Heavens and Earth
151. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion by saying, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This verse has to be examined carefully because whoever claims that there is another Creator will be wiped from the face of the world, as it is written, “He who says that there is another Creator, will perish from the earth and from heaven because there is no other Creator besides the Lord.”
Here The Zohar continues talking about the correction of the bride. Hence, it starts with the first sentence of the Torah: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED, with the root and source of all corrections of the bride (Malchut) during 6000 years. All correction of Malchut occurs only due to its union with Bina and the reception of its properties. Hence, the Torah says: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED, where the Creator is called Elokim, which means Bina, i.e., that He created the world in order to correct it with the property of Bina.
Elokim consists of MI-Bina and ELEH-Malchut. Owing to the constant union of MI and ELEH the world is able to exist. The Creator is Bina called Elokim; and because OhrHochma dresses up in OhrHassadim, the union of MI and ELEH provides ELEH with the property of Bina and the world can exist thanks to this correction.
The union of MI and ELEH does not let other foreign, egoistical forces to exist within a Partzuf. These forces are called “other deities (Elokim Acherim).” They cannot sustain the world because they separate MI from ELEH and do not dress up the Light of pleasure (Hochma) in the altruistic intention of Hassadim, for the sake of the Creator. As a result, OhrHochma exits the Partzuf, leaves ELEH. Therefore, it is forbidden to believe that man is governed by any other forces besides the Creator. Such belief brings the world and man only destruction and darkness instead of existence and the Light of life.
152. With the exception of the word ELEH, everything else is written in Aramaic, which is called a “translation”. He asks: If you suggest that it is because the Holy Angels do not understand the translation, i.e., the Aramaic language, then this verse would have been said in Hebrew, so that the Holy Angels should hear and be grateful for it. He replies: This is certainly the reason why it is written in the translated form (Aramaic), as the Holy Angels can neither hear nor understand it. Hence, they will not envy man or harm him. This is because in this verse, the Holy Angels are called Elokim as well. They are included in Elokim, but they have not created heaven and earth.
Aramaic is referred to as a “translation.” It is very close to the holy language of Hebrew, but in spite of that, the angels do not need or know it. Yet, they know all the other languages of the nations of the world and need them. The reason for this lies in the fact that the translation from the holy language to Aramaic is called its “reverse side,” its VAK without GAR.
That is to say, there is an altruistic language, which is accordingly called “holy,” and its reverse, preliminary stage called “translation,” the Aramaic language. No other language in the world but Aramaic can be regarded as the translation from the holy language. All the other languages in the world’s nations (the egoistical desires) are absolutely egoistical and are in no way concerned with altruism. They are not AHP with regard to GE (the holy language).
Therefore, the translation is really close to the holy language. However, there is a difference, which renders it unnecessary to the angels: the holy language is like the pointer of scales that shows the extent of balance between the right and left scales, while moving between the two pans and bringing in its verdict. It alternately gravitates towards the pan of reward for merits or towards the pan of punishment for transgressions and brings everything back to the state of correction, purity, and holiness. Hence, it is called the holy language (See the Introduction to “The Study of Ten Sefirot,” par. 120).
As it is written in item 16: The heavens, the earth, and their hosts were created by MA, which is Malchut, as it is written: “MA = WHAT = HOW glorious is Your name in all the earth, which You set above the heavens!” The heavens were created by the name (property) MA (Malchut). However, the phrase “above the heavens” refers to Bina, which is called MI.The explanation of this lies in the name of Elokim.
The name Elokim is revealed in the heavens and earth, which were created by the power of MA, only by means attaching the letters ELEH from Ima-Bina with the help of MAN and good deeds of the souls. Therefore, the Light of GAR, i.e., OhrHochma, called Elokim, is versatile in the heavens (Bina) and in the earth (ZON).
Usually, only GE are present above the Parsa, in the world of Atzilut. Their AHP is below the Parsa, in the worlds BYA because ZON are unwilling to receive OhrHochma unless it should be passed to the Partzufim, the souls of the righteous, who exist in the worlds BYA.
This is because when the souls of the righteous that spiritually exist in the worlds of BYA raise MAN from their places in BYA to MalchutdeAtzilut, MA turns into MI and the letters ELEH become attached to MI. Together they create the word Elokim, which is the Light of heaven and earth. However, if the souls spoil their actions by sinking into the egoistical intentions, the Light disappears and the SefirotK-H with the Light Ruach-Nefesh (called MI or MA) remain, while the letters ELEH fall into the impure forces because MI is GE and ELEH is AHP.
Therefore, the entire correction depends exclusively on attaching the letters ELEH to MI with the help of MAN. This correction is called the “holy language.” Like the pointer of scales, it determines the balance between the egoistical desires and altruistic intentions, i.e., the reception for the sake of the Creator. Hence, the pointer of scales is set in the middle. With the help of such an interaction of properties of Malchut (the will to receive) and Bina (the will to bestow) one can receive OhrHochma for the sake of the Creator.
The Light, which is called “holy” because it passes the holy name Elokim to ZON, descends from Bina to ZON and transfers the letters ELEH to the pure and holy side, to the pan of merit. This is why the Hebrew for “scales” is Mawznaim (from the word Awzen), since the Light in AHP (Awzen-Hotem-Peh) is called according to the highest Light in it, OhrAwzen of the SefiraBina or OhrNeshama.
