Daf 90b (דַּף צ׳ ע״ב)
And Avraham was looking into his astrology that he would not bear offspring (וְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה חָמֵי בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּת דִּילֵיהּ דְּלָא יוֹלִיד). What is written? “And He brought him outside” (Bereshit 15) (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיּוֹצֵא אוֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וְגו׳). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “Go out from your astrology; Avram does not beget, but Avraham begets” (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת דִּילָךְ. אַבְרָם אֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד, אַבְרָהָם מוֹלִיד). Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: “Do not look at this, but at the secret of My Name-there shall be for you a son” (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא: לָא תִסְתַּכַּל בְּהַאי, אֶלָּא בְּרָזָא דִשְׁמִי, יְהֵא לָךְ בַּר). This is what is written: “So shall your seed be” (Bereshit 15) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ). The secret of the Holy Name, from there it is bound to it in this (son), and not from the Sitra achra (רָזָא דִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּמִתַּמָּן אִתְקַשַּׁר לֵיהּ בְּדָא (בְּרָא) וְלָא מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא).
Koh (Thus), which is the gate of prayer- in it one will find blessing; in it a person will find their request. (כֹּה דְּהוּא תַּרְעָא לִצְלוֹתָא, בָּהּ יִשְׁכַּח בְּרָכָה, בָּהּ יִשְׁכַּח בַּר נָשׁ שְׁאִילְתֵּיהּ). Koh (Thus) is that side which comes from the side of Gevurah, for from the side of Gevurah came Yitzchak (כֹּה הַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּאַתְיָיא מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְּבוּרָה, דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְּבוּרָה קָא אֲתָא יִצְחָק). And that side of Gevurah is called Koh (Thus), from there come limbs and fruits into the world, and not from the lower side of stars and constellations (וְהַהוּא סִטְרָא דִּגְּבוּרָה כֹּה אִקְרֵי, דְּמִתַּמָּן אַתְיָין אִיבִּין וּפֵירֵי לְעָלְמָא, וְלָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּלְתַתָּא דְּכוֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלוֹת). Then: “And he believed in Hashem” (Bereshit 15) (כְּדֵין: וְהֶאֱמִין בַּי־יָ). He cleaved above and did not cleave below (אִתְדַּבַּק לְעֵילָא וְלָא אִתְדַּבַּק לְתַתָּא). And he believed in Hashem, and not in stars and constellations (וְהֶאֱמִין בַּי־יָ, וְלָא בְּכוֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי). And he believed in Hashem, that He promised him that his reward would be great in the world to come (וְהֶאֱמִין בַּי־יָ, דְּאַבְטַח לֵיהּ דְּיַסְגֵּי אַגְרֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And he believed in Hashem, in that degree that was given to him, from which seed would go forth to be born in the world (וְהֶאֱמִין בַּי־יָ, בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ דְּמִתַּמָּן יֵיתֵי לֵיהּ זַרְעָא לְאוֹלָדָא בְּעָלְמָא). And He accounted it to him as righteousness (וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לוֹ צְדָקָה). And He accounted it to him-for even though it was judgment, as if it were mercy, this Koh (Thus) (וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לוֹ, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי דִּינָא, כְּאִילוּ הִיא רַחֲמֵי, הַאי כֹּה). Another matter: And He accounted it to him as righteousness-that He bound a supernal connection to a lower one to join them as one (דָּבָר אַחֵר: וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לוֹ צְדָקָה, דְּקָשִׁיר קִשְׁרָא עִלָּאָה בְּתַתָּאָה לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן כְּחֲדָא).
