זוהר, תרומה ע״חZohar, Terumah 78

Segment 1א׳

כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לְתַתָּא. לְתַתָּא מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית ד׳:א׳) וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת קַיִן, שָׁרִיאַת קוֹף לְאוֹלָדָא, בִּמְעָהָא, בְּחֵילָא וְסִיוּעָא (רל"א ע"א) דְּאָדָם לְבָתַר דְּהָא קַבִּילַת (קמ"ח ע"ב) זוּהֲמָא מִגּוֹ הַאי קוֹף. וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיּוֹלֶד, אֶלָּא יָדַע וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד, וְנָפַק פְּסוֹלֶת גּוֹ נוּקְבָּא.

A corresponding process took place on earth. We read: “And Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bare Cain” (Gen. IV, I). Together with Adam’s energy it was that which had been left of the ape element in her that produced Cain. Therefore of Cain’s birth it does not say, “And he begat” but “she bare a son”.

Segment 2ב׳

וַתּוֹסֶף לָלֶדֶת אֶת אָחִיו אֶת הָבֶל, וּבְהַאי נָמֵי לָא כְּתִיב וַיּוֹלֶד, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּמִסְטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא הֲוָה. אֲבָל מְקַטְרְגָא תָּשַׁשׁ וְתָבַר חֵילֵיהּ, דְּהָא בְּאָת קוֹף שָׁרִיאוּ אַתְוָון לְאוֹלָדָא.

The reason for its saying of Abel also, “And she again bare his brother Abel”, is that, although he was conceived of the Masculine side, yet the Accuser weakened Adam’s power and energy. Now with the letter koph (of Cain: koph also means an ape), the letters began to beget.

Segment 3ג׳

כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבְּרִיר פְּסוֹלֶת, שָׁרִיאוּ אַתְוָון לְאוֹלָדָא מֵרָזָא דְּאָת ש"ת. תִּקּוּנָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. בְּאִסְתַּכְּמוּתָא כַּחֲדָא. וּכְדֵין כְּתִיב וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת, וְלָא כְּתִיב וַתִּקְרָא. וַיִּקְרָא אִיהוּ, וְלָא אִיהִי. אִיהוּ קָרָא שְׁמֵיהּ שֵׁת, תִּקּוּנָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא, דַּהֲווֹ בְּאִסְתַּכְּמוּתָא חֲדָא.

As soon as the impurity was eliminated, the letter shin (of Sheth) began to come into operation, the union of the Masculine with the Feminine. Therefore it says “And he begat a son in his own likeness, after his image, and he called his name Sheth” (Gen. 5, 3): he, and not she. Then the letters reversed and combining the aleph of Adam with the letter following the last in his name-nun- took vau also (but not he’, because that is already found in Abel), and also the first letter of Sheth, and then the name Enosh came into being (v. 6). What is the difference between enosh (man) and adam (which also signifies “man”)? Enosh (anash=to be sick) indicates that he had not the same strength as Adam; concerning which it is written: “What is man (enosh) that thou shouldst magnify him?” (Job 7, 17). A weakening of the body, but a strengthening of the soul was the heritage left by Sheth to his son Enosh, a good heritage for his acceptance.