"Who has created these?"

Synopsis

The Zohar discusses the intricacies of the spiritual process of Creation, and explores mysteries associated with the upper spiritual worlds, the Hebrew letters, and the Patriarchs. The text explains how the incomprehensible and infinite Creator restricted and diminished a portion of His Light in order to manifest It in a magnitude that mortal man could receive. As we peruse the Hebrew letters and understand these spiritual explanations, we draw a measure of spiritual Light into our own lives equal to our capacity to receive and use It.

Arich Anpin Atika Kadisha Creation Eyes Head Heaven Hebrew Letters Mi (Who) Seven

7. "In the beginning: Beresheet." Rabbi Elazar began the discussion by quoting, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things?" (Yeshayah 40:26). HE ASKS: "Lift up your eyes on high," to what place? And HE REPLIES: To that place to which all eyes are turned. And who is He that created these things? He is the opening of the eyes, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN. And there you shall know that this concealed Atika, to which a question can be applied, Who has created these? And who is He? IT IS HE WHO IS CALLED Mi (lit.''Who,' which is formed from the two Hebrew letters Mem and Yud that appear in the name Elohim. THE LOWER SEVEN SFIROT OF BINAH; He is called 'from the end of heaven on high,' as everything is in His domain. And since one can ask about Him, and He is concealed and not revealed, He is called Whoho, WHICH IS AN INTERROGATIVE ARTICLE, because beyond Him, one may not pose questions. Thus, the end of heaven is called Mi or 'Who.''

7. בְּרֵאשִׁית. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה. שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם. לְאָן אֲתַר, לַאֲתַר דְּכָל עַיְינִין תָּלְיָאן לֵיהּ. וּמָאן אִיהוּ, פֶּתַח עֵינַיִם. וְתַמָּן תִּנְדְּעוּן, דְּהַאי סָתִים עַתִּיקָא דְקַיְימָא לַשְּׁאֵלָה, בָּרָא אֵלֶּה. וּמָאן אִיהוּ, מִ"י. הַהוּא דְאִקְרֵי מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם לְעֵילָּא, דְּכֹלָא קַיְּימָא בִּרְשׂוּתֵיהּ. וְעַל דְּקַיְימָא לַשְּׁאֵלָה, וְאִיהוּ בְּאֹרַח סָתִים וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא, אִקְרֵי מִ"י, דְּהָא לְעֵילָּא לֵית תַּמָּן שְׁאֵלָה. וְהַאי קְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם אִקְרֵי מִ"י.

Grades Hebrew Letters Job Mi (Who)

8. There is another one down below called Mah (lit. 'what', a combination of the two letters Mem and Hei). And what is the difference between Mi and Mah? HE REPLIES: The first one is concealed and is called Mi. It remains a question: Once man has searched and inquired in order to understand and climb from one level to another, and has finally reached the end level of all(WHICH IS MALCHUT) he is asked: What? THIS MEANS, What have you learned? What have you seen? What have you attended to, since everything is still concealed and hidden as before!

8. וְאִית אָחֳרָא לְתַתָּא וְאִקְרֵי מַ"ה. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי, אֶלָּא קַדְמָאָה סְתִימָאָה דְּאִקְרֵי מִ"י קַיְּימָא לַשְּׁאֵלָה, וְכֵיוָן דְּשָׁאַל בַּר נָשׁ וּמְפַשְׁפֵּשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמִנְדַע מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא עַד סוֹף כָּל דַּרְגִּין, כֵּיוָן דְּמָטֵי תַּמָּן מַ"ה, מַה יָּדַעְתָּ, מַה אִסְתָּכַּלְתָּא, מַה פִּשְׁפַּשְׁתָּא, הָא כֹּלָא סָתִים כִּדְקַדְמֵיתָא.

