or Purifying Fire
Translated by William Wynn Westcott

Chapter II

In metallic things, Geburah is of the class to which Gold is referred; which has again its decad ; (i.e., ten orders or degrees). So that,

1. Chethem, that is, pure fine Gold, is referred to the Kether thereof; which, Canticles, c.5, v.II, is referred to the head.

2. Batzar, Gold, is referred to Chokrnah, as though laid up in strongholds, Job, c.22, v.24, 25, and c.36, v.19.

3. Charutz, Prov., c.8, v.10, is referred to Binah, from the digging of it; which name belongs to the feminine gender.

4. Zahab Shachut, that is, fine and drawn Gold, 2 Chron., c.9, v.15, because it hath the analogy to the thread of Chesed.

5. Zahab, alone, is referred to Geburah, because gold cometh from the north, Job, c.37, v.22.

6. Paz, and Zahab Muphaz, are referred to Tiphereth, I Kings, c.10, v.18; Psalm, c.21, v.4, and 19, v.11 ; and Daniel, c.10, v.5. For so Tiphereth and Malkuth are compounded in the golden throne, I Kings, c.10, v.18; also when it is called a vessel of Gold, Job, c.28, v.17; a crown of Gold, Psalm 21, v.3; bases of Gold, Cant., c.5, v.75.

7. Zahab Sagur, is referred to Netzach, that is Gold shut up, I Kings, c.4, v.20, 21, Job, c.28, v.15, to wit, to bring forth seed.

8. Zahab Parvajim, is referred to Hod; 2 Chron., c.3, v.6, I Kings, c.6, v.20, from its likeness to the blood of young bullocks, for this kind is red at the left hand.

9. Zahab Tob, is referred to Jesod, that is good Gold, Gen., c.2, v.12, for this kind is called good, after the manner of a good man.

10. But Zahab Ophir, is referred to Malkuth, Job, c.22, v.24, for it is the name of a land (or earth) as called so from ashes. See also I Chronicles, c.29, v.4.

And now concerning the name Zahab, I will lead thee into the cave of the hidden matter, and will show thee the treasuries of Solomon mentioned in Nehemiah, c.13, v.13, viz., the Perfection of Stones, Exodus, c.26, v.6.

Come see! There are many places, to which Gold is referred, viz., Geburah and Binah, and other special places, where the species of Gold are disposed by one thus, by another other ways. But now I represent to thee the nature of Gold in Tiphereth.

Neither can you object out of the Zohar or Tikkunim. For know, that in this place ought to be understood Tiphereth, of the measure or degree of Geburah. And it is a great mystery, because Tiphereth commonly contains Iron under it, from whence we seek Gold.

This is the Sol or Sun of nature and art, whose lesser number is ten, the symbol of all perfection which number by Gematria also shows you the lesser number of Tiphereth likewise the word Atah belonging to the same in its lesser computation.

Mingle therefore Iron and Clay, Daniel, c.2, v.33, and thou shalt have the foundation of Gold.

This is that Gold, to which is attributed the notion of Tetragrammaton, Exodus, c.32, v.5, in the history of the calf, which was to be ground to powder, and thrown upon the waters, v.20, whence you shall see seven kinds of Gold immediately following one another in the work.

First, simple Gold, which is called Zahab barely; for it is truly Gold though not digged out of the earth; nor destroyed by the violence of the fire, but living, rising out of the waters ; sometimes of a black, sometimes of a yellowish, and often like a peacock's colour; going back of its own accord into the waters, and this may he called Zahab Saba, as though you should say, Sabi, the Gold of captivity, because it is newly captured, and shut up in its prison; where it keeps a fast of forty days and nights, that you know not what is become of it, Exodus, c.32, v.1 ; for there is then no external appearance, even as Moses was hidden and they knew not what had become of him.

Secondly, it becomes Zahab Shacuth as though killed and slain, for it dies and its corpse putrefies and grows black: then it is under judgment and the shells rule it, and the powers of the name of 42 letters fulfil their time upon it.

Thirdly, but then follows Zahab Ophir, as though you should say Aphar, for it is of the colour of ashes; which time the twenty-two letters of the alphabet will determine for you.

Fourthly, it becomes Zahab Tob, because it is good to colour, though not of the colour of Gold, but Silver. This may be called Chethem. For it may be so called, according to Lam., c.4, v.1. How shall Gold be coloured with redness, and Hacchethem Hattob, i.e., good Silver be changed? And thence is referred that text in Job, c.22, v.24, and put it upon Opher, he would have said Opheret, Lead, Batsar, Silver, that is this white Gold. For from hence you shall have Silver. And to Silver when it shall be in the state of a stone, add Nachlim, rivers of metallic waters; from whence you shall have Ophir, that is Gold of Ophir, which was accounted the best. Now you shall have the number of the great name Ehejeh; for thou shalt possess, after twenty-one days, these things. If thou wilt now open thy treasure, open it ; but it shalt yet only give Silver as stones, I Kings, c.10, v.27.

