For the World of the Chariot

From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

The Torah is for this world…for Beriya – Creation

The first verse in the Torah literally reads 'In the beginning, G‑d created the heavens and the earth.' The verb in this verse, 'to create,' refers to the second of the four worlds, Atzilut ('emanation'), Beriya ('creation'), Yetzira ('formation'), and Asiya ('action').

The Torah does not [here] speak about the world of Atzilut, but rather about the world of Beriya. The Torah is therefore called 'the Torah of Beriya.' And therefore the Torah begins with the letter beit, for the alef (the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet) alludes to Atzilut [which is both the first world and begins with the letter alef], while the letter beit (the second letter) alludes to Beriya, which is [both] the second world and begins with the letter beit.

Not only does the verb in the first verse put us squarely in the world of Beriya, but this fact is alluded to also in the first letter of the Torah. In the words of our sages, 'all is according to the beginning.' This letter, beit, refers to the world of Beriya both because its numerical value is 2 and because it is the initial of the word Beriya.

It is also known that 'Imma nests in the [world of the] chariot.' (Tikunei Zohar 6,23a) This is another reason why the Torah begins with the letter beit, for beit is the first letter of bina.

The Divine chariot that figures in the vision of Ezekiel is identified with this world

It is stated in the Zohar that Abba nests in the world of Atzilut; Imma in the world of the chariot; Zeir Anpin in Yetzira, and Nukva d’Zeir Anpin in Asiya. Beriya is called here 'the world of the chariot' because the Divine chariot that figures in the vision of Ezekiel is identified with this world. The partzufim referred to here are the partzufim of Atzilut; the meaning is that Abba of Atzilut nests in Atzilut, while Imma of Atzilut descends and rests in Beriya, and so forth.

All this simply means that, although each world possesses its own array of ten sefirot (in the form of their respective partzufim), each world is nonetheless pervaded by an overall consciousness that is an expression of one of the partzufim of Atzilut. Abba is the partzuf of chochma, which is the consciousness of bitul ('self-nullification'); a person experiencing a flash of insight is not aware of himself but is rather absorbed totally in the experience of the revelation. This, overall, is the general consciousness of the world of Atzilut; the revelation of G‑d in this world is so great that it leaves absolutely no room for self-awareness.

Imma is the partzuf of bina, which is a consciousness of self-awareness. A person involved in understanding the implications, applications, and ramifications of an insight he has received is very aware of himself and the way he perceives the world; it is precisely this self-awareness that he uses to evaluate the effect of his insight. This self-awareness is what distinguishes the world of Beriya from the world of Atzilut. In Beriya, for the first time, there is such a thing as self-awareness or self-consciousness; the beings that exist in this world are aware of themselves as entities distinct from G‑d. The same paradigm applies to Zeir Anpin with regard to Yetzira and Nukva d’Zeir Anpin with regard to Asiya.

This is why the world was created in Tishrei, which is [an expression of the idea contained in the verse] 'His left hand is under my head.' (Song of Songs 2:6) For Abba is always [associated with] the right side, and Imma the left. The letters of the word for 'in the beginning' [bereishit, beit-reish-alef-shin-yud-tav] may thus be rearranged to spell 'on the first of Tishrei' [beit-alef tav-shin-reish-yud].

The holidays of Tishrei emphasize human effort… ascending heavenward

Although the world was created on the 25th of Elul, the crown of creation was the creation of man, who was created on the sixth day, or the 1st of Tishrei. The whole six-day creative process may thus be viewed as a preparation for what happened on the 1st of Tishrei, and therefore the world may be spoken of as having been truly or fully created in Tishrei.

Tishrei is the beginning of the cold half of the year, in contrast to Nisan, which is the beginning of the warm half. The holidays of Tishrei emphasize human effort, to crown G‑d king (Rosh Hashanah), to achieve atonement for man’s sins (Yom Kippur), to rejoice in G‑d’s protection, to achieve joy in His service, and unity in His people (Sukkot), and to elicit Divine revelation through the study of the Torah (Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah). The holiday of Nisan - Pesach - in contrast, emphasizes G‑d’s initiative (in taking us out of bondage). Thus, the cold half of the year (which we have to 'warm up' on our own) is characterized more by human effort ascending heavenward, while the warm half of the year is characterized more by G‑d 'taking over' and our simply being open and receptive to His leadership.

This dynamic in our relationship with G‑d is alluded to in the verse, 'His left hand is under my head, and His right hand will embrace me.' The left hand signifies gevurah, the Divine attribute of judgement and justice, while the right hand signifies chesed, the Divine attribute of loving-kindness. Tishrei and the half of the year it ushers in is thus clearly an expression of G‑d’s left hand (cf. G‑d as judge on Rosh Hashanah, etc.), while Nisan and its half-year are an expression of G‑d’s right hand.