Come and see: here is revealed that Avraham begets; Avram does not beget (תָּא חֲזֵי, הָא אִתְעָרוּ: אַבְרָהָם מוֹלִיד, אַבְרָם אֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד). And should you say: but he did beget Yishma’el while he was still Avram (וְכִי תֵימָא דְּהָא אוֹלִיד יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ אַבְרָם). Rather, that son which Kudsha Berikh Hu promised him-he did not beget while he was yet Avram (אֶלָּא הַהוּא בְּרָא דְּאַבְטַח לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אוֹלִיד בְּעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ אַבְרָם). For while he was yet Avram, he begot below; but once he was called Avraham and entered into the covenant, then he begot above (דְּהָא בְּעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ אַבְרָם אוֹלִיד לְתַתָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְקְרֵי אַבְרָהָם וְעָאל בַּבְּרִית, כְּדֵין אוֹלִיד לְעֵילָא). And for this reason: Avram does not beget in the supernal binding, Avraham begets, as we have said (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: אַבְרָם אֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד בְּקִשּׁוּרָא עִלָּאָה, אַבְרָהָם מוֹלִיד, כְּמָה דְּאֲמָרָן), and he was bound above through Yitzchak (וְאִתְקַשַּׁר לְעֵילָא בְּיִצְחָק). And Avram was ninety-nine years old, and so forth (וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים וְגו׳).
Rabbi Abba opened: “For who is El besides Hashem, and who is a rock...” (II Samuel 22) (רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ וּמִי צוּר וְגו׳). King David said this verse: “For who is El besides Hashem” (Psalms 18) (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא אָמַר הַאי קְרָא כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ). Who is the ruler or appointed one who can do anything apart from Hashem? (מָאן הוּא שַׁלִּיטָא אוֹ מְמַנָּא דְּיָכוֹל לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ), only that which is commanded from Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִתְפַּקַּד מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for all of them do not stand by their own authority and are unable to do anything (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְהוּ לָא בִרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ קָיְימֵי וְלָא יָכְלֵי לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי). And who is a rock-and who is mighty who can perform power and might from himself apart from our God? (וּמִי צוּר, וּמַאן אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף דְּיָכוֹל לְמֶעְבַּד תּוּקְפָא וּגְבוּרָה מִגַּרְמֵיהּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ). Rather, all are in the hand of Kudsha Berikh Hu, and none is able to do anything outside His domain (אֶלָּא כֻּלְהוּ בִּידָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד מִדִּי בַּר בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ).
Another matter: “For who is El besides Hashem” (דָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְיָ) that Kudsha Berikh Hu, all is in His authority, and not like that which appears through the illusion of stars and constellations (דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֹּלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ וְלָא כְּמַאן דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בְּחֵיזוּ דְּכוֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי), which all display a matter, but Kudsha Berikh Hu changes it to a different form (דְּכֻלְהוּ אַחְזְיָין מִלָּה, וּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחְלַף לֵיהּ לְגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא). And who is a Rock [Tzur] besides our God, this has been established: there is no 'Artist' [Tzayyar] like Kudsha Berikh Hu, for He is a 'Perfect Artist' [Tzayyar Shelim] (וּמִי צוּר זוּלָתִי אֱלֹהֵינוּ. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ: דְּלֵית צַיָּיר כְּמָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ צַיָּיר שְׁלִים), He fashions and forms an image within an image, and perfects that image in all its Tikkunim (עָבִיד וְצִיֵּיר דִּיוּקְנָא גּוֹ דִּיוּקְנָא, וְאַשְׁלִים לְהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא בְּכָל תִּקּוּנֵיהּ), and places within it a supernal Nefesh that corresponds to the supernal Tikkun (וְאָעִיל בָּהּ נֶפֶשׁ עִלָּאָה דְּדָמֵי לְתִקּוּנָא עִלָּאָה). For this reason, there is no 'Artist' [Tzayyar] like Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּגִין כָּךְ לֵית צַיָּיר כְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).
Come and see: from that seed of the man (תָּא חֲזֵי: מֵהַהוּא זַרְעָא דְּבַר נָשׁ), when his desire is awakened toward his female, and the female is awakened toward him, then they are joined together as one (כַּד אִתְעַר תִּיאוּבְתֵּיהּ לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבֵיהּ, וְנוּקְבֵיהּ אִתְעָרַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין מִתְחַבְּרָן תַּרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא), and from them emerges one child who includes both forms as one (וְנָפַק מִנַּיְיהוּ בַּר חַד דְּכָלִיל מִתְּרֵין דִּיוּקְנִין כְּחַד), because Kudsha Berikh Hu forms him with a form that includes both (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צִיֵּיר לֵיהּ בְּצִיּוּרָא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל מִתַּרְוַויְיהוּ). And for this reason, the man must sanctify himself at that time, so that the image may be found in complete form as is fitting (וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְקַדְּשָׁא גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח הַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא בְּצִיּוּרָא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא חָזֵי).
