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250) “And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah.” “Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel.” The day of the Lord is the courthouse below, the Dinim that extend from Malchut when she is in illumination of the left, the point of Shuruk before it is mingled by the middle line. And it is called “a sentence.” “Comes” means that it always comes for every beginning of Zivug. It comes to me because I do not execute judgment [Din] until I enter and receive permission.
There are two actions in each Zivug:
- Taking permission, when the Nukva does not consent to a Zivug with ZA before he extends to her illumination of the left, illumination of the point of Shuruk. For this reason, extension of illumination of the left is considered taking permission for a Zivug.
- The sentence. When ZA receives permission from the Nukva, when he extends to her illumination of the left, at that moment all the litigants receive permission from ZA and execute the Dinim because there is no illumination of the left without disclosure of the Dinim. This is why she is called “sentence,” and this is the meaning of coming to take permission, since it comes at the beginning of each Zivug.
251) “Behold, the day of the Lord comes.” This is the saboteur below, the angel of death. When he takes the soul, he is called “cruel.” And it is written, “And full of wrath … to make the earth a desolation.” This is Sodom and Gomorrah, who became a desolation. “And He will exterminate its sinners from it” are the dwellers of that land.
252) Afterwards it writes, “For the stars of heaven and their constellations.” This is so because He poured over them fire from the heaven and obliterated them from the world. Afterwards it writes, “I will make man scarcer than pure gold.” This is Abraham, whom the Creator elevated above all the people in the world.
253) These verses are about the day when the Temple was ruined. On that day, upper and lower were darkened, and the stars and the constellations were darkened. Or, these verses relate to the day when the Creator raises the assembly of Israel from the dust at the time of redemption, and that day will be known above and below, as it is written, “And there shall be one day which shall be known as the Lord’s.” And that day will be a day of vengeance, when the Creator avenges all the idol worshippers.
254) And when the Creator avenges the rest of the idol worshipping nations, then it is said, “I will make man scarcer than pure gold.” This is the Messiah King, who will rise and be glorified by all the people in the world, and all the people in the world will serve and bow before him, as it is written, “Let the nomads of the desert bow before him … the kings of Tarshish.”
255) Although it seems as though this prophecy was made about Babel, it was in fact said about everything. This is because it is said in this portion, “For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob,” and it is written, “And the peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place,” which means that this prophecy is not specifically about Babylon.
256) “And the Lord rained on Sodom.” This is the degree of the courthouse below, which receives permission from above. HaVaYaH means He and His courthouse. He is ZA, and His courthouse is Nukva, which is the courthouse of below.
Also, the degree of the courthouse below is a verdict. This is why it is written, “And the Lord,” since ZA is mentioned in this action, as well. This is so because this verdict did not execute the judgment until the permission from above was received, meaning from ZA, implied in the name, “And the Lord.”
The judgment was executed with Rachamim, as it is written, “From the Lord [HaVaYaH] out of heaven,” where HaVaYaH is the Rachamim [mercy], so that the Din [judgment] will be in Rachamim. Here the Rachamim is as it is written, “And it came to pass, when God destroyed … and God remembered Abraham.” Afterwards, two complete nations came out of Lot, and he was rewarded with David and King Solomon coming out of him.
257) “When they had brought them outside, one said, ‘Escape for your life!’” When the Din is in the world, a person should not be on the street, for because the Din is present, it does not distinguish between righteous and wicked. Hence, one must not be there. This is the reason why Noah hid in the ark, so he would not look at the world while the Din was being executed. It is also written, “And none of you shall go out the door of his house until the morning,” until the Din was done. This is why it is written, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you.”
258) The Din that the Creator executed in the flood and the Din in Sodom were both Dinim of hell, since the wicked in hell are sentenced by water and by fire.
259) Sodom was sentenced by the judgment of hell, as it is written, “And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” One was sentenced with water, one was sentenced with fire. And both are sentences of hell. And the wicked in hell are sentenced by these two discernments, for there is hell of snow, which is water, and there is hell of fire.
260) The Din of the wicked in hell is twelve months, where they are whitened [also white-hot] and purified. Afterwards, the Creator raises them from hell and they sit at hell’s door, seeing the wicked come in and being sentenced, and they ask for mercy for them. Afterwards the Creator takes pity on them and elevates them from hell’s door, too, and brings them to the place where they are needed. From that day forth the body is calmed in the dust and the soul inherits its rightful place.