This is also why [in the entire account of creation] the Name Elokim is mentioned 32 times. For the 32 pathways of Abba are 32 Names Havayah, while in Imma they are 32 Names Elokim.

It is stated in Sefer Yetzira (1:1) that there are 32 'pathways of chochma.' The simplest understanding of these pathways is that they are the ten sefirot and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, i.e., ideas and their means of expression. The two principle Names of G‑d, Havayah and Elokim, are associated with chochma and bina, respectively. This is because the Name Elokim, whose numerical value (86) is the same as that as the word for 'nature' (ha-teva, hei-tet-beit-ayin), signifies G‑d as He is manifest in nature, while the Name Havayah, being a combination of the words for 'was', 'is,' and 'will be,' signifies G‑d as He transcends nature (i.e., the limitations of time and space). Similar to what we said above, the experience of chochma is transcendent in nature, in which the individual is temporarily abstracted from the context of his own self-awareness, while the experience of bina is much more 'natural,' in which the individual is firmly positioned in the context of the limits of his own intellect.

Thus, when the revelation of Abba enters Imma, it is no longer represented by the Name Havayah but by the Name Elokim.

The word 'beginning,' [however,] refers to chochma, as in the verse 'the beginning of wisdom.' (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 4:7)

This phrase (reishit chochma) can poetically be taken to mean 'the beginning is wisdom.' Also, since chochma is the first conscious sefira (as opposed to keter, which is sub- or super-conscious), it can rightfully be called 'the beginning' of the sefirotic (and thus any) process.

Thus, although the first verse of the Torah seems to revolve principally around Beriya and Imma, it also contains an allusion to chochma (and thus to Atzilut).

This [double allusion to chochma and bina] may be seen in the beit, [the first letter] of bereishit ['in the beginning']. [The dagesh inside the letter] alludes to 'the point in its palace,' i.e. [the state in which] Abba and Imma are equal and together.

The insight of chochma...will disappear and be forgotten, [unless] integrated into the individual’s mental structures

The dagesh (point) inside the beit alludes to chochma, the 'point' or 'drop' of insight surrounded and encompassed by the three-line (i.e., three-dimensional) letter beit itself, alluding to bina.

As we have mentioned previously, chochma and bina have a 'symbiotic' relationship. The insight of chochma, if not processed by bina, will disappear and be forgotten, since it was not integrated into the individual’s mental structures. On the other hand, if bina is left to pursue its analysis unchecked, it is likely to stray far afield from the idea of the initial insight and arrive at spurious conclusions; it must therefore be-at least periodically-reviewed and compared with the original insight. The ideal condition, thus, is for chochma and bina to be constantly in a state of 'union,' i.e., mutual cross-fertilization. This is referred to in the Imagery of the Zohar as 'the point [i.e., chochma] in its palace [i.e., bina].'

Therefore Scripture uses the verb 'created,' alluding to Beriya, and the Name Elokim, which refers to Imma. Furthermore, the numerical value of the Name Elokim [alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem, 86] is the same as that of the word for 'the throne' [ha-kisei, hei-kaf-samech-alef], for 'Imma nests in the [world of the] throne,' as above.

These two words, 'created' and the Name Elokim, thus refer to Imma of Beriya: 'Created' - Beriya; Elokim - Imma, which nonetheless acts with the power of Imma of Atzilut that is vested in it. This is the meaning of Bereishit, 'in [i.e. with (the power of)] the beginning,' the word 'the beginning' referring to [Imma of] Atzilut. The meaning of the entire verse is thus:

In the beginning — i.e. with the power of Imma of Atzilut,

G‑d created — i.e. Imma of Beriya created,

the heavens — i.e. Zeir Anpin of Beriya,

and the earth — i.e. Nukva of Zeir Anpin of Beriya.

Thus we see, as the Arizal said above, this verse refers entirely to the world of Beriya.

[The Torah then proceeds to discuss] the elevation of the [seven] kings [of Edom] that died, for as is known, remnants of these 'kings' exist in every world.

The sparks of Tohu 'fell' into the subsequently created worlds of Tikun…

As we have discussed previously, the seven kings of Edom who are all referred to as having ruled and died allude to the midot of Tohu whose vessels broke. The sparks of Tohu 'fell' into the subsequently created worlds of Tikun (the four mentioned above), the most sublime elements remaining in Atzilut, the less refined falling to Beriya, the even less refined falling to Yetzira, and the least refined falling to Asiya.

This is the mystical meaning of the next verse, 'The earth was without form and void,' referring to the shattering of the vessels.

