…Jewish tradition has two etymologies for the word adam, “man.” The first defines his physical existence, and in this case the three leters of the word, aleph, dalet and mem, stand for efer (“ashes”), dam (“blood”) and marah (“bile”)…The second definition derives the word adam from the phrase “edame la’elyon,” (Yeshiayhu 14:14). “I resemble the Supernal One.” Man is in God’s image, as was written at the time of Creation: “And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him” (Bereshit 1:27)
The word image should be taken seriously. According to the laws of optics, when a broad ray of light goes through a small aperture, it nevertheless preserves the shape of its luminous source. Similarly, Divine light travels through the universe, is reflected through this tiny slit, and remains, on a human scale, Divine light. The function of a mitzva is this to “reflect” God in the physical reality of this world; by lighting the lights of the mitzva, man reveals on earth the infinite light in all things and restitutes the image Above. (341-42)
From The Seven Lights, page 340