Chassidut sobre Isaías 14:14

And the reason is that the concept of a king can only exist over one who has a semblance of similarity to the king. For is it conceivable that a person would be called a king over animals that have no similarity to him? Rather, only one who is king over human beings like himself is called a king. Therefore, it is also not appropriate that the Holy One, blessed be He, be uniquely established as King over flesh and blood who have no comparison to Him at all and no similarity whatsoever. Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, in His abundant mercy and abundant kindness, desired to uniquely establish His Kingship specifically over Israel, His holy people, as the verse states (Isaiah 44:6): "Thus says the Lord, King of Israel, etc."—specifically Israel, who are called "adam" (Yevamot 61a), an expression of "I will be like (adameh) the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14), the aspect of similarity to the aspect of supernal holiness, for they are stripped of physicality and cleave to His attributes, blessed be He, as the verse states (Deuteronomy 4:4): "And you who cleave to the Lord." And our Rabbis of blessed memory expounded (see Shabbat 133b, Sotah 14a, Tanchuma Vayishlach 10, Vayikra Rabbah 25:3, see Mekhilta Shirata 3): "Cleave to His attributes—just as He is merciful, so too you be merciful, etc." Meaning that through this they are somewhat similar to the supernal aspect. And through this, the Holy One, blessed be He, uniquely establishes His Kingship over us and gave us the Sabbath. But a gentile who keeps the Sabbath is liable to death (Sanhedrin 58b), for the gentile has no similarity to the aspect of holiness. And when he observes the Sabbath, he makes himself similar to the aspect of holiness, for the Sabbath is the aspect of resemblance. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, did His work for six days and on the seventh day rested, so too Israel do likewise—they rest on the seventh day and remove their minds from physicality as if all their work is done, and they attach their thoughts to the aspect of holiness. And this is what the verse says (see Exodus 31:17): "It is a sign between Me and the Children of Israel, etc." Meaning that it is an aspect of similarity, as it were. That is, since Israel are in the aspect of holiness and stripping away of physicality, therefore they can also receive and observe the Sabbath in the aspect of resemblance and acceptance of the Kingship of Heaven completely. But a gentile who observes the Sabbath is like a blemished person who makes himself similar to the king, and it is a disgrace to the king—so too, as it were, against His Kingship, blessed be He. Therefore, when a gentile makes himself similar to the King and keeps the Sabbath, he is liable to death.

And that is the meaning of that which is written, “Let Us make man.” Meaning to say, in partnership [with man], by way of the act of circumcision from below. And that is the meaning of that which was said (Yevamot 61a), “[Jews] are called Adam (a man).” Meaning to say, it is [like] the expression, “I will resemble (edameh) the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14) – for he takes the image of God upon himself. And that is the meaning of that which is written in the Midrash (Avot D'Rabbi Natan 2:5), “Adam (the first man) was born circumcised, as it is stated (Genesis 1:24), ‘And God created man (Adam) in His image.’” And that is why this commandment is hinted to at the beginning of the parasha, with the expression, “Bereshit” - bet reshit (two beginning[s]). That is that the Torah is called, the beginning; and circumcision is also [the beginning, in that] it is the first commandment of a man. “And the end of a matter is better than (tov me the beginning of it” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) – meaning to say, when he is good from (tov me) his beginning.