According to another interpretation, the words: “And from thence this river is divided into four channels” foreshadow the four men who entered the mysterious garden “Pardès.” The first reached the channel “Pischon,” which means “Pi schonè halakhoth” (the mouth that teaches the Law). The second entered the channel “Ghiohon,” which means the place where he is buried of whom Scripture says: “Everything that walks upon its breast” (Ghiohon). Gabriel drinks from this channel, whose name is composed of Gheber-el (the man-God); this is what the words of Scripture allude to: “The man (gheber) who walks in an unknown way and whom God has covered with His veil”; and elsewhere: “And no man unto this day hath known the place where he was buried”; this verse is translated by the Thargoum in this manner: “And the man (gheber) hath not known his sepulchre,” until the day when he shall be revealed. This channel contains the second degree of the doctrine called “Remez” (allusion); and, indeed, an allusion suffices for a wise man.
The third reached the channel called “Hideqel,” which means: “Had qal” (the easy word). This is the third degree of doctrine, called “Darasch” (homily). The fourth reached the fourth channel called “Perath,” which constitutes the brain of the Sephirothic tree and from which the fecundating matter emanates. Ben Zoma and Ben Azaï, who penetrated into the husk of doctrine, were harmed by the husk; but Rabbi Aqiba, who reached the brain of the Sephirothic tree, entered it in peace and came out in peace, according to tradition.
Rabbi Éléazar said to his father: Father, one day I found myself in the school, where the colleagues were discussing the meaning of the words of Rabbi Aqiba, who said to his disciples: When you come to the transparent stones, radiant with light, do not cry out: Waters! waters! for you might expose yourselves to great danger, as it is written: “He that speaketh lies is not pleasing in mine eyes.” While the colleagues were discussing the meaning of these words, the Ancient of Ancients came down; and, addressing the colleagues, He said to them: Masters, what is the subject of Your discussion? They answered Him: It is the meaning of the exhortation addressed by Rabbi Aqiba to his disciples, concerning the transparent stones, radiant with light. The Ancient of Ancients said to Them: Verily, the words of Rabbi Aqiba conceal the supreme mystery that was revealed in the celestial school. It is lest you be led astray that I have come down here to reveal this supreme mystery.
hidden from the men of the present generation. In truth, the transparent stones, shining with light, give birth to crystalline waters symbolized by the letter Aleph, which represents the beginning and the end. The stroke in the form of a Vav, which separates the Yod above from the one below, is the symbol of the tree of life; whosoever eats thereof shall have eternal life. The two Yods of the letter Aleph have the same meaning as the two Yods of the word “vaïiçer” (and He created); they are the symbol of two formations, that of above and that of below, that is to say, of the second Sephira or hypostasis called “Hocmâ.” The two Yods symbolize “Hocmâ,” which is the beginning and the end of all things; they represent the mysteries of the “Hocmâ” above, which, in the sephirotic tree, is situated beneath the first Sephira called “Kether.” These two Yods also correspond to the two sephirotic eyes, whence flowed two tears that fell into the great ocean.
And why did they fall into the ocean? On account of the Tables of the Law which Moses brought down from Heaven, and of which Israel was judged unworthy to partake. Therefore were they broken and cast away. This brought about the destruction of the first and second Temples. And why were the first Tables cast away, when Moses might have used them to restore them to the Israelites? It is because the Vav had flown away from them. This same symbol is indicated by the Vav in the word “vaïiçer” (and He created). Therefore Moses gave Israel other Tables of the Law, which were of the side of the tree of Good and Evil. For this reason the Law is composed of negative precepts and commandments: “This is permitted, that is forbidden”; for the Law emanates from the tree of Good and Evil. The right side is life; the left side is death. Therefore Rabbi Aqiba said to his disciples: When you come to the transparent stones, radiant with light, do not cry out: Waters! waters! that is to say, do not compare the radiant, transparent stones to the other stones of the Tables of the Law, which contain Life and Death, as it is written: “The heart of the wise is at his right hand; but the heart of a fool at his left.” But there is more: by so doing, you will expose yourselves to great danger; for the Law emanates from the tree of Good and Evil, and therefore there is division, whereas the transparent stones, radiant with light, form the unity in which there is no division. But if you think that, since the first Tables of the Law which Moses had cast away, and which emanated from the tree of Life, no longer exist, there is division even among the transparent stones, radiant with light, you will expose yourselves to the danger of resembling those of whom Scripture says: “He that speaketh lies is not pleasing in My sight”; for among these stones there is no division, seeing that they are the very same as those which Moses broke.
