Autor: arhiprofesor

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

391) “But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” The path on which the righteous walk is a path of truth, a path that the Creator desires. The Creator walks before them, and all the Merkavot come to hear the words that they speak and say with their mouths, “As the light of dawn,” illuminating on and is not darkened like the wicked, whose way always darkens.

392) What is the difference between a path and a way? A path opens, becomes revealed, and a path on which feet have never been set before is made in that place. A way is as one who steps in a wine-press: the feet of anyone who wishes steps on it.

393) This is why for the righteous, he calls the way, “a path,” for they were the first to open that place. It was not said of the place that it is its opening, but even though other people walk in that place, now that the righteous have walked in it, it is a new place, as though it has just been opened. That place is now as new as though no other person has ever walked in it, since the righteous renew that whole place with several new and high things that the Creator desires.

394) Also, Divinity walks in that place, which was not so before. This is why it is called “the path of the righteous,” since a high and holy guest is visiting it: Divinity. A way is open to all, and anyone who wishes steps in it, even the wicked. A way is as it is written, “Who makes a way through the sea.” The way is not safe because the Sitra Achra—who should not—steps in it and governs to defile the tabernacle. For this reason only the righteous stand and govern in that place called “path,” for a way is open to every side, for Kedusha and for Tuma’a.

395) A high and holy path came to the upper, holy ones, and they visited it, and superior and fine words were established before Atik.

396) “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him.” Moses’ face is like the sun, ZA, and Joshua is as the face of the moon, Malchut. There is no light for the moon except from the light of the sun, ZA, and when it is filled, it stands in wholeness.

397) The filling of the moon—the image, Malchut, which is called by the upper name, HaVaYaH—does not stand in that name except when it is full. The names she inherits and by which she is called, as she stands, by that name she is called. And when she is in her full, completed on all the sides, she is called HaVaYaH, for her completion is as the completion of above, ZA, HaVaYaH. For this reason, Malchut, too, is called HaVaYaH, receiving all the Mochin from Ima, Bina, through ZA.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

385) Woe to the people in the world who do not know that ignominy; woe to that punishment that they are punished, that all who wish it enter a coffin after his death. This is because only a righteous should enter a coffin, one who knows in his soul and recognizes in himself that he never sinned in that covenant, the token of the holy covenant, and kept it as he should have. If not, he should not enter a coffin after his death, thus blemishing the ark, for the flaw reaches up to the ark of the covenant.

386) A man should connect to the token of the holy covenant, Yesod de ZA, and not to the Sitra Achra, since the ark, which implies Malchut, connects only with the righteous who keeps the token of the holy covenant. One who blemishes the covenant and enters a coffin, woe to him who flawed it in his life, woe to him who flawed it in his death. Woe to him from that punishment, woe to him who flawed the token of the covenant and the holy ark of the covenant. Woe to that ignominy, for he is avenged everlasting vengeance, the revenge of this world and the revenge of that flaw, as it is written, “For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the fate of the righteous.”

387) When he is sentenced in that world, his actions are considered. If he flawed the holy covenant, which is sealed in his flesh, and now he is blemishing his coffin, this one has no part among the righteous. He is observed, sentenced, and excluded from being a man. When he is excluded from being a man, he is excluded from all the others who are intended for everlasting life, and he is placed on that side that is not included in man, the Sitra Achra. When he is given to that side, woe to him, for he is placed in Hell and never comes out of it, as it is written, “And they shall come out and look at the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me.” They remain and are not included in being considered as man.

388) These words apply only when he did not make complete repentance, which can cover for all his actions. And yet, it is better for him to not enter a coffin because as long as the body exists, the soul is sentenced and does not enter its place, except for those superior and holy righteous who are worthy of rising up in their bodies. Happy are they in this world and in the next world.

389) Because there is no worse transgression before the Creator than lying and blemishing the token of the holy covenant, this one does not see the face of Divinity. It is written about this transgression, “And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the eyes of the Lord.” It is also written, “Evil shall not dwell with you,” for this iniquity is called “evil.”

390) It is written, “And Bezalel made the ark.” Why did those sages who make the tabernacle not make the ark? Bezalel was at the degree of the Sium of the body, the holy covenant, and he kept it. This is why he stands in the portion of his lot, which is the ark that he made, the Malchut. He exerted in his work, and no other.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

375) “And Bezalel made the ark of acacia-wood.” This ark is to put the written Torah into it, the ark of Malchut, the written Torah, ZA. The Torah was concealed in it in six surrounding boards, since the ark was made of six boards—four boards around its four sides, one board on top, and one board below, thus six. And this is called “an ark.” When turning these six boards, HGT NHY de Malchut, into being one, it is one body in which to put the Torah, who is in VAK, HGT NHY, ZA.

376) These boards of the ark are five. The four boards on the sides and one below are HGT NH because the board on top is the cover over it, and is not of the ark. Also, five books enter it, five books of Moses [Pentateuch], HGT NH de ZA. These five boards are six, with one degree that enters them in concealment, and which is called “all,” “covenant,” Yesod. As it is in concealment, there is no board in the ark opposite it. When it enters the five boards, the ark and the Torah stand in nine degrees, two names HaVaYaH Elokim, in which there are nine letters, after which stands one board, superior, the cover, the firmament that turns and covers everything, the eighth firmament, Bina. For this reason, when the cover covers them, all are in concealment, meaning they are unseen.

377) Here we should look and know the meaning of the ark. There is an ark, and there is an ark—Malchut de Kedusha and Malchut de Sitra Achra—one opposite the other. It is written about it, “All this did Araunah the king give to the king.” Was Araunah a king? David conquered Jerusalem and the place of the Temple was his; why did he buy it with money from Araunah? Is it that although Jerusalem was David’s, the place was still the lot of Araunah and had to be bought?

378) Of course Araunah was a king and that place was under his authority and he governed it. When it was time for it to come out from under his hands, it came out only with much blood and killing among Israel, by war. Afterwards, a sabotaging angel stood over the place, and there, when he would kill and stand in that place, he would not be able to kill and his strength would wane.

379) That place was the place where Isaac was tied, where Abraham built the altar and tied his son, Isaac. When the Creator saw that place, He was filled with mercy, as it is written, “The Lord saw and repented.” The Creator saw the tying of Isaac in that place and once again pitied them immediately.

380) “[He] said to the destroying angel, ‘It is enough! Now relax your hand.’” “Many of the people” means it is enough for you to have this place under your hand. Henceforth he returned the place to its owner, and yet, it came out of his hand with death and with silver.

381) Why is he called Araunah? While the place was under his hand, it was called Araunah, implying the Aron [ark/coffin] of the Sitra Achra, their Malchut. When letters were added to the word Aron it was called Araunah, since this is what should be added to the evil eyed, which in the Sitra Achra is considered a deficit.

382) On the side of Kedusha, letters are reduced from it, and his Kedusha increases, as it is written, “Over twelve oxen,” reducing the letter Mem. It does not write Shanim [years], but Shani, without the Mem. The Sitra Achra is given additional letters, as it is written, “Then you shall make goat-hair curtains for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains,” which is additional letters: an Ayin was added to the twelve. It is a deficiency because twelve with an Ayin is one less than twelve without an Ayin. On the side of Kedusha, it writes twelve without a Mem, while here it writes twelve with an added Ayin, and it is a deficiency for him. So should it be for an evil eyed, who wishes to fill his eye, his own Ayin—he is reduced, as we learn that all who add, decrease.

383) The side of Kedusha is called “the ark of the covenant,” implying Malchut de Kedusha. The ark of the covenant, Malchut, that is connected in the covenant, Yesod, befits the body, ZA, to bring into it the form of a man, HaVaYaH filled with Alephs, which is man in Gematria (45). On that matter, when the holy pious passed away from this world, they would place them in a coffin to imply the unification of ZA in the ark of the covenant. This is because the Sitra Achra is not corrected in a body, and is not at all man’s body, which implies ZA. For this reason, bodies were not created for the Sitra Achra because they are not included in man’s body whatsoever.

384) It is written about Joseph, “He was embalmed and placed in a coffin.” “Placed” is with two letters Yod, connecting covenant to covenant, for Yod implies the covenant, Yesod. It is written, two letters Yod opposite two covenants, the covenant below, Joseph, and the covenant above, the ark of the covenant. He entered the covenant because he kept the holy covenant and existed in it. This is why he was worthy of entering the ark.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

339) The firmament that stands over the garden stands over four heads of animals, the four letters Mem–Reish–Gimel–Nun—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nuriel—the firmament over Malchut. They are considered superior to those in the lower Garden of Eden, and that firmament over Malchut de Atzilut is formed in sacred colors, similar to the firmament over the garden below, in which there are four colors. Also, the upper firmament over Malchut is formed in colors. All the Behinot [discernments] applied in the firmament over the lower Garden of Eden apply also in the upper firmament over Malchut de Atzilut.

340) Four animals and all those armies below look at the firmament on the upper Malchut. When that firmament illuminates and sparkles with its colors, the four colors HG TM in the firmament itself, which illuminate through the openings, then all the Merkavot, armies, and camps know that their prey is approaching, since they receive from the openings. That firmament is formed with all the sacred colors—the four lights HG TM, in which four openings stand, where one color illuminates in each opening, and the lights are inscribed in four sparkling colors.

341) One opening stands to the east, Tifferet, in which a single letter stands, as in the firmament over the garden. Yet, the letter Reish stands there, the beginning of the word Raphael, and here it is the letter Aleph, the beginning of the name ADNI. This letter sparkles, rises, and falls in this opening. This opening illuminates and sparkles with an upper sparkling from a single color in the HG TM in the lights of the firmament itself, and this letter Aleph sparkles and protrudes within it, rising, falling, and descending, inscribed in that opening.

