"Your eyes did see my unformformed flesh"

Synopsis

Here we learn how the three prayers recited by a traveler can be embodied in one blessing. Then Rabbi Yehuda teaches that all of our deeds - good and bad - are recorded in a heavenly book. Knowing this reveals the importance of praying before embarking on any action. Rabbi Bo and Rabbi Yitzchak next debate the meaning of "unformformed flesh" and how this bestial state applies respectively to David and Adam. Unformformed flesh refers to the Desire to Receive for the Self Alone, which is akin to an animal's primal desires. We learn why no one was left who bore a resemblance, even vaguely, to the original Adam. Before the sin, Adam was a being of untold spiritual and physical beauty, which man later attempted to use for negative purposes.

Rabbi Yehuda goes on to explain that the gifts of the Creator are given solely to support spiritual goals. If a man takes pride in his wealth or his children, instead of using them in divine service, he will ultimately be destroyed by them. So it is with the beauty of Adam, which the Creator gives in order that a man can become still more devout and connected to the Law. Those who fail to keep pure what the Creator has given, are soon driven from the world. We are told that each night is divided into three 'shifts,' when the soul of man leaves the 'unformformed flesh' of his body to be examined by the Holy One on three separate issues. If the soul fails this test, Rabbi Shimon is quoted by Rabbi Yehuda as saying, it is ejected from this divine realm. Great emphasis is placed on the fact that every single one of our actions is seen and recorded. Therefore, nothing should be done without due care for its consequences.

Relevance

Man's nature is to regard wealth and luxury as prized attributes. All of us are inclined to place more value on physical beauty and external appearances than on the intangible inner qualities of life. Intellectually, we might accept the ideal that the only possessions worth having are those that cannot be bought and sold. But living a life that truly embodies this ideal is a formidable task, for the ego holds sway over all our thoughts and actions. The spiritual intent of this segment is to keep our consciousness focused on the Light of the Creator, even during sleep. The spiritual Light that emerges here makes us more cognizant of our actions and their repercussions, and helps us value and appreciate life's real treasures.

Field Peace Prayer

37. Midrash Hane'elam (Homiletical interpretations on the obscure). "And...was" (Beresheet 23:1). Our sages began with the verse, "Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages" (Shir Hashirim 7:13). The sages have taught that a person who is traveling should recite three prayers, the obligatory daily prayer; the prayer for protection on the way; and a prayer to return home in peace. THE RECITATION OF THESE PRAYERS does not require three BENEDICTIONS, for it can be done in one BLESSING, as we have learned that everything a man asks can be included within the blessing, "Blessed are you, O Eternal, who hears our prayers."

37. (מִדְרָשׁ הַנֶּעֱלָם) וַיִּהְיוּ, רַבָּנָן פָּתְחֵי בְּהַאי קְרָא, לְכָה דוֹדִי נֵצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה נָלִינָה בַּכְּפָרִים. ת"ר, הַיּוֹצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ, יִתְפַּלֵּל שָׁלֹשׁ תְּפִלּוֹת: תְּפִלָּה שֶׁהִיא חוֹבָה שֶׁל יוֹם. וּתְפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ, עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה. וּתְפִלָּה, שֶׁיַּחְזוֹר לְבֵיתוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם. וְלֵימָא לְהוֹ לְהַנֵּי שְׁלֹשָׁה, אֲפִלּוּ בְּאֶחָד, יָכֵיל לְמֶעְבְּדֵיהּ, דְּתָנִינָן כָּל שְׁאֵלוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, יָכֵיל לְמִכְלְלִינְהוּ, בְּשׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה.

Body Eyes Flesh Prayer World to Come, The

38. Rabbi Yehuda said that all of man's deeds, both good and evil, are written in a book IN THE SUPERNAL WORLD, and that each man will be judged according to them. For we have learned from Rav Yehuda who quoted Rav that the verse suffices which reads, "Your eyes did see my unformformed flesh" (Tehilim 139:16). It means that the formformless flesh REFERS TO THE BODY, which does not care about the World to Come. "Your eyes did see" everything it did, since You have looked carefully at it. "For in Your book all things are written" (Ibid.) to be judged in the World to Come. Therefore, it behooves man to hasten to pray before he acts, which may bring him good.

38. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ, כְּתִיבִין בְּסִפְרָא, הֵן טַב, הֵן בִּישׁ, וְעַל כֻּלְּהוֹן, עָתִיד לְמִיתַּן דִּינָא, דְּתָנִינָן, אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, מַאי דִכְתִיב, גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, אוֹתָם הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁעָשָׂה הַגּוֹלֶם, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַשְׁגִּיחַ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כּוּלָּם רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, שֶׁעִיַּינְתָּ בָּהֶם. וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כּוּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ, לִתֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, הִלְכָּךְ, יַקְדִּים אָדָם תְּפִלָּתוֹ תָּמִיד, וְיוֹעֵיל לֵיהּ.