When the Ancient of Ancients had ceased speaking, the colleagues hastened to kiss Him; but He flew away and disappeared. According to another interpretation, the words: “A river went out of Eden” mean that above the Tree of Life is not surrounded by husks alien to its essence, as it is written: “Evil shall not dwell with Thee”; but the tree below is surrounded by husks alien to its essence. The river going out of Eden denotes Enoch, also called Metatron, who goes out of the Eden of the “Lesser Countenance”; for the upper Garden of Eden of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not infested by demons, so as to need a guardian. Therefore Scripture says: “A river went out of Eden”; this is equivalent to saying: Metatron went out of his own
Eden, “to water the garden,” his own garden called “Pardes,” into which Ben Azaï, Ben Zoma, and Elisha entered. This garden is surrounded by husks; hence it is good on one side and evil on the other, because the Law emanates from the Tree of Good and Evil; this is why it is composed of precepts of this kind: “This is forbidden to eat, that is permitted; this deed is lawful, that one is not; this is impure, that is pure.” Then an old man arose, exclaiming: Rabbi, Rabbi, Thy words are exact, but this tree below is not the Tree of Life. But here is the mystery of the two Yods in the word “vaîiçer” (and He created); they indicate two creations, that of Good and that of Evil, symbolized by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. “The tree” indicates the “Little Man”; “Good and Evil” indicate the side of Life and the side of Death. For there are two creations, symbolized by the forbidden things and the permitted things. This is what the verse alludes to: “He created man, dust of the earth; He breathed into his soul the breath of life”; this is the Shekhinah above. “Eden” is repentance. This is also what the verse alludes to: “And the Tree of Life was in the garden”; “the Tree of Life” is the Middle Column; “the garden” indicates the Shekhinah below. Man is composed of three things: life (nephesch), spirit (rouah or halâ), and soul (neschamah). Through them man became a “living spirit,” a spirit proceeding from the very mouth of the Shekhinah, Who is called “living soul.” As soon as the Old Man had spoken these words, he ascended to heaven. Rabbi Simeon exclaimed: Colleagues, surely he is an angel, he who has just appeared to us; for, indeed, his words are confirmed by several biblical passages. Rabbi Simeon then began the interpretation of the following verse:
“And the Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it.” “Took the man”: whence did He take him? He took him from the four elements, of which it is said: “From thence it is parted, and became into four channels.” Scripture means that God detached man from these four elements and placed him in the garden of Eden; thus does the Holy One, blessed be He, act with men, formed of four elements; when these men do penance and devote themselves to the study of the Law, the Holy One, blessed be He, detaches them from the elements of which they were formed. It is of these men that Scripture says: “And from thence it is parted, and became into four channels,” that is to say: God detaches their souls from the material elements; in other words, He preserves them from all sinful desires and places them in His garden, which is the Shekhinah. “To till it and to keep it”: the word “till” designates the commandments; “keep” designates the negative precepts. When man has observed the Law, he shall be the one to rule over the four elements, which are transformed into a river whereof he shall drink, and not of bitter waters; this river shall bear witness that man has known how to master the elements of which he was formed. But if man has transgressed the Law, he shall drink of the bitter waters which issue from the tree of Evil, that is to say, from the tempting Spirit. Of all those who are ruled by the four elements, Scripture says: “And they made their lives bitter.” Whereas, of those who sanctify their members and their bodies, placing them on the side of the Gift and setting them above the four elements, Scripture says: “And they came to Marah, and they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.” Tradition explains the preceding verse thus. “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage” designates the difficulties presented by the Law; the word “be-homer” (with mortar) designates the hermeneutical rule concerning the comparison between a lenient law and another made more stringent (homer); “u-bilbenim” (and with bricks) designates the elucidation (libun) of the Law; lastly, the words “all manner of service in the field” designate the Boraïtha; “all their service” designates the Mishnah. Such are the hard labours with which Israel is burdened during the era of the Law. But when Israel shall do penance, the words of Scripture shall come to pass: “God showed him a tree, which he cast into the waters; and the waters, which had been bitter, …”
“became sweet.” The wood of which Scripture speaks is the Tree of Life; through it the waters shall become sweet; and it is Moses who shall procure this tree for Israel, signifying the Messiah; for of Moses Scripture says: “And the rod of God was in his hand.” The word “Maté” (rod) signifies Metatron; from him come both Life and Death. When he is transformed into a rod, he is favourable to men, for then he is on the good side; but when he is transformed into a serpent, he is against man. Therefore, when he was transformed into a serpent, Moses was afraid, as it is written: “And Moses fled from before the serpent.” The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Him into the power of Moses; thus was formed the traditional law composed of precepts concerning forbidden and permitted foods. But as soon as Moses struck the rock with his rod, the Holy One, blessed be He, took it back from him, as it is written: “The Egyptian appeared, with the rod in his hand, and Banaïas wrested it from him.” The rod of Moses is the tempting spirit, it is the serpent, the cause of Israel’s captivity. The words of Scripture: “From thence this river divides into four channels,” may also be explained in another way. Happy is the man who devotes himself to the study of the law; for, at the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, takes the soul from the body of such a man, the soul shall leave the body composed of four elements and ascend to heaven, there to be placed at the head of four Qayoth, as it is written: “They shall bear thee up in their hands.” It is written: “And the Lord Élohim commanded the man, saying: Eat of all the trees of the garden; but eat not of the tree of Good and Evil.” We know by tradition that whenever Scripture uses the term “command” (çav), it concerns the prohibition of idolatry. The inclination to idolatry proceeds from the liver; the word “cabad” (liver) also means “hard”; therefore idolatry is designated by the term “hard labour.” The liver is the seat of anger; therefore tradition says: Whosoever gives way to anger is as guilty as if he practised the worship of idolatry. Such is the meaning of the words: “And Élohim commanded,” that is to say: God forbade man idolatry, warning