342) The second opening is inscribed on the north, Gevura, in which the letter Dalet of the name ADNI stands. It stands and sparkles, rising and falling, blazing in the opening on the north. At times it sparkles in a sparkling, and at times that light hides and does not illuminate. It is so because Dalet is the opening on the north, the left line. When it has Hassadim, it illuminates. And when it does not have Hassadim from the right, it does not illuminate. This is why it is called Dalet, from the word Dalut [poverty], since the Hochma on the left does not illuminate without Hassadim. For this reason, this letter does not always maintain its existence, and this letter was inscribed in that opening.

343) The third opening is an opening that stands to the west, Malchut. A single letter stands in it, written and illuminating in that opening—the letter Nun in the name ADNI. This letter sparkles in a sparkling in that opening.

344) The fourth opening stands to the south, Hesed, and in it stands a Reshimo of one small point below, which is seen and not seen. This is the letter Yod in the name ADNI. When Malchut is in unification with ZA in the combination of two names YAHODNHI, the Yod of ADNI is seen because then she receives Hochma from the first letter Yod. If she is not bonded with HaVaYaH, she is not seen. These four letters ADNI sparkle into four sides in this firmament, in these four openings at its end.

345) Other letters are inscribed with Ketarim [pl. of Keter] on their heads in this firmament. These are the 22 letters crowned in crowns. The 22 letters are ZA who is included in this firmament of Malchut. The Ketarim over them are Bina, who is Keter ZA because the root of every letter, which is called Keter, is from Bina. This firmament travels and surrounds the animals that are in the Reshimot of the letters in the calculation of the unification, in one combination of the alphabet, which are Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav.

The four combinations Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav imply to the three lines HBD and Malchut who receives them, which are four animals that circle the firmament of Malchut de Atzilut.

Aleph–Tet implies Hochma, who has nine Sefirot that begin from Hochma and below. And Keter, her root—which is the Aleph—is clothed within them. Thus, Aleph–Tet implies Keter who is clothed within the nine Sefirot of Hochma, and it is the right line, the face of a lion.

Bet–Het implies Bina, who has eight Sefirot that begin from Bina and below, and KH—her roots—are clothed within them. These KH are two, in a way that Bet–Het imply the two Sefirot KH that are clothed inside the HS of Bina. This is the left line, the face of an ox.

Gimel–Zayin implies Daat, who has seven Sefirot that begin from Hesed down, and KHB—her roots—are clothed within them. These KHB are three, in a way that Gimel–Zayin imply the three Sefirot KHB that are clothed inside the seven Sefirot of Daat. This is the middle line, the face of an eagle.

Dalet–Vav implies Malchut, who has four Sefirot from Chazeh de ZA down, which are TNHYM, and six Sefirot HBD HGT clothed within them. These HBD HGT are six, in a way that Dalet–Vav imply the six Sefirot HBD HGT, clothed within the four Sefirot of Malchut, and she receives from all three faces—lion, ox, and eagle—while she herself is the face of a man.

346) These letters—Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav—circle the firmament with other high, holy, and concealed letters, which are from Bina. These other, hidden letters circle that firmament, and then these letters Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav are seen in rolling—they roll from place to place one at a time, in three lines, which is called “rolling,” and are inscribed in this firmament.

347) When this firmament illuminates, four secrets illuminate in it, four letters HaVaYaH of the holy names that are refined in combinations, the 12 combinations of the names HaVaYaH of the 32 paths. It illuminates in these 12 names, the 32 paths of Hochma. At that time, dew comes down—sacred abundance—from that firmament, in these letters of the holy name, in 12 combinations of HaVaYaH, all the Merkavot, armies, and holy camps are nourished, and all receive with joy.

348) When the Din is hanging, these letters hide and are concealed within four letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet, which are the roots. They disappear, become hidden, and remain Tet–Het–Zayin–Vav, meaning branches without roots. When these Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet were hidden and concealed, a voice awakened from the north, where the Dinim are, knowing that the Din is over the world. A certain color was inscribed in that firmament, comprising all the colors, meaning Malchut who receives from all three lines, three colors.

349) When that firmament travels from the east, the middle line, four heads, the four roots in the four letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet, all travel in journeys and rise in ascent of above, departing upward, and the illumination of Hochma disappears due to the departure of the roots of Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav. Afterwards, the letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet return and appear inside the branches in full, as in the beginning, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, and the firmament is made of them. At that time, it illuminates in light of Hochma.

There are two actions in the appearance of the middle line, the east side:

1. Diminishing all the Hochma in the left line by disclosing the Man’ula [lock] in its Masach.
2. Mitigating the Man’ula with a Miftacha [key], thus returning the VAK de Hochma to illuminate in the left line through its bonding with the right.

The first act of the middle line, for which all the Hochma disappears, and then all four roots Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet disappear from the branches Tet, Het, Zayin, and Vav, meaning the whole of the illumination of Hochma. Afterwards, in the second act, once it extends the Miftacha—and unites the two lines with one another—the Hochma reappears, as it was said that the letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet reappear inside the branches in full, reappear along with their roots, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav.

350) When that firmament illuminated as before, with the letters Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, they all returned and roared to hunt prey and food. When they roar and raise a sound, that sound is heard up above, and then those who are worthy of taking, take blessings and sanctities.

351) The letters Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav turn and roll on three lines, circling the firmament on Malchut and standing in the south. When those letters stand in the south, they rise, sparkle in a sparkling, and blaze. Then, in the middle of that firmament, a single inscription is inscribed, and that inscription is the letter Yod. When that letter is written and seen, the three other letters Hey–Vav–Hey blaze after her, and the name HaVaYaH illuminates.

352) These letters HaVaYaH sparkle in the middle of the firmament, rising and falling, and blazing in 12 blazes, 12 combinations of HaVaYaH. Then, once they blaze 12 times, illumination of Hochma comes down and is included in these letters of the 12 combinations of HaVaYaH. It is crowned in them and is not known, and then all the armies and all the camps are in joy, raising songs and praises.

353) That firmament travels once again, circles, and rolls over three lines. These first letters, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, are all included in those upper letters that are the holy name HaVaYaH, circling a firmament. These letters HaVaYaH that were standing in the middle—being the holy name—were written on the north side, left. They were written and not written because there is no one to look at that side to extend Hochma, which is seeing. They all cover with Hochma and say in a pleasant voice, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.”

They cover on the north, left line, and say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” They cover on all the sides and say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” It is so because the north side is included in all three sides because Hochma appears only in Malchut, who receives from three lines, and not in the three lines themselves.

354) After The Zohar explained the actions that were done in the firmament in three sides, east, south, and north, which are three lines, it now explains the operations that take place in the firmament controlled by the west side, Malchut, who receives from all three sides together. It says, “This firmament circles as before, rolling from side to side on all four sides, through the west, Malchut. At that time, a pleasant voice of camps of many angels rises from that side to all the sides, east, south, north, and west. At that time the firmament illuminates with a different light—greater than what it had been in the three sides—for the light of Hochma appears in it, and there is no place where it appears but in Malchut. Also, it stands in illumination in a different color, made of all the colors because the Malchut consists of all three colors in the three lines.

355) These letters HaVaYaH rise up in the firmament, ascend to ZA, and receive from ZA one upper letter that connects to that name of these letters HaVaYaH. It is so because although these letters are of the holy name, HaVaYaH, it is still a name that is included below in the firmament of Malchut, since that name is included above in ZA, and included below in Malchut. And when the name is included below in Malchut, these letters HaVaYaH rise to receive a certain letter from ZA, as these letters HaVaYaH below in Malchut are nourished from that letter. That letter is the letter Vav, which descends to Malchut, and the letters HaVaYaH bond in this letter, VeHaVaYaH [Ve is spelled with a Vav in Hebrew], where the Vav that is connected to the HaVaYaH in Malchut indicates ZA, as in He and His courthouse. Then they are all in one crown and a complete name is made.

356) The name HaVaYaH below is complete and incomplete. It is complete in itself, and it is not complete as it is included with Malchut. A complete name is in five letters VeHaVaYaH, where the Vav from ZA is connected to the HaVaYaH, indicating ZA and His courthouse, Malchut, male and female implied. It is so because the Vav implies the male, and HaVaYaH implies the female.

A fully complete name is in nine letters, which are HaVaYaH Elokim. HaVaYaH implies the male, and Elokim—the female. This is a fully complete name. The other name, VeHaVaYaH, is only in an intimation where the Vav implies the male, and it is in five letters. But the name of the nine letters, HaVaYaH Elokim, is fully complete.

357) When the letters VeHaVaYaH unite, a firmament illuminates in 32 lights, 32 paths of Hochma. At that time all are in joy, all stand in one, above and below, all those Merkavot and all those camps are all in wholeness, and all the degrees are corrected in their places, each as it should.

358) A single flame illuminates and never rests in the firmament of Malchut on the north, the place of illumination of Hochma in Malchut. It is the sentence from which the Hochma appears. This Din is called “a flame,” and it is inscribed in other letters to the right, and they are ten names, rising to 70 names, which emerge from the 72 names of the name AB. All are inscribed in that firmament, and all illuminate together.

359) Out of this firmament, all the firmaments below, on the side of Kedusha, journey until they reach those other firmaments of the other side. They are called “goat-hair curtains,” as it is written, “Then you shall make goat-hair curtains for a tent over the tabernacle.”

360) The curtains of the tabernacle are curtains that are called “firmaments of animals of the holy tabernacle.” The goat-hair curtains are other firmaments of the other side. These firmaments of the tabernacle are the Merkavot of the holy spirits, and those firmaments on the outside, the goat-hair curtains, illuminate in the words of the world. They are repentance and the work of the body of the people of the world, covering those firmaments within, the curtains of the tabernacle, like a shell that covers the brain. The firmaments inside are a thin membrane over the brain, and they are called “heaven for HaVaYaH,” for the one name, HaVaYaH, the one below in Malchut.

