"For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain"

418. Rabbi Shimon said: It is written, "And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet grown: for Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth" (Beresheet 2:5). "And no plant of the field" refers to big trees - but just after they are planted, when they are still small. THIS IS WHY THE VERSE STATES, "AND NO PLANT OF THE FIELD WAS YET."

419. Come and behold that Adam and Eve were created side by side. HE ASKS: Why were they not created face to face? AND ANSWERS: Because it is written, "Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain." THAT IS, the mating OF THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES was not yet properly established. So, when ADAM AND EVE were completed down below and turned face to face, the same then happened above.

420. How do we know this? THIS IS LEARNED from the Tabernacle, as it is written: "The Tabernacle was erected" (Shemot 40:17). THIS MEANS that another Tabernacle was erected together with THE TABERNACLE ABOVE, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. And THE TABERNACLE above was erected only after THE TABERNACLE below was completed. Thus, when it was erected below - WHEN ADAM AND EVE CAME FACE TO FACE - it was erected above - THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES ALSO CAME FACE TO FACE. Since this was not completed above - THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES HAD NOT YET COME FACE TO FACE - ADAM AND EVE were not created face to face. The verse proves THAT THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WERE NOT YET FACE TO FACE, as it is written: "For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth," BECAUSE HASHEM ELOHIM IS ZEIR ANPIN AND THE EARTH IS FEMALE. This is why THE VERSE CONCLUDES WITH "and there was not a man," MEANING that he was not yet properly established, BECAUSE HE AND EVE HAD NOT YET COME FACE TO FACE.

421. When Eve was completed, AFTER SHE WAS SAWED FROM HIM AND THEY CAME FACE TO FACE, Adam also reached completion. Before that, the man was not complete. This is the secret of why the letter Samech has not yet appeared in this section, AS THE SAMECH ALLUDES TO THE FEMALE. However, the friends argued THAT, BECAUSE ADAM HAD A WIFE CALLED LILIT, THERE WAS A SAMECH (DER. 'SUPPORT') BEFORE EVE WAS PREPARED, CALLED LILIT. HE EXPLAINED, But Samech means the support of THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES above, after they were again face to face, because ONLY THEN are Male and Female supported by one another. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY GIVE STRENGTH TO EACH OTHER. Indeed, it is written: "They stand fast forever and ever, done in truth and uprightness" (Tehilim 111:8). "They stand fast" MEANS THAT the Male and Female stand together, FACE TO FACE, as one.

422. The verse, "For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth," MEANS THAT THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WERE NOT YET FACE TO FACE supporting each other. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES, WHILE FACE TO FACE, SUPPORT ADAM AND EVE - IN ORDER THAT THEY TOO CAN FACE EACH OTHER AND VICE VERSA. The lower world REFERS TO ADAM AND EVE, WHO WERE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD. When it was established, when ADAM AND EVE turned face to face and remained thus, there was support above AS THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES ALSO TURNED FACE TO FACE. Before this, the action below, THE POSITIONING OF ADAM AND EVE FACE TO FACE, was incomplete because "Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth." And one depends on the other.

423. It is then written: "But there went up a mist from the earth" (Beresheet 2:6), which is the perfection below OF ADAM BEFORE THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WERE TURNED FACE TO FACE. The verse continues: "And watered the whole face of the ground" (Ibid.), MEANING THAT THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WERE TURNED FACE TO FACE AND ZEIR ANPIN WATERED MALCHUT, WHICH IS CALLED 'GROUND.' "There went up a mist from the earth" ALLUDES TO the passion of the female THAT ASCENDS toward the male. THE PASSION OF THE FEMALE RISES UP TO THE MALE, FOR RAISING FEMALE WATERS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE DESIRE OF THE FEMALE FOR THE MALE, FOR EVERYTHING LOWER AND UPPER IS CONSIDERED MALE AND FEMALE. THE LOWER IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED FEMALE IN RELATION TO THAT WHICH IS HIGHER. RAISING FEMALE WATERS IS EQUATED WITH DESIRE, BECAUSE IT ONLY ASCENDS BY FORCE OF DESIRE. Another explanation OF THE VERSE, "BUT THERE WENT UP A MIST FROM THE EARTH" IS FOUND IN THE MEANING OF THE VERSE, "AND HASHEM ELOHIM HAD NOT CAUSED IT TO RAIN." What is the reason that he "had not caused it to rain," WHICH MEANS THAT MALE AND FEMALE WERE NOT FACE TO FACE? The reason is that the forming of "a mist from the earth" had not yet been completed. THIS MEANS THAT MAN HAD NOT YET ELEVATED FEMALE WATERS TO THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES. WITHOUT FEMALE WATERS FROM MAN, THE MOCHIN OF FACE TO FACE OF THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES WOULD NOT EMERGE. Therefore, lower earth - ADAM AND EVE - aroused the actions of the upper world - OF MALE AND FEMALE.

