Génesis 2:5 Cábala: Zohar & Sha'arei Kedusha

Similarly, the heaven did not impart strength to the earth until man came. So it is written, “All the plants of the earth were not yet on the earth, and the herbs of the field had not yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground” (Gen. 2, 5), that is to say, all the products of the earth were still hidden in its bosom and had not yet shown themselves, and the heavens refrained from pouring rain upon the earth, because man had not yet been created. When, however, man appeared, forthwith “the flowers appeared on the earth”, all its latent powers being revealed;

We thus have explained that man includes all the worlds within himself, about which it is written,⁸⁵⁰Ecclesiastes 12:13; See Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 30b “For this is the whole of man.” This is also the inner meaning of the verse,⁸⁵¹Genesis 1:26 “Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness,” and is why the word, “Let us make-Na’aseh-נעשה,” is in the plural form, since all worlds are partners, both in his making and in his deeds. Because of this, he includes the form of man (Adam-אדם) of all the worlds within himself, for they all are in need of his deeds. This is also the meaning of the verse,⁸⁵²Genesis 2:15 “HaShem-יהו״ה God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to guard it,” referring to the fulfillment of the positive commandments (to work it) and the negative commandments (to guard it).⁸⁵³Targum Yonatan ben Uziel to Genesis 2:15 ibid.; Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, Ch. 12 and elsewhere. This is also the meaning⁸⁵⁴See Talmud Bavli, Chullin 60b; Midrash Bereishit Rabba 13:3, 13:8 of the verse,⁸⁵⁵Genesis 2:5 “For HaShem-יהו״ה God had not yet sent the rain upon the earth,” after which the verse continues and gives the reason, “because there was yet no man to work the earth.” This also is the meaning of the verse,⁸⁵⁶Isaiah 51:16 “And I have placed My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to implant the heavens and to set a foundation for the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” For, it is man who draws life to the heavens and the earth through his deeds, and it therefore is as if he planted and founded them. This is why the verse concludes with the words, “You are My people (Ami Atah-עמי אתה),” which can be read, “You are with Me (Eemee Atah-עמי אתה),” which as our sages, of blessed memory stated,⁸⁵⁷See introduction to Zohar; Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69 and elsewhere. means “My partner.” That is, “I create them and you sustain them.”