261) Even the generation of the flood were sentenced only to fire and water: cold water came down from above and boiling water from below, from the abyss, and they were sentenced by the two Dinim. This is so because the Din from above is in two Dinim—water and fire—which is why there was brimstone in Sodom, for brimstone is from water.
262) Are the men of Sodom to rise in the future, at judgment day? Those of Sodom and Gomorrah will not rise in the future during the revival of the dead. It is written, “And that the whole land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste … which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.” “Which the Lord overthrew” means in this world. “With His anger” is in the next world, and “His wrath” is in the future, when the Creator revives the dead.
263) As their land was lost for all eternity, they were lost for all eternity. The Creator’s judgment is judgment for judgment, an eye for an eye. They would not revive the soul of the poor with food and drink, the Creator, too, does not revive their souls in the next world.
And when The Zohar says, “To the next world,” it is precisely so because it takes example from their land, and their land was lost only during the 6,000 years, at which time it is called “for all eternity.” But at the end of correction, Sodom will return to the way it was, as it is written, “And your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state.” Hence, concerning their souls, too, he is not speaking of the time of revival, but speaks only about the next world, during the 6,000 years.
264) As they avoided giving alms—which is called “life”—to the poor, the Creator deprived them of life in this world and in the next world. And as they deprived the people of the world of their caravans and trails, the Creator deprived them of the caravans and trails of mercy from having any pity on them in this world and in the next world.
265) All the people in the world will rise at the revival of the dead and will stand up for judgment. But it is written about the people of Sodom, “and those are to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence.” And since the Creator, the Merciful One, sentenced them in this world and they suffered the judgment, they will not be judged in the future with all the judgments but only with some.
266) It is written, “And sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.” What is, “When He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt”? Did he not dwell in only one of them? Indeed, Lot lived in all of them, as it is written, “And Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.” However, he was not accepted except by the King of Sodom who accepted him in Sodom for Abraham, who gave him back the people and the possessions he had lost during the war of the four kings.
268) There is one gem among the stones, the Nukva de ZA. It is comely and shapely. The place of the gathering of the smoke and burning fire is in seventy faces, which is the illumination of the left in the Nukva before she is included in the right. At that time, he is the place of the Dinim, burning fire and steaming furnace. On the wardrobe, the place for gathering clothes, there are seventy sweltering faces to the four directions of the world, HB TM.
269) These seventy faces are elucidated out of three colors—white, red, and green. The color of Malchut, black, is absent there. These sparks are included in the sparks that sparkle to the four directions of the world, HB TM. This means that even though these seventy faces have only three faces—lion, ox, and eagle, meaning HGT—lacking a man’s face, Nukva, when they are mingled in one another, the Nukva is included in the HGT, as well, and there are three faces in each, even in the Nukva.
Thus, there are three faces in the lion’s face, three faces in the face of the ox, three faces in the eagle’s face, and three faces in the face of a man. Hence, they are twelve faces, where each of the HG TM has three faces, with the face of man—the color Nukva—missing in each of the HG TM. This is why they are twelve, HB TM that have three colors in each.
And here there is a very powerful spark from the left side, which grips to the heaven, ZA. By the force of the illumination of that spark, each discernment of the twelve discernments receives six edges, HGT NHY, from ZA.
We see three discernments in these seventy faces: 1) Who are primarily only three colors HB and Tifferet, with the Nukva absent there. 2) In regards to their integration in one another, there are these three discernments in the Nukva, too, by which these three colors become twelve discernments. 3) Their unification in ZA, where each of the twelve discernments receives six Sefirot HGT NHY.
This is how they became seventy discernments, since six times twelve is seventy-two. But essentially, they are only seventy—seventy Sanhedrin and two witnesses. And seventy angels stem from those seventy faces, which are Malchut’s courthouse. And the Din is calmed in those seventy discernments and the books are open. Thus, even though the judgment is open in them, and they are open and seen by all, yet the judgment is quieted and completely inactive. This is Malchut of the quality of Din that is hidden in them, as it is written, “If he is rewarded, it is good.”
270) From here emerge arrows, swords, spears, and the fire of the tower, since the three colors that extend from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—are included in all four, even in the Nukva. Hence, when she is in Dinim of the illumination of the left, arrows are drawn out by the force of Holam in her, which kill from afar.
