Faces of the Goddess 6: Sacred Stones

(21) I praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my deliverance. (22) The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

[Opening instructions about gifts for the tabernacle conclude:]

(7) lapis lazuli avnei-shoham and stones for setting avnei-miluim, for the ephod and for the breastplate. (8) And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.

Sometimes ADONAY is called by the term STONE-Evn-אבן, since it is the foundation [yesod] of all constructs which are in the world, and because all beings that exist in the world depend and rely on her for all their needs.

And She is referred to as THE CORNERSTONE-Evn HaRoshah-אבן הראשה, (Zechariah 4:7) from which all the multitudes of the upper and lower hosts came forth in the act of creation.

She is also called a SAPPHIRE STONE-Evn Sapir-אבן ספיר, since She receives all the colors from the levels above and beyond her.

She effects amongst the created beings every thing and its opposite - at times for goodness and at times for evil, to enliven or to kill, to smite or to heal, to impoverish or to make wealthy and so forth.

This is hinted at in the verse, “See now that I-Ani-אני, I am He, and no god is with Me. I-Ani-אני put to death and I bring to life, I have struck down and I will heal, and there is no one who can rescue from My hand.” (Deut 32:39)

Moreover, since She draws the strength of the Sefirot, drawing into herself all kinds of emanations and blessings, after She draws forth from the blessings above her, She turns and bestows sustenance and nourishment to all beings below her, each according to what is appropriate for them.

About this the verse states, “The STONE-Evn-אבן that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Ps 118:22) This is because Abraham, Isaac and Jacob took their portions of the chariot (Merkavah) in the Sefirot that are above it [chessed, gevurah and tiferet]. It is only when David came, that he held on to it [malchut] and took it as his quality in the Divine chariot (Merkavah). About this the verse states, “She has become the cornerstone.”

For, it is to this Divine quality that all faces of all beings, supernal and infernal, in all existence turn, whether those levels above her or those levels below her.

Those that are above her turn to her to draw down their strength and bestowal of goodness and blessings; and those that are below her turn to her to plead for their sustenance, nourishment, and the maintenance of their existence.

This then, is the mystery of what is meant by the words, “the CORNERSTONE-Rosh Pinah-ראש פנה,” (Ps 118:22) and is similarly the meaning of the verse, “Into what are its bases-Adaneha-אדניה sunken, or who laid its cornerstone-Even Pinatah-אבן פנתה?” (Job 38:6)

It is this quality that sustains the Jewish people, as indicated by the verse, “From there He shepherded the STONE OF ISRAEL-Evn Yisroel-אבן ישראל.” (Gen 49:24)

(1) Then the LORD replied to Job out of the tempest and said: (2) Who is this who darkens counsel, Speaking without knowledge? (3) Gird your loins like a man; I will ask and you will inform Me.
(4) Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Speak if you have understanding! (5) Do you know who fixed its dimensions/ Or who measured it with a line? (6) Onto what were its bases [adaneha אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ] sunk? Who set its cornerstone [evn pinatah אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ] (7) When the morning stars sang together And all the divine beings shouted for joy? (8) Who closed the sea behind doors/ When it gushed forth out of the womb...?

(9) Then take two iridescent stones avnei shoham אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֑הַם and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel: (10) six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. ... (12) attach the two stones to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod [over-tunic], as stones for remembrance of the Israelite people, whose names Aaron [the original high priest] shall carry upon his two shoulder-pieces for remembrance before יהוה.

This STONE-Evn-אבן: her yearning, desire, and entire purpose is for another stone higher above her, and it is from that stone that all the various kinds of supernal emanation come to her.

These two stones are very precious to the Jewish people, as indicated by the verse, “You shall take the two Shoham stones-Avnei Shoham-אבני שהם and engrave the names of the children of Israel upon them.” (Ex 28:9)

That is, the Indwelling Presence SHECHINA draws from Above to Below and is drawn from Below to Above.

Now, be informed that not all foundations are equal.

That is, there is a foundation that is above and its building is below it; there is a foundation that is in the center of its building; and there is a foundation that is below and its building is above it.

We have an indication of this in there being an upper world, a middle world and a lower world.

That is, the foundation of the upper world is above it, the foundation of the middle world is in its center and the foundation of the lower world is below it.

Mystically, this is hinted at in the vowel points, Cholem-חֹלם above the letter, Shoorook-שּרּק in the center of the letter, and Cheereek-חִרִק under the letter.

This has already been hinted at by our sages of blessed memory, when they said, “Come and see that the quality of flesh and blood is unlike the quality of the Holy One, blessed be. A person of flesh and blood is below and his burden is above him. However, the Holy One, blessed be he, is unlike this. Rather, He is above and his burden is below him. (Midrash Tehillim 18)

Accordingly, contemplate that the quality of the Living God El Chai אל חי, which is called YESOD-Foundation-יסוד, is above and ADONAY-אדני, which is its building, is below it.

This is a wondrous matter, in that the quality of ADONAY-אדני desires to go up and ascend to the quality of the Living God El Chai אל חי and perpetually longs to ascend to it.

Do not be astonished by this, because in this world too there is an example of this. Do you not see that though a magnet is above, it draws things that are below it to itself?

Moreover, the three foundational elements of fire, air and water are faithful witnesses to this.

(3) The three mother letters - Aleph, Mem, and Shin - are air, water, and fire in the world.

Heaven is created from Fire [the shin in shamayim]; the Earth from Water [the mem in mayim]; and the Air [the aleph in ’avir] which mediates between the fire and the water.

(4) During the year, or in regards to time in general, these three mothers represent Hot, Cold, and Warm. The hot from the fire, the cold from the water, and the warm from the spiritual air, which again is an equalizer between them.

These three mothers again represent in the Microcosm human form, male and female; the Head, the Belly, and the Chest. The head from the hot fire, the belly from cold water, and the chest from the warm air that lies between them.

Now, throughout the entire Torah this quality is called The Righteous One Tzaddik צדיק.

Moreover, because it is called the Foundation Yesod יסוד and carries all the things that are beneath it, it is called Tzaddik Yesod Olam: “the Righteous One that is the Foundation of the world.” (Prov 10:25)

The reason it is called Righteous One Tzaddik צדיק relates to the mystery of the shefa with which all goodness and blessings are dispensed into the sefirah of ADONAY, as it states, “the righteous one is generous and gives.” (Ps 37:21)

I must now awaken you to a great and weighty matter.

Know that there are three names,
Tzaddik-צדיק, righteous one

Tzedek-צדק, righteousness

and

Tzedakah-צדקה charity, right giving.

The sefirah of the El Chai אל חי (aka Yesod) is called The Righteous One:Tzaddik צדיק

The sefirah of Adonay אדני (aka Malchut) is called Righteousness: Tzedek צדק.

And when the Righteous One Tzaddik צדיק dispenses his blessing into Righteousness Tzedek צדק, that supernal influence and emanation is called Charity Tzedakah צדקה.

Then these three names become unified as one: the Righteous One-Tzaddik-צדיק gives, Righteousness-Tzedek-צדק receives, and Charity-Tzedakah-צדקה is the mystical gift itself, which forms the connection and cleaving between them.

Accordingly, the verse states, “The memory of the Righteous-Tzaddik-צדיק is for blessing.”