Beresheet, Bara Sheet

29. Come and behold: Beresheet ("In the beginning"), Rabbi Yehuda said, there were two Temples, the first and the second. The first was supernal, CORRESPONDING TO BINAH, and the second was lower, CORRESPONDING TO MALCHUT. There are also two Hei's IN THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, a supernal HEI, RELATING TO BINAH and a lower HEI, RELATING TO MALCHUT, and all is one. THIS MEANS THAT THE FIRST AND SECOND TEMPLES ARE ONE WITH THE UPPER HEI AND LOWER HEI, WHICH ARE BINAH AND MALCHUT. The supernal Bet OF BERESHEET IS THE FIRST TEMPLE, WHICH IS BINAH. IT opens the gates to all directions, because they are truly included within one another. The word "Beginning" INDICATES THAT BINAH is the first to be counted as part of the structure, COMPOSED OF ZEIR ANPIN AND THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, THAT IS CALLED THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORLD. THIS MEANS THAT BINAH IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST TO DRAW THE MOCHIN TO ZEIR ANPIN AND THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE AND TO THE WORLDS - BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH. THIS ALLUDES TO THE WORDS "IN THE BEGINNING (BERESHEET)" OF TORAH. BET (HEB. IN) REFERS TO THE UPPER TEMPLE, BINAH. "THE BEGINNING" INDICATES THAT IT WAS FIRST TO DRAW THE MOCHIN TO THE WORLDS. Rabbi Yitzchak says THAT BINAH COMES FIRST in the counting.

30. Rabbi Elazar says THE WORD Beresheet IN TORAH is a collective word. THIS MEANS THAT MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF "THE FACE OF MAN," embraces all forms of REALITY. This is the secret of the verse, "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem" (Yechezkel 1:28). In this appearance, six other LEVELS are discernible. THUS, Beresheet is AN ABBRVIATION FOR bara sheet, BECAUSE THROUGH THE ASCENSION OF MALCHUT TO BINAH, SIX DIRECTIONS ARE FORMED IN BINAH. Come and see: When the six directions OF BINAH enter this MALCHUT, she makes herself ready to reflect them. SHE DRAWS MOCHIN (THE SPIRITUAL LIGHTS) OF CHOCHMAH FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR REVELATION. THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL LIGHTS OF CHOCHMAH, SHE ENGAGES IN ALL THE WORLDLY WORKMANSHIP. AND THIS WORKMANSHIP IS THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, FROM WHICH SPRANG THE REALITY OF THE SIX WEEKDAYS. It is because the workmanship of the world, NAMELY THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH, comes from the level OF MALCHUT, that it is written bara sheet (He created six). THIS SIGNIFIES THAT credit for the workmanship is attributed to the six ASPECTS OF BINAH, as they perform their craftsmanship in the level OF MALCHUT.

31. Rabbi Yosi quotes, "The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing bird has come and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land" (Shir Hashirim 2:12). "The flowers" allude to the six levels: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. In the phrase, they "appear on the earth," EARTH ALLUDES TO MALCHUT. The "flowers" are forms that are not revealed at any level other THAN MALCHUT. "The time of the singing bird has come" SIGNIFIES THAT WHEN THE SHECHINAH, CALLED SONG, IS INSPIRED WITH THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH, then is the time for praise and glorification, as is written: "So that he may sing your praise and not be silent" (Tehilim 30:13). MALCHUT is therefore called 'song,' as we have learned from the words, "a song for David" (Tehilim 3:1) AND NOT "DAVID'S SONG" (TEHILIM 24:1). THIS INDICATES that first David was inspired by the Shechinah. This is WHY IT IS SAID THAT "the time of the singing bird has come." FIRST THE SHECHINAH (CALLED "SONG") REACHED HIM; ONLY THEN DID HE START SINGING AND PRAISING. Rabbi Chiya said THAT THE TIME OF SONG HAS COME; THIS should be understood literally as "the time of praise has come," MEANING THAT AFTER RECEIVING THE SPIRITUAL LIGHT, IT IS TIME FOR PRAISE. HE DISAGREED THAT THE SHECHINAH OF HASHEM IS CALLED "SONG."

32. Rabbi Aba says that the upper world, BINAH, is shrouded in mystery, as is everything that pertain to it, because it exists in the upper secret, THE THREE TOP SFIROT OF BINAH, which is a day THAT EMBRACES all days. And when ARICH ANPIN created and produced BINAH WITH A THOUGHT, He produced it on THE LOWER six OF BINAH AND NOT THE UPPER THREE SFIROT. And because ARICH ANPIN is mysterious and His actions are incomprehensible, it is written in THE SCRIPTURE, "Beresheet," MEANING "He created six (bara sheet)." THIS HINTS AT THOSE SIX supernal days, but does not specify who created them. THE SIX DAYS ALLUDED TO IN BERESHEET belong to an incomprehensible and concealed world.

33. Later, he revealed the Creator of the lower world, NAMELY, THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, because it is a world that stands revealed. He said, "Elohim created the heaven and the earth" (Beresheet 1:1), ALLUDING TO THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES. Consequently, it is not written vaguely (WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE CREATOR) that is, simply "created the heaven AND THE EARTH," because it is a world of revelation. Thus, it says, "Elohim created." Elohim DID certainly CREATE THEM, as IT IS a revealed name. The first WORLD, BINAH, is concealed, because it is the supernal WORLD. The lower WORLD OF THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES is revealed, because the workings of the Holy One, blessed be He, are always both concealed and revealed. So is the secret of the Holy Name concealed and revealed. THE YUD-HEI OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI ARE CONCEALED, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO COMPREHENSION OF THE THREE TOP SFIROT; VAV-HEI ARE REVEALED BECAUSE THEY ALLUDE TO THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, WHICH ARE COMPREHENSIBLE.

34. THE PARTICLE Et (Heb. 'the') WHEN PLACED BEFORE THE WORD "heaven" IN THE SCRIPTURE, includes the lower heaven below; when placed BEFORE THE WORD "earth," however, it also includes in it the earth below, adding the idea that everything done IN THE LOWER EARTH is similar to the upper pattern above.