Sefer HaRazim

And he wrote it on a sapphire stone, well explained (וַיִּכְתְּבֵהוּ בְּאֶבֶן סַפִּיר בְּאֵר הֵיטֵב), and from it he learned wondrous workings (וּמִמֶּנּוּ לָמַד מַעֲשֵׂה פְלָאִים), and secrets of knowledge (וְרָזֵי דַּעַת), and arrangements of understanding (וְעַרְכֵי בִינָה), and contemplations of humility (וּמַחְשְׁבוֹת עֲנָוָה), and depths of counsel (וַעֲשְׁתוֹנוֹת עֵצָה), to grasp the investigation of the heights of heaven (לַעֲמֹד עַל חֵקֶר מַעֲלוֹת מְרוֹמִים), and to roam throughout the seven habitations (וּלְשׁוֹטֵט בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁבְעָה מְעוֹנוֹת), and to gaze upon all the constellations (וּלְהִסְתַּכֵּל בְּכָל הַמַּזָּלוֹת), and to contemplate the motions of the constellations (וּלְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּמִנְהַג חַמְזָלוֹת), and to explain the investigations of the moon (וּלְבָאֵר חַקְרֵי לְבָנָה), and to know the paths [orbits] of Ayish [the Great Bear], Kesil [Orion], and Kimah [the Pleiades] (וְלָדַעַת מְסִלּוֹת עָשׁ כְּסִיל וְכִימָה), and to declare the names of the officers of each and every firmament (וּלְהַגִּיד מַה שְּׁמוֹת שׁוֹטְרֵי כָל רָקִיעַ וָרָקִיעַ), and their dominions (וּמַמְלַכְתָּן), and by what they succeed in each matter (וּבַמֶּה יַצְלִיחוּ לְכָל דָּבָר), and what are the names of their ministers (וּמַה שְּׁמוֹת מְשָׁרְתֵיהֶם), and what shall be offered to them (וּמַה יִתְנַסֵּךְ לָהֶם), and in which season they serve (וְאֵיזוֹ הִיא עוֹנָה תְּשַׁמֵּשׁ לָהֶם), to perform all desired acts (לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל חֵפֶץ), anyone who approaches them in purity (כָּל הַקָּרוֹב אֲלֵיהֶם בְּטָהֳרָה).

To know from it the workings of death and the workings of life (לֵידַע מִמֶּנּוּ מַעֲשֵׂה מָוֶת וּמַעֲשֵׂה חַיִּים), to discern evil and good (לְהָבִין הָרַע וְהַטּוֹב), to investigate times and moments (לַחְקוֹר עִתִּים וּרְגָעִים), to know a time to give birth and a time to die (לֵידַע עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת), a time to wound and a time to heal (עֵת לַמַּכָּה וְעֵת לִרְפוּאָה); to interpret dreams and visions (לִפְתֹּר חֲלוֹמוֹ וַחֲזוֹנוֹת), to stir up battle and to calm wars (לְעוֹרֵר קְרָב וּלְהַשְׁקִיט מִלְחָמוֹת), and to rule over tempests and over afflictions, to dispatch them and they shall go like servants (וּלִמְשֹׁל בָּרְעוּתוֹת וּבַפְּגָעִים לְשַׁלְּחָם וְיֵלֵכוּ כַּעֲבָדִים); to gaze upon the four directions of the earth (לְהַבִּיט בְּאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הָאָרֶץ), to be connected through the sound of thunder (לִהְיוֹת מְחֻבָּר כִּי בְּקוֹל רְעָמִים), to recount the workings of lightning (לְסַפֵּר מַה מַּעֲשֵׂה בְּרָקִים); to declare what shall be in every month and month (לְהַגִּיד מַה יִּהְיֶה בְּכָל חֹדֶשׁ וְחֹדֶשׁ), to reflect upon the events of each and every year (לַעֲמֹךְ עַל עֵסֶק כָּל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה):

whether for plenty or for famine (אִם לְשֹׂבַע אִם לָרָעָב), whether for grain or for drought (אִם לַתְּבוּאָה אִם לַבַּצֹּרֶת), whether for peace or for war (אִם לְשָׁלוֹם אִם לַמִּלְחָמָה); to be as one of the awesome ones (לִהְיוֹת כְּאֶחָד מִן הַנּוֹרָאִים), and to grow wise in the Songs of the Heights (וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל בְּשִׁירֵי מָרוֹם).

