The Book of Illumination

From the foundation and might of the Holy One, blessed be He, is fire; and He placed peace between them, as it is written: He makes peace in His high places Job 25:2. And from where do we know that Tohu Chaos/Void is associated with evil? As it is written: I make peace and create evil Isaiah 45:7. How so? Evil comes from Tohu, and peace comes from Bohu Void/Emptiness. He created Tohu and set its place in evil, and good from Bohu. He created Tohu and expounded: What is meant by Forming light and creating darkness? Light, which has substance, has "formation" written about it; but darkness, which has no substance, has "creation" written about it, as it says: He forms the mountains and creates the wind Amos 4:13.

And another explanation: Light is an act of "making," as it is written: And God said, "Let there be light" Genesis 1:3, and there is no "being" except through making and formation. Darkness did not involve "making"—that is, "making" is not written regarding it, but only "separation" and "division"; therefore, it is called "creation," as one might say "so-and-so has recovered" The Hebrew root B-R-A can mean both 'create' and 'to be healthy/fattened'. Why is the letter Bet (ב) closed on all sides and open in the front? To teach you that it is a "House" (Bayit) for the world; thus the Holy One, blessed be He, is the place of the world, but the world is not His place. Do not read it as Bayit (House), but as Bat (Daughter). This is what is meant by: With wisdom a house is built, and with understanding [it is established] Proverbs 24:3. And why does the Bet resemble a human? Because man was formed with wisdom; he is closed on all sides and open in the front, while the letter He (ה) is open from behind, like this: The Hebrew letter He (ה) with a distinctive gap in the upper left corner of the strokes. This indicates that the "tail" of the Bet is open from behind; if it were not so, man could not exist. Were it not for the "Understanding" (Binah) of the Bet, the world would not endure.

Rabbi Rahumai said: Cloud and gloom preceded the world, as it is written: And God said, "Let there be light." They said to Him: "Before the creation of Israel, Your son, will You make a crown for him?" He said to them: "Yes." This is like a king who desired a son and found a beautiful, praised, and glorious crown. He rejoiced and said: "This is for my son's head, for it befits him." They said to him: "Is it known that his son is worthy of it?" He said: "Be silent." Thus it arose in Thought and became known, as it is written: And he devises means [that his banished be not expelled] 2 Samuel 14:14.

Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: Why is the letter Aleph (א) at the beginning? Because it preceded everything, even the Torah. And why is Bet (ב) close to it? Because it was the beginning The first letter of the Torah is Bet. And why does this Bet have a tail? To show from which place it came. Some say the world is sustained from there. And why is Gimel (ג) third? To make known that it "bestows kindness" (Gomel Hasadim). Rabbi Akiva said: Why is Gimel third? Because it bestows, endures, and grows. In what way? And the child grew and was weaned Genesis 21:8. He is the Word, for He grows and bestows kindness to His neighbor with Him, and was a craftsman beside Him.

And for what reason does the Gimel have a tail below? He said to him: The Gimel has a head above and resembles a pipe, like this: A vertical stroke illustrating the concept of a "tzinor" (conduit or pipe). Just as this pipe draws from above and empties below, so the Gimel draws through the head and empties through the tail; this is the Gimel. Rabbi Yohanan said: On the second day the angels were created, as it is written: Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters and it is written *Who makes

His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire* Psalm 104:3-4. And Rabbi Lumas of Tiberias said: All agree and Rabbi [Judah the Prince] admits that the waters already existed, but on the second day He laid the beams of the waters in His upper chambers. And what is He makes the clouds His chariot? And what is He walks on the wings of the wind? However, the messengers [angels] were not created until the fifth day. All agree they were not created on the first day, so that people would not say: "Michael was stretching the south of the firmament and Gabriel the north, while the Holy One, blessed be He, was arranging the middle." Rather, I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself Isaiah 44:24. Who was with Me? (Mi itti). It is written: I am He who planted this tree to delight in it, I and all the world; and I spread out everything in it and called its name "All" (Kol). And the explanation is literally as it sounds: I am the Lord who makes all, who spreads the earth—who was with Me? No angel or seraph was with Me, but I Myself. And I called its name "All," for everything depends on it, everything comes from it, everything needs it, and toward it they gaze and wait. From there the souls fly forth. I was alone when I made it, and no angel shall exalt himself over it to say, "I preceded you," for even at the time I spread out My earth, I planted and rooted this tree and we rejoiced together.

Rabbi Rahumai said: From your words we learn that the need of the "Yes" (Hen) was created by the Holy One, blessed be He, before the heavens. He said to them: A parable. To what is this like? To a king who sought to plant a tree in his garden. He looked throughout the garden to see if there was a spring of flowing water (some say: that which sustains it) and did not find one. He said: "I will dig for water and bring forth a spring so that the tree can endure." He dug and brought forth a spring of living water, and afterward he planted the tree. It stood and produced fruit and succeeded in its roots, for they were watered by the water drawn from the spring.

Rabbi Yannai said: The earth was created before the heavens, as it is said: [In the day that the Lord God made] earth and heaven Genesis 2:4. They said to him: But is it not written [In the beginning God created] the heaven and the earth? He said to them: To what is this like? To a king who bought a beautiful object, but it was not complete and he did not name it. He said: "I will complete it, prepare its structure and its joining, and then I will name it." This is what is written: Of old You laid the foundation of the earth and afterward and the heavens are the work of Your hands Psalm 102:25. And afterward: Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters... and it says Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire, and afterward Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever Psalm 104:2-5. When He prepared a foundation for it, then it became strong, as it is said it should not be moved. And what is its name? "Forever" (Ad) is its name, and "Foundation of the World" (Makhon Olam), which is "World and Forever" (Olam va-Ed).

Rabbi Berechiah said: What is meant by And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light? It does not say "And it was light" (some say: and it became light). This is like a king who bought a beautiful object and set it aside until...