Daf 55a (דַּף נ״ה ע״א)

“Cast into the sea” (רָמָה בַּיָּם). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה), on that night (בֵּיהּ בְּלֵילְיָא), a mighty power of Gevurah was aroused (אִתְּעַר גְּבוּרָא תַּקִּיפָא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “And Hashem drove the sea with a strong east wind all the night” (Exodus 14) (וַיּוֹלֶךְ ייָ אֶת הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כָּל הַלַּיְלָה). Some say: a mighty power was aroused within it (ס״א: דְּאִתְּעַר בֵּיהּ גְּבוּרָא תַּקִּיפָא). At that time the Matronita requested from the King (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא בָּעָאת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא מִן מַלְכָּא), that all the hosts below and all the dominions above be delivered into her hands (כָּל אִינּוּן אוֹכְלוֹסִין דִּלְתַּתָּא וְכָל אִינּוּן שׁוּלְטָנִין דִּלְעֵילָּא דְּיִתְמַסְּרוּן בִּידָהּ). And they were all given into her hand (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְמְסָרוּ בִּידָהּ), to execute vengeance upon them (לְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ נוּקְמִין). This is what is written: “The horse and his rider He cast into the sea” (Exodus 15) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב סוּס וְרוֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַּיָּם). “Into the sea”-without specification (בַּיָּם סְתָם), meaning both above and below (לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). “My strength and song is Yah” (Exodus 15) (עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ).

Rabbi Ḥiyya opened and said (Psalms 139) “Back and front You formed me, and You laid Your hand upon me” (רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָּה). How much do human beings need to honor Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָּה אִצְטְרִיכוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְיְקָרָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד בָּרָא עָלְמָא), He looked to Adam to be ruler over all (אִסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ בָּאָדָם לְמֶהֱוֵי שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא). Some say: to be perfect in all, and He created him two-faced (ס״א: לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא וְאִתְּבְרִי דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין). He resembled the supernal and the lower (וַהֲוָה דָּאֲמֵי לְעֵילָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). He descended in precious likeness (נָחַת לֵיהּ בִּדְמוּת יַקִּירָא), and the creatures beheld him (וְחָמוּ לֵיהּ בְּרִיָּין). Then they assembled before him (כְּדֵין אִתְּכְּנְשׁוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ), and bowed before him (וְסָגִידוּ לְקֳבְלֵיהּ), and fear and dread fell upon them from his awe (וְאֵימָתָא וּדְחִילָא נָפְלַת עֲלַיְיהוּ מִדַּחְלְתֵּיהּ). This is what is written (Bereshit 9) “And your fear and your dread shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה עַל כָּל חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וְעַל כָּל עוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם). He brought him into His garden which He planted (עַיֵּילֵיהּ לְגִנְתֵּיהּ דְּנָטַע), to guard it, to have joy upon joy there, and to delight in it (לְנַטְרֵיהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ חֵדוּ עַל חִדוּ וּלְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בֵּיהּ). He made for him cloaks woven with precious stones (עָבֵד לֵיהּ טְרוֹצְטְבוּלִין מְחַפְּיָין בְּאַבְנֵי יְקָר), and supernal angels rejoiced before him (וּמַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין חַדָּאן קָמֵיהּ). Afterward He appointed him over one tree, and he did not stand in the command of his Master (לְבָתַר פָּקִיד לֵיהּ עַל אִילָנָא חַד וְלָא קָאֵים בְּפִקּוּדָא דְּמָרֵיהּ).