The language of translation called TARGUM is opposite to the holy language of scales because when the souls do not raise MAN and remain outside of their pure intentions, this state is defined as the aspiration to only use the will receive, which are designated only by the letters ELEH and do not aspire to unite them with desire, with the letters MI (Bina), the property of bestowal. As a result of this, AHP of ZON called MA descend, and heaven and earth (namely ZON) return to the state of VAK.
Such a state is called the language of Targum. The Gematria of the word TARDEMA (slumber) matches that of the word TARGUM. In Hebrew, the word Targum is spelled with the same letters as the words TeredMA, which means “descending MA,” because by means of this impure language AHP = MA (designated by the words TERED MA) becomes revealed and the descent from the pan of merit to the pan of punishment occurs. ThestateofGEiscalled “slumber.”
However, all this refers only to ZON, i.e. to heaven and earth that were created in MA, to desires of reception because they emerged as a result of Zivug on Yesod called MA. Nevertheless, the Holy Angels that came from ZivugdeNeshikin of AVI and have no MA, but only MI (only altruistic desires of bestowal, the property of IMA-Bina), permanently exist in the state of VAK without GAR, i.e. without OhrHochma. On the other hand, their VAK is OhrHassadim of MI = Ima-Bina. OhrHassadim in Bina is as important as GAR because it fills desires with the sensation of perfection that is so similar to GAR that they reject OhrHochma just like Ima. There is holiness in them; hence, GAR are called “holy.”
There are two reasons why the angels do not respond to the language of TARGUM, which adds MA to ZON and brings ZON back to the state of VAK:
1. Even when ZON are in the state of GAR due to the influence of the holy language, the angels do not receive GAR (Hochma) from it because, just like Ima, they want only OhrHassadim.
2. The addition of Achoraim = AHP in no way refers to the angels because they lack the property of MA. Hence, The Zohar says that THE HOLY ANGELS HAVE NO NEED FOR TRANSLATION AND DO NOT LISTEN TO IT. They do not need it because they neither lose anything when it is available nor gain nothing when it disappears. This is because they constitute the property of VAK and lack the property of MA.
THEY WILL NOT ENVY MAN – basically, this sentence refers to the damnation of other deities, of the forces that prevent man from revealing GAR, OhrHochma. As a result of this, a person loses the Light and the letters ELEH because the angels do not have the properties of GARdeHochma either, but only GARdeHassadim. Hence, they feel ashamed of their fall to such a low level and envy us because we feel our own significance.
The Zohar says that in this case, the Holy Angels are called creators, but they have not created heaven and earth and are called creators-Elokim (forces) because they come from Ima-Bina (known as Elokim). THEY HAVE NOT CREATED HEAVEN AND EARTH because they cannot uphold the existence of heaven and earth in GARdeHochma. “Heaven and earth (the correction of the world until its ultimate merging with the Creator) cannot exist unless man settles there (he should consist of egoistical and altruistic desires) and sows and reaps (corrects his egoistical desires by uniting with the properties of Bina).” This existence is possible only in the Light of GARdeHochma (the reception of OhrHochma for the sake of the Creator). Hence, theangelsdonotcreateheavenandearth.
153. He says: The earth is called “Arka,” when it should have read, “Ar’a,” and then explains: because Arkah is one of the seven lands down below. And in that place, the descendants of Cain live. Because after he had been banished from the face of the earth, he descended there and begot generations. There was so much confusion that all knowledge was lost, and it is a double land that consists of darkness and light.
All the 7 Sefirot (the 6 Sefirot of ZA and Malchut) include (each one in itself) the properties of the other 6, so each one of them has 7 SefirotH-G-T-N-H-Y-M. That is to say, Malchut also has 7 Sefirot, and there are 7 lands in the lower world. Theyarecalled: ERETZ, ADAMA, ARKA, GIA, NESHIA, TZIA, andTEVEL.
Our land is called TEVEL and it consists of 7 lands. ARKA is the third of the 7 lands. The souls of Cain and Abel descend from the word Elokim, but because of the impurity, which Adam’s wife Havah (Eve) received from the serpent, the soul of Cain first emerged from the letters ELEH, and after that the souls of Abel emerged from the letters MI. These two Partzufim were supposed to join and combine their properties. As a result, the name Elokim would have constantly shone in both of them, as when MI is inside ELEH.
However, the impure force that emerged together with Cain’s soul incited him against his brother (MI of the word Elokim) and he slew Abel because the disappearance of the property MI-Bina from ELEH is tantamount to murder.
At the same time, without the support of the properties of MI,ELEH (Cain’s own property) fell into the impure forces, from (the spiritual level of) the holy land to the impure place (egoistical desires). He lost his descendants (the Partzufim filled with the Light) because of the rule of the impure forces (disappearance of the screen). A translation was substituted within him for the holy language because he had lost wisdom (OhrHochma). The impure forces lack wisdom, for they have only the Light of H-B without Da’at.
The slaying of Abel (i.e., the Light exits this Partzuf; see par. 152) occurs because MI is formed in ZON only by the power of MAN (raised by the pure thoughts of the righteous in the worlds BYA). After that, the letters ELEH appear and the word Elokim becomes as complete in ZON as in AVI. Malchut ends just like ZA (Ima) due to the replacement of the letter Hey with Yud (see par.17).
However, the letter Hey does not disappear from MA for good. It simply enters into the inner part of Malchut and hides there (the will to receive receives its fulfillment from the altruistic actions, from OhrHassadim; hence, their egoistical aspirations stop being felt temporarily; they are concealed in OhrHassadim). At the same time, the letter Yud within MI becomes revealed.
