AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHTS, ETC. The,word for “lights” (meoroth) is written defectively, as if me’eroth (curses), for the reason that the children’s disease, croup, was through them created. For after the primordial light was withdrawn there was created a “membrane for the marrow”, a k’lifah, and this k’lifah expanded and produced another. As soon as this second one came forth she went up and down till she reached the “little faces”.1v. p 79. She desired to cleave to them and to be shaped as one of them, and was loth to depart from them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, removed her from them and made her go below.
When He created Adam and gave him a partner, as soon as she saw Eve clinging to his side and was reminded by his form of the supernal beauty, she flew up from thence and tried as before to attach herself to the “little faces”. The supernal guardians of the gates, however, did not permit her. The Holy One, blessed be He, chid her and cast her into the depths of the sea,
where she abode until the time that Adam and his wife sinned. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, brought her out from the depth of the sea and gave her power over all those children, the “little faces” of the sons of men, who are liable to punishment for the sins of their fathers. She then wandered up and down the world. She approached the gates of the terrestrial paradise, where she saw the Cherubim, the guardians of the gates of Paradise, and sat down near the flashing sword, to which she was akin in origin.
When she saw the flashing sword revolving, she fled and wandered about the world and, finding children liable to punishment, she maltreated and killed them. All this is on account of the action of the moon in diminishing her (original) light. When Cain was born this k’lifah tried for a time without success to attach herself to him, but at length she had intercourse with him and bore spirits and demons.
Adam for a hundred and thirty years had intercourse with female spirits until Naamah was born. She by her beauty led astray the “sons of God”, Uzza and Azael, and she bore them children, and so from her went forth evil spirits and demons into the world. She wanders about at night time, vexing the sons of men and causing them to defile themselves. Wherever these spirits find people sleeping alone in a house, they hover over them, lay hold of them and cleave to them, inspire desire in them and beget from them. They further inflict diseases on them without their being aware-all this through the diminution of the moon.
When the moon was restored, the letters of meoroth (lights) were reversed to form imrath (word), as it is written, “the word (imrath) of the Lord is tried, he is a shield to those that trust in him” (Ps. 18, 31), i.e. He is a shield against all those evil spirits and demons that wander about the world at the waning of the moon, unto those that hold fast to their faith in the Holy One, blessed be He.
King Solomon, when he “penetrated into the depths of the nut garden” (as it is written, “I descended into the nut garden”, S. S. 6, 11), took a nut-shell (klifah) and drew an analogy from its layers to these spirits which inspire sensual desires in human beings, as it is written, “and the delights of the sons of men (are from) male and female demons” (Eccl. 2, 8).
This verse also indicates that the pleasures in which men indulge in the time of sleep give birth to multitudes of demons. The Holy One, blessed be He, found it necessary to create all these things in the world to ensure its permanence, so that there should be, as it were, a brain with many membranes encircling it. The whole world is constructed on this principle, upper and lower,
from the first mystic point up to the furthest removed of all the stages. They are all coverings one to another, brain within brain and spirit within spirit, so that one is a shell to another.
The primal point is the innermost light of a translucency, tenuity, and purity passing comprehension. The extension of that point becomes a “palace” (Hekal), which forms a vestment for that point with a radiance which is still unknowable on account of its translucency.
The “palace” which is the vestment for that unknowable point is also a radiance which cannot be comprehended, yet withal less subtle and translucent than the primal mystic point. This “palace” extends into the primal Light, which is a vestment for it.
From this point there is extension after extension, each one forming a vestment to the other, being in the relation of membrane and brain to one another. Although at first a vestment, each stage becomes a brain to the next stage. The same process takes place below, so that on this model man in this world combines brain and shell, spirit and body, all for the better ordering of the world.
