"And there was light"

28. "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light;' and there was light" (Beresheet 1:3). From here, FROM THIS SAYING, we can begin to learn the secrets of how the world was created in details, because until now, the Creation was discussed only generally, IN THE VERSE "IN THE BEGINNING ELOHIM CREATED..." (IBID. 1) After this, the description returns to the general, then the particular, and then the general again.

29. Until now, everything was suspended in the air that was bestowed from the secret of the Endlessness Light. As soon as the force expanded inside the supernal chamber, which is the secret of Elohim, the word 'saying' is applied to it, as it is written: "And Elohim said." Before that, the word "said" is not written, because "said" means it is in detail. Although the word, "In the beginning" is also a saying, WHICH COMPLETES THE NUMBER OF THE SAYINGS IN THE CREATION TO TEN, "And Elohim said" is not written in it, AS IT IS DESCRIBED IN A GENERAL MANNER. THE USE OF THE WORD "SAID" MEANS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THEREFORE, THE VERSE, "AND ELOHIM SAID, 'LET THERE BE LIGHT'" IS THE FIRST OF THE DETAILS OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.

30. The words: "And...said" should be studied and questioned. THE TERM "AND...SAID (HEB. VAYOMER)" CONSISTS OF THE HEBREW LETTERS OF MI (ENG. 'WHO') AND OR (ENG. 'LIGHT'), WHICH IS AN INQUIRY. "And...said" alludes to a raised force, and the raising is done in silence. A LIGHT IS DRAWN from the secret of the Endless Light; from the beginning of thought. "And Elohim said" MEANS THAT now the chamber gave birth to a holy seed, with which it was pregnant, in secret. And he who was born, NAMELY THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, was heard without. Whoever gave birth to him, TO THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, did it secretly and was not heard at all. THIS REFERS TO GIVING BIRTH TO THE MOCHIN OF THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WHILE STILL IN BINAH. But as soon as he emerged from there, FROM BINAH, a sound was heard without.

31. "Let there be (Heb. yehi) light" means that everything that comes forth AND EMANATES IN THE WORLD proceeds according to the secret OF THE WORDS: "LET THERE BE LIGHT." Yehi ALLUDES TO the secret of Aba and Ima, which are Yud-Hei OF YEHI (YUD-HEI-YUD). THE LETTER YUD ALLUDES TO ABA AND THE HEI TO IMA. Afterward, THE LETTERS YUD- HEI return to the first point BY ADDING ANOTHER POINT, NAMELY YUD, JUST LIKE THE FIRST ONE - AS IT IS WRITTEN: YEHI (YUD-HEI-YUD) - to institute a beginning for an expansion of something else.

32. The terms "light" and "Let there be light" DO NOT REFER TO THE RENEWAL OF THE LIGHT, BUT RATHER TO THE RETURNING OF the light that ABA AND IMA already had. THE EXPANSION OF this light THAT APPEARS IN THE VERSE: "LET THERE BE LIGHT (HEB. OR, ALEPH-VAV -RESH)" is a most hidden secret, because it was the expansion that split according to the secret of the concealment of the supernal and concealed air (Heb. avir). THE WORD AVIR CONSISTS OF THE LETTERS ALEPH-VAV -YUD-RESH AND IS ARICH ANPIN. IT WAS SPLIT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING REALLY RENEWED IN THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI. RATHER, THE PERFECTION THAT WAS THERE BEFORE THE SPLITTING IS NOW REVEALED. It first split and produced one concealed point from within its own mystery. It revealed the point Yud. As a result of this removal of the Yud FROM AVIR, what is left OF THE ORIGINAL WORD AVIR is Or, which is from the secret of the concealed air.

33. When the first point, WHICH IS Yud, proceeded FROM ARICH ANPIN, its light shone upon it according to the sense of 'reaching yet not reaching'. Once THE POINT expanded, THE LIGHT was revealed, and this is THE SECRET OF the Or (light) that has remained from Avir (air). This refers to the light that has existed AT FIRST IN BINAH, WHEN IT WAS IN THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN. IT THEN DISAPPEARED WHEN IT CAME OUT OF THE HEAD. NOW IT HAS RETURNED TO IT AND REMAINS THERE. The light has gone; it has disappeared and is now hidden. And one point remains IN BINAH, where THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH always reaches in a hidden manner. The "reaching yet not reaching" shines in the manner of the first point that has emerged from it. As a result, they are all linked to one another and illuminate one another.