We must therefore read this verse as if the verb were in the pluperfect: 'the earth had been without form and void,' i.e., the world of Tohu had previously collapsed, losing its stability (form) leaving sparks in all the realm of Tikun, including the world of Beriya.

The next phrase, 'and the spirit of G‑d was hovering over the waters,' refers to the life force [i.e., 'lights,' of the world of Tohu] that the vessels could not receive.

chanoch adds:could not receive in a balanced way.

In Tohu, the lights were too intense and powerful for the vessels to contain; this is why they shattered, similar to the way someone who hears some idea or concept for which he is not prepared becomes disoriented or even suffers a nervous breakdown.

These lights that could not settle in their vessels remained therefore 'hovering' over them.

This is the mystical meaning of the crowns atop the letters; they allude to the light that hovers above them.

Letters are vessels, i.e., they themselves are the medium, not the message. The meaning they convey (either as single letters or when combined into words and sentences) is the 'light' inside them. However, there is also residual, subliminal meaning to the letters that originates from the source of the vessels in Tohu. This is alluded to in the Torah scroll by the crowns affixed to certain letters.

chanoch adds: This subject of the crowns on the letters is covered in detail in Rabbi Ashlag's writing of “ten Luminous Emanations Chapter 4 – 5. Up till now I have not had a request to study this material.

The next verse, 'G‑d said, ‘Let there be light',' refers to the supernal chesed, i.e., the eighth king, Hadar, through whom [the other seven kings] were rectified.

chanoch adds: There are some Kabbalists who teach that not all aspects of the 7 Kings have been totally corrected.

As we have explained previously, the world of Tohu was characterized by an overemphasis on strict judgement; this was rectified by introducing love and empathy into the fabric of creation. This resulted in the world of Tikun, the rectified version of Tohu in which all the sefirot could relate to each other harmoniously.

The first elements to be rectified were the refuse and 'shells,' just as we see that the shell develops before the fruit.

A vessel void of its light is an empty shell. The broken vessels of the sefirot of Tohu, which broke because of their excessive selfhood and judgement, fall and became the 'evil' embedded in the worlds of Tikun.

These elements were not 'evil' in the sense of being sinister; they simply expressed non-G‑d-consciousness and selfhood. As such, they became an absolutely necessary and crucial element in the creation of the subsequent worlds, for in order for there to be free choice, there must be an element of 'evil,' i.e., non-G‑d-orientation available as an alternative to holiness. This aspect of reality became more pronounced with each successive world, until, in our physical world, it became the dominant consciousness: the physical world is a given, G‑d must be proven.

chanoch adds: Each person must prove or disprove God for themselves. No one can prove God to another person.

In this sense, the 'evil' derived from the shells or refuse of the world of Tohu is analogous to the shell of a nut or skin of a fruit that develops on the tree before the fruit. Without the shell, the fruit would be exposed to the elements and thus unprotected would not endure. Similarly, without the a priori self-consciousness descended from the mentality of Tohu, there would be little, if anything, accomplished by the descent of the soul into the body or the creation of this world.

…for this reason that separating the unwanted from the desired is forbidden on the Sabbath

Thus it is written, 'Let the water swarm with living creatures,' (Gen. 1:20) and similarly the creation of all other aspects of life, until finally, on the sixth day, man was created-the food [inside the shell].

The creation of the physical and biological systems of the earth serve as the backdrop to the creation of man, the purpose of it all and through whom all these other elements find meaning.

It is for this reason that separating the unwanted from the desired [literally: the refuse from the food] is forbidden on the Sabbath, for this is the way the refinement of the world [in the process of creation] occurred.

One of the 39 forms of work prohibited on the Sabbath is 'separating' (borer), which also means 'refining' in the sense of separating and removing the undesirable aspects of something, leaving it purified from its dross or chaff. We are taught that the prohibition consists only of separating the unwanted from the wanted, not the wanted from the unwanted. For example, if there is a bowl of fruit in front of us containing both good and rotten apples, we may not, on the Sabbath, separate out the rotten apples in order to leave a bowl of good ones. Rather, we must select out the good ones (which we may then place in another bowl), leaving a bowl of rotten ones.

This is because separating the bad from the good is a weekday type of work, i.e., one of the types of work the characterized the six days of creation. As we see here, as the worlds were created, one after another, the coarsest refuse of the world of Tohu was separated out of the entire mass of sparks.

(We could Immagine the world as a spiritual fruit bowl, from which G‑d removes all but the finest 'apples,' placing the rotten ones in another bowl. The bowl of perfect fruit becomes the world of Atzilut. The second bowl now contains only grade B, C, and D apples. G‑d removes all the grade C and D apples from this bowl, which then becomes the world of Beriya, and puts them in a third bowl. The third bowl contains only grade C and D apples. G‑d removes the grade D apples, leaving a bowl of grade C apples, which becomes the world of Yetzira. The bowl into which the grade D apples have been placed is the world of Asiya.)

