1b (א׳:ב׳)

The beginning of my words and the outset of my utterances (תְּחִלַּת דְּבָרַי וְרֵאשִׁית אֲמָרַי) upon us is it to praise the Master of all, (עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל) may He be blessed and exalted is His Name, (יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה שְׁמוֹ) who spoke and the world came into being (שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם) through ten utterances corresponding to the ten Sefirot (בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת כְּנֶגֶד עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת) in the most fitting, arranged, and perfected way, (בְּאֹפֶן הַיּוֹתֵר נָאֶה, מְסֻדָּר וּמְתוּקָּן) with completeness, as much as is possible in the nature of created beings (בִּשְׁלֵמוּת כְּפִי הָאֶפְשָׁר בְּטִבְעִי הַנִּבְרָאִים). And every day He watches and influences it and its details, (וּבְכָל יוֹם מַשְׁגִּיחַ וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו וְעַל פְּרָטָיו) in accordance with the nature and preparation of the recipients (כְּפִי טֶבַע וְהֲכָנַת הַמְּקַבְּלִים).

And I say: this world is like a pardes [orchard], (וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר, כִּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה דּוֹמֶה לְפַרְדֵּס) in which are all kinds of trees, vegetables, grasses, and herbage in the world (שֶׁבּוֹ כָּל מִינֵי אִילָנוֹת וִירָקוֹת וַעֲשָׂבִים וּדְשָׁאִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם). And to give each its fruit in its season, (וּלְתֵת כָּל אֶחָד פִּרְיוֹ בְּעִתּוֹ) this pardes requires a wise and discerning man in the service of the soil, (הַפַּרְדֵּס הַזֶּה צָרִיךְ אִישׁ פִּקֵּחַ וְחָכָם בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאֲדָמָה) to water the pardes at the proper time (לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַפַּרְדֵּס בַּשָּׁעָה הָרְאוּיָה לוֹ) and to refine all portions of the pardes soil (וּלְתַקֵּן כָּל חֶלְקֵי אַדְמַת הַפַּרְדֵּס) according to the labor it requires, (כְּפִי הָעֲבוֹדָה הַצְּרִיכָה לוֹ) so that the fruits of the trees, vegetables, and grasses planted and sown in that pardes may emerge in full completeness, according to their nature (כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָנוֹת וִירָקוֹת וּדְשָׁאִים הַנְּטוּעִים וְהַנִּזְרָעִים בַּפַּרְדֵּס הַהוּא כְּפִי טִבְעָם).

And this is the secret of “And there was no man to till the ground” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד "וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה) and next to it is written: “And a mist rose up from the earth.” (וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ "וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ) [Bereshit 2:6]. For one must ask: Why does it say, “And there was no man,”- (כִּי יֵשׁ לְהַקְשׁוֹת, לָמָּה אָמַר "וְאָדָם אַיִן) was not man already created before this? (וְהֲלֹא כְּבָר נִבְרָא אָדָם קֹדֶם לָזֶה) Furthermore, it is written: “And Elohim created man in His image,” (וְעוֹד כְּתִיב: "וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ) [Bereshit 1:27] and it doubles, “In the image of Elohim He created him,” (וְכִפֵּל "בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ) which appears to be superfluous (שֶׁנִּרְאֶה שֶׁהוּא מְיוּתָר).

And afterward it is written, “And Hashem Elohim formed man,” (וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּתִיב: "וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם) [Bereshit 2:7] which is also seemingly superfluous (שֶׁהוּא גַּם כֵּן מְיוּתָר). But when we explain the secret of the verses, (וּכְשֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ סוֹד הַפְּסוּקִים) the difficulties will be resolved (יִתָּרוּצוּ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת). For in the perfect Torah there is no excess and no lack, (כִּי אֵין בַּתּוֹרָה הַתְּמִימָה יִתּוּר וְחִסָּרוֹן) for it is entirely perfect and restores the soul (כִּי כֻלָּהּ הִיא תְּמִימָה וּמְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ).

Know, that “the earth” is the name of the first Sefirah relative to us, (דַּע, כִּי הָאָרֶץ שֵׁם הַסְּפִירָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה אֵלֵינוּ) which is Malkhut, (שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת) from which all the world receives influence (אֲשֶׁר מִמֶּנָּה מֻשְׁפָע כָּל הָעוֹלָם) and all the things found within it, from good to its opposite, (וְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּמְצָאִים בּוֹ, מִטּוֹב וְעַד הֲפַכּוֹ) for it is the opening and the key to the rest of the middot (לְפִי שֶׁהִיא פֶּתַח וּמַפְתֵּחַ שְׁאָר הַמִּדּוֹת). And its name is Adonai (וּשְׁמָהּ אֲדנ״י), whose Mispar Katan is 11 (שֶׁעוֹלֶה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן י״א) and whose full value (Mispar Gadol) is 65 (וּבְמִסְפָּר גָּדוֹל ס״ה). And from it the earth and all its inhabitants are influenced, (וּמִמֶּנָּה מֻשְׁפַּעַת הָאָרֶץ וְכָל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ) according to their deeds (כְּפִי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם). Therefore it is called “earth.” (לָכֵן נִקְרֵאת אֶרֶץ).

