Let There Be Light

28) “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” This is the beginning to finding the secrets to how the world was created in particular. Thus far, the creation of the world was mentioned in general, in the verse “In the beginning God created.” Afterwards, the general returned to being general, and particular, and general.

Commentary: First, the creation of the world is mentioned in general, in the first verse “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” No details were mentioned regarding how the heaven and the earth were created. Yet, afterwards, all the details of the work of creation were mentioned, from the first utterance, “Let there be light,” through the verse “And God saw all that He has made, and behold, it was very good. And the heaven and the earth were finished.” Thus, now the general, the first verse, was made into general, and particular, and general, since the verse “In the beginning” is the first general, and from the words “Let there be light” onward, they are the particular, and the words “And [God] saw” is the last general.

29) Thus far, everything was hanging in the air, which is imparted from Ein Sof. Yet, we could ask, But it is already written, “And the earth was Tohu veBohu [unformed and void],” which is a part of creation, and not the whole, since thus far, it was all hanging in the air, for there was only the level of air in the world, ZA, the light of NR in the vessels of KH, as it is written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the water.” Thus, this is still not regarded as creating the world in particular, for GAR is missing. Rather, it is considered that creation is still included in Ein Sof, that it did not become disclosed yet.

When the force expanded through the upper palace, who is Elokim, an utterance is written in regard to him, “And God said.” The upper palace, YESHSUT, is the second palace of AA. First, the palace came out of Rosh of AA, which is Asher, a Rosh that emerged from Resheet, and YESHSUT is the name Elokim, where five letters are KHB TM. And when he departed Rosh of AA, only two letters MI of Elokim remained in him, the level of air in vessels of KH, which are MI. Then the name Elokim did not illuminate in the palace, for it missed the letters ELEH of Elokim. Subsequently, through a higher illumination, the three letters ELEH were brought back to YESHSUT, and the name Elokim was completed once more, illuminated in the palace, and the level of GAR emerged in it.

When the force expanded through the upper palace, when the three letters ELEH returned to the palace, Elokim, which is the completion of the five letters of Elokim. An utterance is written in it. The word “And [God] said” is written in it, which means a coupling for bestowing GAR. This is the first part of the creation of the world, since previously, the word “And [God] said,” which is a part, was not written. And although the verse “Beresheet” is also an utterance, which complements the ten utterances in the work of creation, “And [God] said” is not written in it, for it is a general. “And [God] said” is a particular. Thus, the words “And God said, ‘Let there be light’” is the beginning of the particulars [details] in the creation of the world.

30) “And [God] said” is poised for a question and for knowing. It is so because “And [God] said” has the letters of MI Ohr [in Hebrew], which indicate a question. This is Partzuf YESHSUT, of which it was said that it is MI, which is poised for a question, unlike upper AVI, from whom these Mochin are not extended because they are not poised for a question, as they are AVI that is not known.

“And [God] said” indicates a force that was lifted in a swing, and the swing was in a whisper. “And [God] said” is Aba, Elokim is Ima, meaning lower AVI, YESHSUT. You already know that the emergence of Mochin of Gadlut is by returning the letters ELEH of Bina from the place of ZON to Bina, to complement the name Elokim.

“And [God] said” indicates the force that was lifted with a swing, which swung the letters ELEH from the place of ZON to the place of Bina because this swing was done by the illumination of Aba, implied in the word “And [God] said.” And the swing that the illumination of Aba makes is done in secret, in a whisper. That is, the illumination of Hochma is not known outside of him, but the light is hidden in his place because of lack of light of Hassadim, for Hochma does not illuminate without a clothing of light of Hassadim.

The light is extended from Ein Sof at the Rosh of the thought, in the essence of Bina, in her GAR, which is called “the head of the thought,” and not to the ZAT of the thought. It is so because GAR can receive the light of Hochma without clothing of Hassadim, hence the light expands in them although there is no Hassadim there. But ZAT cannot receive the light of Hochma without clothing in light of Hassadim, so because the light of Hassadim is lacking there, the light of Hochma cannot spread in them.

“And God said” means that now that palace has begotten the holy seed, with which she was previously impregnated. The palace is Bina, called YESHSUT. The holy seed are ZON. Now, once Aba, who is “And [God] said,” swung the letters ELEH and returned them to Ima, MI, and the letters of Elokim were completed in her, Ima, the palace, delivered ZON, which adhere to the letters ELEH, with which she was impregnated.

