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172) The ephod [a special vest of the high priest] and the breast piece were as one, since ephod is Malchut and the breast piece is ZA. In a place of existence, where there are complete Mochin, all those 12 stones stand, carrying the names of the sons of Israel, and they are all 12 high boundaries, 12 combinations of HaVaYaH, HG TM, in each of which are three lines, hence they are 12. They are all tribes of the sons of Israel because the 12 tribes of Israel are 12 combinations of HaVaYaH that are given to Malchut.
173) It is written, “To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.” “To which the tribes go up” are the 12 upper tribes, the 12 boundaries in ZA, the roots of the 12 tribes. These are the tribes of the Lord [Koh, Yod–Hey] because the name Koh is a testimony to Israel, as a testimony is GAR.
174) It writes “tribes” twice: “Tribes,” “Tribes of the Lord.” “To which the tribes go up” are the tribes below, in Malchut. “The tribes of the Lord” are the tribes above in ZA. “A testimony to Israel” is the upper, holy name Koh, which is called “a testimony,” as it is written, “I will teach them this testimony of Mine.”
This is why there are the names of the 12 tribes in the breast piece, opposite ZA, and there are the names of the 12 tribes in the ephod, opposite Malchut. The 12 upper, holy tribes in ZA are the 12 holy stones in the breast piece. This is why they stand below, in the breast piece, as above. Also, all those names of the 12 tribes are engraved in those stones, and the high priest carries them.
175) When Jacob was going to Haran, it is written, “And he took of the stones of the place and put them under his head.” These are the 12 holy stones, which are considered the 12 tribes in Malchut, HG TM, in each of which are three lines, and they all became one stone, as it is written, “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar.” He calls it a stone because all 12 stones were included in one high and holy stone that is above them, Malchut, who is called “a stone,” as it is written, “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be the house of God.” For this reason, her 12 tribes are also called “stones.”
176) Therefore, here the high priest places it on his heart to always remember them, as it is written, “And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel … over his heart … before the Lord continually.” And for this reason, everything is in 12: 12 high stones that are hidden above, concealed in the upper holy one, ZA. They are the meaning of the Torah, ZA, and they come out of a single, fine voice, Bina.
12 other stones are hidden below in Malchut, similar to those above in ZA. They come out from a different voice, which is a stone, as it is written, “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,” Malchut.
177) This is why it is written, “And all the herds were gathered there and rolled off the stone.” This is Divinity, who is called “a testing stone,” “the stone of Israel,” which is rolled off and placed in exile. It is written, “And [they] put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth,” at the time of redemption. After it, all of them, all the degrees that come out of it, are called “stones.”
178) There are several Behinot [discernments] of stones in the stones. There are stones that are the foundations of the house—Malchut in the Behina [singular of Behinot] of Hochma, who is called “a house,” as it is written, “In wisdom shall a house be built.” It is also written, “And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, precious stones, to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stone.” HB in her are called “great stones, precious stones.” There are also high precious stones, which are 12, four orders—three, three to each order to the four directions of the world, HG TM, in each of which are three, hence they are 12.
Likewise, four banners were walking in the desert, which are the 12 tribes—three, three to each side of the four directions of the world. To the east: Yehuda, Issachar, and Zebulun; to the south: Reuben, Shimon, and Gad; to the north: Ephraim, Menashe, and Benjamin; and to the west: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The four directions of the world are HG TM, and the three tribes in each direction are three lines, and it is all one.
179) When the high priest would place those 12 stones and wear them in the breast piece and the ephod, Divinity was upon him. Those 12 stones are decorated with the names of all the tribes, and each tribe was engraved on a single stone. The letters were embedded in stones, and when the stones illuminated, the letters would protrude outwards, illuminating what they needed to.
180) The two letters Het and Tet, the letters in Het [sin], were absent in all the names of the tribes, as there was no sin in all of them. The Het [sin, but also the letter Het] that the name caused, since the name Het means descent or decline, so it is good that it is not among the names of the tribes. But Tet is a good letter. One who sees the letter Tet in his dream, it is good for him because he began the Torah with it, “And it was good” [Tov (good) begins with a Tet], as it is written, “And God saw the light, that it was Tov [good].” Thus, it is a good letter, so why was it not written in the tribes?
181) It is because those two letters [Het and Tet] are adjacent, and the proximity indicates sin. This is why they were absent in the tribes. Also, the letter Tet is hidden and concealed. It indicates Yesod de Bina and illuminates the illumination of all of them, and there is no light other than that letter because all the lights come out of Yesod de Bina, as it is written, “And God saw the light, that it was good,” which is illumination of that light in the letter Tet, being concealed and hidden. It is written about that letter, “Will not deny Tov [good] of those who walk wholeheartedly.” It is the light of all the tribes. And because it is so concealed, it is not among the tribes. Moreover, all 12 tribes come from that corridor, Yesod de Bina, which is hidden, and which is the letter Tet. For this reason, it is hidden and concealed and is not seen in the tribes.
