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It seems fairly widely accepted that Sefer Yetzirah, one of the primary books of Kabbalah, is attributed to Avraham Avinu. Why is that?

WAF
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PixelArtDragon
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2 Answers2

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For the same reason that the Zohar is attributed to R. Shimon Bar Yochai. The last section of Sefer Yetzira says, or implies that Abraham was the teacher of these principles in the Sefer Yetzira.

Chapter 1 section 3 reads:

  1. The ten numbers formed from nothing are the Decad: these are seen in the fingers of the hands, five on one, five on the other, and over them is the Covenant by voice spiritual, and the rite of Circumcision, corporeal

This quote references the brit of the parts, where Gd promises Abraham that we will become a great nation.

And then at the end, Chapter 6 section 4 reads:

  1. After that our father Abraham had seen, and pondered over, investigated, and understood these things, he designed, engraved, and composed them, and received them into his power (hands). Then the Lord of all appeared unto him, made a covenant with him, and kissed his head, and naming him after his own name, called him his friend; and as it is written, completed a covenant with him and with his seed forever, who then believed on God, the Tetragrammaton, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

This section is read to be a reference to the food prepared for the 3 angels / guests.

Since nobody else is mentioned, this is taken to mean that Sefer Yetzirah is a book of Abraham's. Meaning these were the things he did.

However, the book is also attributed to Rabbi Akiva. And is never referenced before the first century.

avi
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    "our father Avraham" - Avraham was his own father? – ray Dec 29 '13 at 19:24
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    @ray That is why Avraham is not likely the actual author. Just like R. Shimon bar Yochai is not the author of the Zohar. The question was "why is it attributed to him", not "who wrote it". – avi Dec 30 '13 at 10:57
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    who says Rashbi is not the author of the zohar. perhaps better explanation is that parts were appended to the zohar and likewise S.Y. – ray Dec 30 '13 at 11:33
  • @Ray Ok, whatever you say. http://shearim.blogspot.co.il/2011/10/rabbi-berel-wein-on-authencity-of-zohar.html – avi Dec 30 '13 at 11:37
  • http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/204/Q5/ and this http://www.rabbileff.net/shiurim/answers/1000-1249/1106.mp3 – ray Dec 30 '13 at 13:29
  • @ray http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/34270/597 – avi Dec 30 '13 at 13:38
  • @ray STOP LINKING TO THAT POST WITHOUT LINKING TO THE FOLLOW UP! http://www.rabbileff.net/shiurim/answers/1750-1999/1776.mp3 Every time you do it I just get the impression you don't actually listen or think. – Double AA Dec 30 '13 at 21:22
  • I actually had heard that follow up. I totally disagree with your assertion that he retracted from his first statement (that one who doubts the authenticity of the zohar is a heretic). He merely changed his statement from "the zohar has been accepted by klal yisrael" TO the "zohar has been accepted by the VAST majority" - but HE DID not retract his assertion that one who doubts the authenticity of the zohar is heretic. listen again. – ray Dec 30 '13 at 22:02
  • Its ok, r. Ovadya yoseph who does know the dar daim said such people are not heretics – avi Dec 30 '13 at 22:04
  • Rav Ovadia was lenient on many things such as granting the ethiopians jewish status, and who says he agreed with them?! – ray Dec 31 '13 at 07:30
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    @ray RAbbiLeff Admits to not even knowing who they are! Why in the world would you even consider a psak from someone who claims to have no knowledge regarding the details of the issue? – avi Dec 31 '13 at 08:41
  • @avi what you're saying makes no sense whatsoever. it's not relevant who they are, the fact that as he says "the vast majority of klal yisrael accepts the authenticity of the zohar (including Rav Ovadia) then those who reject its authenticity are heretics" - BTW you won't find a single reliable big posek today who rejects the authenticity of the zohar. – ray Dec 31 '13 at 08:58
  • @ray Oh right, you are one of those Jews that insists that reality is not important. Who cares if someone knows what they are talking about on a subject, he has a fancy hat he must know all! Ofcourse, the vast majority of Klal Yisrael, don't even keep Shabbat. But you believe whatever you want. – avi Dec 31 '13 at 09:02
  • let us continue this discussion in chat – avi Dec 31 '13 at 09:05
  • @ray I don't understand how you can think that. You think that every minority opinion in Judaism is heresy??? – Double AA Jan 01 '14 at 04:05
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Mystics[3] (the Chida) assert that the Biblical patriarch Abraham used the sefer yetzira to create the calves prepared for the three angels who foretold Sarah's pregnancy in the Biblical account at Genesis 18:7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_Yetzirah

However, in the above link some attribute it to Adam who passed it onto Noach and then to Avraham

ray
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