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Dafei Tang

Lech Lecha – Children of Abraham

Two Covenants

There are two covenants God made with Abraham, namely:

  1. Covenant between the pieces (Gen 15:18);
  2. Covenant of circumcision (Gen 17:4).

These are the covenant of the tongue and the covenant of the flesh (Sefer Yetzirah).

Brit Milah בְּרִית מִילָה (circumcision of the flesh) below parallels Brit Lashon בְּרִית לָשׁוֹן (circumcision of the tongue) above.

The covenant between the pieces involved three animals, each cut in half and divided, paralleling the six Sefirot on the right side and on the left side. The two birds were not divided, with turtledove paralleling “Crown” and “Knowledge” in union, and pigeon paralleling “Foundation” and “Kingdom” in union, all on the central axle of the Tree of Life, as follows:

  Turtledove – Da’at in union with Keter  
Half of heifer – Binah Half of heifter – Chochmah
Half of goat – Gevurah Half of goat – Chesed
Half of ram – Hod Half of ram – Netzach
  Pigeon – Yesod in union with Malchut

 

The union between Keter (crown) and Da’at (knowledge) is called the higher knowledge, and the union between Yesod (foundation) and Malchut (kingdom) is called the lower knowledge.

 

Secret of Procreation

The union of “crown” and “knowledge” is of the mind, which draws down soul from the light in the higher world. The average number of “crown” and “knowledge” is 547, which is the gematria of “soul” spelled out, as follows:

Crown כֶּתֶר 620 / 2 Soul (Nefesh) נֶּפֶשׁ  
Knowledge דַּעַת 474 / 2 Spelled out נון פא שין 547
  547

 

The union of “foundation” and “kingdom” starts from the heart (emotions) but consummates in the flesh (action), which creates new life in the lower world, their gematria is 576:

Yesod (foundation) יְסוֹד 80
Malchut (kingdom) מַלְכוּת 496
  576

 

The lower union parallels the higher union in perfect unison, as the highest of Crown is called Faith, and the marital bonding between Yesod and Malchut is also called Knowledge, their gematria is also 576:

Faith אֱמוּנָה 102
Knowledge דַּעַת 474
  576

 

Abraham is the first man of faith, the father of faith. Abraham is also the first man of circumcision, the father of circumcision.

576 is also the gematria of the following phases, all dealing with the secret of procreation:

High (spiritual), low (physical) עֶלְיוֹן שָׁפָל 576
And fountain of the soul (Neshamah) וּמַעְיָן הַנְּשָׁמָה 576
And the mouth is female and the Milah is male וְהַפֶּה נְקֵבָה וְהֵמִילָה זָכָר 576
And give birth to male and give birth to female וּמוֹלִיד זָכָר וּמוֹלִיד נְקֵבָה 576
And there will be soul and there was body וְהָיָה נֶּפֶשׁ וַיְהִי גוּף 576

 

The prefix Vav converts Hayah וְהָיָה from past to future, denoting gladness in the process of drawing down soul. In contrast, the prefix Vav converts Yehi וַיְהִי from future to past, denoting anguish in the process of soul being clothed in the body.

 

Secret of Brit Milah

Brit Milah בְּרִית מִילָה in gematria is 697, which is the same gematria of the following phrases:

Circumcise skin and foreskin מָל מָעוֹר וְעָרְלָה 697
Covenant of the Yesod בְּרִית הַיְסוֹד 697
Tongue and foreskin לָשׁוֹן וְעָרְלָה 697
50 gates of understanding שַׁעַר ה-נ הֲבִינָה 697
Crown of life עֲטֶרֶת חָי 697

 

The secret of circumcision is the revelation of the 50 gates of understanding, in that the veil (skin) מָעוֹר is removed, and the “crown of life” עֲטֶרֶת חָי is revealed.

The spelling out of “skin” is 732, which is the gematria of “foreskin of the heart” עָרְלַת לֵב, as follows:

Skin מָעוֹר  
Spelled out מם עין וו ריש 732

 

This comes to teach that the deeper meaning of “Brit Milah” is the circumcision of both the foreskin and the heart.

The gematria of “circumcise the foreskin of the heart and foreskin” is 1118, which is the same gematria of the Shema, as follows:

Circumcise the foreskin of heart and foreskin מָל הָעָרְלַת לֵב וְעָרְלָה 1118
Hear Israel YHVH our God YHVH is one שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד 1118

 

The average number of the two circumcisions is: 1118 / 2 = 559, which is the gematria of “Knowledge” and “Milah”, where knowledge corresponds to heart, and “Milah” corresponds to the male organ (flesh), as follows:

Of the heart (from the mind) Knowledge דַּעַת 474
Of the flesh (from the heart) Milah מִילָה 85
  559

 

The higher knowledge is of the mind (intellect), which descends to heart (emotions) to arouse physical drive and to induce the lower knowledge (marital bonding in action).

