34a (ל״ד:א׳)

And even though El is mercy (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁ״אֵל״ הוּא רַחֲמִים), with regard to idolatry, it returns to being Jealous (בְּעִנְיָן הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה יָחֲזֹר קַנָּא), and this is what it says: “For Hashem-Jealous is His Name, El is Jealous” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "כִּי ה׳ קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ, אֵל קַנָּא הוּא) (Exodus 34). That is to say (יִרְצֶה), regarding idolatry, El, which is mercy, shall also be Jealous (לְעִנְיַן עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, "אֵל" שֶׁהוּא רַחֲמִים, גַּם כֵּן יִהְיֶה קַנָּא). Until here is the explanation of the verses they asked of me (עַד כָּאן פֵּירוּשׁ הַפְּסוּקִים שֶׁשָּׁאֲלוּ מִמֶּנִּי), and this is what I am permitted to reveal concerning them (וְזֶה מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי רְשַׁאי לְגַלּוֹת בָּהֶם).

And now I will answer one question that was sent to ask from there (וְעַתָּה אָשִׁיב עַל שְׁאֵלָה אַחַת שֶׁשָּׁלְחוּ לִשְׁאוֹל מִשָּׁם), and it is this: Since the Holy One Blessed Be He knows the future (וְהִיא זֹאת: שֶׁבְּהִיוֹת שֶׁהקב״ה יוֹדֵעַ הָעֲתִידוֹת), and He knows whether a person will be righteous or wicked (וְיוֹדֵעַ אִם הָאָדָם יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק אוֹ רָשָׁע), if so, since it is already in His knowledge, may He be blessed (אִם כֵּן, כְּבָר בְּיְדִיעָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ), he is compelled in his actions (מוּכְרָח הוּא בְּפְעוּלוֹתָיו), and it would not be fitting to reward or punish him (וְלֹא הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ לֹא שָׂכָר וְלֹא עוֹנֶשׁ). Heaven forbid-may such an opinion never enter the heart of any man (חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל לֵב אִישׁ סְבָרָא זוֹ). For His knowledge, may He be blessed, is not like our knowledge (כִּי אֵין יְדִיעָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ כִּידִיעָתֵנוּ), and His thoughts are not our thoughts (וְלֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּ) (Isaiah 55).

Rather, the truth is (אֶלָּא הָאֱמֶת הוּא), that the Holy One Blessed Be He has knowledge of all things (שֶׁהקב״ה יֵשׁ לוֹ יְדִיעָה עַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים), but His knowledge does not compel a person to perform any act (אֲבָל יְדִיעָתוֹ אֵינָהּ מַכְרִיחָה לָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת שׁוּם פְּעוּלָה), for the choice remains in his hands (כִּי הַבְּחִירָה נִשְׁאֶרֶת בְּיָדוֹ). Only that He, may He be blessed, knows that this one will incline his choice toward good and that one toward evil (אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁזֶּה יַטֶּה בְּחִירָתוֹ לַטּוֹב, וְזֶה לָרָע). And He creates the wicked one so that he may receive punishment for his sins (וּבוֹרֵא הָרָשָׁע כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עוֹנֶשׁ עַל חֲטָאָיו), from which will be recognized the reward of the righteous (שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה נִכָּר שְׂכַר הַצַּדִּיק). For light is not perceived except from within darkness (כִּי אֵין הָאוֹר נִכָּר אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ הַחֹשֶׁךְ). And I will explain to you one saying on the verse: “And Elohim created the human in His image” (Bereshit 1) (וַאֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ מַאֲמָר אֶחָד עַל פָּסוּק ״וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ) in the Sefer HaZohar p1-10(בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר):

“Rabbi Abba opened and said (רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “And Elohim created the human in His image” (Bereshit 1) (״וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ), come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): At the time when the Holy One Blessed Be He created the human (בְּשָׁעְתָּא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָדָם), He made him in a supernal and lower likeness (עֲבַד לֵיהּ בְּדִיוּקְנָא דְעִילָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה), and he was complete in all (וַהֲוָה כְּלִיל מִכּוֹלָא), and his radiance illuminated from one end of the world to the other (וַהֲוָה נְהוֹרֵיהּ נָהִיר מִסִּיפֵיהּ דְעָלְמָא וְעַד סִיפֵיהּ דְעָלְמָא), and all were in awe of him (וַהֲווּ דְחִילִין מִינֵיהּ כֹּלָא), etc (וּכוּ').”

