56. The Havdalah (prayer of separation) THAT IS PERFORMED at the end of Shabbat IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEPARATING those POWERS that are dominant during the days of the week from HOLINESS THAT IS DOMINANT DURING Shabbat. With the ending of Shabbat, one aspect of Gehenom appears. It is the evil eye that desires to govern THE WORLD, just as the children of Yisrael recite, "O Prosper it, the work of our hands" (Tehilim 90:17). It emerges from that grade OF THE OTHER SIDE, which is called the left, and wishes to mingle with the seed of Yisrael BY TAKING CONTROL OVER THE HOLY COVENANT and having power TO PUNISH Yisrael.

100. THE KLIPAH sat there IN THE DEPTH OF THE SEA until Adam and his wife sinned. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, took the Klipah out from the depths of the sea. It took control over all those babies, WHO ARE the small faces of people, who deserve punishment for the sins of their fathers. It wandered around the world, approached the gates of the terrestrial Garden of Eden, saw the Cherubs guarding the gates of the garden and sat down near the bright blade of the sword from which it had originally emerged.

101. When the bright blade OF THE REVOLVING SWORD changed TO JUDGMENT, THE KLIPAH fled and wandered around the world and found babies due to be punished. IT IS CALLED THE BRIGHT BLADE OF A REVOLVING SWORD, BECAUSE IT REVOLVES AND CHANGES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MERCY AND JUDGMENT. The Klipah laughed with the babies and then killed them. It did this during the waning of the moon, as its light diminished. This is WHY Me'orot (luminaries ?) IS SPELLED WITHOUT THE LETTER VAV, WHICH MEANS CURSES. When Cain was born, THE KLIPAH was unable to cling to him, but later it approached him, cleaved to him and bore from him spirits and flying spirits.

180. The friends asked, If so, why all this? IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE REASON FOR CREATING MAN WAS TO ENABLE HIM TO REPENT AND ATONE FOR HIS SIN, THEN WHY ALL THIS? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD DARKNESS NOT BEEN CREATED IN THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE AND MAN NOT SINNED AT ALL. Rabbi Shimon replied: If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not created the Evil and Good Inclinations, which are light and darkness, there would not have been any precepts or transgressions for the man of Briyah. So man was created with both LIGHT AND DARKNESS, as it is written: "See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil" (Devarim 30:15). THIS IS WHY PRECEPTS AND TRANSGRESSIONS APPLY TO MEN AND WHY MEN ARE PRESENTED WITH THE CHOICE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. They asked him: why all this? Better He had not created darkness. Then man would have no reward or punishment as opposed to being created and having to sin, thereby causing much DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION.

181. He said to them: It was right to create him thus WITH LIGHT AND DARKNESS, because the Torah was created for the sake OF MAN, for it contains punishments for the sinful and rewards for the righteous. Thus, there can be no reward for the righteous or punishment for the sinful without the man of Briyah, WHO CONSISTS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS. IT IS WRITTEN: "He did not create it a wasteland (lit. 'formless'), He created it to be inhabited" (Yeshayah 45:18). THE WORLD WAS NOT CREATED TO BE FORMLESS, TO BE IN DARKNESS BECAUSE OF THE SINFUL, BUT "TO BE INHABITED," WHICH MEANS FOR THE SAKE OF REWARDING THE RIGHTEOUS. THIS REWARD IS THE CONCEPTION OF THE TORAH, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "FOR THE EARTH SHALL BE FULL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HASHEM" (YESHAYAH 11:9), FOR THE TORAH AND THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ARE ONE AND THE SAME. HAD MAN NOT BEEN CREATED BY LIGHT AND DARKNESS, WHICH ENABLE HIM TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL AND REWARD AND PUNISHMENT, THEN THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO REVEAL THIS REWARD FOR THE RIGHTEOUS. THIS REWARD REFERS TO WHAT IS ATTAINED FROM THE TORAH THAT WAS CREATED FOR HIS SAKE. THE FRIENDS said, Indeed, we have certainly now heard what we had never heard before. It is now clear that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not create anything that he did not require.