Similarly, in the six days of creation of this world, G‑d first created the lower types of creatures, the mineral world. To do this He had to separate out the lowest, coarsest elements from the creation-soup He had to work with from the first day. The creation-soup left was thus 'purified' from all the elements so coarse that only the mineral kingdom could be created from them. Next, G‑d separated out the coarsest elements remaining in the creation-soup, which resulted in the creation of the vegetable kingdom. The creation-soup was thus left purified of those elements so coarse that only vegetative life could be created out of them. Next G‑d separated out the anImmal elements, and finally, the choicest part left was the human.

(Notice that in both cases the bad is being separated from the good, the progression of creation in the cosmic realm is descending, while on the earthly level it is ascending.)

Separating the wanted from the unwanted, however, is permitted [even on the Sabbath], since this is not the way the world was created.

Separating this way does not therefore reflect the process of creation, which of course did not occur on the Sabbath. It is therefore not considered 'weekday' work, and is permitted on the Sabbath.

To be continued

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Sefer HaLikutim; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Creation: Hidden and Revealed

Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, was the original Torah.

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (from the Writings of the Ari as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital); translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton

In the beginning [in Hebrew, "bereishit", beginning with the letter beit] G‑d created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1)

Why did the Torah begin with the letter beit [the second letter of the alef-beit] and not with an alef [the first letter]? Why was the alef saved for the first letter of "Anochi" ["I"], the first word of the Ten Commandments?

The peshat of the Torah is its body, while the sod of the Torah is its soul…

[The fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit of "Bereishit"] teaches that the Torah has or contains two aspects: peshat (its simple or literal meaning) and sod (its deeper meaning).

The peshat of the Torah is its "body", while the sod of the Torah is its "soul". Its "body" corresponds to This World", while its "soul" corresponds to the World to Come. The important thing to know is that, although the complete revelation of the "soul" level of the Torah is reserved for the World to Come, this does not mean that "drops" or "inklings" of that deeper level are not accessible now.

The Torah…that the tzadikim learn in Gan Eden, is none other than its level of sod…

For the Torah in which the Holy One took delight [before creating the world], as well as the Torah that the tzadikim learn in Gan Eden, is none other than its level of sod. Indeed, the Torah studied in Gan Eden was the initial Torah.

Therefore, [the fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit] also teaches that the Torah [that we have here in the physical dimension] is the "second" Torah, the one that was enclothed [assumed the lower form of this world] and which is a "garment" for the initial Torah [its soul]. Again, for this reason the Torah begins with a beit, which itself is the second letter of the alef-beit.

[Our Sages cautioned (Chagiga 14b) that] we do not have permission to speak about what precedes alef, for this relates to questions such as: What is above? [What preceded this world?] What is below? Etc. Alef corresponds to the dimension of Atzilut, the "first" world, in that it precedes Beriya, the "second" world. This teaches that the Torah that we have comes from Beriya. Accordingly, it uses the word "bara" [Hebrew for "created"], since it is only up to this world [the level of Beriya] that we do have permission to speak. For this reason, the Torah begins with the letter beit.

Atzilut, and all the more so, anything that precedes it, in contrast, we may only contemplate, in thought [in Hebrew, "machshava"].

Atzilut thus corresponds to machshava. Beriya corresponds to oscillating thought [in Hebrew, "hirhur", the intermediate stage that takes place as we translate pure thought into words]. Yetzira corresponds to speech ["dibur"], and Asiya corresponds to deed ["maaseh"].

This set of correspondences is alluded to in the verse, "He saw it, and He declared it; He measured it; yes, and He examined it" (Job 28:27).

This verse in context: "A pouch of Wisdom is better than rubies… pure gold cannot be weighed against it. But whence does Wisdom come? Where is the source of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all beings, concealed from the fowl (angelic beings) of the heavens… G‑d understands the way to it; He knows its source. For He sees to the ends of the earth; He observes all that is beneath the heavens. When He fixed the weight of the winds, set the measure of the waters; when He set an ordinance for the rain, and a course for the thunder; He saw it, and He declared it; He measured it, yes, and He examined it. See, the fear of G‑d is wisdom. To shun evil is understanding" (Job 28:18-28).

chanoch adds: Below is a chart of correspondences.

--- Hebrew - Activity cited - Corresponding World - Related Sefira

"He saw" – machsava - pure thought – Atzilut – chochma

"He declared" - hirhur - oscillating thought – Beriya – bina

"He measured" – dibur - speech - Yetzira - tiferet or Zeir Anpin

"He examined" – maaseh - deed - Asiya – malchut

Alternatively, the reason the Torah begins with the beit of "bereishit" is because the letter beit is breached [open] on one side, and enclosed on three sides. In this sense, its form is like that of the world.

