וְעֵילָא מִנְּהוֹן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, דְּהֲוָה יָתֵיב גַּבָּאי, וְהוּא הֲוָה מְמַלֵּל עִמִּי. וּבָעֵי, דְּלָא יִתְגַּלֵּי חוֹבֵיהּ לְכָל עָלְמָא. בַּר הַהוּא דְּאָמְרָה אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְאִתְכַּסֵּי בְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן.
Adam HaRishon... was sitting next to me [Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai], speaking with me, and he asked that his sin not be revealed to the whole world beyond what the Torah had recounted. It is concealed in that tree in the Garden of Eden.
(כג) וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים מִגַּן־עֵ֑דֶן לַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֻקַּ֖ח מִשָּֽׁם׃ (כד) וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים
(23) So God banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he was taken. (24) He drove the man out, and stationed east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
(ב) וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת הָאָדָם. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לָא יְדַעְנָא מָאן עָבִיד תֵּרוּכִין לְמָאן. אִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבַד תֵּרוּכִין לְאָדָם אִי לָא. אֲבָל מִלָּה אִתְהַפִּיךְ וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת, אֶ''ת דַּיְיקָא. וּמָאן גֵּרַשׁ אֶת, הָאָדָם. הָאָדָם וַדַּאי גֵּרַשׁ אֶת. וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ יְיָ אֱלהִים מִגַּן עֵדֶן. אַמַּאי וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ, בְּגִין דְּגֵרַשׁ אָדָם אֶת כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן. וַיַּשְׁכֵּן, אִיהוּ אַשְׁרֵי לוֹן בְּאֲתַר דָּא דְּאִיהוּ גָּרִים וְסָתִים אוֹרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין וְאַשְׁרֵי דִּינִין עַל עָלְמָא וְאַמְשִׁיךְ לְוָוטִין מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא וּלְעֵילָא.
"And [God] expelled (et) Adam (3:24)" Rabbi Elazar said, "We do not know who divorced whom: if the Blessed Holy One divorced Adam, or not. But the word is transposed: He drove out (Et) precisely. Who drove out Et? Adam. Adam actually drove out Et! Consequently it is written: YHVH Elohim expelled him from the Garden of Eden (ibid, 23). Why did He expel him? Because Adam drove out Et as we have explained."
"God placed... [the cherubim to guard the garden]. God installed them in this site; he was the cause, closing pathways, inflicting punishment on the world, extending curses from that day on.
(ד) מִכָּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. דְּשַׁרְיָא לֵיהּ כֹּלָּא דְּלֵיכְלִינְהוּ בְּיִחוּדָא. דְהָא חֲזִינָן אַבְרָהָם אָכַל, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְכָל נְּבִיאִים אֲכָלוּ וְחָיוּ. אֲבָל אִילָנָא דָּא אִילָנָא דְמוֹתָא אִיהוּ מָאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי מַיֵית. דְּהָא סַמָּא דְמוֹתָא נָטִיל. וְעַל דָּא כִּי בְיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת בְּגִין דְּקָא פָּרִישׁ נְטִיעִין.
"From every tree of the garden you are free to eat" - everything was permitted to him if eaten in oneness [The Tree of Life with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]. For we see that Abraham ate, Isaac and Jacob - they all ate and endured. But this Tree [of Knowledge of Good and Evil] is a tree of death; whoever takes it alone [without the tree of life] dies, for he has taken deadly poison. 'So from that day you eat from it you shall surely die' for he separates saplings.
§ The Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [pardes], i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, and they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; Aḥer; and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva, the senior among them, said to them: When, upon your arrival in the upper worlds, you reach pure marble stones, do not say: "Water, water," because it is stated: “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” (Psalms 101:7). The Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them: Ben Azzai glimpsed and died. And with regard to him the verse states: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma glimpsed and went crazy. And with regard to him the verse states: “Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16). Aḥer chopped down the shoots of saplings. Rabbi Akiva came out safely.
ויאמר ה' אל משה פסל לך שני לחת אבנים כראשנים וכתבתי על הלחת את הדברים אשר היו על הלחת הראשנים אשר שברת. ואיתא בגמ' (שבת פ"ז.) יישר כוחך ששברת, מחמת שהיה קשה בעיני משה מאד שבירת הלוחות לכן הראה לו השי"ת כי באמת למעלה אין שום פירוד ורק בעולם הזה נתראה כנפרדים וזה דאיתא בגמ' (חגיגה י"ד:) אמר להם ר' עקיבא כשאתם מגיעין אצל אבני שיש טהור אל תאמרו מים מים כי למעלה אין שום פירוד בין מים למים כי הכל אחד וכדאיתא בתיקוני הזהר (תיקון מ' פ':) דהא לית תמן פרודא לעילא וכו', ובזה"ק (בראשית כ"ו:) עיין שם כל הענין.
