Pekudei: Chapter 61

"dust of the ground'

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon begins with: "And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground," saying that man is made of dust, not clay. He interprets "dust shall be the serpent's food" and "He will destroy death forever" and "awake and sing, you that dwell in dust..." to mean that until the resurrection the serpent will have the power to rule, seduce and mock mankind. He speaks of the male and the female sides of the serpent and the male sun and the female moon, saying that darkness and somberness never separate, as written in: "and there was a thick darkness."

Earth Food Ground Serpent

938. "And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground" (Beresheet 2:7), of dust, not of clay. He is dust and to dust shall he return, as it is written, "for dust you are, and to dust shall you return" (Beresheet 3:19). After he sinned, it is said of the serpent, "and dust shall you eat all the days of your life" (Beresheet 2:14). This dust is man, of whom it is written, "for dust you are." Therefore it is written, "dust," not earth or clay, and "dust shall be the serpent's food" (Yeshayah 65:25).

938. וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה. עָפָר אִיהוּ, וְלָא חוֹמֶר. עָפָר אִיהוּ, וְיֵתוּב לְעַפְרָא. כד"א, כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל עָפָר תָּשׁוּב. לְבָתַר דְּחָטָא, ובג"כ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּנָחָשׁ, וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. עָפָר דָּא הוּא אָדָם, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה וְגוֹ'. ובג"כ כְּתִיב עָפָר, וְלָא כְּתִיב אֲדָמָה, וְלָא חוֹמֶר, וּכְתִיב וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ.

Death Death and the Afterlife Resurrection

939. Until the Holy One, blessed be He, will arouse, and put away the spirit of defilement from the world, as it is written, "He will destroy death forever" (Yeshayah 25:8). And the dust will be resurrected, and will be roused to rejoice in the world, as it is written, "awake and sing, you that dwell in dust..." (Yeshayah 26:19).

939. עַד דְּיִתְעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וִיבָעַר לְהַהוּא רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא מֵעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב, בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וְגוֹ', וְיָקִים לְהַהוּא עָפָר, וְיִתְעַר לֵיהּ לְמֵחְדֵי בְּעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר וְגוֹ'.

Astrology Beasts Darkness Female Male Moon Serpent Sun

940. It is written, "the serpent was craftier than all the beasts of the field" (Beresheet 3:1), we already explained this verse. Nevertheless, that which rode ON THE SERPENT gave it power to rule, seduce and deviate from the path. He, WHICH RIDES UPON IT, is the secret of the male side OF THE SERPENT, for the male rules over the female and gives her power. The sun and moon, MALE AND FEMALE, officiate as one, and never separate. SO, darkness and somberness officiate together; he, THE MALE SERPENT is darkness, and she, THE FEMALE IS somber, as it is written, "and there was a thick darkness" (Shemot 10:22), darkness and mist. There is MALE darkness and FEMALE darkness.

940. כְּתִיב וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. אֲבָל סִטְרָא דְּרָכִיב עָלֵיהּ, יָהִיב לֵיהּ חֵילָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, וּלְמִפְתֵּי, וּלְאַסְטָאָה. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דִּדְכוּרָא, דְּהָא דְּכוּרָא שַׁלִּיט עַל נוּקְבָּא, וְיָהִיב בָּהּ חֵילָא. שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא מְשַׁמְּשִׁין כַּחֲדָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין, חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵילָה מְשַׁמְּשִׁין כַּחֲדָא. אִיהוּ חֹשֶׁךְ, וְאִיהִי אֲפֵילָה. כד"א וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה. חֹשֶׁךְ וַעֲרָפֶל. בְּגִין דְּאִית חֹשֶׁךְ, וְאִית חֹשֶׁךְ.

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