Genesis 2:7

The expression “Vayomer Elohim” (ויאמר אלוהים ) – “And God said” – is not just a literal expression, but an emanation of divine energy that manifests as creation. In Kabbalah, creation does not occur directly but through a gradual process that channels the infinite divine light (Or Ein Sof) into physical reality. This process occurs through the 10 sefirot, which are like filters or channels.

Keter – Divine Will (the intention to create) Chochma – Wisdom (the pure idea) Binah – Understanding (the structure of the idea) Until reaching Malchut, which represents the spoken word, the final expression, the closest thing to the physical world.

Malchut is called the “mouth” of the universe. It is here that the word of God manifests as an act of creation. But that word has already passed through all the higher levels of intention, form, emotion, and planning.

“God said” tells us that everything begins with divine thought (Chochmah), passes through the development of that idea (Binah), and descends to Malchut, where it becomes “speech.” In the case of human beings, God not only spoke, but also “formed” and “breathed.” This indicates a more intimate and profound level of creation.

The act of speaking implies the activation of the universal creative process. “Formed” (וייצר) uses this word with a double yod (וַיִּיצֶר ), which, according to Kabbalah, indicates the creation of two aspects of the human being: the body and the soul. “Breathed the breath of life” – Here God not only “speaks” but also “breathes” into part of His own being, representing a direct connection with Infinity (Ein Sof).

In the Kabbalistic tradition, the divine word is not just a sound. Each Hebrew letter has a value, a form, and a spiritual energy. Thus, the word of God is composed of letters with spiritual energy. These letters were used to create reality, as stated in the Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Formation), a fundamental text of Kabbalah that explains how God created the world with the 22 Hebrew letters and the 10 sefirot.

Human beings are created by the word, but they also have the power of the word, since they are made "in the image of God." The human word can also create or destroy: blessings, prayers, Torah study—all participate in the same principle. The human purpose, according to Kabbalah, is to use their word, will, and actions to elevate creation toward its divine origin.

This phrase has been deeply explored by Kabbalah (the Jewish mystical tradition) and gematria (the system of numerical interpretation of Hebrew words), which reveal hidden meanings and spiritual purposes behind the creation of human beings.

According to Kabbalah, the human body was formed from "dust" (afar) as a symbol of humility, transience, and connection to the physical plane. The human being, on this plane, is composed of the four basic elements: earth, water, fire, and air. The term "Adam" (אדם ) comes from "Adamah" (אדמה ), earth, and also contains the letters "Dam" (דם), blood, and the letter Aleph (א), which represents the divine. This shows that the human being is a combination of the earthly and the divine.

The "breath" or breath of life (nishmat chaim) is considered in Kabbalah to be the neshama, the higher part of the soul that comes directly from God. This divine spark gives human beings consciousness, free will, and spiritual capacity. The Zohar explains that this breath is a part of the Creator Himself, a direct emanation of the divine.

Adam )אדם = (1 )א + (4 )ד + (40 )ם = (45. The number 45 is associated with the Divine Name of God in its extended form Mah (מה), which represents humility and the human capacity to ask “what am I?” (מה אני ), that is, the search for meaning and purpose. This also relates to the Tetragrammaton (יהוה), when filled with letters (יוד־ הא־ואו־הא ), whose gematria also gives 45 if a specific form is used.

Neshama )נשמה = (400 )ת + (40 )מ + (300 )ש + (50 )נ = (395. This numerical value is the same as the Hebrew word "Shamayim" (שמים), heavens (in some variants), reinforcing the idea that the soul comes from heaven, from the spiritual world.

Kabbalah teaches that human beings were created: To reveal divine light in the material world (Tikkun Olam – repair of the world). To elevate themselves spiritually through free will, study, kindness, and the fulfillment of mitzvot.

As partners with the Creator in creation, by perfecting themselves, humans help perfect the universe. According to the Ari”zal (Rabbi Isaac Luria), the neshama descends to rectify sparks of holiness (nitzotzot) trapped in the physical world after the “breaking of the vessels” (Shevirat HaKelim).

The expression Vayyitzer (וַיִּיצֶר): "And formed," composed of two "yod" (י ) letters, speaks to us of the two inclinations of the human being: one to do good (Yetzer HaTov) and the other to do evil (Yetzer HaRa), as we were given free will to choose for our spiritual growth.

This perspective reminds us that although we were taken from the dust of the ground: Et-ha'adam afar min-ha'adamah (אֶת־הָּׁ אָּׁ דָּׁ ם עָּׁפָּׁר מִ ן־הָּׁ אֲדָּׁ מָּׁ ה), it also tells us, through the terms "afar" (עָּׁפָּׁר), "dust," and "adamah" (אֲדָּׁ מָּׁ ה), "ground," that although there is an intimate connection between man and the earth, this connection is both physical and spiritual. We do not only coexist in a dimension where the physical earthly aspect prevails, but we are also an integral part of that eternal divine essence.

That is why the term "afar," which suggests humility, also speaks to us of an inherent mortality in that body taken from dust. It is necessary to keep in mind that He also breathed into our nostrils His breath: Vayipach be'apav nishmat chayim (וַיִּפַח בְ אַפָּׁיו נִשְ מַ ת חַ יִּים), an act considered as the direct infusion of divine essence into that body, which lives by that breath of life: "nishmat chayim" (נִשְ מַ ת חַ יִּים), a divine spark that endowed us with a soul that, in essence, connects that mortal body with the Creator.

This breath elevates that body to know itself as different from the other living beings on earth, who additionally do not have that spiritual consciousness. It is this consciousness that allows us to coexist in a mental dimension that enables the soul to become aware of the coordination and management not only of expressions, thoughts, actions, and interactions but also of its great purpose, so that by being born again, it achieves reconnection with the divine.

We must not lose sight of the fact that the expression Vayehi ha'adam lenefesh chayah (וַיְהִ י הָּׁאָּׁ דָּׁ ם לְ נֶפֶש חַ יָּּׁה): "And the man became a living being," when speaking of "nefesh chayah" (נֶפֶש חַ יָּּׁה), "living being," refers to that vital aspect of the soul that is related to the basic functions of life, but also includes the capacity for consciousness and spiritual growth.

Therefore, that "nishmat chayim," the divine breath that infuses life, is what truly makes us feel alive.

This is our essence, which genealogically begins with "adam" (אָּׁ דָּׁ ם ). Thanks to its gematria value of 45, which also corresponds to the word "mah" (מַ ה), meaning "What?", it tells us that our daily search and that purpose or sense of life, which is transcendent, must be nourished by that breath of life "nishmat chayim," so that our consciousness elevates. "Nefesh" (נֶפֶש ), spiritual transformation, calls us to free ourselves from Egypt, from the mundane, from ephemeral expectations, and from our evil intentions.

Exile and liberation are part of our dual nature, as a complex creation that we are, integrating earthly (adamah) and divine (nishmat chayim) elements. We are called to choose between the good offered by our Heavenly Father or the evil projected by our ego, a free will that must be nourished by His will, an infusion of divine essence that is in the air, the same air that connects us with the sacred.

The Dust of the Earth (גֶֶּ֣פֶר מִ ן־הָּׁ אֲדָּׁ מָָּׁ֑ה ): represents the physical, the body, the material, the limited. The Breath of Life (נִשְ מַ ת חַ יִּים): represents the spiritual, the soul (neshamá), the divine spark, the eternal. This establishes that we are a union of matter and spirit, of the finite and the infinite, and this duality is key to the Kabbalistic understanding of the mind and emotions.

But the human being is also a microcosm of the Tree of Life (Etz Chaim), which represents the sefirot, or divine attributes. The upper sefirot correspond to the mind, and the lower ones to the emotions: Intellect (מוחין – Mochin): Chochmah (Wisdom): Inspiration, initial spark. Bina (Understanding): Rational development. Daat (Knowledge): Integration and connection. Emotions (מידות – Midot): Chesed (Love, benevolence); Gevurah (Discipline, fear, strength); Tiferet (Beauty, compassion); Netzach, Hod, Yesod (Perseverance, humility, connection). Malchut (Kingship): Expression in the physical world.

Thus, our mind and emotions directly reflect God's attributes, and being “in His image” (צלם אלוהים – Tzelem Elohim) means possessing this capacity to reason, feel, choose, and create with spiritual purpose. Nefesh

(נפש) – basic/emotional soul = 430. Ruach (רוח ) – emotional/intellectual soul = 214. Neshama (נשמה) – higher soul = 395.

Each level of the soul is associated with different internal functions: Nefesh → basic emotions, desires. Ruach → refined feelings, morals. Neshama → intellect, connection with God.

Adam (אדם ) = 1 +4 +40 =45. Represents the totality of the human being. Interestingly, 45 is also the gematria of מה (Mah), which means “what?”, symbolizing humility and openness, a divine quality in humankind. Our minds and emotions are not evolutionary accidents or merely biological functions; they are manifestations of the divine soul that reflect, at their root, the internal structure of God Himself. Being “in His image” means having free will, the ability to love, create, discern, and seek spiritual unity with the Creator.