Part 16 · Chapter 53

The Ari's Text

In this explanation we settle both verses. One says “And God created man” and the other says, “Then the Lord God formed man.” The Guf of Adam was made of Yetzira, hence the word “created” and after Beria descended and clothed in Yetzira it is as though he was created from Beria, hence the word “formed.”

Inner Light

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1The Guf of Adam was made of Yetzira, hence the word “created” etc. after Beriadescended and clothed in Yetzira it is as though he was created from Beria. As ZA is Behinat Yetzira de Atzilut, so Adam ha Rishon is discerned as the bottom Yetzira de BYA, meaning from the aspect of Ohr de Tolada. In this aspect he has no part in Bina which is Beria and is not fitting for Behinat Neshama and Mochin.Instead, because of the ascent of the Hey Tata’a to Nikvey Eynaim, Bina herself expanded to Behinat ZON, called Yetzira and Assiya, or ZAT de Bina, in the form of VAK without a Rosh. In consequence, ZON were rooted in Bina.Hence, although in principle ZA is VAK without a Rosh, when it rises to MAN to Bina and returns the AVI Panim be Panim, in consequence YESHSUT acquire their GAR, thus ZA also acquires Behinat Rosh. The rule is that everything that the Tachton induces in the Elyon returns to the Tachton in the same measure.Consequently, Adam ha Tachton too can receive the Behinat Rosh from the ZON because after the ZON rise to AVI they become like them. Thus, although in the beginning of its creation, Adam is not worthy of Behinat Rosh because he has no part in Beria, yet through his ascent to MAN to ZON he causes them Behinat GAR from their Chazeh down too.Since except the ascent of Adam to MAN ZON did not have Behinat GAR but only from the Chazeh up, he also acquires by himself that measure that Adam caused to extend in Chazeh de ZON down and attains Behinat GAR as they do. The discernment is that Adam, which is Yetzira, rose to Beriabecause he received GAR from Behinat Beria and equalized with her. You should also remember that BYA, Bina, ZON and NRN de Adam ha Rishon are one matter both in Atzilut and in the lower BYA.During the birth of Adam ha Rishon the Olamot were already in the form of Beria, as the Rav wrote that Yetzira and Assiya de Atzilut were already in the place of Beria de Atzilut. This means that ZON de Atzilut have already ascended to AVI de Atzilut hence the lower BYA and NRN de Adam ha Rishon, which are their Tolada, were thus born in Behinat Beria.The Guf of Adam ha Rishon, which is Yetzira, came out in the place of the top six de Beria, by which they had Rosh in Atzilut in the place of ZON. The Rosh itself, called Bina or Beria, was in the place of ZA de Atzilut, and the Garon, which is GAR de VAK or GAR de Yetzira, was in the place of Nukva de Atzilut.This is the meaning of, “Then the Lord God formed man etc.” This is because there was a complete Yetzira in a complete Rosh from Atzilut since HaVaYaH Elokim implies perfection since Yetzira acquired the very same virtue of Beria.However, after the sin when Beria descended once more to being Yetzira, which means that the Mochin de GAR that ZA caused YESHSUT departed, YESHSUT descended to VAK without a Rosh which is Yetzira. Also, the Mochin from ZA departed and he returned to Behinat VAK without a Rosh.Hence, all this is considered that Beria descended to being Yetzira. This is the meaning of “And God created man etc.” It is so because Elokim designates Behinat Mochin de Katnut due to the Behinat Beria that became VAK without a Rosh.That settles a difficult question: Beria is more important than Yetzira. Hence, why does it write in “formed” a full HaVaYaH Elokim, and in “created” only the name Elokim? According to the words of the Rav we can thoroughly understand that “formed” relates to the complete Yetzira after she had been turned into actual Beria and acquired Rosh from Atzilut. This is why the full name is used. “Created”, however, relates to his Behina after the sin on Behinat VAK without a Rosh, meaning on Beria that fell to being like Yetzira. This is why it only writes the name Elokim, indicating Katnut.Therefore we should not ask why it is written, “created” when it should have written “formed”. The answer is that he did not return to actual Behinat Yetzira, as then it would never have been suitable for GAR.Instead, he returned to BYA and is therefore still worthy of reforming his actions so as to raise MAN a new to ZON and extend Mochin de Gadlut in the same amount that he causes in the Elyonim. This is the precision of “created”, designating that he still holds to Beria, though to Katnut of Beria.