Introduction of the Ra'avad, of blessed memory

He portioned out for good; do not spare the paths he brought up on high. And "who divided paths for the clouds," original: "mi phileg netivot le-ananim" observing the waters in the sounds, and their height toward the bolts of the firmaments and in the depths. And "there is He who divided a channel for the overflowing water" Job 38:25; who divided channels and paths for the flood, which comes from the attribute of Lovingkindness Chesed; the divine attribute of expansive benevolence. Some of these paths are drawn toward every living species and every individual detail of the fundamental elements, and some are drawn toward the explanations for the scripture concerning the "striking of waters": for frozen waters, for hot waters, for salty ones, for surplus waters, and for salt-sea waters.

He also divided the paths that are drawn from the attribute of Severity Gevurah; the divine attribute of judgment, restraint, and power toward the inner realms. For Severity is like the winter lightning in its freezing clarity, seen in its numerical value as two paths. Some are drawn toward the foundation the element of Yesod and some are drawn toward the transformations. And this is the Aramaic translation of the verse: "Who prepared and leveled the path for the flood to descend from above, and a path for the sound of the thunder's lightning." original Aramaic: "tatar'ges ve-chamar..." Because the waters are influenced by the power of Lovingkindness, while the great saltiness comes from the side of Severity, it is from this interaction that the sound of thunder and lightning is produced. "And who divided a channel for the overflowing water"—as if to say: "I have created many hairs, and each and every hair has its own follicle and is written by itself; for if even two hairs were to draw from a single follicle, they would destroy and darken the eye of a man." This is a famous Talmudic teaching from Bava Batra 16a, where God explains the precision of creation to Job. And regarding "a way for the lightning": "I have created many drops in the thick cloud, and each and every drop has its own perforation and is sent out by itself; for if even two drops were to descend from a single perforation, they would wash away the entire world." Similarly, "I have created many lightnings, and for each and every lightning I created its own path; for if two lightnings were to emerge from one place, they would destroy the entire world." All these were made with Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom, so that it might be "on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man" Job 38:26.

Those "windows" and "wildernesses" that were hidden at their creation from human beings—I have protected them The Hebrew root "chasiti" is interpreted here as protection or concealment, meaning the power of the strength for human beings; and for their life, I have blotted out the [harsh] threads for the wise of the "enclosure" original: "machtur" so as to elevate them toward Lovingkindness and toward humanity. And this is its translation: "To bring rain upon the land where there is no man, and the wilderness wherein there is no son of man." "To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth" Job 38:27. It is known that the "desolate and waste" are prepared for the wicked, but the dew of light shall be lost like the perfect, and the wicked shall be removed when it comes. For a moment, their forgiveness is spoken of in a place of glory, a good rule, and do not let it be in trial here, as is the way with "him," and "all of them like a wasteland where no man passed and no man dwelt there." Therefore, He causes it to rain upon all the earth to satisfy the most vigorous of all species and to cause the source of the grasses to sprout; and through them, they shall be elevated from the plant to the living, to the [celestial] spheres, to the angels, and to the constellations. Therefore the Aramaic translation says: "To satisfy the parched and thirsty land, and to make the buds of the grass grow." For satisfying the creatures of the earth is for the purpose of elevating the plants.

"Hath the rain a father?" Job 38:28. The explanation is that the rain which descends comes from the Lovingkindness of the Lord and His Severity. Its substance and the goodness of its spirit—this is water. And all of these are examined from the power of Wisdom Chokhmah; the first flash of divine intellect which is in its frozen heights, a sea on the right.

"Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?" Job 38:28. For the rain descends by weight, but the drops of dew are born through the power of Understanding Binah; the analytical or maternal aspect of divine intellect that is within Lovingkindness. "And may God give thee from the dew of the heavens." Therefore the Aramaic translates: "Is there a father for the rain? Or who begot the droplets of the dew?"

"Out of whose womb came the ice?" Job 38:29 "And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?" The explanation is that from the power of the Crown Atarah; often referring to the Sefirah of Malchut (Kingship) as it receives from above, in which is the Understanding that is in the clarity of the Lord, the ice comes—like the appearance of a terrible ice-crystal. From it, the firmaments were formed, rising to the level of the "frozen ones." Behold, their secret is the frost, and the secret of "crystal" and "flour" possible reference to the white appearance of frost. The Lovingkindness touches the matter of the dew, but it is not included in the "Back" Gevurah/Severity, for not all of its blessing was congealed. The translation says: "From whose womb did the ice come out? And the frost of the heavens, who gave birth to it?"