34. When it ascends TO THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, they all rise up and cling to it. THEN it is as if "reaching." It is treasured in the place of the Endless Light, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, and everything becomes one. The point that was in the light, AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO AIR, is now COMPLETELY light. It expanded, and from this expansion illuminated the seven letters of the alphabet, which were not yet solid but were still moist. Later darkness came forth and seven other letters of the alphabet came out. The firmament then came forth and stopped the dispute between the two sides. In it there issued eight other letters, which added up to 22 in all. Seven letters from the RIGHT side and seven letters from the LEFT side jumped on the firmament and were all engraved on it, where they remained moist. As the firmament congealed, so did the letters. They were engraved and assumed their intended shapes. And there the Torah was inscribed, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN WHICH IS CALLED THE TORAH, to shine outward ON THE LOWER BEINGS.

35. THE PHRASE "Let there be light" ALLUDES TO THE NAME great El, according to the secret of he who issues from the primal air. HENCE, IT IS WRITTEN: "LET THERE BE (HEB. YEHI)," IMPLYING THE SFIRAH OF CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'GREAT EL.' THE PHRASE: "And there was (Heb. vayehi)" refers to the secret of the darkness that is called 'Elohim.' AND IT IS CALLED 'light' AFTER the left was combined with the right because the name Elohim extends from the secret of the name El, WHICH IS CHESED. THUS, THE NAME ELOHIM IS THE ASPECT OF CHESED AS WELL. And the right was included within the left, and the left within the right.

36. THE VERSE: "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good" (Beresheet 1:4) implies the central pillar OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SFIRAH OF TIFERET IN IT. THE PHRASE "That it was good," SAID ABOUT TIFERET, MEANS THAT it shone up and down in all directions, NAMELY TO ALL THE SFIROT: NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN is the secret of the name Yud Hei Vav Hei, which includes all directions, RIGHT AND LEFT, FRONT AND BACK, UP AND DOWN. THE WORDS "And Elohim divided the light" MEAN THAT HE prevented the dispute BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT, so that everything may be perfect.

37. "And Elohim called..." (Beresheet 1:5). HE ASKS: What is THE MEANING OF "AND ELOHIM called THE LIGHT DAY"? HE REPLIES, THIS MEANS THAT he called and invited it to bring forth from within that perfect light that stands in the middle, REFERRING TO TIFERET, one light. AND THIS LIGHT is the foundation of the world, upon which all worlds are erected AND FROM WHERE ALL THE SOULS ARE BORN. From this perfected light emerges the central pillar, the foundation of the life of the worlds, this being the day from the right side. THE WORDS "And the darkness he called night" MEAN THAT He called and invited it, bringing forth one female from within the left side, the secret of darkness. THIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE IS THE SECRET OF the moon that governs at night. FOR THIS REASON, it is called night. AND THIS IS the secret of THE NAME "Adonai" and THE NAME "the Master of all the earth" (Yehoshua 3:11).

38. The right enters into that perfected pillar in the middle, where it is included with the secret of the left; NAMELY, CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES HIS GVURAH AND ENTERS HIS CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS TIFERET. Then ZEIR ANPIN rises up to the primal point, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, and takes and possesses there, IN ARICH ANPIN, MOCHIN, WHICH ARE a thing based on THE SECRET OF the three vowels - Cholam, Shuruk and Chirik - which are called holy seed. For no seed can be sown FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE MOCHIN except according to this secret. All, REFERRING TO THE ILLUMINATION OF THE THREE VOWELS, were united in the central pillar, WHICH IS TIFERET, and it emanated the foundation (Yesod) of the world. Because of this, YESOD is called all, because it holds on to all, NAMELY THE ILLUMINATION OF ALL THREE COLUMNS by the light of passion. IN OTHER WORDS, BECAUSE OF THE DESIRE OF THE LEFT FOR THE LIGHT OF THE RIGHT, YESOD RECONCILES THE LEFT WITH THE RIGHT AND UNITES THEM. AND BECAUSE THE CENTRAL COLUMN ACQUIRES THEM, THAT COLUMN ATTAINS BOTH OF THEM AND BESTOWS THEM BOTH ON YESOD.

39. The left is set ablaze by the force of might, and smells. It smelled throughout the grades, and from the glow of this fire it emanates the Female principle called moon. This blazing IS CONSIDERED TO BE darkness, because it extends from darkness. And these two sides, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT, produce these two grades, one male and one female, BECAUSE YESOD, WHICH IS MALE, EMANATED FROM THE RULE OF THE RIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN. THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE EMANATES FROM THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN.

