Sefer ha-Yashar: The Book of the Just
The Sefer ha-Yashar (‘Book of the
Just’ or ‘Book of the Righteous’) is a Jewish magical text from the Geonic period which
consists of an abridged version of the famous Sefer Adam (the first book of the
Sefer Raziel, wherein the names of seasons, planets, etc. are listed for
practical use). It should be noted that another esoteric work exists with the
same title, but is otherwise unrelated to it, a later prophetic text, written
by the qabbalist Abraham Abulafia in the
13th century.
The present work was published by
Irina Wandrey alongside the Sefer ha-Malbush, which are both found in
the same manuscript. The translation here presented is taken
from the Hebrew and Aramaic text of MS Oxford Michael 473.
The Sefer ha-Yashar is attributed
to a certain Shemu’el, head of the Academy (presumably the famous Talmudic
academy of Babylon), who received it from Rab Huna bar Sehora, an African
Rabbi. While the authorship may be pseudonymous, our work was well known amongst
the Babylonian Talmudic sages, as evidenced by a famous letter by Haia Ga’on (head
of the Academy, who died in 1037),
wherein he discusses magical texts, explaining that the Academy has a few of
them in its collection:
“We have a number of them, such
as the book called ‘Sefer ha-Yashar,’ and the book called ‘The Sword of Moses’,
which commences with the words, ‘Four angels are appointed to the Sword’, and
there are in it exalted and miraculous things; there is, further, the book
called ‘The Great Mystery’, besides the minor treatises, which are innumerable.
And many have labored in vain to find out the truth of these things.”
The Sefer ha-Yashar contains the
names of the winds, earth, moon, and other natural forces and elements in their
particular seasons, but does not provide magical uses for them; in my opinion,
section 5 which lists these names is an interpolation taken from the Sefer
Raziel by a copyist, as it appears detached from the remainder of the work
(except for a brief reference in part 3). Some of the names are vocalized in
the Hebrew text, and I have given their pronunciations when applicable.
The other sections of the work are
focused on a holy name, given at the end of the text, which is said to have
wondrous power:
‘If he
pronounces it over the sea, it shall immediately solidify like frost.
If he
pronounces it over the fire, as he does so it shall be extinguished (...)
If he
pronounces it over a high tower or a steep wall, it shall crumble forthwith.
And if he pronounces it over a
fruit (tree), it shall yield its fruits before him.’
According to the third chapter, whoever
seeks to use it must undergo a 21
day period of purification, bathing twice daily (similarly to the Book of the
Great Name). Part 4 makes reference to ‘putting on the name’, which indicates
that the formula may have been pronounced while immersed in water, as in the
Sefer ha-Malbush. In part 6, further steps of the rite are provided, wherein
the practitioner must recite a prayer of forgiveness, gaze downward, and then shall
be successful.
Chapter 7 expounds on the
supposed derivation of the Name from various Biblical verses. I have analyzed
the verses in question for possible Notariqons, and compared them to the name,
but unfortunately have been unable to discern any relation between them. In
chapter 8, other uses for the name are given, such as quickening the dead to
life and drying up rivers.
The name itself consists of a
series of others (including YHWH), and it is given in chapter 9, in the context
of a ritual to learn the Torah. I have found this name listed in the Shorshei
ha-Shemot (page 330),
where it is said to be the Name revealed to Moses at Sinai, and credited with
the power to split the waters of the sea and dry up rivers, if one engraves the
names on a wooden staff and strikes the waters therewith. It is also used for
learning the Torah just as in our present work.
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