7b (ז׳:ב׳)

And so it is said in Midrash Shocher Tov (וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בְּמִדְרַשׁ שׁוֹחֵר טוֹב): “Man does not know its worth” (לֹא יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ), Rabbi Elazar said (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), the sections of the Torah were not given in order (לֹא נִתְּנוּ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה עַל הַסֵּדֶר), for had they been given in order (שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנוּ עַל הַסֵּדֶר), anyone reading it would be able to revive the dead (כָּל מִי שֶׁהָיָה קוֹרֵא בָּהּ יָכוֹל לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים).

Therefore the secrets of the Torah were concealed (לְפִיכָךְ נֶעֶלְמוּ סוֹדֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה), as it is said: “Who is like Me will call and tell it and set it in order for Me, from the time I appointed the ancient people” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּמִי כָמוֹנִי יִקְרָא וְיַגִּידֶהָ וְיָעָרְכֶהָ לִי מְשׂוּמִי עַם עוֹלָם) (Isaiah 44:7). And because the Torah possessed the power to revive the dead and to build and destroy worlds (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה הָיָה כֹּחַ לְהַחֲיוֹת הַמֵּתִים וּלְבָנוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת וּלְהַחֲרִיבָם), the Holy One Blessed Be He decreed to test man (גָּזַר הקב״ה לְנַסּוֹת אֶת הָאָדָם), whether he would hold fast to the commandments of his Creator (אִם הוּא מַחֲזִיק בְּמִצְוֹת קוֹנוֹ), and would not use the secrets of the Torah for any purpose (וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּסוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה לִשׁוּם דָּבָר) other than to praise and thank the Holy One Blessed Be He (אֶלָּא לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְשַׁבֵּחַ לַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא), for all the secrets he attains and comprehends in the Torah like a ministering angel (עַל כָּל הַסּוֹדוֹת אֲשֶׁר יַשִּׂיגוּ וְיַשְׂכִּילוּ בַּתּוֹרָה כְּמַלְאָךְ מְשָׁרֵת). Therefore He commanded him not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (וְלָכֵן צִוָּהוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל מֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע).

Since I already explained above (לְפִי שֶׁכְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה) that the Tree of Life is an allusion to the Neshamah planted in the body of man (שֶׁעֵץ הַחַיִּים, הוּא רֶמֶז לַנְּשָׁמָה הַנְּטוּעָה בְּגוּף הָאָדָם), which is also an allusion to the Garden (שֶׁהוּא גַּם כֵּן רֶמֶז לְגַן), and the Neshamah was not given to man alone (וְלֹא נִתְּנָה הַנְּשָׁמָה לְאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ) but rather to man and to his wife (אֶלָּא לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ), the Neshamah which is the Heh Nun as we have said (נִתְּנָה הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁהִיא ה״ן כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), for Heh Nun equals ten (כִּי ה״ן עוֹלֶה לְמִנְיָן עֲשָׂרָה), it is the Neshamah to both sets of letters in the nine first letters and nine second ones (הִיא נְשָׁמָה לִשְׁנֵי חַלְקֵי אוֹתִיּוֹת בְּט׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים וּבְט׳ שְׁנִיּוֹת), as I explained above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה).

And know that the first nine letters correspond to the male (וְדַע, כִּי הַתְּשַׁע אוֹתִיּוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת כְּנֶגֶד זָכָר הֵם), and the nine second ones correspond to the female (וְתֵשַׁע שְׁנִיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד נְקֵבָה), to inform us that the Neshamah of man is divided between man and his wife (לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ כִּי נִשְׁמַת הָאָדָם נֶחֱלֶקֶת בֵּין הָאָדָם וּבֵין אִשְׁתּוֹ), as our sages of blessed memory said: “They were created as two faces” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: "דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין נִבְרְאוּ).

To make known to you that with the word “du” (Two), which equals ten (כְּדֵי לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ כִּי עִם ד״ו שֶׁעוֹלֶה עֲשָׂרָה), the Holy One Blessed Be He gave form to the male and the female (נָתַן הקב״ה צוּרָה לְזָכָר וּלְנְקֵבָה) with one soul alone (עִם נְשָׁמָה אַחַת לְבַדָּהּ), which is hinted in the Yod (שֶׁהִיא רְמוּזָה בְּיו״ד). And if you ask: why didn’t it write Yod, which is ten, instead of “du” (Two)? (וְאִם תֹּאמַר, הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב יו״ד שֶׁהִיא עֲשָׂרָה וְלֹא "ד״ו) He did this so as not to write Yod, which is the Name of the Holy One Blessed Be He (עָשָׂה זֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִכְתֹּב יו״ד שֶׁהוּא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה), therefore he wrote “du” (Two) to hint at the number ten (לָכֵן כָּתַב "ד״ו" לְרַמֵּז לְמִנְיָן עֲשָׂרָה), just as we write Tet-Vav instead of writing the Name Yod-Heh (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ כוֹתְבִים ט״ו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִכְתֹּב שֵׁם י״ה), so too here he wrote ten as “du” (Two) (כָּךְ בְּכָאן כָּתַב עֲשָׂרָה בִּלְשׁוֹן ד״ו).

