The Correspondence Between the Actions of the Emanator and the Names of the Limbs of Adam

הַיַּחַס בֵּין פְּעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל לְשֵׁמוֹת אֵבְרֵי הָאָדָם

And behold, I will now explain to you the matter of “in Our image, after Our likeness,” which I called to your attention at the beginning (וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה אֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ עִנְיַן "בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ", אֲשֶׁר הֵעִירוֹתִיךָ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה). And it is this: What we are able to apprehend of Divinity is nothing other than the Action [Pe'ulah], and not the Essence [Atzmut] at all (וְהוּא, מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ יְכוֹלִים לְהַשִּׂיג בָּאֱלֹקוּת - אֵינֶנּוּ כִּי אִם הַפְּעוּלָה, וְלֹא הָעַצְמוּת כְּלָל).

And behold, this action, in being divided into its levels (וְהִנֵּה הַפְּעוּלָה הַזֹּאת בִּהְיוֹתָהּ מִתְחַלֶּקֶת לְמַדְרֵגוֹתֶיהָ), gives rise to the matter of the Sefirot in all their particulars (נִמְצָא עִנְיַן הַסְּפִירוֹת בְּכָל פְּרָטֵיהֶן). And the totality of them all is the likeness of man, as you have heard (וּכְלָלוּת כֻּלָּם הוּא דְּמוּת הָאָדָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ). In truth, the physical form of man is the result of all the Sefirot together (וּבֶאֱמֶת, דְּמוּת הָאָדָם הַגַּשְׁמִי הוּא תּוֹלָדָה מִכָּל הַסְּפִירוֹת כְּאֶחָד); therefore, it is called Tzelem Elohim [the Image of God], for it is a comprehensive image (וְלָכֵן נִקְרָא צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, שֶׁהוּא צֶלֶם כּוֹלֵל), and it displays all that it is possible to apprehend of Divinity (וּמַרְאֶה כָּל מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהַשִּׂיג בָּאֱלֹקוּת).

And since you have heard this (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ זֶה), it will no longer be difficult for you in any way regarding the verses that describe the Creator, blessed be He, with attributes of man (הִנֵּה לֹא יִקְשֶׁה עוֹד עָלֶיךָ כְּלָל שׁוּם אֶחָד מִן הַמִּקְרָאוֹת הַמְּתָאֵר אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּתְּאָרֵי אָדָם), for this is something true and correct (כִּי הוּא דָּבָר אֲמִתִּי וְנָכוֹן), and there is no need for the negation of corporeality in this matter at all (וְאֵין צָרִיךְ שְׁלִילַת גַּשְׁמִיּוּת בַּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה כְּלָל), for behold - if the particular actions of the Emanator, blessed be He, are the root of the human body’s limbs (כִּי הֲלֹא אִם הַפְּעוּלוֹת הַפְּרָטִיּוֹת שֶׁל הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֵם שֹׁרֶשׁ לְחֶלְקֵי הָאֵבָרִים בְּגוּף הָאָדָם), then the names of the human body’s parts fit precisely upon the actions of the Emanator, blessed be He (הֲלֹא שֵׁמוֹת גּוּף הָאָדָם יִפְּלוּ הֵיטֵב בִּפְעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא), when raising them from the result back to their cause (בְּהַעֲלוֹתָם מִן הַמְּסוּבָּב אֶל סִבָּתוֹ).

For if we say “the hand of Hashem” (כִּי אִם נֹאמַר "יַד ה׳), we understand it to mean that particular action which the Emanator, blessed be He, performs (נָבִין אוֹתָהּ הַפְּעוּלָה הַפְּרָטִית שֶׁפּוֹעֵל הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא), corresponding to which the hand is found in man (שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָּהּ נִמְצֵאת הַיָּד בָּאָדָם), and that action is the root of that part of the body (וְנִמְצֵאת אוֹתָהּ הַפְּעוּלָה שֹׁרֶשׁ לַחֵלֶק הַזֶּה מִן הַגּוּף), and therefore it is called by its name (וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמָהּ). And there is not even the beginning of concern for corporeality at all (וְאֵין יֵשׁ פֹּה אֲפִלּוּ רֵאשִׁית חֲשַׁשׁ גַּשְׁמִיּוּת כְּלָל וּכְלָל), for we are speaking about the actions of the Emanator (כִּי עַל פְּעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל אָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים), and assigning to them names like those of their results (וּנוֹתְנִים לָהֶם שֵׁמוֹת כִּשְׁמוֹת תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶם).

