2nd Tamuz
1. The Role of Kindness in Creation
- On the first day, the attribute of kindness (chesed) was revealed to create light through the utterance, “Let there be light.”
- This light represented diffusion and flow, embodying kindness through its expansive nature.
- The attribute of might (gevurah) was also included, limiting the light to fit the constraints of the finite world.
2. The Role of Might on the Second Day
- On the second day, the attribute of might was revealed to create the firmament, separating upper spiritual waters from lower material waters.
- This act symbolized tzimtzum (contraction) and restraint to prepare the world for habitation.
- Kindness remained included as the ultimate goal was to enable life and service to God on dry land.
3. Integration of Attributes Throughout Creation
- Each subsequent day revealed other emotive attributes, all interwoven with kindness and might, to bring creation into existence.
- The attributes demonstrated how the world is conducted with balance, involving righteousness, justice, mercy, and other qualities.
4. The Purpose of Sefirot
- The sefirot were not meant to define God’s attributes as knowable but to illustrate how the world is governed with divine principles.