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The Birth of the Moon
799. The Birth of the Moon
The birth of the moon. Moses was perplexed.
The moon is called Malchut. It is called “the renewal of the moon” because we must accept the burden of the kingdom of heaven each day anew. Yesterday’s acceptance is not enough, since each time, says the ARI, we must raise the sparks that fell to BYA and raise them to Kedusha [holiness]. It follows that when a person accepts a new burden each time, it is considered that each time, he takes a part of the separation and admits it into the unity of Kedusha.
This is the meaning of Malchut returning to being a dot each day, and in The Zohar a dot is called “a black dot in which there is no white.” That is, it does not shine, since “white” means that it illuminates. This means that it must be renewed each time.
However, we must know that it is not the same quality as it was before. Rather, it is as it is written, there is no renewal of light that does not extend from Ein Sof [infinity/no end].
This is called “Ibur [impregnation] of the month.” Ibur comes from the words “anger and rage.” That is, a person must overcome while the kingdom of heaven is as a dot in him, meaning that the kingdom of heaven does not illuminate for him so he will be in gladness, as it is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness,” but it is rather in sadness in him.
This is the meaning of Ibur. This is similar to an impregnation in corporeality, that the impregnation begins, and then, if the proper conditions are given, an offspring will emerge.
It follows that when one begins the work and sees how far he is from the Creator, and it hurts him, this is regarded as being rewarded with Katnut [smallness/infancy], meaning that he feels his own Katnut. This is called “a lack of a Kli [vessel],” and to that extent he can later obtain the light, called Gadlut [greatness/adulthood], according to the measure of the Kli.
A dot is called “Shechina [Divinity] in the dust,” and rising is called “the sanctification of the month.” That is, that which was in a state of “dust,” he admitted this discernment into Kedusha. This is called “raising the Shechina from the dust.”