Let There Be a Firmament

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44) “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between water and water.’” This is the correction in particular, separating the upper water from the lower water in the left. It is also the second detail of the creation of the world, for here occurred a dispute with the left: Up to now, on the first day, it is the right. And here, on the second day, it is the dominion of the left. For this reason, a great dispute erupted on the second day between that side and the right side. The left wished to annul all the dominion of the right, and the right wished to revoke all the dominion of the left.

The right, Hesed, the first day, is the wholeness of everything. For this reason, on the first day everything is written in the right. All seven days, HGT NHYM, came out in it and are implied in it, since all the wholeness depends on the right, for all the Sefirot receive their wholeness from the first Sefira, the Hesed, and the first day of the work of creation. Therefore, all the Sefirot emerged on the first day and are implied in the writings in it.

When the dominion of the left awakened, the dispute between it and the right awakened. The fire of anger intensified in the dispute, and Hell emerged and was created from that dispute. Hell awakened and was created from the left, and clung to the left, since on the first day of the work of creation, in the order of emanation of Hesed, the right line of ZA, it was initially emanated in Katnut. This is what the word “Let there be” implies, that Yod–Hey is AVI, and the last Yod implies entrance of the Yod to the light of AVI, which were diminished into being Avir, at which time the ZA was emanated in VAK, in the level of Ruach.

Afterwards, in the word, “And there was light,” the Gadlut of the right line emerged. It is likewise here in the emanation of the second day, Gevura and left line of ZA. First the Katnut was emanated, which is “Let there be,” when AVI were diminished by themselves, to emanate ZA at the level of Ruach, when they inserted a Yod into their light, which is “Let there be a firmament.” Afterwards the Gadlut of the left line came out, the GAR, as it is written, “And God made the firmament.”

And here, upon the elicitation of the Katnut in the diminution of “Let there be a firmament,” when AVI raised their Malchut to the place of the Zivug, below their Hochma, to the place of Bina, and lowered the Bina and TM outside their degree to the place of ZON and remained in VAK without GAR, at the level of Ruach, the creation of Hell was drawn out because of that diminution. That is, the forces of Din to punish the wicked were created. It is so because there are two kinds of ascent of Malchut to the place of Bina:

1. The ascent without any flaw, but to elicit Mochin for the lower one. At that time the three Sefirot Bina and TM descend to the degree of Kedusha beneath them, and the light of GAR departs to their superior at the point of Holam.
2. The ascent because of a flaw, through sins of the lower ones. At that time Malchut ascends to Bina to conceal the light of GAR from the lower ones, who are not worthy of using it. Then the three Kelim, Bina and TM, do not descend to the degree below them in Kedusha, but descend to the forces of the Din, which those Kelim rob for the construction of their own Partzufim, and by which they acquire the strength to sabotage and punish the wicked.

After the elicitation of Gadlut of the first day, the right line, the left line was necessarily completed with it in all its Gadlut. It is known that the left line extends from the point of Shuruk, Hochma, hence the left wished to control his light of Hochma and revoke the light of Hassadim in the right line, and the dispute between them was made.

And because of that dispute, the fire of anger came out, meaning the darkness of the dominion of the Shuruk expanded due to the lack of Hassadim, until finally Malchut returned to rise to the place of Bina as during the Katnut, when the light of GAR completely departed and the three Kelim, Bina and TM, fell to the forces of the Din because the ascent of Malchut was due to a flaw. Hell was created out of their sparks, and clung to the left, meaning anyone who wishes to enhance the power of the left will fall into the Din of Hell, which is attached to the left.

The right is the wholeness of everything because all the Sefirot receive their existence from him. Hence, on the right, the first day, all the corrections of Katnut and Gadlut in regard to “Let there be light” and “And there was light” are written. This is so because the wholeness of all the Sefirot depends on it, so when the right line is completed, all of them are completed.

The left line, too, receives its wholeness from it, and awakened in its dominion. When the left awakened in its dominion and felt its wholeness, it promptly stirred a dispute with the right line, wishing to cancel the light of the right, and make only its own light govern. The fire of anger extended from this dispute, meaning the darkness of the Shuruk, who causes the ascent of Malchut back to the place of Bina. And then, when she rose up, she dropped the Kelim of Bina and TM to the forces of Din, called Hell, and the Hell awakened and was created from the left, and clung to the left. That is, anyone who wishes to enhance the left falls into Hell, which is attached to the left.

