However, there are two causes of this mixture of holiness in corporeality: 1) The sin of Adam; and 2) the “Shattering of the Keilim of Tohu.” Even without the sin of Adam, unholiness existed in the world and needed to be “sifted out.”
After Adam sinned and was banished from Gan Eden, the process of “sifting out” the Sparks of Holiness started. This implies that without his sin, he would have stayed in Gan Eden and would not have been involved in this “sifting process.” In that case, however, the Sparks of Holiness that fell from the “Shattering of the Keilim of Tohu” would never become “sifted out,” since Adam would not have been involved in the “sifting” process?!
A4: The idea is as follows: In such a case that Adam would have remained in Gan Eden, [the “sifting”] would have been in a completely different way, without any battle.
Rather, like what is written, “And He [Hashem] placed him [Adam] in Gan Eden to do the work.” Our Sages teach us that this “work” refers to the 248 positive Mitzvos, which draw Ohr Ein Sof [Hashem’s Infinite Light] into Gan Eden.
Through the abundant revelation of Light, the Sparks of Holiness that fell and became entangled with evil would automatically be elevated and absorbed within the Supernal Lights that man draws down, like a flame becomes drawn to the torch:
If the torch is small, then only a flame which is directly nearby will be drawn into it, and if it is distanced even slightly, then it will not be drawn into it. However, if the torch is large, then even if the flame is distant, it will be drawn into it.
The Process of Refinement Through Light
This process of refinement through an abundance of Light is similar to how it was in the time that the Beis HaMikdash stood:
For, our Sages taught, (Pesachim 87b) “The Jewish People were only exiled in order that more converts be added to them.” “Converts” here refers to the elevation of sparks of holiness. And what would have been had they not transgressed and been exiled?!
Rather, we must say that under such circumstances, the sparks would have been automatically absorbed into the holy light, like a flame before a torch, like Naama the Ammonite who, despite being a foreigner, was drawn to Shlomo HaMelech and became his wife, bearing his son and heir, Rechavam (see Melachim I, 14:21).
And so, too, regarding all the nations who came to hear Shlomo HaMelech’s wisdom (see Melachim I, 5:14), and as it is written regarding the Queen of Sh’va (ibid. 10:1).
For then there was a great “torch,” [the Beis HaMikdash] metaphorically speaking, and naturally, all of the “sparks” became absorbed in it.
And if the Beis HaMikdash would have remained standing longer, then all of the nations would have become refined and purified in this way. As is written regarding the Future Period, (Tzefanya 3:9) “Then, I will convert the nations to a pure language, that all of them will call in the Name of Hashem to serve Him of one accord.” And as it is written, (Yeshaya 60:3) “And nations will go by your light and kings by the brilliance of your radiance.”
And so would have been the idea of the refinement process accomplished by Adam, had he not transgressed, for he would have been entirely holy. For even the dirt used to form his body was taken from the place of the Mizbeach [Holy Altar], and from it his 248 limbs were made, anointed in oil, etc.
He would have dwelled in Gan Eden and from there he would have increased Light through his prayer and Torah study. The Kelipah would have automatically ceased to exist, because the sparks of holiness enlivening them would have been extracted from them, and it would have all been accomplished without any struggle.
However, once he transgressed, then the refinement had to be through toil and struggle, as the Zohar teaches, that nowadays “The time of prayer is a time of battle.”
Now, he would need to descend to the place of Kelipah and elevate the Sparks of Holiness from there. This is the meaning of Adam being sent to “the land from which his body was derived,” since now, in order to elevate the physical world, he must descend into the physical world.
When Hashem first made Adam, his body was derived from the physical earth, and after his soul entered his body, his body was elevated to a tremendously high spiritual level, and was then able to enter a spiritual reality called Gan Eden, which is a more spiritual realm than the earth from which his body was made.
If he would have not sinned, then his soul and body in Gan Eden would have been able to elevate all the Sparks of Holiness trapped in the physical world, from the “Shattering of the Keilim of Tohu,” simply through his service of Hashem in Gan Eden.
The Divine Light he would have revealed would have flowed down into the physical world and drawn all the sparks of holiness to it. This would automatically nullify the Kelipa-unholiness, since the entire life of unholiness is only what it “leeches” off of holiness, and if its life from holiness is removed, then the Kelipa ceases to exist.
However, after Adam sinned with his body, his body returned to the same level that it started on, the coarse physical world, and so his soul was dragged down with it back to the grossly physical plane of existence.
Once he became “stuck” in the coarse physical world (which naturally conceals Hashem’s Light), every time he wants to draw down Divine Light, he has to fight against the physicality of his body and of the world.
Because of this difficulty, it is only possible to elevate one spark at a time, by utilizing physical objects in the service of Hashem. Now, one must be fully invested in each and every thing that he wants to elevate, instead of flooding the world with Light and elevating the Sparks automatically.
