Bereshit A: Chapter 2

"The brightness of the firmament"

Synopsis

When God created the world, He knew that we, the vessels, could not receive His awesome, blazing Light in Its totality. This Kabbalistic notion can be likened to a tripped circuit breaker caused by an overload of electric current. It can also be compared to the light of the sun, which would incinerate the entire earth if it were to ever approach too close. The Creator, in His infinite wisdom, therefore concealed the greater portion of His Light so as not to overwhelm that which He created. The Zohar recounts the process of how this hidden Light began to be revealed.

As we correct and transform our crude, immoral nature, we reveal a measure of hidden Light in direct proportion to the degree of inner change we've undergone. It is this spiritual change that expands our internal vessel, allowing us to receive a greater portion of hidden Light. The Hebrew letters radiate this hidden Light into our day-to-day existence.

Astrology Body Daniel Firmaments Head Mercy Point Righteous Soul, The Stars Temple, The

3. "And they who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and they who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). "And they who are wise" ALLUDES TO THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS, "the brightness of the firmament" TO THE ILLUMINATION OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT, WHICH ARE REVEALED WHEN COMBINED WITH THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY. The atmosphere of the brightness that is most concealed of all concealed things merged with this point and shone into it. Then this Beginning - WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN - expanded INTO A HEAD AND BODY, and made a chamber for its honor and glory. There, INSIDE THE CHAMBER, ARICH ANPIN planted a holy seed to bring forth SOULS for the benefit of the world. This is the secret of, "So the holy seed is its immovable stump" (Yeshayah 6:13).

3. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. זֹהַר סְתִימָא דִסְתִימִין, בָּטַשׁ אֲוִירָא דִילֵיהּ וְאַנְהִיר בְּהַאי נְקוּדָה, וּכְדֵין אִתְפַּשַׁט הַאי רֵאשִׁית, וְעָבֵיד לֵיהּ הֵיכָלָא לִיקָרֵיהּ, וּלְתוּשְׁבַּחְתֵּיהּ. תַּמָּן, זֶרַע זַרְעָא דְקוּדְשָׁא לְאוֹלָדָא, לְתוֹעַלְתָּא דְעָלְמָא, וְרָזָא דָא, זֶרַע קֹדֶשׁ מַצַּבְתָּהּ.

Beginning Creation Purple Silkworm Temple, The Worm

4. The brightness that it sowed for its honor is similar to the purple seed of the silkworm, for the worm encases itself within ITS OWN SILK. AND FROM THAT SEED, is prepares for itself a chamber for its own glory and for the benefit of all. With this Beginning, the concealed unknown One created the chamber, and this chamber is called BY THE NAME 'Elohim.'

4. זֹהַר, דְּזָרַע זַרְעָא לִיקָרֵיהּ, כְּהַאי זַרְעָא דְמֶשִׁי דְאַרְגְּוָון טָב, דְּאִתְחֲפֵי לְגוֹ, וְעָבֵיד לֵיהּ הֵיכָלָא דְאִיהוּ תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דִילֵיהּ וְתוֹעַלְתָּא דְּכֹלָּא. בְּהַאי רֵאשִׁית, בְּרָא הַהוּא סְתִימָא דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע לְהֵיכָלָא דָא. הֵיכָלָא דָא אִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים.

Creation Point Temple, The Ten

5. This is the secret of the words: "In the beginning Elohim created" (Beresheet 1:1). THIS CHAMBER IS the brightness from which all TEN sayings were created, according to the secret meaning of the expansion of the point from that hidden brightness. Thus, if the word "created" applies to it, no wonder it is written, "And Elohim created man in his own image" (Beresheet 1:27).

5. וְרָזָא דָא, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים. זֹהַר, דְּמִנֵּיהּ כָּלְהוֹ מַאֲמָרוֹת אִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּרָזָא דְאִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא דִנְקוּדָה דְּזֹהַר סְתִים דָּא. אִי בְּהַאי כְּתִיב בָּרָא, לֵית תְּוָוהָא, דִּכְתִיב וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ.

Asher Beginning Body Crowns Eheyeh Head Hebrew Letters Holy Name Temple, The

6. The brightness, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, is the secret of the Beginning, BECAUSE its name is the first of all. The Holy Name Eheyeh is engraved upon the sides OF ARICH ANPIN. The name Elohim is engraved on the crown. AND THIS IS THE SECRET OF Asher, WHICH IS a concealed chamber, and is the beginning of the revelation of the secret of the Beginning. The word Asher CONSISTS OF THE SAME LETTERS AS Rosh (Eng. 'head') BUT IN REVERSE ORDER, AS THE LETTER RESH - WHICH IS THE FIRST LETTER IN ROSH - IS THE LAST LETTER IN ASHER. THIS SHOWS THAT IT IS THE Rosh that came out of resheet (Eng. 'beginning'), WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN. THEREFORE, IT EMERGED FROM THE ASPECT OF THE HEAD AND WAS FORMED AS A HEADLESS BODY.