It is so because since the letters ELEH were fallen in the degree of ZON during the exit of Bina from the Rosh, they became one degree with the ZON. It is so because the rule is that the upper one who descends to the lower one becomes like him. Likewise, the lower one who rises to the upper one becomes like him. Therefore, when the illumination of Aba swung the letters ELEH to the place of Bina, ZON—who were attached to them as one degree—rose with them, and ZON connected to Bina, as well. It is considered that Bina was impregnated with ZON because ZON clung to her and became a holy seed to her, for when they are attached to her, they receive Mochin of holiness from Aba, like Bina herself. This is the meaning of the fetus, who eats what its mother eats.

Bina delivered ZON in a whisper, and the one who was born was heard outside. This seems perplexing, since her delivering is the same matter as the one who was born. And if she gave birth in a whisper, then the newborn was not heard outside.

Yet, there are two births here: 1) The birth of the Mochin for ZON while they are still inside Bina. 2) The birth of ZON to bring them out of the place of Bina, into their own degree.

Indeed, the birth of the Mochin—made by the swinging of the letters ELEH to the place of Bina, when Bina returns to Rosh of AA—is considered illumination in a whisper, without expansion outwards for lack of Hassadim. And was said, that she gave birth in a whisper relates to the birth of the Mochin.

However, the birth of ZON themselves, and their exit from the place of Bina to their own place, was done by the coupling of Bina on the screen of ZON, which elicits the level of Hassadim to clothe the light of Hochma in Hassadim. At that time, she delivers the ZON and lowers them to their own place. And now that the Hochma has clothed in Hassadim, the Mochin are heard outside, meaning they have expansion.

The one who gave birth to ZON gave birth to him in a whisper; it was not heard at all. This relates to the birth of Mochin for ZON while they are inside Bina, for then they are in secret. When ZON depart from Bina, a voice that is heard outside is made, and this relates to the exit of ZON from Bina to their own place, which was done after the elicitation of the level of Hassadim on the screen of ZON, when the level of Hochma clothes in Hassadim and she has expansion outward to illuminate in the lower ones.

We should know that the whole cause of the birth of ZA and his exit from Bina is the coupling on screen of ZA to extend the level of Hassadim in a way that the clothing of Hochma in Hassadim and the birth of ZA come as one. It is so because by that coupling, it becomes apparent that the degree of ZA does not belong to Bina, and the disparity of form is considered “birth.”

31) “Let there be light.” Anything that comes out and is emanated in the worlds comes out in that verse “Let there be light.” That is, the ways of the work of the coupling, explained in the verse “Let there be light,” work the same way in the emanation of the Mochin of all the degrees.

The word Yehi [Let there be] implies AVI, Yod-Hey of Yehi [comprised of Yod-Hey-Yod]. Yod implies Aba, Hey implies Ima, meaning lower AVI, which are called YESHSUT. After the letters Yod-Hey in the word Yehi, he wrote a dot again, Yod, like the first Yod, as it is written, Yehi, to be a beginning for an expansion into something else.

It is so because the Yod that is placed at the end of the word Yehi, after AVI, which are Yod-Hey, hints that that Yod entered the light of AVI, who became the level of Avir [air], since the letters ELEH of Elokim fell from them and descended to the place of ZON, leaving only MI of Elokim in them, Ruach.

For this reason, AVI diminished and received a Yod in their light. By that, a beginning for expansion of the Mochin to another Partzuf was made, ZON, for because of their diminution, the letters ELEH descended to ZON. Later, when the words ELEH are returned to them, ZON rise along with them and receive Mochin from them. Thus, because of the entrance of the Yod to the light, Yod-Hey, which became Avir [air], a beginning was made for expansion of the Mochin for ZON, of whom it is written, “Let there be light.”

32) The words Ohr [light], Yehi Ohr [And there was light] are not renewal of light, but a return of the light that AVI had already had, since the Yod, who diminished the light of AVI into Avir, departed there once more, and the light returned to AVI as it was in them before they diminished.

The expansion of the light of “Let there be light” is an expansion that expanded and was split in the concealment of the upper, hidden AVI, AA. Thus, there is really no new HaVaYaH here, but the wholeness that existed before it was split reappeared.

First, he split the ten Sefirot of AVI and brought out of himself a single, hidden dot. This is because Ein Sof split the ten Sefirot of AVI with his own Avir and disclosed that dot, Yod, which was given in the light of AVI, who also became Avir.

Commentary: That light is not light of Hochma of AA, but the light of Bina of AA, for when she was in Rosh AA, Bina was also considered Hochma, and once the Hochma of AA took her out from the Rosh to his Guf, she became VAK without GAR, Hochma.

