תורה 101

3. Now, each and every person has within him the aspect of a shining countenance, this being the sanctity of Israel, the holy people, who in their essence are distant from all the [evil] traits and desires. Yet the seventy nations, which are the darkened countenances, have a hold on him. These are the evil desires and traits, all of which stem from the seventy nations, who are the darkened countenances. This is as it is written (Psalms 106:35), “But they mingled with the nations and learned their ways”—that is, he became mixed with the evil traits inside him, which are drawn from the nations, as explained above.

When a person transgresses, God forbid, the transgression and sin are etched onto his bones, as it is written (Ezekiel 32:27), “and their iniquities will be on their bones.” It is impossible to go free from this except by means of the Torah, which is the aspect of a shining countenance and the antithesis of all the [evil] desires and traits, which are the aspect of a darkened countenance, the source of all transgression, God forbid.

Aperson must exert himself in Torah and kill himself over it, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught regarding the verse “This is the Torah: a man who dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14)—the Torah is not retained except by one who kills ATZMo (himself) over it (Berakhot 63b). This alludes to ATZMiyuto (his essence), corresponding to the evil traits and evil desires, the source of all the blemishes etched onto ATZMotav (his bones). For he has to exert himself in Torah until he merits understanding it—that is, he goes from the aspect of a darkened countenance, which corresponds to a darkness and concealment of knowledge, to the aspect of a shining countenance, which corresponds to knowing and comprehending the Torah, as explained above.

Then, he is called “adam,” as in “This is the Torah: adam (a man).” In other words, on account of the Torah he is called “adam,” as in, “You are referred to as ‘ adam, ’ but idolaters are not referred to as ‘ adam .’” This is because one merits being called “adam” primarily by means of the Torah, which is a shining countenance, the antithesis of all the evil traits and desires. By virtue of this, one is referred to as “adam,” as in, “This is the Torah: adam .” But idolaters, who are distant from the wisdom of Torah, from a shining countenance—because they correspond to a darkened countenance, for they are steeped in all the evil traits and evil desires—are therefore not referred to as “adam,” as explained above.

Integral to adam is the aspect of genuine intellect, namely, the wisdom of the holy Torah that one merits attaining. For there are three intellects: There is basic intellect, which is Chokhmah, as in “You made them all with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). Then, when one studies and understands, it is called Binah. And afterwards, when one knows the Torah, it is called Daat, as is known. These three intellects are the aspect of hands to the Torah, corresponding to “a great hand,” “a strong hand,” and “an exalted hand” through which the Torah is received.

These three intellects are also three times Y-H. This is because Y-H is Chokhmah and Binah, the “two friends who never separate” (Zohar III, 4a and 290a). They are encompassed in each one of the aforementioned three intellects. And the numerical value of three times Y-H is ADaM. Thus it is that integral to the appellation adam is the aspect of genuine intellect—i.e., the wisdom of the Torah, which is a shining countenance, the aspect of removing and breaking all the evil desires and traits, as explained above.