him against anger, from which it springs. The words “the man” signify murder, as it is written: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his own blood be shed.” The inclination to murder comes from the bile, which also forms the sword of the angel of death, as it is written: “And the end thereof is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged blade.” The words: “And said unto him” signify incest, which comes from the spleen, as it is written: “Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who, after eating, wipeth her mouth and saith: I have done no evil.” By the word “mouth,” Scripture means the spleen, the seat of the inclination to incest. The spleen has no opening, and yet it absorbs the black blood of the liver, so that, at first sight, no one would suspect it. Therefore Scripture compares the adulterous woman to the spleen, for the crime of this woman likewise leaves no visible trace, whereas murder, which comes from the bile, is a crime that leaves traces; the murderer sheds the blood of his victim’s heart, just as the bile bears the trace of the liver’s black blood. Thus men shun murder more than adultery, solely because of the traces left by the former, whereas, from the moral point of view, the one crime is equal to the other. Whosoever is guilty of murder, idolatry, or incest, slays his soul by means of the liver, the bile, or the spleen, and shall be punished in hell. The chiefs of hell, appointed over the torments centred in the three viscera aforesaid, are: “Maschhith,”
“Aph” and “Hemah.” The fifteen cases of incest correspond to the numerical value of the first two letters of the name of Jehovah, the Yod and the Hé. The six other cases of incest correspond to the letter Vav of the name of Jehovah. Before the captivity of Israel, while the Shekhinah was among Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded: “Thou shalt not uncover what ought to be hidden in Thy mother.” By acting so as to deserve captivity, Israel uncovered what ought to be hidden in the Shekhinah, as it is written: “Because of your sins was your mother sent away.” It was because of the crime of incest that Israel was sent into captivity with the Shekhinah, in whom it uncovered what ought to be hidden. These are the demons who divide the two Hé and prevent the Vav from entering between them; wherefore Scripture says: “Thou shalt not uncover what ought to be hidden in the woman and in her daughter”; this is an allusion to the Intruders composed of the “Nephilim, Ghiborim, Amaleqim, Rephaïm, and Anaqim,” who have entered between the two Hé; and, so long as they are there, the Holy One, blessed be He, forbears to approach them. This mystery is expressed in the words of Scripture: “The river shall become dry and parched”; that is, the Hé above, symbol of the Shekhinah above, shall become dry, and the Hé below, symbol of the Shekhinah below, shall become parched, to prevent the Intruders from feeding upon the Vav, which is the Tree of Life. Wherefore the Vav does not draw near to the two Hé so long as the Intruders are there; and the Holy One, blessed be He, symbolized by the Yod, forbears union with the final Hé of Jehovah, as it is written: “Thou shalt not uncover what ought to be hidden in Thy daughter-in-law, because she is Thy son’s wife”; now, the Intruders constitute a division between the Vav and the Hé. Such too is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Thou shalt not uncover what ought to be hidden in thy father’s wife.” For the Yod denotes the Father, the Hé denotes the Mother, the Vav denotes the Son, and the final Hé denotes the Daughter. This is what Scripture means by the prohibitions against uncovering what ought to be hidden in the father’s wife, in the father’s sister, in the son’s daughter, or in the daughter’s daughter—that is, in the final Hé, which is the child of the first Hé; finally, Scripture forbids uncovering what ought to be hidden in the Father’s brother; this is the Yod written in full, which is the son of the letter Yod and the brother of the letter Vav. The sum of what we have said is that, so long as the Intruders are mingled with Israel, there shall be no drawing together of the letters of the name of Jehovah; but as soon as they are blotted out from the world, Scripture says concerning the letters of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He: “In that day shall Jehovah be one, and His name one,” that is, united. Wherefore man, who is Israel, finds his unity in esoteric doctrine, of which Scripture says: “She is a Tree of Life to those who embrace her; and happy is he who holds fast to her.” This Tree of Life is the “Matrona,” symbolized by the Sephira “Malcouth” (Kingdom); for this reason Israel is called “Sons of kings.” Wherefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “It is not good that man should be alone; let us make him a help meet for him.” By this “help meet for man,” Scripture means the “Mischnah,” handmaid of the Shekhinah; this handmaid was given in marriage to Israel during his youth. She was at times his help, at times against him. Thus the Mischnah serves Israel, during the captivity, as a wife; at times she is his help, through the rulings: “Pure, permitted to eat, the act is lawful”; at times she is against him, through the rulings: “Impure, forbidden to eat, the act is unlawful.” The law concerning pure and impure menstruation is the image of the inconstancy of the
handmaid of the Shekhinah. This wife, who is the Mischnah, is indicated in the words of God: “A help meet for man”; for the union of Israel with this wife is not perfect. Israel shall find union with the true wife only at the time when the Intruders shall be blotted out from the world. Therefore was Moses buried outside the holy land. “And no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” The sepulchre designates the Mischnah, which, during the adolescence of Israel, had precedence over the “Matrona” whom Moses had beheld. Thus, during that time, the King and the “Matrona” were separated from the heavenly Bridegroom. Therefore Scripture saith: “For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: for a servant when he reigneth; for a fool when he is filled with meat; for an odious woman when she is married; and for a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” The servant who reigneth designates the servant known to us, that is to say, Samaël; the handmaid who taketh the place of her mistress designates the Mischnah, which taketh the place of the “Matrona”; and the fool who is filled with meat designates the Intruders, who are called “a people of fools, and not wise.” Rabbi Simeon continued his discourse, and said: It is written: “And the Lord God formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field, and all the fowls of the air.” Woe unto the ignorant and blind, who examine not the mysteries of the doctrine, and know not that by the words “the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air” Scripture designates the unlearned; even those endowed with life (néphesch) and spirit (haïâ) are of no avail, either to the Shekhinah in captivity or to Moses who is with her; for so long as the Shekhinah is in captivity, Moses leaveth her not for a single moment.