At that time, Bina is regarded as her ten Sefirot being split because her GAR of lights departed from her NRNHY, and the lower vessels—Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut—divided from her degree and descended to ZON, and only vessels of KH with light of NR remained in her. This is regarded as splitting in the vessels, and the air in the light that was in her. That Bina of AA is clothed inside AVI, which are implied in the Yod-Hey of Yehi, so that anything that AA wishes to give to AVI, he does it in his own Bina first, and what is given into his Bina is given to AVI.

For this reason, first he split the ten Sefirot of vessels that Bina had while she was in Rosh AA, who elevated the screen to the vessel of Hochma and made a coupling there. By that, the three vessels—Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut—were split and descended from Bina into ZON, and he elicited a single hidden dot out of himself. By that, he elicited in Bina a hidden dot, Yod that entered the light that she had, and her light had turned into Avir, since the GAR—Neshama, Haya, Yechida—departed from her and she remained only in the level of NR, air, from his own secret, his VAK, since a secret is the posterior phase of the light of Hochma, VAK without GAR.

Thus, Ein Sof was split from his own air because AA first made a coupling on the screen below his own Hochma. By that, he took Bina out, from Rosh to VAK, the three vessels—Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut, ELEH of Elokim—divided from her, and only vessels KH, MI of Elokim, remained in her. He disclosed the dot of Yod in the light that she had, and the light became air. This act of AA is called “a seed of silk.” He calls AA Ein Sof because every emanator is considered Ein Sof because he only emanates with the light of Ein Sof in him.

Afterwards, AA returned and lowered the screen below the Hochma to the place of Malchut, by which the three vessels—Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut—were brought back to the degree of Bina, as well as the complete light of NRNHY of lights. At that time, Yod expanded and departed from her Avir, since once the Yod departed from the hidden Avir, the Avir returned to being light, meaning a light complete with NRNHY, light of Hochma. Thus, when AA wishes to impart the Katnut to AVI, he inserts the Yod into his light and becomes Avir. And when he wishes to give them Mochin of Gadlut, he lowers the Yod from the Avir once more and becomes light.

33) When the first dot of AA, Yod, is found, his light appeared on her in the form of reaching and not reaching. When the dot expanded, the light that remained from the air was revealed. Once The Zohar explained the ways of elicitation of Mochin of Katnut and Gadlut in Bina of AA himself, here he explains the order of imparting Mochin to AVI. He divides them into three phases, which are three dots: Holam, Shuruk, Hirik.

1) Holam: When there was the first dot of AA, Yod, before the Yod departed from the Avir, his light appeared on her in the form of reaching and not reaching. AA was illuminating to Bina at the dot of Holam above the letters, which are the vessels of Bina. Hence, the light reached Bina in the form of reaching and not reaching—reaching with Hassadim, and not reaching with Hochma. This is so because the light of Hochma remained in Rosh AA and did not reach Bina, who went out, to Guf AA, to VAK.

2) Shuruk: When the dot, Yod, expanded and came out of Avir, the light of Hochma went out, and it is the word Ohr [light] that remains after the exit of the Yod from the word Avir. This is the light that was initially in Bina while she was in Rosh AA, and which disappeared with her exit from the Rosh. Now he has returned to her and exists in her. It is written about it, “And there was light,” indicating that there is no novelty in reality here, but it is the light that was already in Bina.

The light departed and was concealed because when the light departed, along with the return of Bina to Rosh AA, after the coupling on the screen in the place of Malchut came down, and she raised the three letters ELEH to her degree, along with the ZON that were attached to them, the light of Hochma departed and did not clothe in the letters ELEH, or in ZON that were attached to them in an Ibur [conception], due to lack of clothing of Hassadim. Instead, it was hidden at the dot of Shuruk because the light of Hochma did not depart from them, but they could not receive it although it was clothed in their vessels, since they lacked the garment of honor that shines.

For this reason, it is considered that the light shines in concealment. Hence, one dot remained in Bina, where the Hochma always reach with their vessels—the dot of Shuruk, where Hochma always reach in a concealed way.

3) The Hirik reaches and does not reach. It reaches in Hassadim, and does not reach in Hochma. It illuminates in it as in the illumination of the first dot from which it came out, through the coupling that was done on the dot of Hirik from the ZON that are attached to the letters ELEH. That dot of Hirik illuminates in him like the illumination of the first dot from which it came out. She extends the level of VAK in Bina the way AA illuminated in her while she was a dot of Yod in her air, light of Hassadim.

At that time, they cling to one another. The light of Hochma from the dot of Shuruk clothes in light of Hassadim from the dot of Hirik, and they illuminate together. They illuminate in one and in the other. It follows that YESHSUT illuminates in the two dots together, in light of Hochma, and in light of Hassadim, and YESHSUT is completed with complete Mochin in four colors HB HG, since they received HB from Rosh AA, and received HG through the coupling on the dot of Hirik.

