2a (ב׳:א׳)

It is found that in the original creation of the Adam, man had no superiority over the beast in apprehending the upper things (נִמְצָא, כִּי בִּבְרִיאַת הָאָדָם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיָה לָאָדָם מוֹתָר מִן הַבְּהֵמָה בְּהַשָּׂגַת הַדְּבָרִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים), for his apprehension was lacking (כִּי הַשָּׂגָתוֹ חֲסֵרָה). Therefore it is written (לְכָךְ כְּתִיב) "And man was not to work the ground. And a mist arose from the earth and watered" (וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה. וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה).

For his apprehension was meager and reached only a small thing (כִּי הַשָּׂגָתוֹ מוּעֶטֶת וְאֵינָהּ מַשֶּׂגֶת כִּי אִם דָּבָר קָטָן), like the mist in relation to the great river (כְּמוֹ הָאֵד בְּעֵרֶךְ הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל). And adjacent to this it is written (וּסְמוּךְ לָזֶה כְּתִיב) "And Hashem Elohim formed" etc. "and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life" (וַיִּיצֶר יְיָ אֱלֹקִים... וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים) to hint that there was given into him a pure and holy Neshamah hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁנִּתְּנָה בּוֹ נְשָׁמָה טְהוֹרָה וּקְדוֹשָׁה חָצוּבָה מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד). This is also a hint that in man there are three parts Ruach Neshamah and Nefesh (זֶה רֶמֶז גַּם כֵּן כִּי בָּאָדָם שְׁלוֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה וְנֶפֶשׁ) and all three are in this verse (וּשְׁלָשְׁתָּן בַּפָּסוּק הַזֶּה). "And He breathed into his nostrils" this is the Ruach (וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו זוֹ הָרוּחַ). "A breath of life" this is the Holy Neshamah which death cannot reach (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים זוֹ הַנְּשָׁמָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה שֶׁלֹּא תַשִּׂיגֶנָּה מִיתָה). "And man became a living soul" this is the animal Nefesh that desires corporeal matters (וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה זוֹ הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבְּהֵמִית הַמִּתְאַוָּה לִדְבָרִים הַגּוּפָנִיִּים). And thus it is written in the creation of the living creatures (וְכֵן כְּתִיב בִּבְרִיאַת הַבַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים) "and every living soul" (וְאֶת כָּל נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה).

And from this you will see the explanation of the verse (וּמִזֶּה תִּרְאֶה פֵּרוּשׁ פָּסוּק) "See I have placed before you today life and goodness" etc (רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְגוֹ) that choice was given to man (שֶׁנִּתְּנָה הַבְּחִירָה לָאָדָם). "Life" this is the Neshamah (הַחַיִּים זוֹ הַנְּשָׁמָה). "Goodness" this is the Ruach which is the good inclination (הַטּוֹב זֶה הָרוּחַ שֶׁהוּא יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב). "And the death" this is the animal Nefesh whose existence is destroyed in a short time (וְאֶת הַמָּוֶת זֶה נֶפֶשׁ הַבְּהֵמִית שֶׁהֲוָויָתָהּ נִפְסֶדֶת בִּמְעַט זְמַן). "And the evil" this is the evil inclination (וְאֶת הָרַע זֶה יֵצֶר הָרַע). And it said "and you shall choose life" a good counsel is taught to us (וְאָמַר וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים עֵצָה טוֹבָה קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן).

Therefore one who turns from the good path is worthy of great punishment (וְלָכֵן הַנּוֹטֶה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹבָה כְּדַאי הוּא לְעוֹנֶשׁ גָּדוֹל) because to do good he has many helpers (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלַּעֲשׂוֹת טוֹבָה יֵשׁ לוֹ מְסַיְּעִין הַרְבֵּה) which are the Torah and the Ruach (שֶׁהֵם הַתּוֹרָה וְהָרוּחַ) and the Neshamah in the middle (וְהַנְּשָׁמָה בָּאֶמְצָע) and the death and the evil on the other side (וְהַמָּוֶת וְהָרַע מִצַּד אַחֵר). If so you ought to have chosen the way of the pure Neshamah and the good Ruach which is the good inclination (אִם כֵּן הָיָה לְךָ לִבְחוֹר בְּדֶרֶךְ הַנְּשָׁמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וְהָרוּחַ הַטּוֹב שֶׁהוּא יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב) and to flee from the death and the evil which is lust and the evil inclination (וּלִבְרוֹחַ מִן הַמָּוֶת וְהָרַע שֶׁהוּא הַתַּאֲוָה וְיֵצֶר הָרַע) which are the soul of the living being and the beast (שֶׁהֵם נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה וְהַבְּהֵמָה). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב) "And Hashem Elohim planted a garden in Eden in the east" (וַיִּטַּע יְיָ אֱלֹקִים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם). Gan [53] equals Adam [45] together with the reduced value of Gan [8] (גַּ״ן בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן עוֹלֶה אָדָם עִם תֵּיבַת גַּן).

Explanation: the Holy One, blessed be He (פֵּרוּשׁ הקב״ה), planted man (נָטַע אֶת הָאָדָם) by placing within him a Neshamah [soul] (שֶׁנָּתַן בּוֹ נְשָׁמָה), in order that he enjoy and delight in the radiance of the Shekhinah (כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּהָנֶה וְיִתְעַדֵּן מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינְתָא), who is the Kadmono shel Olam [Primordial One of the World], blessed be He (שֶׁהִיא קַדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בָּרוּךְ הוּא).

A parable to what is this comparable to a man who plants a tree in the earth and perfects it exceedingly in order that it give its fruit in its season and all that he does shall prosper (מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְאָדָם שֶׁנוֹטֵעַ עֵץ בָּאֲדָמָה וּמְתַקֵּן אוֹתוֹ מְאֹד כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ בְּעִתּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ). So too the Holy One Blessed Be He planted the Neshamah in the body of man which is the earth in order that he perceive and comprehend upper secrets (כָּךְ הקב״ה נָטַע הַנְּשָׁמָה בְּגוּף הָאָדָם שֶׁהוּא הָאֲדָמָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּשִּׂיג וְיַשְׂכִּיל סוֹדוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב) "And He placed there the man whom He had formed" (וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁם אֶת הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר).

Explanation: after the Holy One, blessed be He, created man from the dust of the ground and formed him (פֵּרוּשׁ אַחַר שֶׁבָּרָא הקב״ה אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּיצֶר), He gave him the form, which is the Neshamah [soul] (נָתַן לוֹ הַצּוּרָה שֶׁהִיא הַנְּשָׁמָה), and through it gave him complete preparation (וּבָהּ נָתַן לוֹ הֲכָנָה שְׁלֵמָה), in order that he attain, through contemplative thought, delightful matters and deep secrets from above (כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּשִּׂיג בְּמַחֲשֶׁבֶת עִיּוּן דְּבָרִים נֶחְמָדִים וְסוֹדוֹת עֲמוּקִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה). This is what the verse says (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And Hashem Elohim caused to grow from the ground every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden” (וַיַּצְמַח יְיָ אֱלֹקִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן) (Bereshit 2:9)

Explanation from the first creation which is the body of man from the earth (פֵּרוּשׁ מֵהַבְּרִיאָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁהִיא גוּף הָאָדָם מִן הָאֲדָמָה) immediately there arose in thought to grant man upper apprehension and free choice (מִיָּד עָלָה בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה לָתֵת לָאָדָם הַשָּׂגָה עֶלְיוֹנָה וּבְחִירָה). "Every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good" this is the Ruach (כָּל עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב זֶה הָרוּחַ) and "the tree of life in the midst of the garden" that is the body of man (וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן שֶׁהוּא גוּף הָאָדָם) He placed the Neshamah which is the tree of life between the Ruach and the Nefesh (נָתַן הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁהִיא עֵץ הַחַיִּים בֵּין הָרוּחַ וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב) "And the tree of knowledge good" this is the good inclination (וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב זֶה יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב) and "evil" this is the evil inclination (וְרַע זֶה יֵצֶר הָרַע). And that which it said "and Elohim planted" "and Hashem Elohim caused to grow" and in the beginning of creation it is written "In the beginning Elohim created" (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר וַיִּטַּע אֱלֹקִים וַיַּצְמַח ה׳ אֱלֹקִים וּבִתְחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה כָּתוּב בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים) this is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה).