Daily Zohar # 4912 – Beresheet – From where did He take him?

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Beresheet
Continued from previous DZ
#258
“וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים” “And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life” — this refers to the Upper Shechinah, which is called Eden
and is also called Teshuvah. This verse describes two spiritual states: the state of smallness of Mochin (Katnut): About this it is written: “וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה” “And YHVH God formed man from the dust of the earth” (Genesis 2:7) — which corresponds to the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, because “Vayitzer” (וייצר — “He formed”) with its double Yud hints at two formations — good and evil, as explained in the previous section. The state of greatness of Mochin (Gadlut): About this it is written: “וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה” “And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) — because the light of Binah, which is the Upper Shechinah, is called the Breath of Life, and this light of Binah is the Mochin of greatness. It is also referred to as Eden in the text. Regarding the man receiving the Mochin of greatness, it is written: “And the Tree of Life was in the midst of the Garden” (Genesis 2:9) — because in the state of Gadlut, he is called the Tree of Life. This refers to the Middle Column — the Zeir Anpin of Atzilut.
The Garden refers to the Lower Shechinah (Malchut). Thus, the man is connected through three links — called Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh. From the Upper Shechinah (Binah), he receives Neshamah; from Zeir Anpin of Atzilut, he receives Ruach; and from the Garden — Malchut (Lower Shechinah) — he receives Nefesh. And with these — Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh — man became a Living Soul. This term “נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה” “Living Soul” (Nefesh Chayah) refers specifically to the mouth of man, relating to the Shechinah, which is called Breath of Life. Meaning, now the verse “And He blew into his nostrils” can be explained literally — as though God blew directly into Adam’s nostrils, for the Breath of Life refers to the light of the Upper Shechinah. The influx from the Shechinah also flows from the mouth of Zeir Anpin, since the Mochin is always drawn from the mouth of the head, which refers to Malchut of the head (the mouth), as is known. Thus, it is fitting that it says: “And He blew into his nostrils” — meaning through the mouth.
Notes:
The Zohar teaches that man was created with two distinct spiritual aspects: The body, drawn from the earth, a vessel of potential mixed with the inclination to both good and evil. The soul, drawn directly from the Upper Shechinah, which breathes Divine life into him and elevates him to his true spiritual purpose. This duality is captured in the double phraseology of the Creation account in Genesis 2:7, which first describes the formation from dust and then the infusion of the Breath of Life, representing the infusion of Divine consciousness from above. It highlights man’s role as a bridge between worlds, rooted in the earth, but animated by the Divine, capable of elevating creation through his spiritual faculties of Neshamah, Ruach, and Nefesh.

#259
Rabbi Shimon opened again — following the teaching of the elder (the “Saba” mentioned above) — to explain the verse: “וַיִּקַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹקים אֶת הָאָדָם, וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְּגַן-עֵדֶן” “And YHVH God took the man…” (Genesis 2:15). Meaning, after the elder explained the verses “And a river went out of Eden…” in relation to the smallness and greatness (Katnut and Gadlut) of Adam, Rabbi Shimon now also explained the verse: “And YHVH God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden…” in the same context — of Adam’s spiritual development. The verse says: “And He took (וַיִּקַּח) the man.” Rabbi Shimon asks: From where did He take him? Where was man before he was placed in the Garden of Eden? He answers: Rather, He took him from the four separated elements (ד’ היסודות דפרודא) — those of which it is written: “וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת-הַגָּן, וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים” “And from there it parted and became four heads” (Genesis 2:10), which alludes to the four basic elements of separation (earth, water, fire, and air). And the Holy One, Blessed be He, separated the man from those four divided elements, and placed him in the Garden of Eden of Atzilut.
Notes:
Rabbi Shimon teaches that the verse “And YHVH God took the man” describes a spiritual ascent, where God elevated Adam from the divided lower elements of nature (fire, water, air, earth) into the Garden of Eden, representing the World of Atzilut, a realm of Divine unity and spiritual completeness. This transition marks the essential elevation of the human soul: From chaotic material forces to Divine service and union. Adam becomes rooted in spiritual purpose — no longer subject to fragmentation. This also reflects a spiritual path for every soul: to rise above the pulls of the material world and return to the inner Garden — unity with Hashem.

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