Daf 35a (דַּף ל״ה ע״א)

Again, Rabbi Shimon said: It is written, “And every shrub of the field was not yet on the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet grown, for Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth” (תּוּ אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: כְּתִיב וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְכָל עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ). And “every shrub of the field”—these are the great trees to be planted afterward, and they were guarded (וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, אִלֵּין אִילָנִין רַבְרְבִין לִנְטִיעוּ לְבָתַר, וְהֲווּ זְהִירִין).

Come and see: Adam and Chavah were created back-to-back (תָּא חֲזֵי, אָדָם וְחַוָּה דָּא בְּסִטְרָא דְדָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ). Why were they not created face-to-face? Because it is written: “For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth,” and the Zivug was not yet found in its proper rectification (מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב: כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְזִוּוּגָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּתִקּוּנֵיהּ כְּדְּקָא יְאוּת). And when this one below was rectified and they were restored face-to-face, then it was found above (וְכַד אִתְתָּקָנוּ הַאי דִּלְתַּתָּא, וְאִתְהַדְּרוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין, כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח לְעֵילָא).

From where do we learn this? From the Mishkan, as it is written: “The Mishkan was erected” (Exodus 40) (מְנָלָן מִן הַמִּשְׁכָּן דִּכְתִיב: הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן). Because another Mishkan was erected with it, and until it was established below, it was not established above (בְּגִין דְּמִשְׁכָּן אָחֳרָא אִתָּקַם עִמֵּיהּ. וְעַד לָא אִתָּקַם לְתַתָּא, לָא אִתָּקַם לְעֵילָא). So too here: when it was established below, it was established above (אוּף הָכָא: כַּד אִתְתָּקַם לְתַתָּא, אִתְתָּקַם לְעֵילָא).

And because until then it was not established above, they were not created face-to-face (וּבְגִין דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא אִתְתָּקַן לְעֵילָא, לָא אִתְבְּרִיאוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין). And the verse proves this, as it is written: “For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth” (וּקְרָא אוֹכַח, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ). Therefore, “and Adam was not”—because he was not in his rectification (וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ: וְאָדָם אַיִן, דְּלָא הֲוָה בְּתִקּוּנֵיהּ). And when Chavah was completed, Adam was completed, but before that he was not complete (וְכַד אִשְׁתַּלִּימַת חַוָּה, אִשְׁתְּלִים אָדָם, וְקֹדֶם לָכֵן לָא אִשְׁתְּלִים). And this is the mystery: until now there was no letter Samekh in the parashah (וְרָזָא דָּא, דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא אִית אָתְ סָמֶךְ בְּפַרְשָׁתָא).

And although my friends have said otherwise, nevertheless the Samekh is “Ezer” (Helper) (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחַבְרַיָיא אָמְרוּ, אֲבָל סָמֶךְ דָּא עֵזֶר). And this “Ezer” (Helper) is the supernal one, who is restored above, face-to-face, male and female (וְדָא עֵזְרִ דִּלְעֵילָא, דְּאִתְהַדַּר לְעֵילָא אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא). This Samekh supports that Samekh, surely (אִסְתַּמַּךְ דָּא לָקֳבֵל דָּא וַדַּאי). As it is written: “Supported forever and ever, made in truth and uprightness” (Psalms 111) (סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם, עֲשׂוּיִים בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר). “Supported”—this is male and female, who are supported as one (סְמוּכִים, דָּא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, דְּאִנּוּן סְמוּכִים כְּחֲדָא). Some say: they are supported, the lower world with the upper world—for until the lower world was rectified, the upper world was not rectified (נ״א: דְּאִנּוּן סְמוּכִים, עוֹלָם תַּתָּאָה בְּעוֹלָם עִלָּאָה. דְּעַד לָא אִתְתַּקַּן עוֹלָם תַּתָּאָה, לָא אִתְתַּקַּן הַהוּא עוֹלָם דְּקָא אָמְרָן). “For Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth”—for this one is supported by that one (כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ, דְּהָא דָּא בְּדָא סָמִיךְ). This lower world, when it is rectified and they are restored face-to-face, and they are rectified, then the Samekh is found above (עוֹלָם דָּא תַּתָּאָה, כַּד אִתְתַּקַּן וְאִתְהַדְּרוּ אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין, וְאִתְתָּקָנוּ, אִשְׁתְּכַח סָמֶךְ לְעֵילָא). For before this, the work was not in rectification (דְּהָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא לָא הֲוָה עוֹבָדָא בְּתִקּוּנָא). Some say: the world in its rectification (נ״א: עוֹלָם בְּתִקּוּנֵיהּ).

