“In the seventeenth century, references from Sefer HaMeshiv appear in the writings of Sabbatean authors… The author combined extreme hostility toward and deprecation of Christian theology with a Jewish messianic doctrine”.
“In this, he based his arguments upon anti-Christian elements in classical Jewish sources and developed these to an extreme”.
“The author of Sefer HaMeshiv wrote in reaction to the phenomenon of forced conversion or was associated with conversos in some way”.
“Did not Judah cast him to the ground, that he not escape, lest he destroy the world and return it to void and chaos by instruction of the Ineffable Name — its letters, vocalization, stressed and unstressed consonants”.
“Sefer HaMeshiv contains several references to the downfall of one who wished to ascend to heaven and be like God”.
“The church is depicted as “ecclesia diaboli,” as Judaism was termed “synagoga diaboli”. The Christians are called Satan’s offspring much as Jews were seen to be the children of Satan or his allies”.
“The overpowering of Samael and Amon of No is equated with subduing Christianity and Islam, a necessary precondition for the achievement of complete redemption”.
“Unless he enter the mystery of the Supernal Covenant of Circumcision, so that he cleave to the opening of the Shechinah, it will be impossible for the King Messiah, the mystery of David, to be revealed”.
“Then both of them as one (Esau and Jacob — the Sefirah Tiferet) shall ascend as the mystery of the Supernal Covenant and will have sexual contact with the mouth and opening of the Shechinah… and that is the mystery of the pregnancy of Rebecca”.
“This entry signifies the transition from “Edom” to “Covenant”, that is, the conversion of Christianity to Judaism”.
“At a time of relentless persecution and forced conversion, the author envisioned an eschatological future when Christianity would be forced to enter the covenant of circumcision and would be transformed into a defender of the Jews”.
“The author of Sefer HaMeshiv made a considerable effort to associate Christianity with the demonic sphere, a realm that must be defeated before the achievement of final redemption”.
“At the time when the spirit emerges, it will take the form of fire. This is the mystery of the constellation Virgo. Therefore, it is the constellation of Israel”.
“The open letter mem is an allusion to Binah and the closed letter mem has another meaning. It is an allusion to Malchut”.
“In Sefer HaMeshiv, the discussion of the closed letter mem is associated with the subject of the coming of the Messiah. This is the mystery of the Kingdom (The Sefirah Malchut)”.
Loading suggestions...