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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Beresheet

Continued from previous DZ

#390

It is written: יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ), me’orot (luminaries) is written without Vav (מארת). Rabbi Chezkiah says: Me’orot (מארת) is that in which the strength of judgment and the absorption of judgment reside. The meaning is: Me’orot is the Malchut, the Nukva of Zeir Anpin, and therefore it is written without Vav, which is an expression of a curse (קללה), because in the Malchut there are two aspects of judgments: 1) The strength of judgment that rests upon her from the power of the first restriction (tzimtzum aleph), that she does not receive direct light (אור ישר, ohr yashar), and these judgments are from her own root. 2) The darkness (חושך, choshech) within her, which she absorbed from Binah, which is not from herself but from what she absorbed from others, as it is written there.

Rabbi Yossi says: The reason it is written me’orot (מארת) without Vav, which is an expression of a curse, is because the verse says: Let there be a curse below, for she is the moon, that is, the Malchut, upon which depends the death by Diphtheria (אסכרה, askara) of infants in the lower world, and upon her depends the curse. And he disagrees with Rabbi Chezkiah, who interpreted the expression me’orot and the matter of the curse above in the world of Atzilut, that is, in the Malchut of Atzilut herself, which has in herself the strength of judgment and the absorption of judgment. Rather, the meaning is that below, in the lower world, a curse and me’orot are drawn from the Malchut, and because of the curse below, the Malchut is called me’orot (מארת) without Vav. And the explanation of the matter is because she is the smallest light of all the lights of Atzilut, that is, the last light of all the lights, and sometimes she is darkened and does not receive light. Therefore, Diphtheria and a curse are drawn from her below.

The meaning is: When the levels are diminished due to the ascent of the Malchut of each level to the Binah within it, because of this, the Binah and Tiferet, and Malchut (תו” מ) of each level descend to the level below it. Then, the Binah and Tiferet and Malchut of the level of Malchut descend to Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah of separation (the worlds below Atzilut), where the klipot are, because she is the last and smallest light of all Atzilut, and there is no level of holiness after her into which the Binah and Tiferet and Malchut within her would fall. And due to this reduction, Diphtheria is drawn from her to the multitudes, for when she is darkened, that is, during the time of reduction, her Binah and Tiferet and Malchut descend to the lower worlds and give strength to the harmful forces (מזיקים, mazikim) and klipot.

Notes:

This Zohar passage interprets יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ), focusing on me’orot (מארת) written without Vav, implying a curse. Rabbi Chezkiah attributes this to two judgments in Malchut (Nukva): inherent judgment from tzimtzum aleph (וִ) and absorbed darkness from Binah (וּ). Rabbi Yossi disagrees, linking the curse to the lower worlds (Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah), where Malchut’s diminished light (as the smallest in Atzilut) causes Diphtheria and curses when her Binah and Tiferet, and Malchut descend to the klipot during the size reduction.

Main Point: Malchut, called me’orot (מארת) without Vav, bears judgments (inherent and absorbed, per Rabbi Chezkiah) or causes curses below (Diphtheria, per Rabbi Yossi) when diminished, as her Binah and Tiferet and Malchut descend to the klipot, due to her being the smallest light in Atzilut.

#391

“In the firmament of the heavens,” which the verse says, this is the firmament that includes everything, because it takes all the lights and shines to that light which does not shine. The meaning is: The firmament of Binah includes all the Mochin of Zeir Anpin and Nukva, for it raises the letters Aleph-Lamed-Hei (אלה) of Binah and returns them to Binah. Then, Zeir Anpin and Nukva, which are cleaving to them, ascend with them to Binah, and they receive from her the Mochin. This applies to all the levels of Zeir Anpin and Nukva, as is known. Therefore, this firmament of Binah is considered the inclusive firmament, that is, it shines to the Malchut by raising her to Binah. And regarding this inclusive firmament, the verse says: יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ), etc.

Notes:

This Zohar passage interprets יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ). The firmament of Binah, the inclusive firmament, encompasses all Mochin of Zeir Anpin and Nukva by raising the letters Aleph-Lamed-Hei (אל” ה) to Binah, enabling Zeir Anpin and Nukva to ascend and receive Mochin (including Chokhmah and Chassadim). This process illuminates Malchut, which otherwise does not shine, through the zivug (union) facilitated by Binah’s firmament and the masach of chirik (וִ).

Main Point: The firmament of Binah, by raising Zeir Anpin and Nukva to receive Mochin, is the inclusive firmament that illuminates Malchut, enabling her to shine through the zivug with Zeir Anpin, as per יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם.

#392

Rabbi Yitzchak said: And He brought forth this firmament that does not shine, and they call it Malchut of the Heavens, Land of Israel, and Land of the Living. All these are names of the Malchut. The meaning is: For he interprets the verse יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ), that the Emanator brought forth with these words the firmament that does not shine, that is, the Malchut, which is the Nukva of Zeir Anpin. Therefore, the Emanator (המאציל, the Creator)  said me’orot (מארת) without Vav, for He said that me’orot shall be in the firmament such that it cannot shine. And he disagrees with Rabbi Yossi, who interprets it as the inclusive firmament, that is, of Binah, while he interprets it as the Malchut.

The heavens, says the verse, is that which shines to this firmament, for Zeir Anpin is called Shamayim (heavens), and it shines to the Malchut, which is the firmament that does not shine. For this reason, it is written me’orot (מארת) lacking Vav, which indicates that it does not have the illumination of the heavens, called Vav. And when it is without Vav, death is drawn from it to the world. And afterward, it is written השמים (hashamayim, the heavens) to shine upon the earth, for the heavens are the secret of Vav, which is Zeir Anpin, and it shines to the Nukva, called earth.

Notes:

Main Point: Malchut, the non-shining firmament (me’orot without Vav), is illuminated by Zeir Anpin (Shamayim, Vav [וֹ]) through their zivug, preventing death in the world, contra Rabbi Yossi’s view of Binah’s inclusive firmament.

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