## Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar Chapter 8

###### Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:1
[Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Baal%20HaSulam%27s%20Preface%20to%20Zohar/r/8:1)

**ההבחן בין אור האצילות הנרמז ב'לבן' לעולמות בי"ע**

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**The Difference between the Light of** ***Atzilut*****, Alluded to by “White,” and the Worlds of** ***Beria*****,** ***Yetzira*****, and** ***Asiya***


###### Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:2
[Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Baal%20HaSulam%27s%20Preface%20to%20Zohar/r/8:2)

ח. ומלבד האמור, יש בהמשל הזה של ד' הצבעים, רמז חשוב מאד. כי האורות העליונים מכונים ספר, כמו שכתוב (בספר יצירה פרק א' משנה א') "וברא את עולמו בשלשה ספרים, בספר וסופר וסיפור". וכן הכתוב אומר "ונגולו כספר השמים" (ישעיה לד, ד). והנה גילוי החכמה שבכל ספר, אינו בלבן שבו, אלא רק בצבעים, דהיינו בדיו, שממנו באות האותיות שבספר, בצרופי החכמה אל המעיין, שבדרך כלל, יש בספר אלו ג' מיני דיו, אדום, ירוק ושחור.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**In addition to the above, this metaphor of the four colors includes a particularly important allusion. For the supernal lights are called *sefer*,** book**, as it is written (*Sefer Yetzira*, Chapter 1, Mishna 1): “He created His world with three books: With a book, an author, and a story.”⁷. The literary structure of this line quoted from *Sefer Yetzira* is that God created His world with three elements (book, author, story) that are different permutations of the word *sefer* in Hebrew. In addition to *sefer* (book), an author is a *sofer*, and a story is a *sippur* (the letters “p” and “f” are different sounds of the same letter, “*peh*” in the Hebrew language, so *sippur* is also a permutation of the word *sefer*). Thus, using different vowelizations, the same root "*sefer*" refers to these three elements. It is also written: “The heavens shall be rolled together as a book” (Isaiah 34:4).⁸ Now, the manifestation of the wisdom in each book is not in the white** background of the pages **it contains, but only in the colors, i.e., the ink, from which the letters in the book, through the combinations** of letters according to the **wisdom, come to the reader. In general, there are three kinds of ink in a book: Red, green, and black.**

footnotes:
⁷ The Hebrew word for “book” is sefer
⁸ “Rolled together as a book” here refers to the kinds of books used at the time of the prophecy, namely scrolls, which are rolled up.


###### Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:3
[Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Baal%20HaSulam%27s%20Preface%20to%20Zohar/r/8:3)

כמו כן עולם האצילות שהוא סוד חכמה, שכולו אלקיות, הוא בבחינת הלבן שבספר, כלומר שאין לנו תפיסא בו כלל. אלא כל הגילוי שבספר השמים, הוא בספירות בינה ותפארת ומלכות, שהן ג' עולמות בי"ע, להיותם בחינת הדיו שבספר השמים, שהאותיות וצרופיהן מתגלות בג' מיני דיו הנזכרים, ורק על ידיהן מתגלה אור האלקי אל המקבלים.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**Similarly, the world of** ***Atzilut*****, which is the mystical meaning of** ***Ḥokhma*****, which is entirely Divinity, is comparable to the white in a book. That is, we have no grasp of it whatsoever; rather, the entire manifestation in the book of the heavens is in the** ***sefirot*** **of** ***Bina*****,** ***Tiferet*****, and** ***Malkhut*****, which are the three worlds of** ***Beria*****,** ***Yetzira*****, and** ***Asiya*****. For they are considered the ink in the book of the heavens, whose letters and combinations are manifested through the three aforementioned types of ink, and it is only through them that the Divine light is revealed to the recipients.**


###### Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:4
[Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 8:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Baal%20HaSulam%27s%20Preface%20to%20Zohar/r/8:4)

ויחד עם זה יש להבחין. כמו שהלבן שבספר הוא עיקר הנושא של הספר, והאותיות כולן הן "נשואות" על הלבן שבספר, ולולא הלבן לא היתה אפשרית שום מציאות לאותיות וכל גילוי החכמה שבהן. כן עולם האצילות, שהוא ספירת החכמה, הוא עיקר הנושא של גילוי החכמה המתגלית דרך העולמות בי"ע. וזה סוד הכתוב "כולם בחכמה עשית" (תהלים קד, כד).

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**At the same time, it must be noted that just as the white in a book is the primary medium**⁹ literally means to "carry," which is the function of a given kind of medium) the other content upon it. [*noseh*] **of the book, while the letters are all “borne”** [*nesu’ot*] **upon the white in the book – and were it not for the white, there would be no possible existence for the letters and all the manifestations of wisdom they contain – so too, the world of** ***Atzilut*****, which is the** ***sefira*** **of** ***Ḥokhma*****, is the primary bearer of the revelation of** ***Ḥokhma*****, which is revealed through the worlds of** ***Beria*****,** ***Yetzira*****, and** ***Asiya*****. This is the meaning of the verse: “In wisdom [*Ḥokhma*] You have made them all” (Psalms 104:24).**

footnotes:
⁹ The intention here is that the white page is the majority of the physical content of the book, and as such it "carries" (noseh