Light, Water, Firmament

746. In relation to the secret of that light that kindles and illuminates this candle, WHICH IS MALCHUT, it is written of Aaron, "When you light the lamps" (Bemidbar 8:2). It comes from the side of that light, about which is written, "'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Beresheet 1:3). HE QUESTIONS, Once it is written, "Let there be light," why is it necessary to add, "And there was light?" It would have been sufficient to say, "And it was so." HE ANSWERS, "Let there be light" is the First Light which is right (Heb. yamin), NAMELY CHESED THE ASPECT OF AARON THE PRIEST. This is "the end of days (Heb. yamin)." "And there was light" is the left that emerges from the right, because the left emerges from the secret of the right. Therefore, "and there was light" refers to the left.

747. From here IS UNDERSTOOD that: "And it came to pass (Heb. vayehi)" that is mentioned in the Torah is of the left side. Therefore, 'vayehi' is not a sign of blessing. What is the reason? It is because by THE LEFT COLUMN emerges that darkness that darkened the face of the world, WHICH IS THE ANGEL OF DEATH, THE EVIL INCLINATION. This is how we come by it: when the secret of Esau and his actions were revealed, it was done so by 'vayehi' as it is written, "And (Heb. vayehi) Esau was a cunning hunter" (Beresheet 25:27). And by 'vayehi' it was fulfilled "a cunning hunter" who knew how to entice hearts, to seduce people of the world, and not to go in the straight path.

748. "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good" (Beresheet 1:4). This is the pillar that stands in the center, MEANING THE CENTRAL COLUMN, that stands and is attached to this side and that side, FOR IT MEDIATES AND UNITES RIGHT AND LEFT WITH EACH OTHER. When perfection of these sides was affected, NAMELY THREE COLUMNS, it IS WRITTEN "that it was good." This did not happen with the other TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, THAT ARE ALLUDED TO IN "LET THERE BE LIGHT" AND "AND THERE WAS LIGHT," AND IT IS NOT SAID BY THEM. "AND IT WAS GOOD" because there was no perfection until the third light OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN that completed all the sides. Once this third came, the division of right and left was enunciated, as it is written, "And Elohim divided the light from the darkness" (Ibid.), FOR THE RIGHT IS THE SECRET OF LIGHT AND THE LEFT IS THE SECRET OF DARKNESS. THE CENTRAL COLUMN MADE PEACE BETWEEN THEM AND THEY WERE INCLUDED, THE ONE WITH THE OTHER, FOR THROUGH THIS THEY WERE BOTH PERFECTED.

749. Because they were five levels that separated and were drawn from this First Light, THAT ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET NETZACH AND HOD, 'light' is therefore mentioned IN THE FIRST DAY five times. They were all from the right side, FOR ALL THE FIVE SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, ARE UNDER THE DOMINATION OF THE RIGHT, WHICH IS CHESED. When they were combined in the left side, they were combined in the secret of waters that flow from the right, BECAUSE THE RIGHT MELTS THE FROZENNESS OF THE LEFT AND TURNS IT INTO FLOWING WATERS. Therefore, water was mentioned BY THE SECOND DAY OF CREATION, WHICH IS LEFT, five times, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF THE LEFT COLUMN. When RIGHT AND LEFT were perfected in the secret of the Central COLUMN, CALLED 'FIRMAMENT,' "firmament" was mentioned five times, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Therefore, these three (light, water, firmament) correspond to these three levels (RIGHT, LEFT, AND CENTRAL) for in each one of them are comprehended the five levels, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD. Therefore, they are all mentioned five times each; NAMELY, LIGHT, WATER, AND FIRMAMENT.

750. Here lies the mystery of mysteries, By these three, light, water, firmament, the secret of the form of man was formed and made into engravings, which was light at first FROM THE RIGHT COLUMN, and afterwards water FROM THE LEFT COLUMN. Afterwards, THE CENTRAL COLUMN spread among them, which is the firmament, which is the engraving of the imprint of the form of man.

751. AND IT IS SIMILAR to the engraving of the form of man when born. At the birth of a person, he is first seed, which is light, for that seed is the light of all the limbs of the body; therefore, it is light. That light is called 'seed,' as it is written, "Light is sown" (Tehilim 97:11), namely that actual seed. Afterwards, that seed that is called 'light' spreads and becomes water. By the moisture of the water, it becomes further engraved and the form of the body expands into these waters, growing to all sides. As soon as the form and shape of the body is formed and engraved, that expansion consolidates and is called 'firmament.' That is "a firmament in the midst of the waters" (Beresheet 1:6) and, after it congeals, it is written, "And Elohim called the firmament heaven" (Ibid. 8), because the moisture of the body that was in the water has congealed.

752. As soon as the body is purified and has been cleansed, the moisture that was drawn and left over from it is the refuse that is made by melting. This is the bad and troubled waters, from which is formed the refuse that incites the whole world, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, AND male and female WERE FORMED. When the troubled waters flow down and melt on the left side, THE MALE AND FEMALE OF THE OTHER SIDE emerge to instigate the whole world. Fortunate is he who is saved from them.

