77. In the verse: "And plants for the service of man" (Ibid.), the word "plants" refers to wheels, holy living creatures and Cherubs. THE WHEELS (HEB. OFANIM) ARE THE ANGELS OF ASIYAH, THE HOLY LIVING CREATURES ARE THE ANGELS OF YETZIRAH AND THE CHERUBS ARE THE ANGELS OF BRIYAH. All of these are made ready and clothed BY THE CREATOR HIMSELF. However, they are further prepared when people worship their Master with sacrifices and prayer. This is what is meant by "the service of man." The plants were predestined and prepared for "the service of man" and will be further perfected by that service, as it should be.

237. For this reason, it is written OF MOSES: "And no herb of the field had yet grown." This means that the righteous man, MOSES, was not yet grown - Moses, who validates THE VERSE, "Truth shall spring (grow) out of the earth" (Tehilim 85:12). As THE TRUTH is described IN THE VERSE: "And it cast down the truth to the ground" (Daniel 8:12), IT REFERS TO the students of the Torah, who are like the plants THAT GROW AND SPRING OUT OF THE EARTH. But they do not grow OR SPRING FORTH FROM THE SHECHINAH in exile until THE TIME WHEN THE WORDS "Truth shall spring out of the earth, ARE FULFILLED. This TRUTH is Moses, about whom it is written: "The law of truth was in his mouth" (Malachi 2:6), because no man relates to the Shechinah as well as he. This is WHY THE SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT HIM, "And there is not a man to till the ground," WHERE THE GROUND ALLUDES TO THE SHECHINAH. BEFORE MOSES, THERE WAS NO ONE TO CORRECT THE SHECHINAH.

401. Come and behold: Because the moon governs and shines by the power of that river that flows out OF EDEN, WHICH IS BINAH, light is added to all the heavens below ATZILUT, BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH OF SEPARATION, and their hosts. Thus, the planets rule the world and cause plants and trees to grow, and everything in the world grows and multiplies. Even the water and the fish in the sea increase in numbers. Many emissaries of Judgment roam the world, because everything is full of joy and energy. IN OTHER WORDS, THESE EMISSARIES ARE STRONGER BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF MALCHUT. AS A RESULT, ONE MUST BE CAREFUL THAT THEY DO NOT BRING GREATER HARM THAN BEFORE. When there is joy in the house of the King, even the guards of the gates and the roads are happy and roam about in the world. Therefore, the young children should be well guarded FROM DEMONS.

428. The plants, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, rest on THE TWO POINTS OF GOOD AND EVIL, BECAUSE THESE TWO POINTS ARE THE ASPECT OF YESOD OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, WHICH LIES UNDERNEATH ALL THE SFIROT. And other supernal plants, REFERRING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN are attached to it. These are called the "cedars of Lebanon" (Tehilim 104:16). HE ASKS: What are these "cedars of Lebanon?" AND REPLIES: These are the six supernal days, the six days of Creation, as we have already stated. IT IS WRITTEN: "The cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted." THE SCRIPTURES DESCRIBE THEM AS PLANTS, BECAUSE they are indeed plants that survived after THEY WERE UPROOTED FROM THEIR PLACE AND PLANTED IN A DIFFERENT ONE.

430. Rabbi Aba said: Why do we conclude that Adam and Eve were CALLED plants? Because it is written: "The branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified" (Yeshayah 60:21). It is indeed the "work of My hands" THAT ALLUDES TO ADAM AND EVE, WHO OF ALL THE CREATURES WERE THE "WORK" OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ALONE. THE VERSE DESCRIBES THEM AS "THE BRANCH OF MY PLANTING." HENCE THEY ARE DESCRIBED AS THE "PLANTING." It is written: "Though in the day of your planting you make it grow" (Yeshayah 17:11), WHICH MEANS that on the same day they were planted in the world, they sinned. SO THE VERSE ACTUALLY SPEAKS OF ADAM AND EVE AND DESCRIBES THEM AS "PLANTS."

431. We have learned that the plants, THAT WERE THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, were as tiny as the antennae of grasshoppers. Their light was feeble, and they did not shine. As soon as they were planted IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, and were improved, their lights grew stronger and they were called "the cedars of Lebanon." Similarly, Adam and Eve did not increase their light or emit A GOOD fragrance before they were planted IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, NAMELY IN THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES. But when they were uprooted FROM THEIR PLACE and planted again ON HIGH, IN THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, their existence was firmly established.

433. We know that Abraham ate FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, as did Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets. NEVERTHELESS, they remained alive. WHY? BECAUSE this tree, THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, is the tree of death. Whoever ate of it by itself died, because he has taken the potion of death. Thus, IT IS WRITTEN: "For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Ibid. 17), REFERRING TO THE TREE BY ITSELF. In doing so, one separates the plants AND CUTS THE ROOTS, MEANING THAT HE SEPARATES THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, FROM HIS SHECHINAH. THEREFORE, HE IS SENTENCED TO DEATH.

469. Come and behold: All the plants, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, were concealed and impressed with faint marks upon one place, THE PLACE OF MALCHUT. The Holy One, blessed be He, uprooted them from that place and sent them elsewhere, NAMELY TO BINAH, where they flourished AND GAINED THEIR MOCHIN.