45) Moses, with his wisdom, looked at it, and looked at the work of creation. In the work of creation was a dispute between left and right. In that dispute, evoked by the left, the Hell was created and attached to the left. The middle pillar, Tifferet, came between them and removed the dispute, making the two sides agree. Then Hell retired from the left and descended, the left was included in the right, and everything was peace.

It is so because the level of Hassadim that came out on the middle line, Tifferet, entered between the right and the left, subduing the left line with her Hassadim so it would clothe in the right, and removing the dispute. At that time Hell descended and retired from the left, meaning the Kelim of Bina and ZON departed from there and returned to their degree. This is considered that Hell descended and retired from those Kelim.

The left returned and obtained its GAR. That is, once the light of Hochma at the point of Shuruk, left line, clothed in Hassadim and was included in the right line, it was completed in its illumination in GAR. It therefore follows that the middle line agreed to keep the illumination of the two lines after it clothed them in one another, and made the two sides agree because it kept the illumination of them both, but separated their illumination so right would illuminate from above downward and the left would illuminate from below upward. By that, peace was made.

46) Likewise was the dispute between Korah and Aaron—the left disputed the right. It is so because in the tree of souls, Aaron is regarded as the right line and Hassadim, as he is a priest, and Korah is regarded as left, and Gevura, as he is a Levite. And because Korah disputed the priesthood, it is similar to the dispute between the left line and the right, which was in the beginning of the work of creation of the second day.

Moses looked in the work of creation and said, “I should remove the dispute between the right and the left. This is so because as Aaron and Korah are HG, right and left of the souls, Moses is Tifferet of the souls, the middle line. Therefore, when Moses looked in the work of creation and saw there how the middle pillar removed the dispute between the left and the right, he said that he, too, should remove the dispute between the right and the left from the tree of souls, as he is Tifferet of the souls. Moses exerted to make them agree, but the left was unwilling and Korah prevailed over Aaron with his Gevura [might].

47) Moses said, “Certainly, when the dispute of the left prevails, Hell should cleave, as it was in the work of creation, when Korah did not wish to cling above, to the correction of Kedusha, and be included in the right line, like the left of above. It is certain that he will come down to Hell with the force of his anger, as it was in the beginning of the work of creation during the dispute of the left line, when Hell came out and clung to the left.” So did Moses know that with the force of Korah’s dispute, Korah would descend to Hell and cling to it.

48) This is why Korah did not want the dispute settled by Moses, since the dispute was not in the name of heaven, meaning ZA, who is called “heaven,” and his Nukva, who is called “the name of heaven.” It says that this is why he did not accept Moses’ decision, since his dispute was not aiming for the unification of ZA with the Nukva, nor did he fear for the upper glory, who is Divinity. He denied the work of creation. That is, he refuted the correction of the decision of the middle line that occurred in the work of creation because he wished only for the left’s dominion. When Moses saw that he was denying the work of creation and that he was repelled from the Kedusha, then it is written, “And Moses was very angry.”

49) “Moses was very angry” because Korah and his company denied him, not letting him decide on that dispute. It is written, “And Moses was very angry” for the work of creation being denied, for blemishing the upper decision of the middle line over the right and left of ZA, which was established in the work of creation. It is about that that it writes, “Very.” Korah denied everything, both above in ZA and below in the souls, as it is written, “When they strove against the Lord,” ZA. Thus, his flaw reached above, to ZA, as well as below, to Moses. This is why Korah clung to Hell, as befitted him, as it is written, “And they, and all that belonged to them, went down alive into Sheol.”

50) The dispute that was established similar to that of above, which ascends and does not descend, and exists in a direct manner, is the dispute of Shamai and Hillel. Commentary: The middle line settles the dispute of above and sustains both of them, clothing them in one another. It separates their illumination where the left illuminates from below upward, and the right illuminates from above downward. Only in this way are they both sustained, and not otherwise.