Adam Beasts Creation David Eyes Flesh Soul, The

39. Rabbi Yitzchak said that a man does not transgress; only he who is a formformless matter and is not a man transgresses. This is a man who cares not for THE NEEDS OF the holy soul. He behaves like a beast, which does not care or know. Rabbi Bo asks RABBI YITZCHAK, Was David called a formformless matter, NAMELY HE WHO CARES NOT FOR THE SOUL, BECAUSE it was he who wrote the verse? Rabbi Yitzchak replied that Adam said, "Your eyes did see my unformformed flesh," FOR "UNFORMFORMED FLESH" MEANS MATTER WHOSE FORM IS NOT YET FINISHED. He said that before You gave me my soul, WHEN I WAS STILL UNFORMFORMED FLESH, Your eyes sought to create men in my image. "For in Your book all things are written," FOR IT WILL BE WRITTEN DOWN who they are IN NAME. "The days also in which they are to be fashioned" (Tehilim 139:16) means that they will be created in his image. The phrase, "And not one of them" means that none survived.

39. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק אֵין אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה עֲבֵרוֹת אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁהוּא גּוֹלֶם וְלֹא אָדָם, וְהַיְינוּ הַהוּא דְּלָא מִסְתַּכַּל בְּנִשְׁמָתָא קַדִּישָׁא, אֶלָּא כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי, כְּהַאי בְּעִירָא, דְּלָא מַשְׁגַּחַת וְלָא יָדְעַת. אָמַר רַבִּי בָּא, וְכִי גוֹלֶם, מִתְקְרֵי דָוִד, דַּאֲמַר הַאי פְּסוּקָא. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲמָרוֹ, גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, קוֹדֶם שֶׁזָּרַקְתָּ בִּי נְשָׁמָה, רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, לְמֶעְבַּד בִּדְיוֹקְנִי, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְדָמוּ לִי. וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ, מַאן אִינוּן. יָמִים יוּצָרוּ, כְּהַאי צוּרָה דִידִי. וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם, דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר חַד מִנְּהוֹן.

Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Firmaments Light Righteous Samson Saul World to Come, The

40. Rabbi Bo ASKS, Why WAS NO ONE LEFT OF THOSE WHO BORE A RESEMBLANCE TO THE IMAGE OF ADAM? He answers, Come and behold, Those who resembled Adam even slightly, THAT IS, VAGUELY, did not die a natural death. All were struck FOR RESEMBLING ADAM. SAMSON'S FORCE FAILED HIM, AS DID SAUL'S NECK, AND SO ON. Come and behold, Rabbi Yehuda said that the image of Adam and his beauty were as the splendor of the supreme firmament above all the firmaments, as the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, saved for the righteous in the World to Come. Therefore, all who had something of Adam's image were stricken by it and died, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED.

40. אֲמַר רַבִּי בָּא, לָמָּה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ ת"ח, כֻּלְּהוּ דְדָמֵי לֵיהּ, אוֹ בִּרְמִיזָא דִילֵיהּ, לָא מֵתוּ בְּמִיתַת נַפְשְׁהוֹן, וְכֻלְּהוּ לָקוּ, בְּהַהוּא עִנְיָינָא מַמָּשׁ. ת"ח, אֲמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, דְּיוֹקְנֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְשַׂפִּירוּתֵיהּ, הֲוָה כְּזָהֲרָא דִּרְקִיעָא עִלָּאָה, דְּעַל גַּבֵּי שְׁאָר רְקִיעֵי, וּכְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא, דְּגָנֵיז קב"ה, לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וְכָל אִינוּן דַּהֲווֹ רְמִיזָא בֵּיהּ מִדְיוֹקְנֵיהּ דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, בֵּיהּ לָקוּ וּמִיתוּ.

Abraham Adam Job Judgment

41. These are the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He. If He gives a man wealth, it is for the purpose of sustaining the world and performing His commandments. If man does not do so, but instead takes pride in his wealth, he will be destroyed by it, as it is written, "Riches kept for their owner to his hurt" (Kohelet 5:12). If the Holy One, blessed be He, gives him children, He gives them so they can learn the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to keep His commandments. It is written of Abraham, "For I have known him, that he shall command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Hashem, to do justice and judgement" (Beresheet 18:19). If he does not do so, but instead takes pride in them, he is hurt by them, as it is written, "No great grandchild has he and no grandchild among his people" (Iyov 18:19). Similarly, when the Holy One, blessed be He, gives the good and supernal beauty of Adam, He gives it to them so they will keep His commandments and abide by His wishes. If they instead take pride in it, they will be hurt by the beauty with which they were blessed.

