Zohar 1:26a

Jewish Mysticism
“And the Lord God formed the man” (Gen. 2-7), this is Israel. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, formed them in the forms of this world and the world to come. “And [the Lord God] formed,” at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, elevated them into His name, in the form of two yods, Y, Y, with a vav between them, for this equals the numerical value of [the tetragrammaton] YHVH [26], and they became formed with His face, in their face with two yods, in their seal [circumcision] with the letter vav. And on account of this scripture states, “From the tops of the rocks [tzurim] I see him” (Num. 23-9), these are the forms [tziyyurim] of the holy name, and they become formed in their faces with two precious tablets, which are [the letter yod] Y, Y, and he is the vav inscribed upon them. And moreover, He created each generation with its nuptial counterpart above, that is yah, and they are the vav, the unity of both of them. And He formed them with this, for the supernal form that is Israel is the central pillar, encompassing the upper and lower shekhinah, which is the recitation of the evening and morning shema prayer, and of this it is said, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2-23). And immediately at that time He planted Israel in the holy Garden of Eden, thus it is written “And the Lord God planted” (Gen. 2-8), mother and father, “a garden,” this is the lower shekhinah, “Eden,” this is the Upper Mother, “the adam,” this is the central pillar, he is His planting, His nuptial counterpart, and he will not depart from Him for ever, and he will be His delight. And Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, planted them at that time as a holy planting in the world, as it is said, ”[And your people are all righteous, the will inherit the land for ever], shoot of my planting, work of my hands, that I may be glorified” (Isaiah, 60-21).

Translated by Hartley Lachter