Crowns Earth Grades Heaven Hebrew Letters (Holy) Temple Jerusalem Mi (Who) Seas Voice Witnesses

9. And about this secret meaning it is written, "What (Heb. mah) shall I take to witness to you? What shall I liken to you?" (Eichah 2:13). Because when the Temple was destroyed, a voice came forth and said, "What shall I take to witness for you, and what shall I liken to you?" This means that using 'what' I shall witness about you each and every day since the ancient days. As it is written: "I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you" (Devarim 30:19). "What shall I liken to you?" In the very same manner I crowned you with holy crowns and made you ruler over the world. As is written: "Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty?" (Eichah 2:15). I have called you, "Jerusalem, built as a city that is compact together" (Tehilim 122:3). "What shall I equal to you?" (Eichah 2:13). Just as your situation is here, so it is seemingly above! REFERRING TO CELESTIAL JERUSALEM. Just as now the holy nation does not enter below with the sacred arrangements, so I swear to you that I will not enter above until your throngs come to you down below. This is your consolation - that I equate you with this level, WITH CELESTIAL JERUSALEM, WHICH IS MALCHUT, in every respect. And now you are here, "your breach is great like the sea" (Ibid. 13). If you claim that you have no existence or remedy, then 'who' shall heal you, namely, that same concealed supernal level, WHICH IS CALLED 'who', through which everything exists, WHICH IS BINAH, shall heal and uphold you.

9. וְעַל רָזָא דְּנָא כְּתִיב, מָה אֲעִידֵךְ מָה אֲדַמֶּה לָךְ. כַּד אִתְחְרִיב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, נָפַק קָלָא וַאֲמַר, מָה אֲעִידֵךְ וּמָה אֲדַמֶּה לָךְ, בְּהַהוּא מָ"ה אֲעִידֵךְ, בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא אַסְהִידַת בָּךְ מִיּוֹמִין קַדְמָאִין, דִּכְתִיב הַעִדֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ. מָה אֲדַמֶּה לָךְ, בְּהַהוּא גַוְונָא מַמָּשׁ, עֲטָרִית לָךְ בְּעִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין, עֲבָדִית לָךְ שָׁלְטָנוּ עַל עָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב הֲזֹאת הָעִיר שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ כְּלִילַת יֹפִי וגו'. קָרֵינָא לָךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָּהּ. מָה אַשְׁוֶה לָּךְ. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאַנְתְּ יָתְבָא, הָכֵי הוּא כִּבְיָכוֹל לְעֵילָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּלָא עָאלִין הַשְׁתָּא בָּךְ עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּסִדְּרִין קַדִּישִׁין, הָכֵי אוֹמֵינָא לָךְ, דְּלָא אֵיעוֹל אֲנָא לְעֵילָא עַד דְּיֵעֲלוּן בָּךְ אֻכְלוֹסָךְ לְתַתָּא. וְדָא אִיהוּ נֶחָמָה דִילָךְ, הוֹאִיל דְּדַרְגָא דָא אַשְׁוֶה לָךְ בְּכֹלָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּאַנְתְּ הָכָא, גָּדוֹל כַּיָּם שִׁבְרֵךְ. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּלֵית לָךְ קַיָּימָא וְאַסְוָותָא, מִ"י יִרְפָּא לָךְ, וַדַּאי הַהוּא דַרְגָּא סְתִימָאָה עִלָּאָה, דְכֹלָא קַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ, יִרְפָּא לָךְ וְיוֹקִים לָךְ.

Creation Heaven Jacob Mi (Who) Nukva Zeir Anpin

10. Mi MEANS the end of heaven above, WHICH IS YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH; Mah MEANS the end of heaven below, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And this is what Jacob, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, inherited, as he "shall reach from end to end" (Shemot 26:28). From the end above, which is Mi, down to the lower end, which is Mah. Because he stands in the middle, BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF HEAVEN. And because of this, "Mi has created these"! BECAUSE YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH WHO ARE CALLED MI, CREATED ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA WHO ARE CALLED 'THESE'.

10. מִ"י קְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם לְעֵילָא, מַ"ה, קְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם לְתַתָּא, וְדָא יָרִית יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִיהוּ מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה, מִן הַקָּצֶה קַדְמָאָה דְּאִיהוּ מִ"י, אֶל הַקָּצֶה בַּתְרָאָה דְּאִיהוּ מַ"ה, בְּגִין דְּקָאֵים בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וְעַל דָּא, מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה.