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>This passage then goes on to say that the phrase “There was no man’ to till the ground mystically refers to Israel today, who must endure a world which has been brought to desolation, like the primordial earth, because Gentiles are in control and Israel is “not in the temple to till the ground” with sacrifices. (I, Ber. 25b)
>Notice in the last part of that passage that it reasserts the standard Talmudic dogma that only Jews are “men.” The Zohar comments on the “real” meaning of a verse in Genesis: “AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN. ‘Man’ here refers to Israel, whom God shaped at that time both for this world and for the future world.” (I, Ber. 26a) “...‘living soul’ refers to Israel, who have holy living souls from above, and ‘cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth’ to the other peoples who are not ‘living soul’...” (I, Ber. 47a)
>Israel “Repairs” The World
>Someday, however, things will be as they were meant and man,” meaning Israel, will be given the preeminence he was created for. Then, the Kabbalah tells us, “man should be unique and ruler over all.” (I Ber. 47a)
>How will “man” conquer the world?
>Rabbi Jehuda said to him (Rabbi Chezkia): ‘He is to be praised who is able to free himself from the enemies of Israel, and the just are much to be praised who get free from them and fight against them.’ Rabbi Chezkia asked, ‘How must we fight against them?’ Rabbi Jehuda said, ‘By wise counsel thou shalt war against them.’ (Proverbs 24:6) By what kind of war? The kind of war that every son of man must war against his enemies, which Jacob used against Esau — by deceit and trickery wherever possible. They must be fought against without ceasing, until proper order be restored. Thus it is with satisfaction that I say we should free ourselves from them and rule over them.’ (I, 160a, Pranaitis Trans. p. 74, 75)
