Making an engraving upon the supernal light
The Zohar discusses the primordial phase that ignited the process of creation. This phase produced a vacated space, a void into which our physical universe would eventually be born. By this act of creation, the infinite gave birth to the finite. Just as a seed contains all the stages that will produce a full grown tree, including the final fruit, the seed of our cosmos contains all the souls of mankind, including our complete and final fulfillment. Recognizing this motivates us to complete our own spiritual work. It accelerates our spiritual transformation by revealing our connection with the seed, which is the cause of all causes.
1. With the beginning of the manifestation of the King's will, THAT IS, WHEN THE KING DESIRED TO EMANATE AND CREATE THE WORLD, a hard spark made an engraving upon the supernal light. IT emanated from the most concealed of all concealed things - from the secret of the Endlessness Light - took a shapeless form. THE SPARK was then inserted into THE CENTER OF a circle that was neither white nor black nor red nor green, nor any color at all. When it began its measurements, it created colors that shone into THE EMPTY SPACE AND THE ENGRAVING. From within the HARD spark a fountain spouted, from which the shades down below received their colors.
1. בְּרֵישׁ הוּרְמְנוּתָא דְמַלְכָּא, גָּלִיף גְּלוּפֵי בִּטְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה בּוּצִינָא דְּקַרְדִינוּתָא, וְנָפֵיק גּוֹ סְתִים דִּסְתִימוּ מֵרָזָ"א דְּאֵי"ן סוֹ"ף, קוּטְרָא בְּגוּלְמָא נָעִיץ בְּעִזְקָא לָא חִוָּור וְלָא אוּכָם וְלָא סוּמָק וְלָא יָרוֹק, וְלָא גֹּוָון כְּלָל. כַּד מָדֵיד מְשִׁיחָא, עָבֵיד גֹּוָונִין לְאַנְהָרָא לְגוֹ. בְּגוֹ בּוֹצִינָא, נָפֵיק חַד נְבִיעוּ, דְּמִנֵּיהּ אִצְטַבְּעוּ גֹּוָונִין לְתַתָּא.
2. From the most concealed of all concealed things, from the secret of the Endlessness Light, EMANATED TWO FACES: ONE cleaved and THE OTHER did not cleave. Its atmosphere was unknown until forceful blows split ATIK, and a concealed supernal point shone. Beyond this point, nothing is knowable and, because of this, it is called by the name Beginning, WHICH MEANS the first of the sayings.
2. סְתִים גּוֹ סְתִימִין מֵרָזָא דְּאֵי"ן סוֹ"ף, בָּקַע וְלָא בָּקַע, אֲוִירָא דִּילֵיהּ לָא אִתְיְידַע כְּלָל. עַד דְּמִגּוֹ דְּחִיקוּ דִּבְקִיעוּתֵיהּ, נָהֵיר נְקוּדָה חָדָא סְתִימָא עִלָּאָה, בָּתַר הַהִיא נְקוּדָה לָא אִתְיְידַע כְּלָל, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי רֵאשִׁית, מַאֲמַר קַדְמָאָה דְּכֹלָּא.