Also, by the Malchut’s ascent to Bina, the Bina was halved and its bottom half fell off it, and the light of GAR departed her. But Bina did this deliberately, like the eagle that is merciful to its offspring and says, “It is better that the arrow will hit me rather than my offspring.” By the force of the point of Shuruk, in which swords are drawn out, which kill from up close, all the Dinim in the Shuruk extend from the nearness of the light of GAR de Hochma. And by the force of the point of Hirik in her, spears are drawn out, which include both: killing from up close like a sword and tossing them and striking from afar like an arrow, since it contains both.
All those three Dinim creates burning fire in the Nukva, and this is called “the fire in the tower,” which is the Nukva. And strong fire that comes out from the heaven, ZA, grips the Nukva, and when the upper fire—the Dinim in ZA—grips those below, in the seventy Dinim of the Nukva, no one can break the anger and judgment of the Dinim in the Nukva.
271) The eyes blaze like tongues of flame. ZA descends to the world with them with blazing eyes. Woe unto one who meets him when he is girded with swords. The Dinim that extend from the point of Shuruk are called “swords.” A sharp sword in his hand, he pities neither the good nor the bad, since the verdict of those seventy colors comes down by the left hand by the permission of the unification, when the side of heaven was united in him.
272) He overturns in several Dinim; each day he turns into several colors, which acquire a different shape each time. All the kinds of Dinim that are in the tools of anger of the Creator are seen in him, and those Dinim sit at the top of the world. And for their foolishness, people do not look at them.
273) Brimstone and fire are the waste of water and the waste of fire that were fused from the heaven and united with each other and descend over Sodom. The heaven is fire and water, right and left that were united in ZA, and the Shamayim [heaven] has the letters of Esh [fire] and Mayim [water]. And through the iniquities of the lower ones, they were parted and there was a dispute between fire and water, which are the two lines, right and left. It is considered that they were fused, and that the waste of the right is brimstone and the waste of the left is fire. And these two kinds of Dinim that were conjoined are the ones that overthrew Sodom.
274) There are ten names of corrections in the King’s authority, ten Sefirot. Ten and not nine, ten and not eleven. And yet, they amount to a great number, the number of seventy-two names. Seventy blazing colors emerge to each side from the seventy-two names, seventy colors that were carved and were made into the seventy names of the angels, which are the heavens. They come out of the seventy-two names of the heavens, which is ZA, and there are three discernments in them, corresponding to the three lines of ZA.
Hence, those that extend from the right line are arranged as an acronym of the alphabet in direct order. And those that extend from the left are arranged as an acronym of TASHRAK, TZAPH’AS, which is the alphabet in reversed order, indicating Din and extending from the middle line, arranged in the acronym of the nine points, Kamatz, Patach, Tzere, Segol, Sheva, Holam, Hirik, Sharak, and Shuruk, which is also called Melaphom.
278) When they all unite as one, by the power of the upper one, ZA, it is then called “And the Lord [HaVaYaH],” which means that all is included—ZA and Nukva and the seventy angels below her. “From the Lord [HaVaYaH] out of heaven” means the Holy Name that is carved in seventy other names. The heavens is ZA, the name AB in Mochin de ZA whose essence is seventy. And those are the seventy of ZA that dominate the seventy Dinim de Nukva, “And the Lord,” and seventy names in holiness—in Mochin de ZA—are HaVaYaH without Vav, called Shamayim [heaven].
279) The seventy Dinim in Nukva receive from the seventy names of ZA. And HaVaYaH that contains seventy Dinim receives from HaVaYaH seventy names of ZA. The lower ones, the seventy Dinim, depend on the upper ones, the seventy names of ZA, and all is connected as one. When they connect with one another and shine simultaneously, by that, the Creator Himself is revealed. The heaven is Ayin, HaVaYaH without Vav, and the seventy-two names that emerge from the three verses, “And … went,” “And it came,” and “And … stretched.”
281) These are the seventy names that govern the seventy bottom degrees, which are “And the Lord,” with a Vav. And these are the seventy names that are HaVaYaH without a Vav, which is called “heaven,” ZA. Seven firmaments, the seven Sefirot of ZA, each of which consists of ten, add up to seventy names of the Holy Name, HaVaYaH. This is the meaning of the words, “And the Lord rained,” which are seventy Dinim de Nukva. “From the Lord out of heaven” are the seventy names of the Holy Name, HaVaYaH.
282) The most hidden of all that is hidden was given to the wise. This name is called “heaven,” and from it, the hidden secret called man was created. The number of organs in his body is 248 organs. Also, man extends from heaven, from ZA in the Mochin of the seventy-two names. This is why 248 organs were created in man, corresponding to the 216 letters in the seventy-two names and the thirty-two paths of wisdom.