753. As soon as the Inciter has emerged, it is written, "Let there be lights (Heb. meorot)" (Beresheet 1:14) without Vav, WHICH IS AN EXPRESSION OF DESTRUCTION AND CURSE (HEB. ME'EROT), through which the sickness of croup is drawn to children. The light of the moon was decreased. Afterwards, IT IS WRITTEN, "And let them be for lights (Heb. me'orot with Vav)" (Ibid. 15), meaning completely both together. How WERE THEY COMPLETED? By the firmament of that heaven, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. When MALCHUT ascended and was attached to the firmament of heaven, then "let them be for lights" for both together were perfect luminaries, entirely unblemished. BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SUN AND RIGHT COLUMN, AND MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE MOON AND THE LEFT COLUMN, COMBINED AND BECAME COMPLETED BY EACH OTHER THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN.

754. The young man started to laugh and rejoice. He said to them, That which I said is that here was purified the secret of man through the light that is seed. Then it becomes water, and from this water expands the firmament, which is the form of man. As I commented, this is correct when it is done in the belly of a women, because the seed forms only in the belly of a female for the form of man to grow in her. Here are these five levels, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF LIGHT, WATER, AND FIRMAMENT, which are the image of man. According to this, in which place was formed and expanded this form in the water?

755. If you say that it was formed in a female, which is the World to Come, NAMELY BINAH, it is not so. Because proper form and image are not formed until they emerged FROM BINAH and afterwards they were formed and consolidated. The World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH, is also the craftsman OF ALL THE CREATION AND IS THE SECRET OF ELOHIM THAT IS MENTIONED THERE, as it is written, "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" AND ALSO, "And Elohim said, 'Let there be a firmament.'" So BINAH is the craftsman, THE ONE WHO FORMS, THAT MAKES THE SHAPE OF LIGHT, WATER, AND FIRMAMENT, SO HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT THE SHAPE AND FORM ARE MADE IN BINAH?

756. If you say that THE FIGURE OF MAN WAS FORMED in the lower female, NAMELY MALCHUT, it is not so. MALCHUT was not yet in existence BECAUSE AFTERWARDS, when this figure of man emerged THAT IS IN LIGHT, WATER, FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, the woman emerged with him, so the figure of man was not formed in her. If so, in which place was formed and engraved that seed OF LIGHT, WATER, FIRMAMENT, to become an engraving of the shape of man?

757. HE ANSWERS, This is a supernal secret. The first man, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN OF ATZILUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF LIGHT, WATER, FIRMAMENT, was engraved and formed without a woman. The second man, NAMELY THE MAN OF BRIYAH, from the strength and seed of THE FIRST MAN was engraved and formed within the woman, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF ATZILUT.

758. THE ZOHAR EXPLAINS HIS WORDS. The engraving of the form and shape of the body of the first man, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, was not in the woman, and was entirely without form, MEANING THAT HE DID NOT FORM AND CONSOLIDATE WHILE STILL IN BINAH TO A DEGREE THAT HE COULD BE CONSIDERED 'A FORM.' He was formed and engraved below the World to Come, NAMELY BELOW BINAH without Male and without Female. Only these letters, NAMELY THE 22 LETTERS OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE COLUMNS were embodied and consolidated in measure, WHICH IS CALLED 'FIRMAMENT,' FOR IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CONGEALMENT OF THE LETTERS. The secret of man was formed and engraved in them. And the letters in straightforward order, in the order they emerged from the First Light THAT WAS IN BINAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF SEVEN LETTERS FROM ALEPH TO ZAYIN WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, WERE DRAWN TO THE MEASURE IN THE FIRMAMENT. And they commenced to be engraved and formed. This light was sown IN THE FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, in the measure. After THE LIGHT, WHICH IS THE RIGHT COLUMN, reached the measure, THE LEFT COLUMN WAS DRAWN INTO IT. AND THERE THE LIGHT REVERTED to water in the waters. AFTERWARDS, the firmament expanded, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL CENTRAL COLUMN, BY STRENGTH OF THE TWO COLUMNS THAT ILLUMINATED AND WERE INCLUDED IN IT, properly into the form of man, MEANING THAT IT BECAME EMBODIED AND CONGEALED AS MUCH AS NECESSARY. FOR THE TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT WERE CONSOLIDATED.

759. After the Nukva was adorned, MEANING THAT SHE WAS CONSTRUCTED BY ABA AND IMA, and ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA were again face to face, this form of man, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, came with the longing to Nukva. There IN NUKVA became engraved and formed THE SECOND MAN OF BRIYAH according to his form. About him, it is written, "And he begot a son in his own likeness, after his image... " (Beresheet 5:3), BECAUSE THE FIRST MAN BELOW CORRESPONDS TO ZEIR ANPIN AND THE SECOND MAN, NAMELY HIS SON, SETH, CORRESPONDS TO THE SECOND MAN OF ABOVE. This one became formed in a female, NAMELY THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, unlike that first one, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, because that first one became formed by himself by the gauge that is in the measure.