This is why the Creator’s holy name Elokim is also found in ZON, in heaven and earth. Cain did not raise MAN in holiness and purity, but wished to use the letters ELEH for his own pleasure. This is described in the following way: CAIN ROSE UP AGAINST ABEL HIS BROTHER. He put himself above his brother, wished to rule over MI (Abel). However, the AHP of Nukva (the hitherto concealed letter Hey of MA) was immediately revealed and the word MA disappeared from Malchut. Hence, Abel’s soul, which comes from MI of Nukva (MI fills the Partzuf with the Light and is called its soul) rises up and disappears. This is described by the words: AND SLEW HIM because the Light’s exiting the Partzuf is referred to as death.
The Zohar describes this process in the following way: The serpent’s impure force was within Cain (Beresheet 2:4); hence, he wanted to strengthen the letters ELEH, annul MI, and rule over them. He opened up the AHP of Nukva (MA) and MI disappeared from Nukva, whereupon Abel’s soul, which descends from MI, disappears as well (AND SLEW HIM).
Cain (ELEH) fell under the power of the impure forces called ARKA or ERETZ NOD, as it is written in the Torah: “And he dwelt in the land of Nod” (Beresheet 4:16).
The Zohar calls it a double land consisting of Light and darkness because Light and darkness are mixed up and act (rule) together. There are two rulers in that land who divide the power equally between them. One rules over darkness, the other over the Light. Hence, a person is unable to separate the Light from darkness in such a state, and only the help from above, the descending Light of wisdom, enables it to differentiate between the true Ruler and the lord of darkness.
154. There are two rulers there, one that governs over the darkness and one over the Light, and they are hostile to each other. When Cain descended there, they joined one another and became complete. All realized that they were the descendants of Cain. Therefore, they have two heads, just like two snakes, except when the master who rules over the Light defeats the other one, the lord of the darkness. Accordingly, they enter into the Light and the darkness and become as one.
Here we need to review paragraph 14, which expounds the creation of the holy name Elokim. First the letters ELEH rise and join MI in a simple word because OhrHassadim is still insufficient, so holiness (OhrHochma) cannot enter the Kli (desire) without being dressed up in OhrHassadim. Hence, it is concealed in the name Elokim.
A Zivug occurs in MI in order to receive OhrHassadim, which dresses OhrHochma and thereby corrects the name Elokim: MIBARAHELEH – BARAH is the source of OhrHassadim, which dresses OhrHochma. Consequently, it connects MI to ELEH and the name Elokim becomes corrected. MI-Bina consists of GAR (AVI withthe property of pure altruism), which never receives OhrHochma and ZAT (YESHSUT) that receives OhrHochma.
Therefore, as the letters ELEH rise up to MI, they first reach ZATdeMI (YESHSUT), which receive OhrHochma, but in this case they are concealed in the name Elokim. After that, the 2ndZivug on GARdeMI (AVI or the altruistic desires) occurs. These altruistic desires provide ELEH with OhrHassadim and as a result of that the name Elokim becomes corrected.
AVI - GARdeBina - OhrHassadim
YESHSUT - ZATdeBina - OhrHochma
ZON
Since ELEH lacks OhrHassadim, the Partzuf thatis deprived of OhrHochma is called Cain. Not only did Cain fail to raise MAN and receive MI with Hassadim, but he also wished to receive OhrHochma from AVI, and by this he destroyed the Partzuf named Abel, because the egoistical desires of AHPdeMalchut of Atzilut were exposed. The Light disappeared from the Partzuf Abel, which means that it died. Cainfellintotheimpureforces (ELEH).
The place of these impure forces is called ARKA. There are two rulers that emerged from the impure ELEH: when AHPdeMA in Malchut is concealed while AHPdeMI is revealed, it can pass the Light from the perfect, pure, and holy name Elokim to the souls. This is because OhrHochma of ELEH (received by YESHSUT), will then be clothed in Hassadim (received from AVI) and the holy name Elokim becomes revealed.
However, since the impure forces cling only to the AHP of the pure forces (i.e., to MA), the letters ELEH within them exist in two imperfect states: (i) when no Hassadim at all are available; (ii) when OhrHochma in ELEH cannot be clothed in Hassadim due to the lack of Hassadim de MI; hence ELEH are in darkness.
This is the male part of the impure ELEH because these Kelim are meant for OhrHochma. However, they have no Hochma due to the lack of HassadimdeMI; hence they are in darkness, devoid of both Hochma and Hassadim. Yet, these are great Kelim, for if they were able to receive OhrHassadim, they would receive OhrHochma inside these Hassadim as well.
The female part of the impure ELEH originates from AHPdeMA of the holy Nukva, which happens to be the Kli for OhrHassadim. Nevertheless, the impure Nukva is seriously damaged because it is the basis of all who move away from the Creator, for it poses as the holy Malchut. Depending on the extent of its imperfection, it has many impure names. Yet, it still retains a tiny Light (Ner Dakik) because its Kelim originated from AHPdeMA, which are the Kelim of OhrHassadim in their root.
These male and female parts of the impure ELEH are ZA and Malchut of the impure forces, the two rulers in ARKA: the male part rules over darkness and the female part is responsible for the Light that is there. They make complaints against each other because they are opposite: the male part complains because it is the Kelim of the letters ELEH empty of OhrHochma, which are inside the Kelim of the female part of the impure forces and prefer to remain in its darkness.
