"Let there be light"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi explains here that the Light spoken of is concealed and illuminates only the righteous; it has no purpose in the world. Rabbi Yehuda says that the world is sustained by that Light which is concealed yet sown like a seed. A thread of this Light emerges wherever people are studying Torah. "Yet the Creator will command His steadfast love in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me." When Moses erected the tabernacle, a thread of this Light emerged to form a cloud over the Tent of Meeting, and it is what renews the Creation daily, even now. Rabbi Yosi then comments on, "So he set it before them, and they ate, and left some of it over, according to the word of the Creator," which, we learn, means that whoever hears these teachings always finds new meaning and inspiration in them.

Relevance

The primordial Light spoken of in the phrase, "Let there be light," illuminates us, bringing spiritual renewal and transformation to the world. For the first time in human history, myriad threads of Light are drawn and woven into a blanket that envelopes, warms, and unites all mankind, as our eyes embrace these ancient texts that shine with such splendid spiritual power.

Light Righteous World to Come, The

414. It is written, "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light:' and there was light" (Beresheet 1:3). Rabbi Yosi said, This light was concealed and it is designated for the righteous in the World to Come. We have established this according to the words, "Light is sown for the righteous" (Tehilim 97:11). "For the righteous" certainly with no attributes, FOR IT ILLUMINATES TO THE RIGHTEOUS ABOVE AND TO THE RIGHTEOUS BELOW. That light did not serve a purpose in the world except for the first day, and afterwards was concealed and served no more.

414. כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי, הַהוּא אוֹר אִתְגְּנִיז וְאִיהוּ אִזְדָּמַן לְגַבֵּי צַדִיקַיָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִיק. לַצַּדִיק וַדַאי סְתָם. וְהַהוּא אוֹר לָא שִׁמֵשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, בַּר יוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה. וּלְבָתַר אִתְגְנִיז, וְלָא שִׁמֵּשׁ יַתִיר.

Fruit Light Love Singing Thread Torah

415. Rabbi Yehuda said, Had it been concealed completely, the world could not exist even one moment, but rather it was concealed and sown like this seed THAT IS SOWN and it produced offspring and plants and fruit. The world is sustained from it. There is not even one day, from which nothing comes into the world to maintain everything, because the Holy One, blessed be He, sustains the world with it. A thread of that concealed light emerges wherever that people are occupied with Torah during the night, and it is drawn upon those that are occupied WITH TORAH. This is what is meant by, "Yet Hashem will command His steadfast love in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Tehilim 42:9), as we have already established.

415. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִלְמָלֵי אִתְגְּנִיז מִכֹּל וָכֹל, לָא קָאֵים עָלְמָא אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא, אֶלָּא אִתְגְּנִיז וְאִזְדְּרַע כְּהַאי זַרְעָא דְּעָבִיד תּוּלְדִין וּזְרָעִין וְאֵיבִין, וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא. וְלֵית לָךְ יוֹמָא, דְּלָא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ בְּעָלְמָא, וּמְקַיֵים כֹּלָּא דְּבֵיהּ זָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּלֵילְיָא, חַד חוּטָא נָפִיק מֵהַהוּא אוֹר גָנִיז, וְאִתְמְשִׁיךְ עַל אִינּוּן דְּלָעָאן בָּהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְיָ' חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא.

Cloud Creation Light Moses Tents Thread

416. יוֹמָא דְּאִתְקָם מַשְׁכְּנָא לְתַתָּא, מָה כְּתִיב וְלָא יָכוֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן. מַאי הֶעָנָן. חַד חוּטָא הֲוָה מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּאוֹר קַדְמָאָה, דְּנָפַק בְּחֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא, עָאלַת לְמַשְׁכְּנָא דִּלְתַתָּא. וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא. לָא אִתְגְּלֵי, אֲבָל שִׁמּוּשָׁא קָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִיהוּ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹמָא עוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית.

Creation Earth Hands Heaven Torah

417. Rabbi Yosi was occupied with Torah, and Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Chizkiyah were with him. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Behold we see that the work of the tabernacle is similar to the work of the creation of heaven and earth. The friends have already commented about their secrets such a tiny bit that a man cannot eat with his mouth and stretch his hand to his mouth and swallow, MEANING THEY HAVE REVEALED SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TASTE IT AND BE SATISFIED WITH IT.

417. רַבִּי יוֹסִי הֲוָה לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וַהֲווֹ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְר' חִזְקִיָּה. אָמַר ר' יִצְחָק, הָא חֲמֵינָן דְּעוֹבָדָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעוֹבָדָא דְּשָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, וְהָא אִתְּעָרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּרָזִין דִּלְהוֹן זְעִירוּ, דְּלָא יָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיכַל בְּפוּמֵיהּ, וּלְמֵישַׁט יְדֵיהּ לְגוֹ פּוּמֵיהּ וּלְמִבְלַע.

Atika Kadisha Salt

418. Rabbi Yosi said, Let us raise up these issues before the holy luminary that prepares sweet dishes, just like the most concealed Atika Kadisha does. He prepares such dishes that there is no room for another to come and add salt to them. One can eat and drink and fill his stomach with all the delicacies in the world and still leave over, MEANING THAT WHEN HE HEARS THEM HE UNDERSTANDS THEM CLEARLY ENOUGH, YET STILL IN ALL HE WILL LEAVE OVER SOME AND WILL NOT DRAW EVERYTHING THAT THEY CONTAIN. WHENEVER HE REVIEWS THEM, HE FINDS NEW IDEAS OF WHICH HE WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY AWARE. Here is fulfilled, "So he set it before them, and they ate, and left some of it over, according to the word of Hashem" (II Melachim 4:44).

418. א"ר יוֹסִי, מִלִּין אִלֵּין נְסַלֵּק לוֹן לְגַבֵּי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ מְתַקֵּן תַּבְשִׁילִין מְתִיקִין, כְּמַה דְּאַתְקִין לוֹן עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין, וְאִיהוּ אַתְקִין תַּבְשִׁילִין, דְּלֵית בְּהוּ אֲתָר, לְמֵיתֵי אַחֲרָא, לְמִשְׁדֵּי בְּהוּ מִלְחָא. וְתוּ, דְּיָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי וּלְאַשְׁלְמָא כְּרֵסוֹי מִכָּל עִדוּנִין דְּעָלְמָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּאֲרָא, וּבֵיהּ יִתְקָיָּים, וְיִתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיוֹתִירוּ כִּדְבַר יְיָ.'