The primary work titled Shorshei HaShemot (Roots of the Names) is an encyclopedic lexicon of holy names, angelic entities, and magical formulas compiled by the 17th-century Italian Rabbi and Kabbalist Moses Zacuto ResearchGate Academic Articles and Resources
Composed by the 16th-century Safed kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Zacuto (known as the Ramaz ), Shorshei HaShemot (שורשי השמות)—meaning "The Roots of the Names"—is a dense lexicon of divine nomenclature. Unlike a standard dictionary, it doesn't define words; it deconstructs the very letters of God's names and the angels. It maps the permutations of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH), Elohim, Adonai, and others, explaining how each specific combination of letters channels a unique divine energy or Sephirah .
The Shorshei Hashemot PDF explores several key concepts, including:
Be wary of generic document-sharing sites (Scribd, Academia.edu, random blogs). Many "Shorshei HaShemot PDF" files on these sites are actually:
At its core, (often spelled Shorshei Ha-Shemot or Roots of the Names ) is an exhaustive alphabetical compilation of divine names, angelic entities, and mystical letter combinations. Rabbi Moshe Zacuto meticulously collected and explained every holy name, tracing its origins to verses in the Torah and Nach (Prophets and Writings).
The book is organized alphabetically like a dictionary. Under each Hebrew letter, Rabbi Moshe Zacuto lists different holy names of God and angels. He explains:
Mispronouncing a Name or harboring improper intentions is believed to bring severe spiritual backlash, mental instability, or physical illness upon the practitioner.
Quickly locate specific names or formulas alphabetically.
In Kabbalistic thought, the Hebrew alphabet is not merely a human invention for communication. Instead, the letters are the structural blueprints of creation. Shorshei HaShemot operates on the premise that combining these letters in specific, divinely revealed sequences grants access to the underlying software of the universe. 2. Angelology and Demonology