Introduction to Kabbalah: Origins

1 When God began to create heaven and earth — 2 the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water — 3 God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.

Rabbi Yehudah bar Pazzi expounded: "In the beginning the world was water in water." What is the proof? "and a wind from God sweeping over the water". (Genesis 1:2)

1) They may not expound upon the subject of forbidden relations in the presence of three. 2) Nor the work of creation in the presence of two. 3) Nor [the work of] the chariot in the presence of one, unless he is a sage and understands of his own knowledge. 4) Whoever speculates upon four things, it would have been better had he not come into the world: (a) what is above, (b) what is beneath, (c) what came before, and (d) what came after. 5) And whoever takes no thought for the honor of his creator, it would have been better had he not come into the world. (Trans. Josh Kulp)

1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God ... 4 I looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north — a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber. 5 In the center of it were also the figures of four creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the figures of human beings.

The Rabbis taught: There once was a child who was reading from the Book of Ezekiel in the house of his teacher, and he understood the [verses regarding] the Chashmal, and fire came out from a Chashmal and burned him, And they wanted to hide the Book of Ezekiel. Chananiah the son of Chizkiyah said to them, "If this [child] is a sage, they are all sages."

The Rabbis taught: There were four who entered the Orchard, and they are - Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher (Elisha Ben Avuya) and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them: "When you reach near the pure marble stones, do not say 'Water, water'," Because it is said, "A speaker of lies shall not abide before my eyes (Psalms 101:7)." Ben Azzai glanced and died, and upon him the verse says, "It is precious in the eyes of the Lord, the death to his pious (Psalms 116:15)." Ben Zoma glanced and was hurt (mentally; he went insane), and upon him the verse says, "Honey you have found- eat [only] your fill, lest you become satisfied of it and regurgitate it (Proverbs 25:16)." Acher chopped down saplings [ie. he became a heretic]. Rabbi Akiva emerged in peace.

Almighty, Master over all creation; Blessed is God! God is blessed by the mouth of every soul. God’s greatness and goodness fill the world; perception and insight surround God. God is exalted above the angels, and adorned in glory above the chariot; merit and uprightness are before God’s throne, kindness and mercy are before God’s glory. Good are the lights which our God created. God formed them with discernment, understanding, and wisdom; God put strength and power into them, to be rulers in the world. Full of luster and radiating brightness, they are beautiful throughout the world; joyous in their rising and in their setting, they perform with reverence their Possessor’s will. They give honor and glory to God’s Name, joyous song at the mention of God’s dominion. God called to the sun and it shone with light; God saw and fashioned the form of the moon. All hosts on high praise God, glory and greatness are given to God by the heavenly hosts - the serafim, the ofanim and the holy chayot. (Trans. Sarah Alexander)

1) Said Rabbi Ishmael: What are those songs which he recites who would behold the vision of the Merkabha, who would descend in peace and would ascend in peace? 2) Greatest of all [his achievements] it is to gather him in and bring him unto the chambers of the palace of heaven, to cause him to stand before the throne glory to know all that which is destined to come to pass in the world.

R. Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav, With ten things the world was created: With wisdom and with understanding and with knowledge and with strength and with rebuke and with might and with righteousness and with judgment and with mercy and with compassion.

(9) Ten Sephirot of Nothingness:/ One is the Breath of the Living God/ Blessed and benedicted is the name/ of the Life of Worlds/ The voice of breath and speech/ And this is the Holy Breath.

(10) Two: Breath from Breath./ With it He engraved and carved/ 22 Foundation Letters/ Three Mothers/ Seven Doubles/ and Twelve Elementals/ And one Breath is from them.

(11) Three: Water from Breath./ With it He engraved and carved/ [22 letters from]/ chaos and void/ mire and clay/ He engraved them like a sort of garden/ He carved them like a sort of wall/ He covered them like a sort of ceiling/ [And he poured snow over them/ and it became dust/ as it is written/ "For to snow He said, 'Become earth'" (Job 37:6).]