(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Beresheet Bet – click)
432) “Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has wrought desolations in the earth.” If the world had been created by the works of the name, HaVaYaH, Rachamim, He would place existence in the earth. But because the works of the name Elokim are Din, He places desolations in the earth, meaning desolation.
433) But between the name HaVaYaH and the name Elokim, it is all for the better. This is why the meaning is, as the friends have commented, that He places desolations in the earth, He puts in the earth the actual holy names.
434) It is all true in the interpretation of the words, for if the world had been in the name Rachamim, the world would exist. But because the world was created in Din and stands in Din, it is written, “He has wrought desolations in the earth.” That is, He placed the holy names to protect the earth. Were it not so, the world would not be able to exist due to people’s iniquities.
435) When Noah was born, he was named after the Nechama [comfort/consolation] so the name would bring them comfort. But the Creator did not agree with them and brought the flood upon them because He wanted them to reform their ways and repent. Noah, in reversed letters, is Hen [grace/favor], as it is written, “And Noah found grace [was favored].”
The names of the righteous cause them good, and the names of the wicked cause them bad. It is written about Noah, “And Noah found grace in [was favored by] the eyes of the Lord,” meaning that the letters inverted into good. With Er, the firstborn of Judah, the letters turned to bad, Er turned to Ra [bad], as it is written, “And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was bad in the eyes of the Lord.”
436) When Noah was born he saw the works of people, that they sin before the Creator, and he hid himself so as to not walk in their ways. He engaged in the work of his Master, in the book of Adam HaRishon and the book of Enoch. He engaged in them to know how to worship his Master.
437) How did Noah know he should make an offering to his Master? It is because he found wisdom in the books of Adam and Enoch, to know on what the world exists. He knew about them, that the world exists on the offering, that were it not for the offering, the upper and lower would not exist, and this is why he made the offering.
438) Rabbi Shimon was walking on the road, and Rabbi Elazar, his son, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Hiya were with him. As they were walking, Rabbi Elazar said to his father, “The road is set before us and we would like to hear words of Torah.
439) Rabbi Shimon said, “Even when a fool is walking on the road, his heart is deficient.” When a person wishes to correct his ways before the Creator, he must consult with Him and pray before Him to succeed in his way, as it is written, “Justice will walk before him, and he will turn his face to the road,” for he will pray that the Shechina, called “justice,” will not retire from him. Subsequently, “he will turn his face to the road.”
440) It is written about one who does not believe in his Master, “Even when a fool is walking on the road, his heart is deficient.” What is his heart? It is the Creator, who instills His Shechina in the heart of the righteous. He is not walking with him on the road, hence his heart is deficient of the instilling of the Shechina and deficient of His help along the way. Because one who does not believe in his Master—who is called a “fool,” for one does not sin unless the spirit of folly enters him—he did not ask his Master for help before he set out on the road.
441) Even when he is walking on the road, he does not engage in words of Torah; this is why his heart is deficient, for he is not walking with his Master and his Master is not in his way. Even when he hears words of faith in his Master, he says that it is folly to engage in it, as it is written, “And he says to everyone that he is a fool.”
442) Likewise, when the man was asked about the token of the holy covenant that is inscribed in man’s flesh, and he said that it is not faith, old Rabbi Yisa heard and looked at him, and turned him into a pile of bones. And we—who are on this path with the help of the Creator—should therefore speak in it words of Torah.
443) David said, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” This verse is difficult. After all, everything is in the hands of the Creator except for being righteous or wicked, as we learn—everything is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven. Accordingly, he asks, how did David ask this of the Creator?
444) But David said, “Teach me Your way, O Lord.” He asked of the Creator to open his eyes and inform him of the straight and corrected path. And afterward, “I will walk in Your truth,” I will walk in the path of truth and will not stray right or left. “Unite my heart,” as it is written, “The rock of my heart and my portion.” The holy Shechina, who clothes in the heart, is called “The rock of my heart,” and it is about that that he asked, “Unite my heart.”
And I ask all that in order to fear Your name, to cling to fear of You, and to keep my way properly. To fear Your name is the place of my portion, Malchut, who is the portion of David, in which there is fear, fearing Him, since Malchut is the fear and is called “fear.”
445) Anyone who fears the Creator, faith is with him as it should be because that person is complete in the work of his Master. One in whom there is no fear of one’s Master, faith is not in him and he is not worthy of having a portion for the next world.
446) Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world because the Creator desires their favor. It is written, “The path of the righteous is as the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter.” “As the light of dawn” is as that light that illuminates, which the Creator created in the work of creation. It is the light that the Creator concealed for the righteous for the next world. It shines brighter and brighter because it always increases in its light and is never deficient.
447) However, about the wicked, it is written, “The path of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know on what they stumble.” Do they not know on what they stumble? The wicked are walking by a crooked way in this world and do not wish to see that the Creator will sentence them in the world of truth and will bring them into the Din of Hell. They shout in Hell and say, “Woe to us for not lending our ears and not listening to His Mitzvot in this world.” Each day they say, “Woe.”
448) The Creator is destined to illuminate to the righteous in the next world and reward them with their portion. It is a place where the eye does not grasp, as it is written, “The eye has not seen a God besides You; will do for the one who awaits Him.” It is also written, “And you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.” Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world. It is written about them, “Righteous will forever inherit the land.” It is also written, “Only the righteous will give thanks to Your name.” Blessed be the Creator forever, Amen and Amen.
(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Beresheet Bet – click)