41. דְּכָךְ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יָהֵיב עוֹתְרָא לְבַר אֵינָישׁ, לָמָּה, לְמֵיזַן עֲנָיִין, וּלְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדוֹי. לָא עָבֵיד הַאי, וְאִתְגָאֵי בְּהַהוּא עוֹתְרָא, בֵּיהּ יִלְקֵי, דִּכְתִיב עשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתוֹ. יָהֵיב לֵיהּ בְּנִין, לָמָּה, לְמֵילַף לְהוֹ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְמִיטַר פִּקּוּדוֹי, כִּדְאָמוּר בְּאַבְרָהָם, כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעָן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶרֶךְ ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וגו'. לָא עָבֵיד הַאי וּמִתְגָּאֶה בְּהוֹ, בְּהוֹ לָקֵי, דִּכְתִיב לֹא נִין לוֹ וְלֹא נֶכֶד בְּעַמּוֹ וגו'. וְכֵן כְּהַאי גַוְונָא, כַּד יָהֵיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִשַׁפִּירוּתָא טָבָא עִלָּאָה דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן לְהוֹ, לָמָּה, בְּגִין לְמִיטַר פִּקּוּדוֹי, וּלְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ, לָא עָבְדוּ כְּדֵין, אֶלָּא אִתְגָּאוּ בֵּיהּ. בֵּיהּ לָקוּ, בְּהַאי שַׁפִּירוּתָא.

Absalom, Son of David Angels Aramaic Asael Creation Flesh Form Images Josiah Likenesses Samson Saul Seth Zedekiah

42. Rabbi Yehuda said that when the Holy One, blessed be He, first created Adam-while he still was unformformed flesh and had no soul He said to the angel who was assigned over the images of men, "Look, and form in this form six men, SAMSON, SAUL, ASAEL, JOSIAH, ZEDEKIAH, AND ABSHALOM. This is the meaning of the verse, "And begot a son in his own likeness, after his image and called his name Seth" (Beresheet 5:3). The Aramaic word Seth means six AND REFERS TO THE SIX PEOPLE MENTIONED.

42. אֲמַר רַב יְהוּדָה, כַּד בָּרָא קב"ה, אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, הֲוָה גוֹלֶם, עַד לָא זָרִיק בֵּיהּ נִשְׁמָתָא, וְקָרָא לְהַהוּא מַלְאָכָא, דְּהוּא מְמוּנֶּה עַל דְּיוֹקְנָא דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וַאֲמַר לוֹ, עַיֵּין, וְצֹר בִּדְיוֹקְנָא דְדֵין, שִׁיתָּא בְּנֵי נְשָׁא, הה"ד וַיּוֹלֶּד בִּדְמוּתָא כְּצַלְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת, כְּלוֹמַר שִׁיתָּא.

Adam Aramaic Creation Dust Eyes Flesh Likenesses Seth

43. Rabbi Yitzchak said that the Holy One, blessed be He, created these six men from the same dust that was used to create Adam. The words, "And called his name Seth" is derived from the Aramaic word "sheeta," which translates as six. IT MEANS THAT HE CREATED SIX MEN. This is the meaning of, "And begot...in his own likeness, after his image" (Ibid.)-from the same dough that his unformformed flesh was created. Therefore, it is written, "Your eyes did see my unformformed flesh," WHICH MEANS that You looked well to create in his image. "For in Your book all are written" means that those who did not keep what the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them were driven from the world.

43. אָמַר רָבִּי יִצְחָק, מֵהַהוּא עַפְרָא מַמָּשׁ, דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נְסֵיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְאִתְבְּרָאָה אִלֵּין שִׁיתָּא, וְקָרָא לֵיהּ שֵׁת, שִׁיתָּא, הה"ד וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְּמוֹ, מֵאוֹתָהּ הָעִיסָה, שֶׁנִּבְרָא הַגּוֹלֶם שֶׁלּוֹ, וְעַל כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר, גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, וְעָיְינַת בּוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת דְּדָאמוּ לֵיהּ. וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ, מַאן אִינוּן, כֻּלְּהוּ דְּלָא נָטְרוּ, מַאי דְּיָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לוֹן, וְאִתְטָרְדוּ מִן עַלְמָא.

Body Flesh Merit Soul, The

44. In relation to this, Rabbi Yehuda quoted Rav as saying that the night is divided into three shifts OF FOUR HOURS EACH. During each shift, the Holy One, blessed be He, has a special matter of interest with man. It is when the soul leaves him and the unformformed flesh, NAMELY THE BODY, remains asleep in his bed. The soul ascends each night before the Holy One, blessed be He, AND HE DEALS WITH IT EVERY SHIFT. Rabbi Yitzchak said those above are happy with it if it has merit; if not, it is pushed out.

44. תְּנַן הָתָם, אֲמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אֲמַר רַב אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, דִּתְלַת מִטְרָן הֲוֵי לֵילְיָא, וְכָל חַד וְחַד, אִית עִנְיָינָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּבַר נָשׁ. כַּד נָפֵיק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִשְׁתָּאַר הַהוּא גּוֹלְמָא נָאֵים עַל עַרְסֵיהּ, וְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ סָלְקָא בְּכָל לֵילְיָא, קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, א"ר יִצְחָק, אִי זַכָּאָה הִיא, חָדָאן עִמַּהּ, וְאִי לָא דַּחְיָין לָהּ לְבַר.