34) When Partzuf AVI ascends to Rosh AA and receives there the Mochin of the three dots, all rise and unite with him. ZON, too, which are attached to the letters ELEH of AVI, rise with AVI and receive these Mochin from them. The Zohar explains the correction of lines in the vessels of ZON, for after it explained the order of expansion of Mochin in regard to the lights, in the three corrections—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—it comes to explain the order of expansion of the Mochin in regard to the vessels, which are called “three lines,” right, left, and the middle, which decides between them.

There are many appellations to the ten Sefirot, according to their relations. In regard to the clothing of the lights in the vessels, the ten Sefirot are called KHB TM or HGT NHYM. In regard to the vessels, the ten Sefirot are called twenty-two letters. Accordingly, there should have been five letters KHB TM or seven letters HGT NHYM, so why are they twenty-two letters? It is so because the letters extend from the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM of AVI.

Also, since there are three phases in their Mochin—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—three kinds of expansion of seven vessels extend from them: 1. Seven vessels extend from the dot of Holam. These are considered right line. 2. Seven vessels extend from the dot of Shuruk, and these are considered left line. 3. Seven vessels extend from the dot of Hirik, and these are considered middle line. Together, they are twenty-one vessels.

Yet, at the dot of Hirik there is another phase to the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM of AVI, which is the screen of ZON. This is why that phase is regarded as a vessel, as well, hence they are twenty-two vessels, and they are the ones called “twenty-two letters.” Thus, the twenty-two letters are the same as ZAT, but in regard to the vessels themselves, the Sefirot are called “letters,” and they are twenty-two because of the correction of the three lines in them.

When Partzuf AVI ascends to Rosh AA, everyone ascends and unites with him. At that time, he is in the form of “reaching,” GAR, and is hidden in the place of Ein Sof, which is AA, and everything becomes one. Commentary: When Partzuf AVI ascends to AA, he becomes “reaching” with light of Hochma, like AA. However, the light does not spread below but is concealed in the place of AA due to lack of clothing of Hassadim. This is the dot of Shuruk.

All three dots become one, and the two dots—Holam, Hirik—which were initially in the form of reaching and not reaching, VAK, have now become GAR due to their unification into one with the dot of Shuruk. Therefore, the dot that was in the light and made it into Avir, the dot of Holam, is now complete light that became GAR due to her unification with the Shuruk.

Light of ZAT, HGT NHYM of AVI, expanded from the dot of Holam, and seven letters of the alphabet illuminate in this expansion since the letters are the vessels. Also, seven Sefirot HGT NHYM of AVI expand from the dot of Holam, and seven vessels, called “seven letters,” were established in the right line of ZON. They are regarded as right because the dot of Holam is always considered light, as its essence is Hassadim, and any light is right.

The vessels did not congeal yet and were still moist, since a moist substance indicates having no strong boundary, for when moist things meet, each mingles in the other’s boundary. But when the moist congeals and becomes solid, its boundary becomes strong and protected, and should it encounter another solid matter, it will not permeate its boundary whatsoever, and likewise with the other in it. Hence, the vessels did not yet congeal but were moist, meaning they did not guard their boundary, which is the boundary of the right, but were still mingled with the other lines.

Subsequently, darkness came out, and seven other letters of the alphabet came out in it because the expansion of illumination of ZAT of AVI from the dot of Shuruk is regarded as exit of the darkness, since the Hochma in it is without Hassadim and does not illuminate. After the expansion of seven Sefirot—which are seven letters—from the illumination of the dot of Holam into the right line of ZA, darkness came out. This is the expansion of seven Sefirot from the dot of Shuruk, and seven other letters, which are seven vessels, came out in this expansion of the darkness, becoming the left line of ZA.

Afterwards, the firmament came out and ended the dispute of the two sides. Once the two lines—right and left of ZA—came out and were extended, each in seven letters, a dispute occurred between them: each of them wished to maintain its dominion over ZA and revoke the other’s dominion, since each of them had a unique merit that did not exist in the other. The right line has a merit, as it is all light, illuminating from a never-ending coupling in upper AVI. It wished to cancel the left line, darkness. Similarly, the left line has a merit because it is light of Hochma, which is much higher than the light of Hassadim on the right, so it wished to cancel the illumination of the right. The letters were thrown from mercy to judgment‎, and from judgment‎ to mercy, since once the left won and the letters became all judgment‎, darkness, and once the right won and they all became mercy, light. They have not congealed and were still moist, each penetrating the boundary of the other, and they were always disputed.

