AND GOD SAID, LET US MAKE MAN.1The commentator, Derekh Emeth, remarks that from here to 29a (Bereshith teninan) is obviously, from its style, not an intrinsic part of the Zohar. It seems, however, to fill a gap in the Zoharic exposition, and therefore most of it has been translated. It is written, “The secret of the Lord is to them that fear him” (Ps. 25, 14). That most reverend Elder opened an exposition of this verse by saying ‘Simeon Simeon, who is it that said: “Let us make man?” Who is this Elohim?’ With these words the most reverend Elder vanished before anyone saw him. R. Simeon, hearing that he had called him plain “Simeon”, and not “Rabbi Simeon”, said to his colleagues: ‘Of a surety this is the Holy One, blessed be He, of whom it is written: “And the Ancient of days was seated” (Dan. 7, 9). Truly now is the time to expound this mystery, because certainly there is here a mystery which hitherto it was not permitted to divulge, but now we perceive that permission is given.’
He then proceeded: ‘We must picture a king who wanted several buildings to be erected, and who had an architect in his service who did nothing save with his consent. The king is the supernal Wisdom above, the Central Column being the king below: Elohim is the architect above, being as such the supernal Mother, and Elohim is also the architect below, being as such the Divine Presence (Shekinah) of the lower world.
Now a woman may not do anything without the consent of her husband. When he desired anything built in the way of emanation (aziluth), the Father said to the Mother by means of the Word (amirah), “let it be so and so”, and straightway it was so, as it is written, “And he said, Elohim, let there be light, and there was light”: i.e. one said to Elohim, let there be light: the master of the building gave the order, and the architect carried it out immediately; and so with all that was constructed in the way of emanation.
When he came to the “world of separation”, which is the sphere of individual beings, the architect said to the master of the building: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” Said the master of the building: “Truly, it is well that he should be made, but he will one day sin before thee, because he is foolish: so it is written, ‘A wise son rejoiceth his father, and a foolish son is a heaviness to his mother’ (Prov. 10, 1).”
She replied: “Since his guilt is referred to the mother and not the father, I desire to create him in my likeness.” Hence it is written, “And Elohim created man in his image”, the Father not being willing to share in his creation.
Thus in reference to his sin it is written, “and through your transgression your Mother is dismissed” (Is. 50, 1). Said the king to the mother, “Did I not tell thee that he was destined to sin?” At that time he drove him out and drove out his mother with him; and so it is written, “A wise son rejoiceth his father and a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” The wise son is Man formed by emanation, and the foolish son is man formed by creation (beriah).
The colleagues here interrupted and said, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi, is there such a division between Father and Mother that from the side of the Father Man has been formed in the way of emanation, and from the side of the Mother in the way of creation?’ He replied, ‘My friends, it is not so, since the Man of emanation was both male and female, from the side of both Father and Mother, and that is why it says, “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light”: “let there be light” from the side of the Father, “and there was light” from the side of the Mother; and this is the man “of two faces”.’
This “man” has no “image and likeness”. Only the supernal Mother had a name combining light and darkness-light, which was the supernal vestment and which God created on the first day and then stored away for the righteous, and darkness, which was created on the first day for the wicked.
On account of the darkness, which was destined to sin against the light, the Father was not willing to share in man’s creation, and therefore the Mother said: “let us make man in our image after our likeness”. “In our image” corresponds to light, “after our likeness”, to darkness, which is a vestment to light in the same way that the body is a vestment to the soul, as it is written, “Thou didst clothe me with skin and flesh.” ‘He then paused, and all the colleagues rejoiced and said: “Happy is our lot that we have been privileged to hear things which were never disclosed till now.’
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם (תהילים כ״ה:י״ד) סוֹד יְיָ לִירֵאָיו וְגו' פָּתַח הַהוּא סָבָא דְסָבִין וְאָמַר, שִׁמְעוֹן שִׁמְעוֹן מָאן הוּא דְּאָמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם. (ויאמר אלהים) מַאי נִיהוּ הָכָא הַאי אֱלֹהִים. אַדְהָכִי פָּרַח הַהוּא סָבָא דְסָבִין וְלָא חָמָא לֵיהּ. וּכְמָה דִשְׁמַע רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּהֲוָה קָרֵי לֵיהּ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר לְחַבְרוֹי וַדַּאי הַאי הוּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ (דניאל ז׳:ט׳) וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יָתִיב. הָא כְּעַן אִיהוּ שַׁעֲתָא לְמִפְתַּח בְּהַאי רָזָא. דְּוַדַּאי הָכָא אִית רָזָא דְּלָא אִתְיְהִיב רְשׁוּ לְאִתְגַּלְיָא. וּכְעָן מַשְׁמַע דִּרְשׁוּתָא אִתְיְהִיב לְאִתְגַּלְּיָא.
