Chapter Three (פֶּרֶק שְׁלִישִׁי)

The point which the Ein Sof, may He be blessed, emanated within this Tehiru (הַנְּקוּדָּה שֶׁהָאֱצִיל אֵין־סוֹף יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּתוֹךְ הַטְּהִירוּ הַזֶּה), was filling all that hollow space (הָיְתָה מְמַלְּאָה כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַחָלָל), and no space was yet discernible (וְעֲדַיִין לֹא הָיָה נִכָּר שׁוּם מָקוֹם). The Yod returned and gathered the light (חָזְרָה הַיוֹ״ד וְקִבְּצָה הָאוֹר), in order that there be boundaries (כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵיוּ גְּבוּלִים), and there be empty space beside the sphere for the mystery of the surrounding light (וִיהִי מָקוֹם פָּנוּי אֵצֶל הַכַּדּוּר לְסוֹד אוֹר מַקִּיף), which are awesome Names, as we explained (אֲשֶׁר הֵם שֵׁמוֹת נוֹרָאִים כְּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ). And every return is judgment (וְכָל חֲזָרָה הִיא דִּין), and this is the mystery of the verse: “Let there be light, and there was light” (Bereshit 1:3) (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַפָּסוּק: "יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר"). At first it said, “Let there be light”, which is the light of the Emanator (בָּרִאשׁוֹן אָמַר "יְהִי אוֹר", שֶׁהוּא אוֹר הַמְאַצִּיל), great, radiant, and shining (גָּדוֹל מַזְהִיר וּמַבְהִיק), which was within the Tehiru (שֶׁהָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הַטְּהִירוּ). And this is the mystery of the inner light (וְהוּא סוֹד אוֹר פְּנִימִי), and its meaning is: Let there be light - let the light be strengthened (וּפֵירוּשׁוֹ: יְהִי־אוֹר - יִתְחַזֵּק הָאוֹר), just as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding “Let there be a firmament” - that the firmament should be strengthened (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אֵצֶל "יְהִי רָקִיעַ": יִתְחַזֵּק הָרָקִיעַ). Its explanation is: the light should strengthen and expand without end (פֵּירוּשׁוֹ: יִתְחַזֵּק וְיִתְפַּשֵּׁט הָאוֹר לְאֵין תַּכְלִית), and its concept is: these letters, from the worlds of Ein Sof, reproduce and multiply endlessly (וְעִנְיָנוֹ הוּא: שֶׁהָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה מֵעוֹלָמוֹת אֵין־סוֹף, הֵם פָּרִים וְרָבִים עַד אֵין־סוֹף), and therefore He is called Ein Sof (וְלָכֵן נִקְרָא אֵין־סוֹף), for He cannot be grasped by any vessel (שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִתְפַּס בְּכֵלִי), and He expands and continues endlessly - may He be blessed (וּמִתְפַּשֵּׁט וְהוֹלֵךְ לְאֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא), and they are filled (וּמִתְמַלְּאִים) from fullness to fullness (מִמִּלּוּי אֶל מִלּוּי) to an unsearchable and endless limit (עַד אֵין חֵקֶר וְקֵץ וְתַכְלִית). Therefore, there is a need for the existence of a vessel (לְכָךְ הוּא צָרִיךְ אֶל מְצִיאַת הַכֵּלִי), which encloses the inner light with His Names of judgment (הַסּוֹגֵר אֶת הָאוֹר פְּנִימִי בִּשְׁמוֹת הַדִּין שֶׁלּוֹ), so that it not go outwards (לְבַל יֵצֵא חוּצָה), and He must constrict Himself (וְהוּא מֻכְרָח לְצַמְצֵם עַצְמוֹ), and diminish His measure within this enclosure (וּלְהַקְטִין כַּמּוּתוֹ בַּהֶסְגֵּר הַזֶּה), in order that the worlds may be able to endure (כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הָעוֹלָמוֹת לִסְבּוֹל). But the surrounding light (אֲבָל אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף), encircles from above without enclosure or hindrance (סוֹבֵב מִלְמַעְלָה בְּלִי הֶסְגֵּר וְעִכּוּב), for we have no portion in it now in this world (כִּי אֵין לָנוּ חֵלֶק בּוֹ עַתָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), until after the resurrection (עַד אַחַר הַתְּחִיָּה), when sin will be finished from the earth (שֶׁיִּתַּמּוּ הַחֲטָאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ). For the sins (כִּי אֵין