The Seventy-two Letter Name
This involves energetic permutations of letters that create tremendous spiritual vibration. The Zohar tells that by virtue of these Names Moshe split the Red Sea.
At times Kabbalah calls this the โExplicit Nameโ. It is composed of seventy-two sub-name triplets, derived from three adjacent verses seventy-two letters each in the book of Shemot by the story of the Sea splitting.
"ืึทืึดึผืกึทึผืข ืึทืึฐืึทืึฐ ืึธืึฑืึนืึดืื ืึทืึนืึตืึฐ ืึดืคึฐื ึตื ืึทืึฒื ึตื ืึดืฉึฐืืจึธืึตื ืึทืึตึผืึถืึฐ ืึตืึทืึฒืจึตืืึถื, ืึทืึดึผืกึทึผืข ืขึทืึผืึผื ืึถืขึธื ึธื ืึดืคึฐึผื ึตืืึถื ืึทืึทึผืขึฒืึนื ืึตืึทืึฒืจึตืืึถื:
ืึทืึธึผืึนื ืึตึผืื ืึทืึฒื ึตื ืึดืฆึฐืจึทืึดื ืึผืึตืื ืึทืึฒื ึตื ืึดืฉึฐืืจึธืึตื, ืึทืึฐืึดื ืึถืขึธื ึธื ืึฐืึทืึนืฉึถืืึฐ ืึทืึธึผืึถืจ ืึถืช ืึทืึธึผืึฐืึธื, ืึฐืึนื ืงึธืจึทื ืึถื ืึถื ืึถื ืึธึผื ืึทืึธึผืึฐืึธื:
ืึทืึตึผื ืึนืฉึถืื ืึถืช ืึธืืึน ืขึทื ืึทืึธึผื, ืึทืึผืึนืึถืึฐ ืึฐืืึธื ืึถืช ืึทืึธึผื ืึฐึผืจืึผืึท ืงึธืึดืื ืขึทืึธึผื ืึธึผื ืึทืึทึผืึฐืึธื, ืึทืึธึผืฉึถืื ืึถืช ืึทืึธึผื ืึถืึธืจึธืึธื, ืึทืึดึผืึธึผืงึฐืขืึผ ืึทืึธึผืึดื": (ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืช, ืคืจืง ืื, ืคืกืืงืื ืื-ืื)
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โThe Divine angel who went before the Jewish camp traveled and went in back of them. The Pillar of Cloud traveled before them and stood in behind of them.
It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There were cloud and darkness โ yet the night was illuminated. They did not come close the entire evening.
Moshe spread his hand over the Sea. God moved the Sea with a powerful east wind the whole night โ making the Sea into dry land, the water splitโ (Shemot 14:19-21).
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1: The letters of the first verse in order each become the first letter of each successive triplet. Starting from the permutation occupying the upper righthand row of the Seventy-two Letter Name:ย ืืื
"ืืืกืข ืืืื ืืืืืื ืืืื ืืคื ื ืืื ื ืืฉืจืื ืืืื ืืืืจืืื ืืืกืข ืขืืื ืืขื ื ืืคื ืืื ืืืขืื ืืืืจืืื".
2: The middle letters of each triplet come from taking the last letters of the second verse going backward.
"ืืืื ืืื ืืื ื ืืฆืจืื ืืืื ืืื ื ืืฉืจืื ืืืื ืืขื ื ืืืืฉื ืืืืจ ืืช ืืืืื ืืื ืงืจื ืื ืื ืื ืื ืืืืื".
3: The last letters of each triplet are made by adding to each one the first letters of the last and final verse.
"ืืื ืืฉื ืืช ืืื ืขื ืืื ืืืืื ื-ื-ื-ื ืืช ืืื ืืจืื ืงืืื ืขืื ืื ืืืืื ืืืฉื ืืช ืืื ืืืจืื ืืืืงืขื ืืืื".
Dividing the 216 letters of these three verses into these sub-name triplets in new permutations is what creates the secret of the Seventy-two Letter Name.
They are not considered full Names unto themselves, but they do create energy vibrations. They are not mantras to be recited, as some who hold themselves to be experts in Kabbalah claim. They are experienced & activated in thought. One does not need to know how to pronounce them or to understand exactly how and why they work. All that is necessary is gaze at them and meditate upon them in a mystical manner โ tremendous power will manifest.
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What are Really the Seventy-two Names?
Despite varied reports spread about magical charms and powers of these permutations, the truth is that known Judaism does not provide any explanation about each Name alone โ even in later traditions of Kabbalah compilations such as the Zohar. The secret is accessed by meditating upon the whole Name in a certain order.
Since this is one of the Names used to create the universe, it appears that its mystery involves an archetype format that is the parameter and common denominator of all reality. It is one format that unites everything. A secret by means of which lack of parameter and abstract form are transformed into matter.
When the Beis Hamikdash stood, once a year on Yom Kippur the Kohen Gadol would immerse and don white attire. The masses waited outside the Beis Hamikdash in the street. This was the only day he or anyone else would enter the Kadshei Kadashim [Holy of Holies] โ known as the โDevirโ. In it rested the original Aron Habrit [Ark of the Covenant] from the travels of the Children of Israel in the wilderness.ย ืืืืจ/Devir has in it โืจืื-216โ - the amount of letters in the
Seventy-two Letter Name. It was erected around the Even Shetiyah [Corner-stone] โ the foundation of all Creation from which everything was woven and set up! The value of โืืฉืชืื-720/Hashetiyah alludes to the Seventy-two Letter Name. (Torah numerology often discards zeros when taking the basic value of a wordโฆ)
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The Kohen Gadol would recite the Seventy-two triplets of the Name in a secret format, passed on from Kohen Gadol to Kohen Gadol alone. If he was good he would leave the Devir alive. Rabbinic literature tells that they would โhear the explicit Name out of the mouth of the Kohen Gadolโ. โHow glorious was the appearance of the Kohen Gadol when he left the Kadshie Kadashim!"ย When the Romans killed the last Kohen Gadol the secret died with him.
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However, there is place to meditate upon the Name. And so the Arizal revealed that one should meditate on it throughout the second & third paragraph of Shema. And there are other places it comes into play. But be careful not to use it improperly. There is no word for energetic โbuttonsโ as people like to believe.
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Therefore, if one wants to become accustomed to meditation on the Seventy-two Names for the sake of healing or whatever matter,ย have them all in mind. Here they are in the link before you. Use them for what is good & upright not in your eyes - but in the eyes of Hashemย your Lord.
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