283) The number of letters of the seventy-two names is 216. This is so because each name contains three letters, and three times seventy-two is 216. Seventy-two is the hidden and the concealed, the whole of the Torah. It is included in the twenty-two letters and ten utterances, which are thirty-two in Gematria, being the thirty-two paths of wisdom. This name is 216 letters, and with the thirty-two paths that were included in it, they amount to 248, which are the 248 organs of the body.
ZON are called twenty-two letters and ten utterances, ten Sefirot de Bina. The Mochin de AB appear through the rising of ZON for MAN to Bina when the twenty-two letters of ZON unite with the ten Sefirot de Bina. Hence, this raising of MAN is called “thirty-two trails of wisdom” or “The thirty-two ways of wisdom,” indicating that all the Hochma [wisdom] that appears in Atzilut appears only in these paths.
And since ZA is the cause of these Mochin, 248 discernments were carved in it, indicating the thirty-two paths and the 216 letters that appear through thirty-two paths, which are 248 organs in the body. For this reason, ZA himself is called “man,” too, indicating the expansion of these Mochin in him.
284) ZA is called “man,” governing the throne, which is seventy Dinim and seventy angels that extend from them, which are called “throne.” It is written, “And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it from above.” ZA, called “man,” is above the throne, which is the Nukva and the seventy Dinim in her. It is written, “And the Lord rained on Sodom,” which is the Nukva and her seventy Dinim, meaning a throne, “from the Lord out of heaven,” which is ZA above the throne.
285) Sodom was sentenced for avoiding giving alms, as it is written, “Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” For this reason, their sentence was from heaven, since alms and heaven are one. It is written, “For Your mercy [Hesed] is great above the heavens.” Thus, alms and Hesed extend above the heaven, and because alms depend on heaven, Dinim, too, extend from the heaven, as it is written, “From the Lord out of heaven.”
There are Dinim de Nukva and there are Dinim de Dechura [male Dinim]. Dinim of Sodom are Dinim de Dechura, from the heaven, ZA, since their verdict was sentenced for depriving alms, and this flaw concerns ZA, who was prevented from bestowing alms and Hesed upon the Nukva; hence their Din is Din de Dechura.
286) The Din of Israel is from heaven, too, as it is written, “For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom.” Also, Jerusalem is regarded as the sister of Sodom, as it is written, “Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom.” For this reason, their sentence from heaven is the same sentence as that of Sodom, for avoiding giving alms. The only difference is that Sodom has been overthrown and is incorrigible, and Jerusalem is ruined but can be corrected.
The cities of Sodom extended GAR of illumination of the left. This was their essence. And Jerusalem is only VAK of the illumination of the left. And prior to the sin of Sodom, the Mochin of the illumination of the left were properly arranged above, GAR on top, followed by VAK, followed by Din. When he sinned and their sentence was determined, he turned the degrees from below upwards in the Mochin of illumination of the left, and this elevated the verdict above, so only she became fit for a Zivug, as it is written, “In the evening she went.”
Following her came the VAK de Mochin, and following them—below all the others—the Kelim de GAR de Mochin fell. And since he overturned the five degrees above, the cities of Sodom were overturned below. And since they were regarded as GAR, they fell below all the others. This is so because this correction that was done in the illumination of the left remained so until the end of correction. At that time, it is said, “And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state,” since then the degrees above will return to their former state: GAR above, followed by ZAT, and finally the sentence.
Even though it is the same verdict for Jerusalem and Sodom, there is still a big difference. Because Sodom is considered GAR, they were overturned and cancelled out until the end of correction. Jerusalem, however, is considered VAK, and hence was not overturned, VAK de Mochin of the left of the illumination of the left remained in place, in the middle, and no change will ever occur in them. However, they were ruined because of their iniquity, since the upper Zivug was separated for a time until they repent. This is the meaning of Jerusalem being recoverable if Israel repent even before the end of correction, while Sodom is irrecoverable, since the overthrowing will not be removed before the end of correction.
287) “But his wife looked back from behind him,” behind Lot. The saboteur was walking behind him. Wherever Lot went, the saboteur avoided sabotaging. And the place from which he went and left behind, the saboteur would overthrow. This is why the saboteur told him, “Look not behind you,” for I will be sabotaging behind you, and this is why it is written, “But his wife looked back from behind him.” Seeing the saboteur, she became a pillar of salt because as long as the saboteur does not see the face of a person, he does not sabotage it, but since Lot’s wife turned her face back to look behind him, she promptly became a pillar of salt.