Bahir Verse 199

An esoteric explanation is required here to get us beyond the surface details.

Verse 199. The soul of the female comes from the Female, and the soul of the male comes from the Male. This is the reason why the Serpent followed Eve. He said, "Her soul comes from the north, and I will therefore quickly seduce her." And how did he seduce her? He had intercourse with her.

Commentary: Think of Creation as being Female or that which takes on the Image of the Male Creator. Drop Male and Female for now and just consider the Creator and Creation. What is this Serpent? It is conditional Time. The original template for Creator and Creation is this.

Ex: 1:3 And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.

The Intention is for there to be Light. This Intention is realized instantaneously. Not only does light appear but it also seems to appear in the past even before it is commanded to be it already was. What it should read here perhaps is ‘let there be light and there is light.’ The Creator sends forth its Intention which then becomes Creation. However, these two concepts are really both a part of the same process. Let us just say that there is a seamless connection between Creator and Creation. Now the concept of the Serpent is brought into play. The Serpent is the thought that no development is needed in order for Creation to process. It is the thing without the spirit of the thing. It is knowledge without the understanding of that knowledge that gives meaning to it. The Serpent co-opts the original intention substituting a shadow that entices and teases but never comes to fruition. Eve represents the imaged form that comes from the Creator. She is the budding of awareness born from within continuously anew. The Serpent represents side channel or illusory thoughts coming from without. It is our reactive nature. Eve is Adam turned on his side so that Adam will not be alone. This is the beginning of the extension of this ongoing conversation.

Gen 1:26 And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

Creator and Creation already engage in this conversation. It is One speaking to One. Now inside of the flesh of this Creation is made an image of this ongoing process.

Gen: 1: 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

In this way both Creator and Creation are projected inside of their own image. The unity is complete.

Then following the Gen 2:4 … ‘the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created…’ In other words following all of the outcomes that have resulted from this we find that man is then created again.

Gen 2: 7 Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

What was man before? Man was an image both male and female. Man was the operation of Creator and Creation simultaneously brought forth. Now for the third time YHVH appears in connection with Elohim. What is this soul of man? It is evidenced by the use of YHVH Elohim for third time in Torah alluding to the Yetzirah level of being. It is man's own cognizance of divinity within unrealized potential to be placed in operation at the fourth instance of YHVH Elohim (alluding to the level of Asaiah of being) when Man is placed (planted as a tree) in the Garden. What is this Garden. It is the world of response. Whatsoever this man thinks the Garden then takes on the impress of this thought.

The Garden remains with us in always in the background as evidence of ongoing Creation. It still receives the impress of our thoughts.

We were given free will by design. We were meant to impress the garden with our thoughts since this is by reflection the same process that was and is used for the Creator bringing about Creation. What is this Other? It is the interference between what we think and what the Other is telling us. For example, I want to experience a joyful life so then I start thinking about this joyful life and then someone comes along and no you cannot experience this joyful life. It is wrong. You should do this or you should do that. The Serpent is the inventor of lies and the inventor of the 'you should do this, or you should not do this' school. The other seeks to supplant his voice for your own that you are by the way always already receiving directly from the Creator. Once the Other is successful your voice becomes secondary and that is where all of our problems come from. This is the moment of separation that has not only continued but is promoted by every person who tells another what he or she should do. We're here to dress and keep the Garden right? How are we to do this? By listening and then embodying the voice of the Creator who impresses his thought upon her Creation. No intermediary is necessary and in fact must be avoided at all costs. The time-honored way to purify your thoughts from the impress of the Other is to change your mind activating your free will to choose which thoughts not only to think about but also to expand upon to produce the appropriate outgrowths. The trick with free will is to choose wisely from within from the limitless library of like vibrations moving ever higher in frequency as we the approach unity between Creator and Creation. This is the culmination of human experience and the highpoint of Torah when G-d’s name is revealed, as I am that I am. Whatever the Creator thinks upon is reflected and impressed upon Creation. My thoughts and the experiences that result from those thoughts are one. It has to be this unless you willfully choose thoughts to expand upon that have outgrowths that lead to chaos.

Both Creator and Creation reside within. We all have the life's journey to figure this out and build our world accordingly. We have to learn to deny the Other since this Other is merely the result of what someone has placed upon us in order to manipulate our thinking with those Serpentine words 'for your own good.' The only good that is truly ours is that which we are able to come upon by communion-connection with the Creator-Creation within.

This finishes the section on the Sephiroth that we’ve been considering since verse 123.