361) There are other firmaments above: internal firmaments, firmaments of ZA, firmaments of the animals, which are the holy name HaVaYaH, in regard to the upper, big animals, HGT and Malchut from Chazeh de ZA and above. These are the upper letters in the secrets of the Torah, the whole of the 22 engraved and inscribed letters that come out of the eighth firmament, Bina, the firmament over the upper animals HG TM de ZA, a firmament that has no appearance. It is hidden and concealed; there is no color in it.

362) All the colors come out of the eighth firmament, Bina, while for itself, it has no color, it is unseen and unrevealed. This is the one that brought forth all the lights because all the Mochin from the three lines of Bina come out, and in itself, no light or darkness is seen, nor any color at all. The exception is the souls of the righteous. They see from the lower firmament, the firmament of Malchut—as though from behind a wall—the light that this upper firmament, Bina, brings out, as well as the light of Bina, which does not stop. There is no one to know it, no one to stand in it.

363) Under the firmament of Bina, all the firmaments were perfected in that name, which are called “heaven.” These are called “heaven,” those of whom the upper name is called, HaVaYaH in ZA. They are the ones in whom the holy name, Malchut, is crowned, because the firmaments of Malchut receive from the firmaments of ZA. This is the reason why it is written, “The heavens are heavens for the Lord,” for this concealing in the upper firmament, Bina, which stands over them.

364) Up to the firmament of Bina, it is written, “The heavens are heavens for the Lord,” for the holy name HaVaYaH, since the Creator, Bina, is called by names. Also, a name means attainment, since “All that we do not attain we do not call by a name.” Henceforth, after Bina, there is no wise in whose wisdom he can know and attain at all, except for one small illumination, which is not enough to settle in. Happy is he who enters and exits, who knows how to look at the secrets of his Master and cleave unto Him.

365) In these secrets, a man can cling to his Master to know the whole of the Hochma in the upper secret. When he serves his Master in prayer, in will, and in the aim of the heart, he attaches his will as a fire to an ember, to unite those lower firmaments from the side of Kedusha from Malchut, to crown them in the name HaVaYaH, the lowest in the firmaments of Malchut, and from there on to unite those high, internal firmaments of ZA to be all one in that upper firmament of Bina that stands over them.

366) While his mouth and lips move, he should aim his heart and will above, to unite everything in the secret of secrets, in Ein Sof, where all desires and thoughts are nailed. He should intend that in each prayer each day—to crown all his days with the upper days, HGT NHYM, in his work.

367) At night, he places his will, meaning he is rid of this world, his soul departs from him, and he returns it to the Master of everything. This is so because each night, Malchut stands to include within it the souls of the righteous, meaning each night the souls of the righteous rise to Malchut in MAN.

368) The secret of secrets to know for those wisehearted. The bottom firmament that stands at the point, which is Malchut, consists of above and below. Its Yesod is below, like a candle that raises black light, to unite with the white light over the black light, from above, and its Yesod is below in the wick in oil. The Yesod of the point of Malchut is also below. At daytime, she is included from above, from ZA, and at night, she is included from below with those souls of the righteous.

369) All the words of the world return to the core and the root from which they stemmed. Several nights are each destined to take what they should because at night, everything goes to its root. It is so because the soul walks and roams, and returns to the root that she deserves from above, and the body remains as quiet as a rock, returning to its rightful place to be on it, meaning the Sitra Achra will be on it after its death. For this reason, the body returns to its side, and the soul returns to her side.

370) The Sitra Achra is over the body that has returned to its side. For this reason, his hands are made impure and he must wash them because at night, everything returns to its place, to its root. And the souls of the righteous rise and return to their places, to their roots, to Malchut, from which they were born, and Malchut is crowned in them, included with all sides, above and below. At that time the glory of the Creator rises and is crowned with everything.

371) There are appointees that govern at night, appointed over those souls of the righteous, to raise them up and offer them as a scent offering to their Master. The name of the superior appointee who was appointed over these camps is Suria. Because the soul rises through all those firmaments, she is brought to him, he smells her, as it is written, “And he smelled him with the fear of the Lord,” as the Messiah king is destined to do in the world. Through him, all the souls that are in deposit by him pass on to approach the Malchut.

372) When all the souls that have approached Malchut are seen there, all the souls are included in the point of Malchut, and she takes them in one time, as though swallowing something. She is impregnated with them as a woman who has been impregnated. This matter is for those who dwell over Midian, when this point is impregnated like a woman is impregnated. She enjoys the joy that a soul from this world was included in her, with these deeds and with the Torah in which she engaged during the day. She takes the will of this world and enjoys with it in joy, and is included from all the sides, from above and from below.

373) Afterwards Malchut brings them out and delivers them as before, since the souls are the offspring of Malchut, and the soul is now as new as when it was first born, as it is written, “They are new every morning,” related to the souls, which are new each morning. It is written, “Your faith is plentiful.” Malchut, which is faith, is plentiful, able to include the souls, bring them into her, and bring them out when they are new. This is why others receive from above during the day.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

292) In the Garden of Eden below, the Garden of Eden of the earth, the firmament that stands above it has high secrets. When the Creator made the firmament, He brought fire and water from the throne, the world of Beria, and joined them together, making the firmament below, on our earth, out of them. They expanded until they reached the place of the Garden of Eden, and did not expand further.

What did the Creator do? He took another fire and water—which are present and not present, revealed and not revealed—from the upper, holy heaven, HB de ZA, which is called “heaven of Atzilut.” Of these fire and water, which were taken from the upper heaven, He made the expansion of the firmament, and spread them over the Garden of Eden of below. That firmament, Daat, joins with the other firmament, on our earth, Tifferet.

The firmament is the new Sium [end] that was done in each degree due to the ascent of Malchut to Bina of each degree. Sometimes it is said that the middle line is called “firmament,” which is the heaven, Tifferet, since the new Sium was made at the point of Holam, where Malchut rose to Bina.

However, along with the exit of the point of Shuruk, the left line, a dispute was made, which wanted to completely annul that Sium and illuminate from above downward, until the middle line came and determined that the left would illuminate only from below upward and the new Sium would not be cancelled. At that time, Bina and TM, who were below the new Sium, were forced to rise above the new Sium and bond in their degree. Thus, the middle line made the new Sium that was made at the point of Holam so it would be constant and forever existing. It follows that the new Sium was made permanent in the middle line, Masach de Hirik, which is why at one time we called the firmament “the new Sium of Tzimtzum Bet [second restriction],” and another time, “middle line.”

And as there are heaven and earth in Atzilut, where the middle line, ZA, which includes HGT NHY, is called “the heaven of Atzilut,” and below it is the general Malchut, which is called “earth,” so there are heaven and earth in the world of Assiya. Heaven is the middle line, which includes HGT NHY, and below it is Malchut de Assiya, which is called “earth.”

It was said that the heaven below, in the world of Assiya, are ten curtains, since those HGT NHY in the middle line contain ten Sefirot because the Hesed includes KHB, and the Yesod in it includes Malchut, Ateret Yesod. There are ten curtains, as it is written, “Stretching out heaven like a curtain.” And yet, Malchut in it, the crown, is not the real Malchut, but is included in Yesod. This is why we regard them as only nine firmaments, and Malchut is the earth completely below the firmament, who is the tenth.

And as the heaven of Assiya include ten firmaments, the earth of Assiya includes ten Sefirot, which are seven lands. The top one among them, Bina, which includes GAR, is the earth on which we sit. However, this Bina of the lands of Assiya, on which we sit, also divides into ten Sefirot, and we sit only in the ZAT of this Bina, in which the land of Israel is the Yesod, and that Bina de Bina includes GAR, which is the Garden of Eden of the earth.

Every ten curtains of the heaven of Assiya are ten Sefirot de Tifferet, which includes HGT NHY. And where did the middle line come from? After all, it is an offshoot of the subduing of the two lines—right and left—in Bina, fire and water, in the matter of “Three come out of one, and one is rewarded with the three of them.”

Thus, from which Bina did the middle line of Assiya come out when the real Bina is neither in Assiya nor in Yetzira? From the fire and water of the world of Beria, which is called “the throne,” which the middle line associated and joined together. The firmament below came out as three that come out of one, which are the ten firmaments of Assiya, as in one that is rewarded with the three of them. From Beria, it extends to the world of Assiya because there is no level of Bina below the world of Beria, meaning that a middle line will connect the two lines in her.

Yet, the level of Bina that exists in the world of Beria is regarded as merely the exterior of Bina. The middle line that comes out of it is not Daat, but Tifferet, ZAT, which is enough for being firmaments on ZAT of the land of Assiya, as well as on the land on which we sit, ZAT de Bina of the land of Assiya. But how will the middle line suffice for the Garden of Eden, Bina de Bina of the land of Assiya, whose middle line should be Daat, the middle line of the actual GAR, which comes out of fire and water of Bina de Beria, being only the externality of Tifferet?

Since those firmaments extended from fire and water of Bina de Beria, which are externality and Tifferet, which includes ten curtains, how could they overlap the Garden of Eden, which is Bina de Bina of the land of Assiya, since the middle line that overlaps it needs to be actual middle line of GAR, which is Daat? Therefore, when they arrived at the Garden of Eden of the earth, they sat and could not expand over the Garden of Eden. And although our earth is from Bina of the earth of Assiya, too, but only from ZAT of this Bina, the externality of Bina, this is why the middle line from fire and water of Beria is enough for them. But the Garden of Eden, that Bina de Bina, is actual GAR and requires a middle line from actual GAR.

The Creator took from the middle line, which determines between HB de ZA, which is called “heaven,” who is the middle line of GAR de ZA, which is called Daat. From this Daat, the firmament over the Garden of Eden of the earth expanded and made the expansion of the firmament from them—determining between fire and water—which is the middle line, called “firmament,” Daat, and spread them over the Garden of Eden below, Bina de Bina of the land of Assiya. It connects with the other firmament like the nature of Daat that connects and spreads into HGT NHY, Tifferet, thus connecting this firmament, Daat, with the rest of the firmaments of Assiya, which are Tifferet.