And with this you will understand the statement said in the portion of “Bereshit” in the book of Recanati (וּבָזֶה תָּבִין הַמַּאֲמָר הָאָמוּר בְּפָרָשַׁת ״בְּרֵאשִׁית״ בְּסֵפֶר הָרֵקַנָּאטִי), and thus is his wording (וְכָךְ לְשׁוֹנוֹ): “Midrash Ruth: The Holy One Blessed Be He created in man His great Name…” etc (מִדְרָשׁ רוּת, הקב״ה בָּרָא בְּאִינִישׁ שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל וְגוֹ׳). And understand this teaching well (וְהָבֵן זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר), for to make known to you the explanation of the word “du” (Two) (כִּי לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ פֵּרוּשׁ מַאֲמַר "ד״ו) I have extended myself in this explanation (הֶאֱרַכְתִּי בָּזֶה).

And let us return to the matter at hand (וְנָשׁוּב לָעִנְיָן שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ בוֹ), and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil alludes to Ruach and Nefesh (וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע רֶמֶז רוּחַ וְנֶפֶשׁ). Ruach is the good inclination (רוּחַ זֶה יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב) which guides a person in the straight path to fulfill the commandments of his Creator (הַמַּדְרִיךְ לָאָדָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַיְשָׁרָה לְקַיֵּם מִצְוֺת בּוֹרְאוֹ). Nefesh is the evil inclination (נֶפֶשׁ זֶה יֵצֶר הָרָע) which incites and entices the person to engage in bodily desires (הַמְסִית וְהַמְפַתֶּה אֶת הָאָדָם שֶׁיִּתְעַסֵּק בְּתַאֲוֹת גּוּפָנִיּוֹת). And man was given the choice (וְנִתְּנָה לָאָדָם הַבְּחִירָה) to go in whichever path he desires of these two ways (לָלֶכֶת בְּאֵי זֶה דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיִּרְצֶה מִשְּׁנֵי אֵלּוּ הַדְּרָכִים).

And now know (וְעַתָּה דַּע), that the trees which the Holy One Blessed Be He permitted man to eat from (כִּי הָאִילָנוֹת שֶׁהִרְשָׁה הקב״ה לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל מֵהֶם) when He said “From every tree of the garden you shall surely eat” (כְּשֶׁאָמַר "מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל) (Bereshit 2:16), had nothing bodily in them (לֹא הָיָה בָּהֶם דָּבָר גּוּפָנִי), for spiritual beings do not eat (לְפִי שֶׁהָרוּחָנִיִּים אֵינָם אוֹכְלִים).

And so we find it said of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (וְכֵן מָצִינוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם): “And he was there… he did not eat bread” (וַיְהִי שָׁם וְגוֹ׳ לֶחֶם לֹא אָכַל) (Exodus 34:28). And likewise, the prophets and the pious ones, when they seek prophecy and holiness (וְכֵן הַנְּבִיאִים וְהַחֲסִידִים כְּשֶׁהֵם מְבַקְּשִׁים דָּבָר נְבוּאָה וּקְדֻשָּׁה), they fast and distance themselves from all bodily pleasures (הֵם מִתְעַנִּים וּמְרַחֲקִים עַצְמָם מִכָּל תַּעֲנוּג גּוּפָנִי), as we find with Daniel (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּדָנִיֵּאל).

For it is not possible that the spirit of holiness and the light of the Shekhinah rest upon one who is engaged in eating and bodily pleasures (כִּי לֹא יִתָּכֵן שֶׁתָּנוּחַ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאוֹר הַשְּׁכִינָה עַל מִי שֶׁהוּא עָסוּק בַּאֲכִילָה וּבְתַעֲנוּגֵי הַגּוּף). And the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil alludes to bodily pleasures (וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע רֶמֶז לְתַעֲנוּגֵי הַגּוּף), and the Holy One Blessed Be He commanded man to distance himself from them (וְהקב״ה צִוָּה עַל הָאָדָם שֶׁיִּתְרַחֵק מֵהֶם), so that he not be physical (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה גַשְׁמִי), and that he not possess physical senses directed toward the desires of this world (וְשֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ בוֹ חוּשִׁים גַשְׁמִיִּים מִתַּאֲוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה).

And know and see (וְדַע וּרְאֵה), that as soon as the man and his wife ate from that tree (שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁאָכְלוּ הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ מֵאוֹתוֹ הָעֵץ) which hints at bodily desires (שֶׁרָמוּז בּוֹ תַּאֲווֹת גּוּפָנִיּוֹת), immediately they desired the vanities of the world (תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד נִתְאַווּ תַּאֲוָה לְהֶבְלֵי הָעוֹלָם), and their eyes were opened (וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵיהֶם), and they knew that they were naked and were ashamed (וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּים הֵם וַיִּתְבּוֹשָׁשׁוּ), and the portion of the Holy One Blessed Be He that had been within them earlier withdrew from them (וְרָחֲקָה מֵהֶם חֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה שֶׁנָּתַן בָּהֶם קֹדֶם לָכֵן). This is what the verse says (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And they heard the voice of Hashem Elohim walking in the garden at the breeze of the day” (וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה׳ אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם) (Bereshit 3:8).