21) In the Zohar, in section 4, verse 22, Rabbi Shimon further opens the discussion and says, "See now that I am He, and there is no God beside Me." He said, "Companions, these are ancient words that I wish to reveal after permission has been granted from above to say them. Who are the ones who said, 'See now that I am He'? It is not that He ascended over all the supernal realms that are called 'ascend on high.'
Rather, He ascended from these ascents, from the ascents that do not perform any action until permission is taken from that supreme realm." As I have explained earlier regarding "Let us make man," it is indeed done through two aspects. It is stated that from that upper level permission is granted, saying, "Let us make." And no action is done from below until permission and directive are taken from that upper level, and that which is from that upper level does not act from below until it takes counsel from its companions.
However, that which is called "ascend on high" has nothing above it, and it does not have an equal counterpart below it, as it is stated: "To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal?" said the Holy One. He said, "See now that I am He, and there is no God beside Me," taking counsel from it, as in the case of the statement: "And God said, 'Let us make man.'" And refer to Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Atik, chapter 2, and the explanation of Rabbi Mekadesh Melech in the name of the Ari in the book Likutei Amarim, that "ascend on high" refers to the ancient man who is called "ascend on high."
"Ascend on high" includes all the aspects called by that name, as it has ascended to the heights below it. But when we say "ascend all the ascents," it refers to the ancient man who is the first ascent of all the aspects, as explained. It has been clarified to you from the words of the philosopher, the author of the Zohar, and his commentators, Mekadesh Melech in the name of the Ari and Derech Emet, and Shvivei Noga, that the Divine presence, who granted permission to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai to delve into matters that are forbidden to bring to heart or contemplate the plurality in the Godhead, is the "Ancient One," the Holy One.
And it is not this Divine presence that said to the Israelites, "See now that I am He," etc. For the Holy One, who said, "See now that I am He," refers to the ancient man who is the first ascent of all the aspects, and he does not require permission from anyone. And the Holy One, who said, "Let there be light," "Let there be a firmament," "Let the waters gather," etc., is the Father (Abba). And the one who said, "Let us make man in our image" is the Mother (Imma), who said to the Father, "Let us make man."
But the Holy One, blessed be He, did not agree that He is the Father in His creation. The Mother said to Him, "Why do you care? If he sins against me, let him sin, it is not for you. As it is stated, 'A foolish son is a grief to his mother and bitterness to her who bore him.'"
And thus, man was created without the Father's consent, as explained in Shvivei Noga. If the Father had agreed to his creation, He would not have expelled him when he sinned. But surely the Father did not agree to this, as it is stated in the Zohar, "He did not consult the Matrona (Imma)," etc. Therefore, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden, and He expelled him along with Him.