6. זֹהַר, רָזָא דָא בְּרֵאשִׁית, קַדְמָאָה דְכֹלָא שְׁמֵיהּ, אֶהֱיֶה, שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא גְלִיפָא בְּסִטְרוֹי, אֱלֹהִים גְּלִיפָא בְּעִיטְרָא. אֲשֶׁ"ר, הֵיכָלָא טָמִיר וְגָנִיז, שְׁרִיאוּתָא דְרָזָא דְרֵאשִׁית, אֲשֶׁר, רֹאשׁ דְּנָפֵיק מֵרֵאשִׁית.

Beginning Chassadim Colors Head House Light Point Temple, The

7. After the point and the chamber were established as one, Beresheet - WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN - includes a lofty beginning to THE LIGHT OF Chochmah. Later, the appearance of the chamber changed and it was called a house (Heb. bayit) and the supernal point was called the head (Heb. rosh). They were included in each other through the secret of the Beginning, BECAUSE COMBINING THE WORDS BAYIT AND ROSH FORMS THE TERM BERESHEET. This was so as long as BAYIT AND ROSH were as one, as long as there was no MANNER OF habitation in the house; AS LONG AS CHOCHMAH WAS NOT CLOTHED WITH CHASSADIM, WHICH REVEALS THE FOUR COLORS OF THE HOUSE. But it was sown for the purpose of habitation and, once it was inhabited, it was called BY THE NAME 'Elohim' hidden and concealed.

7. וְכַד אִתְתַּקַּן לְבָתַר נְקוּדָה וְהֵיכָלָא כַּחֲדָא, כְּדֵין, בְּרֵאשִׁית כָּלֵיל רֵאשִׁיתָא עִלָּאָה בְּחָכְמְתָא. לְבָתַר אִתְחַלַּף גַּוָּון הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא וְאִקְרֵי בַּיִת נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה אִקְרֵי רֹא"שׁ. כָּלֵיל דָּא בְּדָא בְּרָזָא בְּרֵאשִׁית, כַּד אִיהוּ כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא בִּכְלָלָא חָדָא, עַד לָא הֲוֵי יִשּׁוּבָא בְּבֵיתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִזְדְּרַע לְתִקּוּנָא דְּיִשּׁוּבָא, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים טְמִירָא סְתִימָא.

Beginning Birth Hebrew Letters House Torah Zeir Anpin

8. The brightness was concealed and hidden until the children came inside it in order to beget and the house stood expanded to contain what was established through the holy seed. As long as it had not conceived, the expansion of the house to make it habitable had not occurred, nor was it yet called BY THE NAME 'Elohim.' Rather, they both are still part of Beresheet ("In the beginning"). THEREFORE, EVERYTHING IS CONSIDERED AS IF IT IS INCLUDED WITHIN ARICH ANPIN; THAT IS, THE BEGINNING. After it became known by the name 'Elohim,' it gave birth to the generations that came from the seed sown within it. HE ASKS, What is that seed AND REPLIES: The seed is the engraved letters, WHICH ARE the secret of the Torah, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN, which emanates from that point - WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN.

8. זֹהַר סָתִים וְגָנִיז, עַד דִּבְנִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ לְאוֹלָדָא, וּבֵיתָא קַיָּימָא בִּפְשִׁיטוּ דתִקּוּנָא דְּאִינוּן זֶרַע קֹדֶשׁ. וְעַד לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת, וְלָא אִתְפַּשַּׁט פְּשִׁיטוּ דְיִשּׁוּבָא לָא אִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא בִּכְלָלָא בְּרֵאשִׁית, לְבָתַר דְּאִתְתַּקַּן בִּשְׁמָא דֵּאלֹהִים, אַפֵּיק אִינוּן תּוֹלָדִין מֵהַהוּא זַרְעָא דְאִזְדְּרַע בֵּיהּ. מַאן הַהוּא זַרְעָא, אִינוּן אַתְוָון גְּלִיפָן, רָזָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּנָפְקוּ מֵהַהִיא נְקוּדָה.

Cholam Colors Eheyeh Female Heavens Hebrew Letters Point Voice Yisrael-Saba and Tevunah

9. That SUPERNAL point, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, sowed inside the chamber - WHICH IS YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH - the secret of the three vowels: Cholam, Shuruk and Chirik. So they are combined into one secret, a Voice that emerges from the joining OF THE THREE VOWELS. When THE VOICE came forth, its female counterpart came with it. She included all the letters as it is written: "the heaven" (Beresheet 1:1); that is, the voice and its Female principle. This voice, which is THE SECRET OF the heaven, is the last NAME OF Eheyeh, which is the brightness that contains all the letters and colors in this manner.

9. הַהִיא נְקוּדָה זָרַע בְּגוֹ הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא רָזָא דִתְלַת נְקוּדִין: חֹלָ"ם שׁוּרֻ"ק, חִירִ"ק, וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְעֲבִידוּ רָזָא חָדָא קוֹל דְּנָפֵיק בַּחַבּוּרָא חָדָא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפַק, נַפְקַת בַּת זוּגֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, דְּכָלֵיל כָּל אַתְוָון, דִּכְתִיב אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִ"ם, קוֹל וּבַת זוּגוֹ. הַאי קוֹל דְּאִיהוּ שָׁמַיִם. אִיהוּ אֶהֱיֶ"ה בַּתְרָאָה. זֹהַר דְּכָלֵיל כָּל אַתְוָון וּגְוָונִין כְּגַוְונָא דָא.

