When you pass through water, I am with you; and through rivers, they will not flood you; when you walk through fire, you will not be burned; and a flame will not burn among you.
Isaiah 42.5-43:10
beresheit “in a beginning” Genesis 1 – 6:8
This opening phrase of
Torah can be translated a number of ways including “in a beginning” or “in
beginning” as there are no indefinite articles in Biblical Hebrew, or it can
even read “with beginning” as the first letter "bet" has those two meanings.
Referring to Kabbalah,
here behind Adam and Eve is the Tree of Life (Etz Chaym). According to this
understanding, the emanation of creation began with the 10 sephirot - energy
centers. (Think modern physics concept of the string theory.) You will see on this tree 8 of these 10
energy locals and their relationship with each other suggested by the colors
blending into the “fruits” of this tree.
Above this tree in the darkening sky are stars shaping into the “kisay”
– the throne of glory: the “place” where the infinite enters into the manifest.
All six days of
creation are shown here. You will
see red at Adam and Eve’s feet indicating the protective coating they lost
after they ate of the Tree of Good and Evil. Now naked and embarrassed they stand next to the “snake” who
at that time is said to have been taller than a camel and walking on two feet
and jealous of Adam’s having a companion and wanting to have her for himself.
In the upper left is
the archangel Michael assigned as a protector.