17) “And the land was Tohu veBohu [chaos and void].” The word “was” indicates previously, when she was snow inside water, and the filth came out of her by the forming of the snow in the water. The verse “In the beginning” already speaks of the correction of heaven and earth, as it is written, “The educated will shine.” Why does he return here to speaking of Tohu and Bohu in the verse “And the land was Tohu veBohu [chaos and void],” since these phases were in the earth only prior to the correction?

The text actually wishes to tell us what existed prior to the corrections, clarified in the verse “In the beginning...” that first there was snow inside the water. In the beginning, when He wished to create the worlds, the restriction of the upper light came out, which is called “carving.” Subsequently, a screen was established for coupling by striking, to raise reflected light, called “a fountain.” Those two phases existed in the quality of judgment.

After that, He associated the quality of mercy with it, elevating Malchut to Bina, and making the second restriction in the place of Bina, who is mercy. Then the screen for the coupling was established there and emanated AA of Atzilut, as well as all the worlds, in the quality of mercy. It follows that two discernments—restriction and screen—came out in the quality of judgment, and two discernments, restriction and screen, in the quality of mercy.

So is the order in all the sorts that were done in the world of correction after the breaking of the vessels is that each Sefira from the seven kings who died that was sorted first undergoes the first restriction, which is carving, and the correction of the screen, which is the fountain, and then the second restriction is executed on it, in association of the quality of mercy in judgment‎, and a screen is established there in the fountain.

There are four phases: the first restriction and a screen, and the second restriction and a screen. But here it concerns the sorting of Malchut of Atzilut, called “earth,” who went through those four discernments through her complete correction. In her, they are called: 1. Tohu, the first restriction; 2. Bohu, the screen in the first restriction; 3. Darkness, the second restriction; 4. The spirit of God, the screen in the second restriction.

The root of Malchut is in the lower water. When she underwent the first restriction, the water became snow, as it is written, “He says to the snow, ‘Be earth,’” for previously it was snow inside water because the first form of correction that she underwent was her forming into snow, which is the force of the first restriction, when filth came out of her by that force, in the forming of the snow in the water. Since the water froze and became snow, filth came out in her, since every deficiency is regarded as filth, waste and shells. But in the beginning of the forming of the deficiency, before it was apparent as a lack of something, it was regarded as filth, the letters of “This, what is it?” [in Hebrew]. It is so because there is some transformation, but it is still not regarded as a deficiency. And when the deficiency appears, it is called “waste” and shell.

Therefore, in her forming into snow, it was still not apparent as a deficiency in the water, but only as filth. Afterwards, a strong fire struck her and waste was formed in her, and she was impregnated and became Tohu. A strong force of judgment‎ struck her, called “a strong fire,” turning the filth into waste. She was impregnated with the waste, and it became Tohu. He says “impregnated” because the word Ibur [impregnation] indicates that the form is not apparent unless by delaying and repeating the action many times until it is completed.

So it is here: The filth did not become waste right at the first striking of the strong fire. Rather, that striking repeated itself many times until it was activated and became Tohu. She was impregnated and became Tohu because through the impregnation, she became Tohu and where she was first only filth, now she has become a nest of waste, called Tohu.

Four actions took place until she became Tohu: 1) the light turned to water, 2) the water to snow, 3) the snow to waste, by the striking of fire, and 4) the delay until the waste is apparent and can be called Tohu.

Bohu is a scrutiny that emerged and was sorted out of the waste, and was established in her. That sorting is a screen, since afterwards the waste is established into a screen in Malchut, delaying the upper light from spreading through it downward, and repelling the upper light back, like sunlight that strikes a lantern, reflected back due to the coarseness of the lantern. That reflected light became the clothing of the upper light, called a “fountain.”

It is a scrutiny that came out and was sorted out of the waste and settled in her, since out of that waste, a screen was made, which repels and reflects the upper light, so it does not pass through it downward. And that part of the light that returns from it and up became a clothing over the upper light, so it became a vessel and a receptacle over the upper light.

It is called “a scrutiny” because through it, the waste is sorted into a good and important virtue. Were it not for the waste, the screen would not have been made, and there would not be a vessel for a receptacle for the upper light. It settled in her, permanently established in her, so that she serves as a fountain and a receptacle for the light.