It was said that they are present and not present, revealed and not revealed, that fire and water, HB de ZA, are not of upper AVI de ZA, that they are completely unattainable and the Hochma does not appear in them. Rather, they are HB de YESHSUT de ZA, in which the Hochma appears in Daat and they are attainable, though not in their own place, in ZA, but after they expand into Malchut. The present and not present, revealed and not revealed—on the one hand the Yod came out of their Avir and the Hochma appeared, hence they are attainable, and on the other hand they are not present and not revealed. Thus, in the place of ZA, they are unattainable, but only after they expand into Malchut, which is the place of disclosure of the Hochma.

293) There are four colors in the expansion of the firmament over the garden—white, red, green, and black. These are three lines—right, left, and middle, white, red, and green—and black is Malchut who receives these three lines. There are four openings below the expansion of the firmament in those four colors. These are opened to the four sides of the firmament over the garden. South and north are HG, and east and west are TM. Four lights open in these four openings from these fire and water, HB de ZA, from which the firmament was made.

294) Two lights illuminate in two openings on the right of that opening, out of the expansion of the side of water in the firmament, which was made of the fire and water, the light of Hassadim. That is, in the opening on the right, on the south side, Hesed, in the opening opposite the anterior, on the east, Tifferet. It is so because east and west are called Panim and Achor [anterior and posterior], and the light of Hassadim also illuminates in Tifferet.

295) A single letter is inscribed inside the light that illuminates to the right side. It illuminates, protrudes, and sparkles in a sparkling out of that light. This is the letter Mem, the first letter in Michael. It stands in the middle of the light in the opening. This letter rises and falls, and does not stand in one place. The light on the right takes that letter and takes it out. Hence, it does not stand in one place, as it is written, “And animals ran to and fro,” not standing in one place.

296) Within the light that illuminates opposite the Panim, east, Tifferet, a single letter is inscribed, illuminating, protruding, and sparkling in a sparkle within that light. This is the letter Reish, the first letter of the angel Raphael. Sometimes the Bet is seen, the first letter of Angel Boel, standing in the middle of the light of the opening, going up and down. Sometimes it appears and sometimes it does not appear. It does not stand in one place, as it is written, “and the animals ran to and fro.” Those two letters stand in the middle of the light of the two openings. When the souls of the righteous come to the Garden of Eden, those two letters come out of that light and stand over that soul, rising and falling, as it was written, “Ran to and fro.”

297) Two Merkavot [pl. of Merkava] rush and descend from above out of those two openings—the upper Merkava of Michael, master of the deputies. The second Merkava is of the high appointee, Boel, the honorable servant, Raphael. They come down and stand over the soul, telling her, “Come in peace; peace will come.” Then those two letters rise and stand in their places, and are hidden inside the light of the openings.

298) There are two other openings. Two other lights blaze out of the fire through those openings, one to the left and one to the back. Two other letters blaze in those lights and sparkle within them. One letter is Gimel, and one letter is Nun. These are the first letters of the angels Gabriel and Nuriel. When the first letters return to their places, those other two letters sparkle and rise and fall, coming out of those lights in the openings, and standing over the soul.

299) At that time, two Merkavot come down from these two openings. One Merkava is that of Gabriel, a high and honorable appointee. The other Merkava is that of Nuriel, a high appointee. They come down from these openings and stand over the soul, and the letters Gimel Nun return to their places.

In the new Sium [end] that was made in the middle of the degree, at the point of Holam, a new opening was made for the lower one due to Malchut’s ascent to Bina, so it could rise to the upper one and receive the Mochin from him. Were it not for this new Sium that was made in the middle of each degree, there would be no inlet and a way for the lower one to rise even a bit above its degree. Therefore, in the beginning, an opening was made in the middle, and from that opening, four openings came out and expanded to the four sides, under the firmaments.

The firmament is the middle line, which sustains the new Sium that was made in the middle of the degree, at the point of Hirik, in the place of the Bina in her. Even after Malchut returned and descended from Bina’s place to her own place, the new Sium was not cancelled because of that, and those half of Bina and TM that were purified from the new Sium by Malchut’s descent, do not connect to their degree while they are in their place. Rather, they must rise above the new Sium where they connect to their degree.

The last firmament of the nine firmaments, Yesod, is in the place of the new Sium that was established, in the middle of the degree in the place of Bina of the degree. That opening is the new Sium itself, which has become an opening for the lower one. It stands in the middle of the degree, in the place of the new Sium, and is below all nine firmaments, at the firmament of Yesod, at its end, where the new Sium in the middle of the degree stands.

Out of that opening in the middle of the firmaments in the garden comes a single light that divides into four sides in four openings. The opening that was done for the lower one, at the place of the new Sium, which stands in the middle of the degree, the place of Bina, the light comes out from there to the lower one, which are HG TM. First, the lower one ascends through the opening to the upper one with the Bina and TM of the upper one, from the firmament and above, where it receives the lights HG TM. Subsequently, the lower one descends to its place with these Mochin, and the light divides into four sides, HG TM, in four openings. Each Moach is distinct with a special opening. The opening on the south illuminates for the Moach of Hesed; the opening on the north illuminates for the Moach of Gevura; the opening on the east illuminates for the Moach of Tifferet; and the opening on the west illuminates for the Moach of Malchut.

Also, there are four colors in the expansion of the firmament on the garden, four Mochin HG TM, which are three lines and Malchut who receives them. They illuminate inside the firmament over the garden, which is Bina de Bina of Malchut de Assiya, and that firmament, too, divides into nine firmaments, receiving its illumination from HB de ZA de Atzilut. There are four openings below the expansion of the firmament in those colors. Yet, the openings are not in the place of the colors because the colors are in the firmament itself, from Yesod of the firmament and above, while the openings are under the Yesod of the firmament, actually at its Sium—the new Sium that was made in the middle of the degree—which became an opening for the lower degree, which is the souls of the righteous in the Garden of Eden. Also, they receive illuminations of four colors inside the firmaments, hence those colors extend from them, but the openings do not stand in the same place with them.

Four lights open in those four openings out of these fire and water, HB de ZA, from which the firmament was made. This is because these fire and water are two lines, right and left of ZA de Atzilut, where the firmament of ZA, Daat, is the middle line that unites them, and it is three colors, white, red, and green, and Malchut that is connected in Daat is the black color. These illuminations extend to the openings HG TM where each Moach illuminates through the opening on its side.

These four divide into two Behinot [discernments]—water and fire. Water is illumination of Hassadim, the light of Hesed on the south, and the light of Tifferet that is on the east. The fire of Hochma is the light of Gevura on the north, and the light of Malchut that is on the west. First, these two lights—water, in the south and in Tifferet, which are Hassadim—illuminate on the soul. Then two lights that are fire illuminate in the north and in the west, which are illumination of Hochma.

The place from which the heaven of the Garden of Eden receives is the firmament over the garden, from those fire and water that were taken from the upper heaven, ZA de Atzilut. And from which place does the earth in the Garden of Eden receive, the garden itself? Each Behina [singular of Behinot] receives from its corresponding Behina above. Therefore, as the heaven of the Garden of Eden receive from the fire and water of the upper heaven, ZA, the earth in the Garden of Eden, the garden itself, receives from the earth above, Malchut de Atzilut, through her Merkava, which is the four angels—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nuriel, called “four Merkavot”—on which Malchut rides and appears.

However, they also cannot expand and illuminate below to the souls in the garden unless through the four openings, since those four angels are also the four Behinot HG TM. For this reason, Michael illuminates through the opening on the south of the firmament; Gabriel illuminates through the opening on the north of the firmament, Raphael illuminates through the opening on the east of the firmament, and Nuriel illuminates through the opening on the west of the firmament.

We should also know that these four angels illuminate to the souls themselves, as long as they did not complete their giving. However, once they have completed their giving, they return to their places above, leaving in their places, in the four openings, only four Reshimot, which are the first letters of their names—Mem from Michael, Reish from Raphael, Gimel from Gabriel, and Nun from Nuriel.

This is so because a Reshimo is considered Nefesh everywhere, and the four letters in each angel are four Kelim for four lights NRNH in them. Also, it is known that there is an inverse relation between Kelim and lights, so when there is only Nefesh of lights in a degree, it should clothe in the bigger Kli. Hence, because only a Reshimo remained of the light of each angel, his Nefesh, the first letter of his name had to remain as a Kli for that Reshimo, since the first letter is the biggest Kli of all the letters in his name.

Therefore, we should discern two kinds of lights in these openings in the firmament over the garden.

1. What the firmaments themselves receive from the upper heaven, ZA de Atzilut. It was said, “Four lights open in these four openings from these fire and water, HB de ZA, from which the firmament was made.”
2. Reshimot of lights that the earth of the Garden of Eden—the garden itself—receives from the upper earth, Malchut, through the four angels. These Reshimot are the first letters of their names. It was said, “A single letter is inscribed inside the light that illuminates to the right side. It illuminates, protrudes, and sparkles in a sparkling out of that light. This is the letter Mem, the first letter in Michael. It stands in the middle of the light in the opening.” It is likewise in the rest of the openings.

Thus, there are two kinds of lights in these openings, from the upper heaven and from the upper earth. When the souls of the righteous come to the Garden of Eden, these two letters come out from that light and stand over that soul. This is because right at the arrival of the soul of the righteous to the Garden of Eden, the four Reshimot of the four angels who remained in the openings from the giving that had ceased illuminate for him. Afterwards, two Merkavot rush to descend from above out of those two openings. That is, the angels themselves come to give to the soul in the Garden of Eden and divide the four angels into doubles: 1) two to the side of Hassadim, on the south and the east, Michael and Raphael, Hesed and Tifferet, 2) two to the side of Gevurot, which illuminate in illumination of Hochma, on the north and on the west, Gabriel and Nuriel.