The Nukva of the impure forces that has a small Light of Hassadim has no aspiration for OhrHochma let alone the darkness in which its male part abides. Therefore, it complains about it and moves away from OhrHochma. The Zohar says that two rulers govern there: one (the male part) over darkness, the other (the female part) over the Light. They are hostile to each other because the male part rules over darkness and the female part rules over the Light. They hate, slander, and complain against each other. Because this moves them away from each other, they cannot spread their dominance and have no strength to cause damage.
After Cain had sinned and dropped the pure letters of his soul into the impure forces of ARKA, his ELEH (deprived of Hassadim) dressed up in the meager Light present in the impure forces. This revives the small KelimdeHochma in Cain’s ELEH because the Light of the impure forces provides them with life just like the pure Light of Hassadim.
As a result of this, the male part (ELEH) of the impure forces also made a Zivug with the Nukva, which dressed Cain’s ELEH, because it has these Kelim of Cain as well. With the help of this Zivug, Cain begot his descendants, the sparks of OhrHochma that remain in the letters ELEH. They do not get mixed with the male impure KelimELEH that dressed up in the Light of Nukva of the impure forces.
Therefore, The Zohar says that when Cain descended there, everything merged and became complete, because the sparks of OhrHochma that remained in Cain’s ELEH were dressed up in the Light of Nukva of the impure forces. As a result of this, its male impure force wished to enjoy the sparks of OhrHochma that are in Cain’s ELEH. Hence, they made a Zivug, i.e., they spread and complemented each other, and all saw that they were the descendants of Cain. This Zivug produced the descendants, the sparks of OhrHochma in Cain’s impure ELEH. By this, the sparks of OhrHochma of Cain’s soul were revealed and all saw that they were Cain’s descendants born of an evil Zivug.
Therefore, theirtwo heads are just like two snakes because they were born out of a union of the male and female parts of impure ELEH that are initially opposite to one another. The descendants of Cain have two heads of the two impure forces: one of them strives after the darkness of the desires to receive OhrHochma; the other is drawn to the Light that is in the impure desires of impure Nukva. The two snake heads correspond to the two animals belonging to the system of pure forces: an ox and an eagle.
However, the two heads exist only in the state of the male part’s dominance, when the darkness rules. By dressing up in the Light of Nukva to enjoy the small sparks of OhrHochma, against its will the male part supports the dominance of its Nukva because it wants its Light. As a result of this, their descendants have two heads: the first head pulls in one direction and the second in another.
Nukva of the impure forces does no need their male part because its male part is in the darkness and cannot give it anything. Therefore, Nukva dominates and prevails in its impurity, while leaving nothing of the male part. Consequently, Cain’stwo-headeddescendantsbecomeone-headed.
The Zohar says that the ruler of the Light defeats the lord of the darkness. When impure Nukva that has the Light dominates, it defeats the male impure part as well as the other male ruler. This is because it defeats the male part and tramples it down with its power. They include themselves in its Light and darkness and become as one. Therefore, the power of the male part (darkness) becomes engaged under the power of the female part (Light) and the two heads become as one.
155. These two rulers are called Afrira and Kastimon, and their images are like the images of the Holy Angels with six wings. One has the image of an ox, and the other the image of an eagle. When they become united, they assume the image of man.
The male impure force is called Kastimon (devastation) because it is darkness and is not suitable for man’s life. The impure Nukva, the female part is called Afrira (from the word Afar - dust) and is unfit for sowing. It is called so to show that although it has Light, it is not enough for sowing and harvesting to feed people.
The Zohar says that it has the image of the Holy Angels with six wings, which corresponds to the letter Vav in the name HaVaYaH. In contrast to that, there are only 4 wings in the impure forces, which correspond to the name ADNI indicating the height of the impure forces with regard to the Holy Angels.
The Upper Light is called “wine” that makes the Creator and people happy. However, wine has crust (Sigim) or yeast. The main wrecker of the world emerges from this waste because it is still connected to purity (yeast) and has the image of a man. However, as he descends to harm people, he assumes the image of an ox. Therefore, an ox is the first of the four main wreckers.
Hence, The Zohar tells us that Kastimon is a wrecker in the image of an ox, thus showing that it is the basis of all wreckers called “impure ox.” It is the Sigim of OhrHochma of the holy name Elokim, impure ELEH that correspond to pure ELEH of the name Elokim. This is because Sigim and yeast are below it, but since it is still connected to purity, it has the image of a man, for OhrHochma of the name Elokim is TZELEM (image) of a man, of which it is said: “And God created man in his own image,” BE TZELEMELOKIM.
However, when it separates from purity (altruism) through deterioration of its desires and (according to the worsening of its properties) descends to its place (befitting these properties) in ARKA, it assumes the image (properties) of an ox and its Nukva (in ARKA) takes on the form (properties) of an eagle in accordance with its purpose and action called Lenasher (fall out), causing human souls to fall under its power. This is why the word Nesher (eagle) is derived from the word Neshira (falling out), just like leaves falling down from the tree, because the role of the impure Nukva is to seek out people and bringing them to a state of night and darkness. This is called the destruction of the Holy Covenant, as a result of which, the souls leave people (see item 131).
Therefore, The Zohar says: “When they join, they create the image of a man,” i.e., if they return and unite with purity, being as wine yeast, they return and assume the image of a man again, just as they did before they descended to ARKA and became wreckers.
156. When they are enveloped with darkness, they change their forms into a snake with two heads and move like a snake. They fly around in the void and bathe in the great sea. When they reach the chains of Aza and Azael, they irritate and arouse them. Then they leap into the mountains of darkness, thinking that the Creator wishes to call upon them for judgment.
