Star Wars Torah: Teachings on Light

§ The Gemara continues to discuss Creation: Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Ten things were created on the first day of Creation, and they are as follows: Heaven and earth; tohu and vohu, i.e., unformed and void; light and darkness; wind and water; the length of day and the length of night. All of these are derived from the Torah...

The Gemara poses a question: And was light created on the first day? But isn’t it written: “And God set them (the "great lights," i.e. the sun and moon) in the firmament of the heaven” (Genesis 1:17), and it is also written: “And there was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day” (Genesis 1:19), indicating that light was created on the fourth day.

The Gemara answers: This should be understood in accordance with Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: The light that the Holy One of Blessing created on the first day was not that of the sun but a different kind of light, through which man could observe from one end of the world to the other. But when the Holy One of Blessing looked upon the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion and saw that their ways were corrupt and that they might misuse this light for evil, God arose and concealed it from them, as it is stated: “And from the wicked their light is withheld” (Job 38:15). And for whom did God conceal it? For the righteous people in the future, as it is stated: “And God saw the light, that it was good” (Genesis 1:4), and “good” is referring to none other than the righteous, as it is stated: “Say of the righteous that it shall be good for them, for they shall eat the fruit of their actions” (Isaiah 3:10). When the light saw that it had been concealed for the righteous, it rejoiced, as it is stated: “The light for the righteous shall rejoice” (Proverbs 13:9).

(6) The LORD said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them...(Leviticus 21:1) Rabbi Yehuda opened [his explanation with the verse:] How abundant is the good that You have in store for those who fear You... (Psalms 31:20) "How abundant is the good" [means] how high and how precious - this is the Supernal Light which is called "good." As it is written: God saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:4). And this is the Hidden Light, by means of which God made good in the world, and which does not diminish each day, for the sake of establishing the world which stands upon it. "That you have in store for those who fear You" [means] as we have learned, God made the Supernal Light when God created the world, and concealed it for the righteous people in the future. That is the meaning of what is written, "That you have in store for those who fear you."

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: (2) When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests.

(4) This verse make these afflictions depend upon the skin. This is based on the verse that says: "...the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and God clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) The Midrash refers to a distinction between the "garments of skin" and "garments of light." It was because of sin that they came to be garbed in this coarse clothing, the skin of the snake. All of corporeality derives from there. Previously, they were in a spiritual state, as is said of the future. At the giving of the Torah, too, Israel were ready for this state. That is why it says of Moses that "the skin of his face shone." (Exodus 34:29) He so redeemed "skin" that he was lit up through the shining lens. But we did not remain at that rung. Therefore, the afflictions reappeared; the Midrash teaches that it was sin that made us again impaired. It is also known, however, that the skin is porous, containing many tiny holes. These allow the light to shine through its "shells." Only sin clogs up those pores, so that "darkness covers the earth." (Isaiah 60:2) That is why "the leprous affliction" is translated [into Aramaic] as segiru or "closing." Now we also understand why the purification rites are assigned to Aaron and his sons the priests; it was they who set right the sin of the Golden Calf.

(21) And the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

(29) So Moses came down from Mount Sinai. And as Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with God.