Darkness is strong fire. That darkness covers the Tohu over that waste, and is made out of her. That is, darkness does not mean merely absence of light, meaning emptiness. Rather, it is regarded as affecting emptiness, like a strong fire that burns and consumes every entity that it touches, leaving an empty place in its stead. This is why darkness is a strong fire that burns and consumes everything, consuming and terminating the light in its place, and that darkness covers over that Tohu.

It is called “darkness” and not “fire” because the power of the burning in it is not from itself, but because it is staying over the waste, which is called Tohu, receiving from it. This is the association of the quality of judgment with mercy, when Malchut rose to Bina to be established there with the screen in her. And because there is no judgment‎ or fire in Bina, so that Malchut can be established with a screen, as the Bohu was established, that darkness stays over the Tohu, where there is the strong fire, turning the filth into waste and Tohu, and from there the darkness receives the force of a burning fire, like the strong fire in Tohu.

That darkness covers the Tohu over that waste and is established out of it because it receives from the Tohu that force of a strong and burning fire. This is why it is called the second restriction, for it is not a new force, but rather receives force from the first restriction. There is no innovation here, except that she rose to the place of mercy, and that restriction in Malchut took place in the place of mercy, Bina. This is why it is called the second restriction.

18) And the “spirit of God” means the spirit of holiness that emerges from the living God, since once the screen in Malchut was established in terms of the darkness, which is the second restriction in the place of Bina, a coupling by striking came out on that screen and extended a new level of VAK, the level Ruach, which extends from the living God, Bina, since now Malchut is in the place of Bina.

“Hovering over the face of the water.” After the wind blew, one fineness was sorted out from that waste, like the flying of filth. And once that wind [also spirit] blew, which is the level of Ruach that was clothed by the reflected light of the screen, called “darkness,” which is the spirit of the living God, by that the force of Tohu in the screen was sorted into very fine waste, like the floating of filth, meaning only sufficiently to detain the upper light to raise reflected light.

But when the screen was in Malchut’s place, the Tohu was recognized there as coarse waste, in a way that afterwards he sorted, wrapped, and refined once, and twice, until that filth in which there is no filth at all was found. It is so because initially the screen of darkness was only fine waste, afterwards, when the level of the first light, the level of Nefesh, came out on it, and then the second level, Ruach, all the remaining filth had been purified out of there, and she could receive the level of Gadlut, as it is written, “And there was light.”

It was sorted for the installing of a screen, and it raises reflected light, covers, wraps, and clothes the upper light. The reflected light raises wings and clothes the direct light. It was purified because the lights purify and suck out the waste in the screen, until the screen descends to its place, and the level of light of Gadlut comes out on it.

Thus, the four phases under which Malchut, earth, went have been clarified, until she was set up to receive the Gadlut, as it is written, “And there was light”: 1) Snow, which became waste, called Tohu; 2) The screen that was established, and the level of light that was drawn on the screen, which is called Bohu; 3) the second restriction in the place of mercy, Bina, which is called “darkness”; 4) The level of NR that came out on the screen of darkness, Ruach, called “the spirit of God.”

Afterwards, it is written, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’” the level of Gadlut.

19) When the Tohu was sorted and purified, a great and strong spirit came out of it, as it is written, “And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent mountains and broke rocks before the Lord, not with the spirit of the Lord.” The Zohar explains the four phases in the four visions that Elijah saw. He says that when Tohu was sorted and refined in the Ibur, in the filth of the ice, and she was impregnated and became Tohu, a great and strong wind came out of him, disintegrating mountains and breaking rocks, which Elijah saw.

The Bohu was sorted and refined, and a quake came out of him, as it is written, “And after the wind, a quake; the Lord was not in the quake.” This is so because when the Bohu was sorted into a screen, the force of judgment‎ in it had already been diminished, and it no longer disintegrated mountains or broke rocks. Rather, only a quake was discerned in it.

And when the darkness was sorted, fire was included in it, since when the screen rose and was established in Bina, the darkness was included in the fire of Tohu, and the force of the judgment‎ of the quake diminished and remained only in fire, as it is written, “And after the quake, a fire; the Lord was not in the fire.”