Michael and Raphael illuminate in Hassadim, descend, and stand over the soul, telling her, “Come in peace; peace will come.” They illuminate for it the light of Hassadim on the right through the middle line, which places peace between the right and left lines. At that time those two letters rise and stand in their place, and they are concealed inside the light of the openings, for because the angels themselves came, there is no need for their Reshimot. The two letters, Gimel Nun, and the angels Gabriel Nuriel, who are on the north and the west, Gevura and Malchut, are interpreted likewise.

It was said, “In the middle of all the firmaments—over the land of Israel, in the middle of the world—there is a door called Gvilon.” The new Sium in the middle of the degree became an opening for the lower one, so it could rise and receive from the upper one. Under this opening there are 70 other openings below, through which to receive the 70 names in Malchut de Atzilut, the illumination of the name AB, the 70 ministers of the 70 nations. From that opening, a road goes up above until it reaches the upper throne because through there it is possible to ascend to Malchut de Atzilut.

Four openings to each side in the firmament expand from this opening. These are the four Behinot HG TM, up to the gate of the opening, called Megadon, and there is the Sium of the firmament of the land of Israel. That is, the opening on the west is Malchut, where the degree ends.

300) At that time, those two Merkavot ascend into a hidden palace, called “aloes,” where 12 kinds of perfumes are concealed, as it is written, “Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest perfumes.” These are the 12 kinds, opposite the 12 boundaries of the diagonal in ZA. However, they are governed by the Hochma that is from below upward, which are called “perfumes” and “scent.” They, too, are 12 kinds of perfumes in the Garden of Eden below.

And since their root is from ZA, they are concealed, since the illumination of Hochma does not appear in ZA. Rather, only those two Merkavot, Gabriel and Nuriel—considered the left in Malchut, in which the Hochma appears, and of which Gabriel is Gevura and Nuriel is Malchut—are permitted to enter there and receive garments for clothing of the soul, as they are illumination of Hochma that extends from the 12 kinds of the aforementioned perfumes.

301) There, there are all those garments of the souls, which are fit for wearing, each according to what she deserves. All the good deeds that one has done in this world are written in that garment, and all are written in it and declare, “This is the garment of so and so.” Then the angels take a garment and the souls of the righteous in the garden wear it, similar to the form in this world.

302) These matters apply only from 30 days onward, for during all 30 days after the demise, there is not a soul that is not punished before it arrives in the Garden of Eden. Once she has been given its fitting punishment, she enters the Garden of Eden. And after she is whitened, purified from the filth of this world by the punishment, she wears a garment and is given her fitting place. Then the letters Mem–Reish–Gimel–Nun, the acronym of the names of the angels, come down and the Merkavot of the four angels rise to their places, for once the angels return, the Reshimot of their illuminations should remain, being the four letters, Mem–Reish–Gimel–Nun.

303) This firmament returns twice each day in the journeying of another firmament that clings to it. Also, this firmament does not go outside the Garden of Eden, as it overlaps only with the Garden of Eden. This firmament is formed of all sorts of colors—white, red, green, and black, which are HG TM.

The firmament of the Garden of Eden is Daat, and the firmaments of the world of Assiya are Tifferet, which includes HGT NHY. This firmament of the Garden of Eden connects to the firmament of Assiya as the Daat that expands to HGT NHY of the Guf [body]. However, the Daat does not expand to VAK de Tifferet, unless when it ascends to it in the middle line, when the Daat itself divides into two lines, HB, right and left, and the Tifferet that rose to it becomes a middle line, connecting them with one another and clothing them in one another.

Also, Tifferet receives that same measure of illumination that Tifferet causes to be added in Daat, since the lower one is rewarded with full measure that it causes to come out in the upper one. And once the Tifferet received the illumination of the Daat, it expands to its place, the Guf. This illumination is called “the expanding Daat,” and it is known that three lines are called “three times” or “three places,” and the disclosure of their illumination is only in journeying.

It was said that this firmament returns twice each day, that the firmament of the Garden of Eden, Daat, divides and illuminates in two lines—right and left—and the two lines of Daat connect in the journeying of another firmament of Assiya that clings to it. This means that the firmament of Assiya, Tifferet, becomes the middle line, connecting the two lines of Daat in the journeying. At that time the illumination of the firmament over the Garden of Eden expands to the rest of the firmaments of Assiya, which are Tifferet, as the Daat that expands to the Guf. However, for itself, it does not go outside the Garden of Eden to the firmaments of Assiya, though its illumination does expand.

304) 22 letters are inscribed and engraved in the firmament over the Garden of Eden. Each of them drips over the garden dew from the dew of above. From that dew, which is illumination of Hassadim, these souls bathe and are healed after they have bathed themselves in the river Dinur to be purified. The dew comes down only from the letters inscribed and engraved in that firmament because these letters are the whole of the Torah, extending from ZA de Atzilut, who is called Torah, as he was made of the fire and water of the Torah, the fire and water of ZA de Atzilut.

305) For this reason, they cast dew on all those who engage in Torah Lishma [for the sake of the Torah] in this world. These words are inscribed in the Garden of Eden and rise up to the firmament over the Garden of Eden, taking dew from those 22 letters that are there to nourish the soul, as it is written, “Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew.”

306) In the middle of that firmament is one opening, opposite the opening of the palace above in Yetzira. In that opening, the souls fly out of the Garden of Eden above in a pillar that is nailed to the earth of the Garden of Eden, and reaches up to that opening.

The opening that was made in the middle of the firmament is the new Sium that was made in the middle of the degree of the Garden of Eden due to Malchut’s ascent to the place of Bina. Because of that Sium, half of the degree, Bina and TM, fell to the lower degree—the earth of the Garden of Eden. At the time of Gadlut, when Malchut returns to her place and Bina and TM rise up to their degree, to the firmament, they take the lower degree along with them, those souls that are in the earth of the Garden of Eden. It follows that the new Sium that was made in Bina has become an opening for the lower one through which to rise to the upper one.

And those Bina and TM that initially fell down to the earth of the Garden of Eden, by clinging to the degree of the earth of the Garden of Eden, it is considered that they were nailed to the soil of the garden while they themselves are considered a tall pillar that reaches up to that opening in the middle of the firmament. Through that pillar, the souls rise from the earth of the Garden of Eden to the firmament of the Garden of Eden. That is, at the time of Gadlut, when Bina and TM, which are considered a pillar, rise back to the firmament of the Garden of Eden, they also take with them the souls in the earth of the Garden of Eden, raising them to the firmament of the Garden of Eden.

307) Inside the firmament, in the opening in the middle of the firmament over the garden, three colors of light enter, included together. They are HBD, and they illuminate to the colors of the pillar that rose up there. At that time, that pillar sparkles and blazes in several blazing colors, and the righteous that rose with that pillar to the firmament receive the lights from the firmament through that pillar. Every hour, the righteous illuminate from that upper brightness, and this is applied always. However, each Sabbath and each beginning of a month, Divinity is revealed in that firmament more than on other times, and all the righteous come and bow to her.

308) Happy is he who has been rewarded with those garments. These garments are from good deeds that a man made in this world with the Mitzvot of the Torah, the Mitzvot that depend on actions. The soul stands in them in the lower Garden of Eden, and dresses in those honorable garments.

309) When the soul rises through the opening above, other high and honorable garments are provided to her, which are made by Mitzvot that depend on the will and the aim of the heart in the Torah and in the prayer. It is so because when that will rises, those who are crowned in it are crowned, a part of it remains for that person, and garments of light are made of it for the soul to dress in and rise. And although these garments of the soul in the lower Garden of Eden depend on an act, those that rise up to the firmament depend only on the will of the spirit, to stand among the angels, the holy spirits. This is what Rabbi Shimon learned from Elijah—the garments of below in the Garden of Eden of the earth depend on the action, the garments of above depend on the will and the aim of the spirit in the heart.

310) It is written, “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.” However, that river in the garden below comes out of its Eden, like the river that comes out of Eden in Atzilut, from Hochma de Atzilut. But Eden is Hochma in the firmaments in the Garden of Eden below. If it were given for disclosure below, the place of the upper, holy Eden would also be given to know. Yet, because of the concealment of the honor of the upper, holy Eden, Hochma de Atzilut, so it would not be revealed, the lower Eden was hidden and concealed, meaning the Hochma in the firmaments in the lower Garden of Eden, from which that river in the Garden of Eden extends. Therefore, this Eden was not given for disclosure even to the souls in the Garden of Eden.

Hochma de AA that is hidden in the upper AVI de Atzilut is called Eden. This Hochma was hidden from the lower ones, and there is no attainment in her at all. Also, the Hochma that appears to the lower ones is from Bina, which went outside of Rosh de AA, who is called “A river that comes out of Eden” due to the Malchut that rose to the place of Bina. Afterwards, when she returned to the Rosh at the time of Gadlut, she receives Hochma from HS in Rosh de AA, and then Bina became Hochma once again, and her illumination of Hochma appeared in the place of Malchut, and from Malchut to the lower ones.

This matter applies in every degree through the world of Assiya and the firmaments in the Garden of Eden, since there are ten Sefirot in each degree, and the Hochma in them is called Eden, while she herself is hidden, like HS de AA above. However, through Malchut’s ascent to Bina in the degree, and Bina and TM falling to the degree below her, this is why they are called “A river that went out of Eden” of that degree. At the time of Gadlut, when these Bina and TM return to their degree, they receive Hochma from their Eden, and from them the Hochma goes out to the Malchut in that degree.

If the Eden in the firmaments of the Garden of Eden were given for disclosure below, the place of the upper, holy Eden would also be given to know. This is so because the Hochma in all the degrees is Eden, and if the Eden of the lower degree were revealed to Daat, it would reveal with it the Eden of the upper degree through HS. This is why there is no attainment at all in the GAR of each degree.