Rabbi Ḥiyya said:p2-20 Come and see how great are the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא: תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִנּוּן רַבְרְבִין עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for He creates and forms people in the likeness of the world [This means that every person reflects the entire world within himself and thus is called a Microcosmos/small universe] (דְּהָא אוּמְנוּתָא וְצִיּוּרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא). And each and every day, Kudsha Berikh Hu, the Creator of the world, arranges matches, each one as is proper for him (וּבְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרֵי עָלְמָא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ), and He fashions their images before they come into the world (וְהוּא צִיֵּיר דִּיוּקְנֵיהוֹן עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעָלְמָא).p2-21
Notes
Sulam: Rabbi Ḥiyya said, etc. (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא וְכוּ׳), Rabbi Ḥiyya said, come and see how great are the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אַר״ח בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלִים הֵם מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for the craft and the formation of man is like the craft and formation of the world (כִּי הָאוּמָנוּת וְהַצִּיּוּר שֶׁל הָאָדָם הוּא כְּמוֹ אוּמָנוּת וְצִיּוּר שֶׁל הָעוֹלָם), that is to say, that man includes within himself all the works of the world and is called a small world (כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהָאָדָם כּוֹלֵל בְּתוֹכוֹ כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָעוֹלָם וְנִקְרָא עוֹלָם קָטָן), and every single day Kudsha Berikh Hu creates a world (וּבְכָל יוֹם וְיוֹם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוֹרֵא עוֹלָם), that is, He unites unions for each one according to what is fitting for him, which is considered as creating worlds (דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁמְּזַוֵּג זִוּוּגִים לְכָל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁזֶּהוּ נִבְחָן לְבוֹרֵא עוֹלָמוֹת), and He forms the form of each one before they come into the world (וְהוּא צִיֵּיר צוּרָתָם שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד מִטֶּרֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ לָעוֹלָם).
Ketem Paz on Zohar 90b: Rabbi Ḥiyya said, come and see (אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא תָּא חֲזֵי), how great are the works of Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָּה אִינוּן רַבְרְבָן עוֹבָדִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for the craft and the formation of man is like the form of the world (דְּהָא אוּמָנוּתָא וְצִיּוּר דְּבַר נָשׁ הוּא כְּגוּוְנָא דְּעָלְמָא), he said that every single man of the people of the world is created in the image and likeness of the world (אָמַר כִּי כָּל אִישׁ וְאִישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁי הָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא בְּצֶלֶם וּדְמוּת הָעוֹלָם), for this reason man is called a small world in form (כִּי עַל כֵּן נִקְרָא אָדָם עוֹלָם קָטָן בַּצִּיּוּר), and we have already written the likenesses by which man resembles the world (וְכְבָר כָּתַבְנוּ הַדִּמְיוֹנִים שֶׁבָּהֶם יִדְמֶה הָאָדָם לָעוֹלָם), and therefore, since each person resembles a world in himself (וְאִם כֵּן בִּהְיוֹת כָּל אִישׁ מֵאַנְשָׁיו דּוֹמֶה לָעוֹלָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), behold in this aspect every single day He creates worlds and makes unions, each and every one as is fitting (הִנֵּה בִּבְחִינָה זוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם וְיוֹם הוּא בּוֹרֵא עוֹלָמוֹת וּמְזַוֵּג זִוּוּגִים כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּדָקָא חָזֵי), according to the likeness of the worlds which He created, bestower and receiver, each kind according to what is fitting for it (בְּדוּגְמַת הָעוֹלָמוֹת אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא מַשְׁפִּיעַ וּמֻשְׁפָּע כָּל מִין וָמִין הָרָאוּי לוֹ), and he says that all the forms preceded in His supernal formation before they came into the world, not that they were newly