The gematria of “mind” and “heart” is 80, which is the same of “foundation” יְסוֹד, the euphuism for the flesh, as follows:

Mind מֹחַ 48
heart לֵב 32
  80

 

The fruit of the “Foundation” is the seed, which transmits to “Kingdom” to engender life. The gematria of “Foundation” and “Knowledge” is exactly twice the gematria of “seed” זֶרַע, which is 277, as follows:

Knowledge דַּעַת 484 / 2
Foundation יְסוֹד 80 / 2
  277

 

And “seed” is the “secret of light” סּוֹד אוֹר, which in gematria is also 277. The light descends from the mind, through the heart, and condensed in the Foundation as the seed.

The formula:

Light (of the mind) אוֹר 207
Mouth   (of the heart) פֶּה 85
Brit Milah (of the flesh) בְּרִית מִילָה 697
  989

 

989 = 1978 / 2, and 1978 is the gematria of the higher knowledge and the lower knowledge, as follows:

Higher knowledge (of the mind) דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן 640
Lower knowledge (of the flesh) דַּעַת תַּחְתּוֹן 1338
  1978

 

 

Ishmael and Isaac

Abraham produced two seeds, one is of the flesh, and one is of the promise.

The gematria of Ishmael יִשְׁמָעֵאל is 451, which is exactly the gematria of Abram (prior to name change) and Hagar, as follows:

Abram אַבְרָם 243
Hagar הָגָר 208
  451

 

“Ishmael the son of the bondwoman” יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן הָאָמָה in gematria is 554, which is exactly the gematria of “son of flesh” בֶּן בָּשָׂר, for he was born to Abram when he was yet uncircumcised.

In contrast, Isaac is called the son of the freewoman, יִצְחָק בֵּן הַחָפְשִׁיָּה in Gal 4:21. The original name of Isaac is spelled  with a Shin יִשְׂחָק and the gematria of “Isaac son of the freewoman” (with a Shin) יִשְׂחָק בֵּן הַחָפְשִׁיָּה is 878, which is exactly the gematria of the following verse:

כִּי בְיִצְחָק, יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע …for in Isaac shall seed be called to you… (Gen 21:12)

 

This “seed” is interpreted in Gal 3:16 as Mashiach, and 878 is exactly the gematria of Mashiach מָּשִׁיחַ spelled out (מם שין יוד חית).

The gematria of “Ishmael and Isaac” is exactly the same gematria of “sons of flesh and sons of promise”, as follows:

Ishmael and Isaac יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַיִּצְחָק 665
Sons of flesh and sons of the promise בְּנֵי הַבָּשָׂר בְּנֵי הַהַבְטָחָה 665

 

 

Father of Faith

Abraham is the father of faith, and “The faith of our father Abraham” הָאֱמוּנָה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ  in gematria is 424, which is exactly the same gematria of Mashiach ben David מָּשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד.

Those that followed the footsteps of Abraham are called: “The children of the freewoman” (Gal 4:31) and the gematria of “The children of the freewoman to Abraham” בְּנֵי הַחָפְשִׁיָּה לְאַבְרָהָם in gematria is 748, which is exactly the gematria of the following key prophecy about faith:

וְצַדִּיק, בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה But the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab 2:4)

 

Abraham is called the father of many nations, meaning all those from the nations that believe in the promise of God in faith, which is Mashiach, as symbolized by Isaac.

“Father of many nations” has a gematria of 163, but when each of the 10 letters is spelled out, the gematria becomes 916, as follows:

Father of many nations אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם 163
Spelled out אלף בית הה מם וו נון גמל וו יוד מם 916

 

The pregnant (secret) letters in gematria therefore is: 916 – 163 = 753, which is exactly the gematria of Abraham and Sarah, as follows:

Abraham אַבְרָהָם 248
Sarah שָׂרָה 505
  753

 

This comes to teach us that Abraham and Sarah are the father and mother of all believers from all the nations.

 

Children of Abraham

Abraham is the first believer, and his faith is counted to him as righteousness, as it is written:

וְהֶאֱמִן, בַּיהוָה; וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ, צְדָקָה And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness. (Gen 15:6)

 

Those who follow the footsteps of Abraham by faith are called “Children of Abraham” בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם, the gematria is 310, which is the gematria of “Something” יֵשׁ, as in the phrase of “Something from Nothing” יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן, which in gematria is 411.

Abraham and Sarah had no son, and hence there is “nothing”, Ayin אַיִן.

By faith, they have received the son of promise, hence “there is something”, Esh יֵשׁ.

The miracle of having a son for Abraham and Sarah is therefore “something from nothing”, יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן. The parallel is now clear:

From Nothing Something
מֵאַיִן יֵשׁ
From nothing Children of Abraham
מֵאַיִן בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם

 

All those who believe are therefore the “son” in the collective sense promised to Abraham, and they are called “Children of Abraham”, representing the “Something” from “Nothing”.

“Nothing” denotes lowliness, and the gematria of “Nothing” אַיִן is 61, which is exactly the same of “In Nations” בַּגֹּויִם.

Astonishingly, the gematria of “children of Abraham from nothing” is exactly the same gematria of “Abraham the father of many nations” that called the believers “from all nations on earth”:

Something from nothing יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן 411
Abraham father of many nations אַבְרָהָם אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם 411
Children of Abraham from nothing בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם מֵאַיִן 411
And from all the nations of the earth וּמִכָּל גּוֹיֵ הָאָרֶץ 411

 

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