Kabbalah zu Bereschit 1:3

This defect, therefore, is the mystery of yod heh,⁴²The first two letters of the Tetragrammaton. Cf. n. 18 above. which refers to wisdom and Kabbalah.⁴³Ḥokhmah and Binah. Cf. n. 33 above. This he removes, causing “poverty” in place of the “riches” emanating from Tiferet, which is the mystery of the river mentioned previously. “Length of exile” is the mystery of the “waters” left the “sea” [signifying that] the Shekhinah left for exile.⁴⁴See n. 23 above. This was explained by Rabbi Simeon bar Yoḥai, peace upon him, in another place. [He stated] that the mystery of the earth was formless and void [refers to the period] after the destruction of the First and Second Temples. And God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3)—this [refers] to the mystery of the future redemption. I dealt with this matter in my book, Or Yakar.⁴⁵Moses Cordovero, Or Yakar, vol. 1 (Jerusalem, 1965), pt. I, sec. 1. The relevant passage is Zohar I, 25b.

"And God said, Let there be light." and, behold, Rabbi Yitzchak said, "There was"

(Genesis 1:3) "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light;' and there was light". From here, from this saying, we can begin to learn the secrets of how the world was created in details, because until now, the Creation was discussed only generally, in the verse "In the beginning Elohim created..."(Ibid. 1) After this, the description returns to the general, then the particular, and then the general again.

He said to him, Rabbi, we have studied the verse, "Let there be light," (Beresheet 1:2) which means let there be secret, because Light is the secret of redemption. [And the numerical value of Or ('light') is Raz ('secret'). Thus, the verse, "let there be light," hints that the time of redemption will be a secret unknown to all men. Again, he said that through repentance everyone will rise from the dead early]. Rabbi Yehoshua said, Unless you said so, we would not have left an opening for those waiting daily for redemption, as it is written, "a store of salvation" (Isaiah 33:6). What is this "salvation"? It alludes to those who seek salvation daily.

Rabbi Bun also sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 45:7), "I form light and create darkness," Light has substance. Therefore, the term "form" is used with regard to it. Darkness has no substance, and therefore, with regard to it, the term "create" is used. It is similarly written (Amos 4:12), "He who formed the mountains, And created the wind," Another explanation is this: Light was actually brought into existence, as it is written (Gen. 1:3), "God said, let there be light." Something cannot be brought into existence unless it is made. The term "formed" is therefore used. In the case of darkness, however, there was no 'making', only separation and setting aside. It is for this reason that the term "created" (bara) is used. It has the same sense as in the expression, "That person became well (hibri'a)."

"She opened her mouth with wisdom," is that it is the first Hei of the holy name Yud Hei Vav Hei, which is Binah, in which everything is contained. It is concealed and revealed, comprising both what is above and below.

“And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” {Gen. 1:3}.This is the primal light which God made. It is the light of the eye. This light God showed to Adam, and by means of it he was enabled to see from end to end of the world. This light God showed to David, and he, beholding it, sang forth his praise, saying, “Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee” {Ps. 31: 20}. This is the light through which God revealed to Moses the land of Israel from Gilead to Dan.”...

“Let there be light, and there was light” {Gen. 1:3}. To whatsoever the word vayehi {and there was} is applied, that thing is in this world and in the world to come.” “Rabbi Isaac said: At the Creation, God irradiated the world from end to end with the light, but then it was withdrawn,