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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Beresheet

Continued from previous DZ

#396

Come and see: The stars and constellations stand in the Brit (covenant), which is the sun that we said, that is, Zeir Anpin. And this is the firmament of the heavens in the verse יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ). Me’orot is the Nukva, as mentioned above, and the firmament of the heavens is Zeir Anpin, which shines to her, to the stars and constellations, and to the whole world, as mentioned above. In it, in the firmament, the stars and constellations are inscribed and engraved, and in it they are suspended to shine upon the earth. And thus, Rabbi Elazar disagrees with Rabbi Yitzchak, who interpreted the name firmament as the Nukva, and with Rabbi Yossi, who interpreted the name firmament as the Yessod of Binah. And he interprets that יְהִי מְאֹרֹת—”Let there be luminaries” is the Nukva, and “in the firmament of the heavens” is Zeir Anpin, as mentioned above.

Rabbi Yeisa the Elder was saying thus in the interpretation of the verse: That the Emanator said יְהִי מְאֹרֹת—”Let there be luminaries,” that they should be suspended in the firmament of the heavens. That is, all the measures of her stature (קומה, komah) are suspended in the firmament of the heavens. The meaning is: The Emanator rectified here, in saying יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens,” that all the measures of stature should be suspended in the firmament of the heavens, which is the secret of the parsa (פרסה, curtain). For in its ascent below Chokhmah, it measures the stature of ruach (רוח) for the level. And in its descent below Binah, it measures the stature of neshama (נשמה). And in its descent below Tiferet, it measures the stature of chaya (חיה). And in its descent to Malchut, it measures the stature of yechida (יחידה). And me’orot is the moon, suspended in all the measures of her stature in the firmament, since it is written: וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”And they shall be for luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:14 ). Thus, the sun is also suspended in the firmament. And since it is written וּלְמוֹעֲדִים—” and for seasons” (Genesis 1:14 ), that is, וְהָיוּ לְאֹתוֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים—”And they shall be for signs and for seasons” (Genesis 1:14 ), thus all the measures of stature that go out in the times, festivals, new months, and Sabbaths are suspended and made in the firmament, as mentioned above, which is the one that measures the statures of every level.

Notes:

This Zohar passage interprets יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם—”Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” and וְהָיוּ לְאֹתוֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים—”And they shall be for signs and for seasons” (Genesis 1:14 ). Rabbi Elazar identifies the firmament as Zeir Anpin (שָּׁמַיִם, Shamayim), shining to the Nukva (מְאֹרֹת, me’orot, moon), stars, and constellations via the Brit (Yessod), disagreeing with Rabbi Yitzchak (firmament as Nukva) and Rabbi Yossi (firmament as Binah’s Yessod). Rabbi Yeisa the Elder adds that the parsa (firmament) measures the statures (ruach, neshama, chaya, yechida) for all levels, suspending both the sun (Zeir Anpin) and moon (Nukva) to shine during sacred times. The zivug of Zeir Anpin and Nukva integrates Chassadim (וֹ) and Chokhmah (וּ) via chirik (וִ).

Main Point: The firmament (parsa), as Zeir Anpin, shines to the Nukva (me’orot), with the parsa measuring all statures (ruach, neshama, chaya, yechida) for sacred times, per Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yeisa, contra other views identifying the firmament as Nukva or Binah.

#397

And ‘the all’ (הכל), that is, all the measures of stature (קומה, komah) that the firmament measures, are made through the action of the first upper firmament, in which the holy name is unified, and it is ‘the all’. This is the firmament at the mouth of Arich Anpin, which brought forth Binah and Tiferet and Malchut of Arich Anpin outside the head. And it is the first upper firmament in the worlds, and the holy name, that is, the name Elohim, is unified in it. For in its descent from the mouth to the chest (חזה, chazeh) of Arich Anpin, it raises the letters Aleph-Lamed-Hei (אלה) to the head of Arich Anpin, and they are connected with the letters Mem-Yud (מי), and the name Elohim אלהים is completed, for it includes within it all the lower lights, as has already been explained. And this firmament is called, in the words of Rabbi Yossi above, the seven firmaments.

The seven stars are opposite the seven firmaments, and all of them are the conductors of the world and the upper world above them. The meaning is: You already know that firmament means the conclusion (סיום, siyum) that is made through the second restriction (tzimtzum bet). That is, through the ascent of Malchut to Binah. And there is an agent and an action, called star and firmament. The agent of the conclusion is called a star, and the action of the conclusion itself is called a firmament. You also know that the upper firmament at the mouth of Arich Anpin is called seven firmaments, opposite Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferet and Netzach-Hod-Yessod (חג” ת נה” י, Chagat Nehi), for it is above them and includes them within it. Thus, there are seven stars in them, for the power of the agent of each firmament of the seven is called a star. However, this is said only regarding the agent and action of tzimtzum bet. In contrast, the power of the agent of the first restriction (tzimtzum aleph) is not called a star. Therefore, the stars should only rule in Binah, which was restricted only by tzimtzum bet. But in Malchut, which was further restricted by tzimtzum aleph, the stars do not need to rule there and conduct it. Rather, due to the partnership of Malchut in Binah, Malchut was rectified with all the rectifications (tikkunim) of Binah. Therefore, the stars act in Malchut as they do in Binah.

And this is what it says: And all seven stars conduct the lower world, which is Malchut, and the upper world, which is Binah, is founded upon them, the stars, and not the lower world, which is Malchut, whose power of restriction is not at all in the aspect of a star, as mentioned above. Nevertheless, the lower world is also conducted by the stars. And it explains the reason: There are two worlds, the upper world, Binah, and the lower world, Malchut. And the lower one, which is Malchut, was rectified like the upper one, which is Binah. Therefore, all the rectifications of the upper world apply to the lower world, and the lower world is also conducted by the stars like the upper one. As it is written: מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם—”From world to world” (Psalms 106:48 ), which indicates that all that is in the upper world has passed and been rectified in the lower world. The upper world is the upper king, that is, Binah; the lower world is the lower king, that is, Malchut.

Notes:

This Zohar passage interprets מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם—”From world to world” (Psalms 106:48 ), explaining the first upper firmament at the mouth of Arich Anpin, unifying the name Elohim by raising Aleph-Lamed-Hei (אלה)(וּ) to connect with Mem-Yud (מי)(וֹ) via the masach of chirik (וִ). This firmament, called seven firmaments, measures all statures for Binah (חג” ת נה” י, Chagat Nehi). The seven stars (agents of tzimtzum bet) conduct Binah and, through Malchut’s partnership with Binah