THE MYSTERIES OF THE KABBALA= H
AND
FREEMASONRY

Posted May, 1999

A Paper by Bro. Raymond L. Sc= hwartz, Harmony Lodge No. 8, Newton, New Jersey, U. S. A.

Winner of the 1989 Phoenix Prize Competition

Masonic scholars such as Alex Horne and Harry Carr, in previous studies = have demonstated a relationship between the ancient Hebrew religion and its attendant symbols and certain aspects of Freemasonry.

A major motif in Freemasonry is the building of King Solomon's Temple, the searc= h for light, and the lost word of a Master Mason. The temple and the ability of t= he high priest to pronounce the name of God properly while in the Holy of Holi= es comprised much of the substantive nature of the Jewish High Holy days of worship in ancient times. The activities of the high priest within the Sanc= tum Sanctorum is particularly featured in the Royal Arch Degree.

Nathan Ausubel, in his work, The Book of Jewish Knowledge, = and Samuel M. Jackson in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge describe the Holy of Holies as being built on a raised Platform within the interior of the temple. This sanctorum was separated by= an enormous veil. The veils are a prominent component in the work of the Royal Arch. Ausubel tells that there were two cherubim carved out of cedar wood. = The wings of the cherubim met in the center of the Holy of Holies in a protecti= ve arch which represented the hands of the high priest when a benediction over= the people was given (Ausubel, 1964). Underneath these wings was the Ark of the Covenant, which contained tne stone tablets of Moses and the Shechina, or divine radiance of God's presence.

Ausubel and Jackson portray two pillars of Bronze, which were located at= the entrance of the interior of the temple. According to = Jackson, these pillars were 18 cubits h= igh, 12 inches in circumference, and 4 fingers thick. These pillars were covered with chequered work (Jackson, 1969).

Ausubel suggests that these pillars were named Jachin and Boaz. Furtherm= ore, the pillars were crowned by 10 feet capitals and were embellished with the design of carved lilies. The author also suggests that the pillars were hol= low inside. Ausubel compares them to the pillars the Greek historian, Herodotus mentioned as standing in front of a Phoenician temple.

The authors describe the various ritual vessels and ceremonial objects contained in the temple, which would not be unfamiliar to freemasons today.= The authors recount the story of how the vessels and ceremonial objects were st= olen by King Nebuchadanezzar of Babylonia in 586 BC and how the temple situated = on Mount Moriah was destroyed.

Ausubel and Jackson tell that the leading artist-sculptor was Hiram of T= yre. Hiram was also a master weaver and dyer of colors. He played a leading role= in the building of King Solomon's Temple and can still be found to play a prominent role in masonic ritual today.

There is no doubt that there is a confluence between Freemasonry and the ancient Hebrew religion. This present study seeks to establish that there i= s a parallel between certain themes from the Kabbalah and Freemasonry. This the= sis will be developed by examining the works of authors devoted to the Kabbalah= and comparing them with the degrees and lectures of Freemasonry.

Gershom G. Scholem in his book, On the Kabbalab and its Symbolism<= /cite>, asserts that "Kabbalistic speculation and doctrine is concerned with t= he realm of the divine emanations or Sefiroth, in which God's creative power unfolds" (Scholem, 1965).

Scholem contends that the Kabbalist speaks about spheres of light and di= vine names, and that God's name is the highest concentration of divine power. Th= is concern with God's name and the function of light correlates with the activities of the high priest in the ancient temple and with some of the substance of the masonic degrees and lectures.

Charles Ponce in his book, Kabbalah, asserts that the Sefir= oth and En-Sof are two major concepts in the Kabbalah. The En-Sof can be transl= ated to read "without end." This term is the name of God in the Kabbal= ah. Both Ponce and Scholem contend that the En-Sof and its emanations, the Sefiroth, are inseparable. Ponce= describes the Sefiroth as being ten points of light which develops from the En-Sof. This light makes the world comprendable to man. The concept of light and its effect on the work of Freemasonry is a critical component of all masonic degrees.

Ponce examines the beliefs of some Kaobalists who maintain that the light emanati= ng from the En-Sof was not reflected in the Sefiroth but in the body of Adam Kadmon. Adam Kadmon represents the body of heavenly or primordial man. The Sefiroth are then portions or parts of the heavenly man's body. The Kabbali= sts believe that the spiritual portions of any man can contain the Sefiroth. The challenge is for man to restore and establish the Sefiroth in his spiritual life. Consequently, mortal man can be united with divine man.

At the heart of Freemasonry and its masonic precepts is the encouragement and inculcation of values whech can "Make good men better." Faith, hope and charity and values such as fortitude, prudence, temperance and jus= tice are the cornerstones of masonic conduct and comprise many of the fundamental precepts of Freemasonry (see attached illustration at the end of this file = from Gershom G. Scholem's book, On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism. Wisdom, strength, and beauty are the foundations of the masonic lodge, and = in fact, beauty, with which the freemason is taught to adorn all important undertakings, is at the very center of the Sefiroth. Furthermore, the Sefir= oth of strength is found on the left-hand side of all the Sefiroths, which corresponds to the placement of one of the pillars in the masonic lodge.

