According to this model, He (blessed be He), as it were,¹⁰². This word is used when we attempt to explain God’s actions in a human context, and realize our descriptive limitations. created man and appointed him to rule over the multitude of powers and numberless worlds, and assigned them to him so that he should be their spokesman and govern them via all the minute details of his actions, speech, thoughts,¹⁰³, soul-Ruakh and soul-Neshama. and the larger scale aspects of his behavior,¹⁰⁴ whether for good, or (heaven forefend) for the opposite.

footnotes: ¹⁰² Heb.: ki’v’ya-khol ¹⁰³ Rav Chayyim here describes three ways that man affects the worlds. From lower to higher they are: actions, speech and thoughts. He addresses each of them in some detail in chapters 12 through 14. As Rav Chayyim discusses in chapter 15, they correspond to the inner aspects of soul-Neffesh ¹⁰⁴ Heb.: v’khol sidrei hanha-go-tahv

For via his positive actions, speech and thoughts he fulfills and invests strength in a number of supernal and holy powers and worlds, and adds holiness and light to them, as is written (Yeshayahu 51:16): “and I will place my words in your mouth... to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth.” And in the words of the sages: (Berakhot 64a): “Call them ‘your builders’¹⁰⁵ rather than ‘your sons’”¹⁰⁶ for they arrange the lofty worlds as a builder arranges his structure and invests it with great strength.

footnotes: ¹⁰⁵ Heb.: bo-nie-yikh ¹⁰⁶ Heb.: ba-nie-yikh

And the opposite (heaven forefend) [is also true, that] via his negative actions, speech or thoughts he destroys (may the Merciful save us) a number of powers, and the supernal, holy worlds without number and measure, as is written (Yeshayahu 49:17): “your destroyers and those who lay waste to you shall go forth from you,” or darken or lessen their light and holiness, and add power to their opposites in the realms of impurity (may the Merciful save us).

This is what is meant by (Bereshit 1:27): “And God-Elohi”m created man with His image. In the image of God-Elohi”m...”, and (Bereshit 9:6) “for God-Elohi”m made man...”—for just as He (blessed be His name) is the Elohi”m, Master of the powers found in the totality of all the worlds, and organizes and governs them each instant per His will, so too did His (blessed be He) will rule that man should be the enabler and disabler¹⁰⁷—literally the “opener and closer” of many multitudes of powers and worlds via all of the detailed patterns of his large scale behavior, in every situation, literally in every instant and moment, according to his supernal root,¹⁰⁸ which includes his actions, speech and thought, as if he too is the master of their power, as it were.

footnotes: ¹⁰⁷ Heb.: ha-po-tei-ahkh v’ha-so-geir ¹⁰⁸ Rav Chayyim here mentions in passing that we are not only our physical bodies: we have a root in the upper worlds. He elaborates on this theme in the following chapters.

And the sages said in Ei-kha Rabba¹⁰⁹ (1:33, on verse 1:6): “Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbee Seemon: ‘When Israel performs God’s will, the Almighty’s power increases, as is written (Tehillim 60:14): “through God-Elohi”m we will make valor. ”¹¹⁰ And when Israel doesn’t perform God’s will, it is as if they weaken the great power of heaven, as is written (D’varim 32:18): “Rock, your children weaken You” ’.”

footnotes: ¹⁰⁹ Sources with the term “Rabba” in their title are Midrashic. ¹¹⁰ Heb.: ba-Elohi”m na-ah-seh cha-yeel

And in a few citations in the holy Zohar we find that the sins of man cause blemishes above, and similarly the opposite occurs too, as we mentioned. And this is what the Torah says (Tehillim 68:35): “Give strength to God-*Elohi”m.*¹¹¹” And in the Zohar, at the beginning of Parshat Bo (32b) it says: “(Iyyov 1:6) ‘...And it was the day and they came... to stand before God’—When they want to denounce Israel’s actions, it is God they certainly denounce, because when Israel performs improper actions it is as if they weaken God’s power, and when they perform proper actions they add force and power to the Holy One (blessed be He). And regarding this it is written ‘Give strength to God-Elohi”m’. In what way? Via proper actions.”

footnotes: ¹¹¹ Heb.: t’noo ohz leh-eh-lo-hi”m

This is why it says: ‘to God-Elohi”m’, and similarly: ‘through God-Elohi”m we will make valor’, because its definition is ‘Master of all powers’.