229. Of the Giborim, (mighty ones), the third group OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE THAT WAS MIXED WITH YISRAEL, it is written: "The same were mighty men of old, men of renown (lit. 'men with a name')" (Beresheet 6:4). These descend from the side of those, about whom it is said: "Let us build us a city and a tower...and let us make us a name..." (Beresheet 11:4), THAT IS, THE GENERATION WHICH WITNESSED SEPARATION OF THE RACES. They, this group of the mixed multitude, build synagogues and Yeshivot, putting the scroll of the Torah and a crown upon its top, AS DESCRIBED IN THE VERSE: "LET US BUILD US A CITY AND A TOWER, WHOSE TOP MAY REACH TO HEAVEN." BUT IT IS not DONE in the name of Hashem. Instead, it is done to make themselves a name, as it is written: "And let us make us a name." THE CHILDREN OF the Other Side, overcame Yisrael, who are BLESSED TO BE like the dust of the earth. They rob them, shattering their work, THE SYNAGOGUES AND YESHIVOT THAT THEY HAD BUILT. Of them, it is written: "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth" (Beresheet 7:19), WHICH MEANS THAT THE KLIPOT AND THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH ARE CALLED WATERS, DESTROYED THE EARTH AS THEY EXPANDED. THIS THIRD GROUP IN THE MIXED MULTITUDE IS EQUIVALENT TO THE SFIRAH OF BINAH OF THE KLIPAH.

257. An old man stood up and said TO RABBI SHIMON: Rabbi, Rabbi, it is indeed so. THERE ARE NO KLIPOT IN ATZILUT, BUT ONLY IN BRIYAH. But METATRON is not called the Tree of Life. THE OLD MAN WONDERS. IF RABBI SHIMON INTERPRETS THE VERSE AS APPLYING TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN IN BRIYAH, THEN HOW COULD HE INTERPRET THE VERSE: "THE TREE OF LIFE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN." FOR THERE IS NO TREE OF LIFE IN THE GARDEN OF BRIYAH AND METATRON IS NOT THE TREE OF LIFE, BECAUSE THERE IS GOOD AND EVIL IN HIM. The secret of the matter is that Vayyitzer (And...formed), WHICH IS SPELLED WITH TWO YUD'S, ALLUDES TO THE TWO ACTS OF FORMING: One is the forming of good and the other is the forming of evil. This is THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, WHICH INCLUDES THESE TWO FORMS. THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL is the small man from which derive death and life, which represent the forbidden and the permissible. IN OTHER WORDS, THE FORBIDDEN IS DEATH AND THE PERMISSIBLE IS LIFE. Of such a man, it is written: "And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground" (Beresheet 2:7).

320. THESE LETTERS struck the rod of the great Serpent and traveled 1,500 cubits inside the chasms of the dust, WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Afterward, the great deep arose in darkness. Darkness covered everything until light emerged to break through the darkness and shine IN ALL ITS PERFECTION, as it is written: "He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death" (Iyov 12:22).

448. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good..." She saw yet did not see that the tree was good. She "saw that the tree was good," but could not decide. It is then written, "She took of the fruit thereof" and not 'she took of it.' WHY? BECAUSE HER MIND WAS NOT SET THAT THE "TREE WAS GOOD." BY TAKING OF ITS FRUIT AND NOT FROM THE TREE ITSELF, she became attached to the place of death, brought death upon the world and separated life from death. And this sin caused a separation between the wife, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, and her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, because the voice - ZEIR ANPIN - is never separated from the utterance, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Whoever separates the voice from the utterance, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN FROM HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, becomes dumb and loses the ability to speak. As a result of losing the ability to speak, he is given to the dust. THIS IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN, "AND TO DUST SHALL YOU RETURN" (BERESHEET 3:19).