Bereshit B
Creation Earth Judgment Mercy Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

432. Rabbi Yehuda expounded upon the verse: "Come, behold the works of Elohim, who has made desolations in the earth" (Tehilim 46:9). He said that this text has been explained, but if the world would have been created by Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph, A NAME INDICATIVE OF MERCY, then it would have given earth a firm structure. But since it was created by the works of Elohim, WHICH IS JUDGMENT, a desolation, A WASTELAND, He "has" made desolations in the of earth." IT SEEMS THE ZOHAR HAD A DIFFERENT VERSION, BECAUSE IN OUR SCRIPTURES IT IS WRITTEN, 'THE WORKS OF HASHEM'.

432. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פְּתַח, לְכוּ חֲזוּ מִפְעֲלוֹת אֱלֹקִים אֲשֶׁר שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמָר. אֲבָל, לְכוּ חֲזוּ וגו'. דְּאִלּוּ הֲווֹ מִפְעֲלוֹת יוד הא ואו הא, שָׂם קִיּוּם בָּאָרֶץ, אֲבָל בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ מִפְעֲלוֹת שְׁמָא דֵאלֹקִים, שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ.

Earth Holy Name Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

433. Rabbi Chiya said to him: Although you believe THAT DESOLATIONS (HEB. SHAMOT) SIGNIFIES A WASTELAND (HEB. SHEMAMAH), I see it differently, because both the names YUD HEI VAV HEI AND ELOHIM indicate benevolence. I tend to agree with the friends in saying that he had placed "shemot (Eng. 'names') in the earth." SHEMOT ALLUDES TO ACTUAL NAMES THAT HE PUT IN THE EARTH.

433. אָמָר לוֹ רַבִּי חִיָּיא, הַשְׁתָּא אִתְעָרַת לְהַאי, לָאו אֲנָא הָכֵי אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּבֵין שְׁמָא דָא, וּבֵין שְׁמָא דָא, כֹּלָּא הוּא שִׁבְחָא. אֲבָל, אֲנָא אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְעָרוּ חַבְרַיָא. דְּשָׁוֵי שְׁמָהָן שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ, שֵׁמוֹת מַמָּשׁ.

Creation Judgment Mercy Sin

434. Rabbi Yitzchak said that both interpretations are true, and even the one put forward by Rabbi Yehuda is good. For if the world WAS CREATED with the name of Mercy, then the world would have been resilient. Yet because the world was created by Judgment and is founded upon Judgment, He put Holy Names in the earth TO PROTECT IT, and this is very true, because had He not done so, the world would not have been able to survive the consequences of people's sins.

434. ר' יִצְחָק אֲמַר, כֹּלָּא הוּא וַאֲפִילּוּ מַה דאָמַר רָבִּי יְהוּדָה, שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמַר. דְּאִלּוּ יְהֵא עָלְמָא בִּשְׁמָא דְרַחֲמֵי, יִתְקַיַּים עָלְמָא, אֲבָל, בְּגִין דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא עַל דִּינָא, וְקָיְמָא עַל דִּינָא, שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ. וְשַׁפִּיר הוּא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא כָּךְ, לָא יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְאִתְקָיְימָא, מִקַּמֵּי חוֹבֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא.

Correction Evil Eyes Flood Form Hebrew Letters Judah Merit Noah Repentance Righteous Wicked Wickedness

435. Come and behold: when Noah was born, he was given that name, because it connoted consolation (Heb. nechamah), indicating that he would bring consolation. Yet, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not agree WITH THEM. HE BROUGHT THE FLOOD UPON THEM, BECAUSE HE WANTED THEM TO CORRECT THEIR WAYS AND REPENT. The letters of Noah's name (Nun and Chet), when written in reverse order, form the word chen, which means favor. This is as it was written: "Noah found favor in the eyes of Hashem" (Beresheet 6:8). Rabbi Yosi said that Chen is Noah FOR THEY ARE SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS. The names of the righteous IN ANY SEQUENCE cause beneficence. The names of the wicked IN ANY SEQUENCE cause THEM harm. Of Noah it was said, "Noah found favor (Heb. chen) in the eyes of Hashem," BECAUSE THE LETTERS WERE REVERSED FOR GOOD. But of Er, the son of Judah, the letters were reversed for lack of merit and harm, as it is written: "And Er (Ayin Resh) was evil (Heb. ra, Resh Ayin) in the eyes of Hashem" (Beresheet 38:7).

435. תָּא חֲזֵי, נֹחַ כַּד אִתְיְילִיד, קָרוֹן לֵיהּ עַל שְׁמָא דִּנְחָמָה. וְלֶהֱוֵי שְׁמָא גָרִים. אֲבָל קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָאו הָכֵי. נֹחַ בְּהִפּוּךְ אָתְוָון, חֵן. כד"א וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן. אָמַר רָבִּי יוֹסֵי, חֵן, הַיְינוּ נֹחַ. בְּצַדִּיקַיָיא, שְׁמֵיהוֹן גָּרִים לְטַב. בְּחַיָּיבַיָא, שְׁמֵיהוֹן גָּרִים לְבִישׁ. בְּנֹחַ, כְּתִיב וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה'. בְּעֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה, אִתְהַפָּכוּ אָתְוֵוי לְבִישׁ, עֵר רָע. רַע בְּעֵינֵי ה'.

Adam Enoch Noah Sin Well

436. Come and behold: when Noah was born, he saw that people were sinning before the Holy One, blessed be He. He used to hide himself so as not to be drawn to their ways, and he occupied himself with serving his Master. You may well ask, With what did he occupy himself? HE STUDIED the books of Adam and Enoch, and he struggled TO LEARN from those books how to worship his Master.

436. תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְיְילִיד נֹחַ, חָמָא עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּאִינוּן חָטָאן קַמֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וַהֲוָה גָּנִיז גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּלֹא לְמֵהַךְ בְּאוֹרְחַיְיהוּ. וְכ"ת, בַּמָּה אִשְׁתַּדַּל. בְּהַהוּא סִפְרָא דְאָדָם. וְסִפְרָא דַּחֲנוֹךְ. וַהֲוָה אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּהוֹ לְמִפְלַח לְמָרֵיהּ.

Adam Enoch Noah Offering Sacrifice Wisdom

437. Come and behold: he indeed STUDIED THE BOOKS OF ADAM AND ENOCH because otherwise, how would Noah have known how to offer sacrifices to his Master? He found wisdom relating to the maintenance of the world IN THE BOOKS OF ADAM AND ENOCH. AND FROM THESE BOOKS, he learned that the world exists for the sake of sacrifices. Were it not for the sacrifices, neither the upper nor lower beings would have existed. HENCE, HE OFFERED A SACRIFICE.

437. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכֵי הוּא, דְּהָא נֹחַ, מְנָא הֲוָה יָדַע, לִקְרַב קָרְבָּנָא לְמָרֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּאַשְׁכַּח חָכְמְתָא, עַל מַה מִּתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא, וְיָדַע דְּעַל קָרְבָּנָא מִתְקַיַּים. וְאִלְמָלֵא קָרְבָּנָא, לָא הֲווֹ קָיְימֵי עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי.

Torah

438. Rabbi Shimon was on his way, accompanied by Rabbi Elazar, his son, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Chiya. As they were going, Rabbi Elazar said to his father, "The road is clear before us, and we would like to hear words of Torah."

438. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזֵיל בְּאָרְחָא, וַהֲווֹ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא. עַד דַּהֲוָה אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רָבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לַאֲבוּהִי, אָרְחָא מְתַקְנָא קַמָּן, בָּעִינָן לְמִשְׁמַע מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא.

Prayer Shechinah

439. Rabbi Shimon began to speak of the words, "Even when a fool walks by the way, his heart fails him" (Kohelet 10:3). When a man wants to make his ways worthy before the Holy One, blessed be He, he should, before he proceeds, consult Him and pray to Him, so that He should ensure his journey. This is as we have learned regarding the verse, "Righteousness shall go before him, and walks in the way of his steps" (Tehilim 85:14), meaning that HE SHOULD PRAY THAT the Shechinah, CALLED 'RIGHTEOUSNESS,' should not part from him. ONLY AFTER HE HAS PRAYED SHOULD HE GO ON HIS WAY.

439. פְּתַח רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וַאֲמַר, גַּם בַּדֶּרֶךְ כְּשֶׁהַסָּכָל הוֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ חָסֵר וגו'. כַּד ב"נ בָּעֵי לְאַתְקָנָא אָרְחֵיהּ קַמֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. עַד לָא יִפּוֹק לְאָרְחָא, בָּעֵי לְאַמְלָכָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְצַלֵּי קַמֵּיהּ עַל אָרְחֵיהּ. כְּמָה דְּתָנִינָן, דִּכְתִיב צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו. דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ.

Faith Righteous Shechinah Sin

440. Of he who has no faith in his Master, it is written: "Even when a fool walks on his way, his heart fails him." HE ASKS: What is "his heart?" AND HE REPLIES: IT is the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO CAUSES HIS SHECHINAH TO REST IN THE HEART OF THE RIGHTEOUS, THAT does not accompany him on his way. THUS "HIS HEART FAILS HIM" (THE INSPIRATION OF THE SHECHINAH) and His aid along the way is lacking. This is all because this man, who does not believe in his Master, WHO IS CALLED "A FOOL," BECAUSE ONE DOES NOT SIN UNLESS THE SPIRIT OF FOOLISHNESS ATTACHES ITSELF TO HIM, does not seek help from his Master before he starts his journey.

440. וּמָאן דְּאִיהוּ לָא מְהֵימְנָא בְּמָרֵיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וְגַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ כְּשֶׁהַסָּכָל הוֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ חָסֵר, מַאן לִבּוֹ, דָּא קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא יְהַךְ עִמֵּיהּ בְּאָרְחָא, וְגָרַע מִן סִיַּיעְתֵּיהּ בְּאָרְחֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּלָא מְהֵימָן בֵּיהּ בְּמָארֵיהּ, עַד לָא יִפּוֹק בְּאָרְחָא, לָא בָּעֵי סִיַּעְתָּא דְמָארֵיהּ.

Faith Torah

441. And even when he is on his way, he is not occupied with the study of Torah, and thus "his heart fails him." Because he does not follow his Master, his Master is not on his way. THE VERSE CONTINUES, "And he proclaims to all that he is foolish" (Kohelet 10:3), meaning that even when he hears a word of true faith in his Master, he says that it is foolish to pay attention to it.

441. וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּאָרְחָא, כַּד אִיהוּ אָזִיל, לָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ, לִבּוֹ חָסֵר, דְּלָא אָזִיל בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּמָרֵיהּ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּאָרְחֵיהּ. וְאֹמֵר לַכֹּל סָכָל הוּא. אֲפִילּוּ כַּד שְׁמַע מִלָּה דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְמָארֵיהּ, הוּא אֲמַר, דְּטִפְּשׁוּתָא הוּא, לְאִשְׁתַּדָּלָא בֵּיהּ.