The dispute continued until the illumination of the dot of Hirik expanded from ZAT of AVI. This expansion is called “a firmament,” the level of the light of Hassadim that emerged in a coupling by the screen of ZON, attached to the letters ELEH. The firmament ended the dispute between the two sides: the level of the firmament decided between the two lines, right and left. In the beginning, it connected and was added to the light of Hassadim on the right line, subduing the left. Afterwards, it extended the illumination of the left line, too, clothing it within the right line. Thus, the illuminations of both were sustained and the dispute ended. This is why that expansion is regarded as the middle line, as it decides between the two lines, right and left.

Eight other letters came out in it, and then they were all made in the number twenty-two: fourteen letters of the two lines—right and left—and eight of the middle line, called “a firmament,” thus twenty-two. It is so because this expansion, called “a firmament,” extended also from the seven Sefirot in Mochin of AVI with respect to the dot of Hirik in them. Hence, there are seven letters here from their HGT NHYM.

There is also another phase here, additional to the HGT NHYM of AVI, regarding the coarseness of ZA. The dot of Hirik is the screen of ZA, and that coarseness is the eighth letter. Hence, there are eight letters in the firmament—seven of AVI, and one from ZON.

The seven letters of the right side and the seven letters of the left side jumped on the firmament, and all were engraved in that firmament. Because prior to the elicitation of the eight letters of the middle line, called “firmament,” the fourteen letters in the two lines—right and left—could not exist, for due to the dispute, they were jolted from judgment‎ to mercy and from mercy to judgment‎, upon the elicitation of the firmament, the middle line, which can keep the illuminations of both of them in full, the fourteen letters in the two lines—right and left—skipped and jumped on the middle line to be sustained by it.

It follows that the middle line itself includes the three lines and all twenty-two letters. This is why it is written that they were all engraved in that firmament, that all twenty-two letters were established in the firmament—eight letters of its own, and fourteen letters from the two lines, right and left.

The letters were moist. The firmament congealed, the letters congealed with it, and were engraved and depicted in their depictions as they should be. It is so because indeed, the force of congealing comes from the left line, from the dot of Shuruk. Hence, it appears before the elicitation of the firmament. Yet, the letters were still moist, meaning insufficiently congealed to be solid in a strong boundary until the firmament emerged and congealed, and then the letters were fully congealed.

The reason is that complete congealing depends only on the force of the screen in Nukva of ZA, which is considered judgment‎, the eighth letter of the firmament. Therefore, as long as the eight letters of the firmament did not appear, the letters could not receive complete and solid congealing in a strong boundary.

Then the Torah was engraved there, ZA, to shine from it outward. After the boundaries of the letters were congealed, which are the vessels, in all of its three lines, and each line received its letter combinations properly, Partzuf ZA—called “Torah”—was established, to illuminate to the lower ones.

35) The verse “Let there be light” implies the name “great God” that comes out of the first Avir, since the time when they were still AVI in VAK, prior to the exit of the Yod from the Avir. Once The Zohar explained the whole change of the Mochin from Katnut to Gadlut in three dots and in three lines, and how they are implied in the verse “Let there be light,” it explains how in each change, these phases remain in their form even after the Gadlut, and how they are implied in the five instances of “light” in the writings.

The verse “Let there be light” implies the name “great God” because the verse “Let there be light” implies the Sefira Hesed of ZA, the right line, which extends from the dot of Holam of AVI, called “great God.” Hesed of VAK is called “God,” and Hesed of GAR is called “great God.” This is why he is called “God,” for He is Hesed that came out from the previous Avir of AVI from the time of Katnut before the Yod came out of Avir of AVI. He is called “great,” since now the Yod has already departed the Avir of AVI and returned to the light of Gadlut, and the ZON already received from them the Mochin of Gadlut.

“And there was” is the darkness, called Elokim. “And there was” applies to the Sefira Gevura of ZA when she extends only from the left line, the dot of Shuruk. At that time, it is dark, as she is Hochma without Hassadim, and he is called “a God concealed in His name.” He is called “light” once the left is included in the right, for now that right and left were included in one another through the level of Hirik, the light of Hesed in the right was extended to the Sefira Gevura on the left, and now the Sefira Gevura is also called “light.” It is so because then from the name El, Hesed, extends the name Elokim, and the name Elokim, too, becomes the light of Hesed.

The right was incorporated in the left, and the left in the right. The right line is incorporated in Hochma on the left line, hence the right is called “great God.” Likewise, the left, which was in the dark due to lack of Hassadim, was now incorporated in the light of the Hesed of the right, and the Sefira Gevura became light, as well, as it is written, “And there was light,” Gevura of ZA.

