"Let us make man"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon offers a discourse concerning the creation of man. When The Creator was planning to make man, the heavens and earth trembled and shook, for they knew man would control all reality. Prior to the appearance of man, they knew all the worlds were securely in the hands of God. But with man's creation, the reins were literally handed over. In the process of forming man, the four corners of the earth - North, South, East, and West - gave a part of themselves to man, imbuing him with their essence. Man would now truly control the world, for the world is man. This segment of the Zohar awakens a sense of responsibility within us to care for the world, our neighbors, and the entire cosmos.

Creation Evil Fear Grades Lights Sin Sixth Day, The

412. רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן קָם וַאֲמַר, מִסְתַּכֵּל הֲוֵינָא דְּכַד בָּעָא קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם, אִזְדַּעְזְעוּ כָּל עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְיוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה הֲוָה סָלֵיק בְּדַרְגוֹי, עַד דְּסָלְקָא רְעוּתָא עִלָּאָה, וְנָהֵיר שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכָל נְהוֹרִין.

Adam East Gates Head Light Likenesses North Soil Soul, The South Temple, The West Yisrael-Saba and Tevunah Zeir Anpin

413. It opened the gate of the East, from which the light emerged to shine throughout the world. And the South, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT AND CHESED, revealed the force of the illumination it had inherited at the head, THAT IS, YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH, and was strengthened by the East. The East, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, overtook the North and IT REVEALED IN ITSELF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT THAT IT DREW FROM YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. The North was thus aroused, expanded WITHIN ZEIR ANPIN, and called to the West, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN, with much force to come closer and join it. Then the West, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, rose up and united with the North. Afterward, the South - WHICH IS THE RIGHT AND CHESED - held onto the West, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. And the South and the North became the fences that surrounded the garden. Then the East, ZEIR ANPIN, mated with the West, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, and the West rejoiced and asked everybody, saying: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Let him comprise the four winds - SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST - above and below, NAMELY THE SIX EXTREMITIES. Then the East, ZEIR ANPIN, cleaved to the West, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, and produced THE SOUL OF ADAM. This is what we have learned. The first man came out from the soil of the Temple, NAMELY FROM THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED 'THE TEMPLE.'

413. וּפְתַח תַּרְעָא דְּמִזְרָח, דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן נְהוֹרָא נָפֵיק וְדָרוֹם אַחֲמֵי תּוֹקְפֵי דִּנְהוֹרָא, דְּיָרֵית מֵרֵישָׁא, וְאִתְתַּקַּף בְּמִזְרָח, מִזְרָח אַתְקֵיף לְצָפוֹן, וְצָפוֹן אִתְעַר, וְאִתְפַּשַׁט, וְקָרֵי בְחָיִל סַגֵּי לְמַעֲרָב, לְמִקְרַב וּלְאִשְׁתַּתָּפָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ, כְּדֵין מַעֲרָב סַלְקָא בְּצָפוֹן וְאִתְקַּשַּׁר בֵּיהּ, לְבָתַר דָּרוֹם אַתְיָא וְאָחֵיד בְּמַעֲרָב, וְסָחֲרִין לֵיהּ דָּרוֹם וְצָפוֹן דְּאִלֵּין גִּדְרֵי גִנְתָּא. כְּדֵין מִזְרָח קָרֵיב בְּמַעֲרָב, וּמַעֲרָב שַׁרְיָא בְּחֶדְוָה, וּבָעָאת מִכָּלְהוֹ וַאֲמַר נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ. דִּלְהֱוֵי כְּגַוְונָא דָא, בְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין וְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וּמִזְרָח אִתְדַּבַּק בְּמַעֲרָב וְאַפֵּיק לֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן אָדָם מֵאֲתַר דְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ נָפַק.