The dispute that was established as above is that he ascends and does not descend, that the illumination of the left will illuminate from below upward, and not from above downward. Then the illumination of the left exists in the direct manner in a way that it does not cancel the illumination of the right, and both will illuminate.

This is the dispute of Shammai and Hillel. Shammai was the left of above, as we learn that all his days he was eating in honor of the Sabbath, that he would eat on weekdays and illuminate from the weekdays to the Sabbath, from below upward. But Hillel would say, “Blessed be the Lord each day,” extending from above downward—like the right line of above—for that day in which he was.

The Creator divided and settled between them. That is, the dispute and the difference between Shammai and Hillel was extended to them from the middle line of above, who is the Creator. Through that difference, where the left illuminates from below upward, and the right from above downward, he keeps the illumination of them both, and clothes them in one another. At that time the Creator gives the illumination of both of them in a Zivug for the Nukva.

This is a dispute for the name of heaven. That is, the difference between right to left in the way of their illumination. He mates the name, Nukva, with the heaven, ZA, and the heaven, ZA, separates and divides that dispute to sustain them both. This is why their illumination persists. That dispute in the manner of their illumination is like the work of creation, like the way he made the middle line for the correction of the work of creation.

Korah denied the whole correction of the work of creation, and that dispute was on ZA, who is called “heaven,” over the deciding line. He wished to deny the corrections in the Torah, ZA. Of course that dispute was because the force of the Din of Hell clung to Korah, which is why Korah clung to him, meaning fell to Hell.

51) That matter is in the book of Adam HaRishon. When the darkness awakened to its dominion, it awakened with great might and created the Hell in it, and the Hell clung to it in that dispute. Once the anger and the force of the Gevurot settled, the dispute awakened in another way, and it is a dispute of love. It is a dispute in the manner of their illumination, for the left illuminates from below upward and the right from above downward, where both agreed to it for their love for one another, for the left craved the Hassadim of the right, and the right—the illumination of Hochma in the left. And because they parted in the manner of their illumination, they clothed in one another, the right was completed by the left, and the left by the right.

52) There were two kinds of dispute—one in the beginning and one in the end. This is “the ways of the righteous,” whose beginning is hard and tormented, and whose end is tranquility. Korah was from the left, in the beginning of the dispute between right and left, which is in anger and in the force of the Gevurot. That is, each wished to cancel the illumination of the other, and as a result the Hell emerged and clung to Hell. Shammai was considered left, at the end of the dispute of right and left, when the ire and anger had already subsided. At that time there is a need to evoke a dispute of love, a dispute in the manner of their illumination, so they receive consent and existence through the heaven, the deciding line, to clothe them in one another.

53) “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it divide between water and water.” This is the first dispute, the awakening of the anger and the force when each intensifies to cancel the illumination of the other. The Creator wished to remove the dispute and awakened the Hell until the anger and the force cooled down. Out of the flaw of the dispute, which blocked the lights, Malchut rose once more to the place of Bina and concealed the GAR, and Bina and TM fell into Midat ha Din, which is called Hell. Thus, the dispute was settled because with the ascent of Malchut, the dominion of the left line was canceled, since he returned to Katnut.

Then it is written,” And God made the firmament and divided between the water that is below the firmament and between the water that is above the firmament.” That division is a dispute of love and fondness, and provision of the world, a division in the manner of illumination. The dispute of love is the dispute between Shammai and Hillel.

The division in the verse, “And God made the firmament,” is the end of the dispute. However, Korah was in the dispute of the anger, which is the division in the verse, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water,” which is the beginning of the dispute. But the dispute of Shammai and Hillel, which is the end of the dispute, is of love, and for the name of heaven. The oral Torah, Nukva, is called “name.” She entered the written Torah, ZA, called “heaven,” in love, and they were in a complete Zivug for she received complete Mochin from ZA.

54) There is separation only in the left, for on the second day, which is left, it is written, “And let it divide between water and water.” In regard to Korah, it is written, “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel?” Of the Levites, it is written, “At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi.” Thus, there is separation only on the second, the left.