36) “And God saw the light that it was good” applies to the middle pillar in ZA, the Sefira Tifferet in it, since Tifferet is the middle line, deciding between the two lines of ZA, HG, and is therefore called “the middle pillar.”

The verse “That it was good” said about Tifferet indicates that it illuminated above and below, and to all the other sides. It illuminated above, meaning decided with the Mochin of AVI, by the force of the level of Hirik. Illuminated below means that it decides with the right and left in the Sefirot of ZA himself. It shone to all the other sides, to the Sefirot NHYM from his Chazeh and below. Tifferet of ZA is the name HaVaYaH, which includes all the sides, meaning right and left, front and back, above and below. This explains how “And God saw that light that it was good” implies to Tifferet of ZA.

“And God divided between the light and the darkness” indicates that He separated the dispute between right and left so that everything would be in wholeness. After the light and darkness from Chazeh of ZA and above, HG were included in one another, and the darkness in Gevura returned to being light, making a new separation in the right and left, which are light and darkness from the Chazeh and below, Netzah and Hod. The light is the Sefira Netzah, the darkness is the Sefira Hod.

37) “And God called the light, ‘day.’” “Called” means that He called and summoned, to elicit one light from the complete light that stands in the middle, Tifferet, which is the foundation of the world and on which the world stands, and from which the souls and all the worlds are born, which is a day from the right side. “Called” implies a preparation to emanate the Sefira Yesod of ZA from Tifferet of ZA. “And God called the light” of Tifferet to emanate from it the Sefira Yesod, called “day,” as it is from the light of Hassadim on the right.

“And to the darkness He called ‘night.’” He called and summoned and elicited one Nukva from the left side, which is darkness. She is white and governs the night. This is why she is called “night,” for the quality of her dominion. She is the name ADNI, and the name “Master of all the earth.” The Nukva is called by all those names. “And to the darkness He called ‘night,’” summoning to elicit from the darkness, from the left line, the quality of night for the Nukva, the Sefira Malchut, ADNI.

Thus, it has been explained how the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM are implied in the verses of the first day of the work of creation. Below he explains the order of the emanation of Yesod and Malchut.

The seven days of creation are ZA and his Nukva. The six days are the Sefirot HGT NHY of ZA—the first day is Hesed; the second day is Gevura, etc. The seventh day is Malchut. However, since the Sefirot are included in one another, all seven Sefirot HGT NHYM are included in Hesed, and likewise in each Sefira. This is why The Zohar explained to us the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM included in the first day of the work of creation as being HGT NHYM in Hesed.

38) The right entered that complete pillar in the middle when it is included with the left. That is, the Hesed of ZA, in which its Gevura is also included, entered its middle line, its Tifferet, and ZA rises to the first dot, AA.

Commentary: As the beginning of the emanation in ZA was done by an ascent to the Rosh of AA with the letters ELEH of Ima, when he is attached to them and Ima gives him the Mochin there in three dots—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—so he must rise to AA for each new phase that emerges in him, or that he wishes to impart to the Nukva. There he receives Mochin anew for the phase that he wishes to impart. Therefore, when he wishes to impart the Yesod of Gadlut of himself, or his Nukva, he rises once again with AVI to Rosh AA to receive the Mochin from them. That is, he ascends to the first dot, AA.

The difference between the order of ascent to AA for the emanation of Yesod, and the order of ascent to all for the emanation of the Nukva, is that for the Yesod, the right of ZA governs, meaning Hesed, and it is all light, while the other two lines are included in it and subjugated to it. It is the contrary in the ascent for the Nukva: the ascent is dominated by the left, and the two lines right and middle are subjugated to the left.

Thus, in the order of ascent for the emanation of Yesod, right that is included with left enters the middle pillar and rises with the left and middle to AA, called “the first dot.” Thus, the right is the dominating one, and the rest of the lines are subjugated to it. It rises to AA to receive the Mochin there from its corresponding phase in those Mochin because Yesod is emanated primarily from the right line.

There, in AA, it takes and acquires the three dots—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—which are called “holy seed.” That is, through the sowings, called Holam, Hirik, Shuruk, the Mochin of Hochma, called “holiness,” appear, and this is why the three sowings are called “a holy seed.”

There is no seed that is sown for Mochin except in the three sowings Holam, Shuruk, Hirik, meaning that all the Mochin that come out in the worlds come out only in an order of three dots from which the three lines extend. Therefore, although the ascent is dominated by the right, which extends only from the dot of Holam, it still needs to receive from all three dots.