182. Furthermore, the Torah of Briyah, WHICH CONSISTS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS AND REWARD AND PUNISHMENT, is the clothing of the Shechinah. If man had not been created, the Shechinah would have remained without clothing, like a pauper WHO HAS NO CLOTHES. Therefore, whoever sins acts as if he is stripping the Shechinah of Her garments. This is the punishment for the man WHO SINS.

372. Rabbi Yosi said, It is written: "And He weighs the waters by measure" (Iyov 28:25). THIS MEANS that by actual measure did He weigh and fixed them, as THE WATERS flowed into the measure. They are meant for the construction of the world when they REACH THE MEASURE from the side of Gvurah. Rabbi Aba said: The sages of old used to say that when the wise reached this place, REFERRING TO THE SECRET OF THE MEASURE THAT FIXES THE WATER, their lips moved but they uttered no sound because they WERE AFRAID THEY might be punished.

437. "Now the serpent WAS CRAFTIER..." (Beresheet 3:1). Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Serpent is the Evil Inclination, WHICH INCITES ONE TO SIN. Rabbi Yehuda said, It is a real serpent. They approached Rabbi Shimon, who said: Both interpretations are correct. It was Samael and he was seen RIDING on the serpent. The image of the serpent is Satan, NAMELY THE EVIL INCLINATION THAT INCITES HUMANS TO SIN AND THEN ASCENDS TO DEMAND PUNISHMENT ABOVE. They are both the same. YOU CAN SAY THAT THE SERPENT IS BOTH THE EVIL INCLINATION AND A REAL SERPENT.

461. Come and behold: Adam was born on the day of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Rosh Hashanah is the secret of the upper and lower, REFERRING TO THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, WHO ARE CALLED THE SUPERNAL MAN, AND TO THE LOWER MAN. There is Rosh Hashanah above, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE WHEN THEY ARE IN A STATE OF JUDGMENT, and there is a Rosh Hashanah below, IN THE FRAME OF TIME, WHICH IS THE SIXTH DAY OF CREATION, THE DAY WHEN LOWER MAN WAS CREATED. THIS TEACHES US THAT MAN WAS CREATED BY THE SECRET OF JUDGMENT, FOR HE WAS CREATED ON LOWER ROSH HASHANAH. THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE ASPECT OF ABOVE, UPPER ROSH HASHANAH, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE IN A STATE OF JUDGMENT. On Rosh Hashanah, the barren women are visited. How do we know this happens on Rosh Hashanah? Because it is written: "And Hashem visited Sarah" (Beresheet 21:1). The reference to the term "And (Vav) Hashem" is precise TO INDICATE THAT it was on Rosh Hashanah THAT SHE WAS VISITED. WHENEVER THE SCRIPTURE USES THE TERM 'AND (VAV) HASHEM," IT ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS COURTHOUSE - WHICH INDICATES JUDGMENT, WHICH IS THE UPPER ROSH HASHANAH. Because Adam was born on Rosh Hashanah, he was born under the influence of Judgment that then prevailed in the world. Thus, it is precisely so that "sin crouches at the door," ALLUDING TO THE ANGEL OF DEATH, to exact payment from you. And the verse: "And to you shall be his desire" (Beresheet 4:7) OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH, TO PUNISH YOU until he destroys you.

463. Rabbi Yitzchak said: The government is joined together in debate TO JUDGE THEM AND EXECUTE JUSTICE. THIS EXPLAINS THE PHRASE: "YET YOU MAY RULE OVER HIM," WHICH INDICATES THAT MALCHUT REVEALS HER CONTROL THROUGH THE AGENCY OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH, BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE WHO PUNISHES THE TRANSGRESSORS. Rabbi Yehuda said: "Yet you may rule over him" through repentance. IF ONE REPENTS, THEN HE RULES OVER THE ANGEL OF DEATH AND THE EVIL INCLINATION.