55) If separation is on the second, why was separation said of Levi, who is Jacob’s third son? Instead, the separation should have been in Shimon, who is Jacob’s second son. Although Levi is the third one, in Jacob’s mind he is still the second, since Reuben is not considered the first among Leah’s sons, for at the time Jacob thought she was Rachel, and there is always separation only in the second. Then, after the separation was made in the second one, it is all as proper and whole as it should be, since through the separation, the lights clothe one another and are complemented by one another.

56) The separation that we do at the end of the Sabbath is to separate those forces that govern the weekdays from the Kedusha, which governs on the Sabbath. And at the end of the Sabbath, one side rises from the Hell in the form of an evil eye that wishes to rule in the world when Israel say the verse, “You establish the work of our hands.”

Explanation: There are two sides to the evil eye, the source of the whole of the Sitra Achra—right and left—as it is written, “Let a thousand fall at Your side, and ten thousand at Your right; it shall not approach You.” The right of the evil eye is in the number 1,000, and the left is in the number ten thousand. When meeting a person, their left is opposite the right of the person, and their right, opposite the left of the person, as it is written, “Only with your eyes will you look, and you will see the recompense of the wicked.” That is, when you look with your good eyes and distinguish between good and evil, you will see the recompense of the wicked.

And at the end of the Sabbath, the forces of Din begin to rule in the world, and the left side of the evil eye rises, the ten thousand who wish to rule in the world when Israel say the verse, “You establish the work of our hands.” It is so because the work of our hands is a holy covenant. Hence, when Israel say, “And establish upon us the work of our hands,” the holy covenant in completeness, the left side of the evil eye awakens to cling to the holy covenant to corrupt it. It comes out of that degree of the Sitra Achra, called “left,’ in regard to the number ten thousand, and wishes to mingle in the seed of Israel through their grip to the holy covenant, and rule over Israel to punish them.

57) Israel do an act of Mitzva with the myrtle and the wine and say the Havdalah [separation (between Sabbath and weekdays)], and the Sitra Achra parts from them. It is so because through action and words of Mitzvot, the intention of the heart awakens to know all the loathing and harm that extends from the transgressions, and all the life and goodness that extends to those who do His will. This is the separation, since then they necessarily part from the Sitra Achra and cling to Kedusha.

The Sitra Achra parts from Israel because according to the measure of acknowledgment of the harm in the bad way, so is the measure of removal of the evil from the man. That side becomes lower and comes to its place in Sheol [the netherworld], the place of Korah and his company. That is, he sinks in his origin and does not spread in the world. But since he is the left side, he cannot be removed completely until the end of correction. This is why it is written about the right side, “Let a thousand fall at Your side.” But in regard to the left, it does not write “Fall,” but rather, “And ten thousand at Your right; it shall not approach You,” since they will only be prevented from approaching, but will not be completely cancelled before the end of correction.

Likewise, here the Sitra Achra descends to her place in Sheol and is not completely cancelled, similar to the verse, “And they, and all that belonged to them, went down alive into Sheol.” But Korah and his company did not go down to Hell before Israel parted from them, as Moses told them, “Separate yourselves from among this congregation.” Here, too, the Sitra Achra does not go down to Hell at the end of the Sabbath, before Israel make the Havdalah with wine and myrtle and part from the Sitra Achra. Thus, it has been explained that the Havdalah at the end of the Sabbath is also similar to the Havdalah of Korah.

58) Separation [Havdalah] is always only in the second, which is the left line, for even the separation of the end of Sabbath is also to separate the Sitra Achra, who extends from the left line. In the beginning of the dispute—when Gevura and the anger that the left evoked in the dispute, before he quieted in moderation, and Hell was created in him—then all those angels that slander to their Master above, the Creator, the middle line, were created.

They slander his decision and lean toward the dominion of the left. For this reason, the fire burns them and they burn. Similarly, the rest of the angels, all those who idle away and have no sustenance, and who burn in fire, all those come out because of the fire of the dispute in the beginning, which was on the second day. Likewise, Korah, too, fell down and was burned in Hell, like those angels who burn in the river of fire. It is all in this manner—they extend from the beginning of the dispute that was in the fire of anger.

59) “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament.’” This means that he expanded expansion from one to the other, that the lower water expanded and divided from the upper water, and the upper water expanded and divided from the lower water through the firmament.