formed at the time of their coming into the world (וְיֹאמַר כִּי כָּל הַצִּיּוּרִין קָדְמוּ בְּצִיּוּרוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹן עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּאוּ לָעוֹלָם לֹא שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ לוֹ בְּעֵת בּוֹאָם לָעוֹלָם), and he brings proof from the tradition of Rabbi Shim‘on bar Yoḥai of blessed memory in this verse “this is the book of the generations of Adam” (וְיָבִיא רְאָיָה מִקַּבָּלַת רַשְׁבִּ״י ע״ה בַּכָּתוּב זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם), that it was not an actual book of parchment and ink, but rather its meaning is a sensory vision which Kudsha Berikh Hu showed to Adam haRishon, generation after generation and its expounders, generation after generation and its leaders (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה סֵפֶר מַמָּשׁ שֶׁל נְיָר וְדְיוֹ אֶלָּא עִנְיָנוֹ רְאִיָּה מוּחָשִׁית שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן דּוֹר דּוֹר וְדוֹרְשָׁיו דּוֹר דּוֹר וּפַרְנָסָיו), as if they were formed in a book in actual form (כְּאִלּוּ הָיוּ מְצוּיָּרִים בְּסֵפֶר בְּצִיּוּר מַמָּשׁ), and he said, and if you will say that he saw by Ruach haKodesh and that his vision was like the vision of every seer and prophet, that they are shown imagined matters and he sees them in his intellect and wisdom even though they are not in actuality (וְאִם תֹּאמַר דְּחָמָא בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְשֶׁהָיְתָה צְפִיָּתוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ צְפִיָּת כָּל חוֹזֶה וְנָבִיא שֶׁמַּרְאִים לוֹ עִנְיָנִים דִּמְיוֹנִיִּים וְרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם בְּשִׂכְלוֹ וְחָכְמָתוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָם בִּמְצִיאוּת), it is not so (לָאו הָכִי), rather he saw with the eye all of them in that very form that they are destined to stand in the world (אֶלָּא דְּחָמָא בְּעֵינָא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּזַמִּינִין לְמֵיקָם בְּעָלְמָא), that is to say, Kudsha Berikh Hu clothed them in that form which they are destined to be clothed in the world, and passed them before him like בני מרון so that he would see them with the actual sight of the eye, and not that it was imagination (כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהִלְבִּישָׁם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּתְּמוּנָה הַהִיא אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֲתִידִים לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם וְהֶעֱבִירָם לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאֶם בְּמוּחָשׁ הָעַיִן מַמָּשׁ וְלֹא שֶׁהָיָה דִּמְיוֹן), and this is the secret of “this is the book of the generations of Adam,” for He showed him all his generations that are destined to come into the world as if they were drawn in a book (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם כִּי הֶרְאָהוּ תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו כֻּלָּם הָעֲתִידִים לָבוֹא לָעוֹלָם כְּאִלּוּ הָיוּ מְצוּיָּרִים בְּסֵפֶר), and for this reason it is said “and they shall be rolled like a scroll” (וּמִטַּעַם זֶה נֶאֱמַר וְנָגֹלּוּ כַּסֵּפֶר), for the astrological indications are drawn there as if they were letters inscribed in a book (כִּי הַהוֹרָאוֹת הַמַּעֲרָכִיּוֹת מְצוּיָּרוֹת שָׁם כְּאִלּוּ הֵם אוֹתִיּוֹת נִרְשָׁמוֹת בְּסֵפֶר), and do not let it be difficult in your eyes what they have said in several places “we have found in the book of Adam haRishon” (וְלֹא יִקְשֶׁה בְּעֵינֶיךָ מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת אַשְׁכְּחָנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה), for one who was shown everything that is destined to be formed and to come, he wrote his book for those who come after him (כִּי אֶחָד שֶׁהֶרְאוּהוּ כָּל הֶעָתִיד לָצוּר וְלָבוֹא כָּתַב הוּא סִפְרוֹ לַבָּאִים אַחֲרָיו), however this verse “this is the book of the generations of Adam” was only a sensory vision, as Rabbi Shim‘on bar Yoḥai explained (אַמְנָם הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם לֹא הָיָה עִנְיָנוֹ רַק רְאִיָּה מוּחָשִׁית כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאֵר רַשְׁבִּ״י ע״ה).