And from the wisdom of the secrets of this book, Noach learned and understood to make a gopher-wood ark (וּמֵחָכְמַת רָזֵי הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה לָמַד נֹחַ וְהִשְׂכִּיל לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲצֵי גֹפֶר תֵּבָה), and to hide from the flood of the waters of the flood (וּלְהִסָּתֵר מִשֶּׁטֶף מֵי הַמַּבּוּל), to bring with him two by two and seven by seven (לְהָבִיא עִמּוֹ שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם וְשִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה), and to bring in of every food and every provision (וּלְהַכְנִיס מִכָּל אֹכֶל וּמִכָּל מַאֲכָל).

And he placed it in a golden box (וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בְּאָרוֹן זָהָב), and brought it first into the ark (וַיְבִיאֵהוּ תְּחִלָּה לַתֵּבָה), to know from it the times of the day (לֵידַע מִמֶּנּוּ עִתּוֹת יוֹם), and to inquire of it the times of the night (וּלְחַקֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ עִתּוֹת לַיְלָה), and in which season he should stand to offer supplication (וּבְאֵיזוֹ עוֹנָה יַעֲמוֹד לְהַפִּיל שַׁוְעָה).

And when they went out from the ark, he continued to use it all the days of his life (וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִן הַתֵּבָה בּוֹ הָיָה מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו). And at the time of his death, he transmitted it to Avraham (וּבְעֵת מוֹתוֹ מְסָרוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם), and Avraham to Yitzchak (וְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק), and Yitzchak to Ya'akov (וְיִצְחָק לְיַעֲקֹב), and Ya'akov to Levi (וְיַעֲקֹב לְלֵוִי), and Levi to Kehat (וְלֵוִי לִקְהָת), and Kehat to Amram (וּקְהָת לְעַמְרָם), and Amram to Moshe (וְעַמְרָם לְמֹשֶׁה), and Moshe to Yehoshua (וּמֹשֶׁה לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ), and Yehoshua to the Elders (וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לַזְּקֵנִים), and the Elders to the Prophets (וּזְקֵנִים לַנְּבִיאִים), and the Prophets to the Sages (וּנְבִיאִים לַחֲכָמִים), and so in every generation and generation (וְכֵן כָּל דּוֹר וָדוֹר).

Until King Shlomo arose (עַד שֶׁעָמַד שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ), and the Books of Secrets were revealed to him (וְנִגְּלוּ לוֹ סִפְרֵי הָרָזִים), and he grew exceedingly wise in the books of understanding (וְהִשְׂכִּיל מְאֹד בְּסִפְרֵי בִינָה), and ruled in all his desire (וּמָשַׁל בְּכָל חֶפְצוֹ), over all the spirits and afflictions that roam the world (בְּכָל הָרוּחוֹת וְהַפְּגָעִים הַמְשׁוֹטְטִים בָּעוֹלָם), and he bound and released, and sent and brought (וְאָסַר וְהִתִּיר וְשִׁלַּח וְהֵבִיא), and built and succeeded (וּבָנָה וְהִצְלִיחַ), by the wisdom of this book (מֵחָכְמַת הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה). For many books were given into his hand (כִּי הַרְבֵּה סְפָרִים נִמְסְרוּ בְּיָדוֹ), and this one was found more precious, more honored, and more difficult than them all (וְזֶה נִמְצָא יָקָר וְנִכְבָּד וְקָשֶׁה מִכֻּלָּם).

Fortunate is the eye that beholds it (אַשְׁרֵי עַיִן תַּבִּיט בּוֹ), fortunate the ear that listens to its wisdom (אַשְׁרֵי אֹזֶן תַּשְׂכִּית חָכְמָתוֹ), for in it are the seven heavens and all that is in them (כִּי בּוֹ שִׁבְעַת הָרְקִיעִים וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם). From their encampments we learn to understand all things (מִמַּחֲנוֹתָם נִלְמַד לְהַשְׂכִּיל בְּכָל דָּבָר), and to succeed in all actions (וּלְהַצְלִיחַ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂה), to contemplate and to perform (לַחְשֹׁב וְלַעֲשׂוֹת), from the wisdom of this book (מֵחָכְמַת הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה).

Third Edition, 5786 / 2026