But if thou desire more, let thy Gold be,

Fifthly, Zahab Sagur, i.e., shut-up Gold : Let it remain in the prison, in the place of its maturation, in the bowels of the earth of the wise men all the time of the Decumbiture of Ezekiel, c.4, v.6. And thy Gold shall become the

Sixth, Jarak Rak, i.e. yellow Gold, like Zahab Parvajim. These are the thirty men, Judges, c.14, v.19, whom Samson slew. For this being done,

Seventhly, your Gold will be Paz and Muphaz and Uphaz; being strengthened to conquer and colour all imperfect metals.

This is that Charutz, that sharp pointed (or penetrating) thing; which Job, c.41, v.30, says ought to be cast upon clay, i.e., imperfect metals, that hath Cohach, power to produce Gold: for Tit and Cohach are of equal numbers. And make it to boil like a deep pot, a sea of thick metallic waters ; and it shall become like a vessel of paint : But after that it shall make the path to shine, v.31-32. Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and ever.

I write these things, I the insignificant one, according to my slender knowledge, who have earnestly sought out secret things, to the healing of all creatures. But that which moved me thereto is spoken in Sohar Heaesinu, fol. 145, cap. 580, concerning the office of a physician, that I should not desist from the good and right way until I should find the best medicine : And the words are these;

It is written, Deut., c.32, v.10, "He found him in desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him to find the causes, and made him understand and kept him as the apple of his eye. And rightly because he hath compelled all the cortices to serve him." Thus far was it written in the book of Kartanaeus the physician. And then he drew from this text various observations necessary to a wise physician about the cure of the patient, lying in the chamber of sickness, Genesis, c.39, v.20, where the captives of the king may worship the lord of the world. For when a prudent physician comes, he finds him in the land of the desert, and in the wilderness of the howling solitude, which are as the diseases afflicting him, and finds him in the captivity of the king.

Here it may he objected that it is not lawful to cure him, because the Holy One, who is blessed for ever, hath caused him to be ill and as if a captive. But this is not so ; for David says, Psalm 41, v.2, "Blessed is he who considereth (the curing of) the poor ; the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive." For he is poor who lies in the house of sickness ; and if the physician be wise that Holy One, who is blessed for ever, loads him with blessings, in reference to him, whom he cures. That physician finds him in the land of the desert, that is ill, etc. And what is to be done for him ; Rabbi Eleasar hath told us : Hitherto we have heard nothing of that physician, nor of his book; except that once a certain merchant told me that be heard his father say, that in his time there was a certain physician, who having seen a patient, presently said, "this one will live and that one will die" ; and that it was reported of him, that he was a just and true man fearing sin; and that, if any man could not procure those things he needed, he would buy them for him, and freely supply his necessities ; and that it was said, there was not so nice a man in the whole world, and that he did more with his prayers, than with his hands. And when we supposed this man to be the very same physician, the merchant made reply, "Certainly his book is in my hands, having been left to me as an inheritance by my father; and all the sayings of that book are hidden in the mystery of the law: And in it we do find profound secrets, and many medicines ; which notwithstanding, is not lawful to apply to any, except to him that feared Sin, etc." Rabbi Eleasar said, "lend it to me". He replied, "I will, so as to show to you the power of the sacred light." "And you have heard" (said Rabbi Eleasar) "that Book was in my hands twelve months, and we found in it sublime and precious lights, etc., and we have found in it various sorts of medicines, ordered according to the prescriptions of the law, and the profound secrets, etc. And we said, blessed be the holy and merciful one, who bestoweth a share of wisdom upon men from the supernal wisdom." Thus far here.

These things moved me to seek the like good and secret books ; and from the good hand of my God I found that which I now teach to thee. And the camea of this metal is altogether wonderful, for it consists of six times six partitions, everywhere wonderfully showing the virtue of the letter Vau, related to Tiphereth. And all the columns and lines, as well from the bottom to the top, as from the right to the left, and from one angle to another, give the same sum and thou mayest vary the same ad infinitum. And the various totals always observe this principle, that their lesser number is always 3, 9, or 6 ; and again, 3, 9 or 6 and so on. Concerning which I could reveal many things to thee.

Now I add this example, which shows as the total of a line the number 216 of Arjeh our wonderful lion, 14 times, which is the name Zahab, Gold. Compute and be rich.