Once, the river that comes out of Eden is called Bina and once it is called TM, and once it is called Yesod, since everything goes toward the same place. This is so because these Bina and TM are only half of Bina and TM, for GAR de Bina are not regarded as coming out of Eden, but only ZAT de Bina, which mean TM that are included in Bina. It follows that there is no Bina here, but TM. Thus, they are all regarded as merely Tifferet. With respect to the Partzuf whose ten Sefirot divide into Rosh–Toch–Sof, it is considered that Bina and TM that fall from the degree begin from the Chazeh and below. It is so because HGT de Guf are considered GAR de Guf, who also did not exit their Eden, but only NHY de Guf. And since the essence of NHY is the middle line, Yesod, we call Bina and TM that fell from the degree by the name Yesod.

311) Just as the river, Bina and TM, parts and goes out of Eden—Hochma in the Rosh of AA—to water the garden above, Malchut de Atzilut, a single light that divides into four sides in four openings goes out of that opening in the middle of the firmaments in the Garden, the place where those inscribed letters Mem, Gimel, Reish, Nun stand. And this light that divides into four lights and four sparkling letters comes out of Eden—a place where the point above illuminates Hochma of the firmaments in the Garden of Eden of the earth, the upper point that is there.

312) That upper point illuminated and became Eden to illuminate, and there is no one to govern, to see, and to know that point except for the light that expands from it through the opening in the middle of the firmaments, before which the righteous in the Garden of Eden bow. That bottom point, Malchut in the Garden of Eden, is a garden to the upper Eden, the upper point, Hochma, a place that cannot be known or looked at.

313) It is written about all that, “Neither has the eye seen a God besides You.” The name Elokim [God] is explained:

1. “A God besides You” is the bottom holy point, Malchut de Atzilut, who is called Elokim. She knows that Eden below in the Garden of Eden of the earth, which is hidden in the garden and there no one else who knows it except Malchut de Atzilut.
2. “A God besides You” is the highest Eden of all, the next world, Hochma de Atzilut, who appears in Bina de Atzilut, and who is called “the next world,” Elokim. He knows the bottom point, Malchut de Atzilut through a righteous who comes out of it, the river that satiates her, the river that goes out of Eden, Yesod, righteous. There is no one who knows her but him, as it is written, “A God besides You,” who gripped up above through Ein Sof.

The eye is Hochma. Seeing is the giving of Hochma, and there are two interpretations on the verse, “Neither has the eye seen a God besides You”:

1. Implying Malchut de Atzilut, which is called Elokim, where the Hochma does not appear in any Sefira but her. And the meaning of the words, “Neither has the eye seen” is to impart Hochma upon Eden in the Garden of Eden of the earth, “Besides God,” Malchut, in which the Hochma appears.
2. Implying Bina de Atzilut, who is also called Elokim. And the meaning of the words, “Neither has the eye seen” is to impart Hochma upon Malchut de Atzilut. “Besides God” means Bina de Atzilut, from whom the root of the light of Hochma in Malchut begins, and not from another Sefira, since Malchut was built of the left line of Bina, from which she receives the Hochma in her.

314) This river that goes out of Eden in the Garden of Eden below for the wise is as it is written, “And satisfy your soul in purities.” This matter is explained above and below because the soul that comes out of this dark world craves to see the light of the upper world like that man who craves to drink water in his thirst. Thus, each is in drought, as it is written, “Parched with thirst.” Drought means pure, purity, thirsty for the purity of the lights of the garden, the firmament, and the palaces in the garden.

315) “And a river went out of Eden.” All the souls sit by the river in garments of honor. Were it not for the garment, they would not be able to tolerate the lights. Then they sit and satiate themselves in those purities and can tolerate. The river is a correction of the souls, to sit and to be nourished and enjoy those purities. And the souls are corrected by the river and settle in it.

316) As the upper river—Yesod de ZA—brings out souls that fly away from it to the garden, Malchut de Atzilut, the river below, in the Garden of Eden of the earth, corrects the souls to be corrected and settle in those purities. Similar to this external world, the souls settle to illuminate in a scent of water because they initially came out in this way. And because the souls are corrected by the river that extends and goes out of Eden, they can settle in these upper purities and rise up through the opening in the middle of the firmament, and in the pillar that stands in the middle of the garden. The purities below are the lights of the garden and the firmaments, and palaces, and both are made by the river that goes out of Eden.

317) The souls of the righteous rise through the opening in the firmament of the Garden of Eden in the pillar in the middle of the garden. Around it is a cloud, and smoke, and a shining, as it is written, “And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke and a shining of a flaming fire by night.” The cloud and smoke outside, and a shining within are to cover those who rise, so they are not seen by those who dwell below.

318) Here lies the secret of secrets. When the point of the garden, Malchut de Bina of the earth of Assiya, called “a point,” wishes to be corrected in her corrections and decorated on Sabbath and on special times and festivals, the Creator sends her four faces of an eagle, which stand over the palace, called “freedom,” as it is written, “free myrrh.” This is the reason for the need to declare freedom on the 50^th year [the Yovel], as it is written, “Proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants.” These four faces make a sound, calling upon all the dwellers of the garden, but there is no one to hear it but the souls that are worthy of rising, and they gather there in the palace of freedom. Also, these four faces take them and usher them in through the pillar that stands in the middle of the garden.

On Sabbath and on special days and beginnings of months, great Mochin illuminate in all the worlds. They do not expand from above downward, but the lower ones rise in the place of the upper degrees, and there receive the Mochin, and not in their place. For every lower one to be able to rise to the upper one, an opening of the openings in the middle of the firmaments is required, through which the lower one rises to the place of the upper one.

This opening is done by three names EKYEH, which lowers Malchut from the place of Bina to her place. At that time, that boundary of the new Sium that was in the place of Bina opens, and this is the firmament. Then Bina and TM that fell from the upper one can return to their degree. Along with them, they also take the lower one to which they clung while they were fallen, raising it to the upper one. There is only one change here: what is called Avir there, Bina and TM of the upper one, is called “the pillar that stands in the middle” here. And as it is said there that the Avir carries the lower one and raises it to the upper one, it is said here that the pillar that stands in the middle carries the lower one and raises it to the upper one.

When the point of the garden, Malchut de Bina of the land of Assiya, wishes to be corrected in her corrections and decorated on Sabbaths, special times, and festivals—meaning receive the illuminations of the three EKYEH that cancel the boundary at the Sium [end] of the firmament because they return Malchut from there to her place—the Creator sends her four faces of an eagle, HG TM in the middle line, called “the face of an eagle.” Three EKYEH are clothed in these HG TM, and their illumination lowers the Malchut from the Sium of the firmament to her place, thus canceling all the Dinim and the boundary above the garden. They stand over the palace, which is called “freedom,” whose illumination is the illumination of freedom and liberation. It is called “the freedom palace,” releasing all the Dinim and the boundaries from the whole of the reality of the garden by raising them from the Sium of the firmament and above through the middle pillar in the garden.

This illumination is similar to the illumination of the Yovel, as it is written, “And proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Yovel for you.” Here, too, these four faces make a sound, meaning the call of freedom to all the dwellers of the garden, that all the Dinim and the boundaries have been cancelled, and anyone may rise up with the pillar that is standing in the middle. But there is no one to hear him except for the souls who are worthy of climbing. Those who are not worthy of climbing do not feel any of that liberation. They gather there in the palace of freedom, and those four faces take them and bring them inside through the pillar that stands in the middle of the garden. With that pillar, they rise from the firmament and above according to their degree, as it is written, “And each of you shall return to his property.”

319) At that time, that pillar raises a cloud, a fire, smoke, and a shining from within. The illumination of the freedom and the souls are called “habitation of Mount Zion” and “her assemblies,” as it is written, “And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke, and a shining of a flaming fire by night.” It is so because the habitation of Mount Zion is a correction above, when the lower point is decorated—the illumination of freedom through the four faces of the eagle above. The souls are the assemblies of that point, to be decorated. Those souls that heard the calling of the freedom are called “her assemblies,” from the [Hebrew] words, “those whom she summons.”

Although Malchut descended from Bina’s place to her place, the Sium and the boundary made due to the ascent of Malchut was not yet cancelled because the middle line sustains the boundary by the force of the Masach de Hirik in it, and the Bina and TM that connect to their degree do not connect while standing below the new Sium, but must rise above the new Sium and become a left line to KH that remained in the degree.

These Dinim that extend from the keeping of the boundary through the Masach de Hirik in the middle line are called “A cloud by day, and smoke and a shining,” for which the illumination of freedom does not extend from the Sium of the firmaments downward into the garden, but illuminates from the Sium of the firmaments and above. For this reason, the souls, dwellers of the garden, must rise with the pillar that stands in the middle into the firmament, and there receive their illumination.

If the boundary were cancelled altogether, and the illumination of the firmaments would be drawn below into the garden, all the souls would receive the upper illumination without needing any preparation. But now that the boundary exists through a cloud and smoke and a shining, the upper illumination does not expand below, but the souls need to rise up to the firmament along with the pillar. Therefore, the souls that are not worthy of it do not know anything of the illumination of the freedom and do not rise. Only souls that are worthy of it hear a herald from the illumination of freedom and rise.

It follows that the keeping of the boundary that was made through a cloud, smoke, and a shining covers those souls who are not worthy, who do not know of the ascents of the worthy souls, since the light does not extend at all to the place of the souls below.

This is why it was said, “A cloud by day, and smoke and a shining” from within, to cover those who ascend so they will not be seen by those dwelling below. At that time, that pillar sends up a cloud, smoke and a shining from within, as for that reason the pillar cannot stay below, for it cannot bond with the KH of the firmaments until it rises above the Sium of the firmaments. It follows that the cloud, fire, and smoke, force the pillar, Bina and TM that fell from the firmaments, to not stand still, but rise up. At that time he takes with him all the souls in the garden that are worthy of it, and elevates them with it to the firmaments.

