The Book of Formation

Introduction of the Ra'avad, of blessed memory

The Earth, and all the Chariots original: Merkabot, referring to the organized structures of the divine realm and governing forces beneath it—they all praise the "Glory of Your Kingdom," and so forth, as will be explained later. And now, we shall explain in detail the nature of its circumference, as mentioned in the statement: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered unto one place, and let the dry land appear" Genesis 1:9. This means that when the waters covering the Tiferet Tiferet: The Sefirah representing "Beauty" or "Harmony," often associated with the celestial "Heavens" emerged via the two channels toward one place—as mentioned above—it is a proof from the side of the secret that they were all gathered toward the Yesod Yesod: The Sefirah of "Foundation," which acts as the conduit for all divine emanations.

And then the Sea was built. The two channels that reached the Yesod descended ...heights...? to reveal the dry land upon the foundations of the Earth. Afterward, as explained, The text here contains cryptic abbreviations and OCR fragments likely referring to Job 38:8 it describes the bursting forth from the womb, for the "Gathering" original: Koveh takes from the upper and lower realms. "As if it burst forth from the womb" Job 38:8—this means that as the waters were drawn out, the darkness was gathered and He "shut the doors" against them, because of the decree original: Chok that He placed upon it, which is the image of the sand.

And behold, when the waters were gathered to one place at the time He shut the doors upon them so they would not turn back to cover the Earth—meaning, He set a boundary that they shall not pass, nor return to cover the Earth referencing Psalm 104:9. For it was not their intention to distance themselves from the Lord and His Torah, but rather to surround the "Transformations," as I explained in the Portion of Bereshit Genesis, where it says: "The mountains rose, the valleys sank down unto the place which You established for them" Psalm 104:8. And as it is said, I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual decree that it cannot pass. "Though the waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it" Jeremiah 5:22.

Know that there is an Inner Sand and an Outer Sand. The secret of the "door" of Yesod prevents the waters from descending upon the Earth the Crown, and the door from below prevents them from returning to cover the Earth (meaning the waters that were gathered beneath the Earth). By the power of these doors, the settlement of the Earth is maintained, as hinted at in what our Sages of blessed memory said regarding Tohu and Bohu the "Chaos and Void" of Genesis 1:2:

They said: Tohu Chaos is a green line that encompasses the entire world. Bohu Void, these are "slimy stones" original: avanim mefulamot sunken into the Abyss Tehom, and from them, waters emerge to the world. Behold, this flame of which it is said ...sand/stones...?

And behold, when it says "Let the waters be gathered," as the waters were gathered to rise and cover the Earth, there preceded this the existence of the Abyss as its garment original: Tehom kikesuto. For it is written: "Cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band" Job 38:9. He surrounded the Abyss with thick darkness and placed doors around it so the Abyss would not surround the entire world. This "Thick Darkness" original: Arafel is the structure of the Firmament.

The explanation of "As if it burst forth from the womb" is the power and movement of the waters to emerge from the Abyss to flood the world, just as a fetus emerges from the womb to be born. There are those who explain this in the sense of a "covering" original: Sochek of the hatch on ships original: Oniyot, emerging from the "Womb" which is Tiferet, and sent to the Atarah Atarah: The "Crown," another name for the Sefirah of Malchut/Kingdom, for all the "Ships" The author likely uses 'ships' as a metaphor for spiritual vessels or celestial bodies and the waters in the Abyss would destroy the world. This comes to teach you that the "Ships" in the Abyss also correspond to the triad of World, Year, and Soul original: Olam, Shanah, Nefesh, the fundamental dimensions of reality in the Sefer Yetzirah. And so, too, does the "Living Speaking Being" Humanity correspond. And the rest is upon me to fulfill.

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The Structure of the Abyss