40. Yesod holds on to the central pillar AND RECEIVES the additional light that was in it. THIS REFERS TO THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL LIGHT FOR ZEIR ANPIN. The central pillar, ZEIR ANPIN, is entirely complete BY CHOCHMAH AND BY CHASSADIM, because of the peace he brought to all sides. Thus, it has received additional light - MOCHIN - from above, NAMELY FROM ARICH ANPIN WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and from all sides, NAMELY FROM THE RIGHT AND LEFT. FROM ITS OWN CENTRAL COLUMN, IT HAS ACHIEVED CHASSADIM AND GVUROT, and the joy of all THE WORLDS is in It. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT ELIMINATES ALL THE KLIPOT. And from this additional of gaiety, the foundation (Yesod) of the world issued and is called an addition. From here, YESOD, all the lower powers, spirits and holy souls OF THE RIGHTEOUS, come out according to the secret of THE SACRED NAMES - Yud Hei Vav Hei-Tzva'ot - WHICH MEANS THAT HE IS A SIGN THAT APPEARS IN ALL HIS HOSTS. HE IS ALSO CALLED El the Elohim of the spirits, FROM WHOM ALL THE SPIRITS AND SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS EMANATE.

41. The night, Master of all Earth, is THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. SHE EMANATES from the left side, from that darkness. Because the entire desire of that darkness was to be included within the Right COLUMN AND RECEIVE LIGHT, its power was weakened. When night began to expand FROM THE LEFT before ITS STRUCTURE was completed, the darkness - NAMELY THE LEFT COLUMN - entered and merged with the Right COLUMN, and the Right held on to it. Night then was left lacking AT ITS END, BECAUSE ITS SOURCE, WHICH IS THE LEFT COLUMN, DISAPPEARED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN AND DID NOT HELP IT REACH COMPLETION. SO NOW THERE ARE TWO THINGS LACKING IN THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE: (1) THE ASPECT OF THE NIGHT, MEANING DARKNESS INSTEAD OF LIGHT, AND (2) HER STRUCTURE WAS NOT COMPLETED BY THE LEFT.

42. Just as darkness, WHICH IS THE LEFT, desires to be included within the light OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, so THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS night, desires to be included within day. Darkness, WHICH IS THE LEFT COLUMN, abated its light BECAUSE IT HAD NOT YET COMPLETED THE STRUCTURE OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Because of this, it produced the grade OF THE FEMALE WITH AN incomplete STRUCTURE and without light, NAMELY WITH THE TWO AFOREMENTIONED DEFECTS. THEREFORE, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE REQUIRED TWO REFORMS: (1) TO BRING HER LIGHT AND FREE HER FROM HER DARKNESS AND (2) TO COMPLETE HER STRUCTURE. Darkness, THE LEFT COLUMN, cannot illuminate unless it merges with the light OF THE RIGHT. And the same applies to the night, which is constructed in the left AND EMERGES FROM IT. It does not show any light unless it merges with the day, YESOD. The defect OF THE STRUCTURE of the night is not completed until the Musaf (additional prayer), WHICH IS THE ADDITIONAL LIGHT THAT YESOD HAS RECEIVED FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN - NAMELY, THE EXCESSIVE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH IN ZEIR ANPIN. AND THIS ADDITIONAL LIGHT COMPLETES THE STRUCTURE OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. So what was added to one place is diminished in another. THIS MEANS THAT WHAT WAS ADDED TO THE SFIRAH OF YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN BY THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, HAS CAUSED A DIMINUTION AND LACK IN THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. BUT YESOD FILLS UP THIS LACK WITH ITS ADDITIONAL LIGHT.

43. The Musaf, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, contains the secret of the supernal point, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, and the secret of the central pillar, WHICH IS TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT RECONCILES all sides. Because of this, two letters were added to YESOD, WHICH ARE VAV AND YUD, IN THE PHRASE: "AND ELOHIM CALLED (HEB. VAYIKRA) THE LIGHT DAY" (BERESHEET 1:5), IN WHICH THE LETTER VAV ALLUDES TO THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM THAT IT RECEIVED FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN AND THE YUD TO THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH THAT IT RECEIVED FROM ARICH ANPIN. In the EMANATION ON THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS night, these two letters were missing. So OF HER IT IS WRITTEN kara, without the Vav and Yud. OF THE DAY, WHICH IS YESOD, it is written Vayikra. He subtracted, IN THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, THE LETTERS Vav and Yud FROM VAYIKRA, and so it is written OF HER only "he called (kara) night." Here lies the secret of the name with the 72 letters that are inscribed in the supernal crown - REFERRING TO THE SECRET OF THE LETTERS VAV AND YUD.