CHESEPH, Silver is referred to Gedulah on account of its whiteness which denotes Mercy and Pity. In Raja Meh. it is said that by 50 silver shekels, Deut., c. 22, v. 29, is understood Binah, Understanding, but when from 50 portals it inclines to the side of Gedulah--see the book Pardes Rimmonim, tract 23, c. 11.
Cheseph, Silver, in Metallic things Rabbi Mordechai writes thus:
Let the Red Minera of Silver be taken, let it be ground very finely; add an Ounce and a half of the Calx of Luna to six Ounces of it. Let it be placed in a Sand bath in a Vial sealed. Let there be given a small Fire for the first Eight Days, lest its Radical Humidity be burnt up. The second Week, one degree stronger; and the third yet stronger; and on the fourth, that the sand may not be red hot, but so that when Water is dropped upon it, it may hiss. Then on the top of the Glass, thou shalt have a White Matter, which is the Materia Prima or tinging Arsenic, being the living Water of Metals, which all Philosophers call dry Water, or their Vinegar. Let this be purified thus: Take of the Crystalline Matter sublimed; Let it be ground upon a Marble, with an equal part of Calx of Luna, and let it be put into a Vial sealed, and set in a Sand bath again, the first two Hours with a gentle Fire, the second with a stronger, and the third with one yet more violent, and increased till the Sand will hiss, and our Arsenic will be sublimed again, the starry Beams being sent forth. And since a quantity of this is required thou shalt augment it thus:
Take six Ounces of this, and an Ounce and a half of the most pure Filings of Luna, and make an Amalgama, and let them be digested in a Vial in hot Ashes, till all the Luna be dissolved, and converted into Arsenical Water.
Take an Ounce and a half of this Spirit, and place it in a closed Vial: Let this be put into hot Ashes, and it will ascend and descend; which heat continue, till it leaves off Sweating, and it lies at the bottom the Colour of Ashes. Thus the matter is dissolved and putrefied.
Take one part of this Cinereous Matter, and half a part of the aforesaid Water, let them be mixed and sweat in a Glass, as before, which will happen in about Eight Days; when the Cinereous Earth shall begin to wax white, take it out, and let it be imbibed with five Washings of its Lunar Water, and digested as before. Let it be imbibed the third time, with five Ounces of the same Water, and coagulated as before, for Eight Days. The fourth Imbibition requires seven Ounces of the Lunar Water. And the Sweating being ended, this Preparation is finished.
Now for the White Work. Take 21 Drachms of this White Earth, 14 Drachms of the Lunar Water, 10 Drachms of Calx of most pure Luna; mix them upon a marble slab and commit them to Coagulation, till they grow hard; imbibe it with three parts of its own Water, till it hath drank up this Portion; and repeat that so often, till it flow on a Copper Plate, made red hot, without Smoke; and then thou shalt have the Tincture for the White, which thou mayest increase by the means aforesaid.
For the Red, you must use Calx of Sol, and a stronger Fire; and 'tis a work of about four months. Thus this author.
Let this be compared with the Writing of the Arab Philosopher (Geber), where he writes very fully of the Arsenical Matter.
Chesed, in the Metallic Kingdom, is Luna, Nemine Contradicente. And so the Lesser Number of Gedulah is as that of Sama, or Sima. Silver is referred to in Prov., c. 16, v. 16, and c. 17, v. 3, and also Psalm 12, v. 7, and Job, c. 28, v. 1. Silver is also found allotted to each one of the Sephirotic Decad, thus see the c. 38 of Exodus, v. 17 and 19, where Silver forms the Chapiters of the Pillars representing Kether or the summit. While Silver is compared with Chokmah, in Proverbs, c. 2, v. 4, and to Binah, in Prov., c. 16, v. 16.
Gedulah is manifest out of the History of Abraham, where Silver is always preferred, Gen, c. 13, v. 2, and c. 23, v. 15, 16, and c. 24, v. 35, 53.
Geburah is shewed, when Silver is put in the Fire, Prov., c. 17, v. 3, and Num., c. 31, v. 21. Psalm 66, v.10. Prov., c. 27, v. 21. Isaiah, c. 48, v. 10. Ezek., c. 22, v. 22. Zech., c. 13, v. 9. Mal., c. 3, v. 3.
Tiphereth is the Breast of the Statue, in Dan., c. 2, v. 32.
Netzach is a Vein of Silver, in Job, c. 28, v. 1.
Hod are the Silver Trumpets, Num., c. 10, v. 2.
Jesod is found in Prov., c. 10, v. 20, and Malkuth, in Psalm 12, v. 6.