Which truly - had the Emanator willed to act with equal power in every matter and in one mode (מַה שֶּׁבֶאֱמֶת אִם הָיָה הַמַּאֲצִיל רוֹצֶה לִפְעֹל בְּכֹחוֹ הַשָּׁוֶה כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר בְּהִשְׁוָאָה אַחַת) - then this matter of applying these descriptions to Him would not apply (אָז לֹא הָיָה שַׁיָּךְ עִנְיָן זֶה לְהַזְכִּיר אֵלּוּ הַתּוֹאֲרִים בּוֹ); unless merely by saying He does as man does with his hand or with his eye (אִם לֹא לְמָשָׁל, לֵאמֹר שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁעוֹשֶׂה הָאָדָם בְּיָדוֹ אוֹ בְּעֵינָיו). And even that would not be wrong - but would be considered strange (וַאֲפִלּוּ זֶה לֹא הָיָה רַע, אֲבָל כְּמוֹ זָר נֶחְשָׁב), and all the more so we would not be able to continue deeply in this path according to our desire (כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁלֹּא הָיִינוּ יְכוֹלִים לִדְרוֹךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה הַרְבֵּה לְפִי רְצוֹנֵנוּ).

Also, there are many phrases which appear very wondrous - such as “and the hair of His head was like clean wool” (וְגַם כִּי דְבָרִים רַבִּים נִמְצָאִים נִפְלָאִים מְאֹד, כְּגוֹן: "וְשַׂעַר רֵישֵׁיהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא), for since there is no action for hair in man (כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר אֵין יֵשׁ פְּעוּלָה לְשֵׂעָרוֹת בָּאָדָם), how do we understand this word mentioned about the Holy One, blessed be He? (כָּךְ לֹא נֵדַע לָמָּה תּוּזְכַּר מִלָּה זֹאת בַּהַקָּבָ״ה). But once you truly know that the Holy One, blessed be He, willed to conform His action to that which is affected by Him (אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רָצָה לְהַשְׁווֹת פְּעוּלָתוֹ לַנִּפְעָל מִמֶּנּוּ), to give space for the body, for free choice and for reward and punishment (לָתֵת מָקוֹם לַגּוּף לִבְחִירָה וּלְשָׂכָר וְעוֹנֶשׁ), there is no longer anything strange in it at all (אֵין עוֹד זָרוּת כְּלָל).

For He then arranged so many actions (כִּי אָז הֵכִין כָּל כָּךְ פְּעוּלוֹת), and willed to make them as limbs which He wished to create in the body (וְרָצָה לַעֲשֹׂתָם כְּאֵבָרִים אֲשֶׁר רָצָה לִבְרוֹא בַּגּוּף), and in structuring them with full and exact correspondence (וּבְהַקְבִּילָם הַקְבָּלָה שְׁלֵמָה וּמְכֻוֶּנֶת), therefore these actions are called by these names, as above (עַל כֵּן נִקְרְאוּ הַפְּעוּלוֹת בַּשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה כְּנַ״ל). And the prophets, in the vision of their prophecy, see these actions in particular (וְהַנְּבִיאִים בְּמַרְאֵה נְבוּאָתָם רוֹאִים הַפְּעוּלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בִּפְרָט), and they make them known in their language by the name fitting for them (וּמוֹדִיעִים אוֹתָם בִּלְשׁוֹנָם בַּשֵּׁם הָרָאוּי לָהֶם). And the way has already been paved before you (וְכְבָר הַדֶּרֶךְ כְּבוּשָׁה לְפָנֶיךָ), to understand the words of Rashbi, may his memory be for a blessing, for holiness and goodness (לְהָבִין דִּבְרֵי רַשְׁבִּ״י זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה לִקְדוֹשׁ וְלְטוֹב), when he mentions concerning the Creator, may He be blessed, or His Sefirot (בְּהַזְכִּירוֹ בַּבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ אוֹ בְּסְפִירוֹתָיו), that all is one, as above (שֶׁהַכֹּל אֶחָד כְּנַ״ל): “Forehead” [Mitzcha], “Eyes” [Eynayin], “Hairs” [Sa‘arei], and the like (מִצְחָא”, “עִינַיִן”, “שַׂעֲרֵי” וְכַיּוֹצֵא), for these are none other than those Sefirot (כִּי אֵין אֵלּוּ אֶלָּא אוֹתָן הַסְּפִירוֹת)—the actions which the Emanator, blessed be He, performs (הֵם הַפְּעוּלוֹת אֲשֶׁר פּוֹעֵל הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא), corresponding to which, and dependent upon which, are those limbs below (שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָּם, וּתְלוּלָה מֵהֶם, הֵם אוֹתָם הָאֵבָרִים לְמַטָּה).

