THE SEPHER YETSIRAH
The Book of Formation
CHAPTER 3
3-1 There are Three Mothers: Aleph, Mem, Shin stand on the tray of Merit en on the tray of responsibility on the scale, and Air is like the Tongue of a Balance keeping them in equilibrium.
3-2 The Three Mothers: Aleph, Mem, Shin, are a great Mystery, very admirable and sealed as with six rings; and from them proceed Air, Fire, and Water. From them are the Fathers born, and also those born from the Fathers.
3-3 There are Three Mothers: Aleph, Mem, Shin, which He engraved, cut, permuted, transformed. By these He shaped the three Mothers Aleph, Mem, Shin, in the Universe; the three Mothers Aleph, Mem, Shin, in the year; and the three Mothers Aleph, Mem, Shin in the masculine and feminine body.
3-4 The three Mothers in the universe are Aleph, Mem, and Shin. In the universe, they are Air, Fire, and Water. The heavens were produced from Fire; the earth from the Water; and the Air flows between the two.
3-5 There are Three Mothers: Aleph, Mem, and Shin. They are Fire, Water, and Air in the Year. Heat was made from Fire, Cold from Water, and the Temperate from the Air which flows between the two.
3-6 The Three Mothers are Aleph, Mem, and Shin. In the human body they are the Head, the Belly, and the Chest. The Head was created from Fire; the Belly, from Water; and the Chest, from Air which flows between the two.
3-7 He created the letter Aleph to reign in Air and crowned it. He combined it with the other letters. He sealed it as Air in the Universe, as the Temperate in the Year, and as the Chest the human body: in the male body with Aleph, Mem, Shin; in the female body with Shin, Mem, Aleph.
3-8 He created the letter Mem to reign in Water, and crowned it. He combined it with the other letters. He sealed it as Earth in the Universe, as cold in the Year; and as the belly in the human body; in the male body with Mem, Aleph, Shin; in the female body with Mem, Shin, Aleph.
3-9 He created the letter Shin to reign in Fire, and crowned it. He combined it with the other letters, He sealed it as the Heavens in the Universe, as heat in the Year, and as the head in the human body; in the male body with Shin, Aleph, Mem; in the female body with Shin, Mem, Aleph.