I suggest that the reader should try to comment on The Zohar alone, without any help, and then compare his thoughts with the stated below. This way, we might understand what Rabbi Y. Ashlag has done for us with his commentary. Prior to the appearance of his commentaries on the books of the Ari and The Zohar there was no opportunity to understand Kabbalah correctly and only very few people in each generation could independently climb the spiritual ladder. I assure the reader that simply by reading my books, which retell the compositions of great Kabbalists, Rabbi Y. Ashlag and his elder son and my Teacher, Rabbi B. Ashlag, anyone can attain the Creator. I believe that those who have already read previous books realize that it is possible!
As The Zohar says in item 154, when impure Nukva dominates over man by means of its Light, two heads become as one. However, in the darkness, i.e. when the male part called Kastimon dominates; they turn into a snake with two heads because the male part is unable to annul the power of the female part. It needs to be dressed up in her Light; hence, the snake has two heads. They move like a snake and intend to cause damage (the property of the serpent), i.e., to tempt Havah (Eve) to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
By the power of the Rosh of impure Nukva they fly around in the void, where the root of the impure force called “void” (or the greatest fall) exists, as it is written: “They mounted up to the heaven, they went down to the deeps” (Tehilim 10:26). By the power of the impure male part, they bathe in the great sea, i.e., in OhrHochma of the impure forces.
Therefore, ARKA is called the Land of Nod; it is constantly swaying because of the rule of the two heads: those that exist within it alternately rise up to the great sea and then plunge into void.
The angels Aza and Azael are very exalted angels. Even after they had fallen from heaven to our world, to the mountains of darkness, linked by a metal chain, their power was still so immense that with their help Bil’am attained the levels of prophecy of which it is written: “Who sees the vision of the Almighty” (Bamidbar 24:4).
This is described as “fallen down, yet with opened eyes” (Ibid.) because Aza is called the “fallen” due to its fall from heaven to the earth. Azael is called “opening eyes” with regard to Aza at whose face the Creator throws the darkness. This is what our sages said about Bil’am’s high prophetic level: “There has not arisen a prophet like Moshe in Israel, but there was one among the nations of the world by the name of Bil’am” (Bamidbar-Raba 14).
The reason for their downfall from heaven to the earth lies in their complaints against man at the moment of his birth. However, many angels were complaining and objecting; why then did the Creator throw down only these two? The answer to this question can be found in items 416-425 of the chapter “Balak” in The Zohar. In brief, it says how the desire to create Adam (or man, because the Hebrew for man is Adam) appeared in the Creator. He summoned the superior angels, seated then before Himself, and told them about His desire to create man.
The angels replied: “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (Tehilim 8:5), meaning what property does the man whom You wish to create possess? He replied to them: “This man will be like Me and his wisdom will surpass yours, because the human soul includes all the angels and levels just as his body includes all the levels of this world.”
Therefore, at the moment of the creation of man’s soul, the Creator summoned all the supernal angels, so that they would pass their properties and forces to it. It is therefore written: “'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” meaning that man’s image includes all properties of all the angels. The words “image and likeness” are not just words; they do not simply describe similarity, but constitute very meaningful spiritual notions.
The angels’ question should be interpreted as follows: “What kind of a creature is man and what is his nature? How shall we benefit from passing (connecting) our properties to him?” The Creator replied: “This man will be like Me and his wisdom will surpass yours.” By this He promised to them that man will include all their qualities (the properties of TZELEM) and that he will be wiser than the angels. However, being connected to him, they will benefit from his great attainments and acquire everything that they lack now.
This is because the human soul includes all the spiritual levels and all the properties of all the angels. The way his body includes all the materials and beings of our world with all of their properties, so does his soul include the entire creation according to the Creator’s desire.
It is written in the Torah: “For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel.” Sages said about this aphorism that in the future, the angels will ask Israel about things they do not know because Israel’s attainments will be much higher than that of the angels. Hence, all the angels took part in the creation of man and integrated all of their properties within him.
However, after man was created and sinned before the Creator, the angels Aza and Azael appeared before the Lord and accused man of transgressing before Him. For these words, the Creator threw them down from the high and holy level; hence, they began misleading people.
Of all the angels, only these two, Aza and Azael came to the Creator to complain about Adam’s sins because only they knew that man will return to the Creator. However, Aza and Azael also knew that the harm that was caused to them by man’s sins will not be corrected by this return. Furthermore, they would prefer man not to return in his desires to the Creator at all; so they complained about Adam’s sin, because with regard to them, this sin is incorrigible.
The fact is that the breaking of the vessels and Adam’s sin constitute the same breaking and disappearance of the screen (anti-egoistical will-power or the intention to act for the sake of the Creator). The difference is that the breaking of the vessels means the breaking of the screen in the Partzuf called the “world,” while Adam’s sin is the breaking and disappearance of the screen in the Partzuf called the “soul.” The soul exists inside the world and is sustained by it.
The breaking has its causes and consequences. It is necessary for mixing all the properties of Bina and Malchut, and is obliged to take place both in the spiritual world and within the soul to impart the properties of Bina to Malchut and thus let it correct itself.
The breaking of the world of Nikudim has led to the breaking of the 8 SefirotH-G-2/3 of-T-1/3 of-T- N-H-Y-M, 4 SefirotH-B-ZA-M in each one consisting of 10 Sefirot; in all: 8 x 4 x 10 = 320 (SHACH) parts. Because of the mixing of all parts, each part consists of 320 parts. All of these 320 parts called Nitzutzin (sparks) acquired the egoistical will to enjoy by receiving the Creator’s Light, which means that they fell into the impure forces.
