aw the whole world was created, that the world should
study it.

_Koheleth, as given in Tse-enah Ure-enah._

THE KABBALA

"The words of the wise and their dark sayings" (Prov. i. 6).

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The Hebrew word Kabbal means "to receive," and its derivative, Kabbalah,
signifies, "a thing received," viz, "Tradition," which, together with
the written law, Moses received on Mount Sinai, and we are told in the
Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, fol. 19, col. 1, i.e., "The words of the Kabbalah
are just the same as the words of the law." In another part of this work
we have seen that the Rabbis declare the Kabbalah to be above the law.

The Kabbalah is divided into two parts, viz, the symbolical and the
real.

THE SYMBOLICAL KABBALAH

This teaches the secret of mystic sense of Scripture, and the thirteen
rules by which the observance of the law is, not logically, but
Kabbalistically expounded; viz, the rules of "Gematria," of "Notricon,"
of "Temurah," etc. To give some idea of this kind of exposition, we will
explain each of these three rules in a manner which, though in the style
of the Rabbis, will easily be understood by the Gentile reader.

1. "Gematria." This rule depends on the numerical value of each letter
in the alphabet. The application of this rule in the solution of a
disputed point is often such as to show quite as much absurdity as
ingenuity. To make the subject still more clear, let us assume that a
standard numerical value is attached to each letter in the English
alphabet. _A_ has the value of 1, _B_ 2, _C_ 3, _D_ 4, _E_ 5, _F_ 6, _G_
7, _H_ 8, _I_ 9, _J_ 10, _K_ 20, _L_ 30, _M_ 40, _N_ 50, _O_ 60, _P_ 70,
_Q_ 80, _R_ 90, _S_ 100, _T_ 200, _U_ 300, _V_ 400, _W_ 500, _X_ 1000,
_Y_ 10,000, _Z_ 100,000. And let us now assume a point in dispute in
order to illustrate how it is solved by Gematria. Suppose that the
subject of discussion is the comparative superiority of the Hebrew and
English languages, and Hugo and Baruch are the disputants. The former,
being a Hebrew, holds that the Hebrew is superior to the English,
"because," says he, "the numerical value of the letters that form the
word _Hebrew_ is 610; whereas the numerical value of _English_ is only
209." The latter, being an Englishman, holds, of course, exactly the
contrary opinion, and argues as follows: "All the learned world must
admit that the English is a living language, but not so the Hebrew; and
as it is written (Eccles.