Rabbi Eleazar asked: Who, then, was the object of the works of man among the Israelites, during the time of Moses? Rabbi Simeon answered him: What! My son, is it thou who speakest thus? Hast thou not read the words of Scripture: “I am He who declareth from the beginning what shall come to pass only at the end of the ages, who foretelleth things long before they are done.” Rabbi Eleazar answered him: Thy words are indeed exact. Therefore tradition teacheth us that Moses is not dead, and that he is called “man.” It is to him that the words of Scripture allude: “But there was found no help for the man, and all were against him.” And likewise it is said, concerning the Middle Pillar, that the man (Moses) found no help against the demons to bring the Shekhinah out of exile, as it is written: “He looked this way and that way, and saw that there was no man,” that is to say: Moses, who was the image of the Middle Pillar, saw that there was no one to lend him help.
At this moment, Scripture says: “And the Lord Elohim sent a deep sleep upon the man; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs, and put flesh in its place.” “The Lord Elohim” designates the Father and the Mother; the words “a deep sleep” designate captivity, as it is written: “Abram was seized by a deep sleep.” Likewise, “while he slept” designates captivity. Scripture says: “He took one of his ribs.” Whose ribs? In truth, the Father and the Mother took one of their ribs, which are the virgins of the “Matrona”; they took a virgin from the white side, whom Scripture designates by the words: “Who is fair as the moon.” Scripture adds: “…And put flesh in its place”; by the word “flesh,” Scripture designates the union of the heavenly beings with the daughters of men, as it is written: “Because he is only
The flesh signifies Moses, whose flesh was more radiant, as it is said: “The countenance of Moses resembled the sun,” whereas that of the maiden on the right side resembles the moon. Therefore Scripture says: “Thou art fair as the moon, and bright as the sun.” According to another version, the words of Scripture, “and put (vaïsgor) flesh in its place,” mean that the Father and the Mother wished to protect her, as it is written: “And God protected her” (vaïsgor). According to another version, the words “and put (vaïsgor) flesh in its place” mean that God made the maiden of the white side the crown of the “Matrona,” as it is written: “The rings of gold shall be under the crown (misghereth),” and elsewhere: “The gate of the inner court, which looketh toward the east, shall be shut (sagour) the six working days.” It is written: “And the Lord God formed the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a wife for him.” Herein is found an allusion to the mystery of levirate marriage. Tradition says: When levirate marriage has once been neglected, it is no longer performed thereafter, as it is written: “Thus shall it be done unto him that will not build up his brother’s house.” But the Holy One, blessed be He, did indeed perform this act of levirate marriage, as it is written: “And the Lord God,” that is, the Father and the Mother, “formed the son,” as it is written: “The Lord hath built Jerusalem.” The Vav is the son of the Yod and the Hé, who are the Father and the Mother. It is of the Father and the Mother that Scripture says: “And the Lord God formed the rib, which He had taken from the man.” The rib taken from the man signifies the Middle Column; this rib was taken from the Hé, who is its maiden; and it is of this maiden that Scripture says: “I Myself, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” Because the future Temple shall be fashioned by the very hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, it shall endure from generation to generation; it is of this Temple that Scripture says: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former.” The former Temples were built by the hand of man, whereas this one shall be built by the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore Scripture says: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” The words “And the Lord God formed the rib” also apply to Moses, who, when building the Tabernacle, had already foreseen the latter Tabernacle that God shall form from the “rib,” as it is written: “And on the second side (tzelà) of the Tabernacle, which looketh toward the north, there shall be twenty boards.” The “tzelà” of which Scripture speaks signifies the rib of the Sephirotic Tree called “Hésed,” which forms the white side, whence it is called the “moon.” Scripture adds: “…And put flesh in its place.” The white of the right side of the Sephirotic Tree, called “Hésed,” was united with the red of the left side of the Sephirotic Tree, called “Gueboura”; at that moment were fulfilled the words of Scripture: “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me.” Scripture further says: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” This signifies the Shekhinah, the maiden betrothed to the Middle Column, as Scripture says: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” God said to this maiden: “I know that thou art bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” and Scripture adds: “She shall be called ‘woman’ (ischah), because she was taken out of man (isch),” that is, this maiden shall be called mother, because she was taken out of the man called father, symbolized by the Yod, or Moses, who here below personifies the Figure above. At that time, the Israelites shall merit to find, each of them, the wife predestined for him from the creation. Therefore Scripture says: “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you,” and elsewhere: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall be instructed by dreams, and Your young men shall have visions.” This is an allusion to the new souls that shall spread throughout Israel, as tradition has said: “The son of David shall not come before all the souls enclosed in the region called ‘Gouph’ (body) have been exhausted.” Only then shall the new souls arrive here below. At that time, the Intruders shall be exterminated from this world, and tradition shall be fulfilled, according to which Moses and Israel shall henceforth find the wife who was destined for each of them from the creation. It is written: “The man and the woman were both naked, and they were not ashamed.” Scripture means that when the Intruders, who are the cause of lust, disappear, all inclination to incontinence shall vanish from the world. It is written: “And the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts that the Lord God had formed upon the earth.” By