Thus, everything was connected, the illumination of all three dots in the middle pillar, Tifferet, and emanated the Yesod of the world, the Sefira Yesod of Gadlut, which is fit for begetting souls. This is why it is the Yesod [foundation] of the entire world. And although the right of ZA is the primary emanator of the Yesod, who is the Sefira Hesed, still no formation or begetting can be drawn out if not from the middle one, which decides between the edges, which is Tifferet, who decides in regard to HG.

However, Tifferet emanates the Yesod from the Mochin of the right that the Hesed received from his corresponding phase from the Mochin of AVI. Therefore, Yesod is regarded as being emanated by the domination of the right, although he includes all three lines. This is why Yesod is called “all,” as it acquires everything, for the illumination of all three lines in the light of passion. That is, by the passion of the left for the light of the right, Yesod decides and complements the left in the right and mingles them together. In other words, the left, Hochma without Hassadim, receives Hassadim and becomes completed, and the right, Hassadim, receives Hochma from the left and is completed.

And because all this is done by the middle line, the middle line acquires both of them and gives them to Yesod. For this reason, Yesod is regarded as acquiring everything, both light of Hassadim and light of Hochma. This explains the order of ascent and reception of the Mochin for the emanation of Yesod of ZA.

39) The left blazes by the force of the Gevura and smells the smell in all the degrees. From that blazing of fire, he emanated the Nukva, called “moon.” The Zohar explains the order of reception of the Mochin for the emanation of the Nukva. It says that it is dominated by the left, that the left line of ZA rose, and the two lines are included in it and are subjugated to it. He received there from his corresponding phase in Mochin of AVI from the dot of Shuruk, to which the two dots Holam and Hirik are subjugated.

It is known that the left illuminates in Mochin from below upward. This is why it can be included with the right, Hassadim, which illuminates from above downward. This illumination from below upward is called “scent,” for through the scent, it is received by the one who smells from below upward.

In the beginning, when the left, the dot of Shuruk, illuminated alone without clothing in the right, it would also illuminate from above downward, but then the light was hidden in him and was under the force of the Gevura and blazing, since the Hochma could not expand in him for lack of Hassadim. Thus, he canceled his illumination from above downward and received only the illumination of the scent, so that Hochma would illuminate in him only from below upward.

There, when the left of ZA rose to receive the Mochin, it received there from its corresponding phase, the left of Mochin, which is called Shuruk there. Then it blazed by the force of the Gevurot because blazing awakened in it when it wished to expand from above downward. This is why it was said, “And smells the smell,” since it received the light only in the form of smell, meaning only from below upward, called “smell.” It smelled the smell on all the degrees. It did not clothe in Hassadim to illuminate from above downward, as well, but received the Hochma on all the degrees and illuminated by the force of blazing the fire of Gevurot, only smell.

In regard to that blazing of the fire, it emanated the Nukva, the moon, in the form of dominion of the left, and the other two lines are subjugated to it. The blazing is regarded as darkness because it extends from darkness. That is, although the aforesaid blazing is not darkness, because it receives the light from below upward, and it is light and not darkness, for only what is received from above downward is actual darkness, still, because it cannot extend the light from above downward for fear of the darkness, it is regarded as darkness, too.

And those two sides, right and left, elicited those two degrees, male and female, as explained. The Yesod was emanated from the dominion of ZA, male, and the Nukva was emanated from the left of ZA.

40) The Yesod grips to the middle pillar and receives from the additional light that was in it. Now it explains the difference between the male and the female, since the middle pillar that rose to YESHSUT and AA and was included in them there received from them Hassadim and Hochma. It is known that ZA receives only covered Hassadim, that it is not his nature to receive Hochma like GAR of Bina. It follows that the Hochma he received from AA is valued only as an addition to the light, which is a surplus to the measure of his reception. For this reason, he gave the addition of that light to the Yesod in him, who is fit for receiving it because it is from his Chazeh and below. The Yesod gripped to the middle pillar, to ZA, with the addition of light that was in him, in the light of Hochma, which is regarded as an addition in him.

The ZA was fully completed with both Hochma and Hassadim because he made peace to all the sides, in YESHSUT and in AA. It is so because through the coupling that they made on the screen of Hirik in him, MI partook in ELEH, the name Elokim was completed, and all the Mochin that the lower one causes in the upper one are imparted in their quantity and quality to the lower one, as well, who caused them. This is why at that time, he obtained the Mochin from above, from AA, which is Hochma, and from all the sides: from the right and left lines, from YESHSUT. In his own middle line, he obtained Hassadim and Gevurot, and the joy of all the worlds is in him, meaning the illumination of Hochma, which arrests all the shells.