AND GOD SAID, LET US MAKE MAN.1The commentator, Derekh Emeth, remarks that from here to 29a (Bereshith teninan) is obviously, from its style, not an intrinsic part of the Zohar. It seems, however, to fill a gap in the Zoharic exposition, and therefore most of it has been translated. It is written, “The secret of the Lord is to them that fear him” (Ps. 25, 14). That most reverend Elder opened an exposition of this verse by saying ‘Simeon Simeon, who is it that said: “Let us make man?” Who is this Elohim?’ With these words the most reverend Elder vanished before anyone saw him. R. Simeon, hearing that he had called him plain “Simeon”, and not “Rabbi Simeon”, said to his colleagues: ‘Of a surety this is the Holy One, blessed be He, of whom it is written: “And the Ancient of days was seated” (Dan. 7, 9). Truly now is the time to expound this mystery, because certainly there is here a mystery which hitherto it was not permitted to divulge, but now we perceive that permission is given.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ כַּמָּה בִּנְיָינִין לְמִבְנֵי. וְהֲוָה לֵיהּ אוּמָנָא. וְהַהוּא אוּמָנָא לָא הֲוָה עֲבַד מִדָּעַם אֶלָּא מֵרְשׁוּ דְמַלְכָּא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי ח׳:ל׳) וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן. מַלְכָּא וַדַּאי אִיהוּ חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָא. וְעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא (איהו) מַלְכָּא לְתַתָּא. אֱלֹהִים אוּמָנָא לְעֵילָא וְדָא אִימָא עִלָּאָה. אֱלהִים אוּמָנָא לְתַתָּא וְדָא שְׁכִינְתָּא (תקונים ע"ב דף צ"ז א) דִלְתַתָּא.
He then proceeded: ‘We must picture a king who wanted several buildings to be erected, and who had an architect in his service who did nothing save with his consent. The king is the supernal Wisdom above, the Central Column being the king below: Elohim is the architect above, being as such the supernal Mother, and Elohim is also the architect below, being as such the Divine Presence (Shekinah) of the lower world.
וְאִתְּתָא לֵית לָהּ רְשׁוּ לְמֶעְבַּד מִדָּעַם בְּלָא רְשׁוּת בַּעֲלָהּ. וְכָל בִּנְיָינִין דְּהֲווּ בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּתָא הֲוָה אָמַר אַבָּ"א בְּאֲמִירָה לְגַבֵּי אִמָּ"א יְהֵא כְּדֵין וּכְדֵין, וּמִיָּד הֲוָה. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר. וַיֹּאמֶר הֲוָה אָמַר לֵאלהִים, יְהִי אוֹר. מָארֵי דְבִנְיָינָא אִיהוּ אוֹמֵר וְאוּמָנָא עָבִיד מִיָּד. וְהָכִי כָּל בִּנְיָינִין בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּתָא הֲוָה אָמַר יְהִי רָקִיעַ, יְהִי מְאֹרֹת, וְכֹלָּא אִתְעֲבִיד מִיָּד.
Now a woman may not do anything without the consent of her husband. When he desired anything built in the way of emanation (aziluth), the Father said to the Mother by means of the Word (amirah), “let it be so and so”, and straightway it was so, as it is written, “And he said, Elohim, let there be light, and there was light”: i.e. one said to Elohim, let there be light: the master of the building gave the order, and the architect carried it out immediately; and so with all that was constructed in the way of emanation.
כַּד מָטָא לְעָלְמָא דְּפִּרוּדָא דְּאִיהוּ עוֹלָם הַנִּבְדָּלִים, אָמַר אוּמָנָא לְמָארֵי בִּנְיָינָא נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ. אָמַר מָארֵי בִּנְיָינָא וַדַּאי טַב הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לֵיהּ. אֲבָל עָתִיד הוּא לְמֶחֱטֵי קַמָּךְ בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ כְּסִיל הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי י׳:א׳) בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ.
When he came to the “world of separation”, which is the sphere of individual beings, the architect said to the master of the building: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” Said the master of the building: “Truly, it is well that he should be made, but he will one day sin before thee, because he is foolish: so it is written, ‘A wise son rejoiceth his father, and a foolish son is a heaviness to his mother’ (Prov. 10, 1).”
אִיהִי אָמְרָה בָּתַר דְּחוֹבֵיהּ תַּלְיָא בְּאִמָּ"א וְלָא בְּאַבָּ"א אֲנָא בָּעִינָא לְמִבְרֵי לֵיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דִילִי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ וְלָא בָּעָא לְאִשְׁתַּתָּפָא בֵּיהּ אַבָּ"א.
She replied: “Since his guilt is referred to the mother and not the father, I desire to create him in my likeness.” Hence it is written, “And Elohim created man in his image”, the Father not being willing to share in his creation.