When the moon was in connection with the sun, she was luminous, but as soon as she separated from the sun and was assigned the charge of her own hosts, she reduced her status and her light, and shells upon shells were created for covering the brain, and all for the benefit of the brain. Hence meoroth is written defectively. All this was for the benefit of the world, and hence it is written, “to give light upon the earth”.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאוֹרוֹת וְכוּ'. מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר. דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אַסְכְּרָה לְרַבְיֵי. דְּבָתַר דְּאִתְגְּנִיז נְהִירוּ אוֹר קַדְמָאָה. אִתְבְּרֵי קְלִיפָּה לְמוֹחָא, וְהַהִיא קְלִיפָּה אִתְפַּשַּׁט וְאַפִּיק קְלִיפָּה אָחֳרָא. כֵּיוָן דְּנַפְקַת סַלְקָא וְנַחֲתָא מָטַת לְגַבֵּי אַנְפֵּי זוּטְרֵי, בָּעאַת לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ וּלְאִצְטַיְירָא בְּגַוַויְיהוּ וְלָא בָּעאַת לְאַפְרְשָׁא מִנַּיְיהוּ, אַפְרַשׁ לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתַּמָּן וְנָחִית לָהּ לְתַתָּא, כַּד בְּרָא אָדָם בְּגִין לְאַתְקָנָא הַאי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHTS, ETC. The,word for “lights” (meoroth) is written defectively, as if me’eroth (curses), for the reason that the children’s disease, croup, was through them created. For after the primordial light was withdrawn there was created a “membrane for the marrow”, a k’lifah, and this k’lifah expanded and produced another. As soon as this second one came forth she went up and down till she reached the “little faces”.1v. p 79. She desired to cleave to them and to be shaped as one of them, and was loth to depart from them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, removed her from them and made her go below.
כֵּיוָן דְּחָמַת לְחַוָּה דְּקָא מִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּסִטְרוֹי דְּאָדָם דְּשַׁפִּירוּ דִּלְעֵילָא וְחָמַאת דִּיוּקְנָא שְׁלִים, פָּרְחָא מִתַּמָּן, וּבָעאַת כְּמִלְקַדְמִין לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי זוּטְרֵי. אִנּוּן נָטְרֵי תַּרְעִין דִּלְעֵיל לָא שַׁבְקוּ לָהּ. נָזַף קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּהּ וְאַטִּיל לָהּ בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי יַמָּא.
When He created Adam and gave him a partner, as soon as she saw Eve clinging to his side and was reminded by his form of the supernal beauty, she flew up from thence and tried as before to attach herself to the “little faces”. The supernal guardians of the gates, however, did not permit her. The Holy One, blessed be He, chid her and cast her into the depths of the sea,
וְיָתְבַת תַּמָּן עַד דְּחָטָא אָדָם וְאִנְתְּתֵיהּ. כְּדֵין אַפִּיק לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִשִּׁפּוּלֵי יַמָּא, וְשָׁלְטָא עַל כָּל אִנּוּן רַבְיֵי אַפֵּי זוּטְרָא דִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא דְּאִתְחֲזוּן לְאַעֲנָשָׁא בְּחוֹבֵי דְּאֲבוּהוֹן. וְאִיהִי אָזְלָא מְשַׁטְּטָא בְּעָלְמָא. קְרֵיבַת לְתַרְעֵי גַּן עֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא וְחָמַת כְּרוּבִים נָטְרֵי תַּרְעֵי דְּגַּן עֵדֶן וְיָתְבָא תַּמָּן לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא לַהַט הַחֶרֶב בְּגִין דְּהִיא נָפְקַת מִסִּטְרָא דְּהַהוּא לַהַט.
where she abode until the time that Adam and his wife sinned. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, brought her out from the depth of the sea and gave her power over all those children, the “little faces” of the sons of men, who are liable to punishment for the sins of their fathers. She then wandered up and down the world. She approached the gates of the terrestrial paradise, where she saw the Cherubim, the guardians of the gates of Paradise, and sat down near the flashing sword, to which she was akin in origin.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַהוּא לַהַט אִתְהַפַּךְ עָרְקַת וּמְשֹׁטֶטֶת בְּעָלְמָא וְאִשְׁתַּכְּחַת רַבְיֵי דְּאִתְחֲזוּן לְאִתְעֲנָשָׁא וְחַיְיכַת בְּהוּ וּקְטֵילַת לוֹן. וְדָא אִיהוּ (פקודי רמח ע"ב) בִּגְרִיעוּ דְסִיהֲרָא דְּאַזְעִירַת נְהוֹרָא וְדָא מְאֹרֹת כַּד אִתְיְלִיד קַיִן לֹא יָכְלָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ. לְבָתַר אִתְקְרִיבַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ וְאוֹלִידַת רוּחִין וְטִיסִין.
When she saw the flashing sword revolving, she fled and wandered about the world and, finding children liable to punishment, she maltreated and killed them. All this is on account of the action of the moon in diminishing her (original) light. When Cain was born this k’lifah tried for a time without success to attach herself to him, but at length she had intercourse with him and bore spirits and demons.
אָדָם מֵאָה וּתְלָתִין שְׁנִין שִׁמֵּשׁ בְּרוּחִין נוּקְבִין, עַד דְּאֲתַת נַעֲמָה וּמִגּוֹ שַׁפִּירוּ דִילָהּ טָעוּ בְּנִי הָאֱלֹהִים בַּתְרָהּ עַזָ"א וַעֲזָאֵ"ל וְאוֹלִידַת מִנַּיְיהוּ. וּמִנָּהּ אִתְפַּשְׁטוּ רוּחִין בִּישִׁין וְשֵׁדִין בְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִיהִי אָזְלַת וּמְשׁוֹטֶטֶת בְּלֵילְיָא (נ"א בלילית) וְאָזְלָת בְּעָלְמָא וְחָיְיכַת (נ"א וחייכן) בִּבְנִי נְשָׁא וְעַבְדֵי לוֹן דְּאוֹשְׁדוּן קֶרִי. וּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאַשְׁכְּחָן בְּנִי נְשָׁא נַיְימִין יְחִידָאִין בְּבֵיתָא שָׁרָן עֲלַיְיהוּ וְאֲחִידָן לוֹן וּמִתְדַּבְּקָן בְּהוּ וְנָטְלֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ תֵּאוּבְתָּא וְאוֹלִידָן מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְתוּ (יא ע"א) פָּגְעִין בֵּיהּ בְּמַרְעִין וְלָא יָדַע. וְכָל דָּא בִּגְרִיעוּ דְסִיהֲרָא.
Adam for a hundred and thirty years had intercourse with female spirits until Naamah was born. She by her beauty led astray the “sons of God”, Uzza and Azael, and she bore them children, and so from her went forth evil spirits and demons into the world. She wanders about at night time, vexing the sons of men and causing them to defile themselves. Wherever these spirits find people sleeping alone in a house, they hover over them, lay hold of them and cleave to them, inspire desire in them and beget from them. They further inflict diseases on them without their being aware-all this through the diminution of the moon.
מְאֹרֹת כַּד אִתְתַּקָּנַת סִהֲרָא, אִתְהַפְּכָן אַתְוָון (תהילים י״ח:ל״א) אִמְרַת יְיָ צְרוּפָה. מָגֵן הוּא לְכָל הַחוֹסִים בּוֹ. מָגֵן הוּא עַל כָּל אִנּוּן רוּחִין בִּישִׁין וְקַסְטִירִין דִּמְשׁוֹטְטֵי בְּעָלְמָא בִּגְרִיעוּ דִילָהּ לְכָל אִנּוּן דְּאֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ בְּהֵימְנוּתֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
When the moon was restored, the letters of meoroth (lights) were reversed to form imrath (word), as it is written, “the word (imrath) of the Lord is tried, he is a shield to those that trust in him” (Ps. 18, 31), i.e. He is a shield against all those evil spirits and demons that wander about the world at the waning of the moon, unto those that hold fast to their faith in the Holy One, blessed be He.
שְׁלמֹה מַלְכָּה כַּד נָחִית לְעָמְקָא דֶאֱגוֹזָא דִּכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ו׳:י״א) אֶל גִּנַּת אגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, נָטַל קְלִיפָּה דֶאֱגוֹזָא וְאִסְתַּכַּל בְּכָל אִנּוּן קְלִיפִּין וְיָדַע (נ"א ואסתכל דכל אנון לא נבראו אלא מעינוגא) דְּכָל אִנּוּן עִנּוּגִין דְּהַנְהוּ רוּחִין קְלִיפִּין דֶּאֱגוֹזָא לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא לְאִתְדַבְּקָא בִּבְנֵי נְשָׁא (נ"א ולאסטאה) וּלְאִסְתָּאַב לוֹן דִּכְתִיב, (קהלת ב׳:ח׳) וְתַעֲנוּגוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת.
King Solomon, when he “penetrated into the depths of the nut garden” (as it is written, “I descended into the nut garden”, S. S. 6, 11), took a nut-shell (klifah) and drew an analogy from its layers to these spirits which inspire sensual desires in human beings, as it is written, “and the delights of the sons of men (are from) male and female demons” (Eccl. 2, 8).