the words “the most subtle,” Scripture means the most cunning in doing evil; “of all the beasts” signifies: of all the serpents of the other heathen peoples, who are the children of the first serpent that seduced Eve. The Intruders constitute that impurity which the serpent inoculated into Eve; from this impurity came forth Cain, who slew Abel, the shepherd of the sheep; it is of him that Scripture says: “… For he is flesh.” The word “for” (beschagam) designates Abel. The word “beschagam” also designates Moses, who slew the Egyptian; Moses, too, may be considered the firstborn son of Adam. Moses enim verenda patris sui operuerat; therefore Scripture says: “The children of Qeni, that is, Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses.” Why is he called Qeni? Because he separated himself from Cain, as it is written: “Qeni had withdrawn from Cain.” In other words, he wished to convert the Intruders; this is what is expressed by the phrase “verenda patris sui operuerat.” And since the Holy One, blessed be He, counts good intention as a good deed, He said to him: The conversion of the Intruders is impossible; your descendants shall suffer thereby; it is they who brought evil into the world by making man eat of the tree of Good and Evil, and it is because of them that Israel shall be led into captivity and Moses shall not enter the promised land; for although the punishment of Moses was caused by his striking the rock instead of speaking to it, as God had commanded him: “… And thou shalt speak to the rock,” it was nevertheless always the Intruders who determined Moses to act against the will of God. But since the Holy One, blessed be He, rewards good intention in the same way as a good deed, He said to Moses: “I will establish thee as prince over another people greater and mightier than this one”; therefore God also said: “I will blot out of my book him that hath sinned against Me”; these words designate the descendants of Amalek, of whom it is said: “You shall exterminate Amalek,” for it was they who caused the first tables of the law to be broken. Immediately thereafter, Scripture adds: “… And the eyes of them both were opened; and they saw that they were naked.” Israel perceived that it was still immersed in the clay of Egypt and deprived of the esoteric doctrine; for it is of Israel that Scripture says: “Thou art wholly naked and full of confusion.” This is why Job repeated the word “naked” twice, as it is written: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return into the womb of the earth.” Job used the word “schamah” (naked), a word formed of the same letters as the name of Moses (Moscheh, mro), first to indicate that Moses had endeavored to convert the Intruders; and then to indicate to us that Moses shall return here below to proclaim among Israel the name of the Shekhinah. This is why Job added: “The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away: the name of the Lord”
Blessed be! It is when the two Tables of the Law shall be broken, that is to say, the biblical Law and the traditional Law, that man shall perceive that he is naked. Scripture adds: “…And they plaited fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Man shall cover himself with these husks which come from the Intruders, because he shall perceive that he is naked and has nothing wherewith to cover that which must be concealed. The garment with which Israel covers himself consists of the legal garment furnished with fringes, of the phylacteries and their straps; wherefore Scripture says: “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of skins, and clothed them.” To indicate the legal garment, Scripture uses the word “hagoroth” (girdle), and elsewhere: “Gird Thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.” These words designate the recitation of the liturgy Shema, for which one wears the legal garment, as it is written: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” Wherefore, when Adam and Eve perceived their nakedness, they made girdles (hagoroth) for themselves. It is written: “And they heard the voice of the Lord God.” These words allude to the voice of God on Mount Sinai, as it is written: “…That a people hath heard the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire.” At this voice of God, the Intruders perished, because it was they who had said to Moses: “Let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.” It was after the Intruders had perished that the Law was given. The ignorant of our day have the souls of the Intruders; and it is of them that Scripture says: “Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast.” The word “beasts” designates the ignorant who are on the side of the serpent, to whom God had said: “Thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field.” There are many impurities mingled with Israel, and these impurities are as dangerous as wild beasts and serpents. First, there are the impurities that come from the side of the first serpent; next, the impurities from the side of the heathen peoples, who resemble wild animals and fierce beasts; there are, moreover, impurities from the side of evil spirits; these are the souls of the guilty, which are transformed into evil spirits; and, finally, there are impurities from the side of demons, male and female diabolical spirits, all of whom are mingled with Israel. Among all these impurities, none is so pernicious as that of Amalek, who is the evil serpent called “the other God”; it is this serpent that is the cause of all uncleanness in the world. He is a murderer, and his wife a deadly poison (sam), because she incites to idolatry. Now, since he is called “the other god” (el), and his wife is called “deadly poison” (sam), it follows that the two together bear the common name “Samael” (poisoning god). There are two demons by the name of “Samael” who are not at all alike; but the curse with which God charged the first serpent has touched them both. It is written: “And the Lord God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou?” Here God indicated to man the destruction of the Temple, destruction bewailed in the verse that begins with the word “aïecah,” as it is written: “How is the city full of people become solitary?” The word “aïecah” (where art thou) is composed of the same letters as the word “eçah” (how). And in future times, the Holy One, blessed be He, shall cause all evil spirits to disappear from the world, as it is written: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth.” At that time, everything shall return to its proper place, as it is written: “In that day shall the Lord be one, and His name one.”