The intention behind this was that, if any man would think to declare himself a deity, people would challenge him to create [i.e. complete] the fourth "side" of the world. Caius Caligula is one such example.

Regarding Caius Caligula, we find in the Talmud: "It happened once that Shimon HaTzadik heard a Voice from Heaven issue forth from the Holy of Holies announcing, 'The enemy's decree [to place a statue of himself] in the Temple has been annulled.' At that moment, in another part of the world, Caius Caligula was slain and his decrees annulled. They noted down the time [when the Voice from Heaven spoke] and it tallied [with the time of Caligula's assassination]" (Sotah 33a; see Josephus, The Jewish War, Book II 9:1).

How great is the good that You have hidden away…

This breached side is none other than the tzafon, the north side of the world, as the verse indicates, "He stretches forth the north over tohu and suspends the earth upon nothingness" (Job 26:7). That is, the Blessed One placed the firmament over all the other directions - east, west and south - as a dome is placed over walls. Only over the breached north side of the world is the firmament suspended over nothingness.

Physical evidence for this [spiritual principle] may be found in the fact that ships wishing to travel from the north-east to the north-west cannot travel west along the northern border. Instead, they must take a long, round about route, traveling south along the eastern border, then west along the southern border, and then north along the western border, until they reach their destination in the north-west.

Clearly, if they could travel straight along the northern border, they would do so, for it is a much shorter route. Rather, that border is breached, like a city whose northern wall has been destroyed. Ships therefore cannot travel there.

Behold, the entire thickness of the Earth, compared to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean, is like that of a mustard seed. For the Atlantic Ocean is five hundred years deep [i.e. it would take five hundred years to span it by foot], whereas the thickness of earth is a mere seven years.

Kabbalistic tradition always clothed information about the hidden spiritual dimension in the "scientific" facts of that time. In the words of the Maharal of Prague: "The Sages did not concern themselves in the least with physical phenomena, but with [underlying spiritual] essence…" (Maharal, Beer HaGolah, Be'er HaShishi, p. 128).

[Note of the Ramchal, Maamar HaAggadot, Introduction to Ein Yaakov: Our Sages encoded much of the esoteric tradition that they had received in matters relating to nature or astronomy. In other words, they utilized the knowledge of nature and astronomy that was accepted among Gentile scholars of their time [in order to transmit hidden knowledge]. Thus, they never intended to teach the 'physical' facts concerning these phenomena, but rather to utilize these facts as garments or vehicles for esoteric secrets. One should therefore not think that they were wrong because a particular [scientific] model that they used is no longer accepted. Their intention was to clothe the hidden tradition in the accepted knowledge of their generation. That very tradition could have been clothed in a different garment according to what was accepted [as scientific fact] in other generations. And, in fact, the originator of that particular haggadic statement would have done so himself had he stated it in those other generations.]

Rav Chaim now returns to the original problem at hand, namely, the nature of the fourth, breached side of the world. In one sense, this side seems to be identified with evil, desolation, etc. On the other hand, he will now quote verses to the effect that there is another, extremely positive aspect to the north:

[In order to further clarify the nature of this breached north side of the world,] we can pit one verse against another. One verse states, "Evil will emerge from the north upon all the inhabitants of the land" (Jeremiah 1:14). From here, it seems that the north represents Gehinom.

Another verse, however, states, "How great is the good [i.e. the light] that You have hidden [in Hebrew, "tzafanta", from the same root as the word for 'north', 'tzafon'] away for those who fear You…" (Psalms 31:20). And another verse states, "Whose stomachs You fill from that which is hidden" (Psalms 17:14). The word "tzafon" in these two latter verses refers to Gan Eden, for it is there that the Hidden Good is stored away for the righteous. And another verse states, "I will say to the north, 'Give forth!'" (Isaiah 43:6), that is, in the Future, G‑d will tell the north ["tzafon", i.e. Garden of Eden] to yield all of its goodness to the righteous.

Gehinom and Garden of Eden are opposites. How can one word represent both? And what does this have to do with the breached side of the world?

Chesed is…associated with the element of water…

Rather, the truth is that "tzafon" [north] is the side of gevura and Isaac, just as "darom" [south] is the side of chesed and Abraham. Chesed is also associated with the element of water [which expands and spreads forth]. Similarly, Abraham did chesed for the whole world.

