Zohar Bereshit A, Verses 1-16: A Novel

In the historical novel, a hard spark emanates from the most concealed of all concealed things - from the secret of the Endlessness Light - took a shapeless form and was inserted into the center of a circle that was neither white nor black nor red nor green, nor any color at all. When it began its measurements, it created colors that shone into the empty space and the engraving. From within the hard spark a fountain spouted, from which the shades down below received their colors.

From the most concealed of all concealed things, emanated two faces: one cleaved and the other did not cleave. Its atmosphere was unknown until forceful blows split Atik, and a concealed supernal point shone. Beyond this point, nothing is knowable and, because of this, it is called by the name Beginning, which means the first of the sayings.

The souls of the righteous are wise and shine like the brightness of the firmament. The illumination of the upper three Sfirot alludes to them. This chamber is the brightness from which all ten sayings were created, according to the secret meaning of the expansion of the point from that hidden brightness. Thus, if the word "created" applies to it, no wonder it is written, "And Elohim created man in his own image."

The brightness that it sowed for its honor is similar to the purple seed of the silkworm, for the worm encases itself within its own silk. And from that seed, it prepares for itself a chamber for its own glory and for the benefit of all. This chamber is called by the name 'Elohim.' The brightness that is most concealed of all concealed things merged with this point and shone into it. Then this Beginning - which is Arich Anpin - expanded into a head and body, and made a chamber for its honor and glory. There, inside the chamber, Arich Anpin planted a holy seed to bring forth souls for the benefit of the world.

The brightness, which is Arich Anpin, is the secret of the Beginning, because its name is the first of all. The Holy Name Eheyeh is engraved upon the sides of Arich Anpin. The name Elohim is engraved on the crown. After the point and the chamber were established as one, Beresheet - which is Arich Anpin - includes a lofty beginning to the light of Chochmah. Later, the appearance of the chamber changed and it was called a house and the supernal point was called the head. They were included in each other through the secret of the Beginning.

That supernal point, which is Arich Anpin, sowed inside the chamber the secret of the three vowels: Cholam, Shuruk and Chirik. So they are combined into one secret, a Voice that emerges from the joining of the three vowels. When the Voice came forth, its female counterpart came with it. She included all the letters as it is written: "the heaven"; that is, the voice and its Female principle. This voice, which is the secret of the heaven, is the last name of Eheyeh, which is the brightness that contains all the letters and colors in this manner.

Bereshit is formed of the segments BaraSheet (he created six), because from one end of the heaven to the other, there are six branches that extend from the secret of the sublime with the expansion of Bara (created). Bara expanded from within the first point, which is Arich Anpin. The words "And they who are wise shall shine" allude to the letters and the vowels that shine, and "the brightness" alludes to the tune of the cantillation marks. "The firmament" alludes to the expansion of the tune, namely all those intonations that flow and expand along as the tune flows. "And they who turn many to righteousness" alludes to the music of the cantillation marks that bring the journeying to a pause and enable the meaning of the words to be heard clearly.