Bina is called water. KHB TM in the general water of Bina are the five letters Elokim [Aleph–Lamed–Hey–Yod–Mem]. “Let there be a firmament” means that the firmament will come in the middle of the water, in the middle of the five letters Elokim under the two letters Aleph–Lamed. The two letters Aleph–Lamed of Elokim, KH, would spread from the firmament upward in the upper water, Hassadim, and the three letters Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim, Bina and TM, would spread downward from the firmament in the lower water.

The two letters Aleph–Lamed of Elokim from the firmament and above, are the right part. Aleph–Lamed indicates the name of the Hesed, which is on the right. The name “great God” expanded and parted from the waters of Bina. That is, because the firmament, the name “great God” expanded there, from the firmament and above. It parted from the rest of the water, from the three letters Hey–Yod–Mem, to complete the name El, so the upper water and lower water would mingle in one another through that expansion.

In other words, by that the letters Aleph–Lamed from the firmament and above parted, and the letters Hey–Yod–Mem are from the firmament and below, so that the name El, Hesed, will receive additional completeness. At that time the letters Aleph–Lamed will reconnect to the letters Hey–Yod–Mem, to be included in one name, Elokim. His calling the two letters Aleph–Lamed of Elokim by the name “great God” is because they are from Bina, who is always considered GAR, implied in the name “great.” Likewise, The Zohar calls the three letters Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim “great” for the above-said reason.

The name El [Aleph–Lamed] expanded from Elokim, leaving the three letters Hey–Yod–Mem. These Hey–Yod–Mem expanded down from the firmament and became lower water, Yod–Mem–Hey. That is, the letters Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim that were previously connected to Bina in great God, and were upper water, now—through the firmament that was made in the middle of the water—these Hey–Yod–Mem were pushed and spread to the degree below them, ZON, where they become lower water, like the degree of ZON. At that time they lost the combination of Hey–Yod–Mem, and turned into the combination Yod–Mem–Hey. This is the expansion that he expanded in the second, expanded from the combination Hey–Yod–Mem into the combination Yod–Mem–Hey.

The upper water are Hey–Yod–Mem, as it is written, “That sea [Heb: Yam (Yod-Hey-Mem)] is great and wide.” Thus, the sea is the upper water, since great indicates Bina, who is always GAR. If the letters are reversed, Yod–Mem–Hey [Heb: Yamah (small sea)], it indicates that they are lower water. When the letters Yod–Mem–Hey were established, rising above the firmament once more, connecting with the name “great God,” and returning to the combination, “That sea is great,” then everything—El and “that sea”—became one whole, one name, Elokim. And that name, Elokim, expanded in three places, in the three points—Holam, Hirik, Shuruk.

60) Upper waters are males, lower waters are females. Initially, before they were corrected, the upper and lower waters were mixed together until they were corrected and parted from one another to distinguish about them that these are upper waters, those are lower waters, and to recognize that this is the name Elokim, Bina, that is the name ADNI, Malchut, this is the first Hey of HaVaYaH, Bina, and that is the bottom Hey of HaVaYaH, Malchut.

Commentary: Waters are the ten Sefirot of Bina. It is so because the ten Sefirot of Hochma are called “lights,” and the ten Sefirot of Bina are called “water.” In the verse, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water,” the firmament came and was placed in the middle of the water, under the letters Aleph–Lamed of Elokim, KH. Because of it, the three letters Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim, Bina and TM, fell to the degree below Bina, to ZON, and the Hey–Yod–Mem of Bina mingled with the Nukva de ZA and became lower water Yod–Mem–Hey like the Nukva de ZA, who is called Yamah.

Initially, the upper and lower waters were mixed together. Prior to the correction, the Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim, the upper, male waters, were mixed with the Nukva de ZA, Yod–Mem–Hey, the lower, female waters. Then they were corrected once more so the letters Hey–Yod–Mem were parted from ZA once again, rose up from the firmament, and connected with the letters Aleph–Lamed of Elokim, mingled in a single name, Elokim. Then the upper water, Hey–Yod–Mem, parted from the lower water, Yod–Mem–Hey, and it was recognized that the Hey–Yod–Mem are from the name Elokim, and the Nukva de ZA is the name ADNI. It was also recognized that the letters Hey–Yod–Mem are from the first Hey, Bina, and Nukva de ZA is the bottom Hey, Malchut.