They gather there in the freedom palace, and these four faces take them and usher them in through the pillar that stands in the middle of the garden. For the pillar to rise up to the firmaments, that pillar raises a cloud, fire, smoke, and a shining from within. Because of it, it must rise up, taking the souls with it. Yet, we should remember that there is no absence in the spiritual, and although the pillar rises up, it is also considered that it remained below as it was. This is why it is considered that this pillar is always planted in the garden, even though it rises up.

It is written, “And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke and a shining of a flaming fire by night.” The Creator created with the middle line, with the Masach de Hirik in it. “Over the whole habitation of mount Zion” is illumination of freedom. “And over her assemblies” are the souls that are rewarded with hearing the calling of freedom. “A cloud by day, and smoke and a shining of a flaming fire by night” are to restrict the upper lights above in the firmament from being extended below, for by that the illumination of the freedom would disappear from the unworthy souls.

320) When the souls rise up to that opening in the firmament, that firmament turns itself around the garden three times. The firmament travels in three places, three lines, whose majority of illumination is only during the traveling. Out of the voice of the melodies of the turning of the firmament over the three lines, all the souls in the opening of the firmament come out, hearing the tunes of the firmament, and seeing that pillar that raised them, who raises fire, a cloud, smoke, and a flaming shining, meaning the blazing Dinim from Masach de Hirik in the middle line, which sustains the boundary in a way that the lights would not be drawn from above downward, but only from below upward.

All of them bow, lower their heads, indicating that they are accepting the boundary that they will not be drawn from above downward, which is GAR, called Rosh. Rather, they diminish their Rosh, to receive the light only from below upward, meaning illumination of VAK de Hochma, and not GAR de Hochma. After the souls take upon themselves the boundary of drawing only from below upward, the souls rise through that opening until they rise into the circle that surrounds that point into the firmament that circles the garden, which is called “a point.” That firmament is Hochma. At that time, they see what they see, meaning receive illumination of Hochma, which is called “seeing.” And for the light and joy from what they see, they rise and fall, moving closer and farther back and forth.

321) Hochma, the upper point, craves them and is adorned by them with her light. The souls that rose to her become MAN in her, and then one high righteous, Yesod of the world of Yetzira, wore envy and looked in the light and beauty of that point, and in her corrections, gripping her and raising her to him, to Yetzira, illuminating a light within a light, the light of Hassadim in Yesod illuminating within the light of Hochma in the point, becoming one, meaning they unite. At that time all the armies of heaven start and say, “Happy are you righteous, keepers of the Torah, happy are you that you engage in Torah, for your Master’s joy is in you, for the crown of your Master is crowned in you” because they caused that Zivug.

It was said, “Then one high righteous … wore envy,” for then the love is in complete perfection because all who love and to whom envy is not connected, his love is not love. The essence of envy is that the external ones will not grip to it due to the absence of Hassadim.

322) Then, since a light shines within a light—the light of Hassadim in the light of Hochma—the two lights join together and shine. Afterwards those colors, the lights of that Zivug, come down and look, to play with those souls of the righteous that rose to MAN, and correct them to be crowned above. It is written about it, “Neither has the eye seen a God besides You, who works for him that waits for Him.”

323) It is written, “And over the heads of the animals was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above.” Yet, there is a firmament, and there is a firmament. The firmament below—the Parsa at the place of Chazeh de ZA—stands over the four animals in Malchut—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nuriel. From that firmament, Parsa de ZA, the form of Nukva, Malchut, spreads and stays in the back of the male, ZA, as it is written, “And you shall see My back.” Malchut is in the back of ZA, as it is written, “You have formed me behind and before,” implying ZA and Malchut, where ZA is the before, and Malchut is the behind. It is written, “And He took one of his ribs,” implying ZA and Malchut that were initially two Partzufim behind and before, but were cut off. This is what the text, “And He took one of his ribs,” implies.

324) The firmament above, the Parsa in the place of Chazeh de Bina, YESHSUT, stands over the upper animals, HGT de ZA, and from there, from that firmament, the form of a male, ZA, superior to the Nukva, spreads out and stays. These two firmaments—one is called “the end of heaven,” the Parsa in the place of Chazeh de ZA, the tip and Sium of ZA, who is called “heaven,” and one is called “from the end of heaven,” the Parsa in Chazeh de Bina, from whom ZA, called “heaven,” begins. It is written, “From the end of heaven to the end of heaven.” The heads of the animals below in Malchut are four animals, superior lights to those four letters that are written in these four openings in the Garden of Eden. These four animals are four angels.

It is known that a firmament means the new Sium that was set up in the middle of the degree because Malchut of each degree rose to Bina of each degree. This Sium is also called “the Sium in the entrails,” standing in the middle of Tifferet, Bina de Guf, at the place of Chazeh, in the middle of the degree, and there the degree ends. This Parsa includes within it three Sefirot—half of Tifferet, and NHY, Bina and TM that fell from each degree to the degree below it.

For this reason, each lower one clothes the three Sefirot NHY of the upper one because they fell to its place due to the Sium that was set up in the place of the Parsa. This is the meaning of ZA clothing from Parsa in the middle of YESHSUT and below, their half of Tifferet and NHY, as they are considered Bina and TM de YESHSUT that fell into his place. And because there is no absence in the spirit, they remained there permanently. Similarly, the Malchut clothes from Parsa in the middle of ZA and below, meaning his half of Tifferet and NHY that fell from ZA to her place.

It follows that ZA begins in the firmament of YESHSUT, which is the Parsa in his middle. He is the upper firmament, and ends in his own firmament, the Parsa in the middle of ZA because from there down he is clothed in Malchut. This is called “the lower firmament,” as it is written, “From the end of heaven to the end of heaven.” “From the end of heaven” is the firmament of YESHSUT, from which ZA, called “heaven,” begins. “The end of heaven” is the firmament of ZA, where it ends.

325) But it was said that Eden is below, on earth, and the garden receives from Eden below, so how is it said here that the garden receives from the four animals? However, it is all a high secret. As the point, Malchut de Atzilut, has a portion above in Atzilut, it has a portion below in the earth. As it is the tenth part of Atzilut, it is the tenth part of the earth, the garden.

The garden below is the portion of that point in the earth, entertaining with the spirits of the righteous in the earth and enjoying all the sides, above and below. Above, she enjoys the righteous, Yesod de ZA, and below, she enjoys the fruit of the righteous—the souls of the righteous that are born from Yesod de ZA. There is entertainment for Malchut above and below only in a righteous because his fruit is considered righteous, like him.

For this reason, as Malchut above rides over four animals, the Malchut below, the garden, receives from four animals, and that garden extends from a point called Eden, such as Malchut above. It is so because she is regarded as lower Hochma because she extends from the upper Eden, and likewise the garden, Malchut below, extends from the lower Eden. Thus, he receives from both, but the four animals are from the actual Malchut, and Eden is the upper light that extends to Malchut above and below.

326) These heads of the animals are four heads of faces:

1. Lion, as it is written, “The face of a lion on the right,” Hesed, Michael;
2. Ox, as it is written, “The face of an ox on the left,” Gevura, Gabriel;
3. An eagle, as it is written, “The face of an eagle to the four of them,” Tifferet, Raphael;
4. A man includes everything, as it is written, “Each had the face of a man,” Malchut who receives from all of them, Nuriel.

In another respect, Michael is to the right, lion, Gabriel to the left, an ox, Uriel is in the middle Tifferet, and Raphael has the face of a man. These are the four heads of the animals that carry the holy throne, Malchut. And because of their load, they sweat, and the river Dinur is made of that sweat from their load.

The holy throne, Malchut, is the bottom Hochma. The Hochma in her appears through the four animals that carry her. This is the burden that the animals carry, and there is no disclosure of Hochma unless by disclosing the Dinim of the point of Shuruk. The disclosing of these Dinim is the sweat of the animals due to their load, due to the disclosure of Hochma. Also, the river Dinur is made of these Dinim.

327) When the souls rise, they bathe in that river Dinur and rise as an offering. But they do not burn but bathe, like the salamander, from which a garment is made. Since it is born from fire, that garment is washed only in fire. The fire consumes the filth in it and the garment is washed. So is the soul, which is from fire, taken from the holy throne, Malchut, of whom it is written in Daniel, “His throne was sparks of fire.” When she needs to wash from the filth in her, she passes through the fire and is bathed, the fire consumes all of that filth in the soul, and the soul is washed and whitened.

328) Is there punishment for the soul in it? After all, she only washes. Woe unto a soul that suffers a strange fire. Although she is whitened by it, when the filth increases on her, woe to the soul that suffers that punishment because that filth is whitened in the fire twice.

329) The first time is after he receives the bodily punishment. The soul goes and is taken and brought into a place called Ben Hinom. It is called Ben Hinom because there is a place in Hell where the souls are purified by the purifier, to be whitened before they enter the Garden of Eden. There are two angels, messengers, ready in the Garden of Eden. They stand at the gate and scream to the appointees over that place in Hell to accept that soul.

330) Before the soul is whitened in fire, the messengers scream to the appointees and say, “Hinom,” and when she is whitened, the appointees come out with her from that place and place her by the door to the Garden of Eden, where those appointees stand. And the appointees tell the messengers, Hinom [here they are], meaning here are the souls that have been whitened. Then that soul is admitted into the Garden of Eden, and this is why that place in Hell is called Ben Hinom.

331) And how broken is the soul from the breaking of the whitening in Hell, for it is a shattering from a lower fire. And although it descends from above, from the river Dinur, because it reaches the earth below, it becomes fire that is not thin, and the soul is punished with it and breaks. Then the Creator brings out the sun, the upper light that illuminates from those four openings that illuminate in the firmament over the Garden of Eden, it reaches the soul, and she is healed, as it is written, “But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings.”

332) The second time a soul is whitened in fire is after she sits in the lower Garden of Eden as much as she sits. It is so because until now it still did not part from all the things in the vision of this world. When she is elevated to the upper Garden of Eden, she must part from every vision and every thing of below, for which reason she is brought through the river Dinur. At that time the soul is completely whitened in it, and comes and appears before the Master of the world when she is clarified on all sides. Once she has looked in that light, she is completely healed and perfected. At that time these souls stand in garments and are crowned before their Master. Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world.