We know by tradition that all the words “Schelomoh”
(Solomon) mentioned in the Song of Songs designate the King of Peace, the King whose dwelling is here below, but whose reign is from above, and who is therefore the King above and below at once. Such is the meaning of the letter Beth, whose numerical value is two, which Scripture placed at the beginning of the word “Hocmâ,” as it is written: “By Wisdom (be-Hocmâ) the house shall be built,” and elsewhere: “King Schelomoh made himself a litter of wood of Lebanon.” By “litter,” Scripture means the redemption of this lower world by the world above. For, so long as the Holy One, blessed be He, had not yet created the world, the divine Name was hidden within God, but God was not hidden in His Name; in other words, divine holiness was inaccessible to the letters. When the world had been created, God marked His people with a distinctive sign, and He built temples. But all this could not endure. Then God, wrapping Himself in a mantle of light, took the essence of His right side from the “world of Thought,” that is, the Sephira “Hocmâ,” which in the Sephirotic Tree lies to the right of “Kether,” in the world of emanation, and recreated the world. Then from that light came forth the great trees of Lebanon; and then the twenty-two letters became the chariot of God. The ten Utterances by which the world was created then became stable. Therefore Scripture says: “King Schelomoh made himself a litter of wood of Lebanon,” and elsewhere: “The trees of the field shall be abundantly watered, as well as the cedars of Lebanon which God hath planted.” These trees of Lebanon were planted by King Schelomoh for his glory, and that it might be known that He is one and His Name is one, as it is written: “In that day, the Lord shall be one, and His Name one,” and elsewhere: “…And that they may know that Thy Name is the Lord, and that Thou alone art the Most High over all the earth.” By this manifestation of God, all the gates of the heavenly palaces were opened before man. Let him look upward, fly toward the right, run toward the left, turn his gaze toward the four cardinal points: he shall see but one light, that which is above and that which is below, which are but one, like the great Ocean, of which Scripture says: “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full.” For the heavenly light likewise draws all lights and makes them enter into itself, as it is written: “I am the flower of the fields and the lily of the valley”; now the word “scharon” (fields) designates the great Ocean which absorbs all the waters of the world. Therefore Scripture says: “By Wisdom (Hocmâ) the house shall be built”; the letter “Beth” placed at the beginning of the word “Hocmâ” designates the two reigns, above and below; for it is by establishing below the reign from above that the King’s house shall become united and the King shall rejoice therein, as it is written: “And the King shall rejoice in Elohim.” As Elohim shall establish below the reign from above, the King shall rejoice in Elohim, for the two reigns shall form but one. To enjoy the reign from above, it suffices to enjoy the reign below; then life shall be granted to all who are capable of receiving it; for the King is the Master of the house, and all the men of this world are its members. Therefore Scripture says: “Be-reschith bara Elohim,” which means: The two reigns were created by Elohim. For the reign is called “reschith” (beginning), because of the words of Scripture: “Reschith Hocmâ” (the beginning of Wisdom). It is by absorbing all the lights, like the great Ocean toward which all the rivers flow, that Elohim establishes here below the reign from above. Before the manifestation of Elohim, the heavenly light resembled an ocean whose waters are
frozen; all the waters of the rivers that flow into such an ocean also freeze and can no longer return to their beds. It is to such an ocean that the words of Scripture allude: “Out of whose womb came the ice?” As long as the Ocean remains frozen, none can use its waters; and when the Northern sea is frozen, its ice melts only through the aid of a South wind, which brings it warmth. Then the waters released from the ice flow from North to South, as though to give thanks to the South that freed them from the bonds of the North. Once the ice has melted, all the waters of the rivers enter their beds, thereby providing all the animals with the element they need to quench their thirst, as it is written: “They give drink to all the beasts of the field.” Likewise, when the reign on high is established here below, all the ice melts, and all the voices here below then rise toward heaven, to give thanks for having delivered this lower world through its reign. The letter Beth at the beginning of Genesis designates the two reigns, that of on high and that of below, which communicate with one another, as do the South and the North; the reign on high melts the ice below, and the reign below gives thanks to that on high. This mystery is symbolized by the sound of the horn (schophar), which is the prelude to deliverance. The reign on high sends its life-giving voice below, and that below sends its voice of gratitude on high. Therefore Scripture adds: “God created by Élohim the heavens and the earth”; for the two reigns complete one another; the reign of the King on high is glorified by the reign here below. An allusion to this mystery is found in the words of Scripture: “The son of Ischaï lives upon the earth”; for all eternal life here below is possible only through the Messiah, son of Ischaï; He is the master of all; and the earth is nourished by Him. Therefore Scripture says: “...And the earth.” The Vav of the word “ve-eth” designates the nourishment of this world, which comes from Élohim. The word “eth” is made up of the first and last of the twenty-two letters of the alphabet; this word designates Élohim, who is likewise composed of heaven and earth, as it is written: “Go forth, O ye daughters of Sion, and behold king Schelomoh with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals.” Just as Élohim came below through the