32 Paths of Wisdom

The 10 sefirot and the 22 paths of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life that connect them together form the 32 paths of wisdom. The yellow Path of the Flaming Sword indicates the order of the creation of the sefirot from 1 - 10.

Yetzirah - the World of Formation represented by the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet as described in the Sefer Yetzirah. In the innermost segment, the 3 mothers, followed by the 7 doubles and the 12 singles.

According to the teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah, 32 Paths of Wisdom form the tree of life with the system of sefirot, which is fundamentally presented in the Sefer Yetzirah (Hebrew: ספר יצירה Book of Formation), one of the earliest and most important works of the Kabbalah, which originated before the 6th century CE. The 32 Paths of Wisdom are made up of the 10 sefirot and the 22 paths connecting them, which correspond to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The 32 Paths of Wisdom represent 32 stages of development of the cosmic intelligence.

„In thirty-two mysterious paths of wisdom drew YAH, YHVH Zabaoth, God of Israel, living Elohim, King of the world, almighty, merciful and gracious, high and exalted, reigning forever, holy is his name, and created his world with three sefarim (Hebrew: םפרים): narrative (סִפּוּר sippur), number (סִפְרָה sefar, digit), and sign (סֵפֶר sefer; letter).“

– Sefer Yetzirah 1,2

These are the forces that form the tree of life: the number ether and the word or life ether. The disposal of these etheric powers was taken from man after the Fall and the expulsion from Paradise. Until the end of the earth's evolution, he is to regain dominion over them anew and fully consciously with the help of the Christ.

The 10 sefirot correspond to the paths 1 - 10. The names of these sefirot, which are not yet mentioned in the Sefer Yetzirah, are:

1. Keter (crown)
2. Chokmah (wisdom, prudence, skill)
3. Binah (insight, understanding; analytical intelligence)
4. Chesed (love, grace, favour); also called Gedulla (greatness)
5. Geburah (strength, power, victory, justice); also called Din (the punishing and judging power of God)
6. Tiferet (glorification, glory, splendour, beauty); also called Rachamim (the balancing mercy of God) or Shalom (peace)
7. Netzach (duration, permanence, victory; glory, splendour, blood, juice)
8. Hod (splendour, brilliance, majesty)
9. Yesod (foundation, ground, cornerstone, basis)
10. Malkuth (realm, kingdom, dominion, royal dignity, government).

The 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet corresponding to the paths 11 - 32 are divided into three groups and assigned in various ways to the microcosm and the macrocosm:

„Ten numbers from nothing and twenty-two letters, the foundations of all being: three mothers, seven singles and twelve doubles.“

– Sefer Yetzirah 1,2

Group	Letters	Assignment
3 Mothers	ש  מ  א Aleph, Mem, Schin	Air - Water - Fire
7 Singles	ת  ר  פ  כ  ד  ג   ב Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resch, Thaw	7 planets (from Saturn to Moon), 7 days of the week, 7 gates of the senses on the human head: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth.
12 Doubles	ק  צ  ע  ס  נ  ל  י  ט  ח  ז   ו  ה Heh, Waw, Sajin, Cheth, Tet, Jod, Lamed, Nun, Samech, Ajin, Zade, Qoph	12 constellations (from Aries to Pisces), 12 months, 12 organs of the human body.

Literature

• A. Peter Hayman: Sefer yeṣira: edition, translation, and text-critical commentary., Tübingen, 2004, ISBN 3-16-148381-2