348. "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light;' and there was light" (Beresheet 1:3). This is the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created at first, and this is the light of the eye (lit. 'sight'). This is the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam, and through it Adam saw from one end of the world to the other. And this is the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed David, who said in praise, "Oh how great is your goodness, which you laid up for those who fear you..." (Tehilim 31:20). This is the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, used to show Moses, who saw in it THE ENTIRE LAND OF YISRAEL, from Gilad to Dan.
349. When the Holy One, blessed be He, had foreseen three sinful generations - namely, the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Tower of Babylon - he hid THIS LIGHT to prevent them from using it. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to Moses, who used it during the three months left to complete his period of pregnancy, AS HE WAS BORN AFTER SIX MONTHS AND ONE DAY. This is why it is written: "She hid him three months" (Shemot 2:2).
350. After three months, AFTER THE PREGNANCY WITH MOSES WAS OVER, he entered before Pharaoh. IN OTHER WORDS, THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH FOUND HIM AT THE RIVERBANK OF THE NILE AND BROUGHT HIM TO PHARAOH. The Holy One, blessed be He, took THIS LIGHT away from him until Moses stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. Then he gave this light back to him and Moses used this LIGHT all his life. And the children of Yisrael were not able to approach him until he put a veil over his face, as it is written: "And they were afraid to come near him" (Shemot 34:30). He covered Himself WITH THIS LIGHT like a Talit, as it is written: "Who covers himself with light as with a garment..." (Tehilim 104:2).
351. "'Let there be light;' and there was light." Everything that begins with "let there be" (Heb. vayehi) applies to this world and the World to Come, WHICH ARE MALCHUT AND BINAH. Rabbi Yitzchak said, The light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created during the Creation shone from one end of the world to the other. Then, it was hidden.
352. HE ASKS: What is the reason for hiding it? HE REPLIES: So that the sinful people of the world may have no pleasure in it. Thus, the worlds have no pleasure IN THIS LIGHT, BECAUSE OF THE WICKED. It is hidden for the righteous and only for the righteous, as it is written: "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart" (Tehilim 97:11). Then the worlds shall find pleasure IN THE REVEALING OF THIS LIGHT, and they shall all be as one. Until that day WHEN BINAH, WHICH IS the World to Come, WILL BE REVEALED, ITS LIGHT will remain hidden and treasured.
353. This light THAT COMES FORTH FROM THE WORLD TO COME emerges from the darkness that is engraved on the most concealed engravings of all, UPON THE ENGRAVINGS OF BINAH, THE SECRET OF THE WORLD TO COME. IT REMAINS THERE until a hidden path is hewn FROM THAT HIDDEN LIGHT to the darkness below. Then the light resides and rests in it, MEANING THAT IT IS REVEALED THROUGHOUT THE WORLDS. What is this darkness below? This is THE DARKNESS that is called night, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written: "And the darkness He called night."
354. Therefore, we have learned about the verse: "He uncovers deep things out of darkness" (Iyov 12:22). Rabbi Yosi said, You may say ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE VERSE that out of the concealed darkness, OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF BINAH, deep things are revealed, yet all of the supernal crowns OF BINAH are hidden. Therefore, they are called "deep things" IN THE SCRIPTURAL VERSE. What is MEANT BY THE VERSE: "He uncovers DEEP THINGS," SINCE THEY ARE NOT REVEALED AT ALL? RABBI YOSI REPLIED: All these supernal deep things are only revealed from within that darkness, which is the secret of the night, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Come and behold: All these hidden deep things that emerge from Thought - BINAH - which the voice - ZEIR ANPIN - takes up, are not exposed until the word manifests them. HE ASKS: What is the word? HE REPLIES: It is speech, NAMELY MALCHUT, BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN WITH THE MOCHIN OF GREATNESS IS CALLED 'THE VOICE' AND MALCHUT IS THEN CALLED 'THE SPEECH.'
355. This speech, OR RATHER THE COMBINATION OF THOUGHT, VOICE AND SPEECH, is called Shabbat. SHABBAT, CONSISTS OF THE SHIN AND BAT (DAUGHTER). SHIN ALLUDES TO THE UPPER THREE SFIROT AND DAUGHTER ALLUDES TO THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Because Shabbat is called speech, worldly speech is forbidden on Shabbat, BECAUSE IT DISRUPTS THE GREAT UNION OF THE VOICE AND SPEECH. And this speech OF SHABBAT should prevail IN THE WORLD, and not another speech OF WEEKDAYS. This speech, which comes from the aspect of darkness, reveals 'deep things' from within it. The meaning of the phrase: 'out of darkness' is that which emerges from the aspect of darkness. It is precisely written: 'out of'.
356. Rabbi Yitzchak said: If THE DARKNESS IS SO GREAT IN VALUE, why is it written, "And Elohim divided the light from the darkness," WHICH MEANS HE DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF THE LIGHT AND THE LESSER VALUE OF DARKNESS? He replied: AT FIRST, the light produced THE QUALITY OF day and darkness produced THE QUALITY OF night. THEN IT IS WRITTEN: "AND ELOHIM DIVIDED," MEANING THAT HE SEPARATED THE GREATER VALUE OF THE DAY FROM THE LESSER VALUE OF THE NIGHT. Later, he united day and night, REFERRING TO MALE AND FEMALE. And they became one, as it is written: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Beresheet 1:5), because night and day were called one. AT THIS STAGE, IT IS WRITTEN: "HE UNCOVERS DEEP THINGS OUT OF DARKNESS," AS THE VALUE OF DARKNESS INCREASED GREATLY. The verse: "And Elohim divided the light from the darkness" refers to the duration of the exile when they were separated FROM EACH OTHER.
357. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Until this point, UP TO THE STAGE OF UNION, the male was the light and the female darkness. Afterward, THE MALE AND FEMALE are united as one, to be one. SO HE ASKS: Why are they divided THAT THE VERSE SAYS OF THEM, "AND ELOHIM DIVIDED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS?" HE REPLIES: To distinguish the light from the darkness, the grades are FIRST separated FROM EACH OTHER. THEN THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE LIGHT ON ITS OWN AND THE DARKNESS ON ITS OWN BECOME EVIDENT. THEN THEY MATE AND become one AND THEY NEED EACH OTHER, because light requires darkness. THE LIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN IS NOT COMPLETE BY THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH UNLESS IT IS COMBINED WITH THE DARKNESS OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. And darkness requires light, BECAUSE THE DARKNESS OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL IT IS UNITED WITH THE LIGHT. Even though they are different in their aspects, they have become one, as it is written: "one day."