It says in the Talmud, "[God said] Yasher Koach to [Moses] - that you broke the tablets [because the people were worshipping idols]" Because it was very difficult in Moses's eyes that he broke the tablets. Thus G!d showed him that in truth up above there is no separation, only in this world it appears like they were separated. And this is what it says in the Talmud (Chagigah 14), "Rabbi Akiva said, when you arrive next to the pure stones, do not say 'water water.' Because on high there is no separation between the waters and everything is one. As it says in the Tikunei Zohar - "On high there is no separation."
(ח) כְּתִיב, (דברים ט״ז:כ״א) לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ. אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח, וְכִי לְעֵילָא מִנֵּיהּ אוֹ בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מָאן שַׁרְיָיה. אֶלָּא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא (קפ''ב ע''ב) אֲשֶׁר דָּא בַּעֲלָהּ דְּאִתְּתָא (ד''א ה''א) אִתְקְרִיאַת עַל שׁוּם בַּעֲלָהּ אֲשֵׁרָה. (נ''א הה הם אשר ה''א) וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (מלכים ב כ״ג:ד׳) לַבַּעַל וְלָאֲשֵׁרָה. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב לא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח יְיָ אֱלקֶיךָ. לָקֳבֵל (נ''א אשרה) אֲתַר דְּהַהוּא מִזְבַּח יְיָ, דְּהָא מִזְבַּח יְיָ אִיהוּ קָיְימָא עַל דָּא, וְעַל דָּא לָקֳבְלָה לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה אָחֳרָא.
It is written, "Do not plant asherah or any tree-like object beside the alter that you make for YHVH your G!d." Beside the alter - Is it permitted above the alter or anywhere else? Rather we have established: Asher is her husband and she is named after him: Asher(ah). So it is written: For Baal and Asherah (2 Kings 23:4). So do not plant Asherah beside the alter that you make for YHVH your G!d - over against "the alter of YHVH" for the "alter of YHVH" is based on this. So "do not plant" another Asherah over against her.
Daniel Matt Zohar Commentary pg 270 on Zohar 1:49a
Asher is her husband... For Baal and Asherah - Baal was the most prominent Canaanatite god, often paired in the Bible with Asherah. Here Rabbi Shimon plays on the literal meaning of the word "baal" (husband). Elsewhere in the Zohar, the name Asher is associated with the male sefirotic potency - Yesod, so Sheckhinah, wife of Yesod is named after Him: Asherah. This startling name of Shechinah and Her intimacy with the masculine divinity mirror the ancient Israelite worship of YHVH and Asherah. An inscription from the 8th Century BCE Found in Khirbet el-Qom (Northern Israel) reads "To YHVH my Protector and to His Asherah," Another in Kuntillet Arjud (Sinai) reads "YHVH of Yemen and His Asherah."
(ח) פִּקּוּדָא רְבִיעָאָה לְמִנְדַע דְה' הוּא הָאֱלהִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ד) וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי יְיָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. וּלְאִתְכְּלָלָא שְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים בִּשְׁמָא דְּיְיָ. לְמִנְדַע דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא. וְהַיְנוּ רָזָא דִכְתִיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ. לְמֶהוֵי תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן חַד בְּלָא פִּרוּדָא כְּלָל. לְאִתְכְּלָלָא מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר בִּשְׁמָא דְּשָׁמַיִם (נ''א דרשים) דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא. נְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא בִּנְהוֹרָא חִיוְורָא לֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא וְכֹלָא חַד.
(א) וְדָא הוּא עֲנָנָא חִיוְורָא דִימָמָא וְעֲנָנָא דְאֶשְׁתָּא בְּלֵילְיָא. (כמה דאמרו חברייא) מִדַּת יוֹם וּמִדַת לַיְלָה. וּלְאִתְתַּקַּן דָּא בְּדָא לְאַנְהָרָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ.
(ב) וְדָא חוֹבָה דְהַהוּא נָחָשׁ קַדְמָאָה חִבַּר לְתַתָּא וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעֵילָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ גָּרַם מַה דְּגָרַם לְעָלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַפְרָשָׁא לְתַתָּא וּלְחַבְּרָא לְעֵילָא. וּנְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא. וּלְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְבָתַר בְּאֻכְלוּסָהָא בְּיִחוּדָהָא וּלְאַפְרָשָׁא לָהּ מִסִּטְרָא בִּישָׁא. וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְדַע דֶּאֱלהִים יְיָ כֹּלָא חַד בְּלָא פִּירוּדָא. ה' הוּא הָאֱלהִים. וְכַד יִנְדַע בַּר נָשׁ דְּכֹלָּא חַד וְלָא יַשְׁוֵי פִּירוּדָא, אֲפִילּוּ הַהִיא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא יִסְתְּלַק מֵעַל עָלְמָא וְלָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ לְתַתָּא.