Isaac, on the other hand, embodies gevura and the element of fire, i.e. the tzafon [north side], of the world. [Gevura is the opposite of chesed; whereas chesed gives forth, gevura restrains.] For this reason, Isaac didn't want to bless Jacob. He didn't even want to bless Esau, except as a reward [i.e. in return for a kindness]. This is the meaning of what Isaac said to Esau: "Now take your sword and your bow, and go out to the field to trap me some game. Make it into a tasty dish, the way I like it, and bring it to me to eat. My soul will then bless you before I die." (Gen. 27:3-4)

The righteous who keep the Torah will be rewarded…

[The explanation for this seeming anomaly is this:] Just as Jacob and Esau both emerged from Isaac, so also the Garden of Eden and Gehinom emerge from the tzafon [north], breached side of the world.

Similarly, just as Gan Eden and Gehinom both preceded the world, so also did G‑d precede the Torah with the beit of "bereishit". In this way, He informed us that these two places that emerged from the breached northern side of the world, both preceded the world.

We know that Gan Eden preceded the world from the verse, "G‑d planted a Garden in Eden from before" (Gen. 2:8). Similarly, we know that Gehinom preceded the world from the verse, "For its hearth is ordained of old…G‑d's breath, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it" (Isaiah 30:33).

This, then, is the meaning of "Bereishit": [the letter] beit [meaning "two"] "Reishit" [meaning "beginnings"]. It thus reinforces the knowledge that the righteous who keep the Torah will be rewarded, while those who nullify and negate the Torah will receive their due punishment.

[ Likutei Torah, parashat Bereishit, (Chumash HaAri, Bereishit, p. 5-6); Adapted by Avraham Sutton]

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (from the Writings of the Ari as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital); translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton

Creation: Hidden and Revealed

Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, was the original Torah.

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (from the Writings of the Ari as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital); translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton

In the beginning [in Hebrew, "bereishit", beginning with the letter beit] G‑d created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1)

Why did the Torah begin with the letter beit [the second letter of the alef-beit] and not with an alef [the first letter]? Why was the alef saved for the first letter of "Anochi" ["I"], the first word of the Ten Commandments?

The peshat of the Torah is its body, while the sod of the Torah is its soul…

[The fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit of "Bereishit"] teaches that the Torah has or contains two aspects: peshat (its simple or literal meaning) and sod (its deeper meaning).

The peshat of the Torah is its "body", while the sod of the Torah is its "soul". Its "body" corresponds to This World", while its "soul" corresponds to the World to Come. The important thing to know is that, although the complete revelation of the "soul" level of the Torah is reserved for the World to Come, this does not mean that "drops" or "inklings" of that deeper level are not accessible now.

The Torah…that the tzadikim learn in Gan Eden, is none other than its level of sod…

For the Torah in which the Holy One took delight [before creating the world], as well as the Torah that the tzadikim learn in Gan Eden, is none other than its level of sod. Indeed, the Torah studied in Gan Eden was the initial Torah.

Therefore, [the fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit] also teaches that the Torah [that we have here in the physical dimension] is the "second" Torah, the one that was enclothed [assumed the lower form of this world] and which is a "garment" for the initial Torah [its soul]. Again, for this reason the Torah begins with a beit, which itself is the second letter of the alef-beit.

[Our Sages cautioned (Chagiga 14b) that] we do not have permission to speak about what precedes alef, for this relates to questions such as: What is above? [What preceded this world?] What is below? Etc. Alef corresponds to the dimension of Atzilut, the "first" world, in that it precedes Beriya, the "second" world. This teaches that the Torah that we have comes from Beriya. Accordingly, it uses the word "bara" [Hebrew for "created"], since it is only up to this world [the level of Beriya] that we do have permission to speak. For this reason, the Torah begins with the letter beit.

Atzilut, and all the more so, anything that precedes it, in contrast, we may only contemplate, in thought [in Hebrew, "machshava"].

Atzilut thus corresponds to machshava. Beriya corresponds to oscillating thought [in Hebrew, "hirhur", the intermediate stage that takes place as we translate pure thought into words]. Yetzira corresponds to speech ["dibur"], and Asiya corresponds to deed ["maaseh"].

This set of correspondences is alluded to in the verse, "He saw it, and He declared it; He measured it; yes, and He examined it" (Job 28:27).

This verse in context: "A pouch of Wisdom is better than rubies… pure gold cannot be weighed against it. But whence does Wisdom come? Where is the source of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all beings, concealed from the fowl (angelic beings) of the heavens… G‑d understands the way to it; He knows its source. For He sees to the ends of the earth; He observes all that is beneath the heavens. When He fixed the weight of the winds, set the measure of the waters; when He set an ordinance for the rain, and a course for the thunder; He saw it, and He declared it; He measured it, yes, and He examined it. See, the fear of G‑d is wisdom. To shun evil is understanding" (Job 28:18-28).

chanoch adds: Below is a chart of correspondences.

