(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)
14) Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosi were sitting one night, engaging in Torah before midnight. At that time, the rooster called, meaning the midnight hour had arrived. They blessed the blessing, “Who gave understanding to the grouse to tell day from night.” Rabbi Elazar wept and said, “Thus far the Creator shook 390 firmaments and struck them, brought two teardrops down into the great sea, and remembered His sons in weeping.”
15) The 12 hours that are written in the night divide into three sides—right, left, and middle. If there are more than 12 hours in the night, they are regarded as day and not of the night, since only 12 hours are of Malchut, who is called “night.” These 12 hours divide to three sides, and three camps of holy angels divide in these three sides.
The four Sefirot HG TM do not comprise of HG TM in each, to make it 16 Behinot [discernments], since Malchut disappeared in the diagonal. Thus, they consist of only HGT, and are only 12 Behinot because four times three are twelve. It follows that the illumination is essentially only HGT, three lines. However, they illuminate in each of the HG TM, even in Malchut. It follows that the night divided into four parts, HG TM, where in each part are three lines HGT. And two Sefirot HG are in the first half of the night, hence they are six because there are three lines in each. The two Sefirot TM are on the second half of the night, and they are six hours because each consists of three lines, HGT.
However, with respect to the singing of the angels, the night does not divide into four watches, HG TM, but to three watches. It is so because the angels that sing in three watches extend by that the illumination of Hochma that illuminates in the night, as it is written, “She rises while it is still night.” This operation of the illumination of Hochma applies only to the three lines, not to Malchut, since Malchut only receives their illumination and discloses them, but she does not operate at all.
Hence, there is no watch from her Behina [singular of Behinot], for which she should sing. This is why in this Behina, the night divides to only three lines, and in each line are HG TM, hence they are 12 hours in the night in this Behina.
It follows that with respect to the existence of the night, which is Partzuf Malchut, there are four Sefirot in it, HG TM, and it divides at the point of midnight when the Sefira Tifferet, the middle line, begins to shine. The Creator entering the Garden of Eden is the middle line that enters Malchut, who is called “the Garden of Eden.” However, with respect to those who sing, the night divides by three lines each line with HG TM because Malchut de Malchut does not operate and there is no singing out of her Behina.
16) The first camp was appointed to praise their Master, right line, Hesed, in the first four hours of the beginning of the night. They say, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains … for He has founded it upon the seas … Who may ascend into the mountain of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” They say it because when the night spreads its wings over the world, all the people of the world taste the taste of death and their souls come out to rise up, those angels stand and say about the souls, “Who may ascend into the mountain of the Lord?” The mountain of the Lord is the Temple Mount. “His holy place” is the section of Israel.
As there is in the Temple above, Malchut, there is in the Temple below. Everything there is in the Temple below, the Temple Mount, the section of Israel, and the holy of holies, extends from the forms that exist in the Temple above. When they look below, they know what there is above—that there too is the Temple Mount, the section of Israel, and the holy of holies, which are called “The mountain of the Lord,” “His holy place,” and “holy of holies.”
17) Because in each and every firmament are several appointees and several officers, when the souls come out and wish to go up, if they are not rewarded, they are repelled and walk and roam the world. Then several regiments of spirits take them and inform them false words, or sometimes true words of what is to come in the near future.
18) The souls of the righteous walk and roam above, and doors open to them. They rise up to a place that is called “the mountain of the Lord,” which is as the Temple Mount below, and from there they rise to a place called “His holy place.” There, all the souls appear before their Master, such as a place below, which is called “the section of Israel,” where Israel appear before the Creator. When the souls stand there, the joy of their Lord is to establish in them the place of the holy of holies, where all their works and merits are inscribed.
19) The second camp was appointed to sing in the second four hours. They sing only two hours until midnight, and the Creator, the middle line, enters the Garden of Eden. This is so because a second camp of angels extends from the left line, as the second watch is the left line, and they should have sung until the beginning of the third four hours. However, since with respect to the existence of Malchut, the night divides into four parts, HG TM, with three hours in each, it follows that the Sefira Gevura ends at the point of midnight, the left line, and the Sefira Tifferet, the middle line, begins.
Therefore, the angels from the left line were compelled to stop their singing because the domination of the middle line already began in the night. Hence, they sing for only two hours until midnight, and they must stop their singing at the point of midnight because then the Creator, the middle line, enters the Garden of Eden, Malchut, and it is past the time of those of the left line to sing.
20) The angels of the second watch are after the ruin of the Temple, the mourners of Zion. They are the ones who weep over the ruin of the Temple. In the beginning of the middle four hours, the left line, to which the Sitra Achra primarily grips, start and say, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, and also wept.” They are the ones who weep over the rivers of Babylon with Israel. This is the meaning of what is written, “And also wept.” The meaning of the word “also” is that we, too, wept, like the angels. How do we know that they wept there? Because it is written, “Behold, their brave men cry outside.” What is “outside”? It is Babel, since all the angels accompanied Divinity through Babel, and wept there with Israel. This is why they started, “By the rivers of Babylon,” and concluded, “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom.”