There are no places and no pure and impure parts in the spiritual world. However, in order to convey information more vividly, we imagine the reception of lower properties as a fall and of higher spiritual properties as a rise, the attainment of similarity of properties as merging, and the emergence of a new property as a separation. The appearance of egoistical desires in a spiritual object is referred to as its fall into impure forces, although these impure forces exist within him (not vice versa) and only become more apparent. There is nothing around a person, everything is within him: all the worlds, desires, both pure and impure.
By studying Kabbalah, we attract to ourselves the emanation of the Light that surrounds our soul (see the Introduction to “The Study of Ten Sefirot,” par. 155), and this Light creates a desire for correction within us. By attaining the levels of the spiritual worlds, a person starts feeling the spiritual Light corresponding to each level. With the Light’s help, he begins to see egoistical and altruistic parts in each of his properties. In comparison with the Light, he feels his egoistical part as evil and to the extent of this sensation, he move away from it and refuses to use these desires. He perceives his altruistic desires as something good, but having no strength to use them, he asks for it, receives power, accepts the Light for the sake of the Creator, and thus ascends a higher level where this process repeats itself.
The return (Teshuva) means that by raising MAN (our request for correction), we raise some of the 320 corrupt parts from the impure forces into which they fell, back to the world of Atzilut, where they were prior to Adam’s sin. We have no strength to sort and correct, i.e. elevate the 32 parts of Malchut, which are in 8 Sefirot of this Partzuf (world) because their defects are beyond our ability to repair them.
Therefore, out of 320 (SHACH = Shin + Chet = 300 + 20) parts we can, have a right, and are obliged to sort and correct only 320 – 32 = 288 parts (RAPACH = 288) by our return to the Creator, i.e., 9 x 32, where 9 designates the first 9 Sefirot in each Sefira that we can correct because this requires a Light of special power. We will receive this Light from the Creator only after the correction of all the other 288 parts, meaning at the end of correction.
These 32 parts of Malchut, which cannot and must not be corrected, are called LEV HaEVEN (Lamed-BetEVEN – 32 stones). As I repeatedly mentioned, there is no notion of “prohibition” in Kabbalah. This word is used when it is necessary to point out the futility of trying due to weakness and limitation. “Prohibited” means impossible, beyond man’s power. This is not the Creator’s prohibition; as a result of man’s personal faith and experience, he should admit that it is beyond his power to carry out such corrections.
Therefore, GARdeAVI are concealed and their Light is not shining. For all of its 10 Sefirot to shine, a Zivug on Malchut should be made because Lev HaEven, the 32 uncorrected parts of Malchut are a supplement to their 10 Sefirot. Until these Kelim are missing, a complete Zivug is impossible. However, when the complete analysis and correction of 288 (RAPACH = Reish + Pey + Chet = 200 + 80 + 8 = 288) Nitzutzin is over, Lev HaEven will be corrected by itself and no effort is required on our part.
This is what the prophet says: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” AVI will then receive their Light, but this will occur at the end of correction. Before the end of correction, AHP of AVI will not be able to receive correction through our return because we will be able to correct all of our egoistical desires, except for our very essence, MalchutdeMalchut.
So these angels Aza and Azael are the real AHPdeAVI that were destroyed during the breaking of the vessels and almost restored before Adam’s sin. However, Adam’s sin destroyed them again, this time until the very end of correction.
Hence, both angels were complaining to the Creator about their Light, which disappeared through Adam’s fault, because they saw that there was no hope that Adam will correct them by his return to the Creator. Moreover, they saw that by his return, Adam had lowered their level even more. Now the entire correction and return should be limited to only 288 parts without any participation or even approaching the 32 forbidden parts called Lev HaEven, which refers to the correction of AVI, whose Light is the Light of the angels, just as the Kelim of the true AHPdeAVI are their Kelim.
Each raising of MAN means the separation of impurity, Lev HaEven from the food, RAPACH = 288 Nitzutzin, the parts that can be corrected. Hence, it turns out that by removing Aza and Azael from the participation in the correction of Lev HaEven, we lower them even more. The two angels complained to the Creator and prevented Adam from returning because the return brings them even lower, for 32 parts refer to them.
Therefore, when the Creator saw that their complaints threaten to weaken man’s power to return to Him, He told them that Adam did not spoil anything for them by his sin, because although there is greatness and holiness in them when they are in heaven and no impure forces can cling to them, still this perfection is incomplete because they cannot exist in our world, in the place of the impure forces.
The Creator told them: “You have lost nothing as a result of Adam’s sin because you are no better than him. Your level is the result of your place.” Since the Creator’s words constitute His actions, they instantly fell from heaven to the earth (not physical earth, but into egoism, of course!).
Since they came (spiritually descended) to corporeal (as Kabbalah defines it) life, they started picking and analyzing the 32 parts of complete egoism called the “daughters of men,” of which the Torah says: “The sons of God (angels) saw the daughters of men (egoistical Nukva) that they were fair (they saw an opportunity of egoistical reception of pleasure); and they took them as wives (used their egoistical desires), whomsoever they chose (they chose this low state by themselves)” (Beresheet 6:2). This is because they did not want to separate the impurity of the 32 egoistical parts and prefer only 288, but took everything they chose, including Lev HaEven.
Hence, they transgressed with Nukva Lilit (the sinner) and wished to draw the entire world toward sin, fling it into the last stage of egoism, because they did not want man to return, which was absolutely opposite to their root.
