Daf 95b (דַּף צ״ה ע״ב)

Adam and his wife were created in the likeness of Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinta (דְּאָדָם וְאִתְּתֵיהּ אִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּדִיּוֹקְנָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ). And because of this, the guilt of Adam was dependent on the Middle Pillar (וּבְגִין דָּא חוֹבָא דְאָדָם הֲוָה תַלְיָא בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא), and the guilt of Chavah on the Shekhinta (וְחוֹבָה דְחַוָּה בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). And because of this: “What is this you have done” (Bereshit 3:13) (וּבְגִין דָּא מַה זֹּאת עָשִׂית), to “Zot [this]” you have surely done (לְזֹאת עָשִׂית וַדַּאי). And this guilt caused that the Shekhinta descended into exile (וְחוֹבָא דָא גָרַם דְּנָחְתַת שְׁכִינְתָּא בְגָלוּתָא), as Yisrael did the deeds of their fathers (דַהֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָבְדִין מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם). And because of this it is said: “And yet, even this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I abhor them…” (Leviticus 26:44) (וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים וְגוֹ׳). And concerning her David said: “Though a camp encamp against me, my heart shall not fear… in Zot [this] I trust…” (Psalms 27:3) (וּבָהּ אָמַר דָּוִד אִם תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה לֹא יִירָא לִבִּי וְגוֹ׳, בְּזֹאת אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ וְגוֹ׳). This is said regarding the war of Gog and Magog (דָּא אִתְּמַר בְּמִלְחֶמֶת גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג). And who causes that He should be guarded in her? Because concerning her it is said: “If I give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for Hashem…” (Psalms 132:4–5) (וּמָאן גָּרִים לְמֶהֱוִי אִיהוּ נָטִיר בָּהּ, בְּגִין דַּעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנָת לְעִינָי לְעַפְעַפַּי תְּנוּמָה עַד אֶמְצָא מָקוֹם לַיהו״ה וְגוֹ׳). And this is the wisdom of Shlomo (וְהַאי אִיהִי חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה). And concerning her it is said: “And the wisdom of the poor man is despised” (Ecclesiastes 9:16) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה). And concerning her it is said: “For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Samuel 2:30) (וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ). For when Shlomo descended from his kingship, his wisdom was despised in the eyes of fools (כַּד נָחִית שְׁלֹמֹה מִמַּלְכוּתֵיהּ הֲוָה חָכְמָה דִילֵיהּ בְּזוּיָה בְּעִינֵי שַׁטְיָין). And when he ascended in his kingship it is said of him: “And the wisdom of Shlomo increased” (1 Kings 5:10) (וְכַד אִסְתַּלַּק בְּמַלְכוּתֵיהּ אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וַתֵּרֶב חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה). And it increased until it reached this place that was taken from there, to the place of supernal Chokhmah (דְאִתְרַבִּיאַת עַד דִּמְטָאת לְהַאי אֲתַר דְּאִתְנְטִילַת מִתַּמָּן, לַאֲתַר דְּחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה). For she is Chokhmah at the beginning, she is Chokhmah at the end, and she is Torah in the middle (דְאִיהִי חָכְמָה בְּרֵישָׁא, וְאִיהִי חָכְמָה בַסּוֹף, וְאִיהִי תּוֹרָה בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא). In the Middle Pillar - Torah of Emet [Truth] (בְּעַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת), above - Torah of Chokham (לְעִילָא תּוֹרַת חָכָם), below - the wisdom of Shlomo (לְתַתָּא חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה).