לָהֶם לַחֲטָאִים) have no portion in it (חֵלֶק בּוֹ), since the corruption of deed does not damage it (מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין קִלְקוּל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה פּוֹגֵם בּוֹ), and we receive no shefa from it (וְאֵין לָנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁפַע), only it is (רַק הוּא), the light surrounding (הָאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף), that guards the vessel so that it should not break, Heaven forbid (שׁוֹמֵר אֶת הַכֵּלִי שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁבֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם). And the existence of the vessel is a small degree of opacity (וּמְצִיאוּת הַכֵּלִי הוּא מְעַט עֲכִירוּת), and it is not as radiant as the inner light (וְאֵינוֹ בָּהִיר כָּל כָּךְ כְּמוֹ הָאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי), which is white Chesed (שֶׁהוּא חֶסֶד לָבָן), and the vessel is darkness and blackness (וְהַכֵּלִי הוּא חֹשֶׁךְ וְשָׁחוֹר), which is judgment (שֶׁהוּא דִּין). And especially in the world of Tohu (וּבִפְרָט בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), which was built from the return (שֶׁנִּבְנָה מֵהַחֲזָרָה), which is the cause of judgment (שֶׁהִיא סִבַּת הַדִּין), the existence of the vessel (מְצִיאוּת הַכֵּלִי). Therefore it said: “And there was light” (לָכֵן אָמַר: "וַיְהִי אוֹר"), implying that the light returned to withdraw (מִכְּלַל שֶׁחָזַר הָאוֹר לְהִסְתַּלֵּק), by the mystery of the return of judgment (בְּסוֹד חֲזָרַת הַדִּין). And it also hints to the existence of the enclosure (וְגַם רוֹמֵז עַל מְצִיאוּת הַהֶסְגֵּר), that encloses the inner light (שֶׁסּוֹגֵר אֶת הָאוֹר פְּנִימִי), which must constrict itself and diminish itself (שֶׁמֻּכְרָח לְצַמְצֵם עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַקְטִּין אֶת עַצְמוֹ), and not shine as before (וְלֹא לְהָאִיר כְּמוֹ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה). Therefore it said: “And there was light” (לָכֵן אָמַר: "וַיְהִי אוֹר") - light that had already been (אוֹר דְּכְבָר הֲוָה), and not afterward when the existence of the vessel was made (וְלֹא אַחַר כָּךְ שֶׁנֶּעֱשֵׂית מְצִיאוּת הַכֵּלִי), and it is not able to shine as at first (וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהָאִיר כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה), and the hindrance is the existence of the vessel, which is a small degree of opacity (וְהַמְּנִיעָה הִיא מְצִיאוּת הַכֵּלִי, שֶׁהִיא מְעַט עֲכִירוּת). And there is in this a good gem of insight (וְיֵשׁ בָּזֶה פַּרְפֶּרֶת טוֹבָה): “Yehi Ohr” is the gematria of 232 (גִּימַטְרִיָּא רל״ב), that is, the Names A”B, S”G, M”H, and B”N (דְּהַיְנוּ ע״ב ס״ג מ״ה ב״ן), which include 231 alef-bet combinations (הַכּוֹלְלִים רל״א אַלְפָּא בֵּיתוֹת), and from this came the existence of the inner light (וּמִמֶּנּוּ הָיְתָה מְצִיאוּת הָאוֹר פְּנִימִי). “VaYehi Ohr” is the gematria of 238 (וְ"וַיְהִי אוֹר" גִּימַטְרִיָּא רַח״ל), the departure of the Shekinah (סִילוּק שְׁכִינָה), by the mystery of the return, which is judgment (בְּסוֹד חֲזָרָה שֶׁהִיא דִּין). And the verse had no need to say “VaYehi” (וְלֹא הָיָה הַכָּתוּב צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר "וַיְהִי"), except to awaken us to the concealment of the first light (אֶלָּא לְהָעִירֵנוּ עַל גְּנִיזַת הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן), for the light of that point was diminished (כִּי נִתְמַעֵט אוֹרָהּ שֶׁל אוֹתָהּ נְקוּדָּה), and a slight blockage was renewed in it (וְנִתְחַדֵּשׁ בָּהּ קְצָת אוֹטֵם), and that is the existence of the vessel (וְהוּא מְצִיאוּת הַכֵּלִי), that removed some of the light in that place (שֶׁסִּלֵּק מִקְצָת הָאוֹר בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה), and this became the cause of it (נִתְהַוָּה הַגּוֹרֵם אֵלָיו).