פִּקּוּדָא רְבִיעָאָה לְמִנְדַע דְה' הוּא הָאֱלהִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ד׳:ל״ט) וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי יְיָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. וּלְאִתְכְּלָלָא שְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים בִּשְׁמָא דְּיְיָ. לְמִנְדַע דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא. The fourth precept is to acknowledge that the Lord is God, as we read: “Know this day, and lay it to thy heart that the Lord, he is God” (Deut. 4, 39); namely, to combine the name Elohim (God) with the name Tetragrammaton (Lord) in the consciousness that they form an indivisible unity.

וְהַיְנוּ רָזָא דִכְתִיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ. לְמֶהוֵי תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן חַד בְּלָא פִּרוּדָא כְּלָל. לְאִתְכְּלָלָא מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר בִּשְׁמָא דְּשָׁמַיִם (נ"א דרשים) דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא. נְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא בִּנְהוֹרָא חִיוְורָא לֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא וְכֹלָא חַד. וְדָא הוּא עֲנָנָא חִיוְורָא דִימָמָא וְעֲנָנָא דְאֶשְׁתָּא בְּלֵילְיָא. (כמה דאמרו חברייא) מִדַּת יוֹם וּמִדַת לַיְלָה. וּלְאִתְתַּקַּן דָּא בְּדָא לְאַנְהָרָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ. And this is the inner meaning of the text: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. The omission of the vau from the word emoroth (lights) points to complete unity, to the black light and the white light being only two manifestations of one indivisible light. The same is symbolised by the “white cloud by day” and the “cloud of fire by night” (Exod. 13, 21); the two phases of day and night are complementary to each other, both forming one whole, in order-as we read- “to give light upon earth”.

וְדָא חוֹבָה דְהַהוּא נָחָשׁ קַדְמָאָה חִבַּר לְתַתָּא וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעֵילָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ גָּרַם מַה דְּגָרַם לְעָלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַפְרָשָׁא לְתַתָּא וּלְחַבְּרָא לְעֵילָא. וּנְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא. וּלְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְבָתַר בְּאֻכְלוּסָהָא בְּיִחוּדָהָא וּלְאַפְרָשָׁא לָהּ מִסִּטְרָא בִּישָׁא. Herein consisted the sin of the primeval serpent who united below but divided above, and so caused the mischief we still lament. The right way, on the contrary, is to recognise diversity below but unity above, so that the black light becomes wholly merged above and afterwards unified in respect of its diverse elements, and so is kept away from the evil power.

וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְדַע דֶּאֱלהִים יְיָ כֹּלָא חַד בְּלָא פִּירוּדָא. ה' הוּא הָאֱלהִים. וְכַד יִנְדַע בַּר נָשׁ דְּכֹלָּא חַד וְלָא יַשְׁוֵי פִּירוּדָא, אֲפִילּוּ הַהִיא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא יִסְתְּלַק מֵעַל עָלְמָא וְלָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ לְתַתָּא. It is therefore necessary for man to acknowledge that “God” and “the Lord” are one and the same without any cleavage whatever: “The Lord he is God” (I Kings 18, 39); and when mankind will universally acknowledge this absolute unity, the evil power (sitra ahra) itself will be removed from the world, and exercise no more influence on earth.

וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דִכְתִיב וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרוֹת. הָא קְלִיפָּה בָּתַר מוֹחָא סַלְקָא. מוֹחָא אוֹר. סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא מָוֶת. אוֹר בְּחִבּוּר דְּאַתְוָון. מָוֶת בְּפִּירוּדָא. וְכַד הַאי אוֹר אִסְתַּלַּק מִתַּמָּן, מִתְחַבָּרָא בְאַתְוָון מָוֶת דְּפִּירוּדָא. This is hinted in the word meoroth, which is made up of or (light), surrounded by moth (death), just as the brain, symbolic of light, is enveloped in a membrane symbolic of the baneful power (sitra ahra) which is death. Should the light (or) be removed, the letters on either side would coalesce and form death (moth)….

מֵאִלֵּין אַתְוָון שָׁרִיאַת חַוָה וְגָרְמַת בִּישָׁא עַל עָלְמָא. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ג׳:ו׳) וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב אֲהַדְּרַת אַתְוָון לְמַפְרֵעַ אִשְׁתָּאַר מ"ו וְאִנּוּן אֲזְלוּ וּנְטָלוּ אוֹת תי"ו בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ וְגָרְמַת מוֹתָא עַל עָלְמָא כְּמָה דִכְתִיב וַתֵּרֶא. Eve meddled with these letters and brought evil to the world. As it is written, "And when the woman saw that...was good" (Heb. וַתֵּרֶא) (Genesis 3:6), she turned the letters of Me'orot backwards, that is she removed the letters of וַתֵּרֶא from there, leaving only the letters Mem and Vav. And they went along and took the letter Tav with them, (death). This is how she brought death upon the world, as the scriptures inform us. "וַתֵּרֶא..." (Genesis 3:6).

אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אַבָּא, הָא אוֹלִיפְנָא מ"ם אִשְׁתָּאָרַת יְחִידָאָה, וָא"ו דְּאִיהוּ חַיִּין תָּדִיר אִתְהַפָּכַת וְאֲזָלַת (פנחס רל"ו ע"א) וּנְטָלַת תי"ו דִּכְתִיב וַתִּקַּח וַתִּתֵּן וְאִשְׁתְּלִים תֵּיבָה דָא וְאִתְחַבְּרוּ אַתְוָון. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִיךְ אַנְתְּ בְּרִי וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָא. Rabbi Elazar said: Father, I have learned that after Eve had removed the letters of וַתֵּרֶא from the word Me'orot, not the letters Mem and Vav remained, but only Mem remained above, Vav, which is always life, turned into Mavet. When it left and took the letter Tav, as it is written, "she took (Heb. וַתִּקַּח)...and gave (Heb. וַתִּתֵּן)" (Ibid.), so the word Mavet was completed, as its letters joined one another. He said to him: Blessed are you my son, as we have now clarified this subject.