Emor: Chapter 38

An image and a likeness

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon talks about how Elohim created man in His own image and gave him His name when he produced truth and law in the world, since the word for judges is Elohim. He says that man was created both Male and Female, an image and a likeness. When people mate below, God sends a certain image as the countenance of man that hovers over the union, and by that image man is created. When the man grows in the world he grows through that image that came from above and walks by that image. For holy Yisrael that image comes from the side of holiness, but for the heathen nations the image comes from the Other Side; this is why one must not mix his image with that of the heathen.

Creation Judges

283. "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day..." (Vayikra 23:40). Rabbi Shimon opened with, "every one that is called by My name. For I have created him for My glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Yeshayah 43:7). "every one that is called by My name" refers to man, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, created by His name, as it is written, "So Elohim created man in His own image" (Beresheet 1:27), and called him after His name, when he produced truth and law in the world and is called Elohim, as it is written, "You shall not revile the judges (Heb. Elohim)" (Shemot 22:27).

283. וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְגוֹ,' רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו יְצַרְתִּיו אַף עֲשִׂיתִיו. כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי, דָּא אָדָם, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרָא לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ. וְקָרָא לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפִּיק קְשׁוֹט וְדִינָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִקְרֵי אֱלֹהִים, דִּכְתִּיב אֱלֹהִים לֹא תְּקַלֵּל.

Creation Likenesses Zeir Anpin

284. He called him by His name, as it is written, "So Elohim created man in His own image." This is well. We explained that the words, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (Ibid. 26) were uttered during the union OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. And so, when the two mate there is an image and a likeness, SINCE THE IMAGE IS FROM ZEIR ANPIN AND THE LIKENESS FROM MALCHUT. Man came out from Male and Female, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT.

284. קְרָא לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ וְשַׁפִּיר. הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּזִוּוּגָא אִתְּמַר. וְכַךְ הוּא בְּזִוּוּגָא דְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ, בְּצֶלֶם וּדְמוּת. וְאָדָם מִדְּכָר וְנוּקְבָּא נָפַק.

Book of King Solomon Creation Eyes Face Head

285. "So Elohim created man in His own image:" I found in the book of King Solomon that when a union is affected below, the Holy One, blessed be He, sends a certain image as the countenance of man, imprinted and engraved with an image. It hovers over that union. If the eye had permission to behold, man would see over his head an image inscribed as a man's face. By that image man is created. Man was not created before that image, which His master sent him, is stationed over his head. This is the meaning of, "So Elohim created man in His own image."

285. וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּסִפְרָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּזִוּוּגָא אִשְׁתְּכַח לְתַתָּא, שָׁדַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַד דִּיּוּקְנָא כְּפַרְצוּפָא דְּב"נ, רְשִׁימָא חֲקִיקָא בְּצוּלְמָא, וְקַיְּימָא עַל הַהוּא זִוּוּגָא. וְאִלְמָלֵא אִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְעֵינָא לְמֵחֱזֵי, חָמֵי ב"נ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ חַד צוּלְמָא, רְשִׁימָא כְּפַרְצוּפָא דְּב"נ, וּבְהַהוּא צוּלְמָא אִתְבְּרֵי ב"נ, וְעַד לָא קַיְּימָא הַהוּא צוּלְמָא דְּשָׁדַר לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּכַּח תַּמָּן, לָא אִתְבְּרֵי ב"נ, הה"ד, וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ.

286. That image comes to him before he goes into the world. When he goes out INTO THE WORLD, he grows through the image and walks by that image. This is the meaning of, "Surely every man walks in a vain show (or: 'image')" (Tehilim 39:7). That image comes from above.

286. הַהוּא צֶלֶם אִזְדְּמַן לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, עַד דְּנָפִיק לְעָלְמָא. כַּד נָפַק, בְּהַהוּא צֶלֶם אִתְרַבֵּי, בְּהַהוּא צֶלֶם אָזִיל, הה"ד אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ. וְהַאי צֶלֶם אִיהוּ מִלְּעֵילָּא.

Evil Garments Idolatry Light Nefesh (Soul) Ornaments Ruach (Soul) Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Ruach) Vessels

287. When those spirits leave their place, each spirit is bedecked before the Holy King with a precious ornament, the countenance existing in this world. That image comes from that shape and precious ornament. FOR THE IMAGE IS A GARMENT FOR THE SPIRIT OF THAT MAN AND COMES DOWN TOGETHER WITH IT, AS THEY ARE LIKE LIGHT AND VESSEL. It is the third counting from the spirit (Heb. Ruach), THAT IS, A THIRD CATEGORY. THE RUACH IS THE FIRST, NEFESH IS THE SECOND AND THE IMAGE IS THE THIRD. It is the first to come into the world during mating. No mating takes place in the world without an image in it, but as for holy Yisrael, that holy image comes to them from a holy place, while the image of the idolatrous comes to them from those evil species on the side of impurity. For that reason, one must not mix his image with that of the heathen, because the one is pure while the other is impure. Come and see the difference between Yisrael and the heathen nations... THE END WAS PRINTED IN VAYECHI, 196-232.

287. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִינּוּן רוּחִין נַפְקָן מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ, כָּל רוּחָא וְרוּחָא אִתְתָּקַּן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּתִקּוּנֵי יְקָר, בְּפַרְצוּפָא דְּקָאֵים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וּמֵהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא תִּקּוּנָא יְקָר, נָפִיק הַאי צֶלֶם. וְדָא תְּלִיתָאָה לְרוּחָא, וְאַקְדִּימַת בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּזִוּוּגָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וְלֵית לָךָ זִוּוּגָא בְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח צֶלֶם בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ. אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין, הַאי צֶלֶם קַדִּישָׁא, וּמֵאֲתַר קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּגַוַויְיהוּ. ולעכו"ם, צֶלֶם מֵאִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין. מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּגַוַיְיהוּ. וְעַ"ד, לָא לִיבְעֵי לֵיהּ לְאִינִישׁ, לְאִתְעָרְבָא צוּלְמָא דִּילֵיהּ, בְּצוּלְמָא דְּעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, בְּגִין דְּהַאי קַדִּישָׁא, וְהַאי מִסְאֲבָא. ת"ח מַה בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעכו"ם וְכוּ.'

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