We have found in the book of Enoch (אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ), that after Kudsha Berikh Hu elevated him (דְּלְבָתַר דְּסָלִיק לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and showed him all the treasuries of the King, above and below (וְאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ כָּל גִּנְזַיָּיא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי), He showed him the Tree of Life (אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי), and the tree regarding which Adam was commanded (וְאִילָנָא דְּאִתְּפְקַד עָלֵיהּ אָדָם), and He showed him the place of Adam in the Garden of Eden (וְאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ דּוּכְתֵּיהּ דְּאָדָם בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן). And he saw that had Adam kept that command (וְחָמָא דְּאִלְמָלֵי נָטִיר אָדָם פִּקּוּדָא דָּא), he could have remained forever and been sustained there always (יָכִיל לְקַיָּימָא תָּדִירָא וּלְמֶהֱוֵי תָּדִירָא תַּמָּן). He did not keep the command of his Master (הוּא לָא נָטַר פִּקּוּדָא דְּמָרֵיהּ), and he went out in tears and was punished (נָפַק בְּדִימוֹס וְאִתְּעֲנַשׁ).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): Adam was created as two faces (אָדָם דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין אִתְּבְּרֵי), and this has already been established (וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא). (Bereshit 2) “And He took one of his sides” (וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו), He sawed him apart and they became two (נְסָרוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאִתְּעָבִידוּ תְּרֵין), from east and from west (מִמִּזְרָח וּמִמַּעֲרָב). This is what is written (Psalms 139) “Back and front You formed me” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב אָחוֹר וְקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי). “Back” is the west (אָחוֹר דָּא מַעֲרָב), and “front” is the east (וְקֶדֶם דָּא מִזְרָח).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): What did Kudsha Berikh Hu do? He fashioned that female and perfected her beauty above all (מַה עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תַּקִּין לְהַהוּא נוּקְבָּא וְשַׁכְלִיל שְׁפִירוּתָהּ עַל כֹּלָּא), and brought her to Adam (וְעַיֵּילָהּ לְאָדָם). This is what is written: “And Hashem Elohim built the rib which He took from the man into a woman” (Bereshit 2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּבֶן ייָ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר לָקַח מִן הָאָדָם לְאִשָּׁה). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), what is written above: “And He took one of his ribs” (מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא: וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו). What is “one” (מַאי אַחַת)? As you say (Song of Songs 6) “My dove, My perfect one, is one; she is the only one of her mother” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַּמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ). “Of his ribs” means from his side (מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו מִסִּטְרוֹי), as it is said (Exodus 26) “And for the side of the Mishkan” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר וּלְצֶלַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): Kudsha Berikh Hu placed a supernal soul into Adam (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִשְׁמְתָא עִלָּאָה יָהַב בֵּיהּ בְּאָדָם), and included in him wisdom and understanding (וְכָלִיל בֵּיהּ חָכְמְתָא וְסָכְלְתָנוּ), to know all (לְמִנְדַּע כֹּלָּא). From where did He give him the soul (מֵאָן אֲתָר יָהַב בֵּיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא)? Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): from the place where all the other holy souls come (מֵאֲתָר דִּשְׁאָר נִשְׁמָתִין קַדִּישִׁין קָא אַתְיָין).

Rabbi Yehudah said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): from here, as it is written (Bereshit 1) “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (דִּכְתִּיב תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). Who is the earth (מַאן הָאָרֶץ)? From that place where the Sanctuary is found (מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּמַקְדְּשָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַּח בֵּיהּ). “Living soul”-the general expression “living soul” this is the soul of Adam Kadma’ah, which is of everything. (נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה סְתָם דָּא נַפְשָׁא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה דְּכֹלָּא).

Rabbi Ḥiyya said (רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר): Adam knew supernal wisdom (אָדָם הֲוָה יָדַע חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה), more than the supernal angels (יַתִּיר מִמַּלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי), and he looked into all (וַהֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּכֹלָּא), and knew and was made known to his Master (וְיָדַע וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְמָארֵיהּ), more than all other human beings (יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאָר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). After he sinned, the wellsprings of wisdom were sealed from him (בָּתַר דְּחָב אַסְתִּימוּ מִנֵּיהּ מַבּוּעֵי דְּחָכְמְתָא). What is written (Bereshit 3) (Some say: as it is written (נ״א: מִמַּה דְּכְתִּיב): “And Hashem Elohim sent him out from the Garden of Eden to till the ground” (מַה כְּתִיב וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ ייָ אֱלֹהִים מִגַּן עֵדֶן לַעֲבוֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה).