Kabbalah Library

28. He began to tempt her until, as it is written, “And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,” with a great and strong taste, meaning that it was good for food and pleasant to the eyes. This teaches that the letters Vav and Tav of “and saw” fled and rose up to connect with the letter Mem, and the letter Mem was ascending and descending, and was not connecting with them until Eve was tempted. Then, death was decreed upon the people of the world.

29. The letters Vav-Tav Dalet-Peh fled and surround the letter Mem from four directions, as it is written, “And she took of its fruit and ate, and gave also to her man with her, and the eyes of both of them were opened.” There are four times Vav Tav here, teaching that they surrounded the letter Mem on its four sides, and the Mem in the middle, creating the combination MaVeT [death] on all the sides.

30. It is written, “For death has come up into our windows.” This is Sam, one of the windows of heaven. This is why it is written, “What man can live and not see death?” Promptly, he controlled Eve and cast filth in her. The Creator went down to see, and as it is written, “And the man and his wife hid.”

31. Before they sinned, the Shechina was crowning their heads, meaning it was present in the world for them. Once they sinned, it is as though the power of the Shechina has waned and she departed and did not govern the world, and the Creator began to wail, and said, “How,” with the letters Aleph-Yod Kaf-Hey, which means “What shall become of her,” of Koh, the Shechina, since the governance has been removed from her.

Here, too, in the ruin of the Temple, the governance has been removed from the Shechina and she no longer controls the world, and the Creator began to lament and said, “How,” Aleph-Yod Kaf-Hey, which means “what shall become of her, of Koh, the Shechina.