operation of the two supreme Séphiroth, male and female, as it were, so is He master of heaven and earth. He draws heaven toward earth, and the King on high draws earth toward heaven, so that each reigns over both worlds; and by reigning simultaneously over both worlds, the reign on high is known through the reign below, except that the reign below is provided with a broad way, as it is written: “The way of the just is as a shining light,” whereas the reign on high is provided only with a narrow path, as it is written: “The path which the bird knoweth not...” This mystery of the difference between the ways of the reign on high and that below is expressed in the words of Scripture: “Who hath made a way in the midst of the sea, and a path through the mighty waters.” The two reigns resemble male and female, one completing the other. Heaven represents the male, and the earth, which asks for the waters of the male, represents the female. It is only when heaven grants its waters to earth that the latter becomes fruitful. Therefore Scripture adds the Vav to the words “ve-eth ha-aretz” (and the earth), as we have just explained. It is written: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who (Mi) created This (Éléh).” These words express the whole work of creation; for everything was made by “Mi” on high and by “Éléh” below. Therefore, at the beginning of Genesis, the letter Beth is repeated
Those which come twice in succession, as well as the letter Aleph: “Bereschith bara Élohim eth.” The letter Beth denotes the feminine principle, and the letter Aleph denotes the masculine principle. It is from these two letters that all the letters of the alphabet proceeded. The word “ha schamaïm” denotes the totality of the twenty-two letters. The Hé before the word “schamaïm” and the prefix Vav of the word “eth” likewise show us that the Hé gave birth to heaven and endowed it with life, whereas the Vav gave birth to the earth and provided it with food and all that it needs. The word “ve-eth” indicates that the Vav took the Aleph and the Thav, which are the symbols of the beginning and the end, and that it is by means of this combination that the earth finds its sustenance. This mystery is expressed in the words of Scripture: “All the rivers run into the sea.” Therefore Scripture says: “Ve-eth ha aretz”; for the earth finds its sustenance only through its union with heaven. There is no effect without a cause; the sound heard when the hammer strikes the anvil seems to come from the latter, but in truth it is due to the blow it receives from the hammer. Likewise, the smoke of volcanoes is not caused by the earth from which it rises, but by the fire within the earth; therefore Scripture says: “The whole mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in the midst of the fires”; here Scripture gives us fire and smoke as images of the earth and heaven. All that takes place on earth is but the effect; the cause is in heaven. Therefore heaven is compared to the right hand and the earth to the left hand, as it is written: “My left hand founded the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens: I shall call them, and they shall appear together before Me.” Since heaven represents the masculine principle and the earth the feminine principle, it is meet that they appear together before God, the one on the right and the other on the left. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see Who (Mi) created This (Éléh)”; Scripture means that “Mi” and “Éléh” complete one another. For, before creation, all was beyond understanding and conception, and “Hocmà” was as hidden as the Supreme Point. It was only when a light had spread throughout the world that one could perceive the existence of this light; before creation, the subtlety of this light was such that none could perceive its existence. But when the light became accessible to the world, one began to ask, “Who” (Mi)? Only then did the existence of “This” (Éléh) become possible. This mystery is likewise expressed in the words of Scripture: “From the womb of ‘Who’ (Mi) came forth the ice”; for, indeed, the world would be like ice if there were only “Mi”; for every question and every search would be fruitless. Scripture says: “Bereschith.” What does this word mean? Does it mean: By the two Verbs, Élohim created, etc., dividing the word in two: “Beu,” that is, by two, and “reschith,” that is, Verb; or: By the Verb, Élohim created, etc., reading Bereschith as a single word? The truth is that before the creation of the world there was no distinction between the Supreme Principle and the Verb; it was only after creation that one began to distinguish between “Mi” (Who) and “Éléh” (This). Despite this distinction, both are but one. Thus, the “Mi” above became here below “Iam”; we see, therefore, that although the form is changed, the substance is the same, “Mi” and “Iam” being both formed of the same letters: I and M. Likewise, the Supreme Principle and the Verb are two, while in essence they are but one. It is written: “While the King rested, the nard with which I was perfumed gave forth its sweet fragrance”; “the King” denotes the Supreme Principle, and “the nard that gave forth its fragrance”…
“His goodly fragrance” designates the Word, who is the King below and who formed the world below after the pattern of the world above; “the goodly fragrance that He diffuses” designates the celestial light. The world was created in two ways; there was the creation wrought by the right side, and that wrought by the left side. The duration of the creation of the earth corresponds to the duration of the creation of the heavens, for they too were created within the span of six celestial days, as it is written: “For in six days God made the heavens and the earth.” These six days correspond to the six roads, the six openings of the abyss, and, lastly, the six channels that lead the waters into the abyss. Such is the meaning of the words of the tradition: “The openings made beneath the altar for the libations (schithim) were created during the six days of creation”; for these openings bring peace to the world.
