Vessels of Creation

by Miriam ben Yaakov

Stages of Creation

From the beginning did Elohim create the heaven and the earth. –Genesis 1:1

The Ari z”l stated that the reason Hashem created the world was “to bring to light the completion of His works, His Names, and His titles…” (Erz Haim 11B quoted by Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok in Yikrah B’Shmi). The initial reading of the Creation story gives the correct impression that the Name of the Creator was “Elokim,” indicating judgment. However, there is much more. The Creator Himself is actually above the Names and titles. He created them, as well, in order to create. Through learning Torah with attention to the Names, we learn about Hashem in such a way as to deepen our knowing Him. Psalm 91:14 promises: “…I will elevate him because he knows My Name.”

With any project, the first stage, is the idea, the desire or will. This proceeds thought. So, too, Creation was first willed by the Creator in the heavenly realm of pure mercy, called Adam Kadmon(Primordial Man), through the name Ehye Asher Ehye—“I will be what I will be.” This is the crown—Keter—of the spheres of His attributes.

The second stage is deciding what to create. This is the heavenly realm of Atzilut (Nearness), where sits the conceptual attribute of wisdom—Chochmah— called by the divine Name, Yah. This realm is so boundless that the idea of being taken from the narrow straits into a broad space is associated with this Name, as in Psalm 18:20: “He brought me out into a broad space….” All things are possible in this boundless area, still in the realms of mercy.

For a physical world to exist, however, there have to be boundaries and delineation. This requires judgment and limitations. To bring something down into “reality,” therefore, requires understanding how it will be realized. The third stage is from the heavenly realm of Beriyah(Creation), in which is the divine attribute of understanding—Bina. The Name associated with Binais YKVK, but pronounced “Elokim.” From this attribute, come the other two attributes (Gevurah andHod) associated with the Name “Elokim” and associated with judgment or restriction. However, while the idea of judgment begins here, it is still part of the upper triad in the realms of mercy. Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla writes in Sha’are Orah (Gates of Light): “We must alert you to this principle, for whenever you find the Name Elokim in the Torah, it alludes, at times, to this sphere which is written with the letters YKVK and is pronounced Elokim, which is known as Bina, as in the verse “In the beginning Elokim created…” “Behold, this sphere that is known as Bina is the essence of the revelation of the hidden Name in the world’s Creation.”

The first chapter of parshat Bereshit outlines the six days of Creation, first using the term “berah.” He created something from nothing. The term “yetzer” (formed) is used when He formed man from the dust of the ground, as He did the land animals, forming something from something. The first term is from the realm of Beriyah and the second is from Yetzirah. In the second chapter the Name YKVK is added to Elokim, as Creation is being sculpted.

The fifth stage of Creation emanates from the realm Asiyah, where the king reigns. Verse 2:3 says: “Elokim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it He abstained from all His work which Elokim created to make.” The seventh day was completion of the finished work. The Hebrew word for “to make” is “la’asot,” the term from the realm Asiyah, in which is the sphere Malchut. AfterBina, Malchut is the seventh sphere. The completion of Creation is the rest of Shabbat. Another term for this rest is “nefesh,” the level of soul connected with Asiyah. In the words used to tell more detail of the Creation story, we can see the idea of Creation being brought down through the heavenly realms to exist on our plane.

Worlds


Adam Kadmon

Atzilut

Beriyah

Yetzirah









Asiyah

Spheres of His Attributes

Keter (crown)

Chochma (wisdom)

Bina (understanding)

Chesed (loving kindness)

Gevurah (judgment)

Tiferet (beauty, harmony)

Netzach (victory)

Hod (splendor, thanksgiving)

Yesod (foundation)

Malchut (kingship)

Names


Ehye Asher Ehye

Yah

YKVK (pronounced Elokim)

El

Elokim

YKVK

YKVK Tzevaot

Elokim Tzevaot

El Chay, El Shaddai

Adonai

Levels of Soul


Yechida

Chaya

Neshama

Ruach









Nefesh

Creation of Man

Although Adam was formed—“yetzer”—from dust of the ground, like the animals, he was not created “a living sprit” in the same manner. The animals came forth from the earth alive, their souls emanating from the earth just as their bodies. Adam, however, did not become a living soul until YKVK Elokim breathed the breath of life into him. He was a creature unlike any other on earth or in heaven, for he was a creature whose nature came from both worlds. Created both male and female, unlike the animals, both parts of him shared the divine soul, both equally being able to relate to the Creator as one made in His image.

Animals mate and go their separate ways, as a rule. Adam needed the partnership of both male and female parts of himself to be a whole person in his purpose in the world. The Hebrew word for male is “zachar”, derived from “l’zchor”—“to remember.” The male has the task of tradition, which makes him responsible for the laws of Gd and man in dominion of the earth. The Hebrew word for female is “nekavah”, derived from “nikvah”—“to be determined, fixed, or established.” We can see this relationship in the array of the spheres, the male side setting the tone of purpose and the female side making it more specific. For instance, Chochmah brought the idea of what to create, then Binabrought down how to actualize it. The left side is considered “judgment”, but another way of understanding it is “specific.” This can appear as opposing attributes, indeed, the woman was created “opposite” the man. However, when brought into the intended agreement, this opposition achieves the purpose of balance in order to make a true whole person, able to accomplish his work in the world.

YKVK Elokim planted a garden that was “delightful to the sight and good for food.” Man, unlike the animals, was given an esthetic sense for beauty. Hashem meant this to be part of the character of Man to be used in his spiritual calling, as well. Tiferet, the central attribute in the array of the spheres, anthropomorphically corresponding to the heart, is known as beauty or harmony. This sphere is connected to the divine Name YKVK.

