The First Word of Genesis 1

“With-beginningness Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)

The first word of the Bible in hebrew is B’reshit. This word is usually translated with the phrase ‘In the beginning’. I prefer the interpretive translation ‘with-beginingness’. In hebrew the letter bet (B’) is a prefix which signifies ‘in’ or ‘with’. The word Reshit refers to a continual state of becoming. This is the condition that all things are ‘in’. 

B’reshit is the dynamic nature of creativity which presents total possibility. It is always unfolding fresh, new, and unique. This continual beginning is the volatile and playful disposition that can do or be anything, which displays itself as everything. When properly understood, B’reshit constitutes a direct assault on all conventional assumptions about the solidity of substance, the linear cohesiveness of time, and the integrity of thought. Conventional perception assumes that moments in time, appearances in space, and individual thoughts are separate, unrelated, random occurances. The wisdom of B’reshit attacks this by asserting a changeless basis made up of continual change.

The primordial dynamism of B’reshit is evident in the relentlessness of perception. Considering the ‘texture’ of cognition is helpful in appreciating this. Ordinary perception is an everchanging ocean of transformation. Waves of thought arise and fall back onto themselves, following an unquestioned and unexamined continuum. When an attempt is made to grasp a thought or feeling, the percieved moment and it’s contents immediately slips away into the next moment. The next moment always presents itself in a subtly different manner than the last. As this occurs, the moment that was originally sought has vanished before it could even be glimpsed to chase. Neither the content nor context of any moment of perception is the fortress of security that it is assumed to be. The artifice of perception erodes on contact with any attempt to investigate it. The only conclusion that can be made is that the unfolding of perceptual events is not a static parade of frozen moments to be grasped at one by one, it is a constant uncatchable and elusive barrage.

Exoteric religion interprets the Bible’s first word as an indication of creation ‘ex-nihilo’ (from nothing). In the proto-historical mythology of exoteric religion a distinction is made between ‘before’ and ‘after’ creation. In the esoteric sense, this separation is nullified by adherence to an all-equalizing Divinity which transcends but yet includes all distinctions. This is the essential nature of B’reshit, which holds all divisions within the basic wisdom of pure creativity. This is the ‘Beginningness’ which cannot be experienced or known in any conventional sense. 

Ordinary perception cannot comprehend it’s own nature.  It is like trying to see your own face without a mirror. B’reshit is that mirror. It reflects whatever habits and tendencies mind clings to. However B’reshit itself is beyond all habits. It is the open reflectivity of the mirror which can reflect anything. It is equal before birth and after death. It is beyond change, but is the basis of all change and action. It is the wisdom that can know anything. This is hinted at in the Zohar:

“What is B’Reshit? With wisdom. This is the wisdom upon which the world stands, through which one enters hidden high mysteries.” (Haqdamat Sefer HaZohar 1:3b)

This quote states clearly that mystical wisdom is equal to open creative dynamism. It is the common basis of what is known as well as that which knows it. Realization of this simultaneity is gnosis (mystical realization). The wisdom of B’reshit continually explodes into phenomenal play. It is always arising and dissoving, beyond grasp, never static, insubstantial yet vivid. Appreciating this irrespressible wisdom in all things is the door out of the superficial petty concerns that obscure the Divine mystery. Conversely, not appreciating it perpetuates ordinary perceptual fixation, which literally shuts the door to gnosis. This is made clear in the next line of the Zohar quote given above:

“B’Reshit is a key enclosing all, closing and opening.” (ibid)

The pure Divine creative essence is referred to by the hebrew term Ain Sof, which can be translated ‘the infinite’. The essential nature of creativity is not dependent on anything, but it is not an independent existent entity either. Ain Sof is composed of 2 words: Ain (without) and Sof (limitation).

No matter what phenomena arises, or does not arise, the purity and wholeness of Ain Sof is unaffected. Ain Sof can not be diluted or subjugated no matter how it appears to be distorted, misapprehended, or ignored. Nothing ever leaves and nothing can ever be brought in. These categories are attempts at a definition, which is impossible. All that can be said is that Ain Sof is creative and free. All concepts about Ain Sof are innately flawed, thus literally nothing can be known about it in the conventional sense. This is stated in the following quote from 13th century kabbalist Moshe de Leon:

“The highest crown is the pure avira (luminous space) that cannot be grasped. It is the sum of all existence, and all have wearied in their search for it. One should not ponder this ‘place’. It is secretly named Ain Sof, for it engenders everything that is. The belt of the wise is burst by this mystery. Arouse yourself to contemplate, to focus thought, for the Divine is the annihilation of all thoughts, uncontainable by any concept. Since no one can contain the divine, it is called Ain (nothingness).” (Sheqel hakodesh)

Ain Sof is the essential unadulterated purity which arises as all things, and B’reshit is its nature. Here the esoteric dimension of language must be extremely precise. Ain Sof is pure essence, and B’reshit expresses the nature of that essentiality.

These two aspects, the essence and it’s nature, are a complete unity. For example sugar has a nature which is to be sweet. We know sugar through the expression of its nature in a variety of forms. No matter how the nature becomes known it is always sweet. In any form this sweet nature expresses the essence of sugar directly, and it can be known that sugar is present.

The essence and nature of creativity are represented by the first 2

sefirot called keter (crown) and chochmah (wisdom). Keter is Ain Sof ’s sublime essential potentiality, and chochmah is its wisdom nature. Both are included in the word B’reshit, which can be elucidated in many ways which will be described later in this book. The most simple way to understand them is to know that the two are a complete inseparable unity. This is symbolized by the letter bet of the word B’reshit. In hebrew every letter has a numerical value, and the numerical value of bet is 2. This is hinted at by 13th century kabbalist Isaac the Blind:

“B’reshit: The letter bet is the highest keter, and is therefore written larger than all other bets. However, the word B’reshit is in fact chochmah. In truth, then, 2 sefirot are encompassed within this word.” (Process of emanation)

To think that the essence of something can be known without the expression of it’s nature is deceptive. Pure essentiality cannot be communicated. It only is known through its nature. They are fundamentally the same, although pertain to different aspects. The nature is the essence in the most dynamic sense. Creative essentiality is unknowable, but it is replete with pure cognizant potential. Its wisdom nature is the knowingness that radiates as all things, constantly beginning as each ungraspbale moment.

Since the essential nature of creativity is the basis of all phenomena, nothing can be considered essentially impure or unimportant. Faith that every minute detail of life is only this mystery radically transforms the way that life is engaged. The path to gnosis neither excludes nor reifies anything, but leaves phenomena as a brilliant open question that cannot be apprehended by self-identified beings. This unfathomability is suggested by the imagery of this passage from this anonymously written 13th century text:

“The light that is darkened from illuminating is hidden and impossible to know. Accordingly, it is called darkening darkness, not because it resembles murk, but because no creature can look at it. Even the angels seated in the front row of the kingdom of heaven lack the power to look at it. It is like a human who cannot look at the eye of the harsh sun. However, all lights emerge from it, therefore it is only called darkening darkness because it is exalted, hidden, and concealed from perception.” (fountain of chochmah)