Idra Raba: Chapter 50

The totality of Man

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon tells how all the formations of above that are in the holy body, the whole of man, irrigate and illuminate one another until they enlighten all the world. He talks about the desire of the Klipot for the students of the Torah, since they wish to nourish from the holy body. We learn that even angels are not outside of the principle of the holy body. Rabbi Shimon describes those spirits who left the general holy body and are from the left side, and tells what their actions are. He tells us that the hidden book says that when Seth was born the worlds above and below were perfumed and perfected; this was male and female from the aspect of the holy body, and the worlds were bound together and became one body. Thus, as the spirit was drawn and entered that body, everything throughout the universe is seen to be one. Whoever excludes himself from general humanity does not enter into the realm of man when he leaves this world. Within the generality of man there is all the perfection of faith. The hidden book says that whoever keeps a holy body overnight when the spirit has left it makes a flaw in the body of the worlds, so it must not stay overnight. Rabbi Shimon talks about the Nefilim or fallen ones who mated with the daughters of men; the fallen ones are of the aspect of spirits of the left, that do not bond to the body (Zeir Anpin) at all but rather to Malchut referred to as earth. We hear how God repented that He had ever made man on the earth, and how He decided to destroy man below; all the same since one cannot differentiate between man above and man below, the destruction of man below flaws the man above. If the wisdom of Arich Anpin would have illuminated Malchut there would not have been a flood, for wisdom includes everything; this is concealed Chochmah, with which man's Correction (formation) was established and strengthened. With this, Rabbi Shimon calls upon the most Ancient of all ancient ones to witness that he has not revealed these secrets for his own honor, but only so that the friends should not err in His ways.