193. And what is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 49:24), "From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel." From "There" is nourished the Rock of Israel. What is the meaning of "from There"? We say that this is the Supernal Righteous One (Tzadik). What is it? It is [the precious stone called] Socheret. And the stone that is below it is called Dar. And what are the rays mentioned in the verse (Habakkuk 3:4), "He has rays from His hand"? These are the five fingers of the right hand.

Commentary: We are repeating somewhat of what we’ve learned in the previous verses but this time we are putting them into context with each other. The meanings share each other’s radiance like the sharpened rays of a crystal will reflect through one another. What is important here is the word “there.” This tells us that there is a place within from which all the radiance of Hashem is shining. The purpose in telling us of this place is to remind us that the presence of Hashem within is a very real thing. This presence of Hashem emanates specifically from what is called the ‘rock of Israel.’ It is called the ‘supernal righteous one’ and yet as we can see these descriptions never quite pinpoint where exactly is this precious stone called ‘Socheret.’ All I can tell you about this radiant energy is that is does truly flow through us and there is what is called ‘Dar’ as a point of push off that defines the outflow of energy that in higher thought is recognized as Hashem. Coming here at the end of the section on the Sephiroth tells us that this zimzum or lightning flash is a product of inspiration that flows continuously according to our recognition of it. In keeping with that recognition the rays that are represented by the five fingers of the right hand alludes to our intention and the grounding of this energy in tangible form. The right hand reflects Chesed, which relates to the Supernal Righteous One who is a source for the blessings that ensue from the brilliance or overflowing of Hashem throughout our awakened consciousness. When you try and describe the indescribable you try and get as close as possible. After that it is up to you to take it the rest of the way. There is a deep secret here. Continue to meditate on this verse and see where it leads you.

Verse 189 And master, you are the one who told us in Rabbi Yochanan's name that there are only two arms of the world." He replied: Yes. But here "rays" allude to the two rays that are below them. And what are they? He said: With the anger of your head. And what is above? He said: The fear of God.

Commentary: What we are talking about here is the extension of awareness that takes place in response to one level influencing another level. There is subtle interplay of energies taking place between thoughts and our emotions. When it says the anger of your head we are talking about a projection of thought that starts out below and then ascends naturally by the attraction of what is called the fear of God. The pathways within are described in this manner in order to convey the spatial confluences of the various levels of discovery engendered by these questions and answers. The techniques used here throughout the Bahir and its corollary the Zohar apply to the study of consciousness through direct inquiry.

190. And what is the fear of God? It is the first light. Rabbi [Meir] thus said: Why is it written (Genesis 1:3), "And God said, 'let there be light,' and there was light"? Why does it not say, "and it was so"? But this teaches us that the light was very intense, so that no created thing could gaze upon it. God therefore stored it away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future. This is the measure of all merchandise (Secorah) in the world. It is also the power of the precious stones that are called Socheret and Dar. And upon what is the attribute of Dar? This teaches us that God took a thousandth of its radiance, and from it He constructed a beautiful precious stone. In it He included all the commandments. Abraham came, and He sought a power to give him. He gave him this precious stone, but he did not want it. He was worthy and took Kindness as his attribute, as it is written
(Micah 7:20), "Kindness to Abraham." Isaac came, and He sought a power, but He gave it to him and he did not want it. He was worthy and took the attribute of Strength, which is [called] Terror. It is thus written (Genesis 31:53), "And Jacob swore by the Terror of Isaac his father." Jacob came and wanted it, but it was not given to him. They said, "Since Abraham is above and Isaac is below him, you will be in the centre and take all three." What is the centre? It is peace, as it is written (Micah 7:20), "You give Truth to Jacob." Truth is identical with Peace, as it is written (Esther 9:30), "Words of Peace and Truth." It is likewise written (2 Kings 20:19), "For peace and truth will be in my days." This is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 58:14), "I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father." This is a complete inheritance (Nachalah), comprising Kindness, Terror, Truth and Peace. It is therefore written (Psalm 118:22), "The stone despised by the builders has become the chief cornerstone." This is the Stone that was despised by Abraham and Isaac, the builders of the world, and that then became the chief cornerstone.

