# Folk-Lore/Volume 7/Magical Sacrifice in the Jewish Kabbala

MISCELLANEA.
Magical Sacrifice in the Jewish Kabbala.
The following is a translation of an extract from the Sepher Raziel Hamalakh, or The Book of the Angel Raziel. Nothing definite can be said as to the date of this book, which Karpeles assigns to the Alexandrine period of the Jewish literature. Though some parts of the book are evidently very modern, some other parts must belong to a very ancient time, perhaps to a time when Jewish Aramaic was yet in use as a colloquial language. A tendency started by Graetz exists to think that the Jewish Kabbala is very modern. No doubt there are some modern insertions in the standard cabbalistic works, but parts of them belong to a very old date. As far back as the end of the ninth or the beginning of the tenth century A.D., Kabbala is mentioned as a science not only fully developed, but as a mark of a learned and pious man. (Sepher Tokhassin, a Toledo manuscript, edited by Dr. Ad. Neubauer, Anecdota Oxoniensia, Semitic series, vol. i., part vi., p. 112, line 9.) The following translation is made from the Warsaw edition of 1881, which is a reprint from the Wilna edition of 1877, and is identical with the last Lemberg edition. The full title of the book is: That is the Book of the First Man, given to him by the angel Raziel. The title is in the Chaldee language; the book itself is mixed. Some parts are in pure Chaldee, others in rabbinical Hebrew; two or three places are pure Hebrew. The place translated is on leaf 3A. The book begins by a prayer of Adam, in which he asks forgiveness for his sin. After he had prayed for three days the angel Raziel (the name Raziel means "mystery of God") brought him this book and told him of all the advantages to be derived from a knowledge of its contents (a story to the same effect is mentioned in the second surea of the Koran).
​"Then the angel Raziel opened the book and read unto Adam. And it came to pass that when Adam heard the words of this holy book from the lips of the angel Raziel, he trembling fell on his face. And the angel said, 'Adam, rise and be strong; do not tremble and do not be afraid, but take this book from my hand and keep to it, for from it will you get knowledge and wisdom, and from it will you learn what will befall everyone.' And at the time when Adam took this book a fire arose on the shore of the river, and the angel went up to Heaven in the midst of the fire. Then [i.e. seeing it] Adam knew and understood that it was an angel, and by an angel [in my copy mlkh is printed, but it is evidently a mistake for ml'kh] this book was sent to him; and he kept it therefore in holiness and pureness. These are the words of the book: If a man be wishing to prosper and to make anything out of it, let him count three days before the beginning of the month, and let him eat nothing forbidden by the law, or having blood in it; let him drink no wine and approach no woman; let him wash himself with water during these days before the rising of the sun; let him bring two white doves and cut their throats with a copper knife with both sides sharp, so that he may cut one dove with one side and the other dove with the other side. Then let him take out their intestines and wash them with water. Let him bring some old wine, pure perfume, and some clean and pure honey, mix them up and fill with this mixture the intestines of the doves. Afterwards let him put the intestines so filled up on burning embers before the rising of the morning aurora; let him walk round about it in a white dress, and barefooted; let him mention the names of the angels serving in the month when he is praying [evidently angels of the stars of this month are meant. Later in the book the names of the angels are given, and I think that some day later on the theory that Jewish mysticism is not an invention of the Rabbis, but a remnant of some heathen religion, perhaps the religion of Babylon, will not seem quite untenable], and let him burn all the pieces sacrificed; every piece three times in a day; on the third day let him bring the ashes, spread them on the floor, sleep on them, and mention the names [shēm—here as well as elsewhere—can mean not only name, but also magical formula causing a certain supernatural being to give assistance to the person using it. This signification probably arose from the attribution of magical power to the sacred name ​of God, which we transcribe as Jehovah] of the angels, the mighty, the powerful, the strong, the holy, the ruling, and let him sleep, and speak to no man. Then the angels will come to him in the night as a prophetic vision (real vision, and not a parable), and they will inform him and tell him anything he asks without fear."
For the Book of Raziel may be consulted Wolf, Bill. Rabb., vol. i., p. III. (cf. iii., p. 69; iv., p. 711), Zünz, Gottesdienstliche Vorträge der Juden. It must be clearly understood that the sacrificial ceremony described above is not any part of the Jewish sacrificial rites, and in some points openly contradicts it. One of the most striking features of this performance is the use of the two-edged knife. The use of sacrificial ashes for divination is met with several times in the Talmud and Midrash; but, as far as I know, there is no mention of such a use being made of the ashes of ordinary sacrifice.
L. Goldmerstein.