Beginning Creation Female Grades Heavens Male Point Voice

10. Until now, this is the secret of "Hashem our Elohim, Hashem" (Devarim 6:4). These three grades correspond to the supernal secret in the verse: "In the beginning Elohim created..." AND SO THE TERM "in the beginning" is an ancient secret, NAMELY CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED BEGINNING. THE TERM "created" alludes to a concealed secret, from which everything else expands. Elohim's secret meaning is sustaining everything that exists below. The term "the heaven" ALLUDES TO THE UNION OF the male and female, and it is forbidden to separate them, BUT RATHER ONE SHOULD COMBINE THEM, FOR THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE VOICE AND THE UTTERANCE - YUD HEI VAV HEI - ADONAI, WHICH ARE UNITED INTO ONE.

10. עַד הָכָא יהוה אלהינו יהוה, אִלֵּין תְּלָתָא דַרְגִין, לָקֳבֵל רָזָא דָא עִלָּאָה, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים. בְּרֵאשִׁית, רָזָא קַדְמָאָה. בָּרָ"א, רָזָא סְתִימָא לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא מִתַּמָּן כֹּלָּא. אֱלֹהִי"ם, רָזָא לְקַיָּימָא כֹּלָּא לְתַתָּא. אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם, דְּלָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כַּחֲדָא.

Adonai Alphabet Creation Heaven Heavens Hebrew Alphabet Hebrew Letters Voice Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

11. (The particle Et (the) is created by combining the letters Aleph and Tav, which are the first and last letters of the alphabet.) Thus, Et includes all the letters from beginning to end. Afterwards, the letter Hei was added to Et, so all the letters would be united with Hei. This formed the word Atah (Eng. 'you', Aleph-Tav-Hei.) Thus, the verse reads: "And you do preserve them all" (Nechemyah 9:6). Et is the secret of Adonai and is so called. Heaven is Yud Hei Vav Hei, which is superior TO THE NAME ADONAI, FOR ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED "THE HEAVENS" AND ALSO CALLED "VOICE," IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, CALLED 'ET' AND 'SPEECH,' IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME ADONAI.

11. א"ת, כַּד נָטֵיל אַתְוָן כָּלְהוֹן, כְּלָלָא דְּכָלְהוֹ אַתְוָון אִינוּן רֵישָׁא וְסֵיפָא. לְבָתַר אִתּוֹסַף הֵ"א, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא כָּלְהוֹ אַתְוָון בְּהֵ"א, וְאִתְקְרֵי אַתָּ"ה. וְעַל דָּא וְאַתָּ"ה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כֻּלָּם. אֶ"ת, רָזָא אדני, וְהָכֵי אִקְרֵי. הַשָּׁמַיִם דָּא יהו"ה, רָזָא עִלָּאָה.

Earth Female Fruit Male

12. THE WORD Ve'et (Eng. 'and the') alludes to the establishment of the Male and Female Principles. Ve'et is the secret of Vav-Yud Hei Vav Hei, and both are as one. The earth is THE NAME Elohim, equivalent to the supernal, which is fit to issue fruit and offspring. This name is included in three places and defined in many ways. Up until now, it is the secret of the most secret of mysteries, which was engraved, built, and established in a concealed manner according to the hidden meaning of one single verse.

12. וְאֶ"ת, תִּקּוּנָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. וְאֶ"ת, רָזָא והוי"ה, וְכֹלָּא חַד. הָאָרֶץ, דָּא אֱלֹהִים, כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה לְמֶעְבַּד פֵּירִין וְאִיבִּין. שְׁמָא דָא כְּלִילָא בִּתְלַת דּוּכְתֵּי, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפְּרַשׁ שְׁמָא דָא לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין. עַד הָכָא רָזָא דְּסִתְרָא דְסִתְרִין, דְּגָלֵיף וּבָנֵי, וְקַיָּים בְּאֹרַח סָתִים בְּסִתְרָא דְּחַד קְרָא.

Creation Heavens Hebrew Letters Point

13. Beresheet IS FORMED OF THE SEGMENTS BaraSheet (he created six), because from one end of the heaven to the other, there are six branches that extend from the secret of the sublime with the expansion of Bara (created). Bara expanded from within the first point, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN. And here, ON THIS FIRST POINT, the secret of the name with the 42 letters was engraved.

13. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא שִׁי"ת, מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם שִׁית סִטְרִין דְּמִתְפַּשְׁטָן מֵרָזָא עִלָאָה בְּאִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא דְּבָרָא, מִגּוֹ נְקוּדָה קַדְמָאָה בָּרָא אִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא דְּחַד נְקוּדָה דִלְעֵילָא וְהָכָא אִגְלִיף רָזָא שְׁמָא דְּאַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון.

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