The Account of Creation

Fire, Water and Spirit

(Zohar I, 86b-87a)

“And Melchezedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine” (Gen. 14:18). Rabbi Simeon began by quoting: “In Salem is His tabernacle...” (Ps. 76:3). Come and see. When it arose in the will of the Holy One, blessed by He, to create the world, He brought out a single flame^[1] from the spark of blackness, and blew spark upon spark. It darkened and then was kindled. He brought out from the recesses a single drop, and He joined them together, with them, He created the world. The flame ascended and was crowned on the left, and the drop ascended and was crowned on the right, They encountered one another and changed places, one on one side, and one on the other. The one that descended went up, and the one that ascended went down. They became intertwined, and a perfect spirit emerged from them. The two sides were immediately made one, and it was placed between them, and they were crowned with each other. Then there was peace above and peace below, and the level was established. He was crowned with vav, and vav with he, and he ascended and was joined with perfect bond. Them “Melchizedek [was] king of Salem”--actually “king of Salome”: the king who ruled over perfection.

Isaac Tishby – Wisdom of the Zohar, Vol. II, p567.

Footnotes