6a (ו׳:א׳)

And even though these [luminaries] shine in this world by day and by night (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵלּוּ מֵאִירִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה), they bear no resemblance whatsoever to the level of the supernal light with which the Holy One Blessed Be He will, in the future, shine upon the Children of Israel (אֵין לָהֶם דִּמְיוֹן כְּלָל בְּמַעֲלַת הָאוֹר הָעֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר הקב״ה עָתִיד לְהָאִיר בּוֹ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And when Adam HaRishon was created, his light was greater than all the lights of creation (וּכְשֶׁנִּבְרָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הָיָה אוֹרוֹ גָּדוֹל מִכָּל אוֹרוֹת הַנִּבְרָאִים), such that the sun was ashamed before him (שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הָיָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִפָּנָיו), for the sun shines in this world, and the light of Adam HaRishon was from the light of the Holy One Blessed Be He (לְפִי שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מֵאִיר בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְאוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מֵאוֹרוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה הָיָה), which is the light of life (שֶׁהוּא אוֹר הַחַיִּים).

And when Adam sinned, that greatness and level were taken from him (וּכְשֶׁחָטָא אָדָם נִטְּלָה מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹתָהּ מַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה). And at the time of the redemption, the Holy One Blessed Be He will forgive the sin of Adam in the merit of the Redeemer (וּבִזְמַן הַגְּאֻלָּה יִמְחַל הקב״ה חֶטְאוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם בִּזְכוּת הַגּוֹאֵל), and then the souls will shine with the light of life, pure and clean from the damage they received from companionship with the body (וְאָז הַנְּשָׁמוֹת תִּהְיֶינָה מֵאִירוֹת בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים וּטְהוֹרוֹת וּנְקִיּוֹת מֵהַנֶּזֶק שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ בְּחֶבְרַת הַגּוּף), which contains [within it] Bo, Ruach, and Nefesh (אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ וְרוּחַ וְנֶפֶשׁ). Which are the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, through which the souls strayed from the straight path (שֶׁהֵם עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, שֶׁבְּסִיבָתָם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת נָטוּ מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר).

And until all the souls are complete, the coming of Mashiach ben David will be delayed (וְעַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶינָה כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שְׁלֵמוֹת יִתְעַכֵּב וְיִתְאַחֵר מִלָּבוֹא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד), as our Rabbis of blessed memory said: “Ben David does not come until all the souls in the body are completed” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: ״אֵין בֶּן דָּוִד בָּא עַד שֶׁיִּכְלוּ כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת שֶׁבַּגּוּף) (Yevamot 62a/Avodah Zarah 5a/Niddah 13b), meaning until they are whole, clean, and complete (פֵּרוּשׁ: עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶינָה תְּמִימוֹת, נְקִיּוֹת וּשְׁלֵמוֹת). And then the great light will shine for us-meaning, the Holy One Blessed Be He and not the sun and moon (וְאָז יָאִיר לָנוּ הָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁהוּא הקב״ה, וְלֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַלְּבָנָה), as the verse says: “You shall no longer have the sun for light…” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר) (Isaiah 60:19), and it is written: “The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold” (וְכָתוּב: וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה וְאוֹר הַחַמָּה יִהְיֶה שִׁבְעָתַיִם) (Isaiah 30:26), and it is written: “As the light of the seven days” (וְכָתוּב: ״כְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים)-the light that was created in the act of creation (אוֹר שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית). And in this He shows and proclaims the excellence and greatness of Yisrael (וּבָזֶה מוֹרֶה וּמַגִּיד מַעֲלַת וּגְדוּלַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל), by mentioning the increased radiance of the sun that shall be in those days (בְּהַזְכִּיר יִתְרוֹן אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם), and they shall shine, enjoying the radiance of the light of the Holy One Blessed Be He, to which there is no comparison (וְהֵם יַזְהִירוּ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נֶהֱנִים מִזִּיו אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה, שֶׁאֵין עֵרֶךְ אֵלָיו), as the verse says: “And Hashem shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God for your glory” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״וְהָיָה לְךָ ה׳ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וֵאלֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאֶרֶתֶךָ) (Isaiah 60:19), for then the light of Yisrael will be from His holiness (כִּי אָז יִהְיֶה אוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל מִקְּדוּשָּׁתוֹ). And the creation of the sun, moon, and stars was completed and concluded on the fourth day (וְנִגְמְרָה וְנִשְׁלְמָה בְּרִיאַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַלְּבָנָה וְהַכּוֹכָבִים בְּיוֹם ד׳); therefore it is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day” (לָכֵן כָּתוּב: "וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם רְבִיעִי) (Bereshit 1:19).