And because of this, from the side of Shlomo it is said: “And the wisdom of the poor man is despised” (Ecclesiastes 9:16) (וּבְגִין דָּא מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׁלֹמֹה אִתְּמַר וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה), that it descends in him and ascends in him (דִּנְחִיתַת בֵּיהּ, וּסְלִיקַת בֵּיהּ), as it is said of him: “And the wisdom of Shlomo increased beyond the wisdom of all the children of the East” (1 Kings 5:10) (כְּמָה דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וַתֵּרֶב חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה מֵחָכְמַת כָּל בְּנֵי קֶדֶם). And in the days of their lives what is written of them? “Hashem has delivered me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand” (Lamentations 1:14) (אִםל בְּחַיָּיבַיָּא מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, נְתָנַנִי יְהו״ה בִּידֵי לֹא אוּכַל קוּם). “She has fallen, she shall rise no more” (Amos 5:2) (נָפְלָה וְלֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם). And even though she has no permission to rise of herself, Kudsha Berikh Hu will raise her up (וְאַף עַל פִּי דְלֵית לָהּ רְשׁוּ לְמֵיקַם מִגַּרְמָהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יוֹקִים לָהּ), as it is said: “On that day I will raise up the fallen sukkah of David” (Amos 9:11) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶת סֻכַּת דָּוִד הַנֹּפֶלֶת). And who caused her to descend from her place? This is the serpent (וּמָאן גָּרִים דְּנָחְתַת לָהּ מֵאַתְרָהּ דָּא נָחָשׁ), as it is said: “And Hashem Elohim said to the serpent: Because you have done this” (Bereshit 3:14) (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר וַיֹּאמֶר יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם אֶל הַנָּחָשׁ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת). This is the Shekhinta, that he caused to be found dry land, and she fell from her place (דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּגָרְמַת דְּאִשְׁתַּכְּחַת יַבָּשָׁה וְנָפְלַת מֵאַתְרָהּ). “Cursed are you above all the cattle…” (Bereshit 3:14) (אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וְגוֹ׳). Cursed is he that he will not have kings and rulers over that which he leans upon, which are his legs and his hands, which were cut off (לַיִיט לֵיהּ דְּלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ מַלְכִין וְשַׁלִּיטִין עַל מַה דְּסָמִיךְ, דְּאִינוּן רַגְלוֹי וִידוֹי דְּקָצִיץ לוֹן). As he caused cutting and separation above (כְּמָה דְאִיהוּ גְרִים קִצּוּץ וּפִרוּד לְעִילָא). And because of this: “On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life” (Bereshit 3:14) (וּבְגִין דָּא עַל גְּחוֹנְךָ תֵלֵךְ וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ). And this is what Yitzchak said to Esav: “From the fatness of the earth shall be your dwelling” (Bereshit 27:39) (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְאָמַר יִצְחָק לְעֵשָׂו מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ יִהְיֶה מוֹשָׁבֶךָ).

Ten curses to the serpent (עִּשֶׂר לְוָטַיָּא לַיִיט לְחִוְיָא), because he caused the Shekhinta, who is the Tenth, to be separated from her Husband (בְּגִין דְּגָרִים דְּאִתְפַּרַשׁ שְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִיהִי עֲשִׂירָאָה מִבַּעִילָהּ), and ten to Adam (וְעִשֶׂר לְאָדָם), and ten to Chavah (וְעִשֶׂר לְחַוָּה), and nine to the earth (וְתִשְׁעָה לְאַרְעָא), that sinned against the Tzaddik, who is the Ninth (דְחָבַאת לַצַּדִּיק דְאִיהוּ תְשִׁיעָאָה), all of them sinned against the Tenth (כֻּלְּהוּ חָאבוּ לַעֲשִׂירָאָה), and the earth against the Tzaddik (וְאַרְעָא לַצַּדִּיק). And from what-some say: and why-did it sin against the Tzaddik (וּמִמַּאי נ״א ואמאי חָאבַאת לַצַּדִּיק), for “because of you” He said to Adam (דְּהָא בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ אָמַר לְאָדָם).

And furthermore, because of Adam, a curse to the earth from which he was taken (וְעוֹד בְּגִין אָדָם לַיִּיט לְאַרְעָא דְּאִתְנְטִיל מִינָהּ), as it is written: “And Hashem Elohim formed the man, dust from the earth” (Bereshit 2:7) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּיצֶר יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה). If so, why did it sin against the Tzaddik, who is the Ninth (אִם כֵּן מַה חָבַאת לַצַּדִּיק דְּאִיהוּ תְשִׁיעָאָה). Rather, because it is said of her: “And Hashem Elohim caused to sprout from the earth every tree desirable to the sight and good for food, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil” (Bereshit 2:9) (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ וַיַּצְמַח יְהו״ה אֱלֹהִי״ם מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן וְעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע). And it had permission to strike the hand of Adam, that he not eat from the tree of death, and it did not strike (וַהֲוָה לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְמִמְחָא בִידָא דְאָדָם דְּלָא יֵכוּל מֵאִילָנָא דְמוֹתָא, וְלָא מָחַאת). For this reason He said: “because of you” (בְּגִין דָּא אָמַר בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ). Rabbi El'azar said to him: And is there Da‘at in the earth to all this extent (אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְכִי אִית דַּעַת בְּאַרְעָא לְכוּלֵי הַאי)? He said to him: Yes, this is what is written: “Hashem, by Chokhmah, founded the earth” (Proverbs 3:19) (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יְהו״ה בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ). He said to him: But behold, this verse is said regarding supernal Chokhmah and the earth of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא בְּחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה וּבְאַרְעָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּמַר הַאי קְרָא). He said to him: My son, this one corresponding to that Kudsha Berikh Hu made; there is Chokhmah and there is Chokhmah, there is earth and there is earth (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי דָא לָקֳבֵל דָּא עָבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִית חָכְמָה וְאִית חָכְמָה, אִית אַרְעָא וְאִית אַרְעָא).