This teaching informs us how the dominion of the man was over all the created beings (זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר מוֹדִיעַ לָנוּ אֵיךְ הָיְתָה מֶמְשֶׁלֶת הָאָדָם עַל כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים), just as the Holy One Blessed Be He has dominion over all the created beings (כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַהקב״ה מֶמְשָׁלָה עַל כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים). And this is what the verse says, “In His image” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״בְּצַלְמוֹ) (Bereshit 1:27), that in this the man resembled his Creator, may He be blessed (שֶׁבָּזֶה הָיָה דּוֹמֶה לְיוֹצְרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ). And in order that this perfection could endure (וּכְדֵי שֶׁיוּכַל לְהִתְקַיֵּם בָּזֶה הַשְּׁלֵמוּת), Hashem, may He be blessed, distanced from him all things that were the opposite of this perfection (הִרְחִיק מִמֶּנּוּ ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם הֶפֶךְ זֶה הַשְּׁלֵמוּת), such as the first woman (כְּגוֹן הָאִשָּׁה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה). As it is said in p1-11Bereishit Rabbah: “And the man said, ‘This time…’” ("וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדָם, זֹאת הַפַּעַם).

Rabbi Yehudah bar Rabbi said (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי אוֹמֵר): “At first He created one for him, and he saw her full of mucus and blood (בַּתְּחִלָּה בְּרָאָה לוֹ, וְרָאָה אוֹתָהּ מְלֵאָה רִירִין וְדָם), and He removed her from him (וְהִפְלִיגָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ), and returned and created her for him a second time (וְחָזַר וּבְרָאָהּ לוֹ פַּעַם שֵׁנִיָּה), as it is written, ‘This time’” ("הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: זֹאת הַפַּעַם).

The intent of the teaching is that the first woman was not fitting for the first man (כַּוָּנַת הַמַּאֲמָר, שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיְתָה רְאוּיָה לָאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), for all her intent was toward promiscuity (שֶׁכָּל מְגַמְתָּהּ הָיְתָה לִזְנוּת), and this is hinted in what it says, “mucus and blood” (וְזֶה רֶמֶז בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״רִירִין וְדָם), to speak in clean language (כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן נְקִיָּה), not like the statement of Ben Sira who said (לֹא כְּמַאֲמַר בֶּן סִירָא שֶׁאָמַר): “‘It is not good for the man to be alone’-He created for him a woman from the earth like himself and called her Lilith” ("לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ – בָּרָא לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִן הָאֲדָמָה כְּמוֹתוֹ, וְקָרָא לָהּ לִילִית), and immediately they began to provoke one another (מִיָּד הִתְחִילוּ מִתְגָּרִים זֶה בָּזֶה). She said, “I will not lie below” (אָמְרָה הִיא: אֵינִי שׁוֹכֶבֶת לְמַטָּה), and he said, “I will not lie below but above, for you are fit to be below and I above” (וְהוּא אוֹמֵר: אֵינִי שׁוֹכֵב לְמַטָּה אֶלָּא לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁאַתְּ רְאוּיָה לְמַטָּה וַאֲנִי לְמַעְלָה).

She said to him, “We are equal, for both of us are from the earth” (אָמְרָה לוֹ: שְׁנֵינוּ שָׁוִין, לְפִי שֶׁשְּׁנֵינוּ מִן הָאֲדָמָה), and they would not listen to one another (וְלֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹמְעִין זֶה לָזֶה) etc (וּכֵלֵיהּ). And it is said at the end of the Midrash (וְאָמַר בְּסוֹף הַמַּאֲמָר), how Hashem, may He be blessed, separated her from the man and created another from his flesh (אֵיךְ הקב״ה הִפְלִיגָהּ מִן הָאָדָם וּבָרָא אַחֶרֶת מִבְּשָׂרוֹ), to inform him that it is within his power to subdue and rule over his own flesh (לְהוֹדִיעוֹ שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ לְכַבֵּשׁ וּלְשְׁרוֹר עַל בְּשָׂרוֹ).

And this the Holy One Blessed Be He did, because He knew that the sin would come through the woman (וְזֶה עָשָׂה הקב״ה מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַחֵטְא יָבוֹא מִצַּד הָאִשָּׁה), and in order that the man should not be able to excuse himself and say that he could not subdue her (וּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל הָאָדָם לְהִתְנַצֵּל וְלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יָכוֹל לְכַבְּשָׁהּ), He created for him another. And one could ask (וְיֵשׁ לְהַקְשׁוֹת): Since His intention, may He be blessed, was to create a perfect man who would rule over all the created beings, as we said (כֵּיוָן שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיְתָה לִבְרוֹא אָדָם שָׁלֵם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מוֹשֵׁל עַל כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and the ministering angels became jealous of him (וּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת נִתְקַנְאוּ בוֹ), and from this aspect the serpent came to entice him (וּמִזֶּה הַצַּד הָלַךְ הַנָּחָשׁ לְפַתּוֹתוֹ)-if so, the will of the Holy One Blessed Be He did not come fully into action (אִם כֵּן, רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לֹא יָצָא לְפוֹעַל שָׁלֵם), but the will of the ministering angels came into action (וְרְצוֹן מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת יָצָא לְפוֹעַל), for they acted in a way that destroyed the dominion that he had been given (שֶׁעָשׂוּ בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהֶפְסִיד הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה שֶׁהָיְתָה לוֹ).