תּוּ תַּעֲנוּגֵי בְּנִי אָדָם דְּמִתְעַנְּגֵי בְּשֵׁינְתָא דְלֵילְיָא, נַפְקָא מִנַּיְיהוּ שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת. וְכֹלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי בְּעָלְמָא וּלְאַתְקָנָא עָלְמָא בְּהוּ. וְכֹלָּא מֹחָא לְגוֹ וְכַמָּה קְלִיפִּין חַפְיָא לְמוֹחָא. וְכָל עָלְמָא כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא עֵילָא וְתַתָּא
This verse also indicates that the pleasures in which men indulge in the time of sleep give birth to multitudes of demons. The Holy One, blessed be He, found it necessary to create all these things in the world to ensure its permanence, so that there should be, as it were, a brain with many membranes encircling it. The whole world is constructed on this principle, upper and lower,
מֵרֵישׁ רָזָא דִנְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה עַד סוֹפָא דְכָל דַרְגִּין. כֻּלְהוּ אִיהוּ דָּא לְבוּשָׁא לְדָא, וְדָא לְדָא. דָּא מוֹחָא לְגוֹ מוֹחָא וּקְלִיפָה (ס"א מוחא) רוּחָא. דָּא לְגוֹ מִן דָּא. וְדָא לְגוֹ מִן דָּא. עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּהַאי קְלִיפָּה לְהַאי וְהַאי לְהַאי.
from the first mystic point up to the furthest removed of all the stages. They are all coverings one to another, brain within brain and spirit within spirit, so that one is a shell to another.
נְקוּדָה קַדְמָאָה הֲוָה נְהִירוּ פְּנִימָאָה דְּלֵית לֵיהּ שִׁעוּרָא לְמִנְדַע זְכִיכוּ וְדַקִּיקוּ וְנַקְיוּ דִילֵיהּ. עַד דְּאִתְפְּשַׁט פְּשִׁיטוּ. וְהַהוּא פְּשִׁיטוּ דְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אִתְעֲבִיד חַד הֵיכָלָא לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא הַהִיא נְקוּדָה נְהִירוּ דְּלָא יְדִיעַ לִסְגִיאוּ זִכּוּכָא דִילֵּיהּ.
The primal point is the innermost light of a translucency, tenuity, and purity passing comprehension. The extension of that point becomes a “palace” (Hekal), which forms a vestment for that point with a radiance which is still unknowable on account of its translucency.
הֵיכָלָא דְּאִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא לְהַהוּא נְקוּדָה סְתִימָא אִיהִי נְהִירוּ דְּלֵית לֵיהּ שִׁעוּרָא. וְעִם כָּל דָּא לָאו דַּקִּיק וְזָכִיךְ אִיהוּ כְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה קַדְמָאָה טָמִיר וְגָנִיז. הַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אִתְפַּשַּׁט פְּשִׁיטוּ אוֹר קַדְמָאָה. וְהַהוּא פְּשִׁיטוּ אִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא לְהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא דַּקִּיק וְזָכִיךְ פְּנִימָאָה יַתִּיר.
The “palace” which is the vestment for that unknowable point is also a radiance which cannot be comprehended, yet withal less subtle and translucent than the primal mystic point. This “palace” extends into the primal Light, which is a vestment for it.
מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה אִתְפַּשַּׁט דָּא בְּדָא וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ דָּא בְּדָא. עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דָּא לְבוּשָׁא לְדָא וְדָא לְדָא. דָּא מוֹחָא וְדָא קְלִיפָּה. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּדָא לְבוּשָׁא. אִתְעֲבִיד אִיהוּ מוֹחָא לְדַרְגָא אָחֳרָא. וְכֹלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִתְעֲבִיד הָכִי לְתַתָּא. עַד כִּי בְּצֶלֶם דָּא אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא מוֹחָא וּקְלִיפָּה רוּחָא וְגוּפָא. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ תִּקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא.
From this point there is extension after extension, each one forming a vestment to the other, being in the relation of membrane and brain to one another. Although at first a vestment, each stage becomes a brain to the next stage. The same process takes place below, so that on this model man in this world combines brain and shell, spirit and body, all for the better ordering of the world.
כַּד הֲוַת סִיהֲרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא בִּדְבֵקוּתָא חָדָא, הֲוַת סִיהֲרָא בִּנְהִירוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא וְאִתְפַּקְדַּת עַל (כל) חֵילָהָא, אַזְעִירַת גַּרְמָהּ, אַזְעִירַת נְהוֹרָא. וְאִתְבְּרוּן קְלִיפִּין עַל קְלִיפִּין לִגְנִיזוּ דְמוֹחָא. וְכֹלָּא תִּקּוּנָא דְמוֹחָא. וְעַל דָּא יְהִי מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר (כתיב). וְכָל דָּא לְתִקּוּנָא דְעָלְמָא. וְדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ:
When the moon was in connection with the sun, she was luminous, but as soon as she separated from the sun and was assigned the charge of her own hosts, she reduced her status and her light, and shells upon shells were created for covering the brain, and all for the benefit of the brain. Hence meoroth is written defectively. All this was for the benefit of the world, and hence it is written, “to give light upon the earth”.