Adam Cantillation Dots Form Hebrew Letters Mochin West Zeir Anpin

414. Furthermore, THE VERSE, "Let us make man" CAN BE EXPLAINED AS FOLLOWS. The Holy One, blessed be He, uttered - THAT IS, DREW DOWN to the lower beings that come from the aspect of the upper beings - the secret of the name that is numerically equal to Adam. THIS IS A REFERENCE TO THE NAME THAT ADDS UP TO 45, AS DOES ADAM. Adam comes from the secret of the upper world, COMPRISING THE CELESTIAL RIGHT AND LEFT COLUMNS, WHICH WERE BLOCKED BEFORE THE RECONCILING OF THE THIRD COLUMN, and Adam is the secret of the letters. HE INCLUDES THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF THE LOWER BEINGS THAT ARE CALLED LETTERS. THE UPPER ONES ARE THE CANTILLATION MARKS AND VOWELS, AND THE LOWER ONES ARE LETTERS. So Adam accordingly includes within himself all that is above and all that is below. The name Adam CONSISTS OF THREE LETTERS: THE Aleph OF ADAM ALLUDES TO the supernal world WHENCE THE RIGHT COLUMN ORIGINATES. The closed (final) Mem is the letter that appears in the phrase, "Of the increase (Heb. lemarbeh) of his realm" (Yeshayah 9:6). ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORD, IT IS WRITTEN TRADITIONALLY AS FINAL MEM, IN ITS CLOSED FORM. FROM IT, THE LEFT COLUMN IS EXTENDED. The lower Dalet is concealed in the West, and this is the entire MOCHIN of above and below. AFTER this had been established above, IN ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, it has been established below AS WELL, IN ADAM HIMSELF.

414. תּוּ, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם, קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲמַר לְאִלֵּין, תַּתָּאֵי דַּאֲתוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דִּלְעֵילָא, רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא דָא דְּסָלֵיק אָדָם, אָדָם מֵרָזָא סְתִימָא עִלָּאָה, אָדָם: רָזָא דְּאַתְוָון, דְּהָא אָדָם כָּלֵיל לְעֵילָא, וְכָלֵיל לְתַתָּא, אָדָ"ם: א' לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא. ם סְתִימָא, דְּאִיהִי ם מִלְּםַרְבֶּה הַמִּשְׁרָה. ד' תַּתָּאָה, דִּסְתִימָא בְּמַעֲרָב, וְדָא כְּלָלָא דִּלְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, אִתְתַּקַּן לְעֵילָא אִתְתַּקַּן לְתַתָּא.

Adam Female Hebrew Letters Male Soul, The Temple, The

Adam Bride Female Flesh Lilit Male Rib

416. The Holy One, blessed be He, sawed him through, MEANING THAT HE SEPARATED THE FEMALE FROM THE MALE, and prepared her, just like a bride is prepared. Then He brought her to him, as it is written: "And He took one of his sides, and closed up the flesh in its place" (Beresheet 2:21). "And He took one" MEANS precisely one. ADAM HAD TWO SIDES AND HE TOOK ONLY ONE OF THEM. HE CONTINUES: I have learned from the books of the ancient sages THAT THE SIDE THAT WAS NOT TAKEN symbolized Lilit, who was with him and who conceived from him, AS SHE WAS THE FIRST WIFE OF ADAM AND WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM.

416. וּנְסַר לֵיהּ קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְתַקֵּין לַהּ, כְּמָה דִּמְתַקְנִין לְכַלָּה, וְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו וַיִּסְגּוֹר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה. וַיִּקַּח אַחַת דַּיְיקָא. בְּסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאָה אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, דָּא לִילִית קַדְמֵיתָא, דַּהֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ, וְאִתְעַבְּרַת מִנֵּיהּ.

Adam Creation Eve Evil Lilit

417. LILIT was not "a help to match him," as it is written, "but for the man there was not found a help to match him" (Ibid. 18). What does this mean? IT MEANS SHE WAS AN EVIL KLIPAH AND HE COULD NOT TRUST HER. SHE STAYED WITH HIM until that time, of which it is written: "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate to match him" (Ibid.). FOR THEN SHE WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM. Come and behold: Adam was the last BEING TO BE CREATED. Therefore, he had to come into the world as a complete being. THIS IS WHY LILIT HAD TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM AND EVE GIVEN TO HIM INSTEAD.

417. וְלָא הֲוַת לְקִיבְלֵיהּ עֵזֶר, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, וּלְאָדָם לֹא מָצָא עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדוֹ, מַאי עֵזֶר, סָמַךְ, עַד הַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דִּכְתִיב לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה לוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, אָדָם בַּתְרָאָה דְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה, הָכֵי אִתְחַזֵּי לְמֵיתֵי עַל עָלְמָא שְׁלִים.