Sin in the World

In the midst of the garden Hashem planted the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. He told Adam he could eat of any tree except that one. This one command was the beginning of his training in his higher purpose in the world—to guard the Law. That one command held in it the foundation of all Torah Law. It was a law that made no sense to the intellect, which is called “chok,” (statute). It was a negative commandment. It was the first dietary law. Given orally from Hashem to Man, it was “Oral Law.”

Obedience of this law was a challenge to the spirit of Man, which set him above the animals. As stated above, the soul of the animals emanated from the same physical source as their bodies, making them completely physical creatures. Their instinct, the voice of Hashem within them, is the manner in which they understand their intended purpose in nature. So their senses direct their desires. If food appeals to their senses, it is meant for them to eat and is “good.” Only Man is expected to listen to the voice of Hashem outside of himself. He is not to be directed by his physical drives, but rather by the dictates of Hashem. When the serpent spoke to the woman, it was appealing from the animal nature. If the fruit was good to the eyes and desirable, it must be good, in spite of what Hashem said. For the animal does not relate naturally to the voice that contradicts his instinctual drive. From a strictly animal perspective, the serpent seemed correct. However, Adam was created to rise to a higher level. The ever-present challenge is to resist those things we are told not to do, even when our senses dictate that they would be desirable and good. In order to be “Adam” we consider Hashem’s definitions of “good” over our own.

After eating the fruit they were aware that they were naked. This awareness caused them shame, for they realized that they were seeing something they were not supposed to see. Here, again, their nature was different from that of animals. Their awareness of the damage to their relationship with the Creator was completely alien from the animal nature.

We are told that before the Creation of the universe, seven concepts were conceived: Torah,teshuva (repentance), Gan Eden, Gehinnom, the Heavenly Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of Mashiach. Mercy dictated all of these in order that Creation could exist in relationship with the Creator. Teshuva was a necessary possibility, or the death that came into the world would have taken Adam and Eve immediately. The cure was created before the illness.

Hashem said to the nahash (serpent) that there would be enmity between the woman and him and that Man would strike his head and he would strike his heel. The nahash had appealed to the animal nature, the lusts of Man. Hashem willed enmity, not just between the species of Man and the serpent, but between Man and lust. The serpent was to be a physical reminder of the revulsion of lust. As long as Man would be elevated above his animal nature, the nahash could only strike at his heel, but Man would have the power to crush his head. “Mashiach” has the same numeric value as “nahash.” This means that Mashiach has the power to negate the destructive force of the nahash, to transform the imagination (for evil) to higher thought.

Cain and Able

Cain and Abel were two very different personalities, depicted through their choices of occupation and their resultant sacrifices. At Cain’s birth, Eve said: “I have acquired a man with Gd.” His choice of farming, pouring his strength and energy into the land, furthered the idea of acquisition. Abel was a shepherd, not tied to the land, but rather spending his time nurturing living creatures. When each brought his sacrifice, “Gd turned to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering He did not turn” (4:4-5). This was the first sacrifice mentioned in the Torah—long before the rise of idolatry. The fact of fact manner of this sacrifice indicates that ritualized worship of Gd came into the world with Adam. The rejection of the sacrifice had nothing to do with the objects (vegetables, as opposed to blood), but rather with the intent of the heart. Cain was so angry that he killed his brother. His answer when he was asked where Abel was, however, indicates defiance born of his jealousy—a deep jealousy kindled long before this incident. Was he repentant? Or was he only sorry for the consequences of his actions? He went “east of Eden,” hinting at running away from Gd, an alienation that continued down through his linage. No longer a farmer, his children became builders of cities and inventors of tools. His great-grandson, Mehuyael, was so called as one who “blotted out godliness.” His great great-grandson, Mehiyael, strove to blot godliness out of others. Cain’s was a hopeless line, going further and further from Hashem, insisting on making a life on their own strength.

Turning away from the Creator, they also turned from the source of their own souls. This is the meaning of the term “cut off.” The nefesh level is cut off from the upper levels of the soul, no longer receiving the ever-flow from above. Such human beings become little more that intellectual animals, listening to the voice of base instinct over the soul’s whisper echoing down from the upper realms. Devoid of heavenly wisdom, they distort morality and consider evil as “good” and good as “evil.” At worst, he is capable of sinking lower than any other animal and committing unthinkable acts. Even in the façade of polished culture, in truth, he can be utterly depraved, as we have seen demonstrated numerous times in history. More subtly, though, society’s political correct attitudes are usually contrary to the Torah, leading people to consider themselves decent human beings while espousing ideas contrary to Hashem’s will.

Generations of Adam

Many years after the death of Abel, Eve gave birth to Seth. His was potentially a very godly line. In each generation, there have always been devoted, righteous people who are the hope for all the rest. These were predominately from the line of Seth. However, they intermarried with Cain’s family and the result was the generation so wicked that Hashem regretted that He had created Man. Their imagination formed (yetzer) evil in their souls and brought that forth into the world. The “heroes of renown” were people who chose the physical, animal nature over the spiritual. At that crucial juncture in history Noah was born into the family of Seth.

The Midrash says Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather, decided that Noah’s true name, Menachem, had to be a secret to protect him from the forces of black magic. “Menachem” is a name of Mashiach. Noah, therefore, carried the hope of the generation that is a spark of Mashiach. Yet Methuselah understood that this generation was so evil they did not want it, and, in fact, would seek to destroy it. Through Noah, though, Hashem planned to preserve Mankind and Creation itself. Again He would iterate Law, giving Mankind the key to his lofty purpose in the world.