IN THE BEGINNlNG.1Gen. 1 ,1. R. Judah said: There were two houses, the first house and the second house, one higher and one lower. There are two he’s, one higher and one lower; all, however, form only one. The higher beth opens the gates to every side, and when combined with reshith forms the “beginning” in the list of the component parts of the building. R. Isaac said in the name of R. Eleazar: ‘This Bereshith is the comprehensive form in which all forms are embraced. This is the inner meaning of the words, “this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezek. 1, 28); to wit, the appearance in which the six others are discernible. Hence we analyse the word Bereshith into bara shith (created six).
When the six colours enter into this appearance, it makes itself ready to reflect them, and through them to keep the world going. Yet the credit for this must be ascribed not to this grade alone, but to all the six.’
R. Jose quoted here the verse, The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land (S. S. 2, 12). ‘“The flowers”,’ he said, ‘allude to the six grades. The words “they appear on the earth” mean that they are forms which are reflected by the grade so called. It is then that “the time of singing is come”, to wit, of praise and laudation.’
R. Abba said: ‘The uppermost world is shrouded in mystery and all its attributes likewise, because it forms a day separate from all other days. When it created and produced, it produced those other six. On account of its incomprehensibility, the Scripture opens with the word Bereshith, “it created six”, without saying what created.
But when it came to the lower creation, it gave a name to the creator, who was now discoverable, and said: “Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Thus the first, which is the higher, remains shrouded in mystery, while the lower is disclosed, so that the work of the Holy One, blessed be He, should be ever both hidden and disclosed. Similarly, the holy name is also, in the esoteric doctrine, both hidden and disclosed.’
THE (eth) HEAVENS: the particle eth indicates that the lower heavens were also created for the lower world. Similarly, the word ve-eth in AND THE EARTH points to the lower earth and all its products after the supernal pattern.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּרֵאשִׁית. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר תְּרֵין בָּתִּין הֲווּ, בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וּבַיִת שֵׁנִי. דָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא תַּתָּאָה. תְּרֵין הֵהִי"ן אִנּוּן, דָּא עִלָּאָה וְדָא תַּתָּאָה וְכֻלְהוּ חַד. ב' עִלָּאָה פָּתְחָא תַּרְעִין לְכָל סִטְרָא. דְּהָכִי הוּא דְּכָלִיל דָּא בְּדָא. רִאשִׁית. כְּדֵין הוּא רֵאשִׁית לְאָעֳלָא בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא דְבִנְיָנָא. רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵאשִׁית דָּא כְּלָלָא דִּיוּקְנָא (ד"א דדיוקנא) דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ. דָּא רָזָא דִכְתִיב, (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ח) הוּא מַרְאֶה דְּמוּת כְּבוֹד יְיָ, חֵיזוּ דְּאִתְחַזּוּן בֵּיהּ שִׁית אָחֳרָנִין. וְדָא הוּא בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא שִׁית.
IN THE BEGINNlNG.1Gen. 1 ,1. R. Judah said: There were two houses, the first house and the second house, one higher and one lower. There are two he’s, one higher and one lower; all, however, form only one. The higher beth opens the gates to every side, and when combined with reshith forms the “beginning” in the list of the component parts of the building. R. Isaac said in the name of R. Eleazar: ‘This Bereshith is the comprehensive form in which all forms are embraced. This is the inner meaning of the words, “this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezek. 1, 28); to wit, the appearance in which the six others are discernible. Hence we analyse the word Bereshith into bara shith (created six).
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד עָאלִין בְהַאי חֵיזוּ שִׁית גְּוָונִין, הִיא אַתְקִינַת גַּרְמָא לְאַחֲזָאָה לוֹן וּלְמִפְעַל בְּהוּ אוּמָנוּתָא דְעָלְמָא. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהַאי אוּמָנוּתָא דְעָלְמָא מִדַּרְגָא דָא הוּא. כְּתִיב בָּרָא שִׁית. שְׁבָחָא דְשִׁית אִיהוּ דְּעָבְדֵי אוּמָנוּתָא בְּהַאי.