Afterwards, the Ruach [wind] was sorted, and a sound of fine silence was included in it, as it is written, “And after the fire, the sound of fine silence.” It is so because when the screen of darkness received the level of Ruach, the force of judgment‎ in it had already diminished into a sound of fine silence, sorted into very fine waste. This is the sound of fine silence that is written in Elijah.

Thus, the four visions that Elijah saw have been clarified—the discernments of Tohu, Bohu, darkness, and wind [also “spirit”]—as it is written, “And the earth was Tohu and Bohu, and darkness over the face of the deep, and the spirit of God hovering over the face of the water.” Tohu is a great and strong wind, disintegrating mountains and breaking rocks; Bohu is a quake; darkness is fire; and wind is the sound of fine silence.

20) Tohu is a place in which there are no colors and no forms, and it is not included in a form at all. Once The Zohar clarified the four phases—Tohu, Bohu, darkness, and wind—in general, it explains them in particular. It says that neither color nor form can be perceived in Tohu, since Tohu is the first restriction. Bohu is the screen that was established for a coupling. And when the first restriction came out, it was a raw state, and no form or color were apparent yet. Hence, in Tohu, which is extended from the first restriction, there is also no color or form, since it, too, is a raw state.

A color is the difference between the degrees that come out on the four phases of coarseness in the screen HB TM. The form is the form of the judgment‎ itself, which was still in a raw form and was not included in a form, since even the form of the judgment‎ that emerged from it after the screen was established—the fountain, called Bohu—even that form was not included in the raw form of the Tohu.

Now it has a form, and when examined, it has no form at all. Yet, it cannot be said that the form of the judgment‎ was not apparent whatsoever in Tohu, since it was already said that she is filth that became waste by the striking of the strong fire. However, it means that it was not subject to observation and recognition, since for a moment, the form of waste is seen, and when turning to see that form again, he no longer sees it or finds it, and he looks toward its place, and it is gone. This is why it was said that now it is with a form, and when examined, it has no form at all.

Everyone has a garment to wear except for Tohu, as it is the nature of spiritual things that each cause dresses in its result and sustains it. If the result becomes a cause for another result, it also dresses in it, and gives it the power of sustenance, and so forth. Thus, if some cause were to be canceled, all the results that have cascaded from it would have been lost at once. This is considered clothing, when each cause dresses in its result to sustain it.

Also, everyone has a clothing to wear, besides Tohu, since upper and lower clothe in one another, each cause in the result, except for Tohu, who has no clothing because it does not dress in its lower one, which is caused by it. Rather, it stands alone without any connection with the others, which are caused by it.

21) Bohu already has a depiction and a form, which is the stones immersed in the carving of the Tohu. It is so because Bohu is the screen that was established in Malchut for coupling by striking, and the force of judgment‎ that appeared in Malchut with the correction of the screen is called “stones,” as it is as hard as a rock, in relation to the upper light, and will not let it move to the vessel of Malchut.

That shape has not appeared in Tohu yet, but only in Bohu, since first, in the carving of Tohu, which is the restriction of the light, the light departed from all ten Sefirot, and the force of judgment‎ was not apparent in Malchut more than in the rest of the Sefirot, since the light departed equally from all of them.

But afterwards, in the correction of Bohu, which is the screen that was established in Malchut, making a coupling by striking with the upper light, not letting it come into Malchut and extending the light only through the upper nine Sefirot, the force of judgment‎ appeared in Malchut since she remained without direct light.

It follows that Malchut still remained immersed in the carving of the Tohu, the restriction. Thus, in Tohu, there was still no form of judgment‎. Rather, only after the correction of the Bohu was the form of judgment‎ revealed, meaning the form of stones immersed inside the carving of the Tohu, which is an empty space without light.

The stones come out inside the carving where they are immersed, and from there draw benefit to the world in a depiction of clothing. The depiction that was made is that these stones are the force of judgment‎ in the screen. They emerged and were established inside the carving in Malchut.

In other words, they draw lights for the benefit of the world in a depiction of clothing—drawing direct light—and through striking, they raise reflected light that clothes the direct light in a depiction of clothing. They draw direct light for the benefit of the world from above downward, and raise reflected light from below upward, clothing the direct light, and this is called by the name “depiction.”