--- Hebrew - Activity cited - Corresponding World - Related Sefira

"He saw" – machsava - pure thought – Atzilut – chochma

"He declared" - hirhur - oscillating thought – Beriya – bina

"He measured" – dibur - speech - Yetzira - tiferet or Zeir Anpin

"He examined" – maaseh - deed - Asiya – malchut

Alternatively, the reason the Torah begins with the beit of "bereishit" is because the letter beit is breached [open] on one side, and enclosed on three sides. In this sense, its form is like that of the world.

The intention behind this was that, if any man would think to declare himself a deity, people would challenge him to create [i.e. complete] the fourth "side" of the world. Caius Caligula is one such example.

Regarding Caius Caligula, we find in the Talmud: "It happened once that Shimon HaTzadik heard a Voice from Heaven issue forth from the Holy of Holies announcing, 'The enemy's decree [to place a statue of himself] in the Temple has been annulled.' At that moment, in another part of the world, Caius Caligula was slain and his decrees annulled. They noted down the time [when the Voice from Heaven spoke] and it tallied [with the time of Caligula's assassination]" (Sotah 33a; see Josephus, The Jewish War, Book II 9:1).

How great is the good that You have hidden away…

This breached side is none other than the tzafon, the north side of the world, as the verse indicates, "He stretches forth the north over tohu and suspends the earth upon nothingness" (Job 26:7). That is, the Blessed One placed the firmament over all the other directions - east, west and south - as a dome is placed over walls. Only over the breached north side of the world is the firmament suspended over nothingness.

Physical evidence for this [spiritual principle] may be found in the fact that ships wishing to travel from the north-east to the north-west cannot travel west along the northern border. Instead, they must take a long, round about route, traveling south along the eastern border, then west along the southern border, and then north along the western border, until they reach their destination in the north-west.

Clearly, if they could travel straight along the northern border, they would do so, for it is a much shorter route. Rather, that border is breached, like a city whose northern wall has been destroyed. Ships therefore cannot travel there.

Behold, the entire thickness of the Earth, compared to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean, is like that of a mustard seed. For the Atlantic Ocean is five hundred years deep [i.e. it would take five hundred years to span it by foot], whereas the thickness of earth is a mere seven years.

Kabbalistic tradition always clothed information about the hidden spiritual dimension in the "scientific" facts of that time. In the words of the Maharal of Prague: "The Sages did not concern themselves in the least with physical phenomena, but with [underlying spiritual] essence…" (Maharal, Beer HaGolah, Be'er HaShishi, p. 128).

[Note of the Ramchal, Maamar HaAggadot, Introduction to Ein Yaakov: Our Sages encoded much of the esoteric tradition that they had received in matters relating to nature or astronomy. In other words, they utilized the knowledge of nature and astronomy that was accepted among Gentile scholars of their time [in order to transmit hidden knowledge]. Thus, they never intended to teach the 'physical' facts concerning these phenomena, but rather to utilize these facts as garments or vehicles for esoteric secrets. One should therefore not think that they were wrong because a particular [scientific] model that they used is no longer accepted. Their intention was to clothe the hidden tradition in the accepted knowledge of their generation. That very tradition could have been clothed in a different garment according to what was accepted [as scientific fact] in other generations. And, in fact, the originator of that particular haggadic statement would have done so himself had he stated it in those other generations.]

Rav Chaim now returns to the original problem at hand, namely, the nature of the fourth, breached side of the world. In one sense, this side seems to be identified with evil, desolation, etc. On the other hand, he will now quote verses to the effect that there is another, extremely positive aspect to the north:

[In order to further clarify the nature of this breached north side of the world,] we can pit one verse against another. One verse states, "Evil will emerge from the north upon all the inhabitants of the land" (Jeremiah 1:14). From here, it seems that the north represents Gehinom.

Another verse, however, states, "How great is the good [i.e. the light] that You have hidden [in Hebrew, "tzafanta", from the same root as the word for 'north', 'tzafon'] away for those who fear You…" (Psalms 31:20). And another verse states, "Whose stomachs You fill from that which is hidden" (Psalms 17:14). The word "tzafon" in these two latter verses refers to Gan Eden, for it is there that the Hidden Good is stored away for the righteous. And another verse states, "I will say to the north, 'Give forth!'" (Isaiah 43:6), that is, in the Future, G‑d will tell the north ["tzafon", i.e. Garden of Eden] to yield all of its goodness to the righteous.

Gehinom and Garden of Eden are opposites. How can one word represent both? And what does this have to do with the breached side of the world?