It is written: “...And the earth was thohou and bohou.” At the time of creation, the constituent elements were not yet refined; the flower of each element was mingled with its dregs. Thus everything lacked outline, like the mark traced by a pen whose nib is laden with the sediment of ink. It was then that, by virtue of the engraved name of forty-two letters, the world took on clearer forms. All the forms that exist in the world emanate from these forty-two letters, which are, as it were, the crown of the sacred name. By combining together, overlapping, and thereby forming certain figures above and others below, they gave birth to the four cardinal points and to all the forms and images that exist in the world. Since the formation of the world took the letters of the sacred name as its mold, it follows that these letters must have been arranged in the opposite order to that which we see in the world; as with a word engraved upon a seal: for the word to appear in the order proper to it, the letters composing it must be engraved in reverse. Thus, what appears to us to be first in the order of this world figures as last upon the heavenly mold. The same is true of every letter that contributed to the creation of the world.
As soon as the letters were engraved upon the seal of God, the great serpent and his legions disappeared from the face of the world and were banished beneath the openings of the earth leading to the abyss, at a depth of one thousand five hundred cubits. But the deep abyss later restored the demons to the surface of the earth, which was thereafter wholly veiled in darkness, until the day when the celestial light, dispelling the darkness, came to illumine the world, as it is written: “He discovereth that which was hidden in deep darkness, and bringeth forth into the light the shadow of death.”
The waters were weighed on a balance. Three drops, each representing one thousand five hundredth part of a fingerbreadth, falling upon one of the pans in excess of the other, caused one pan to rise and the other to descend. But as soon as, by means of a hand, the excess was removed from one pan, the balance regained its equilibrium. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Who (Mi) hath measured the waters with His hand.” Before the celestial light had yet illuminated the world, all remained plunged in darkness, and the frozen waters gave rise to neither river nor stream. But when the light appeared, it warmed with its rays the frozen waters, which, once melted, resumed the movement inherent in their nature, as it is written: “And Elohim said: Let there be light, and there was light.” The light of which Scripture speaks is that which exists from all eternity, from which all the celestial hosts and powers emanate, and which fills the world with its radiance. When this light first manifested itself in the world, its radiance filled the world from one end to the other; but when God foresaw the number of the sinners in this world, He hid this light and made it inaccessible by any other way than through narrow and dark paths.
It is written: “And Elohim saw that the light was good.” Tradition teaches us that all dreams whose substance consists of an object which Scripture calls by the name “good” foretell peace above and below. For the letters composing the word “Tob” (good) are arranged in an order that signifies peace above and below.
Whoever sees the letter “T” in a dream may take it as a favorable omen for himself and for his entire dream, since Scripture begins with the words “and God saw that it was good.” This word “good” signifies the light which, at the moment of creation, illumined the world from one end to the other. The letter “T,” seen in a dream, denotes the word “Tab,” which is synonymous with the word “Tob” and means peace. The numerical value of the letter “T” is nine, a symbol of the ninth Sephirâ, after Kether, which receives its light from the supreme Sephirâ. Thus, the letter Yod is the symbol of the supreme Point; the letter Vav is the symbol of the light that proceeds from the first two Sephiroth; “T” is the symbol of the ninth Sephirâ (after Kether), a Sephirâ which, being called “Malcouth,” is identical with the second Sephirâ. The letter “B” is the symbol of the first Sephirâ, since Scripture begins with it.
Whoever sees the letter “T” in a dream may take it as a favorable omen for himself and for his entire dream, since Scripture begins with the words “and God saw that it was good.” This word “good” signifies the light which, at the moment of creation, illumined the world from one end to the other. The letter “T,” seen in a dream, denotes the word “Tab,” which is synonymous with the word “Tob” and means peace. The numerical value of the letter “T” is nine, a symbol of the ninth Sephirâ, after Kether, which receives its light from the supreme Sephirâ. Thus, the letter Yod is the symbol of the supreme Point; the letter Vav is the symbol of the light that proceeds from the first two Sephiroth; “T” is the symbol of the ninth Sephirâ (after Kether), a Sephirâ which, being called “Malcouth,” is identical with the second Sephirâ. The letter “B” is the symbol of the first Sephirâ, since Scripture begins with it.