What did the Creator do? He chained them! He saw that if they had the power to return to heaven after the sin, then all people would fail in their attempts to aspire to the Creator because the dominance of these egoistical angels (forces) would be too great. (Rashi says that the Torah speaks in the words of man. Hence, everything is described in notions of time and sequence of events. Similarly, the Creator seemingly creates and then sees the results of his work.)
Therefore, although their root is very high, the Creator gave His permission to act to the root of the impure forces (here we see that the Creator governs all the forces in the creation) called BARZEL (iron), as it is written: “There was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” because iron is the impure force.
Because this impure force fastened its grip on the two angels and bound them, as if with iron chains, by its desires that it dictates to them, such a state is characterized as being in mountains of darkness, from which they cannot rise until the final correction.
When they approach the chain of Aza and Azael, irritate and awake them, this awakening of the 4th part of the will to receive, MalchutdeMalchut, the greatest desire to receive is called “wrath and rage.” They leap over the mountains of darkness and think that the Creator wants to bring them to trial, because being strangled by iron chains, they could not rise to their roots and receive Hochma.
Therefore, this action is characterized as leaping, as an attempt to rise up followed by a fall, as a result of which, they descend deeper into the mountains of darkness. They think that because of their leaps (attempts to receive the Light from their root) the Creator is strict with them and decide to stop jumping.
Although they cannot give anything (their attempts to reach up are mere jumps and falls), still this is enough for the two rulers in order to receive OhrHochma because this way they receive the power to swim in the sea of Hochma of the impure force; whereas they previously had the strength only to bathe in it.
The reason for this is that there is no action in this impure force; everything is limited only to thoughts and desires because the essence of the impure forces, the desires that separate us from the Creator, is such that before the level of an action is achieved, purity disappears from there. Therefore, the impure forces will never reach the level of an action.
The work, which is alien to the spiritual, the work for the impure forces, and according to the instruction and desires that they insert into man’s thoughts, is called “Avoda Zara” (alien work) because it is opposite to the work “for the Creator’s sake.” In this alien work for an alien master the Creator punishes even for mere thoughts and desires, as it is said by the prophet: “That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart” (Yechezkel 14:5). Sages said that a person is accused and punished even for thoughts, desires, and doubts in the “alien work” that appear in his heart in exactly the same way as for a completed action. Hence, the leaps of Aza and Azael are sufficient in their desire to receive Hochma, although in reality they receive nothing.
157. These two Creator-appointed rulers swim in the GreatSea and fly off from there. They go at night to Na’amah, the mother of the witches, by whom the first people were misled (Beresheet 6:1-4). They wish to approach her, but she leaps away 60,000 Parsaot and changes her form into many different shapes, so that people may be led astray after her.
After receiving power from Aza and Azael, they can already make a Zivug with Na’amah, as the first angels Aza and Azael erred. From that Zivug with Aza and Azael Na’amah gave birth to all the spirits and witches of the world, and the Torah calls Aza and Azael the “sons of God” or the “sons of the great” (Beresheet 6:2).
Yet how can it be that such supernal angels came to such depraved actions with Na’amah and why did she give birth to demons and witches and not to people?
The fact is that the Upper World (AVI) was created by the letter Yud, by the male part, and they have nothing of the 4th part of Malchut called MalchutdeMalchut. However, ZON (the lower world) was created by the letter Hey, which includes MalchutdeMalchut. AVI constantly aspire only to OhrHassadim, to altruistic actions (bestowal) because Bina emerged in this way in the 4 stages of the birth of Malchut, even before the appearance of the first Kli (MalchutdeMalchut).
Nevertheless, ZON need OhrHochma, because ZA was created this way in the 4 stages of the birth of Malchut. ZA wishes to receive Ohr Hochma inside OhrHassadim that it already has.
The Zivug of AVI called the “upper world” gives birth to angels. Just like AVI, from which they were born, they want OhrHassadim. Human souls are born from the Zivug called the “lower world.” Like ZON, from which they were born, all they want is OhrHochma.
At the moment of birth of the common soul of all created beings (Adam from ZONdeAtzilut), ZON were at the level of the upper world (AVI) and dressed it. Like AVI, they also ended in the letter Yud of the name HaVaYaH. The letter Hey of the name HaVaYaH was concealed in their reverse side, Achoraim or AHP. Adam’s level was rather high because of ZON being in the upper world and ending in the letter Yud, the level of ZON was like that of the angels that were born from AVI. At the same time, ZON received OhrHochma according to their desire.
As a result of this, there was the name Elokim, the supernal wisdom, the perfection of the upper world in ZON, because there is no ban of the 1st restriction to receive OhrHochma in the letter Yud. Cain and Abel were born from this state. Cain was born from ELEH and Abel from MI. Malchut (the last letter Hey of the name HaVaYaH) was concealed in both of them. Only the letter Yud is revealed; hence, there was supernal Hochma in them.
Basically, Hochma is received in the KelimELEH, ZATdeBina, by Cain’s soul. This property of Cain is concealed in MI because the last Hey is concealed inside Yud and Cain wanted to make a Zivug with it, i.e., to receive OhrHochma in MalchutdeMalchut, which is concealed in Abel’s soul.
By this he slew Abel because after the last Hey was revealed, the ban of the 1st restriction to receive OhrHochma in it was revealed together with it. Hence, the Creator’s name Elokim disappeared from both of them: MI rose up and disappeared because it refers to GAR (this designates Abel’s slaying) and Cain’s ELEH disappeared because it refers to ZAT and fell into the place of the impure forces called ARKA.
