Rosa Mundi
The opening chapter of the Sefer Zohar (the Jewish mystical commentary on the Torah) speaks about the Mystical Rose (Rosa Mystica) of the Song of Songs 2:2 which is encompassed by five leaves. The five leaves or gates of 'Salvations' (yeshuot) are also linked to the five books of Torah which parallel the five wounds of the Messiah Yeshua. This is linked to the lifting of the"Cup of Salvations" in Psalm 116:13 and the mystery of the Divine Name Y-H-V-Hי־ה־ו־ה which has the missing letter 'shin'ש in which yod י hay ה is united by shinש with vav ו hay הY-h-Sh-V-Hי-ה-ש-ו-ה (see Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10 and Romans 14:11). This alludes to the Lord as the God of salvation and mercy. This mysterious shin ש as the hidden 3rd or 5th letter of the Divine Name is alluded to in the shin ש on the head Tefillin and on the Mezuzah. This also alludes to the "Cup of Blessing" as the Eucharistic Cup that is connected to the Jewish concepts of the 3rd and 5th cups of the traditional Jewish Passover Seder.
Bereshit (Genesis) is to be identified with the gate of the Messiah's crucified right hand of Mercy, Shemot (Exodus) with his crucified left hand of power (Gevurah), Vayyikkra (Leviticus) with his pierced and beautiful Heart of compassion, BeMidbar (Numbers) with his crucified right foot of Endurance and Victory and Devarim (Deuteronomy) with his left foot of hidden Majesty and Splendour. The Divine Man is the Living Torah. By his crucifixion the closed gates of Salvation were opened and salvation gushed forth as Divine Love and Mercy which is his precious Blood. Jewish mysticism refers to this as the left red hand or arm of God and the white right hand or arm of God and in the Catholic Divine Mercy devotion as the white and red rays flowing from the Divine Heart.
The Sefer Zohar refers to the two ends of Heaven in regard to the two Cherubim on the ends of the Ark of the Covenant. The two cherubim are discussed in Exodus 25:17-22. The two ends (of ‘mi’ (who) and ‘mah’ (what)) are the two cherubim. “And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end” (Exodus 25:19). The divine Presence speaks above the Mercy Seat (covering) between the two cherubim. We can say "Who is she?" (mi zot מי זאת or mi hiמי היא) alluding to the Mystical Female in Song of Songs 6:10 and "What is he?" (mah hu מה הוא or man hu מן־הוא) of the Manna of Exodus that alludes to the Eucharistic Bread and Lord. Jewish tradition teaches that these two cherubs are male and female (see Rashi) and are referred to as Metatron and Matronita.
Rabbi Abraham Abulafia in his work “Chay Olam Haba” (Life of the Future World) says that “the two cherubs allude to the Divine Presence (Ha Shekinah = 390).” He then associates the Shekinah with the male and female cherubim as zachar u-nukevah (male and female in Hebrew) also add up to 390 in gematria. 390 is also the gematria of Heaven (Shamayim). He also states that “the primeval substance is on the ark cover like the form of the Rainbow”. Each of the three parts of this phrase are 805 in gematria. ‘Chamar rishon’ (primeval substance) = 805, ‘al haKaporet’ (on the Ark Cover) = 805 and ‘ha keshet’ (the Rainbow) = 805 in gematria. “They were forged as a single body with two forms” writes Abulafia in regards to the two golden cherubim on the Ark. This is a veiled understanding of how Yeshua and Miriam are both of the flesh of Miriam ha Kedosha (in unique way) but they are in two forms of the male and the female – as a new Adam and a new Eve.
Mystery of the Triple Rainbow at Dover in Tasmania
Unveiling of the Mashiach
“They (the cherubim) look at each other and the Name was between them” states Rabbi Abulafia. He then writes that “all this was like a Tree on the Ark cover, and because of the Rainbow it had to be forged”. Thus we see that the Tree represents the male Divinity (see Song of Songs) and the Rainbow represents the female. Their hearts are forged so that they beat as one in the Divine Will. The Name is the 42 mentioned in the Zohar. Rabbi Abulafia associates this Name with the phrase ‘Be- yad Y-H-V-H’ (in or with the hand of Y-H-V-H) which adds up to the number 42 and is found in 2 Samuel 24:14. The hand with its five fingers can also be seen as a rose with its leaves. The clenched fist is the rosebud and the unclenched hand is the blossoming or unfolding of the Rose. Rabbi Abulafia explains further the mystery of this number 42.
“Their mystery is :
God eloh אלוה (alef lamed vav hay) =42
My only One Yakhidiיחידי(yod chet yod dalet yod) =42
In Them bemבם (beit mem) =42
My Heart lebi לבי(lamed beit yod) =42
Will be worthy yezokahיזכה(yod zayinkaf hay) =42
And this mystery is
Enough! Enough! Enough! dai dai daiדי די די(dalet yod) =42”
That Rabbi Abulafia associated the mystical path with the Rose is demonstrated in that one of his works on the mystical encounter with the Divine man or Form was called ‘Shoshan Sodot’ (Rose of Mysteries). This concept of the Mystical Rose which is the Rose of the World or Universe (Rosa Mundi that is both red and white) is known as the Raza de Razin (Mystery of Mysteries) in Jewish mystical thought. Each dai is 14 (the number of David) and three times dai is 42 alluding to the Mystery of the Dayenu of the Passover Seder as alluding to Yeshua (the Rainbow), Miriam (the mirror of the Rainbow) and Yosef (the hidden Rainbow) the three perfect or holy ones of the Davidic House which are enough (dai). Each believer is called to become a miniature or very little Mystical Rose that brings God's salvation and mercy to the souls of others. Each time we pray the Rosary we become more perfected or sanctified when we unite it in Divine Will with the offering of the Queen of the Rosary who is the Lady of the Roses for the glory of Hashem (The Name/ Adonai).