182) All the stones in the breast piece stood in a manner of letters and banners. When they would illuminate, they would illuminate the face of the high priest, the letters were illuminating and protruding, and they were recognizable from the stones outwards. When they would illuminate the face of the high priest, it was apparent that the protrusion of the letters was favorable. By that, it became apparent if the priest was righteous or not. For this reason, everything was in a manner of letters and banners.
183) It is written, “You shall put in the breast piece of the judgment the Urim and the Tummim.” Urim [lights] illuminate what is being asked. Tummim [pl. of Tam (whole)] complement their words.
184) The breast piece and the ephod correspond to the Urim and the Tummim. They are Tefillin and the knot of the Tefillin, which are opposite one another. It is written, “You shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” “You shall see My back” means that the Creator showed Moses the knot of the Tefillin. “But My face” means the actual Tefillin, the high secret, the holy name. “My back” is the knot of Tefillin. Tefillin are the illuminating mirror, ZA. The knot of Tefillin is a mirror that does not illuminate, Malchut.
185) Accordingly, the Urim illuminate while they speak. ZA is the illuminating mirror. The Tummim complement with their words, meaning Malchut that illuminates in illumination of Hochma, as it is written, “You shall see My back,” in which there is all the wholeness. The face is the Urim; the back is the Tummim. Also, these are voice and speech: the voice is ZA, illuminating to the speech, Malchut, to speak, since the voice complements the speech. That is, the voice is the actual essence, and the speaking complements it. They always go hand in hand and never part from one another because it is impossible to separate voice from speech. Therefore, the breast piece and the ephod are face and back, and it is all one.
186) The breast piece and the ephod never part. It is written of one who parts them, “Who separates the Champion,” since they imply ZA and Malchut. It is also written, “And it came to pass when Eviatar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.” But he did not say “breast piece.” It follows that he separated them from one another.
187) All that is important is hidden, concealed and is not mentioned. It is written, “Carrying a linen ephod.” The breast piece is not mentioned due to its importance. What is more revealed is mentioned so that what is hidden and covered shall be covered. This is why that which is more disclosed is mentioned, which is the ephod.
188) For this reason, the upper name is a secret that is covered and concealed, and is mentioned only in the name that is revealed. One is mentioned and one is concealed. The concealed name is HaVaYaH; the revealed name is ADNI. This is why it is written in hidden letters, HaVaYaH, and is called by the letters ADNI. One is covered by the other: the name ADNI covers the name HaVaYaH so that the glory of the upper one will be forever covered and concealed.
All the ways of the Torah are revealed and concealed. Likewise, all the matters of the world, this world or the upper world, are concealed and revealed. That is, there is interior in everything.
189) It is written, “Do tell us, because of whom has this calamity struck us?” “On whose account” is asking about the Hochma. Here they were asking a secret that is revealed, to know if he comes from Joseph’s descendants, where the sea—when it saw Joseph’s coffin—parted at once and became land, as it is written, “The sea saw and fled.” The sea saw it, that it was written in it, and fled out, meaning parted at once, “The Jordan turned back.”
190) This is why they asked Jonah, “Do tell us, because of whom has this calamity struck.” It was because it is written about him in Joseph, “Because you are his wife.” They implied to him with the word, “Because,” if you come from the descendants of Joseph, pray that the sea would ease up on us. And it is written, “Because of whom has this calamity struck us?” In the word “Whom,” they implied to him, “If you come from the descendants of Jacob,” as it is written, “To whom do you belong, and where are you going,” and they are the ones to whom Jacob said it. They were the holy angels that he sent to Esau on his mission, and he was saved from that plight, so you, too, pray to your Master and He will send His angels and we will be saved from that plight.
191) And if not, tell us what is your work, what is your occupation each day, where you come from, what do you love, what is your country, and should that country be punished? And from what people are you? Is it Amalek, or one of the seven nations that should be punished?
192) What did Jonah reply to them? “He said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew,’” meaning I am from the descendants of the Hebrew Abraham, who sanctified the name of his Master in the world each day. “And I fear the Lord, God of heaven.” They asked him, to know a matter that is revealed and that is concealed. They implied to him with the word “because,” and in the word “of whom,” which is covered, and they asked him the rest openly. And Jonah replied everything to them openly.
193) “And the men feared a great fear.” When they heard the name of the Creator, they were immediately afraid because they all knew the miracles and mighty deeds that the Creator did at sea. He also told them that he was fleeing the Creator. This is why they said to him, “What have you done,” running from Him and not doing His commandments?
194) All of them later converted, when they saw the miracles and the great deeds that the Creator had done for Jonah at sea. They all saw him fall into the sea, that fish which swallowed him, and that that great fish came in front of everyone and vomited him onto land. They came to him and converted, as it is written, “Those who regard vain idols forsake their mercy.”
195) They were all proselytes by conviction [converted out of free will], grew wise in the Torah, and became great sages because the Creator desired them and all who approach Him and openly sanctify His name. When sanctifying His name openly, His hidden name—HaVaYaH—rises to its throne, ADNI, and a unification of HaVaYaH ADNI [The Lord, God] is made, as it is written, “I will be sanctified among the children of Israel.”