When the six colours enter into this appearance, it makes itself ready to reflect them, and through them to keep the world going. Yet the credit for this must be ascribed not to this grade alone, but to all the six.’
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח (שיר השירים ב׳:י״ב) הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ. הַנִּצָּנִים (נראו בארץ) דָּא הוּא רָזָא דְשִׁית דַּרְגִּין (גליון הרש"ב) עֲלָהּ וְאִיהִי שְׁבִיעָאָה. וְאִלֵין אִנּוּן שִׁיתּ דַרְגִין דַרְגָא דְאַבְרָהָם וְדַרְגָא דְיִצְחָק וְדַרְגָא דְיַעֲקֹב וְיָכִי"ן וּבוֹעַ"ז וְיוֹסֵ"ף כֻּלְהוּ אִתְחֲזוּ בְאַרְעָא דִכְתִיב נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ. בָּאָרֶץ דָא הִיא קַרְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל). נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ, בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין לְאִתְחַזָּאָה בְּהַאי דַרְגָּא. עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ, דְּהָא כְּדֵין מְשַׁבַּח וּמְהַדַּר כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ל׳:י״ג) לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלֹא יִדּוֹם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי מִזְמוֹר כְּמָה דִּתְנִינָן דִּכְתִיב מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד דְּשָׁארֵית עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּרֵישָׁא. וְדָא הוּא עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר דְּהָא כְּדֵין מָטָא זִמְנָא לְשַׁבְּחָא.
R. Jose quoted here the verse, The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land (S. S. 2, 12). ‘“The flowers”,’ he said, ‘allude to the six grades. The words “they appear on the earth” mean that they are forms which are reflected by the grade so called. It is then that “the time of singing is come”, to wit, of praise and laudation.’
רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה סָתִים וְכָל מִלּוֹי סְתִימִין. בְּגִין דְּקַיְימָא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה יוֹמָא דְּכָל יוֹמִין (רומא דכל רומין). וְכַד בָּרָא וְאַפִּיק, אַפִּיק אִלֵין שִׁית. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים דְּכָל מִלּוֹי סְתִימִין, אָמַר בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא שִׁית יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין. וְלָא אָמַר מָאן בָּרָא לְהוֹן. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא עִלָאָה סְתִימָא.
R. Abba said: ‘The uppermost world is shrouded in mystery and all its attributes likewise, because it forms a day separate from all other days. When it created and produced, it produced those other six. On account of its incomprehensibility, the Scripture opens with the word Bereshith, “it created six”, without saying what created.
וּלְבָתַר גָּלֵי וְאָמַר לָן עֲבִידְתָּא תַּתָּאָה. וְאָמַר מָאן בְּרָא לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא דְּקָיְימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא. וְאָמַר בָּרָא אֱלהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ. וְלָא כְּתִיב בָּרָא סָתִים (ד"א בארח סתים) בָּרָא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא וְאָמַר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֱלהִים וַדַּאי שְׁמָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא. קַדְמָאָה בִּסְתִימָא דְּאִיהוּ עִלָּאָה. תַּתָּאָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא. לְמֶהֱוֵי תָּדִיר עוֹבָדָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָתִים וְגַלְּיָא. וְרָזָא דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הָכִי הוּא סָתִים וְגַלְּיָא.
But when it came to the lower creation, it gave a name to the creator, who was now discoverable, and said: “Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Thus the first, which is the higher, remains shrouded in mystery, while the lower is disclosed, so that the work of the Holy One, blessed be He, should be ever both hidden and disclosed. Similarly, the holy name is also, in the esoteric doctrine, both hidden and disclosed.’
אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם לְאַסְגָּאָה שָׁמַיִם תַּתָּאֵי לְתַתָּא. וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ לְאַכְלָלָא אֶרְץ דִּלְתַתָּא. וּלְאַסְגָּאָה (לה) כָּל עוֹבָדָהָא כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא:
THE (eth) HEAVENS: the particle eth indicates that the lower heavens were also created for the lower world. Similarly, the word ve-eth in AND THE EARTH points to the lower earth and all its products after the supernal pattern.