22) The stones are punctured and moist. Stones in caves from which the water is constantly flowing—as though from a spring—are called “moist stones,” since they are lying on a spring and block it. For this reason, the water comes out through the holes in those stones, constantly dripping through their faces. Those stones, which are called Bohu, are also punctured and moist, as they are established with a screen that raises reflected light, like moist stones that always extract water from themselves.

Bohu means moist stones, which are strong rocks. They are called “moist stones” because water is coming out of them. This is why The Zohar called the screen “a fountain.”

These stones hang in the air because when Bohu is not established with a screen for coupling by striking, the stones are regarded as descending and sinking in the carving of the Tohu, which is the restriction and the force of the judgment‎. However, the Bohu here is corrected with a coupling by striking, and is therefore regarded as raised above the carving of the Tohu, and is in the air, in light of Hassadim. This is so because although Malchut cannot receive the direct light, she can receive reflected light, and that reflected light raises her to the air.

The moist stones, which are the Malchut that is corrected with a screen, rose from the sinking of the Tohu and were hung in the air, emerging from the darkness and receiving light of Hassadim.

It was said in The Book of Creation, “Ten and not nine,” for it is impossible that because of the restriction and the screen that was established in Malchut, Malchut remained completely empty of light and is not included in the ten Sefirot. It is not so because she receives her illumination from reflected light that she raises from below upward. That reflected light also extends in to Malchut because reflected light is light of Hassadim, on which there was no restriction. This is why Malchut, too, is regarded as a complete Sefira like the first nine. Hence, they are ten and not nine.

Sometimes the moist stones are hanging in the air because they rise from there, from the carving of the Tohu. And sometimes, on a cloudy day, they hide and raise water from the deep to nourish Tohu with them.

Commentary: When the lower ones are worthy and engage in Torah and good deeds to raise MAN, they correct the Malchut with a screen and a coupling by striking. She extends direct light from above downward and clothes the direct light with her reflected light from below upward. At that time, Bohu, the moist stones, are hanging in the air because they ascend from there upward, since the reflected light that the moist stones raise elevates them from the carving of Tohu and lifts them in the air, light of Hassadim.

However, when the lower ones corrupt their works, the correction of the screen that was made on Malchut is corrupted, and she is unfit for a coupling by striking with the upper light. Then it is considered that the light departed and became like a cloudy day, when the sun is not shining. Then the moist stones disappear once more inside the carving of the Tohu, Malchut descends to the carving of Tohu and hides on the cloudy day, eliciting water out of the deep, which are judgment‎s, and sustains the Tohu with those waters. She strengthens the Tohu when she fears his Gevurot. By that, the lower ones repent and improve their works. This is the meaning of the words “And God made it that He would be feared.”

At that time, there is joy and there is folly, since the Tohu has spread in the world. On the one hand, there is joy, by which the lower ones repent and the Mochin are drawn, and there is joy in the worlds. But on the other hand, there is folly because the Tohu had spread in the world, and the spirit of folly multiplies, the spirit of shells and judgment‎s, by the expansion of the Tohu.

23) Darkness is the black fire that is strong in color. It is so because no color can rule and change the black color. It is red fire, which is strong in sight, since the red color is more conspicuous to the eye than all the colors. It is also a green fire, strong in depiction because the perfection of every depiction is by the green color. It is also a white fire, the root color of all the colors.

Once The Zohar explained Tohu and Bohu, it explains darkness. There are several appellations to the ten Sefirot, HB TM. Their names change according to their matter and according to their action.

From the perspective of the Yesodot [pl. of Yesod], the Sefirot are called HB TM—water, fire, wind, and dust. From the perspective of the screen and the Malchuts in the Sefirot, HB TM are called four colors: white, red, green, and black. From the perspective of the relation of the rest of the Sefirot to the colors that come from the Malchuts, they are called HB TM—inclusive, a sight, a depiction, and color.

As a whole, the first restriction is ascribed to the Sefira Hochma, and the second restriction to the Sefira Bina because the second restriction rose only up to the place of Bina, and not at all to the Hochma above her. Hence, the Hochma remained in the first restriction, and in that respect, Yesod of the Sefira Hochma is considered water, implying that there are no restriction and judgment‎ there. Yesod of the Sefira Bina is considered fire, from which all the judgment‎s awaken.

