Meaning of the Four Cardinal Directions?

[Elihoenai]

Genesis 12:7-8 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

7 And Jehovah appeareth unto Abram, and saith, `To thy seed I give this land;' and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, who hath appeared unto him.

8 And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah.






Deuteronomy 4:46-47 King James Version (KJV)

46 On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:

47 And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

 

[Hoshiyya]

The many symbolical correlations of the four cardinal directions can be found in texts like the Chronicle of Jerahmeel.

Each cardinal direction is correlated to:

- one of the four faces of the Chayyot (f.ex Lion = east),
- one of the 4 traditional elements (f.ex earth = south),
- three of the tribes (f.ex Ephraim, Manasseh & Benjamin = west),
- three stones from the hoshen (one for each tribe),
- three of the 12 traditional constellations

Since each cardinal direction is associated with a group of 3 tribes, and since each group of 3 has one chief tribe (f.ex we have Reuben, Simeon and Gad in the south, Reuben being the leader thereof) and since each leader-tribe has a special standard, therefore each cardinal direction is also associated with the standard of that particular tribe. So the south would be associated with Reuben's standard, described in Jerahmeel as either a man or a mandrake shaped like a man.

The four Chayyot surround the Throne of Hashem in the highest spiritual world, called Aravot, and symbolically look to the four directions with each of their four heads, never turning sideways. Each Chayah has four faces or heads, and the lion-head always looks east, the bull-head always looks west, etc.

In Kabbala they are correlated with the four dimensions/modes of reality, often (misleadingly) called the four worlds: Atzilut, Briah, Yetzirah & Asiah. They are probably correlated to the different levels of the soul as well.

Each of the four directions, with their tribes, is associated with one of the four letters from respectively Abram, Yitzchaq and Yaacov, each of which is spelled with 4 letters in Hebrew, so the east is associated with the first letter of each name, namely Alef, Yod and Yod.

Obviously one can correlate any group of four with any other group of four, so you can correlate each of the cardinal directions with each of the "four seasons" if you want.
Note that the idea of four seasons is not present all over the world. In the middle-east, in Africa, in Australia, in the polar regions and elsewhere we find they often divide the year into either more or less than four seasons.

 

[Hoshiyya]

To clarify my understanding of the teaching of the 4 dimensions:

Why do I say it is misleading to call them, in English, "worlds" ?

The reason it is misleading is because we already have the physical world and the spiritual worlds/"heavens", and the physical world (and possibly also the heavens) exists in four forms simultaneously, so the physical world will have four dimensions or "sides" to it. The four dimensions are just 4 aspects of the world, 4 ways of looking at the same object, whereas the spiritual heavens are actually distinct from the physical world and do not directly overlap with it, whereas the four dimensions are all found in the same place, directly overlapping each other.

The idea of 4 dimensions or "worlds" was never meant to challenge or upset the well-established concept of 2 worlds, being the physical world and the spiritual heavens. The 4 worlds are a way of subdividing the existing concept, rather than being a new concept that comes along to trump it.

Note that I am simplifying it a bit, because actually 2 of the 7 heavens are really a part of the physical world to begin with, the heaven of clouds and the heaven of stars, and hence there are really only 5 spiritual worlds. One can therefore correlate each of the 4 Chayyot to each of the first 4 spiritual worlds, in addition to each of the 4 dimensions, and the 5th spiritual world (inhabited by all 4 Chayyot) wouldn't be correlated to any of them in particular since it is inhabited by all four of the Chayyot.

 

[Elihoenai]

Possibly cardinal directions. North, South etc.
In Acts it is mentioned a Sabbaths day Journey.?

Matthew 23:12 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.

 

[pinacled]

To clarify my understanding of the teaching of the 4 dimensions:

Why do I say it is misleading to call them, in English, "worlds" ?

The reason it is misleading is because we already have the physical world and the spiritual worlds/"heavens", and the physical world (and possibly also the heavens) exists in four forms simultaneously, so the physical world will have four dimensions or "sides" to it. The four dimensions are just 4 aspects of the world, 4 ways of looking at the same object, whereas the spiritual heavens are actually distinct from the physical world and do not directly overlap with it, whereas the four dimensions are all found in the same place, directly overlapping each other.

The idea of 4 dimensions or "worlds" was never meant to challenge or upset the well-established concept of 2 worlds, being the physical world and the spiritual heavens. The 4 worlds are a way of subdividing the existing concept, rather than being a new concept that comes along to trump it.

Note that I am simplifying it a bit, because actually 2 of the 7 heavens are really a part of the physical world to begin with, the heaven of clouds and the heaven of stars, and hence there are really only 5 spiritual worlds. One can therefore correlate each of the 4 Chayyot to each of the first 4 spiritual worlds, in addition to each of the 4 dimensions, and the 5th spiritual world (inhabited by all 4 Chayyot) wouldn't be correlated to any of them in particular since it is inhabited by all four of the Chayyot.

They way I was taught was 3 sets of 4.
Never heard of 7 heavens though.

 

[Open Heart]

I have to say, I totally don't understand this thread. The four direction are literally the four directions. Why wouldn't they be?

 

[Hoshiyya]

I have to say, I totally don't understand this thread. The four direction are literally the four directions. Why wouldn't they be?

Yes. And bread is just bread, wine is just wine. But they have symbolical associations.

 

[Hoshiyya]

They way I was taught was 3 sets of 4.
Never heard of 7 heavens though.

Heres what I've heard: the four "worlds", as they are called, are four.
These four are Atzilut, Briah, Yetzirah & Asiah, however you choose to spell it.

As for 7 heavens, that is a very rudimentary and basic idea. Not exactly esoteric or hidden. I am saying this not to imply you are uneducated, but to clarify that this is probably the least esoteric or interesting thing I said.

 

[Dave-W]

Why are we taking directions from catholic cardinals?

[/sarcasm]

 

[Erik Nelson]

https://weekly.israelbiblecenter.com/biblical-hebrew-compass/

 

[visionary]

I have to say, I totally don't understand this thread. The four direction are literally the four directions. Why wouldn't they be?

I believe there is more directions too....