Jewish Mysticism on the Archetypal Adam
In Jewish mystical writings, the rabbis speak of an archetypal man whose light is the source of all souls and angels.
Part 3, Shaar 2
השער השני:
Gate Two
במהות האדם:
The Existence of Man
במהות האדם, ובו יתבאר דרושים לא שערום הראשונים והם יסודות נפלאים, ולולא ההכרח לבאר עניני הנבואה לא הייתי מבאר אותם, ואכתבם בתכלית הקצור וכבשים ללבושך:
In this section we shall explain wondrous mysteries, teachings that were never openly revealed by the ancients, and were they not necessary in order to explain the matter of prophecy, I would never have explained them. I therefore shall write them with the utmost brevity, and may they be as, Proverbs 27:26 “lambs (Kvasim-כבשים) for your clothing,” meaning that, Talmud Bavli, Chagigah 13a “Matters that are the secrets of the world (Kivshono shel Olam-כבשונו של עולם) should remain hidden under your clothing.”
ואשאל כמה שאלות עמוקות,
I shall ask several deep questions as follows:
א' מה צורך היה בבריאת האדם בעולם הזה בגוף ונפש.
1. Why was it necessary for man to be created in this world, with a soul and a body?
2.
ב' למה הוסיף עוד ביצירת האדם שתי יצירות אחרות והם היצר טוב והיצר הרע שבו.
2. Why, was man bestowed two additional forms when he was formed, these being the good inclination (Yetzer Tov) and the evil inclination (Yetzer Hara) that are within him?
ג' אחר ששניהם שקולים בו איך ניתנה הבחירה להטותו לזה ולזה באיזו כח. ואם יש יכולת להטות אם כן לא יבראו כלל.
3. Since both are equally balanced within him, what is it that gives man the strength to choose and tip the scales to one or the other? Moreover, if he indeed has the ability to tip the scales to one or other, why then were they created altogether?
ד' ביאור אל שני יצרים האלו מה ענינם.
4. We must explain the matter of these two inclinations and what they are.
ה' לדעת אם נשמת האדם גדולה מהמלאכים אם לא, אם נאמר שהאדם גדול מהמלאכים למה לא ירדו גם המלאכים בעולם הזה להתלבש בגוף ונפש, ואם המלאך גדול מהאדם אי אפשר, כי בכל מדרשי רבותנו ז"ל נמצא הפך, כמו שאמרו (מד"ר וישלח פע"ח) מי גדול השומר או הנשמר וכיוצא בזה. עוד כי הכתובים עצמן מורים להפך כמו שכתוב (דברים פרק ל"ב) צור ילדך תשי, (תהלים פרק ס"ח) תנו עז לאלהים, על ישראל גאותו, (דברים פרק י"ד) בנים אתם לה' אלהיכם, (ישעיה מ"ט ג') ישראל אשר בך אתפאר. ואין המלאכים אומרים קדוש עד שיתחילו ישראל, ולא נמצא כזה במלאכים כלל.
5. We must know whether the soul of man is greater than the angelic beings or not. If we say that man is greater than the angels, then why did the angels not also descend into this physical world to manifest in a soul and a body? On the other hand, we cannot say that angels are greater than man. For, in all the teachings of our sages, of blessed memory, we find the opposite to be true. For example, along with many other teachings, they stated, Midrash Bereishit Rabba 78:1 “Who is greater, the guard or the guarded?” Moreover, even Scripturally, the verses themselves indicate the opposite to be true, as written, Deuteronomy 32:18 “You weakened-תשי the Rock who bore you,” and, Psalms 68:35 “Give strength to God, whose pride is over Israel,” and, Deuteronomy 14:1 “You are children to HaShem-יהו״ה your God,” and, Isaiah 49:3 “You are My servant Israel, in whom I take pride.” Moreover, the angels do not recite “Holy, Holy, Holy,” until the Jewish people below recite it first. Talmud Bavli, Chullin 91b; Midrash Shemot Rabba 23:7 We find no such things whatsoever stated about the angels.
ו' כי גם אם נודה שכן הוא תימה גדול לקרותם בנים ולומר שמתישים כח עליון או מחזיקים או מתפאר בם וכביכול יבוא האדם לידי כפירה.
6. Even if we submit that man is greater than the angels, it nevertheless remains entirely questionable to call them “His children,” or to say that they weaken (מתישים) or strengthen Him, or that He takes pride in them, for a person could possibly fall into heresy from this.
ז' ענין הנבואה איך יתכן שידבר מלך מלכי המלכים ואפילו על ידי מלאך אל האדם השפל ומה גם בהיותו מתלבש בחומר היותר עכור שבכל העולמות:
7. In regard to the matter of prophecy, how is it applicable that the King, King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He, would speak to lowly man, even through the agency of an angel, especially since man is manifest in the grossest and coarsest substance in all the worlds?
