137. The Endless Light has no mark on it to grasp; it is not subject to any question or mental formulation. From within this most concealed of all concealed things, with the beginning of the descent of the Endless Light FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING SEEN, a thin, almost imperceptible light shone. It was concealed by a fragile imprint, as delicate as a needlepoint. THUS, ALTHOUGH A TINY SLIT WAS OPENED, IT WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE LIGHT TO BE GRASPED. This is the secret of the concealed thought. It remained unknown until an illumination extended from it to the place on which the letters were imprinted. Everything emerges from there.

138. In the beginning, THE LETTER Aleph, which is the beginning and end of all the grades, WAS INSCRIBED. Although it is the imprint on which the upper and lower grades were imprinted, it is still referred to in the singular as Echad (one), WHICH MEANS THAT THE ALEPH IS ONE IN NUMERICAL VALUE. IT TEACHES US that, although it contains many forms AND INCLUDES ALL THE GRADES, it remains only one. THUS, ALL THE GRADES ARE AS ONE IN IT. Assuredly, THE LETTER Aleph is the letter upon which the upper and the lower beings depend.

139. The upper tip (head) of the letter Aleph, REFERRING TO THE SHAPE OF THE UPPER YUD, represents the secret of the supernal thought. The expansion of the upper firmament IS STILL entirely concealed within the upper tip OF THE LETTER ALEPH IN ITS UPPER YUD. So when the SHAPE OF THE LETTER Aleph emerges from that firmament, it will be in the image of the secret of the beginning (head) of Thought. Within that Central COLUMN of THE LETTER Aleph, there are six grades - NAMELY, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. These contain the secret of all the supernal and concealed living creatures that are connected to the inside of Thought, WHICH IS BINAH.

140. One light that shone and was concealed is the light of the letter Bet of Beresheet. THIS IS HINTED AT IN THE VERSE: "The heat of the day" (Beresheet 18:1), as Abraham was sitting "in the tent door IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY." This door leads from below upward AND THOSE DOWN BELOW ASCEND THROUGH IT. "The heat of the day" shines through that door FROM BELOW UPWARD. From there, it also shines DOWNWARD.

141. The second LIGHT is the light that gradually fades away before nightfall. THIS IS the secret of the prayer of Isaac, to properly amend and establish this grade, as it is written: "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide" (Beresheet 24:63). The vision at "eventide" and all sorts of darkness are related to him, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF MINCHAH (THE AFTERNOON PRAYER). At this eventide, Jacob looked at the minister of Esau, ABOUT WHOM IT IS WRITTEN: "AND THERE WRESTLED A MAN WITH HIM" (BERESHEET 32:25).

142. The third LIGHT is the light that combines these two lights, WHICH REPRESENT THE RIGHT AND LEFT COLUMNS. IT IS THE LIGHT that shines for healing. The secret of that which is written about Jacob: "And the sun rose upon him" (Ibid. 32) IS RELATED TO THIS THIRD LIGHT. AND THE VERSE IS REFERRING assuredly to the time after JACOB became included within that eventide, NAMELY THE DARKNESS OF THE LEFT COLUMN, AND WAS IN NEED OF HEALING. THEREFORE, IT IS WRITTEN: "AND THE SUN ROSE UPON HIM" TO HEAL HIM FROM THE DARKNESS OF THE LEFT. From here onward - THAT IS, AFTER JACOB DREW DOWN THE LIGHT OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN - THE VERSE CONTINUES, "And he limped upon his thigh." "HIS THIGH" IS AN ALLUSION TO THE SFIRAH OF Netzach OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED Yisrael, BECAUSE THE TWO SFIROT - NETZACH AND HOD - ARE CALLED THE TWO THIGHS.

143. Note that it is written "upon his thigh" and not 'upon his thighs'. THIS MEANS THAT this is the fourth grade, NAMELY NETZACH, from where no prophecies were issued until Samuel arrived. About it, it is written: "And also the Eternal One (Heb. Netzach) of Yisrael" (I Shmuel 15:29). NETZACH, which had been weak ever since Jacob the patriarch was endangered by the minister of Esau, was thus firmly reestablished.

144. HE EXPLAINED MORE FULLY THE VERSE: "He touched the hollow of his thigh" (Beresheet 32:26). When the minister of Esau came upon Jacob, JACOB derived strength from that eventide by the power of Judgment. Thus, Jacob became included within it - THAT IS, THE LEFT COLUMN - AND he was not able to overcome him. "And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh": hence, JACOB attained strength from there. HE EXPLAINS THE REASON FOR THIS. Because the thigh is located outside the torso and because Jacob IS THE SFIRAH OF TIFERET THAT IS CALLED the torso, his body comprises the secret of two grades, MALE AND FEMALE, according to the secret that is called man. As soon as JACOB derived power, WHICH IS LOCATED outside of his body, the Esau's ministering angel ? struck "and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint" (Ibid.).

145. No man prophesied from there until Samuel, WHO FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THE SFIRAH OF NETZACH. Therefore, it is written: "And also the Eternal One of Yisrael...for He is not a man." Joshua received his prophecy from THE SFIRAH OF Hod of Moses, as it is written: "And you shall put some of your honor (Heb. Hod) upon him" (Bemidbar 27:20). AS JOSHUA PRECEDED SAMUEL THE PROPHET, HE COULD NOT RECEIVE HIS PROPHECY FROM NETZACH BECAUSE OF THE WEAKNESS CAUSED BY THE TOUCH OF ESAU'S MINISTER. THIS IS THE REASON WHY HE RECEIVED HIS PROPHECY FROM HOD, which is the fifth grade. Netzach is the left thigh of Jacob. David came forth and combined it with the right, as it is written: "At Your right hand are pleasures for evermore (Heb. Netzach)" (Tehilim 16:11). It is not written: 'Your right,' but rather "at Your right," WHICH MEANS THAT BEFORE THE TIME OF DAVID, NETZACH WAS NOT "AT THE RIGHT." DAVID BROUGHT NETZACH BACK TO THE ASPECT OF THE RIGHT, FOR FROM THE TIME OF JACOB UNTIL SAMUEL AND DAVID, NETZACH WAS CONSIDERED THE ASPECT OF THE LEFT.

146. HE ASKS: What weakened Jacob's thigh? HE REPLIED: The side of impurity approached him and derived strength from him. THUS, THE OTHER SIDE CLINGS TO EVERY PLACE WHERE A LACK APPEARS IN HOLINESS. So THE FIXING OF IT was delayed until Samuel appeared. That is why SAMUEL came, to remind us that this is the thigh of Yisrael, as it is written: "And also the Eternal One (Heb. Netzach) of Yisrael" (I Shmuel 15:29). This is also the reason why all SAMUEL'S words were based on Judgment, both in the beginning and in the end.