זוהר, הקדמה ט׳Zohar, Introduction 9

Segment 1א׳

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וְשָׁמַעְנָא לְבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאָמַר הָכִי, דְּמִלָּה סְתִימָאָה אִיהוּ בָּרָא סָגִיר וְלָא פָתַח. וּבְעוֹד דְּהֲוָה סָגִיר בְּמִלָּה דְבָרָא, עָלְמָא לָא הֲוֵי וְלָא אִתְקְיַּים, וְהֲוָה חָפֵי עַל כֹּלָּא תֹּה"וּ, וְכַד שָׁלְטָא הַאי תֹּה"וּ, עָלְמָא לָא הֲוָה, וְלָא אִתְקְיַּים.

Said R. Jose: ‘Assuredly it is so, and I have heard the Sacred Lamp say the same, to wit, that bara is a term of mystery, a lock without a key, and as long as the world was locked within the term bara it was not in a state of being or existence. Over the whole there hovered Tohu (chaos), and as long as Tohu dominated, the world was not in being or existence.

Segment 2ב׳

אֵימָתַי הַהוּא מַפְתְּחָא פָּתַח תַּרְעִין וְאִזְדַּמַּן לְשִׁמּוּשָׁא וּלְמֶעְבַּד תּוֹלְדִין כַּד אֲתָא אַבְרָהָם דִּכְתִיב אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם וְתָנִינָן בְּאַבְרָהָם. וּמַה דְּהֲוָה כֹּלָּא סָתִים בְּמִלַּת בָּרָא, אִתְהַדְּרוּ אָתְוָון לְשִׁמּוּשָׁא, וְנָפַק עַמּוּדָא דְּעֲבַד תּוֹלְדִין, אֵבֶר יְסוֹדָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּעָלְמָא קַיְימָא עֲלֵיהּ.

When did that key open the gates and make the world fruitful? It was when Abraham appeared, as it is written, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth behibaream” (when they were created) (Gen. 2, 4). Now, BeHiBaReAm is an anagram of BeABeRaHaM (through Abraham), implying that what was hitherto sealed up and unproductive in the word bara has by a transposition of letters become serviceable, there has emerged a pillar of fruitfulness: for BaRa has been transformed into AiBeR (organ), which is the sacred foundation on which the world rests.

Segment 3ג׳

כַּד הַאי אֵבֶר אִתְרְשִׁים בְּמִלַּת בָּרָא כְּדֵין רְשִׁים סְתִימָאָה עִילָאָה (נ"א קדישא לגלאה) רְשִׁימוּ אָחֳרָא לִשְׁמֵיהּ וְלִיקָרֵיהּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ מִ"י. וּבָרָא אֵלֶּה וְגַם כֵּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִתְבָּרְכָא דְּאִיהוּ מַ"ה אִתְרְשִׁים. וְאַפִּיק מִן בָּרָא אֵבֶר. וְהוּא רְשִׁים בְּאֵלֶּה מִסִּטְרָא דָא וְאֵבֶר מִסִּטְרָא דָא. סְתִימָאָה קַדִּישָׁא. אֵלֶּה קַיָּימָא. אֵבֶר קַיָּימָא. כַּד אִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא. גָּלִיף לְהַאי אֵבֶר גָּלִיף לְהַאי אֵלֶּה.

Further, in the same way, as AiBraHaM contains AiBeR, a transformation of BaRA, so it is with the splendour of the name of the Most High and most Concealed One. This is implied in the words MI BaRA AiLeH. Add the other sacred name MaH. Transpose BaRA into AiBeR. We have AiLeH on one side and AiBeR on the other side. Add the He (of MaH) to AiBeR and the Yod (of MI) to AiLeH.