בְּזִמְנָא דְּחָב מַה כְּתִיב (ישעיהו נ׳:א׳) וּבְפִשְׁעֵכֶם שֻׁלְחָה אִמְּכֶם. אָמַר מַלְכָּא לְאִמָּ"א וְלָא אֲמָרִית לָךְ דְּעֲתִיד הוּא לְמֶחטֵי. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא תָּרִיךְ לֵיהּ וְתָרִיךְ אִמָּא עִמֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב, (משלי י׳:א׳) בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ. בֵּן חָכָם, דָּא אָדָם דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת. וּבֵן כְּסִיל, דָּא אָדָם דִּבְרִיאָה.
Thus in reference to his sin it is written, “and through your transgression your Mother is dismissed” (Is. 50, 1). Said the king to the mother, “Did I not tell thee that he was destined to sin?” At that time he drove him out and drove out his mother with him; and so it is written, “A wise son rejoiceth his father and a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” The wise son is Man formed by emanation, and the foolish son is man formed by creation (beriah).
קָמוּ כֻּלְהוּ חַבְרַיָיא וְאָמְרוּ רִבִּי רִבִּי, וְכִי אִית פִּירוּדָא בֵּין אַבָּ"א וְאִמָּ"א דְּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּ"א אִיהוּ בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָּ"א בַּבְּרִיאָה. אָמַר לוֹן חַבְרַיָּיא חַבְרַיָּיא לָאו הָכִי הוּא, דְּהָא אָדָם דְּאֲצִילוּתָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא הֲוָה מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּ"א. וְדָא אִיהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר. יְהִי אוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבָּא, וַיְהִי אוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דְאִמָּ"א. וְדָא אִיהוּ אָדָם דוּ פַּרְצוּפִין.
The colleagues here interrupted and said, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi, is there such a division between Father and Mother that from the side of the Father Man has been formed in the way of emanation, and from the side of the Mother in the way of creation?’ He replied, ‘My friends, it is not so, since the Man of emanation was both male and female, from the side of both Father and Mother, and that is why it says, “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light”: “let there be light” from the side of the Father, “and there was light” from the side of the Mother; and this is the man “of two faces”.’
אֲבָל לְהַאי לֵית בֵּיהּ צֶלֶם וּדְמוּת. אֶלָּא אִמָּא עִלָּאָה הֲוָה לֵיהּ חַד כִּנּוּ"י דְּסָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבַּן אֱלֹהִים. וְהַהוּא כִּנּוּי אִיהוּ אוֹר וְחשֶׁךְ. וּבְגִין הַהוּא חשֶׁךְ דְּהֲוָה בְּהַהוּא כִּנּוּי, אָמַר אַבָּא דְּעֲתִיד לְמֶחטֵי לְאָדָם דְאֲצִילוּת (נ"א דבריאה) דְּאִיהוּ אוֹר לְבוּשׁ עִלָּאָ"ה (נ"א עליון).
This “man” has no “image and likeness”. Only the supernal Mother had a name combining light and darkness-light, which was the supernal vestment and which God created on the first day and then stored away for the righteous, and darkness, which was created on the first day for the wicked.
וְהַאי אִיהוּ אוֹר דְּבָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן דִּגְנָזוֹ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא. וְהַהוּא חשֶׁךְ דְּאִתְבְּרֵי בְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה לְרַשִּׁיעַיָּיא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמואל א ב׳:ט׳) וּרְשָׁעִים בַּחשֶׁךְ יִדַּמּוּ, וּבְגִין הַהוּא חשֶׁךְ דְּהֲוָה עָתִיד לְמֶחטֵי לְהַהוּא אוֹר, לָא בָּעָא אַבָּא לְאִשְׁתַּתָּפָא בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ הַהוּא אוֹר. כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ הַהוּא חשֶׁךְ דְּאִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא לָאוֹר. כְּגַוְונָא דְגוּפָא דְּאִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא לְנִשְׁמְתָא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב י׳:י״א) עוֹר וּבָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי. חָדוּ כֻּלְהוּ וְאָמְרוּ זַכָּאָה חוּלְקָנָא דְּזָכִינָא לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמָעוּ עַד כְּעָן.
On account of the darkness, which was destined to sin against the light, the Father was not willing to share in man’s creation, and therefore the Mother said: “let us make man in our image after our likeness”. “In our image” corresponds to light, “after our likeness”, to darkness, which is a vestment to light in the same way that the body is a vestment to the soul, as it is written, “Thou didst clothe me with skin and flesh.” ‘He then paused, and all the colleagues rejoiced and said: “Happy is our lot that we have been privileged to hear things which were never disclosed till now.’