Chesed is…associated with the element of water…

Rather, the truth is that "tzafon" [north] is the side of gevura and Isaac, just as "darom" [south] is the side of chesed and Abraham. Chesed is also associated with the element of water [which expands and spreads forth]. Similarly, Abraham did chesed for the whole world.

Isaac, on the other hand, embodies gevura and the element of fire, i.e. the tzafon [north side], of the world. [Gevura is the opposite of chesed; whereas chesed gives forth, gevura restrains.] For this reason, Isaac didn't want to bless Jacob. He didn't even want to bless Esau, except as a reward [i.e. in return for a kindness]. This is the meaning of what Isaac said to Esau: "Now take your sword and your bow, and go out to the field to trap me some game. Make it into a tasty dish, the way I like it, and bring it to me to eat. My soul will then bless you before I die." (Gen. 27:3-4)

The righteous who keep the Torah will be rewarded…

[The explanation for this seeming anomaly is this:] Just as Jacob and Esau both emerged from Isaac, so also the Garden of Eden and Gehinom emerge from the tzafon [north], breached side of the world.

Similarly, just as Gan Eden and Gehinom both preceded the world, so also did G‑d precede the Torah with the beit of "bereishit". In this way, He informed us that these two places that emerged from the breached northern side of the world, both preceded the world.

We know that Gan Eden preceded the world from the verse, "G‑d planted a Garden in Eden from before" (Gen. 2:8). Similarly, we know that Gehinom preceded the world from the verse, "For its hearth is ordained of old…G‑d's breath, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it" (Isaiah 30:33).

This, then, is the meaning of "Bereishit": [the letter] beit [meaning "two"] "Reishit" [meaning "beginnings"]. It thus reinforces the knowledge that the righteous who keep the Torah will be rewarded, while those who nullify and negate the Torah will receive their due punishment.

[ Likutei Torah, parashat Bereishit, (Chumash HaAri, Bereishit, p. 5-6); Adapted by Avraham Sutton]

By Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (from the Writings of the Ari as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital); translation and commentary by Avraham Sutton

The Levels of the Creation of Man

Kabbalah explains the mystical dynamics of the creation of male and female and their fall.

From the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria; translated and edited by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky

The following is a continuation of an earlier installment, For the World of the Chariot, which we suggest the reader review before proceeding. See above.

One could ask: the [account of the] creation of Zeir Anpin and Nukva, as well as in the creation of mankind, is repeated. First, the Torah tells us that, “G‑d created the heavens and the earth,” referring to Zeir Anpin and Nukva. The [account of] the following seven days refers to the seven “extremities” of Zeir Anpin and Nukva, as is known.

Then, on the sixth day, the Torah tells us that “G‑d created the man in His image,” and further on that “G‑d formed man out of the dust of the earth,” interrupting these two accounts with [its description of what occurred on] the seventh day, as it is written, “And the heavens [and the earth] were completed….”

In the first account of Creation, the Torah mentions both male and female….

In the first account of Creation, the Torah mentions both male and female, while in the second account, in [G‑d’s] command [to create man], the female is not mentioned at all. If the command was to create only Adam, why was Eve created? We see that [even in the second account of Creation,] after the command, the female was created, for the Torah goes on to describe how “G‑d caused a deep sleep to descend upon the man…” and so forth.

We shall now explain this. From the primordial [world of] Adam Kadmon, the name Ab [the name Havayah spelled out to equal the numerical value of 72] was not manifest; only the name Sag [= 63] began to manifest via the Mouth, the Nose, etc. This is why [the Torah] begins with the letter beit, referring to the name Sag [being “second” to the name Ab].

When the name Sag issued forth [from Adam Kadmon], it was manifest as the vowels of the name Sag, this being the mystical meaning of the Primordial Kings [of Edom]. This is referred to by the phrase, “the heavens and the earth” which alludes to the Seven Kings that were broken. Since the letter hei alludes to the name Sag, the letter hei is prefixed [as the definite article] in “the heavens and the earth.”

chanoch adds: since the letter hai is a prefix to HaShamayim and to HaAretz the Ari tells us it refers to Creations prior to our worlds Creatioin. In my opinion the two hai's hintn to the Creation of 10 Kings of Edom – 2 of whichn are concealed. This is whyn thenTorah nspeaks of only 8 Kings ofn Edom – 7 who died and one who lives with hisn wife.

The definite particle [“et”] is used twice to allude to the Zeir Anpin and Nukva of Asiya within Atzilut after the rectification, for the root of all of them was here.

And since the primary fall occurred in Nukva, the Torah says that “the earth was chaos…,” focusing on her. Zeir Anpin is only alluded to [by the prefixed vav] in the word “and the earth was….”

The vessels that shattered descended to the level of the world of Beriya….