Then it is written about them, “And God made the firmament.” This expansion took the name Elokim [God], meaning that the verse, “And God made,” indicates that that expansion of the Hey–Yod–Mem returned to Aleph–Lamed and together became the name Elokim and upper water, since Elokim is upper water and the name ADNI, Nukva de ZA, is the lower water.

“Made” implies correction and the end of the work, since now the diminution was reestablished, having been formed in the verse, “Let there be a firmament.” Also, the verse, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water,” indicates the beginning of the dispute, when the letters Hey–Yod–Mem of Bina fell to ZON and became the lower water, Yod–Mem–Hey. And the verse, “And God made the firmament” speaks of the end of the dispute, at the time of correction, when the letters Hey–Yod–Mem return to their degree and connect with the great God in Bina, becoming the name Elokim.

Thus, the letters Hey–Yod–Mem, the upper water, were recognized, and only the name ADNI, Nukva, remained for the lower water. And yet, because the waters are males, Hey–Yod–Mem, they were complemented through female waters, which are the Nukva de ZA. For this reason, the name Elokim of Bina expanded to the female waters, too, and the ZON received the same Mochin of Elokim, as well.

61) And although He divided on the second day between the upper and lower waters, as it is written, “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament,” the dispute between right and left, which are Aleph–Lamed Hey–Yod–Mem was not cancelled until the third day, Tifferet. The third day decided the dispute between right and left through the level of Hassadim that emerged on the Masach de TM, which are the third day. At that time the two lines, Aleph–Lamed Hey–Yod–Mem clothed in one another and both existed, as it should be.

Thus, although the upper water, Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim, returned to being upper water already in the second day, the dispute between the Hey–Yod–Mem and Aleph–Lamed was still corrected only by the third day, which is TM, lower water, and only by their level of Hassadim do Aleph–Lamed and Hey–Yod–Mem unite into a single name, Elokim. Therefore, the name Elokim expands to the lower water, TM, and they, too, receive those Mochin of Elokim, since any lower one that is corrected for a higher one is rewarded with all that measure of Mochin that he corrected for the upper one, as well.

And because of that dispute, although it is the sustenance of the world, it is still not written on the second day, “That it was good,” since the work had not yet been completed in it, due to the dispute explained in the verse, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it divide between water and water.” That is, Hey–Yod–Mem of Elokim fell to ZON and became lower waters, Yod–Mem–Hey. And although it became the sustenance of the world, for had they not fallen to ZON, it would not be conceivable that ZON and the souls of the righteous would have Mochin, still, because the correction was completed only on the third day, it was not said, “That it was good,” on the second day, for it cannot be said, “That it was good,” on an incomplete correction.

The upper waters and lower waters were mixed together and there were no offspring in the world until they were parted from one another and the upper waters and lower waters were each recognized separately. Then they made offspring.

62) And although the division between upper and lower waters was already present on the second day, there was a dispute between Aleph–Lamed, right, and Hey–Yod–Mem, left. Only the third day decided and equalized everything, connecting them in a single name, Elokim. The third day, ZA, is the name engraved in its carving, Hey–Vav–Hey, to equalize the upper waters, Bina, with the lower waters, Malchut. It is so because Hey–Vav–Hey is two letters Hey, and Vav in the middle. The first Hey is Bina, the bottom Hey is Malchut, and Vav in the middle is ZA, who comes to complement and illuminate in the two sides, above in Bina and below in Malchut.

Commentary: Since the Vav decided with its level of Hassadim in the two sides in Bina, Aleph–Lamed Hey–Yod–Mem, the Vav itself is rewarded with those Mochin, too, and gives them to the Nukva, who is Tifferet, and she equalizes with the first Hey. This mark is the fissuring of the waters of the Jordan, when the upper waters of the Jordan rose one move and did not descend to the Dead Sea, and they are the first Hey of HaVaYaH, Bina. the bottom waters of the Jordan, from Israel and below, descended to the Dead Sea, and are the bottom Hey of HaVaYaH, Malchut, while Israel, who are Vav de HaVaYaH, went in the middle, between the upper waters of the Jordan and the lower waters of the Jordan. It follows that Israel, who are Vav de HaVaYaH, receive from the first Hey and give to the bottom Hey.