And in truth, for this reason they were mentioned by this name (וּבֶאֱמֶת, עַל כֵּן הוּזְכְּרוּ בַּשֵּׁם הַזֶּה), even though it would have been possible to call them by other names (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לִקְרוֹא אוֹתָם בִּשְׁמוֹת אֲחֵרִים), for this is their more essential name (כִּי זֶה הַשֵּׁם הַיּוֹתֵר עַצְמִי לָהֶם). For behold, thus are they in their governance of the world (כִּי הֲלֹא כָּךְ הֵם בְּהַנְהִגָּתָן הָעוֹלָם), and such is their essential nature and the kind of their action (וְכָךְ עַצְמִיּוּת עִנְיָנָם וּמִין פְּעוּלָתָם), just as the existence of those limbs in the human body is according to their function, connection, and laws (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנוֹתֵן הֱיוֹת הָאֵבָרִים הָהֵם בְּגוּף הָאָדָם לְפִי עִנְיָנָם וְקִשְׁרָם וּמִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶם), for you have already heard that the Emanator, blessed be He, prepared His actions according to the likeness of man (יַעַן כְּבָר שָׁמַעְתָּ שֶׁלְּפִי עִנְיַן דְּמוּת הָאָדָם הֵכִין הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת פְּעוּלוֹתָיו).

However, you must know (אֲבָל צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that since we have established this principle - that all of creation is nothing but an order according to the likeness of man (כִּי כֵיוָן שֶׁשַּׂמְנוּ הַנָּחָה זוֹ - שֶׁכָּל הַבְּרִיאָה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עִנְיָן לְפִי דְּמוּת הָאָדָם), then not only the created beings must follow this (אִם כֵּן לֹא בִּלְבַד הַנִּבְרָאִים צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּךְ), but all that exists - meaning, even the incidental properties that accompany each substance - must also be drawn from the likeness of this man (אֶלָּא כָּל הַנִּמְצָא, פֵּירוּשׁ - אֲפִלּוּ הַמִּקְרִים הַמִּתְלַוִּים אֶל כָּל עֶצֶם, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִמְשָׁכִים מִדְּמוּת הָאָדָם הַזֶּה), and from the connection and relevance of its parts one to another (וּמִקֶּשֶׁר וְשַׁיָּכוּת חֲלָקָיו זֶה לָזֶה). Therefore, there exists no substance nor accident in the world that is not derived from the Sefirot and the connection between them (וְעַל כֵּן לֹא נִמְצָא לֹא עֶצֶם וְלֹא מִקְרֶה בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּשֵׁךְ מִן הַסְּפִירוֹת וְהַקֶּשֶׁר אֲשֶׁר בֵּינֵיהֶם). And from here comes the appearance of many other descriptions - descriptions of bodily actions - in the same manner as the descriptions of the body’s limbs themselves (וּמִכָּאן נִמְשָׁךְ הֱיוֹת נִזְכָּרִים כַּמָּה תּוֹאַרִים אֲחֵרִים, תּוֹאַרֵי פְּעוּלוֹת גַּשְׁמִיּוֹת, עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהוּזְכְּרוּ תּוֹאַרֵי חַלְקֵי הַגּוּף עַצְמָם).