Abraham
45. Rabbi Yosi said, I heard the same from the great source of the Light, who is Rabbi Shimon, that the word BARAH is concealed and the key to it locked it up and did not unlock it. As long as the key locked up the word BARAH, the world could not exist and void covered everything. When this void rules there is no world and no existence.
46. When did this key unlock the gates, and prepare everything for the existence and development of generations? This occurred when Abraham appeared, as he is the property of Hesed (mercy), of which it is written: “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth Be-Ibar'am (with which He created).” However, one should not pronounce the word as Be-Ibar'am, but as Be-Avraham (these 2 words consist of the same letters, but since there are no vowels in Hebrew, they can be pronounced differently). Then, all that was concealed in the word BARAH was revealed as letters, meaning that the Kelim opened up to hear. The Pillar of Procreation, the Sacred Yesod, upon which the world is established, was revealed. This is because the word BARAH consists of the same letters as the word EVAR (open).
He asks: “When it is revealed, can one act and produce generations?”
This question includes 3 questions:
1. When will this be revealed? – When Malchut descends from the Eynaim (where it rose during Tzimtzum Bet) to its previous place in the Peh, 49 gates of Hochma will open up;
2. When can this be used? – When Ohr Hochma becomes enclothed with OhrHassadim, AHP can receive OhrHochma because without being clothed in OhrHassadim, MI = GE cannot shine within ELEH = AHP; the Light is not yet suitable to be received by the souls;
3. Can generations be produced and multiplied? – Generations are the souls that exist in the worlds BYA. They originated from ZA of the world of Atzilut. After ZA receives the Lights of Hochma and Hassadim (i.e., the Light of perfection), this Light enables it to make a Zivug with Nukva and produce the souls of the righteous.
Abraham is the property of the SefiraHesed in the Partzuf ZA during its Gadlut (big state), when Hesed rises and becomes Hochma: the SefirotH-G-T turn into H-B-D:
Before Abraham appeared, everything had been concealed in the word BARAH and void ruled over the world – there was neither OhrHochma nor OhrHassadim in ZA. However, when Abraham (the Light of the Sefira Hesed that descends to ZA) appeared, the gate was opened for OhrHochma because Malchut descended from the Eynaim to the Peh and YESHSUT formed one level with AVI. As a result of this, Ohr Hochma descended to YESHSUT because Ohr Hassadim of Abraham’s properties had already been present in ZA.
OhrHochma was enveloped in OhrHassadim, MI (GE) joined ELEH (AHP), the Creator’s name ELO-IM became complete, and Hochma filled ZA. Malchut descended from the Eynaim to the Peh in ZA, and ZA received its new AHP from Bina. It entered the Gadlut, and passed the Light through its Yesod to Malchut called the “lower world.” As a result of this, Malchut produced the souls of the righteous.
47. When Yesod of ZA joins the word BARAH (Malchut), then the concealed and supernal division into the Creator’s name and greatness, which is called MI, and ELEH come into being. Also, the sacred name MA came from BARAH. The sacred concealed ELEH exists just like Yesod. Yet, when Yesod attains its complete state, the Partzuf also attains its complete state. The letter Hey corresponds to Yesod and the letter Yud corresponds to ELEH.
Here The Zohar explains what Light is present in ZA depending on its states. In the Sefira Yesod of the Partzuf ZA, there is an end, meaning a place where it joins Malchut. This is the place of the covenant between the Creator (ZA) and Shechina or the souls of the righteous, also called Israel or Malchut. This place of their contact is called Ateret Yesod (encirclement of Yesod) or Keter de ZA (the crown of ZA).
The word BARAH means Katnut (small state) that comes as a result of the ascent of Malchut to NE. AVI never abandon the properties of GAR de Bina (mercy); they do not want to receive. Malchut that rises and stands there is called Manula (lock). It does not allow the Light to spread below it. Ateret Yesod deZA is called Miftecha (key) because by means of its property, the Light can be received in the Partzufim that are below AVI.
This is possible on the condition that ELEH = AHP rise to MI = GE.OhrHochma can be received in the KelimELEH that wish to receive it, but this can be done only while they are rising up, above the Parsa. However, as long as the properties of Malchut have not acquired the property of Bina (or softened by them), there is no way to receive the Light and Malchut is called “the 50th gate.”
From this we see that the words MIBARAHELEH do not mean the question, “Who created these?” but the action: MI = GEBARAH (created) ELEH = AHP by the descent of Malchut from NE to its screen in the Peh. As a result of this, ELEH = AHP rose to the Rosh and received the Light of GAR (Hochma) there.
Malchut that descended to the Peh is called MA because that is the name of the lower world. Its screen in the Peh makes a Zivug and OhrHassadim (the Light of benediction) descends on it, because this abolishes the prohibition (lock) imposed on the spreading of the Light.
48. When the letters Hey and Yud wished to complement each other, they brought forth the letter Mem and the word ELO-HIM = ELE + Hey + Yud + Mem as formed by the union of both sides. The word EVER + Hey + Mem = Abraham originated from ELEH. One may say, however, that the Creator took the words ELEH and MI, joined them and formed the word ELOKIM. The words MA and EVER formed the word Abraham, where the word MI designates the 50 gates of Bina. The word MA refers to the numerical value of the holy name, because HaVaYaH with the filling of the letter Aleph has the Gematria of MA = 45.
Both worlds, this and the next one, exist in the two letters, Yud and Hey. This world is in Yud, the next world is in Hey. Hence, the next world was created with MI and this world with MA. It is written: “These are the created (Be-Ibar'am) generations of the heavens and of the earth.” Here the letters in Be-Ibar'am make up the word Abraham, because there was no perfection until the letters formed this word. Therefore, the Creator’s name HaVaYaH is first mentioned in the Torah only after the name Abraham.
OhrHassadim in MA and Ohr Hochma in ELEH wished to complement each other. In consequence, OhrHochma enclothed itself with Ohr Hassadim and Malchut receives from both, Hassadim and Hochma. By this MA and MI join and create MM, i.e., Malchut that receives Ohr Hochma enveloped in Ohr Hassadim from above.