摘要：This paper traces the historical, mystical, and Cabalistic background of the inspiration for my
choral composition, HaShem, which is an approach to an interpretation/transcription of a
Cabalistic exercise proposed by the Sephardi mystic Abraham Abulafia in the thirteenth century.
The basis of Abulafia!ˉs exercis is the recitation of all the possible vowel combinations in the
Tetragrammaton, or secret name of God, which is traditionally written as only four consonants.
The purpose of the exercise is to exhaust all possible consonant-vowel combinations and thus
!°hit the nail on the head!± by uttering, among the ny combinations, the true and original form
of the Lost Name of God, which in Cabalistic mysticism is the key to Creation and
enlightenment. As a composer, I have interpreted Abulafia!ˉs textual insructions as sound, and
have transcribed my interpretation of his exercise into musical notation. This paper comments on
the background and rationale of such interpretation/transcription.