The fourth commandment: to know that YHVH is the Elohim. As it is written, "Know this day, and consider it in your heart, that YHVH is the Elohim"(Deuteronomy 4:39). Meaning, that the name "Elohim" is included in the name of "YHVH", and acknowledged as one and inseparable. And this is the secret of the verse, "Let there be luminaries (Heb. מְאֹרֹת) in the firmament of heaven...to give light upon the earth" (Genesis 1:14-15), that both names should be as one without any separation. Thus, מְאֹרֹת, spelled without a Vav, should be included within the term 'heaven', because they are as one and inseparable. Black light with white light, indivisible, and all is one.
(1) And this is the white cloud by day and the cloud of fire by night, the attribute of day, and the attribute of night, as they should be established by each other into one whole, to illuminate. As it is written, "to give light upon the earth."
(2) This is the sin of the primordial serpent, who unites below and it separated above. Because of this, he caused what he caused to the world. Because what is below should be separated, and what is above should be united. So the black light should be united above into one unified whole. And then she should become united together with her own legions and be separated from the evil side.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to know that Elohim and YHVH are one without separation. "YHVH is is Elohim". So when a person acknowledges that both are one and does not cause any separation between them, even the 'Other Side' will disappear from the world and not be drawn downward.
Carl Jung Collected Works 8:158
[W]e need the unconscious contents to supplement the conscious attitude. If the conscious attitude were only to a slight degree “directed,” the unconscious could flow in quite of its own accord. This is what does in fact happen with all those people who have a low level of conscious tension, as for instance primitives [sic]. Among primitives, no special measures are required to bring up the unconscious. Nowhere, really, are special measures required for this, because those people who are least aware of their unconscious side are the most influenced by it. But they are unconscious of what is happening. The secret participation of the unconscious is everywhere present without our having to search for it, but as it remains unconscious we never really know what is going on or what to expect. What we are searching for is a way to make conscious those contents which are about to influence our actions, so that the secret interference of the unconscious and its unpleasant consequences can be avoided.
R. Gershon Henoch of Radzin's Gloss to the Mei HaShiloach Vayikrah vol 1.
There is a central idea about being tested by serving the gods of Edom. Because the powers of each of the nations are parts of The Holy Blessed G!d... We too have the potential to separate the Kavod/Shechinah, G!d commands us not to worship any [divine] measure or power other than G!dself.
For why in truth should it be forbidden to worship any of the forces/gods? Was it not G!d who gave them those powers and strength? Rather [it is only] in this world where G!d's power is hidden and He hasn't yet clarified for people their portion [personal] portions are actually part of G!d. As a king separates a portion of his honor (kavod) for his servants, so to in this world. It seems [to people] that their portion is actually their own and other from that of G!d (who actually separates and gives to them)...
But in the future when knowledge (da'at) has increased and G!d's power is revealed obviously for the world, then we will it will be allowed to worship all of the servants of heaven and their servants. Because there will not be any hiddenness that they are all giving kavod/respect/service in service to the King... And this is the idea when Joshua bows to the angel (Joshua 5).
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּהַאי יוֹמָא אִתְכַּסְּיָיא סִיהֲרָא, וְלָא נָהִיר עַד בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תַּיְיבִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא שְׁלֵימָתָא, וְאִימָא עִלָּאָה תָּאבַת וְנָהֲרַת לָהּ. וְהַאי יוֹמָא נְהִירוּ דְּאִימָא נַטְלָא, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח חֵידוּ בְּכֹלָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הוּא. יוֹם כִּפּוּר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאן יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דִּתְרֵי נְהוֹרִין נָהָרִין בְּחַד.
Come and see, on that day [of Rosh Hashanah] the moon [feminine/tree of knowledge/sacredness of this world] is gathered, and does not shine until the tenth day of the month, when all of Israel return in complete repentance, and the Supernal Mother [transcendent Godliness/tree of life], again shines upon it... On that day [Yom Kippur], [the moon] receives the illuminations of [the Supernal] Mother, and joy abounds everywhere. Hence it is written, "for it is a day of atonement (Heb. YOM KIPPUR)" (Vayikra 23:28). It should have said 'Yom Kippur' in the singular; what is the meaning of Yom Kippurim [in the plural]? This is because [this the time when the] two lights shine together.