individual characteristics, delicate innovation, and, among other things, more scandalous novelty, distinctive features of masculinity and femininity.
- Why [3] is Beth (ב) curly on all sides and open in front of her?
-
-
-
- Rabbi [4] Yanai says: The earth was created before the heavens, as it is said (Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 4): « the Lord God made earth and heaven.« .
- He was asked: But is it not written (Genesis, Chapter 1, verse 1): « the heavens and the earth » ? He answered them: It is like a king who had bought a beautiful jewel but far from perfect. So the king refrained from giving him a name. He said to himself: I am going to complete it, set it up, and put it up. And only after that will I give him a name. This is what is expressed in the verse (Psalm 102, verse 26): « In the beginning You founded the earth« . And it is only after (that it is said): « and the heavens are the work of Your hands« .
- And it is written: (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, verse 2 and first part of verse 3 ) [You] enwrap Yourself with light like a garment; [You] extend the heavens like a curtain / Who roofs His upper chambers with water, etc /. It’s written about fire on the other hand (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, verse 4 ) « He makes winds His messengers, burning fire His ministers », after that (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, verse 5 ) He founded the earth on its foundations that it not falter to eternity. It is only after having « founded the earth on its foundations » that he fortified it as it is said « it not falter to eternity« . (the end of the verse 5 is in hebrew: « ע֘וֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד« , we can read it « Olam Vaèd »). And what is his name? His name is « Vaèd » and his base is called « Olam », that’s what « Olam Vaèd » means.
- When [5] we approach the various currents of Jewish mysticism of the Middle Ages, whose starting point is around the middle of the twelfth century – the Kabbalah, to use a usual term, annoyingly overused – we find ourselves facing a problematic. Problematic if not entirely new, at least very different from those reflected in the rabbinical documents, then the philosophical texts of previous centuries. It is a knowledge that is suprarational and whose essential purpose is the fulfillment – timeless – of the divine life. His passage from the impenetrable occultation of the unmanifested to the modes of being more and more manifest and indissolubly linked to the extradivine world by no means illusory, but very concrete, which is its symbolic counterpart.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, first part of verse 2 ) [You] enwrap Yourself with light like a garment; which refers to « Let there be light, » and there was light » (Bereishit – Genesis – Chapter 1, verset 3).
- (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, end of verse 2 ) « [You] extend the heavens like a curtain » correspond to « Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water » ( Bereishit – Genesis – Chapter 1, verse 6) » and (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, first part of verse 3 ) « Who roofs His upper chambers with water » is an allusion to the « and the water that was above the expanse » (Bereishit – Genesis – Chapter 1, verse 7) ». The psalmist then enumerates what has been created in the air: clouds, winds, fires, flashes, thunders, all of which are formed with the permission of God, as it is said : « Because by them He judges peoples ». He expressed this idea in these terms: (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, second part of verse 3 and verse 4 ) » Who makes clouds His chariot, which goes on the wings of the wind. / He makes winds His messengers, burning fire His ministers. » He means He sends them where He wants to do what He wants. All this part of the psalm is related to the text of Genesis on the firmament. The psalmist then arrives at the verse: « Que les eaux s’amassent et qu’apparaisse la terre ferme (Genèse, Chapitre 1, verset 9) » et il déclare : (extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, first part of verse 5 ) « He founded the earth on its foundations«
-
-
- The situation [6] of the Jews became, in appearance at least, what it was before. Protected by the emperors, they resume their customary occupations, the commerce of which is still the principal one; for several decades, there has been little talk of persecutions against them, either in Germany, France, or England, where in the meantime they have been a compact and prosperous community. […]
-
(extract of the psalm 104 associated to this generation, verses 24 to 35 )
- How great are Your works, O Lord! You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions!
- This sea-great and wide; there are creeping things and innumerable beasts, both small and large.
- There the ships go; You formed this leviathan with which to sport.
- They all look to You with hope, to give their food in its time.
- You give them that they may gather; You open Your hand that they may be sated with goodness.
- You hide Your countenance and they are frightened; You gather in their spirit and they perish and return to their dust.
- You will send forth Your spirit and they will be created, and You will renew the surface of the ground.
- The glory of the Lord will be forever; the Lord will rejoice with His works.
- He Who looks at the earth and it quakes; He touches the mountains and they emit smoke.
- I shall sing to the Lord while I am alive; I shall sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
- May my speech be pleasing to Him; I shall rejoice with the Lord.
- Sinners will be destroyed from the earth and the wicked will be no more; my soul, bless the Lord. Hallelujah.
[1] Georges Vajda: « Sages and Sephardic thinkers from Baghdad to Cordoba ». Chapter XI: « Neoplatonism in the Jewish thought of the Middle Ages. » (French: « Sages et penseurs sépharades de Bagdad à Cordoue ». Chapitre XI : « Le néoplatonisme dans la pensée juive du moyen-âge ». (p. 154) (Le même extrait est cité également au chapitre XII, p. 162) )
[2] Georges Vajda: « Sages and Sephardic thinkers from Baghdad to Cordoba ». Chapter XV: « The religious thought of Moses Maimonides: Unity or duality ». (French: « Sages et penseurs sépharades de Bagdad à Cordoue ». Chapitre XV : « La pensée religieuse de Moïse Maïmonide : Unité ou dualité ». (p. 220) )
[3] « The Bahir, Book of Clarity » (French translation by Joseph Gottfarstein). ( French: « Le Bahir, Livre de la Clarté », Paragraphe 24 (p.30) ).
[4] « The Bahir, Book of Clarity » (French translation by Joseph Gottfarstein). ( French: « Le Bahir, Livre de la Clarté » paragraphes 14 et 15 (p. 25-26) ).
[5] Georges Vajda: « Sages and Sephardic thinkers from Baghdad to Cordoba ». Chapter IX: « Summary Record of the Interpretation of Genesis 1,1-3 in Post-Biblical Judaism ». (French: « Sages et penseurs sépharades de Bagdad à Cordoue ». Chapitre IX : « Notice sommaire sur l’interprétation de Genèse 1,1-3 dans le judaïsme post-biblique ». (p. 124-125) ).
[6] Leon Poliakov: « History of anti-Semitism, I – The age of faith ». Chapter: « Christian Europe ». (French: « Histoire de l’antisémitisme, I – L’âge de la foi ». Chapitre : « L’Europe chrétienne ». (p. 247-248) ).
[7] Simon Schwarzfuchs: « Jews in the time of the Crusades ». Simon Schwarzfuchs makes the following correction: Some authors, however, thought they could identify other attacks on the Jews of France at Ham, Sully and Carentan, while nothing is known of a Jewish presence in these localities. But it is a mistake to read a text in bad condition and these massacres took place in fact in Bohemia, Halle and Carinthia: in Bohemia there are one hundred and fifty victims, some kills in Halle and a larger number in Carinthia .
(French: « Les Juifs au temps des croisades » )