63) Five times it is written, “Firmament,” on the second day, and the one who lives forever, Yesod de ZA, walks in them and leads the worlds with them. Commentary: The firmament is a Sium [end] made in the middle of each degree due to Tzimtzum Bet, for during the Katnut, it ends the degree below the Hochma, and takes Bina and TM outside the degree. At the time of Gadlut, it lowers the Sium below the Hochma back to the place of Malchut, and returns Bina and TM to the degree.

The one who lives forever, Yesod de ZA, in whom there is the force of his Sium, the Masach, goes with that Masach in his Yesod, and rises below the Hochma, ending there the degree in the firmament that divides between water, KH, and water, Bina and TM. It conducts in them, meaning that at the time of Gadlut, he lowers the ending Masach once more—his Yesod, the firmament—to the place of Malchut, and returns Bina and TM to the degree. Then he leads the worlds and gives them Mochin.

Five times it is written, “Firmament,” since all that is found in the whole is also found in the elements within it. Therefore, since there is a firmament that divides in the middle of the degree of ZA, there is also a firmament in each of the five Sefirot HGT NH in him, for each Sefira consists of ten Sefirot. For this reason, there is a firmament between them, dividing between KH and their Bina and TM, as in the whole of ZA. This is why they are five firmaments. But the ten Sefirot are essentially only five, KHB TM, which are called HGT NH in ZON.

They are all included in one another, and if that dispute of the middle line had not been settled, they would not have been mingled or established in one another. Commentary: Although there is a special firmament in each Sefira of ZA, still, all five firmaments are included in one another, since there is no wholeness of the Mochin except through the middle line, since on the right line, Hochma is missing, and on the left line, where there is Hochma, Hassadim are missing. This is why it is dark, for Hochma, too, cannot illuminate, since Hochma does not illuminate without Hassadim. Rather, only through the middle line were the lines included in one another and were completed in their illumination from one another.

By that, all five Sefirot of ZA and the five firmaments in them are mingled into one, since Tifferet, which is the middle line, unites the HG into one with him, and to that extent imparts to Yesod. And he unites the two lines NH into one, in a way that they all illuminate only because of their unification in the middle line.

Five firmaments are 500 years that the tree of life, ZA, clings to them, to bear fruit and offspring in the world. The tree of life, ZA, is 500 years apart, which is five firmaments that ZA inherits from Bina. The Sefirot of Bina are in hundreds, hence the five firmaments are considered 500 years. Through those five firmaments that ZA receives because of his decision in Bina, he imparts fruit and offspring—Mochin and souls—to the worlds, and all the waters of Beresheet, meaning all the kinds of Mochin that pour out and extend from Beresheet, who is AA, divide below him, through him.

Commentary: As ZA himself receives the Mochin from Bina only in five firmaments that separate and divide each degree in him into two—upper waters and lower waters—when ZA gives Mochin and souls to the worlds, they, too, divide and separate in the firmament that divides between upper waters and lower waters, like ZA, under whom and by whom they are divided. That is, they, too, divide into upper waters and lower waters, like him.

King David, the Nukva, receives everything from ZA and then dispenses everything to the lower worlds, BYA. The Nukva de ZA receives everything from ZA—both upper waters and lower waters. She takes the upper waters to herself, and dispenses the lower waters in BYA, to which the words, “And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude,” “You give it to them; they gather it,” and “She rises while it is still night and gives prey to her household,” imply.

64) When the dispute awakened because of the left, a haze of fire multiplied and intensified. The darkness and the fire come out and multiply in the dispute of the two lines, right and left. Spirits were born out of the haze and promptly congealed, remaining without moisture. Commentary: Hassadim are called “water.” Since the spirits are born out of the haze, which comes because of the dispute of the left over the right, who is Hassadim, the spirits were therefore born in complete dryness, without any moisture of Hassadim.