Therefore, The Zohar explains that the Tohu is water and snow because it is the first restriction. The darkness, which is the second restriction, The Zohar explains as fire, as it is attributed to Bina, fire. It is therefore clarified why darkness is regarded as fire.

And now we shall explain the HB TM called “four colors,” and the HB TM called “inclusive,” “sight,” “depiction,” and “color.” The colors come from the screen in Malchut, from the coupling by striking in her, which raises ten Sefirot HB TM from below upward, called Rosh, and ten Sefirot HB TM from above downward, called Guf, which were painted in colors below. Only in the ten Sefirot from above downward, called Guf, did the four colors HB TM come out, and not in the ten Sefirot of Rosh, since the colors come from Malchut. And since she is the reason for the HB TM of Guf, they were painted in colors. But in the Rosh, which is below it, the judgment‎ in it cannot rise above the place where it is present.

Hence, HB TM of the ten Sefirot of Rosh are called “inclusive,” “sight,” “depiction,” and “color.” The Hochma is only the inclusive and root. It does not even contain the sight of the colors. In Bina, there is a sight, in Tifferet, there is a depiction, which is closer to a color, but a real color exists only in Malchut of the Rosh, since because color is judgment‎, it cannot rise above its place.

These four phases in HB TM of Rosh show their power and dominion also in the four colors—white, red, green, and black—in HB TM of Guf. This is why darkness is black fire, which is strong in color, since Malchut of Guf is regarded as a black color, and her special force extends to her in HB TM of Rosh. This is why her governance in color is strong, for she does not suffer any changes by the rest of the colors.

The red fire is strong in sight, meaning the Bina of Guf in the red color. Her governance is great in the sight that she receives from HB TM of Rosh. A green fire is strong in depiction, Tifferet of Guf, which is in the color green. Her governance is great in the depiction received from HB TM of Rosh. White fire is the root color of all the colors, the Hochma of Guf in the white color. It contains all of them because it receives governance from HB TM of Rosh, and becomes the root of all the colors in the Guf, as well.

Darkness is strong in all the kinds of fire. It attacks the Tohu because it includes the power of judgment‎ of all four fires in Bina. This is why the darkness attacks and overcomes the Malchut of the Tohu, as it removes the power of judgment‎ of Tohu from Malchut, and sweetens her with the quality of mercy in her, since initially the Bina absorbs the Malchut of Tohu into her, and then that Malchut becomes the quality of mercy in her. “Attacks” means that he fights with it in order to subdue it. It attacks the Tohu, meaning overcomes the Tohu and removes the power of judgment‎ from it.

Darkness is fire that carries four colors. It is not black fire, but only when it attacks the Tohu, since darkness is actually Bina, who is called “fire.” HB TM in her are clothed in the four colors—white, red, green, and black—which are not black fire. It is called “darkness” which means black fire. It is called so only during its act of attacking the Tohu, mitigating it with the quality of mercy in it.

It is written, “And his eyes were dim, so he could not see, and he called Esau,” since Isaac is Bina, and since the patriarchs are HBD. When he wished to subdue Esau, he had to partake with the Malchut, and by that his eyes were dimmed, for Bina herself was diminished due to her participation with Malchut in a black fire. Then he called Esau, the power of judgment‎ in the Tohu, to subdue him under the Kedusha. Thus, during Bina’s action to subdue the Tohu, she is regarded as black fire.

The face of the evil is darkness. Isaac, who welcomed the evil, Esau, was called “darkness” then, for he was on him to attack him. Here it explains the text “And his eyes were dim,” since Isaac welcomed Esau, who is bad, hence the face of an evil one, which is darkness, had jumped on him. He welcomed Esau because he was on him to attack him, for by being on him, he was attacking and subduing him. And because he was on the evil at that time, he was called “darkness.” This is evidence that Bina is called “darkness” only when she acts to sweeten the power of judgment‎ of Tohu from Malchut, for then she is necessarily on the Tohu to subdue it. And because of that, she is darkened and becomes a black fire.

24) “And the spirit of God.” The spirit [also “wind”] is a voice over Bohu, attacking it, and leading it in all that is needed. This is because the correction of the screen in the second restriction is called Ruach [wind/spirit], since that screen raises reflected light and draws the level of ten Sefirot in the light of the level of Ruach. And because it comes from Bina, called Elokim, this level—that emerged on that screen—is called “The spirit of Elokim [God],” since it is the spirit of holiness that comes out of the living God, Bina. And that level of Ruach is regarded as the light of ZA because Ruach is ZA, and is called “a voice.”

Ruach is a voice over Bohu, since there is the second restriction here, called “darkness,” and a screen, called Ruach. The first restriction is called Tohu, and the screen is called Bohu. Hence, the second restriction, darkness, is on the Tohu, attacking it and subduing it, and the screen of the second restriction, Ruach, is on the screen of the first restriction, Bohu, attacking it to include it within it so it can extend the spirit of the living God from Bina.

This is why Ruach is a voice, the level of ZA, which extends from the living God. It is called a “voice,” which is over Bohu, meaning it rides on the screen of the first restriction, called Bohu. The Ruach attacks it and controls it to lead it in all that is required, meaning so he can extend on it all the Mochin that is needed. Initially, it extends on it the level of spirit of life from Bina, and then GAR from Bina, as it is written, “And there was light.”

And the more the power of the screen of Bohu controls, it cannot extend anything from Bina. This is so because each phase receives only from its corresponding phase, and nothing from above its phase. Hence, as long as the force of the screen of Bohu controls Malchut, which is her own phase, Malchut will not be able to receive anything from Bina.

But once she has obtained the force of the screen of the second restriction, Ruach—which comes from the Malchut that was included in Bina herself, and therefore became like Bina herself, and could therefore receive from Bina because by that she became precisely like her corresponding phase—for this reason, the screen of Ruach is over the screen of Bohu, attacking it in order to revoke it, to be able to extend all that is needed to Malchut, which are VAK and Mochin from Bina, since there is no correction for Malchut except by the Mochin of Bina.

The stones are immersed inside the deeps from which the water stems. This is why they are called “The face of the waters.”

Commentary: The correction of the screen in Malchut is called “stones” because through it, Malchut becomes fossilized, not receiving the upper light into her. By that, the coupling by striking is carried out on her. And because the screen is immersed and established inside the deeps in Malchut, for through the coupling by striking the water comes out of there, it is therefore written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters,” since the stones, the screen, are called “The face of the waters,” because the water, the Mochin, comes out of their coupling.

With the screen of the first restriction, called Bohu, the stones that are immersed inside the carving of the Tohu come out inside the carving where they are immersed. And here in the screen of Ruach, the stones are immersed inside the deeps from which the water comes out. We should understand the difference between the carving of the Tohu and inside the deeps.

The first restriction is called Tohu, and not “a deep.” But the second restriction is called “a deep,” as it is written, “And darkness over the face of the deep,” meaning only the outlet of the water, since the Tohu in it has already been sweetened along with his ascent to Bina, and only the outlet of water remains of it.

Ruach is a voice that is over the Bohu, as it is written, “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,” and as it is written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.” He tells us that the screen of the second restriction, called “the spirit of God” does not contain the carving of the Tohu—like the screen of Bohu—because it is on Bohu, attacking it, and controlling it, to lead it. Hence, there is only the second restriction in it, called “a deep,” the outlet of the water, an outlet for Mochin, since the force of judgment‎ of Tohu has moved away from there.

This is why it is called “water,” as it is written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.” It is so because the stones are immersed in the deeps from which the water comes out, since Malchut was not fossilized, to not receive light, due to the force of the judgment‎ of the carving of Tohu. Rather, she became fossilized so as to not receive the light and repel it with a coupling by striking, only in order to elicit water, to extend the level of light from above downward, and clothe it with her reflected light from below upward.

For this reason, she is called “The face of the waters,” since the restriction is called “the face of the deep,” as it is written, “And darkness over the face of the deep,” and the screen is called “the face of the waters” since both the restriction and the screen did not come here because of a judgment‎, but to elicit water.

The Ruach led and attacked that face, called “The face of the deep.” The level of Ruach, which came out on the screen, led and sustained the face of the face of the deep. It also attacked the face of the deep, since first, it led and sustained the face of the deep to elicit water with a coupling by striking, and later attacked it to completely revoke it, until that filth in which there is no filth at all was found. This is when it wishes to extend Mochin of GAR, as it is written, “Let there be light.”

