45. Rabbi Yosi said: “I heard from the great source of Light, i.e., from Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, that BARAH is a concealed word, the key to which locked it up and did not unlock it. And since the key locked up the word BARAH, there was no world and no possibility of its existence, and nothingness enveloped all. And when nothingness rules, there is no world, nor its existence.
46. So when did this key unlock those gates, and everything became ready for the existence and evolution of the generations? When Avraham appeared, as he is the property of Hesed (mercy), of which it is written: “These are the generations of Heaven and earth Be-Hibar'am (with which He built).” However, one should pronounce the word not as Be-Hibar'am, but as Be-Avraham (in Hebrew, these two words consist of the same letters, but in a slightly different order). Then, all that was concealed in the word BARAH was revealed as letters, meaning that the Kelim opened up to listen. And there appears the Pillar of Procreation, the sacred Yesod, upon which the world’s existence is based, for the word BARAH consists of the same letters as the word AVAR (passed).
He asks: “When it is revealed, can one act and produce generations?” This question includes three questions:
1. When will it be revealed? When Malchut descends from the Eynaim (where she ascended as a result of Tzimtzum Bet) to her previous place in the Peh, which leads to the revelation of the forty-nine gates of Hochma;
2. When can it be used? When Ohr Hochma clothes in Ohr Hassadim, as a result of which AHP can receive Ohr Hochma, for unless it is clothed in Ohr Hassadim, MI = GE cannot shine within ELEH = AHP, as the Light is not yet suitable for reception and use by the lower ones;
3. What does it mean to produce, multiply generations? Generations are the souls that exist in the worlds BYA, begotten by ZA de Atzilut. After ZA receives the Lights of Hochma and Hassadim (the Light of perfection), this Light enables him to make a Zivug with Nukva and beget the souls of the righteous.
Avraham is the property of the Sefira Hesed in Partzuf ZA during its Gadlut (big state), when Hesed ascends and becomes Hochma: Sefirot HGT become HBD:
Before Avraham appeared, everything was concealed in the word BARAH and nothingness ruled over the world – there was neither Ohr Hochma nor Ohr Hassadim in ZON. However, when Avraham (the Light of Hesed that descends to ZA) appeared, the gates were opened for Ohr Hochma, for Malchut descended from Eynaim to Peh, and YESHSUT merged with AVI into one degree,which led to the descent of Ohr Hochma to YESHSUT, for Ohr Hassadim of Avraham’s properties was already present in ZA.
Ohr Hochma then clothed in Ohr Hassadim, MI(GE) joined ELEH (AHP), the Creator’s name ELO-IM was completed, and Hochma filled ZA. Then Malchut descended from Eynaim to Peh in ZA, and ZA received new AHP from Bina, thereby entering Gadlut and passing the Light through his Yesod into Malchut, called the “lower world.” As a result, Malchut begets the souls of the righteous.
47. When Yesod of ZA joins the word BARAH (Malchut), there occurs a concealed and supernal division of the Creator’s name and greatness, called MI, and ELEH comes into being. Also, the sacred name MA comes from BARAH. The sacred concealed ELEH exists just like Yesod. Yet, when Yesod attains its complete state, the Partzuf attains its complete state , the letter Hey corresponds to Yesod and the letter Yod – to ELEH.
Here, The Zohar clarifies which Light is present in ZA, depending on his states. In the SefiraYesod of Partzuf ZA there is an end, meaning a place of contact with Malchut, the place of the covenant between the Creator (ZA) and the Shechina (the souls of the righteous), also called “Israel” or Malchut. This place of contact is called Ateret Yesod (encirclement of Yesod) or Keter de ZA (the crown of ZA).
The word BARAH signifies Katnut (small state), which comes as a result of Malchut’s ascent to NE. AVI never abandon the properties of GAR de Bina (properties of mercy); they do not desire to receive. Having ascended and standing in them, Malchut is called Man’ula (lock), which prevents the Light from spreading below her. Ateret Yesod de ZA is called Miftacha (key), for it is through its property that the Light can be received in the Partzufim located below AVI.
This is possible on condition that ELEH = AHP ascend to MI = GE. Ohr Hochma can be received in the Kelim ELEH that wish to receive it, but only upon their ascension above Parsa. However, until the properties of Malchut acquire the property of Bina, until they are “softened” by this property, there is no way to receive the Light, and Malchut is called “the 50th gate.”
Hence, we see that the words MI BARAH ELEH signify not the question, “Who created these?” but the action: MI = GE BARAH (created) ELEH = AHP by the descent of Malchut from NE back to Peh. As a result, ELEH = AHP ascended to the Rosh and there received the Light of GAR (Hochma).
Upon descending to Peh, Malchut is called MA, as that is the name of the lower world. Her screen in the Peh makes a Zivug, onto which descends Ohr Hassadim, called “Light of blessing,” for it abolishes the prohibition and the lock imposed on the diffusion of Light.
48. When the letters Hey and Yod wished to complement one another, the letter Mem emerged from them, and the word ELO-HIM = ELE + Hey + Yod + Mem was formed by the union of both sides. The word AVAR + Hey + Mem = Avraham originated from ELEH. However, one might say that the Creator took the words ELEH and MI, joined them and formed the word ELOKIM, whereas the words MA and AVAR formed the word Avraham, where the word MI designates the fifty gates of Bina, and the word MA refers to the numerical value of the holy name, for HaVaYaH with the filling of the letter Aleph forms the Gematria of MA – 45.
Both this world and the world to come exist in these two letters, Yod and Hey. This world is in Yod, and the world to come is in Hey. Hence, the world to come was created with MI, and this world with MA.
It is therefore written: “These are the created (Be-Hibar'am) generations of Heaven and earth,” where the letters Be-Hibar'am make up the word “Avraham,” for 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 Avraham.
Ohr Hassadim in MA and Ohr Hochma in ELEH wished to complement one another and be complemented within one another. As a result, Ohr Hochma clothed in Ohr Hassadim, and Malchut receives from both Hassadim and Hochma. In so doing, MA and MI join and create MM, i.e., Malchut that receives Ohr Hochma clothed in Ohr Hassadim from Above.