Although it fell into the place of the impure forces, sparks of OhrHochma are still present in these Kelim (desires), as it is written that his daughters did not suffer from it; they still had the sparks of Bina in them. From this we can understand that Na’amah, one of Cain’s daughters, was the most beautiful of all women in the world because the sin basically occurred in Cain’s male part and, as the Talmud says, not in his female part (Sanhedrin 74:2).
Therefore, after the Creator threw Aza and Azael down to this world (created by the letter Hey) and after they saw Na’amah, a new hitherto non-existent desire appeared within them – the will to receive OhrHochma, because basically they want only OhrHassadim and only the image of Na’amah created in them a new desire for OhrHochma.
Since there is no Hey (the last one on which there is reception of OhrHochma) in their essence and in that of Na’amah (for it originates from Cain’s ELEH), they made a MISTAKE with regard to her, and believing that she can receive OhrHochma, they made a Zivug with her.
Their mistake was twofold:
1. Although from birth they have no Hey (the last one because place determines) and they are already in this world that the last Hey rules over, they are forbidden to receive OhrHochma.
2. They thought that there is no last Hey in Na’amah’s structure, while it was concealed; hence, demons and witches were born from the Zivug with it.
From this we can understand what is written in the Talmud. It says that witches are half-angels and half-men because with regard to Aza and Azael they are angels, while with regard to Na’amah they are like people. She could not give birth to people because the semen she received came from angels and not from people.
The reason for the harm they cause lies in the fact that they were born from depravity, meaning the greatest possible remoteness from the Creator. Hence, their impurity accompanies them and causes harm in every possible way. The Zohar says that at night they come to Na’amah, the mother of witches with whom the first people were infatuated (see the Torah. Beresheet 6:1-4). Indeed, after they received power from these angels that were the first to have sinned with Na’amah, they too could continue seducing her. The Zohar says that they come at night because the power of Hochma of the impure forces rules only in the night darkness, during the time of judgment and restriction. It is also the consequence of the roots, namely Aza and Azael in the mountains of darkness.
After the depravity with them she leapt 60,000 Parsaot, i.e., she rose so high that she wanted to annul the Parsa below VAKdeAA, each Sefira of which is defined as 10,000; hence, its VAK = 6 Sefirot equal 60,000.
They wish to approach her, but she leaps away 60,000 Parsaot; but immediately falls down again and cannot touch them because there is no action in these upper impure forces which are inactive, and all transgressions and mistakes are only in thoughts and intentions.
She still has enough power to mislead and infatuate people, although man does not reach the level of impure actions and only follows her in his thoughts and desires. However, the Creator punishes for such thoughts and desires as for actions, as the prophet warns us: “That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart” (Yechezkel 14:5). The impure forcechanges her form into many different shapes, such as for example depravity with married women, murder and other things for which Lilit is responsible.
158. These two rulers fly around the entire world and then return to their places. And they arouse the descendants of Cain, with a spirit of evil inclinations, to beget children.
The phrase “Fly around the entire world” means that in all their thoughts they harm man in every way and allure him into the darkness of night. This is because after a person has sinned, they return to their constant place in ARKA and arouse the sons of Cain there to defile the descendants with filth.
The Zohar says that besides pushing the sons of Cain toward sin in ARKA, they also fly around in our world (TEVEL) and compel the sons of this land to sin.
159. The heavens that govern there are not like ours, and the land bears neither seed nor fruit by their labor, as does ours. The seeds will grow again only once in a few years. Hence, it is written about them that they could not correct SHMAYA and ARKA and perished from the upper land, which is called TEVEL, so that they may not rule over it and not exist in it, nor cause human beings to be defiled by the night. Hence, they disappeared from ARKA and from the space of SHMAYA that were created by the name ELEH (as it was mentioned in par. 14).
Our heavens receive the Light essential for the birth of the subsequent Partzufim from ZA, which has OhrHochma. Hence, our land that receives in MalchutdeZA, receives a grain and a seed. Yet, the heavens in ARKA do not have the Light to bear fruit and give birth due to the rule of the impure forces there. Hence, unlike our land, ARKA cannot produce; its land has no power to accept and grow a seed, and such a property appears in it only once in a few years.
Here The Zohar speaks about the two rulers: Afriron and Kastimon who could not correct SHMAYA and ARKA to make them bear fruit. These rulers are not allowed to be here and pervert people in our land (TEVEL) because when they exist here, they harm our land to make it like SHMAYA and ARKA.
Therefore, The Zohar says they disappeared from the upper land of TEVEL, from our land because they sought how to cause harm with the power of the night. They push people toward sin because of the night and it is a curse that hangs over ARKA due to their rule there.
Our heavens were created by the name ELEH because our heavens receive from ZA, which was corrected by the properties of ELEH, by the words: BERESHEETBARAHELOKIM, where MI is connected to ELEH. Hence, our land is corrected by the supernal holiness and purity. Therefore, these two rulers are not allowed to govern here.
160. Hence, there is TARGUM, translation (from Hebrew to Aramaic, which The Zohar calls Targum) in order not to let the Holy Angels think that it is said about them, so that they will not harm us. This is the secret of the word ELEH as we have already stated. It is a holy word that cannot be translated into Targum.
This is because everything but the word ELEH has been translated into the language of Targum. It is said in item 149 that ELEH disappeared from both ARKA SHMAYA because the word ELEH is untranslatable. This is the connection between ELEH and MI, which generates the descent of OhrHochma. If, like Cain, one sins and corrupts the letters ELEH, one falls into the impure forces, so that even the holiness of Targum (i.e., VAK of the pure forces) leaves them.