“1.4 Ten Sephiroth of Nothingness, Ten and not nine, ten and not eleven. Understand with Wisdom,
be wise with Understanding. Examine with them and probe from them.
Make each thing stand on its essence and make the creator sit on his throne.
“1.7 There are Ten Sephiroth of Nothingness:
Their end is embedded in their beginning and their beginning in their end, like a flame in a burning coal.
For the Master is singular, He has no second. And before One, what do you count?”
—- Sepher Yetzirah
The Tree of Life Sephiroth arrangements in this interpretation use the ten basic characters of the Indian/Arabic Numbers: 0.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9, which are called the ten Ideal Numbers. This is not to be confused with the ‘ideal numbers’ of Kummer or Dedekind’s ‘ideals’ in ‘Ring Theory’. I know that there will be considerable push back for using the ideal numbers since the ancient Hebrews didn’t have a symbol for zero. However, the Kabbalah was developed at a time and place where zero was very much used and its’ esoteric meaning understood by the Jews as well as the Muslims.
These particular Ten numbers were chosen because of the special attention in the Sepher Yetzirah to separate the consideration of the Ten numbers being discussed from the twenty-two Letters. In the line “ten and not nine, ten and not eleven” gives a hint as to the fact that it is not just a simple observation of the numbers on through ten, but of the Arabic/Indian Ten Ideal numbers zero through nine. For although the ten ideal numbers culminate with the number nine they are not just nine numbers since they begin with the non-quantitative number zero for a total of ten numerals; and although the number ten is a perfection of the Ten Ideals, it too is not to be included for it is the first double digit number and that would give a total of eleven numerals if included.
The emphasis on the Supreme Unity represented by the number Zero as opposed to the quantitative singularity represented by the number One, suggests to the reader that there is much more to these statements than what might be seen by the simple materialistic view, as opposed to, the spiritualistic view. They also suggest that if the reader sees what they are alluding to then they should keep it silent, for therein lies a great secret of the Supreme Spirit of Unity, which is undefinable and infinite.
Even the statement of “For the Master is singular, He has no second. And before One, what do you count?” may sound obvious to the quantitative thinker as referring to the number one, but to the qualitative thinker, one who is aware of the Ten Ideal Numbers of the Arabic/Indian system of ten numbers, would understand how the number zero is the only number that is uniquely different from all the other numbers. The notion of zero implies the notion of infinity and eternity: In essence it is the cornerstone of the notion of an infinite number. Zero is the point from which all measurement is dependent upon in order to establish distance or value: It is the most relevant point of reference in time and space.
The mastery of the Indian/Arabic system of numbers was well known among the Jews long before the appearance of any Kabbalistic writings. The preponderance of many western researchers on insisting that a number system without zero was being discussed in this veiled book of creation called the Sepher Yetzirah is presumptuous and completely ignores the fact that the Hebrew Kabbalah was conceived in a predominantly Islamic society, within which the Jews of the time studied, worked ,and lived with the Indian/Arabic number system which called zero a sifr (cipher). It also completely ignores an extensive history of the Jews as traders, not only within the near east, but as far east as India.
Zero is the pause or space which establishes a group of letters as a word in writing; it is the silence which defines the sound; it is the source of light out of darkness; it is your birthday. Zero doesn’t change the nature of any number that it is added to or subtracted from, and it eliminates all quantitative value when it is multiplied or divided by. Yet it is the only qualifying source of the determinate value of all other numbers. In a since Zero defines all values by the common contrast of its’ relative placement as the origin point. There would be no calculus, or even any modern physics without its’ inclusion and consideration in mathematics. Zero is the ultimate Unifying Point, the neutral point between positive and negative, without which we would not be able to fully consider the notions of Time, Space & Energy. Everything has to start at some point in time and space. That time and place of beginning is the notion of a Zero point, and the inverse of the zero point is the never-ending notion of infinity.
The Key number used within this lineup of the numbers 0-21 is 6, which is considered the first perfect number. Six is the common denominator of all the numbers being used in the Tree of Life when reduced; that is when all the digit numbers of the paths and spheres are added together and then reduced down to a single digit. No other Ideal number will obtain this result with all the ten accumulation points (Sephiroth) equaling the same number. This is a result that can’t be achieved without the inclusion of a zero point. The numbers of the paths of this Tree of Life system are derived from the 22 numbers of the Tarot, 0 through 21, and the 10 Planets and 12 Signs of the Zodiac (10+12=22). Each number with two characters (10, 11, 12, etc…) is split between the two ends of the path so that there is only one digit per path added to the number of each Sephora the path connects to.