Commentary: What is this first light? It is the moment of aha when you make the discovery within that has been sitting there on the tip of your tongue. This is the light as is said above that was stored away for the Righteous. Then it goes on to say that it is the "measure of all merchandise (Secorah) in the world." Let's think about this process. When you encompass an idea to the point that it thrills you this represents a raised state of discovery within. This discovery within may be extended without. This is where the idea of merchandise comes into play. The merchandise represents all of those things which mirror our expressions. Think about this. No matter what it is what your are thinking about that will make your world and your ultimate happiness. That is why we
are talking about these stones Socheret and Dar. They are symbolic of this first flash of inspiration that must be followed up on in order to uncover the secrets of our lives. Each of us receives the power that is closest to our inmost nature. Abraham received Kindness and Isaac, Terror while Jacob received Peace which the text reminds us is the same as truth. Let’s take a look at this center that is called Peace that is the stone the builders rejected. Consciousness proceeds from the Mystery yet our connection to Mystery is in myriad ways. As we see in this verse Abraham connected via Kindness and Isaac connected via Terror more commonly known as the fear or awe of Hashem. It is only Jacob who is able to maintain the center. This attribute of the center is where thoughts of Hashem arise in their pureness most powerful form. It was natural for Jacob to assume this level due to the evolution of thought that had been taking place ever since Abraham reached up and was connected-contacted here in Gen 12:1

‘Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.’

And then when he calls there upon the name of the Lord in Gen 13: 3-4

(3)And he went on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai; (4) unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and Abram called there on the name of the LORD.

There comes a moment in our lives when we realize that our thoughts are much more than random associations. They have meaning and keep growing in depth and higher in wisdom as we ourselves learn how to listen to the dictates of this inner dialogue making the necessary corrections in order to unify our awareness within the totality of being. When we speak about what Abraham received and what he was given it is noteworthy to mention this first contact, which comes from Hashem and continues until we have Abraham actively seeking this contact-connection at the altar he has made.
The complete inheritance or Nachalah is comprised of both the ability to receive the word of Hashem and the calling to reach for Hashem as in asking for this connection-contact to be a part of you during the times you need it the most. Man has to be active in his ascent becoming conscious of the pathways that lead to Hashem. It is this complete unity that Jacob symbolizes and this is the stone that the builders rejected in that they reached a certain level of unity and went no further. The level of unity intimated by Jacob’s attainment is that of the resolution of opposites that occurs in Mind as various forces are balanced in its center.

Parsha Vaera:

Kabbalah explains that consciousness is the deciding factor in all of our actions both above and below. The key force that determines the direction of consciousness is contained solely in the recognition that is detailed in this weeks Parsha Vaera. When Hashem speaks to Moshe he tells him that YHVH is the same Elohim as was known by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called El Shaddai. The subtext is still that this is the same 'I am that I am' that spoke to Moshe when he asked who shall I say has sent me. This is pure being and is the place where consciousness originates from. In essence it is the all pervading essence of G-d contacted through connection and sustained by mitzvoth through the intermediary of Shechinah or the feeling nature of connection. This is a concept that cannot be easily explained to a people that live in the darkness of Mitzraim tied to the materiality of existence. The announcement by Hashem of this new revelation is meant to give the children of Israel a central unifying core. It is one thing to rally around a King or a strong leader. The equation however, changes completely when the children of Israel will be asked to rally around an idea. This idea is meant to raise their certainty in terms of their own consciousness so that they will ultimately believe in their own deliverance from Mitzraim.

Ex 6:3 "and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them."

This is a signal moment in the life of Israel and Moshe. It is a new revelation. A higher truth is being presented. It is the truth that within consciousness the light of Hashem always shines. What is that light? It is the way out of darkness. What is this darkness? It is our illusory bondage to our doubts. These doubts are the taskmasters of our consciousness ultimately set free by our connection to that light.

When we first begin this section there are three sets of doubts presented. First the children of Israel will not harken unto Moshe when he speaks to them concerning all that Hashem will do. Then there is Moshe himself who when faced with this lack of faith asks Hashem how he can pull this off when these children of Israel show their faith lacking. Lastly of course there is Pharaoh who initially dismisses Moshe's demands because his magicians are able to match the wizardry of Moshe.

Pharaoh however may only act in the way that Hashem dictates. He becomes of mirror for the doubts of both Moshe and the children of Israel who are still not convinced even after the many plagues have been demonstrated. What we are witnessing here is the perception of Moshe in terms of how he understands 'I am that I am.' Moshe it turns out may only be successful in convincing Pharaoh to let his people go when Moshe accepts this finality for himself. We are led to think about this in terms of an anthromorphic G-d who commands all of these events to take place.