And until now no creatures had been created (וְעַד עַתָּה לֹא נִבְרְאוּ בְּרִיּוֹת) that would possess a living soul (שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בָּהֶם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). And this is because these four days (וְזֶה לְפִי שֶׁאֵלּוּ ד׳ יָמִים) are an allusion to the four elements (הֵם רֶמֶז לְאַרְבַּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת), and until the four elements were complete (וְעַד שֶׁהָיוּ אַרְבָּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת), it was not naturally possible for the created beings to receive the form of a living soul (אִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּטֶבַע הַנִּבְרָאִים לְקַבֵּל צוּרַת נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה).

Know (תֵּדַע) that it is written immediately after (שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּתוּב בַּסָּמוּךְ): “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living soul” (יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). And even though the world was created with ten utterances (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), the foundations of the created beings are four (יִסּוּדֵי הַנִּבְרָאִים הֵם ד׳), and through them they endure (וּבָהֶם יֵשׁ לָהֶם קִיּוּם).

And know (וְדַע) that the Holy One Blessed Be He (כִּי הקב״ה) created the world for the sake of Yisrael (בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל), and to him were given all ten Sefirot (וְלוֹ נִתְּנוּ כָּל עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת), and corresponding to them there were in the act of Creation ten utterances (וּכְנֶגְדָן הָיָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), and likewise Yisrael equals ten in Mispar katan [reduced numerical value] (וְכֵן עוֹלֶה יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲשָׂרָה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן).

And if you will say, if so why are only four mentioned? (וְאִם תֹּאמַר, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה לֹא הוּזְכַּר כִּי אִם ד׳) It is because the foundation of the world was placed upon four things (נֵאָמֵר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיִּסּוֹד הָעוֹלָם הוּשַׂם בְּאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים), and the rivers are mentioned as four (הִזְכִּיר הַנְּהָרוֹת אַרְבָּעָה) corresponding to four Sefirot (כְּנֶגֶד ד׳ סְפִירוֹת) which are hinted in Pishon and Gichon as we explained (שֶׁהֵן רְמוּזוֹת בְּפִישׁוֹן וּגִיחוֹן כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ).

Therefore, it was not necessary to mention more than four (לָכֵן לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעָה), which are of Yisrael Avinu (שֶׁהֵם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִינוּ), who is the foundation of the world (שֶׁהוּא יְסוֹד הָעוֹלָם), just as the four elements are the foundation of the world (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַרְבַּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת הֵם יְסוֹד הָעוֹלָם). And just as the verse included four Sefirot in two rivers (וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁכִּלֵּל הַכָּתוּב ד׳ סְפִירוֹת בִּשְׁנֵי נְהָרוֹת), which are Pishon and Gichon (שֶׁהֵם פִּישׁוֹן וּגִיחוֹן), so too in the four elements (כֵּן בְּאַרְבַּעָה יְסוֹדוֹת), even though they were all present in the act of Creation (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית), and from them all created beings were made (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים), only two were mentioned there (לֹא הוּזְכְּרוּ שָׁם כִּי אִם שְׁנַיִם), which are the earth and the water (שֶׁהֵם הָאָרֶץ וְהַמַּיִם), for the creation of all beings (לִבְרִיאַת כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים). And Pishon and Gichon contain ten letters (וּפִישׁוֹן וּגִיחוֹן יֵשׁ בָּהֶם עֶשֶׂר אוֹתִיּוֹת) corresponding to all ten Sefirot (כְּנֶגֶד כָּל עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת), even though each Sefirah acts its function on its own (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל אַחַת מִן הַסְּפִירוֹת פּוֹעֶלֶת פְּעוּלָתָהּ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ).

And likewise even though in the act of Creation there were ten utterances (וְכֵן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיוּ עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), through what was done in the two-namely, earth and water (בְּמַה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בִּשְׁנַיִם, שֶׁהֵם הָאָרֶץ וְהַמַּיִם)-beings were created into whom the Holy One Blessed Be He placed His spirit and His holy Neshamah (נִבְרְאוּ בְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ בָּהֶם רוּחוֹ וְהַנְּשָׁמָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה), as we explained above in Etz haChayim (Tree of life) (כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ לְמַעְלָה בְּעֵץ הַחַיִּים).

And now I will explain to you (וְעַתָּה אַפְרֵשׁ לְךָ) what is further alluded to in Tree of life and in the verse (מַה שֶּׁרוּמַז עוֹד בְּעֵץ הַחַיִּים וּבַפָּסוּק): “And Hashem Elohim said, Behold, the man has become like one of us to know good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever” (וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֱלֹהִים: הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע, וְעַתָּה פֶּן יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לָעַלְם) (Bereshit 3:22).