21) Then the Creator awakens in His degrees, strikes the firmaments, 12,000 worlds shake, and He roars and weeps. It is written, “The Lord will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar mightily against His fold.” He remembers that Israel are in exile and brings down two tears into the great sea. At that time a flame awakens in the north side, and a single wind on the north side mates with that flame, and the flame walks and roams the world. At that time the night is halved and the flame walks and strikes the wings of the rooster, and he calls. Then the Creator enters the Garden of Eden.
The three watches of the night are three lines of Malchut. From the second watch, the left line, Dinim extend until the middle line arrives and unites the left with the right line, when Hochma on the left dresses in the Hassadim on the right, and she illuminates in wholeness. The left line does not yield to unite with the right until the middle line raises the Masach de Hirik in the beginning, from the perspective of Malchut de Midat ha Din [of the quality of judgment], who is called Man’ula [lock], and subsequently from Malchut that is mitigated in Bina, who is called Miftacha [key].
At that time the Creator, middle line, awakens in His degrees due to the Dinim of the left line, and strikes the firmaments, meaning mates in the Masach de Hirik. And the 12,000 worlds that extend from the illumination of Hochma on the left shake because of the Masach that diminishes them into VAK. They are of the number 12 because each line consists of all 12 Behinot of Malchut.
He roars and weeps because due to the Masach that diminishes into VAK, Katnut, it is considered that He is roaring and weeping, since the Katnut is called “weeping,” in regard to the letters next to the name EKYEH [Aleph–Hey–Yod–Hey], which is the name Bochu [Bet–Vav–Chaf–Vav]. He remembers that Israel are suffering in the exile due to the Dinim of the left line, and lowers two teardrops into the great sea, Malchut. The two teardrops are the two Behinot of Malchut, Miftacha and Man’ula, included in the Masach de Hirik. And because the Hochma is called Eynaim, the diminution of Hochma is regarded as tears.
However, to extend Mochin de VAK de Hochma, the Dinim de Man’ula must be concealed and the Zivug of the middle line must be only on Masach de Miftacha. Then a flame awakens in the north side—the Dinim on the Masach de Hirik—which are called “a flame.” The north side is the left line. It cannot awaken there, but only the Masach de Miftacha, the Masach de Malchut that rose to Bina. Due to the return of that Malchut to her place the left line came out, and now the ascent of Malchut to Bina, the Masach de Miftacha, has reawakened there through the middle line.
And a single spirit on the north, the middle line, which is included in the north, mates with the flame, the Masach de Miftacha. Then Mochin de VAK de Hochma are extended over it once more, and the Masach de Miftacha, which is called “a flame on the north side,” spreads in the world, and Man’ula is hidden and concealed. At that time the night is halved, for then begins the domination of Tifferet, the middle line, and the night is halved. This is so because the first half of the night is two lines, HG, and the second half of the night is TM. The flame, the Masach de Miftacha, strikes the wings of the rooster, who is Angel Gabriel, who calls. This is the clarion that calls to awaken people from their sleep.
Due to the Dinim of the left, sleep is extended to people. This is the departure of the Mochin. And through the flame that the middle line evokes in the left line, the left unites with the right, the Mochin de VAK de Hochma, Rachamim, awaken, and the sleep ceases from the righteous. This is what the rooster below implies—that at midnight, the flame arrives, the awakening to strike its two wings against each other, indicating the unification of right and left. He calls, indicating the clarion above, who arrests the sleep of the righteous, and the rooster below also slightly awakens the people from their sleep with his call. At that time the Creator, the middle line, enters the Garden of Eden, Malchut, for then begins the domination of Tifferet, the middle line.
22) The Creator has no contentment until He enters the Garden of Eden to play with the souls of the righteous. The mark of this unification is what Ester, Malchut, said to the King, ZA, “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish.” This is the domination of the Dinim of the left line. “And the king Ahasuerus said … ‘Who is he?’ … And Ester said … ‘This wicked Haman,’” the Klipa that extends from the left line. Then the Zivug on Masach de Hirik de Miftacha was made, and then it is written, “And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden.” “Arose” means extension of Mochin, as it is written, “She rises while it is still night.” From the banquet of wine” is Mochin de VAK de Hochma. “In his wrath” means affected by the manifold Dinim extending from the left line. “Into the palace garden” means into the Garden of Eden.
23) When the Creator enters the Garden of Eden, all the trees of the garden and all those souls of the righteous start and say, “Lift up your heads, O gates … that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” When the souls of the righteous that are on the earth return to their bodies, all those angels strengthen them and say, “Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord.” The third camp says this verse in the last four hours, the middle line.
24) The third camp sings until the morning light shines, and then all those stars and signs, and all those high angels that govern in the day—who extend from ZA—praise their Lord. They all praise their Lord and sing, as it is written, “When the morning stars sing together and all the sons of God cheer,” meaning all the angels. At night, only the angels sing, those who extend from Malchut. But in the day, the angels that extend from ZA also sing.
25) When the sun comes out, in the daytime, Israel sing below, and the sun above. When the sun journeys in his wheels, a pleasant voice begins and sings, as it is written, “Thank the Lord, call out His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, chant to Him.” Israel praise the Creator in the day. If the people of the world were not hard-hearted and blind, they would not be able to face the pleasant sound of the wheel of the sun as it journeys and praises the Creator.
(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)