Tehillim on the Parsha: Pekudei: Great Deeds Without Limit Part One
That which is stated, “He Who performs great deeds without limit,” refers to the great wonders the Holy One, Blessed is He, does in the creation of a child.
When a man has intimate relations with his wife, the Holy One, Blessed is He, indicates to the angel appointed over pregnancy, whose name is Night, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him, “You should be aware that tonight a person is being created from the seed of so and so; therefore, you should know to look after this droplet and taking in your palm and spread in the granary for 365 parts.” (The angel forms the 365 sinews which are present in every person, and God then decrees whether it will be a male or female.)
He does so; he immediately takes the droplet in his hand, and brings up before the One Who spoke and the world came into being, and he says before Him, “I have done just as You have commanded me, so what has been decreed for this droplet?” The Holy One, Blessed is He, immediately decrees the destiny of the droplet; if it will be mailed or female, weak or strong, poor or rich, short or tall, ugly or beautiful, fat or thin, scorned or clumsy.
Similarly, He decrees all its life’s events, but not if it will be righteous or wicked, for that, He leaves to the person himself, as it is stated, “Look, I have given before you today, the life and the good; the death and the evil (Deuteronomy 30:15).”
The Holy One, Blessed is He, immediately motions to the angel appointed over the spirits and says to him, “Bring Me the spirit of so-and-so, who is in the Garden of Eden, whose name is so-and-so, and his appearance is such and such.” For all the spirits that are destined to be born in the future, from the date of the world was created until the world will will end, were all predestined to be for mankind, as it is written, “Whatever has been has already been given a name (Ecclesiastes 6:10).”
Thereupon, the Angel goes and brings that spirit before the Holy One, Blessed is He, and when the spirit arrives, it immediately bows and prostrates itself before the King, the King of all Kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He.
Then, the Holy One, Blessed is He, says to the spirit, “Enter the droplet that is in the hand of so-and-so.”
This spirit opens its mouth and says before Him, “Master of the World! The world I have been living in from the time it was created is sufficient for me. Why do You wish to put me into this putrid droplet, for I am holy and pure, and shaped from the form of Your glory.”
Thereupon, the Holy One, Blessed is He, says to the soul, “The world I am putting you into is better for you than the one you have been living in, and at the time I created you, I created you specifically for this droplet.”
Then the Holy One, Blessed is He, immediately inserts it there against its will.