196) “They shall bind the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with an azure cord.” Why an azure cord? It is to show that azure, Malchut with respect to the Din in her—connected with Hesed—is tied to everything. For this reason, everything is in the upper one. Azure ties the breast piece, ZA, with the ephod, Malchut.
197) “They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells inside the pomegranates.” It is written, “And its sound shall be heard when he came into the holy place before the Lord,” since a sound that is heard is needed, ZA, and there will be blessings on the world thanks to the priest who blesses everything and does everything. The gold bell is an audible sound, ZA. The pomegranate is Malchut, which is filled by all, receiving from all the upper ones.
198) “And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all azure.” The robe of the ephod is Malchut. “All azure,” meaning azure is the light of the chair, from Malchut, who is the black light in a candle that burns and consumes all that is under it. She is azure when she connects to the white light in the candle, Hesed. Hence, the azure is for the ephod, as it is the light of Malchut.
199) These are the Kelim of the garments of the priest in the upper one, so that the garments below will be as above. And because Michael is the high priest, and comes from the right, why is it written about Gabriel, “The man clothed in linen”? After all, the garments were for the high priest, and Michael is a priest and comes from the right. However, the left is always included in the right, hence Gabriel, who is left, wore garments from the right.
200) Gabriel was appointed as an emissary for this world. Each emissary that is appointed for this world must wear clothes of this world. Likewise, when the soul rises, she dresses in a garment of above in order to be there. Also, when she descends from above downward, she dresses in a garment. Each garment suits the place to which she goes. Likewise, all the emissaries appointed a mission in this world should wear [garments] from this world.
201) The robe of the ephod was in order to cover him around his body. When he wore it, it is written, “You have formed me behind and before, and laid Your palm upon me.” That is, the breast piece is from before, and the ephod is from behind.
202) “Behind and before.” When the Creator created Adam HaRishon, male and female were created, tied to one another, the female to the back, and the male from before. Finally, the Creator cut and separated them, and set her up before the man, to look face-to-face. And when they looked face-to-face, the love in the world increased and they begot offspring in the world, which was not so before.
203) And after the man and his wife sinned and the serpent came and cast filth in her, she gave birth to Cain, whose form was the form of above and of below—of the filth of the Sitra Achra from below, from the external ones. This is why he was the first who made death in the world, since his side inflicted, as he came from the serpent’s filth. The conduct of the serpent is to lie in wait in order to kill. He who comes from the serpent, Cain, his way is to take and go. This is why it is written, “And it came to pass that when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”
204) When Cain killed Abel, he bit him like a snake until he took his breath away and killed him.
205) All things return to the first foundation from which they came out. If Cain were not from the side of the serpent, he would not be so toward his brother. Therefore, when Adam saw that Abel was killed and Cain was expelled, he said, “Why am I begetting henceforth?” He parted from his wife for 130 years, and impure female spirits would come and be warmed by him, and he begot spirits and demons. These are called “the afflictions of people.”
206) Afterwards he grew jealous, wore envy, united with his wife, and begot Seth. This one was in his image, after his own likeness, which was not so before, with the first sons that were before.
207) In the beginning, before Eve, he had another bonding, Lilit, until Eve came when the Creator set her up for Adam, and they united face-to-face. This is why it is written, “This one shall be called Woman.” But the other one, Lilit, was not called so.
208) Because Adam and Eve were created as one, it is written, “He created them male and female, and He blessed them,” for they were together. This is why it is written, “You have formed me behind and before.”
209) Ephod and the breast piece are behind and before. The breast piece is before, and the ephod is behind. When the priest would clothe in them, he was similar to the upper form, ZA and Malchut, who are behind and before. At that time his face would illuminate, and the letters would protrude and shine, and would rise up. And then he knew the matter that was needed.
210) For this reason, the correction of the breast piece and the correction of the ephod tie together, although the correction of one is not as the correction of the other, and it is all one. The connection of one to the other is for the breast piece, ZA, to unite with the ephod, Malchut, in four rings that connect in this place and in that place, in the breast piece and in the ephod. The rings are the Merkavot that connect to that side, below those that are above, and it is all Ophanim [lit. wheels, but also “angels”] and animals. The two rings in the breast piece are the animals, Yetzira. The two rings in the ephod are the Ophanim, Assiya, and are tied to one another.
211) It is written, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” the heaven being ZA and the earth being Malchut, since the tabernacle was made according to everything, making the similitude of the lower world, Malchut, and the similitude of the upper world, ZA. All of the works that the Creator worked in this world are as above. So is the tabernacle: all of His works are as the work and as the similitude of the upper world.
212) This is the meaning of all the work of the tabernacle. All of them are deeds and corrections of above and of below, to instill Divinity in the world, in the upper dwellers, the angels, and in the lower dwellers, people. The lower Garden of Eden, Malchut, is as the upper one, Bina. All the images and all the forms of the world are there, hence the work of the tabernacle and the work of heaven and earth, ZA and Malchut, are all one.
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