This is what the verse says (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And to You, Hashem, is kindness, for You render to a man according to his deed” (וּלְךָ אֲדנ״י חָסֶד כִּי אַתָּה תְשַׁלֵּם לְאִישׁ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ) (Psalms 62) And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And a mist” (וְאֵד), whose value is eleven in Mispar Katan, the same as Adonai (שֶׁעוֹלֶה לְמִנְיָן י״א כְּמוֹ אֲדנ״י), “shall rise from the earth” (יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ)—from the middah [attribute] called “earth” (מִן הַמִּדָּה הַנִּקְרֵאת אֶרֶץ) (Bereshit 2:6)

And according to the plain meaning, it ought to have said: “And a mist shall descend upon the earth,” (וּלְפִי הַפְּשָׁט הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר "וְאֵד יוֹרֵד עַל הָאָרֶץ) but it wrote “shall rise” to hint that its elevation is from the highest middah, (וְכָתַב "יַעֲלֶה" לְרַמֵּז שֶׁמַּעֲלָתָהּ מִן הַמִּדָּה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה) which is Keter Elyon, (שֶׁהִיא כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן) from which all the other middot are influenced, (שֶׁמִמֶּנָּה מֻשְׁפָּעוֹת שְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת) and it is the head of them all (וְהִיא רֹאשׁ לְכוּלָּן). And when Adam was created, he did not yet have the da‘at to understand and comprehend these upper secrets, (וּכְשֶׁנִּבְרָא הָאָדָם לֹא הָיָה לוֹ דַּעַת לְהָבִין וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל הַסּוֹדוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הָאֵלֶּה) for he was still lacking the essential (כִּי עֲדַיִן הָיָה חָסֵר הָעִיקָּר).

And now we shall explain the secret of the verses concerning the creation of the Adam (וְעַתָּה נְפָרֵשׁ סוֹד הַפְּסוּקִים בִּבְרִיאַת הָאָדָם), in order that all the doubts we have spoken of may be resolved (כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְיַשְּׁבוּ כָּל הַסְּפֵקוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And this is the matter (וְזֶה), for at the beginning the verse said (כִּי בַּתְּחִלָּה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ).

Explanation: just as I am Master of the world and My hands rule over all (פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי אֲדוֹן הָעוֹלָם וִידַי בַּכֹּל מוֹשְׁלוֹת), so I desire to make man who will rule and have dominion over the earth and all its creatures (כָּךְ אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת אָדָם שֶׁיִּשְׁלוֹט וְיֵרְדֶה בָּאָרֶץ וּבְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתֶיהָ). This is what the verse said (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea” etc (וְיִרְדּוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וְגוֹ'). And it is written afterward (וּכְתִיב בְּתַרְיֵיהּ): “And Elohim created the man in His image” (וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ).

Explanation: He gave him strength and dominion over the created beings (פֵּרוּשׁ, נָתַן לוֹ כֹּחַ וּמֶמְשָׁלָה עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת הַנִּבְרָאוֹת). And He again said (וְחָזַר וְאָמַר): “In the image of Elohim He created him” (בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹקִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ), to say that to man alone He gave this strength and dominion, and not to the woman (לוֹמַר שֶׁלָּאָדָם לְבַד נָתַן הַכֹּחַ וְהַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הַזֹּאת וְלֹא לָאִשָּׁה).

This is what He said (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר): “He created him” (בָּרָא אֹתוֹ). And afterward He said (וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר): “Male and female He created them” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם), to say that to man alone belongs the dominion, and the woman is only for the preservation of the species-to multiply and to be fruitful (לוֹמַר, לָאָדָם לְבַד הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, וְהָאִשָּׁה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא לְקִיּוּם הַמִּין לְהַרְבּוֹת וּלְהִפָּרוֹת). And if you say: But is it not written afterward (וְאִם תֹּאמַר, וְהֲכִי כְּתִיב בְּתַרְיֵיהּ): “And He blessed them... and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion”? (וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם [וְגוֹ] וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ), already our Rabbis of blessed memory have said (כְּבָר אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה): “and subdue it” (וְכִבְשֻׁהָ) is written (כְּתִיב) in the singular form (לְשׁוֹן יָחִיד).

Moreover, the blessing to be fruitful and multiply was given to the man and his wife, for it is impossible without them both (וְעוֹד כִּי הַבְּרָכָה לְהִפָּרוֹת וּלְהִרְבּוֹת נִתְּנָה לָאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ לְפִי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּלִי שְׁנֵיהֶם). But the dominion, which is attributed to the many, belongs to the males (אֲבָל הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הַמְּכוּנָּה לָרַבִּים, הִיא לַזְּכָרִים).

Explanation: when human beings increase, they will rule over living creatures (פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּשֶׁיִּרְבּוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם יֵרְדוּ בַּבַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים). A proof to this matter: when the verse said (רְאָיָה לַדָּבָר, כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “Let us make man” etc (נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם וְגוֹ) and the female had not yet been mentioned (וַעֲדַיִן לֹא נִזְכְּרָה נְקֵבָה), He said “and let them have dominion” etc (אָמַר ״וְיִרְדּוּ״ וְגוֹ).