424. Come and behold that smoke rises at first from the earth and the cloud is aroused. Then they are both united. Similarly, the smoke of the sacrifice, WHICH IS BURNT UPON THE ALTAR, is aroused from below AND RISES UP, AS FEMALE WATERS, FROM BELOW UPWARDS THE MALE AND FEMALE PRINCIPLES. So it brings perfection above, and they become united and reach completion. In the same manner, it occurs above, AMONG THE SUPERNAL BEINGS. Awakening always moves from the lower TO THE HIGHER, and eventually they all reach perfection. Unless the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, has begun the act of arousing, then the passion above, OF ZEIR ANPIN, would not have been aroused towards her. So through the passion aroused below, the upper reached completion.

425. Rabbi Aba said: Why is it written, "The Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Beresheet 2:9), AS THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL IS NOT IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN? The Tree of Life, as we have already learned, extends for a journey of 500 years and all the waters of Creation part underneath it. The Tree of Life is exactly in the middle of the garden; IT IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN and receives all the waters of Creation, which separate underneath it.

426. WHY DO ALL THE WATERS OF CREATION SEPARATE UNDERNEATH IT? The river that flows and comes out OF EDEN, NAMELY BINAH, rests on the garden, and enters into it, NAMELY THE MOCHIN OF THE TREE OF LIFE THAT SHINES ON THE GARDEN ARE FROM THE RIVER, WHICH IS BINAH. From there, FROM BINAH, the waters divide and flow in many directions. This garden received all THREE ASPECTS OF THE MOCHIN. Afterward, they flow from it and are separated into many streams below, as it is written: "They give drink to every beast of the field" (Tehilim 104:11). THIS MEANS THAT EACH OF THE LOWER BEINGS RECEIVES NOURISHMENT FROM ITS CORRESPONDING ASPECT IN THE MOCHIN OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. HE ELABORATED FURTHER BY SAYING, Just as THE MOCHIN come from the supernal world, NAMELY BINAH, AND BINAH waters the supernal mountains of pure balsam - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF BINAH - so when THE MOCHIN later reach the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, they also separate in all directions, according to their individual path - RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL. THUS THEY ALSO PART IN THE GARDEN, WHICH RECEIVES FROM THE TREE OF LIFE.

427. "And the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil," MEANS THAT IT IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN GOOD, WHICH IS THE RIGHT, AND EVIL, WHICH IS THE LEFT. HE ASKS: Why is it called so, as the tree is not in the middle, BUT RATHER MORE TOWARD THE LEFT THAN THE RIGHT? HE EXPLAINS: What is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and of Evil? WHY IS IT CALLED THUS? Because it draws from both THE RIGHT AND FROM THE LEFT sides and knows them, CLINGS TO THEM, as one who sucks the sweet and the bitter. As a result of sucking from and knowing both sides, THAT IS, CLEAVING TO THEM, and residing among them, it is called "good and evil."

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.

429. From here on, Samech APPEARS IN THIS SECTION. HE ASKS: What is this REFERENCE TO SAMECH? HE ANSWERS: THIS IS THE SAMECH THAT APPEARS IN THE PHRASE, "And closed up (Heb. vayisgor, spelled with a Samech) the flesh in its place" (Beresheet 2:21). THIS MEANS THAT EVE BECAME THE ASPECT OF SAMECH (LIT. 'A SUPPORT') FROM HERE ON. AT FIRST, EVE WAS ATTACHED TO HIS SIDE and they were side by side. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, tore them apart, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "AND HE TOOK ONE OF HIS SIDES," and planted them in a different place. ADAM AND EVE BECAME FACING ONE ANOTHER. This is how they lived in perfect existence.

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.