ואמנם כבר נתבאר בשער שקדם לזה עניני מהות העולמות איך כולם הוי"ה אחת כוללת כולם ונחלקת לחמשה עולמות והן נקראות יחידה וחיה ונשמה ורוח ונפש. והעולם החומרי הזה הוא גוף וחומר לכלן, באופן כי כל העולמות הם צורות אדם כלול מחומר וצורה נחלקת לחמשה מיני רוחניות כנזכר. וידעת כי שם ההוי"ה במלואה באלפי"ן עולה בגימטריא אדם. ועל דרך זה בכל פרט ופרט בכל בחינותיהם וכל בחינה מהן נקרא אדם פרטי נכלל מהוי"ה אחת הנחלקת בארבעה יסודות ועשר ספירות:
Now, in the preceding gate we explained the matter of the existence of the worlds and how they all are One Being-Havayah Achat-הוי״ה אחת that includes them all, and that they are divided into five worlds. We explained that these are called the Yechidah, Chayah, Neshamah, Ru’ach, and Nefesh. We also explained that this physical world is the body and substance to them all. That is, each of the worlds are in the form of man, and each possesses substance and form, and each are divided into five spiritual levels, as explained. You also know that when the Name of HaShem-יהו״ה is spelled out with the letter Aleph-א [יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א] it has the same numerical value as “man-Adam-אדם-45.” The same is likewise so of each particular detail in all their various levels. Each of them is called a particular man (Adam-אדם), which includes One Being-Havayah Achat-הוי"ה אחת that divides into four foundations and ten Sefirot.
ועוד יש חלוק אחר לא נתבאר בשער שקדם, והוא, כי גם העשר ספירות נחלקו לתרי"ג בחינות כמו שיתבאר. והרי כי כל העולמות יחד וכן כל פרט מהם בפני עצמו נברא כדמות אדם התחתון, וזהו סוד נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו, והבן זה היטב:
There is another division that was not explained in the preceding gate, which is that the ten Sefirot also subdivide further into 613 aspects, as will be explained. Nevertheless, it is understood that all the worlds as a whole, as well as each particular world, in and of itself, is created in the form of the lower man. This is the mystery of the verse, *Genesis 1:26 “Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” Understand this well.
וכבר נתבאר (עץ חיים שמ"ז פ"ז) כי מן הבריאה ולמטה הכל נקרא עץ הדעת כלול טוב ורע, אלא שבכל מדרגה מהם מתמעט הטוב ומתרבה הרע, עד שנמצא שהעולם השפל רובו רע ומעוטו טוב. גם נתבאר, כי לעולם הרשע מכתיר את הצדיק ולכן הטוב נקרא פרי והרע נקרא קליפה המלבשת את הפרי ולא זו בלבד, כי אפילו האורות הטובים הם על דרך זה, כי היותר זך ורוחני שבהן מתלבש בתוך שאר האורות, וכן כולן כפי סדר מדרגותיהם. וכבר נתבאר בשער שקדם איך האין סוף פנימי מכולן וחוצה לו הספירות בסדר מדרגותיהם כתר פנימי מכולם ומלכות חיצונה מכולן:
Now, it has already been explained In Etz Chayim, Shaar 47, Ch. 4 that everything from the world of Creation-Briyah and down, is called the Tree of Knowledge, in that it includes both good and evil. Additionally, it has been explained that with the successive descent of their levels, there is a diminishment of the good and an increase of the evil, to the point that we find that this lowly world is mostly evil with very little good. It also is explained that “the wicked surrounds the righteous,” Habakkuk 1:4 and therefore the good is called the fruit, whereas the evil is called the peel or shell (Kelipah) that covers over the fruit. Moreover, the same is likewise true that the good lights and illuminations are also in this manner, that is, the more refined and spiritual among them are manifest within the remaining lights and illuminations. The same is true of them all, according to the order of their levels. In the preceding gate it was also explained how the Unlimited One, HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, is the innermost of them all, and that the Sefirot are external to Him, according to the order of their levels, with the crown-Keter being the most inner and kingship-Malchut being the most external.
ועתה נבאר מה שלא נתבאר שם. והוא כי כמו שזה האור המיוחד הנקרא עולם העשר ספירות בתמונת אדם אחד, כן יש עוד אור אחד הנקרא מחצב הנשמות של בני אדם נכלל ממש בכל אותם פרטי הבחינות שנתבאר באדם של העשר ספירות שהוא הנקרא אלהות גמור והוא מתלבש תוך האור הזה הנקרא מחצב הנשמות בכל פרטיו:
We now shall begin explaining what has yet to be explained. Namely, just as this unique light, which is called the world of the Ten Sefirot, is in the image of a single man, so likewise, there is another light of man (Adam-אדם) that is called the source of the souls of all people. It too includes all the particulars that were explained in regard to the man (Adam-אדם) of the Ten Sefirot, literally. That is, the man (Adam-אדם) of the Ten Sefirot is considered to be completely Godly, and it manifests within the light and illumination which is the source of the souls, in all their particular details.
עוד יש אור אחר בצורת אדם הנקרא מחצב המלאכים, שממנו נחצבו כל המלאכים וגם הוא נכלל מכל פרטים הנזכרים כולן והוא מלבוש חיצון על אור מחצב הנשמות:
There is also another light in the form of man (Adam-אדם) which is called the source of the angels. That is, all the angels are hewn from this light, and it too includes all the above-mentioned details. It is the outer garment over the light that is the source of the souls. (Emphasis mine)
Contrast this with the teaching the NT that Christ is the Last who came from heaven and who is the light and life of creation:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him...
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth... No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:1-10, 14, 18
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” John 8:12
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.” John 12:35-36
“Then Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.’” John 12:44-46
“And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
“whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:4-6
Scriptural references taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).
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