Because Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and this one depends on that one (בְּגִין דְּלָא הִמְטִיר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְדָא בְּדָא תַּלְיָיא). What is written after it: “And a mist ascended from the earth” (מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ). This is the rectification from below afterward, “and watered the whole face of the ground” (דָּא תִּקּוּנָא דִּלְתַתָּא לְבָתַר וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כָּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה). “And a mist ascended from the earth”—this is the yearning of the female toward the male (וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ דָּא תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא). Another matter: why did it not rain? Because the rectification of “a mist shall ascend from the earth” was not yet found (דָּבָר אַחֵר מַאי טַעְמָא לֹא הִמְטִיר בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח תִּקּוּנָא דְּיַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ). Therefore, from the lower earth the work is aroused above (וְעַל דָּא מִן אַרְעָא תַּתָּאָה אִתְעַר עוֹבָדָא לְעֵילָא).

Come and see: smoke rises from the earth at first, and a cloud is awakened, and all join afterward one to the other (תָּא חֲזֵי תְּנָנָא סָלִיק מִן אַרְעָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְעֲנָנָא אִתְעַר וְכֹלָּא אִתְחַבַּר לְבָתַר דָּא בְּדָא). In this likeness, the smoke of the offering rises from below and makes completion above, and all join one with the other and are completed above (כְּגַוְונָא דָא תְּנָנָא דְקָרְבָּנָא אִתְעַר מִתַּתָּא וְעֲבִיד שְׁלִימוּ לְעֵילָא וְאִתְחַבַּר כֹּלָּא דָא בְּדָא וְאִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ כְּגַוְונָא דָא לְעֵילָא). The arousal begins from below, and afterward all is completed (אִתְעֲרוּתָא שָׁרֵי מִתַּתָּא וּלְבָתַר אִשְׁתְּלִים כֹּלָּא). And if Knesset Yisrael did not begin the arousal first, that one above would not be awakened to meet her, and through the yearning from below it is completed above (וְאִלְמָלֵא דִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁרְיָא בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא אִתְעַר לְקִבְלָהּ הַהוּא דִלְעֵילָא וּבְתִיאוּבְתָּא דִלְתַתָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים לְעֵילָא).

Rabbi Abba said: Why is it written, “And the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר אַמַּאי כְּתִיב וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). The Tree of Life—we have learned that its path is five hundred years, and all the waters of creation divide beneath it (עֵץ הַחַיִּים הָא תָּנִינָן דְּמַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאָה שְׁנִין הֲוָה וְכָל מֵימוֹי דִּבְרֵאשִׁית מִתְפַּלְגִין תְּחוֹתוֹי). The Tree of Life is in the very center of the garden, and it receives all the waters of creation, which divide beneath it (עֵץ הַחַיִּים בִּמְצִיעוּת דְּגִנְתָּא מַמָּשׁ וְהוּא נָטִיל כָּל מֵימוֹי דְּבְרֵאשִׁית וּמִתְפַּלְּגִין תְּחוֹתוֹי).

For that river which flows and goes forth rests upon that garden and enters into it (דְּהָא הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק הוּא שַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא גִנְתָּא וְעֲיִּיל בֵּיהּ), and from there the waters divide into many directions (וּמִתַּמָן מִתְפַּלְּגִין מַיָא לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין), and that garden receives them all (וְנָטִיל כֹּלָא הַהִיא גִּנְתָּא). And afterward they go forth from it and divide into many streams below (וּלְבָתַר נָפְקֵי מִינָּהּ וּמִתְפַּלְּגִין לְכַמָּה נַחֲלִין לְתַתָּא), as it is said (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “They give drink to every beast of the field” (יַשְׁקוּ כָּל חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי) (Psalms 104:11). Just as they go forth from that supernal world and give drink to those supernal mountains of pure Afarsemon [Balsam] (כְּמָה דְּנָפְקִין מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִנּוּן טוּרִין עִלָּאִין דְּאֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא), afterward, when they reach the Tree of Life (לְבָתַר כַּד מָטָאן לְעֵץ הַחַיִּים), they divide beneath it on every side, each according to its path (מִתְפַּלְּגִין תְּחוֹתוֹי בְּכָל סְטַר כְּפוּם אָרְחוֹי). And the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil—why is it called thus? (וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי הָכִי). For this tree is not in the middle (דְּהָא עֵץ דָּא לָאו אִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). But the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil—what is it? (אֲבָל עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע מַאי הוּא). Rather, because it draws from two sides and knows them (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּיָנְקָא מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין וְיָדַע לוֹן), like one who draws from sweetness and bitterness (כְּמָאן דְּיָנִיק מִתְקָא וּמְרִירָא). And because it draws from two sides and knows them, and dwells within them (וּבְגִין דְּיָנְקָא מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין וְיָדַע לוֹן וְשַׁרְיָא בְּגַוַויְיהוּ), it is therefore called “Good and Evil” (אִקְרֵי הָכִי טוֹב וָרָע). And all those plantings rest upon them (וְכָל אִנּוּן נְטִיעִין שָׁרְיָין עֲלַיְיהוּ).