Ruach led and attacked that face, called “The face of the deep”—one according to what it needs, and the other according to what it needs, for when it needs the level of Hassadim from Bina, which is water, it leads and sustains the face of the deep, and when it needs to extend Mochin of GAR, it temporarily revokes it, so it can extend Mochin of GAR from Bina.

25) The name Shadai is over Tohu—the boundary and the conclusion of the expansion of the light. He said to His world Dai [enough], and it will not spread further. And since the earth, Malchut, is Tohu, the name Shadai is on it, as a boundary and conclusion of the light. It is so because the light could not spread into it due to the restriction that rides on it. It follows that the light ended above it, making an end over it—the name Shadai.

The name “hosts” is on Bohu. The Sium [end] of each Partzuf in the screen of Yesod is called “hosts” because it implies the coupling that is done only on that screen. From there, all the hosts of the Lord are born and emerge. And since Bohu is a correction of the screen with a coupling, it follows that Malchut acquired the Yesod, hosts.

The name Elokim is on darkness, since darkness is the second restriction, the ascent of Malchut to Bina, and Bina is called Elokim. It follows that the earth, Malchut, which was included in darkness, obtained by that the name Elokim from Bina.

The name HaVaYaH is on wind [Ruach], since Ruach is a correction of the screen of the second restriction in Malchut, who extended the level of ZA, called “voice,” from Bina. The wind is a voice over Bohu, leading it in all that is needed.

It is so because Malchut was unfit for Mochin of GAR, for HaVaYaH, from the screen of Bohu because the force of the judgment‎ from the carving of Tohu is on it. Only after she obtained a screen from Bina—regarding the stones that are immersed in the deeps, from which the water comes out, which means that there is no judgment‎ in the screen, but the screen was fossilized to detain the upper light, to make a coupling by striking, to draw the level of Hassadim from Bina—Malchut can now receive Mochin of GAR, as well, HaVaYaH, as it is written, “Let there be light,” the name HaVaYaH. This is why it was said that the name HaVaYaH is on the Ruach.

26) It is written, “A great and strong wind rent mountains, not with the spirit [wind] of the Lord.” The name HaVaYaH is not in the wind because a strong wind comes out of Tohu, as only in Tohu is the name Shadai over him. It is likewise with the quake that comes out of Bohu. It is written, “The Lord was not in the quake,” only the name “hosts” is on him.

Also, in the fire that comes out of the darkness, it is written, “The Lord was not in the fire,” since only the name Elokim is on her. But in a sound of fine silence, which comes from the spirit of God, on which there is the name HaVaYaH, it is written, “And it came to pass that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went outside, and stood at the entrance to the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him and said, ‘Why are you here, Elijah?’” It follows that the first three phases did not come out of the cave. But when he heard the sound of fine silence, he promptly went out of the cave and welcomed the Lord, for here was the name HaVaYaH, and he knew that HaVaYaH was speaking to him.

27) There are four joints in the name HaVaYaH, four letters that imply joints in a man’s body, as well as the organs, which are four and twelve. Here is the matter of the 12-letter name that was given to Elijah in the cave, three Havayot [pl. of HaVaYaH], in each of which are four letters, hence they are twelve. And the name “Twelve” is also implied in a man’s body, since there are three Havayot in him: 1) in Rosh, HBD, 2) in the Guf, through the Tabur, HGT, and 3) from Tabur and below, NHY.

They are in it as the dot of Segol: HB on the right and left, and Daat in the middle, HG on the right and left, and Tifferet in the middle, NH on the right and the left, and Yesod in the middle.

The three middle Sefirot—Daat, Tifferet, Yesod—are each discerned with two phases, male and female. This is why there are three parts in a man’s body—Rosh, Guf, and Raglaim [legs]. And in each part, there are four organs: The four organs of the Rosh are HBD, where HB are Yod-Hey, and Daat is Vav-Hey. There are also four organs in the Guf. HG are Yod-Hey, Tifferet is Vav-Hey. And likewise, there are four organs in the Raglaim: NH are Yod-Hey, and Yesod and Atara [crown] are Vav-Hey. This is the 12-letter name implied in a man’s body.