Bahir Verse 188

We draw our insights now from the way the thing is explained in this verse as well as the subtext of meaning that is flowing through.

Verse 188. Once this thing comes, sharpen it. What is its sharpening? Tell us the meaning of the verse, "He has rays from His hand." Why does it first say "rays" and then "His hand"? It should have said "His hands" [in the plural]. There is no contradiction. This is very much like the verse (Exodus 32:19), "And Moses' anger flared, and he threw the tablets from his hands." The way this is written, however, it would be read "His hand" [in the singular]. It is likewise written (Exodus 17:12), "And his hands was faithful until the sun set." The verse says Emunah ("was faithful" - in the singular) and not Emunot ("were faithful" - in the plural). They replied: Our master, we are pointing out a contradiction in order to receive an answer, and you are covering our eyes. Did you not teach us, master, that you must answer first things first and last things last? [He said:] And what have you then asked? [The meaning of,] "He has rays from His hand." By the Divine service, I have just explained it to you with my words. They were ashamed. When he saw that they were ashamed is it not true that [at first] there was water, and that fire emanated from it? Water therefore included fire. And Master, what is the meaning of "rays"? He replied: There are five rays. These are the five fingers on man's right hand.

Commentary: Notice carefully the process of discovery that is coming through. 'Once this thing comes in sharpen it,' gives us a clue to what we are studying here. It is the process of inspiration. When a thought first comes in then in response to a question what are we to do with it? We are to sharpen it. In other words we have to hone away at the edges of this thought to investigate its core values. In response now to the question of what this sharpening is we can infer that it is the process of development that comes about through meditation or continued focus on the central idea.

The five rays on a man's right hand represent the Chesed of Kavannah meant to direct your attention towards Hashem in seeking answers to prayers. The result of all discovery is the unseen hand that send forth every blessing. We are always replicating the above in our actions below. The Master in this lesson here is speaking about how a thought may be differentiated in terms of the attributes of this thought. The students are asking why is there is contradiction and the Master is saying that what seems to be a contradiction only occurs because the students aren't making the next chain of association a part of their meditational inquiry. By showing how fire comes from water the Master is saying seek on down the line for the ramifications of each conceptual waypoint. Then what seems opposite will be unified with the antecedent flowing of ideation as it transforms the world or the Malchus around it.

The five fingers or rays of a man's right hand speak about the flow of ideation from Chesed (the right hand) through the five intervening Sephiroth, Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod and Yesod that come before demonstration or Malchus. The way of thinking is therefore described in this verse making clear the lesson as well as the process itself of teaching. The following verse from Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Thoughts flow endlessly from their maker, their initial going forth a precusor therefore of eternity. The heart of the Lord is the central kernel of truth contained within the idea. This produces the generations of parallel thoughts which endlessly reflect themselves within and without from the image of the creator of all forms, the inspiration provided by the Shechinah.