Those spirits were male and female, and various kinds of evil harm-doers were born and came out from them. Here is the intensification of the spirit of Tuma’a in all those strong spirits, and they are the Klipa of the foreskin, since the first male and female that came out and were born from the haze were not so evil, and Tuma’a was still not apparent in them because they were close to Kedusha. Rather, the spirit of Tuma’a had already grown in those spirits and harm-doers that were born to those male and female.

Those spirits grew in Tuma’a in the fierce harm-doers—one is called “echis,” and one is called “serpent”—and those two kinds became one. The echis gives birth to 70 years, and the serpent to only seven years. But when they join together everything returns to the seven years of the serpent. At that time the echis, too, gives birth to seven years, like the serpent, and they become as one species.

Thus, the Tuma’a does not exit from the Kedusha all at once, but in a manner of cascading by degrees. They correspond to the three degrees, ZA, Yesod, and Malchut de Kedusha, since the first male and female that came out of the mist of Kedusha, no Tuma’a was apparent in them yet, and they are the opposite of ZA de Kedusha.

But the offspring of those male and female, which are the echis and the serpent, are already complete harm-doers. The echis corresponds to Yesod de ZA, a male. His seven Sefirot are in tens, hence he gives birth to 70 years, corresponding to the seven Sefirot included in Yesod. The serpent corresponds to Malchut, whose seven Sefirot are in units, hence he gives birth to seven years, opposite the seven Sefirot included in Malchut, since the Sefirot of Nukva are units, of ZA are tens, and of Bina are hundreds. Finally, the echis descended to the degree of the serpent because in the Klipot, the Nukva overcomes the male. Thus, the echis returned to the number seven years, opposite the seven Sefirot of Malchut.

65) Thus, Hell is called by seven names, and the evil inclination is also called by seven names because the name seven indicates Malchut. And since Malchut de Klipot prevailed and everything returned to the seven years of the serpent, Hell, too, returned to the seven names, as did the evil inclination, corresponding to the seven Sefirot of Malchut, since she prevailed over all of them.

The Tuma’a spread from here to the world in many degrees, and it is all from the left, which is good and evil. This is the settling of the world, for because the echis descended to the degree of the serpent, the degrees of Tuma’a increased in the world because in truth, there can only be a Klipa opposite Malchut, on whom there was the Tzimtzum, and not over Yesod de ZA, who is from the first nine. The Klipa opposite Malchut is called a “serpent.” However, because of Tzimtzum Bet, when Malchut rose to the place of Bina, a grip for the Klipot was made opposite Yesod de ZA, too.

By that, the echis and the serpent joined together, and the echis returned to the seven years of the serpent. The Tuma’a of the serpent was also on the echis, who is from his root, opposite Yesod de ZA, against whom there is no gripping in the Klipot. Now, however, the Tuma’a was on the echis, too.

However, it is all from the left, good and evil, meaning from Malchut, who is left, good and evil. That is, that Tuma’a that multiplied opposite Yesod de ZA is not from Yesod, but only from Malchut, who mingled in it by the ascent of Malchut to Bina, and the Dinim in Malchut expanded to half of Bina and ZA below it, too. This is the settling of the world. That is, the expansion of Dinim of Malchut to ZA, which was done by the ascent of Malchut to Bina, was for the correction of the settling of the world, for were it not for the ascent of that Malchut, no Mochin would be received for the ZON, and the world would not be fit for inhabiting people.

This is the meaning of the holy name, engraved in 18 letters and appointed over the rains of good will, largess, blessing, and settling of the world. Commentary: Yod–Hey–Vav of HaVaYaH without the bottom Hey contains six combinations: Yod–Hey–Vav, Hey–Yod–Vav, Vav–Yod–Hey, Vav–Hey–Yod, Hey–Vav–Yod, and Yod–Vav–Hey, whose letters are 18. That name indicates the ascent of Malchut, the bottom Hey, to the first Hey, Bina, and she disappears. The name HaVaYaH remains there but in the three letters Yod–Hey–Vav, without the bottom Hey. In the combination, it is called the “18 letter name,” and were it not for the ascent of Malchut to Bina, it would not be possible to settle people in the world at all, as it is said, that that 18 letter name is appointed over the rains of good will, largess, blessing, and settling of the world.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Beresheet Alef – click)