זוהר, בראשית ד׳Zohar, Bereshit 4

Segment 1א׳

וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְגו', הָיְתָה (ל"ט ב) דַיְיקָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, תַּלְגָא גּוֹ מַיָיא. נַפְקָא מִנָּהּ זוּהֲמָא בְּהַהוּא חֵילָא דְּתַלְגָא בְּמַיָּיא, וְאַקִּישׁ בָּהּ אֶשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא וְהֲוָה בָּהּ פְּסוֹלֶת, וְאִתְעֲדִיאַת וְאִתְעֲבִידַת תֹּה"וּ מֵאֲתַר (נ"א מדורא) דְּזוּהֲמָא. קִינָא דִפְסוֹלֶת. וָבֹה"וּ בְּרִירוּ דְּאִתְבְּרִיר מִגּוֹ פְּסוֹלֶת וְאִתְיַישַׁב בָּהּ חשֶׁךְ, רָזָא דְּאֶשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא. וְהַהוּא חשֶׁ"ךְ דְחָפֵי (חפי) עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא תֹּה"וּ עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא פְּסוֹלֶת וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת מִינֵיהּ.

NOW THE EARTH HAD BEEN VOID AND WITHOUT FORM. The word hoithah (was), being a pluperfect, implies that the earth had been previously. There was snow in the midst of water, from the action of which was produced a slime. Then a mighty fire beat upon it and produced in it a refuse. So it was transformed and became Tohu (chaos), the abode of slime, the nest of refuse, and also Bohu (formlessness), the finer part which was sifted from the Tohu and rested on it. The word “darkness” in the text alludes to this mighty fire. This darkness covered the Tohu, namely the refuse, and was buoyed up by it.

Segment 2ב׳

וְרוּחַ אֱלהִים, רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא דְּנָפִיק מֵאֱלהִים חַיִּים וְדָא מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם. בָּתַר דְּהַאי רוּחַ נָשִׁיב אִבְרִיר דְּקִיקוּ חַד מִגּוֹ הַהוּא פְּסוֹלֶת כְּטִיסָא דְּזוּהֲמָא. כַּד אִבְרִיר וְאַצְנִיף וְאַצְרִיף זִמְנָא וּתְרֵין עַד דְּיִשְׁתָּאַר הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ זוּהֲמָא כְּלָל,

The “spirit of God” is a holy spirit that proceeded from Elohim Hayyim (living God), and this “was hovering over the face of the waters”. When this wind blew, a certain film detached itself from the refuse, like the film which remains on the top of boiling broth when the froth has been skimmed off two or three times.

Segment 3ג׳

כַּד הַאי תֹּהוּ אִבְרִיר וְאַצְרִיף נָפַק מִינֵיהּ (מלכים א י״ט:י״א) רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים (צו ל' ע"א) הַהוּא דְּחָמָא אֵלִיָּהוּ. אִבְרִיר בְּהוּ וְאַצְרִיף וְנָפַק מִנֵיהּ רַעַשׁ דִּכְתִיב, (מלכים א י״ט:י״א) וְאַחַר הָרוּחַ רַעַשׁ. וְאִבְרִיר חשֶׁךְ וְאַכְלִיל בְּרָזָא דִילֵיהּ אֵשׁ דִּכְתִיב וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ. אִבְרִיר רוּחַ וְאִתְכְּלִיל בְּרָזָא דִילֵיהּ (יתרו פ"א ב ותיקון ל"ח) קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה.

When Tohu had thus been sifted and purified, there issued from it “a great and strong wind rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks”, like that which Elijah saw (I Kings 19, 11, 12). Similarly Bohu was sifted and purified, and there issued from it earthquake, as with Elijah. Then what we call “darkness” was sifted, and there was contained in it fire, just as to Elijah there appeared “after the earthquake fire”. When what we call “spirit” was sifted, there was contained in it a still, small voice.