The Yesod [foundation] of the world came out from that addition of joy, since the light of Hochma is an addition of joy, and he does not use these Mochin. Hence, he emanated and elicited the Yesod from the addition of joy, for he is fit to use those Mochin. He is called “addition” because he is an addition in ZA, called “the Yesod,” the receiver of that addition in the name “addition.”

All the Mochin below in the three worlds BYA are emanated from that Yesod, and spirits and souls of the righteous in the holy names, the Lord of hosts, who is a letter in all His hosts. He is called “the God of the gods of spirits,” from whom all the spirits and the souls of the righteous are emanated.

41) Night is the master of the whole earth, the Nukva, who is emanated from the left side, from that darkness. And because that darkness wishes only to be included in the right line, to receive light, and its might weakens, meaning that it cannot receive Hochma from AA because of the lack of Hassadim, his might weakens and becomes dark. This is why the Nukva expanded and was emanated from the left line, called “night.” The meaning of night is darkness without light, like her root, the left line of ZA. This is the reason why the Nukva is the quality of night, darkness.

When the night began to expand from the left, before her construction was completed, the darkness, left, entered and was included in the right line. The right line acquired it and the night remained lacking at her end because her root, the left line, disappeared in the meantime in the right, and did not complement her.

It follows that besides the lack of the light of the Nukva, which extends due to her construction from the left line, a second deficiency was added to her, which is extended from the negation of her construction—the left line not managing to complete her construction. Thus, the two deficiencies in Nukva have been clarified: 1) She is night, darkness and not light; 2) She is deficient, the left did not complete her construction.

42) Just as the lust of the left, the darkness, is to be included in the light, the right line, the lust of the Nukva, night, is to be included in the day. That is, in regard to Nukva being built from the left line, which craves the light of the right line, the Nukva is also in the form of night, craving the light of Yesod, who is called day, meaning the first deficiency.

The darkness, the left line, subtracted its light, not managing to complete the construction of the Nukva because in the meantime it was included in the right line, which is an additional deficiency to the first deficiency. Because of it, he elicited the degree of the Nukva with deficiency of construction and without light, meaning in two deficiencies, as explained. For this reason, the Nukva needs two corrections: 1) to illuminate her from her darkness, 2) to complete her construction.

The darkness, the left line, illuminates only when it is included in the light of the right. So is the night that was built, and from which she emerged. She illuminates only when she is included in the day, Yesod. That is, the first correction of the Nukva is equal to her root, the left line of ZA. And as the correction of the left line is to be included in the right line, which is light of Hassadim, the correction of the Nukva is to be included in the light of Hassadim of Yesod of ZA, who is called “day.”

The deficiency of the construction of the night is completed only in the addition, which is the addition of light that the Yesod received from the middle pillar, meaning the illumination of Hochma, which is redundant for ZA, the middle pillar. This is why he gave her to his Yesod, and that light of the addition in Yesod complements the structure of the Nukva, the second correction.

What was added here, he subtracted from here. What was added in Yesod of ZA by the middle pillar, the left line of ZA subtracted from the Nukva, since the left of ZA did not complete her construction. By that, she was diminished and is unfit for reception of the Hochma in the left line even after she has clothing of the light of Hassadim. That measure added the middle line of ZA to his Yesod with an addition of light, and the Yesod completes and complements that lack with the light of his addition.

43) In the addition, Yesod of ZA, there is an upper dot, AA, and the middle pillar that decides on all the sides, Tifferet of ZA. It is so because in Yesod, there is illumination of Hochma from AA, which he received with the addition of light. There is also light of Hassadim in him, which he received from Tifferet of ZA. For this reason, two letters were added in Yesod, Vav-Yod of the verse “and God called the light, ‘day,’” implying the emanation of the Sefira Yesod, where the Vav implies light of Hassadim that he received from the middle line, while the Yod implies illumination of Hochma that he received from AA.

In the emanation of the Nukva, night, those two letters are missing. “Called” is written in regard to her, and the letters Vav-Yod are missing in her. It is written, “And [God] called,” in Yesod, who is day, omitting the Vav-Yod from the word “Called” in the Nukva. Only “Called, ‘night’” are written in regard to her, since there are two deficiencies in the Nukva: 1) lack of light of Hassadim, 2) lack of construction.

The lack of the two letters Vav-Yod in the word “Called” implies them, where the deficiency of Vav implies a lack of light of Hassadim, and the deficiency of Yod implies a lack in her construction. Those two letters were added in Yesod. The intimation of Vav-Yod of “And God called the light, ‘day.’” It complements the two deficiencies of the Nukva. Here it is the meaning of the 72-letter name, engraved in the upper Keter, in the intimation of the two letters Vav-Yod.