According to Ponce, there are three pillars in the Sefiroth. The pillar = on the right is the pillar of mercy, which can be masonically related to the v= alue of charity. The pillar on the left side is the pillar of judgement, which c= an be related masonically to the concept of establishment. The middle pillar provides a balance between the left and right pillars. The middle pillar al= so represents the Creator of the universe. The fellowcraft freemason stands between these two pillars and is at the center. Symbolically, the fellowcra= ft freemason dramatizes President Kennedy's statement that "God's work he= re on earth must surely be done by man."

Ponce recounts that the earliest forms of Kabbaiistic literature dealt w= ith the mystery of the Merkabah. The Merkabah was the throne chariot of God. One could reach the Merkabah by passing through a series of heavenly halls. Tho= se who sought to reach the Merkabah had to possess secret words to gain admiss= ion into each heavenly hall. The freemason is required to know certain words wh= ich facilitate his entrance into the lodge. Moreover, certain words denote which degree is being conducted by the lodge.

The Kabbaiists believe that the transmission of the name of God from mas= ter to pupil is part of the rites of initiation. The newly-raised brother also receives a word in a certain manner, which is never used in normal conversation. Masonically, the ability of a freemason to recite the word and reproduce it as it was given to him are the identifying characteristics of a Master Mason.

The Kabbalists study Sefer Yetshirah, or the Book of Creation. Again, the information in this book could only be communic= ated by the master to his disciple by word of mouth, study may explain the origi= n of the masonic practice of the "Mouth to ear" instruction.

All of the masonic oaths or obligaitons impose a requirement that the freemason should hold the work of Freemasonry to be inviolate. Furthermore,= the act of creation of the world is particularly pronounced in the first degree= of Freemasonry.

The Kabbalists believe that air, water, and fire were used to create the world. The Hebrew letter, Mem, belongs to the class of Mutes, according to Ponce. These letters do not have any sound in their production. The letter, Mem, is associated with water, and since the fish is the chief occupant of water, it is silent as well. The newly-raised freemason is instructed about= a particular word which is whispered to another brother. This "muted&quo= t; word begins with the letter, "M" which corresponds with the lette= r, Mem. The Kabbalists also believe that the earth was created from water, whi= ch is related to the dirt of Hiram's burial site. Therefore, the word used in raising a Freemason has the characteristic of being earthlike. Other letter= s in the Hebrew alphabet represent the five human senses, which are emphasized in the fellowcraft degree.

The Hebrew alphabet has 32 letters, which also serve as numbers. Some Kabbalists manipulate words and numbers for explaining much about the unive= rse and the works of God. The number 32 denotes the number of degrees in the Scottish Rite. The Hebrew letters Yod, Heh, and Vav are an important symbol= in the Royal Arch degree. Hebraically, these letters form the name of God and = this is also a magnificent centerpiece of the Royal Arch degree. There is no question that the Kabbalistic En-Sof and the masonic manipulation of these letters are conceptually related.

The Kabbalists argue that there are 32 paths of widsom, which lead to knowledge about God. It is interesting to note that the Babylonia version of the Talmud has 32 tractates. Again, the number 32 is a significant feature = in both the Kabbalah and Freemasonry.

Charles Ponce describes a magic circle that King Solomon created so as to protect himself from evil svirits. Within this circle one finds the Greek letter, Tau, which has been masonically represented as a combination the wo= rds "Temple, Hirosalmis" (Templum Hierosolymae or Temple of Jerusalem= ). Furthermore, the points of the compass in the circle correspond directly wi= th the officers' places in the masonic lodge.

The Kabbalists contend that the soul is comprised of three levels. The Nefresh deals with all of the instincts and bodily desires. The Ruah concer= ns itself with morality and ethical conduct. The Neshama is the highest level = of the soul and is related to the divine spirit of man. These gradations of the soul can be compared to the first three degress of Freemasonry.

The first degree relates to youth and so the Nefresh or bodily desires a= re paramount. The second degree in Freemasonry is identified as a freemason co= ming to full maturity, so that ethical conduct and control over one's desires is accentuated. The third degree represents old age and the fullness of maturi= ty, which is also represented by the highest level of the soul, the Neshama, or= in the case of Freemasonry, the Master Mason. Death awaits the Master Mason, b= ut his soul is raised to divine heights. The Kabbalists warn us that reaching = the level of the Neshama was only awarded to some and not guaranteed to all. Therefore, as is true with the third degree in Freemasonry, the level of Ma= ster Mason is only reached when a man proves himself worthy of that esteemed tit= le.

In conclusion, this study has contended that there is a relationship bet= ween certain themes of the Kabbalah with the lectures and degrees of Freemasonry. This should come as no surprise. Freemasons are taught both the universalit= y of God and of brotherly love. Therefore, any religious belief or practice can = be found within the parameters of Freemasonry. The imagination of man allows h= im to approach the unknowable and create structures and practices that assist = him in gaining faith in the Glorious Supreme Architect of the Universe.

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE KABBALA= H
AND
FREEMASONRY