Kabbalah Kejadian 1:7: Pardes Rimmonim, Introduction to Sulam Commentary & Sha'arei Orah

It is seen from it in the explanation that the actors were the artisans, which are the six days, and [that] they acted with the utterance of the first three [days] which are Ayin/אי"ן. And from what that is necessary to understand also on the subject of these utterances is that they are ten, and although they are ten, we know that there is no creation or action except by means of only six days, which are Gedolah [= Chesed] the first day, Gevurah the second day, Tif’eret the third day, Netsach the fourth day, Hod the fifth day, Yesod the sixth day, and thus explained the Rashbi of blessed memory, that the whole of the work of Creation is comprised and done by means of these [six] days in Malkut, Malkut bringing out the matters to light in perfection. And this is what he says in parasha Terumah [Zohar II.127]: “From the trees of the Lebanon” [Song of Songs 3:9], these are planted trees which the Holy One, blessed be He, uprooted and planted in another place. And these are called ‘cedars of Lebanon’, as it is written: “Cedars of Lebanon which He planted” [Psalms 104:16]. And this canopy was only built and completed with them. Furthermore “From the trees of the Lebanon”, these [are] the six days of Creation, each day arranging in this canopy the arrangement that was revealed to it. The first arrangement: From the right side [= Chesed] the first light was stretched out which had been hidden, and it was lifted from the right side, and an image as the resemblance of this light came into this canopy by means of one foundation, and it worked in it [its] service. Afterwards this canopy brought out an image as the resemblance of this light. And this is the mystery of which it is written: “Let there be light, and there was light” [Genesis 1:3], when it says: “Let there be light”, wherefore is it [also] written “and there was light”? The biblical verse has no need to write except “and it was thus”, [so] what [then is indicated by] “and there was light”? But [it indicates] that this light brought out another light which was revealed to it. And this now is the first day out of those trees of Lebanon. The second arrangement: from the left side [= Gevurah] was stretched out a separation of the waters in opposition to powerful fire, and it was lifted from the left side and came into this canopy and it worked in it [its] service, and it separated between waters that are on the right side and waters that are on the left side. Afterwards this canopy brought out an image as the resemblance of it. And this is the mystery of which it is written: “between the waters that are below the firmament and between the waters that are above the firmament, and it was thus.” [Genesis 1:7]. And this is this second day out of those trees of Lebanon. The third arrangement: stretched out from the left side and from the right side was one third day bringing peace in the world. And from there fruits were drawn. And it worked [its] service in the canopy and it brought out a species according to its species, a species for a multitude of works, the species that was fit for it. And all herbs and plants and trees with many powers. And its image remained there and that canopy brought forth a species in that concrete resemblance. And this is the third day that is totalized out of two sides from those trees of Lebanon. The fourth arrangement: stretched out and shining was the radiance of the sun to illumine this canopy inside the darkness of it, and it entered it to illumine but it did not work in it [its] service until the fifth day, when the canopy brought out this service of radiance which had entered it on the fourth day, and this canopy brought out with this concrete resemblance of this radiance. And this is the fourth day, one of those trees of Lebanon. The fifth arrangement: one stream of swarming of waters was stretched out and it worked [its] service to bring forth the radiance of the arrangement of the fourth day, and it worked in this canopy [its] service and brought forth species according to its species, those that were revealed to this concrete resemblance. And this day serviced that service more than all the other days. But everything was suspended until the sixth day, when this canopy brought forth all that was hidden in it, as it is written: “Let the earth bring forth living soul according to its species” [Genesis 1:24]. And this is this fifth day, one from those trees of Lebanon. The sixth arrangement is that day when this entire canopy was set in order. And it [= the canopy] does not have order nor power except by this day. When it came, this canopy was set in order with many spirits, with many souls, with many maidens beautiful in outlook, those who are fit to sit in the palace of the King. Also it was set in order in the beauty of all the other days that preceded [it], and it set them in order with one desire, with pleasure, with joy, Thus this canopy was made holy with upper holinesses, and crowned with its crowns until it rose in rising of the crown of tranquility, and it was given an upper name, a holy name, which is ‘Shabbat’, tranquility of everything, desire of all, devotion of all above and below together, and thus it is written: “King Solomon made a canopy for him from the trees of the Lebanon” [Song of Songs 3:9].

A diaphragm is thus inserted there. In other words, the new end point that was formed on account of the ascension of Malkhut to Bina, in the place called the chest, is called “diaphragm” based on the mystical meaning of the firmament that separates between the upper waters, which are Keter and Ḥokhma, which remained within the level of the interior, and Bina, Tiferet, and Malkhut, which were ejected from the level of the ten sefirot of the interior and became the level of the ten sefirot of the end.²⁰The author of the Sulam explains here that the Torah alludes to this separating diaphragm in Genesis 1:7. The repositioning of Malkhut from the navel at the bottom of the interior to the level of Bina at the chest, effectively “partnering” Malkhut with Bina, causes the levels of Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut to be separated from Keter and Ḥokhma. Keter and Ḥokhma are the “waters” that lie above the firmament, and Bina, Tiferet and Malkhut are the “waters” below. Because of this diaphragm, the ten sefirot of the interior were divided into two levels: The area from the mouth to the chest is considered the ten sefirot of the interior, Atzilut, and the first three sefirot of the body; from the chest and downward, to the navel is considered the ten sefirot of the end, the level of Beria, and the six extremities without a head, like the ten sefirot of the end. With regard to the ascent of Malkhut to Bina, and the new endpoint that occurs in the middle of every level, see sections 15 and 16 below.

8. “And God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם made the firmament.”³⁶Genesis 1:7