The Tree of Life

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\x81@\x81@\x81@\x81@\x81@(by Rav Isaac Luria)

Behold.
that before the emanations were emanated
and the creatures created.
The upper simple light had filled
the whole existence.

And there was no vacancy.
such as an empty atmosphere,
a hollow, or a pit.
But all was filled
with simple, boundless light

And there was no such part
as head, or tail.
But everything was simple,
smooth light,
balanced evenly and equally.

And it was called
the Endless Light.

And when upon His simple will,
came the desire to create the world
and emanate the emanations.

To bring to light the perfection
of His deeds,
His names, His appellations.

Which was the cause
of the creation of the worlds.
He then restricted Himself, in the middle.
Precisely in the center.
He restricted the light.
And the light drew far off to the sides
around that middle point.
And there remained an empty space,
a vacuum
Circling the middle point.
And the restriction had been uniform
Around the empty point.
So that the space
Was evenly circled around it

There, after the restrictions
Having formed a vacuum and a space
Precisely in the middle of the endless light.
A place was formed.
Where the emanated
and the created
might reside.
Then from Endless Light
a single line hung down,

Lowered down into that space
and through that line,
He emanated, formed,
Created all the worlds.
Before these four worlds came to be
There was one infinite, one name,
in wondrous, hidden
unity.
That even for the closest of the angels
There is no attainment in the endless.
As there is no mind that can perceive it.
For He has
no place,
no boundary,
no name.