The inner deeper meaning concerns Moshe's conception of G-d and how G-d works in the world within and without. We have to remember that this is a voice that Moshe is hearing-listening to. Similar to a television or radio receiver Moshe has to tune his mind to that of Hashem in order to hear what Hashem is saying. In spite of the clear message of 'I am that I am' Moshe continues to doubt Hashem as witnessed by the prerequisite hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Even though Moshe is a channel for the power of Hashem, he is still living in Mitzraim. The plagues are a symbol of his growing awareness not only of the power of Hashem but of his own intimate connection as well with this power.

These doubts are our preconceived ideas about the status quo concerning the darkness of our situation. Just because a negative situation exists in the present doesn't mean that it must persist indefinitely. The entropy of darkness in fact makes this a given. Change is inherent. The purpose of all of the ensuing plagues makes this point most emphatically. The power of Hashem is unquestioned. In order to convince Moshe and the children of Israel of the efficacy of this new revelation, Hashem hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he will not let them go too easily. Hashem must be proved in the sight of all. Such is the extent of this new revelation that it must be shared across the board with all of Israel.

This sharing of the light or the revelation will gradually remove the darkness completely leading to the liberation of the children of Israel. What is liberated? It is our consciousness. This liberation means that we are then free to connect with the light. This light is represented by Moshe who speaks for Hashem.

Ex 7:1 'See, I have set thee in God's stead to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet...'

This is the unity of connection later symbolized by the SHMA. What this is saying is that when Moshe speaks to Pharaoh G-d is speaking albeit through the prophecy of Aaron. What is this prophecy of Aaron? It is the innate linkage between the cause and the effect. Moshe symbolizes the vibration of unity wherein whatsoever is spoken by Aaron is reflected therefore without. Moshe is the mold maker while Aaron is the one who pours the material into the mold to become the demonstration of the forms that the awareness will now witness. Moshe is our own recognition of the intimate connection each of us has with Hashem. Aaron then is the foretelling of the plans we have made in concert with this intimate connection that cannot help but reproduce themselves. Another way to look at this is that although Moshe has received this revelation he is unable to explain it in terms that the children of Israel will be able to comprehend.

It is only through Aaron that the revelation will be brought through to the people and demonstrated before Pharaoh.

Let's take a look at this dilemma. The idea or revelation is this:'I am that I am.' What this is saying according to Kabbalah is that consciousness is both the container and the contained. There is nothing else besides consciousness. Our thoughts are the framework of the universe and these thoughts demonstrate themselves throughout the four worlds of Kabbalah. How can we explain this concept to someone who is immersed in the materiality of the world around them. It is kind of like trying to explain three dimensional space to a two dimensional being. There however, remains a way in which we may understand this concept more directly. The major clue that is given is given by Hashem, YHVH. There is a mystery surrounding this name that is revealed when we consider the revelation of this name, 'I am that I am.' Whatsoever we call ourselves in thought that is what we will become or take on in our experience. Now thought encompasses the totality of being. It is this super grand mega structure of an ideation nexus that is both infinite and particular at the same time. In order to transform our being we need only transform our state of mind by directing our thoughts towards this mysterious name. What we are doing by partaking of this kind of direct focus is called the unification of the name or the "unifying with the name." This unification takes place within the revelation of "I am that I am," represented by YHVH as the outer level of the inner ineffable conceptual construct.

The way forward through all doubt will be explained in the next Parsha. In closing this weeks commentary let's cite The Zohar in its section on Vaera

7. "Another explanation ..."Trust in Hashem forever" (is that) a person has to strengthen himself in the Holy One, blessed be He, throughout his life. No one can harm one who properly places his trust and strength in Him, since one who places his strength in the Holy Name endures forever. 8. What is the reason, ... since the world endures by His Holy Name. This is the meaning of: "For Yah Hashem is an everlasting (lit. 'worlds') rock (Heb. tzur)" (Yeshayah 26:4), (which means) the former (Heb. tzayar) of worlds. For by two letters were the worlds created, this world and the World to Come. This world was created with Judgment and is maintained, on Judgment. This is the meaning of: "In the beginning Elohim created" (Beresheet 1:1), The reason is so that people would conduct themselves according to judgment (law) and would not digress from the path."

What is this judgment or law? It is the law of consciousness reflecting itself endlessly. When we are given the concept of creation through attaching ourselves to Hashem there is nothing that we can think of that can be kept from our experience. Each level of understanding then brings with it a corresponding reflection in our experience. B'H"

Mark Siet

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.