R. Simeon continued: ‘We have a tradition that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He engraved in the midst of the mysterious, ineffable and most glorious lights, the letters Yod, He, Van, He, which are in themselves the synthesis of all worlds both above and below.
The upper was brought to completion by the influence symbolized by the letter. Yod, representing the primordial supernal point which issued from the absolutely hidden and unknowable, the mysterious Limitless (En-sof). Out of this unknowable issued a slender thread of light which was itself concealed and invisible, but which yet contained all other lights, and which received vibrations from That which does not vibrate and reflected light from That which diffused it not.
This slender light in turn gave birth to another light wherein to disport and to conceal itself; and in this light were woven and fashioned six impressions which are not known save to that slender light when it goes in to hide itself and shine through the other light.
The light which issues from the slender light is mighty and terrible, and it expands and becomes a world which illumines all succeeding worlds-a hidden and unknown world in which dwell six myriads of thousands of supernal powers and hosts.
When the worlds were all completed. they were joined into a single organism, and are symbolized by the letter Vau (=six) when it is united with the veiled world.1Yod, He. And this is the esoteric meaning of the words, “For Jacob has chosen Kah unto himself.” But when the Vau emerges self-contained from the Yod He, then “Israel attains to his costly possession”:
that is to say, to other men permission has not been granted to penetrate to the higher point (Binah), but only as far as the “costly possession” (Malkuth), which is a lower grade; and from this they can ascend higher in intention but not in actual attainment, as Jacob did.
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּכַד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, גְּלִיף בִּגְלִיפוֹי דְּרָזֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, גּוֹ טְהִירִין בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין, וְגָלִיף לְעֵילָּא וְגָלִיף לְתַתָּא, וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חֲדָא, בְּרָזָא דְּגִלוּפֵי דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא ידו"ד, דְּשָׁלִיט בְּאַתְווֹי עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וּבְרָזָא דָּא אִשְׁתַּכְלָלוּ עָלְמִין, עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה.
R. Simeon continued: ‘We have a tradition that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He engraved in the midst of the mysterious, ineffable and most glorious lights, the letters Yod, He, Van, He, which are in themselves the synthesis of all worlds both above and below.
עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה אִשְׁתַּכְלַל בְּרָזָא דְּאָת י', נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה קַדְמָאָה, דְּנָפְקָא מִגּוֹ דְּסָתִים וְגָנִיז דְּלָא יְדִיעַ, וְלָא קַיְּימָא לְמִנְדַּע, וְלָא אִתְיְידָע כְּלַל, סְלִיקוּ דְרָזָא דְּאֵין סוֹף, וּמִגּוֹ סְתִימוּ דָּא, נָהִיר נְהִירוּ חַד דָּקִיק וְסָתִים, כָּלִיל בְּגַוֵּיהּ כְּלָלָא דְּכָל נְהוֹרִין. וּבְהַהוּא נְהִירוּ סָתִים, בָּטַשׁ בֵּיהּ מַאן דְּלָא בָּטַשׁ. נָהִיר בֵּיהּ מַאן דְּלָא נָהִיר. וּכְדֵין, אַפִּיק חַד נְהִירוּ, דְּאִיהוּ עִדּוּנָא לְעִדּוּנָא, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא, לְאִתְגַּנְּזָא נְהִירוּ דָּקִיק, וְסָתִים בְּגוֹ הַהוּא נְהִירוּ.
The upper was brought to completion by the influence symbolized by the letter. Yod, representing the primordial supernal point which issued from the absolutely hidden and unknowable, the mysterious Limitless (En-sof). Out of this unknowable issued a slender thread of light which was itself concealed and invisible, but which yet contained all other lights, and which received vibrations from That which does not vibrate and reflected light from That which diffused it not.
וְהַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּאִיהוּ עִדּוּנָא לְעִדּוּנָא, סָתִים, אִתְקָיָּימוּ (נ"א אתרקימו) וְאִשְׁתָּכְלָלוּ בֵּיהּ שִׁית רְשִׁימִין, דְּלָא יְדִיעָן, בַּר לְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דָּקִיק כַּד עָאל לְאִתְגַּנְּזָא, עִדּוּנָא בְּעִדּוּנָא נָהִיר בִּנְהִירוּ.
This slender light in turn gave birth to another light wherein to disport and to conceal itself; and in this light were woven and fashioned six impressions which are not known save to that slender light when it goes in to hide itself and shine through the other light.
וְהַאי נְהִירוּ דְּנָפַק מִגּוֹ נְהִירוּ דָּקִיק אִיהוּ דְּחִילָא וְאֵמְתָּנִי וְתַקִּיפָא יְתֵירָא, וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט הַאי וְאִתְעָבִיד עָלְמָא חֲדָא, דְּנָהִיר לְכָל עָלְמִין. עָלְמָא סְתִימָא דְּלָא יְדִיעַ כְּלָל, וּבְגַוֵּיהּ דַּיְירִין שִׁית רִבּוֹא אֶלֶף, דְּאִינּוּן דַּיְירִין וְחֵילִין וּמַשְׁירְיָין עִלָּאִין.
The light which issues from the slender light is mighty and terrible, and it expands and becomes a world which illumines all succeeding worlds-a hidden and unknown world in which dwell six myriads of thousands of supernal powers and hosts.
וְכֵיוָן דְּאַפִּיק לוֹן וְאִשְׁתָּכְלָלוּ כַּחֲדָא כְּדֵין אִיהוּ חִבּוּרָא חֲדָא. וְאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּאָת וי"ו, דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא סְתִימָא, (כאן חסר) וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב, (תהילים קל״ה:ד׳) כִּי יַעֲקֹב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ. כַּד נָפִיק וי"ו, וְאִשְׁתַּכְלָל מִגּוֹ יָ"הּ, כְּדֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ.
When the worlds were all completed. they were joined into a single organism, and are symbolized by the letter Vau (=six) when it is united with the veiled world.1Yod, He. And this is the esoteric meaning of the words, “For Jacob has chosen Kah unto himself.” But when the Vau emerges self-contained from the Yod He, then “Israel attains to his costly possession”:
שְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, לָא אִתְיְיהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְסַלְּקָא הָכִי, אֶלָּא לִסְגֻלָּתוֹ, אֲתָר דְּנָטִיל וְכָנִישׁ כֹּלָּא. וְדָא אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא לְתַתָּא, וּמִגּוֹ דָּא, נַטְלִין לְעֵילָּא, בִּסְתִימוּ דִּרְעוּ, אֲבָל לָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, כְּמָה דְּנָטִיל יַעֲקֹב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה.
that is to say, to other men permission has not been granted to penetrate to the higher point (Binah), but only as far as the “costly possession” (Malkuth), which is a lower grade; and from this they can ascend higher in intention but not in actual attainment, as Jacob did.