412. Rabbi Shimon stood up and said, I observed that when the Holy One, blessed be He, planned to create man, the upper and lower worlds trembled. WHY? BECAUSE THEY ALL DEPEND ON HIS ACTIONS FOR GOOD OR FOR EVIL. THEREFORE, THE CREATION OF MAN CONCERNED THEM GREATLY AND THEY WERE AFRAID THAT HE MIGHT SIN. The sixth day rose up through its grades until it reached the supernal will and illuminated the beginning of all lights.
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.'
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.
415. These letters, ALEPH-DALET-MEM, descended AND ENTERED THE SOUL OF ADAM all together as one. THAT IS, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE RECONCILING OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THEY WERE INCLUDED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER. THUS, ADAM was comprised of both male and female. The female clung to his side until sleep fell upon him and he lay in the terrestrial Temple.
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.
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.