Musar sobre Gênesis 2:24

I have written on a number of occasions that man is the purpose of Creation, that he was created in the image and likeness of G–d, and that just as Adam originally had two faces to indicate the equality of man and woman, so also man's body and soul respectively used to be perfect and both were sanctified to their G–d. Woman subsequently was separated from Adam in order to become his helpmate (partner), to enable them to unite truly and to become "one flesh" (Genesis 2,24). Adam (Man) by this separation assumed his perfect form, and had become complete. In the Midrash of Rabbi Nechuniah ben Hakanah we find the statement that G–d's holiness is made up of seven different aspects, everyone of which is represented in man. It is written of Man that "He created him in the image of G–d; He created them male and female" (Genesis 1,27). These are the seven aspects in which Man reflects sacred aspects of G–d; the right upper leg, the left upper leg, the right hand, the left hand, the torso (the male member) and the head. If you will add these up you will only arrive at a total of six. The seventh is the wife of man; the Torah describes her as an integral part of man when it writes: "they became one flesh." Thus far the Midrash of Rabbi Nechuniah ben Hakanah i.e. ספר הבהיר.

When the sages in the Talmud speak about the bones of such a bachelor swelling up, they take into consideration that Adam described his wife as עצם מעצמי, "a bone of my bones” (Genesis 2,23), and that man therefore is not complete until he has been paired with the remainder of his bones. Failure to do this causes damage to his bones, leaves him physically incomplete. The reason the time limit is twenty years is that at that age a Jewish man is subject to military duties, and the Torah refers to him as איש, man (Numbers 2,2 et al). The relationship between military duty and fulfillment of the commandment to be fruitful is also alluded to in Genesis 1,28 where G–d links the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" with the command to "conquer" the earth.

We read in the Sefer Habahir, that the reason the Torah commands circumcision to be performed on the eighth day of the infant's life is that man possesses eight extremities, i.e. his right and left hand, the right and left foot, the head, the body, the male member and its mate, since the Torah describes man as "ודבק אשתו והיו לבשר אחד, "he cleaves to his wife so that they become one flesh” (Genesis 2,24). When G–d said to Abraham: אני הנני בריתי אתך, "I, here My covenant is with you," this is a reference to the fact that the שכינה is known as Ani, and that the heavenly covenant is symbolized on the body by a ציון, a mark. Once the male glans is uncovered, this enables the שכינה to return to ציון, Zion, and man on earth remains whole, retains the image of G–d. When that condition exists, all his 248 limbs are whole, and this is what the name 248=אברהם represents. When in that condition, Abraham is able to enter the Zion on this earth. We can then be a nation on our own land for the imprint of G–d is on our bodies. This seal signifies that we are permanently different and distinct from the other nations and are indeed part of the holiness of G–d.

The deeper meaning, סוד, of the relationship between צלם and דמות, image and form, is the relationship between soul and body. The attachment of the Essence of G–d, the אין סוף, -to אצילות, the emanation closest to the אין סוף, -is similar to the attachment of our soul to our body. This is a comparison of a general nature, something we described as דרך כלל. The more detailed explanation of this, which I have given in my treatise תולדות אדם, describes the soul נשמה, as something Divine, originating in the upper regions of the Heavens. I have discussed also the sources of our other spiritual forces such as נפש and רוח in that treatise. Generally, we find those three spiritual forces as being mentioned in the Bible, though on rare occasions the Bible also uses two more names for our spiritual forces, חיה and יחידה. In my treatise תולדות אדם I have also discussed the meaning of such verses as ויהי האדם לנפש חיה, "Man became a living creature" (Genesis 2,7), as well as the verse היא היתה לאם כל חי, "She has become the mother of all living human beings" (Genesis 3,20), and הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו, "Here man has become like one of Us" (Genesis 3,22). The last verse alludes to the deeper meaning of the spiritual force called יחידה. In that connection we have also discussed the significance of דמות, the body. We have explained there that G–d created man with seven facets, the head to correspond to the upper three of the emanations כתר, חכמה, בינה, the two arms corresponding to the emanations, חסד, גבורה. The torso corresponds to the emanation תפארת, the "covenant" with the sexual organ draws the torso towards the emanation יסוד, whereas the two thighs corresponds to the emanations נצח, הוד. Man cleaves to his wife (Genesis 2,24) by means of the "covenant" with his sexual organ. The latter function of the body corresponds to the emanation מלכות. In the treatise בית ישראל, which follows the treatise תולדות אדם, I have dealt with the mystique contained in the various names for other parts of the body.

The sin of the golden calf involved three distinct kinds of death penalty. Those who had been warned by reliable witnesses were executed by the Levites. Those who worshipped the golden calf but could not be executed judicially because although there were witnesses against them they had not been properly warned, were killed by a dragon; those who were guilty but against whom there were no valid witnesses died by the plague. Something similar happened in the case of the seduction by the serpent. Adam had been warned not to eat, the penalty spelled out. G–d Himself was the witness in his case. Eve was guilty because G–d had stated in Genesis 2,24: "Therefore man leaves the home of his parents and cleaves to his wife." Rashi sees in this the prohibition of the different kinds of incest that apply to all of mankind. However, she had not been warned that the penalty for contravening this law was death. The serpent's sin was committed with neither forewarning nor the testimony of an independent witness against it. We have a halachic rule that one does not use any argument that can serve as an extenuating circumstance on behalf of a seducer (Sanhedrin 29). Adam rehabilitated himself by offering an ox, as explained by our sages (Shabbat 28). When the Jewish people made the golden calf they reversed what Adam had done by exchanging the true G–d for the image of an ox.

To get back to the subject of דבקות, the affinity between us and G–d and the reciprocal relationship between Israel and G–d as portrayed by the ten, respectively 20 emanations we mentioned on page 638. Whereas the plain meaning of this statement in the Zohar remains unaffected, the story in the Yalkut adds a number of additional allusions to the mystical meaning of this דבקות. The numbers 200,000, 300,000, and 50,000 allude to three of the names of G–d i.e. א-ל, א-להים, י-ה-ו-ה. The word א-להים when spelled as follows: א-ל, א-לה, א-להי, א-להים, totals 199 plus the name itself =200. When you write א-להים using the word method you obtain the number 300, i.e. אלף, למד, הי, יוד, מם. You also obtain the equivalent of 300 when you apply the system of א"ת, ב"ש to the way you write the Ineffable four-lettered Name, thus: מצפץ=300. Since we are not allowed to even contemplate G–d as Essence, an alternate method of writing His name indicates the difference between G–d as Essence and G–d as a symbol of a concept that we may contemplate. The number 50 alludes to the letters י-ה of the Ineffable Name which we are allowed to contemplate. You view this name as a combination of the two letters i.e. 10 times 5=50. The Ineffable Name also includes within it the name א-ל, such as when you write the Ineffable name as the name that amounts to 63 instead of 72. The spelling then is 15=הי, 13=ואו, 15=הי, 20=יוד, total=63. The other letters of the heads of the 11 tribes in the Yalkut Shimoni also allude to concepts of G–d's management of our history, such as the letter ז which alludes to the mystical dimension of בנין, and the fact that G–d's “seven eyes” sweep the universe the letter ד to the four חיות supporting the throne of G–d, the letter ב, to the concept of ברכה, the letter ג to the three classes of angels who sing G–d's praises in the Celestial Regions. The three letters י and the letter א together account for the name א-ל.
דביקות ה', close affinity to G–d, is the reverse of idol worship. The angels singing G–d's praises in the Holy Tongue are the opposite of לשון הרע, slander. The letter ב stands for ברכה, blessing, which is the opposite of גזל, robbery, and is the reason the Torah does not start with the letter א which is short for ארור, "cursed." The letter א symbolises the union of man and wife, i.e. והיו לבשר אחד, "They shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2,24). This union is the opposite of גלוי עריות, indiscriminate mating between men and women. The reason that the names of the tribal heads are used for this parable is that they represent a strong affinity to G–d.