The Camea of this Metal represents nine times nine Squares, showing the same sum twenty times, viz., 369, and in its lesser Number 9, which all the Variations shew, though they should be a thousand times a thousand; because this Chesed (which is Mercy) endureth for ever. Psalm 136, v. 1.
Barzel, Iron; in the Natural Science, this Metal is the middle Line, reaching from one extreme to the other. This is that Male and Bridegroom, without whom the Virgin is not impregnated. This is that Sol, Sun or Gold of the Wise Men, without whom, the Moon will be always in Darkness. He that knows his Rays, works in the Day; others grope in the Night.
Parzala, whose lesser number is 12, is of the same account as the Name of that Bloody Animal Dob, a Bear, Whose Number is 12 also.
And this is that Mystical thing, which is written, Dan., 7, 5, "And behold another Beast, a second like unto a Bear, stood on its one side, and it had three Ribs standing out in his Mouth, between his Teeth; and thus they said unto it, Arise, eat much Flesh." The Meaning is, that in order to constitute the Metallic Kingdom, in the second place, Iron is to be taken; in whose Mouth or Opening (which comes to pass in an Earthen Vessel) a threefold Scoria is thrust out, from within its whitish Nature.
Let him eat Batsar, i.e., Flesh, whose lesser Number is 7, that is Puk, that is Stibium, whose lesser Number in like manner is 7.
And indeed much Flesh, because the proportion of this, is greater than of that; and indeed such a proportion as Puk, that is 106, bears to Barzel 239; such shall be the proportion of Iron to Antimony.
But understand the Flesh of the Lion, which is the first Animal; whose Eagle's Wings, and so much as is very Volatile in him, shall be drawn out, and it shall be lifted up, and by purifying be separated from its Earth or Scoria: And it will stand on its Feet; that is, shall get its Consistency, in a Cone; like a Man erect and with a shining Countenance, like Moses. For Enos and Moses in full writing by Gematria each give 351. And the Heart of Iron, [for the heart, Leb and iron, Barzel, in their least Number both give 5], (Mineral) i.e., the Tiphereth of Man Mineral shall be given to it.
For even the name of the Star belonging to this, is Edom, which hath the Connotation of a Red Man.
These things being done, the third Beast ought to be taken, which is as it were a Leopard, i.e., Water not wetting; the Garden of the Wise Men; for Nimra a Leopard, and Jardin in their lesser Number, make the same Sum, viz., 12, Such also is the Quickness of this Water, that is not unlike a Leopard upon that account.
And he shall have four Wings of a Bird upon his Back, the four Wings are two Birds, which exasperate this Beast with their Feathers, to the intent he may enter and fight with the Bear and Lion; altho' of himself he be volatile and biting enough, and venomous like a Winged Serpent and Basilisk.
And the Beast had four Heads; in which Words are understood four Natures lurking in his Composition, i.e., white, red, green, and watery.
And power was given him over the other Beasts, i.e., the Lion and the Bear, that he may extract their gluten or Blood.
From all these are made one Fourth Beast in the 7th verse, which is frightful, terrible, and very strong: For it casts forth so great Fumes, that at some times there is Peril of Death, if he be handled at undue time and place.
And he hath great Teeth of Iron, because this is one of the Parts and Materials compounding it; Eating and Breaking himself, and others to pieces, and Treading the Residue under his Feet. That is, of a Nature so violent, that by many bruisings and tramplings, he is as it were tamed at length.
And he had ten horns, because he hath the Nature of all the Metallic Numbers.
A little Horn, etc., for out of this is extracted the young King, who hath the Nature of Tiphereth (that is of a Man) but of the Nature or Part of Geburah: For it is that Gold which predominates in the Work of the Wise Men. Thus far the Preparatories.
And now the Beast is to be killed, and his Body to be destroyed and delivered up to the Fire to be burned, etc. For now follows the Regimen of the Fire. Concerning which elsewhere.
The Sword of the Illustrious Naaman is also related to the word Barzel.
Lancea; in the Study of the Metallic Natures, the History of Phinehas, Numbers, c. 25, v. 7, belongs to this place. By the Fornicators are understood the (Masculine) Arsenical Sulphur, and the (feminine) dry Water unduly mixed, together in the Mineral.
By the Spear of Phinehas is meant the Force of Iron acting upon the Matter to cleanse it of Dross: By which Iron, not only is the Arsenical Sulphur killed, but also the Woman herself is at length mortified; so that the Miracle of Phinehas may be fitly applied here. See also the Targum on this Place, i.e., Numbers, c. 25, v. 7. For the Nature of Iron is wonderful, as its Camea (whose lines add up to 65 each way) shews.
It is here given: the Number 5, and its Square (i.e., 25) denote the Feminine Nature, which is corrected by this Metal.
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