Literal Translation of the Aforecited Text From Aramaic Into English
(The translation in the book is semantic and not literal)
1. Rabbi Chizkiyah opened by saying, “It is written, as the rose amongst the thorns”. What is the rose? It is the Community of Israel. Because there is a rose; and there is a rose. Just as the rose among the thorns is tinged with red and white, so is the Community of Israel is affected by the qualities of judgment and mercy. Just as the rose has thirteen petals, so the Community of Israel is surrounded by the thirteen attributes of mercy. However, Elokim thought here to reveal 13 words that surround the Community of Israel and guard it.
2. After this, in order to bring out the five rigid leaves that surround the rose, it is mentioned another time in the passage. These five mean salvation. These are 5 gates. And this secret is written about, “I will raise the cup of salvation.” This is the ‘cup of benediction.’ The cup of benediction must rest on five fingers, and no more, just as the rose rests on five rigid leaves that represent the five fingers. This rose is the cup of benediction. From the second to the third mention of the name Elokim, there are five words. From this point the Light was created and concealed and enclosed within that covenant that entered the rose and fructified it. This is referred to as a tree bearing fruit whose seed is within it and this seed really exists in the letter of the covenant.
3. And just as the covenant is sown by forty-two conceptions from that same seed, so is the holy name of the creation sown.
4. In the beginning, Rabbi Shimon opened by saying, the flower buds appeared on the earth. “The flower buds” refer to the act of creation. They appeared on the earth on the third day, as it is written, “The earth brought forth.” Since then, they have been seen on the earth. The time of singing has come, and this is the fourth day, when the restriction came from the Light of Hassadim. The “voice of the turtle dove” refers to the fifth day, about which it is written, “Let the waters swarm,” so they can produce living creatures. “It is heard” refers to the sixth day, on which it says, “Let us make man,” and it is said, “We will do, and we will hear.” “In our land” refers to the day of Shabbat, which represents the Land of Life.
5. Another meaning is that these blossoms are the Patriarchs who entered the thoughts of the future world, where they were hidden. They secretly emerged from there and hid themselves in the true prophets. Joseph was born and they hid in him. When Joseph entered the Holy Land, he revealed their presence and then they appeared on the earth and were seen there. And when are they seen? When the rainbow is seen in the sky. Because when the rainbow is seen, then they appear. And at that moment, the time of pruning has come. This is the period to annihilate the wicked from the world. But why were the wicked saved? Because the sprouts can be seen on the earth. If they had not appeared, they would not have remained on earth, and the world could not have existed.
6. Who sustains the world and causes the Fathers to appear? It is the voices of the children who study the Torah. And these children save the world. In deference to them, it is written, “We will make you pendants of gold”. This refers to the children, boys and young men, as is written, “And you shall make two Cherubs of gold.”
7. In the beginning, Rabbi Elazar began by saying, “Lift up your eyes on high and see. Who has created these things?” Lift up your eyes. To what place? To the place where all eyes depend on Him. And who is He that created these things? He is the opening of the eyes. And you should know that this is the concealed Atik where lies the question: Who has created these? And who (MI) is He? He is called from the extremity of heaven on high, as everything belongs to Him. The question arises because of Him, and He is concealed. He is called MI because beyond him there lies no question. Thus, the extremity of heaven is called MI.
8. There is another extremity down below called MA (what). What is between MI and MA? The first one is concealed and is called MI. Therein lies a question because man has asked and searched and inquired in order to understand and climb from one level to another, until he reached the highest level of all. After he had arrived there, he was asked: MA? (what?). What have you learned? What have you seen? What have you investigated, since everything is still concealed and hidden as before! Yet everything is concealed as before.
9. It is written on this secret subject, “What can I take to witness for you? What shall I compare with you?” The Temple was destroyed, and a voice came forth and said, “What shall I take to witness for you, and what shall compare with you?” The word MA (what) shall witness to you each and every day since the ancient days, as it is written: “I call heaven and earth to witness this day.” What shall I liken to you? In the same manner, I adorned you with holy adornments and made you ruler over the earth, as is written: “Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty?” I have called you, “Jerusalem, a city built by me.” “What shall I make equal to you?” Just as you sit here, so it is seemingly above! Just as now the holy nation does not enter below to perform the sacred work, so I swear that I will not enter above until I dwell down below. This is your consolation because I equate you with this level. Now you are here, “For your anguish is great, like the sea.” If you claim that you have no existence or remedy, then who (MI) shall heal you? Namely, that same concealed supernal level, MI, upon which everything exists, shall heal and uphold you.
10. MI is the extremity of heaven above. MA is the extremity of heaven below. This is what Jacob inherited, that passes from extremity to extremity. This inheritance is from the extremity above, which is MI, down to the extremity below, which is MA, because he stands in the middle. Because of this, MI created these!
11. Rabbi Shimon said, Elazar, my son, stop talking and let the supernal hidden secret, which humans know nothing about, be revealed. Rabbi Elazar was silent. Rabbi Shimon wept and stood still for a moment. Rabbi Shimon then said, Elazar, what is ELEH (these)? If you say that they are the planets and the signs of the zodiac, have they not always been seen? However, MA were created, as it is written, by the word of the Creator were the heavens made. If it was said about the hidden things, then it is not written ELEH because they are revealed.
12. This secret was never revealed, until one day when I was on the seashore, Eliyahu came and asked me: Rabbi, do you know what “WHO HAS CREATED THESE” means? I answered, “These” are the heavens and their hosts, the works of the Creator. Man should look at them and bless Him, as is written, “When I behold your heavens, the work of your hands, our Master, how glorious is Your name in all the earth!
13. He told me, Rabbi, one thing is concealed before the Creator, which He revealed to the Celestial Assembly. When the most hidden and concealed One desired to reveal Himself, He first made one single point, and this point ascended and became a Thought. He shaped within her all the forms and engraved all the images.
14. He engraved inside the sacred candle, an engraving of a concealed image of the holy of holies. It is a very profound structure that emerges from the depth of the thought, and is called MI, which is the inception of this edifice. It is erected and not erected; it is hidden deep inside the name and is called only MI. He desired to reveal Himself and to be called this name, so He dressed Himself up in a precious garment that shines and created ELEH. And ELEH ascended to the name and these letters combined with others to complete the name Elokim. As long as He did not create the letters ELEH, they did not rise up to form the name Elokim. They sinned in worshipping the golden calf. It is said about this secret, ELEH is your Lord, Israel.
15. Just as the letters MI joined the letters ELEH, so the name has remained forever combined. And the existence of the world is based on this secret. Eliyahu then flew away, and I could not see him. It is from him that I received this knowledge and was able to grasp this hidden secret and its explanation. Rabbi Elazar came with all the other friends and bowed down before him. They wept and then said if we had (not) come into this world but only to hear this secret, it would have been enough for us.
16. Rabbi Shimon said, the heavens and their hosts were created by MA. It is written, “when I behold your heavens, the work of your hands”. It is written, “MA, how glorious is Your name in all the earth, which you set above the heavens”. It ascends in the name. It created a Light for a light, enclothed one into the other, and raised them in the Supernal Name. The Creator created this at the beginning. This is the supernal Creator because MA is not such and was not created.