“And God made the two lights.” There are two kinds of luminaries. Those which ascend above are called “luminaries of light”, and those which descend below are called “luminaries of fire”. These latter belong to the lower sphere and rule over the weekdays. It is for this reason that at the expiry of Sabbath a blessing is said over the lamp, because rule is then restored to these luminaries.
Man’s fingers symbolise the mystic grades of the upper world, which are divided into front and back. The latter are outside, and are symbolised by the finger-nails, and therefore it is permissible to look at the finger-nails at the expiry of Sabbath by the light of the candle.
But it is not permissible to look at the fingers from the inside by the light of the candle. This is hinted in the verse, “Thou shalt see me from the back, thou shalt not see my face” (Ex. 33, 23). Therefore a man should not look at his fingers from the inside when he recites the blessing “Creator of the light of the fire”.
On the Sabbath day God rules alone by means of those inner grades upon His throne of glory, and all of them are comprised in Him and He assumes dominion. Therefore on this day He accorded rest to all worlds. As part of the legacy of this day the holy and unique people has inherited the “luminaries of light” from the side of the Right, which is the primal light that was on the first day. For on the Sabbath day those luminaries of light shine alone and have dominion, and from them everything is illumined below.
When Sabbath expires the luminaries of light are withdrawn and the luminaries of fire assume sway each in its place. They rule from the expiry of one Sabbath till the commencement of the next. For this reason it is proper to use the light of the lamp at the expiry of Sabbath.
It is said of the Hayyoth that “they run to and fro” (Ezek. 1, 14), and so no eye can follow them. The Hayyoth which disclose themselves are those in the midst of which there is an Ofan (wheel), which is Metatron, who is more exalted than all the other hosts.
The Hayyoth which are never disclosed are those which are under the two undisclosed letters Yod, He ‘, which rule over Vau, He’, these being the pedestal of the former. The most mysterious and incomprehensible essence rules over all and is mounted upon all. The Hayyoth which disclose themselves are below those which remain undisclosed and derive light from them and follow them.
The celestial Hayyoth are all comprised in the “firmament of the heaven”, and are referred to in the words “let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven”, “and they shall be for lights in the firmament of the heaven”. They are all suspended in that firmament. But there is also a firmament above the heavens of which it is written, “and a likeness upon the heads of the Hayyah, a firmament like the ice, etc.” (Ezek. 1, 22).
This is the first He’ beyond which it is impossible for the human mind to penetrate, because what is further is enveloped in the thought of God, which is elevated above the comprehension of man. If that which is within the Thought cannot be comprehended, how much less the Thought itself! What is within the Thought no one can conceive,
וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְאוֹרוֹת. דָּא מָאוֹר וְדָא מָאוֹר. בְּגִין כָּךְ אִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּסָלְקֵי לְעֵילָא אִקְרוּן מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר. וְאִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּנָחֲתוּ לְתַתָּא אִקְרוּן מְאוֹרֵי אֵשׁ דְּאִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין לְתַתָּא וְשָׁלְטֵי כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְחוֹל. וְעַל דָּא כַּד נָפִיק שַׁבַּתָּא מְבָרְכִין עַל שְׁרַגָא דְּהָא אִתְיְהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְטָאָה.
“And God made the two lights.” There are two kinds of luminaries. Those which ascend above are called “luminaries of light”, and those which descend below are called “luminaries of fire”. These latter belong to the lower sphere and rule over the weekdays. It is for this reason that at the expiry of Sabbath a blessing is said over the lamp, because rule is then restored to these luminaries.
אֶצְבְּעָן דְּבַר נָשׁ אִנּוּן סִתְרָא דְּדַרְגִּין וְרָזִין דִּלְעֵילָא, וְאִית בְּהוּ פְּנִימָאִין וַאֲחוֹרַיִם. אֲחוֹרַיִם אִנּוּן לְבַר וְאִנּוּן רֶמֶז לְטוֹפְרִין דְּאֶצְבְּעָן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִית רְשׁוּ לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּטּוֹפְרִין בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת דְּהָא נָהֲרִין מֵהַהוּא שְׁרַגָּא וְנָהֲרִין מֵהַהוּא אֵשׁ לְשַׁלְטָאָה.
Man’s fingers symbolise the mystic grades of the upper world, which are divided into front and back. The latter are outside, and are symbolised by the finger-nails, and therefore it is permissible to look at the finger-nails at the expiry of Sabbath by the light of the candle.
אִלֵּין אִתְחַזְיָין, אֶצְבְּעָן לְגוֹ לָא אִית רְשׁוּ לְאִתְחַזְיָיא בְּהַהוּא שְׁרַגָּא דְּהָא מִלְּעֵילָא נָהֲרִין וְאִקְרוּן פָּנִים פְּנִימָאִין. וְרָזָא דָא וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ. דְּלָא יִסְתַּכַּל בַּר נָשׁ בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בְּאֶצְבְּעָן לְגוֹ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ. (שבת ל"ג) וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחוֹרָי אִלֵּין פָּנִים דִּלְבַר דְּאִתְרְמִיזוּ בְּטוּפְרֵי. (שם) וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ אִלֵּין אֶצְבְּעָן לְגוֹ. אִלֵּין שָׁלְטֵי בְּשַׁבַּתָּא וְאִלֵּין שָׁלְטֵי בַּחוֹל.
But it is not permissible to look at the fingers from the inside by the light of the candle. This is hinted in the verse, “Thou shalt see me from the back, thou shalt not see my face” (Ex. 33, 23). Therefore a man should not look at his fingers from the inside when he recites the blessing “Creator of the light of the fire”.
וּבְיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁלִּיט בִּלְחוֹדוֹי בְּאִנּוּן פָּנִים פְּנִימָאִין עַל כּוּרְסֵי (ה) יְקָרֵיהּ וְכֻלְהוּ אִתְכְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ וְשָׁלְטָנוּתָא דִילֵיהּ אִיהוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַחְסִין נַיְיחָא לְכָל עָלְמִין. וְיַרְתִין יְרוּתָא דְיוֹמָא דָא עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִקְרוּן עַמָּא חַד בְּאַרְעָא. מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא דְּאִיהוּ אוֹר קַדְמָאָה דְּהֲוָה בְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה. דְּבְיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא נָהֲרִין אִנּוּן מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ וְשָׁלְטִין. וּמִנַּיְיהוּ נָהֲרִין כֻּלְהוּ לְתַתָּא.
On the Sabbath day God rules alone by means of those inner grades upon His throne of glory, and all of them are comprised in Him and He assumes dominion. Therefore on this day He accorded rest to all worlds. As part of the legacy of this day the holy and unique people has inherited the “luminaries of light” from the side of the Right, which is the primal light that was on the first day. For on the Sabbath day those luminaries of light shine alone and have dominion, and from them everything is illumined below.
וְכַד נָפִיק שַׁבַּתָּא גְּנִיזִין (אנון) מְאוֹרֵי אוֹר דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין. וּמְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ שָׁלְטִין כָּל חַד וְחַד עַל דּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ. אֵימָתַי שָׁלְטִין בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת עַד מַעֲלֵי יוֹמָא דְּשַׁבַּתָּא. וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיכוּ לְאִתְנַהֲרָא מֵהַהוּא שְׁרַגָּא בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת.
When Sabbath expires the luminaries of light are withdrawn and the luminaries of fire assume sway each in its place. They rule from the expiry of one Sabbath till the commencement of the next. For this reason it is proper to use the light of the lamp at the expiry of Sabbath.
וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב. דְּלָא יָכִיל עֵינָא לְמִשְׁלַט בְּהוּ בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב. חַיּוֹת דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין אִנּוּן דְּהַהוּא אוֹפָן קָאִים בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ, וּמָאן אִיהוּ דָּא מטטרון דְּאִיהוּ רַב וְיַקִּיר מִשְׁאָר אִלֵּין (נ"א חיילין), וְעִלָּאָה חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה פַּרְסֵי.
It is said of the Hayyoth that “they run to and fro” (Ezek. 1, 14), and so no eye can follow them. The Hayyoth which disclose themselves are those in the midst of which there is an Ofan (wheel), which is Metatron, who is more exalted than all the other hosts.
חַיּוֹת דְּמִטַּמְרָן אִנּוּן (רביעאן) תְּחוֹת תְּרֵין אַתְוָון עִלָּאִין דְּאִתְכַּסְיָין. י"ה אַתְוָון שַׁלִּיטִין עַל ו"ה. אִלֵּין רְתִיכָא לְאִלֵּין. וְהַהוּא טְמִירָא לְכָל טְמִירִין דְּלָא אִתְיְדע כְּלָל שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא וְרָכִיב עַל כֹּלָּא. חַיּוֹת דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין אִנּוּן לְתַתָּא תְּחוֹת אִלֵּין עִלָּאִין דְּמִטַּמְרָן, וְאִתְנַהֲרָן מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְנָטְלִין בְּגִינַיְיהוּ.
The Hayyoth which are never disclosed are those which are under the two undisclosed letters Yod, He ‘, which rule over Vau, He’, these being the pedestal of the former. The most mysterious and incomprehensible essence rules over all and is mounted upon all. The Hayyoth which disclose themselves are below those which remain undisclosed and derive light from them and follow them.
חַיּוֹת עִלָּאִין כֻּלְהוּ כְּלִילָן (בראשית לג ע"ב) בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם. וְעֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרוֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם. כֻּלְהוּ תַּלְיָין בְּהַהוּא רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם. רָקִיעַ שֶׁעַל גַּבֵּי הַחַיּוֹת דָּא הַהוּא דִכְתִיב, (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ב) וּדְמוּת עַל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח דָּא הַהוּא קַדְמוֹן (נ"א ה' קדמאה).
The celestial Hayyoth are all comprised in the “firmament of the heaven”, and are referred to in the words “let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven”, “and they shall be for lights in the firmament of the heaven”. They are all suspended in that firmament. But there is also a firmament above the heavens of which it is written, “and a likeness upon the heads of the Hayyah, a firmament like the ice, etc.” (Ezek. 1, 22).
דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה לֵית מָאן דְּיָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וּלְמִנְדַע. מַאי טַעְמָא מִשּׁוּם דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה. וּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא טְמִירָא סְתִימָא עִלָּאָה. מַחֲשָׁבָה דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּכָל עָלְמָא (ס"א לא יכיל) לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא וּלְמִנְדַע לָהּ. מִלִּין דְּתַלְיָין בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה לֵית מָאן דְּיָכִיל לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא לוֹן. מַחֲשָׁבָה (עלאה) מַמָּשׁ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַּמָּה. לְגוֹ מִן מַחֲשָׁבָה מַאן אִיהוּ דְּעֲבִיד רַעֲיוֹנֵי. דְּהָא לֵית סוּכְלְתָנוּ לְמִשְׁאַל כָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְמִנְדַע.
This is the first He’ beyond which it is impossible for the human mind to penetrate, because what is further is enveloped in the thought of God, which is elevated above the comprehension of man. If that which is within the Thought cannot be comprehended, how much less the Thought itself! What is within the Thought no one can conceive,