333) These souls in the lower Garden of Eden roam on all beginnings of months and Sabbaths, and rise up to a place called “the walls of Jerusalem,” the exterior of Malchut de Atzilut, where several appointees and Merkavot guard these walls, as it is written, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem.” They rise up to that place and do not come in before the Malchut until they are whitened. There they bow and delight with the light, and return to the lower Garden of Eden.

334) They come out of the Garden of Eden and roam the world, seeing these bodies of the wicked in that punishment of theirs, as it is written, “And they shall come out and look at the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh,” to the rest of the corpses around them. Afterwards they roam and look at the tormented and sick, and those who suffer for the unification with their Master return to the Garden of Eden and tell the Messiah in the Garden of Eden.

335) When they tell the Messiah of their sorrow for Israel in their exile, and those wicked among them who do not look to know their Master, he raises his voice and weeps over those wicked among them, as it is written, “But he was violated by our transgressions, depressed because of our iniquities.” The souls return and stand in their places.

336) In the Garden of Eden, there is the hall of the sick. At that time the Messiah enters that hall and reads all the illnesses and pains and sufferings of Israel, which they will suffer. And they suffer all of them. And if he did not make it easier on Israel and took them on himself, there would not be a man who could tolerate the suffering of Israel for the punishment of the Torah, as it is written, “Indeed, our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried.”

337) Because there is no number to the sufferings that stand over a person each day from the punishments of the Torah, and they all came down to the world when the Torah was given, and when Israel were in the holy land they would remove all those ails and sufferings from the world by the work of the offerings that they performed, now the Messiah removes them from the world until a person of this world dies and receives his punishment. If the iniquities are plentiful, they are brought into Hell, into those other, lower sections, where they suffer a great punishment because of all the filth in the soul. Then additional fire is lit up, so it would consume that filth.

338) Happy are those who keep the commandments of the Torah because the holy point, Malchut, wishes to entertain above, in her place, and below, in the Garden of Eden. When the point wishes to entertain below—in the Garden of Eden—with the souls of the righteous, it is like a mother delighted with her sons and playing with them. Similarly, at midnight, she comes down to the Garden of Eden and plays with them.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

283) “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” What is “The heavens are the heavens”? There is heaven and there is heaven. There is heaven below, in the world of Assiya, and earth below the heaven, and there is heaven above, in the world of Atzilut, and earth below the heaven. All the degrees, upper and lower, are likewise extended from one another, and all that there is above, there is below. They are similar to each other as a seal and its imprint, where all that there is in the seal exists in its imprint, and each one below receives from its counterpart above.

284) The heaven below, in the world of Assiya, are ten curtains, ten Sefirot, as it is written, “Stretching out heaven like a curtain.” The Creator made them and the camps of angels in them to lead the lower earth of Assiya. And the ninth firmament, Hochma, leads the lower ones, encircling them like a necklace of gems encircles the neck. Nothing in the lower ones is done except by Him, as it is written, “You have made them in wisdom.” The tenth firmament is the primary one among all the firmaments, as it is the Sefira Keter—the root and the essence of all of the bottom nine.

285) In all the firmaments there are appointed angels up to the seventh firmament, Hesed. But there are no appointees in the GAR of the firmaments. From the seventh firmament on, which are GAR, KHB, a light spreads below the upper throne, Malchut de Atzilut, illuminating to the tenth firmament, Keter de Assiya. The tenth firmament gives to the ninth firmament from that light which it received—Hochma, and the ninth firmament illuminates to the eighth firmament, Bina, and below.

286) The stars are in the eighth firmament. When the armies of stars are counted and it takes them out, that light that it received from the firmament of Hochma stands and gives its strength to each and every one, to be appointed where it should, as it is written, “The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one is missing.” “Because of the greatness of His might” is the upper brightness that it received from the firmament of Hochma.

287) In each firmament, an appointee is appointed over the world and over the earth to lead them all, except in the land of Israel, to which there is no leading firmament or any other force, but only the Creator. So how is there a firmament over the land of Israel in vain, if rain and dew come down on it from the firmament, as on every other land?

288) In every firmament there are appointees who govern the world. That appointee rules over that firmament, gives of his strength to that firmament, and that firmament receives from that appointee and gives below to the land. That appointee receives only from the extract of the light of above, since the nations of the world are nourished only by the extract. However, the firmament of the holy land is not governed by another appointee or any other force, but only the Creator, who commands the holy land in that firmament over it.

289) There are certain doors in each firmament, and the governance of each appointee is written from door to door, and from that door on he does not rule even the slightest bit. Also, one does not penetrate the zone of the other door except when one is given permission to rule over another. Then the kings on earth also rule over one another, meaning the kings on earth that are ascribed to those firmaments and appointees.

290) In the middle of all the firmaments—over the land of Israel, in the middle of the world—there is a door called Gvilon. Under this door are 70 other doors below, and 70 appointees keep from a distance of 2,000 cubits, the Sabbath zone, from the door that is called Gvilon. They do not approach it. From that door, a path goes up until it reaches the upper throne, Malchut, and from that door His governance expands to all the sides of the firmament up to the gate door, called Megadon. This is the end of the firmament of the land of Israel.

291) Those 70 doors that are written in the door, Gvilon, are all written in the holy throne, Malchut, and everyone calls them, “gates of justice,” after the Malchut, which is called “justice” [Tzedek], for none other governs them. Also, the Creator commands the land of Israel in the firmament from door to door, from the door, Gvilon, to the door, Megadon, with a proper count and complete bestowal as much as needed. Those 70 appointees take and give from the extract of that count to all the other appointees over the nations of the world.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

278) The upper spirit is the added soul that descends over a person on Sabbath with joy and delights his soul. At that time man’s soul is as it is in the next world, when his Nefesh will enjoy the Ruach. As the man was delighting that spirit in this world, that spirit delights the man in the next world, as it is written, “Then shall you delight in the Lord.” As the man enjoys great delight, which is the spirit, and delights it, so he will be satiated by it in the next world. Then, when one is rewarded with completing the wholeness of the glory of the Sabbath, the Creator declares about him and says, “And He said unto me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’”

279) Rabbi Aba and the rest of the friends rose and said, “Happy are we that the Creator has brought this road before us.” Rabbi Aba said, “The Creator has provided me with this road in order to bond with you. Happy am I that I have been rewarded with this road.”

280) On the day when I went off, I saw a light splitting into three lights, which went before me and hid. I said, “I must have seen Divinity, happy am I. And now these three lights that I saw are you. You are lights and high illuminations to illuminate in this world and in the next world.

281) “Thus far, I did not know that all these hidden gems were in your possession. Once I saw that these words were said by the will of the commandment of your Master, I know that all the words rise on this day to the upper throne, which is Bina, and the minister of the faces, Matat, takes them and turns them into crowns for his Master. This day is crowned with 60 holy Merkavot [chariots/assemblies], opposite HGT NHY, in honor of the throne, Bina, by these words that were said here on this day.”

282) In the meantime, the sun had set. At midnight, they rose to engage in Torah. Rabbi Aba said, “Henceforth, we shall say things with which to crown the righteous in the Garden of Eden, for now is the time when the Creator and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to the voices of the righteous in the earth.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

275) Afterwards the Creator made for Adam other clothes from the leaves of the trees in the Garden of Eden. It is written, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife leather garments and clothed them.” However, in Rabbi Meir’s Torah, it writes, “Garments of light,” since they were from the leaves of the trees in the Garden of Eden, which are lights. It is so because at first, Adam’s garments were from the Achoraim of the garden of above, Malchut de Atzilut, from her Parsa. After the sin, they were from the Garden of Eden of the earth in the world of Assiya, coming out of the garden. These garments were emitting scents and perfumes of the garden, in which the soul settles and delights, as it is written, “And he smelled the smell of his clothes and blessed him,” for Isaac’s soul and spirit [Nefesh and Ruach] settled in that scent.

276) For this reason, when the Sabbath ends, one should smell perfumes so that his soul will settle in that scent in return for the upper scent that has departed him. And the best of all the scents of the perfumes is the myrtle, for the keeping of the holy place, Malchut—from which the souls come out—is myrtle. This is also the keeping of man’s soul, such as above, to be sustained by that bareness that remains in him after the departure of the added soul [Neshama] of the Sabbath.

HGT de ZA are called “myrtles” in regard to their giving illumination of Hochma to Malchut, since illumination of Hochma is called “scent.” It follows that these myrtles keep the Malchut, whose essence is illumination of Hochma. Malchut is called “a place.” The myrtle, HGT de ZA, emits a scent—illumination of Hochma—to give to Malchut. This is why we take myrtle, to keep a man’s soul with it at the end of the Sabbath after the departure of the added soul.

277) When the Sabbath ended, Adam HaRishon dressed in those garments of the Garden of Eden of the earth, which emit scents and perfumes, to keep his soul instead of the high, holy, and honorable spirit, which is the upper brightness of Atzilut that has departed him. The myrtle is the keeping of the soul, since in the upper one there is the keeping of the soul, Malchut.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

268) The nails in the back of the fingers are illuminations of the fire, and the fingers themselves, inside the hand, are illuminations of the light. The nails behind the fingers are other faces, which should illuminate from within the candle, Malchut. These faces are called Achoraim. The fingers inside the hand, which are without nails, are the inner faces, which are covered, and in which there is no seeing, Hochma, as it is written, “And you shall see My back,” which are the back of the fingers with their nails. It is also written “But My face shall not be seen.” These are the fingers inside the hand, which are without nails, being an inner face.

269) When blessing for the candle, one needs to show the back of the fingers with the nails, implying the four Merkavot, so they will illuminate from within the candle, which indicates Malchut. However, the front of the fingers does not need to be shown, illuminating out of that candle, Malchut, as it illuminates only out of the upper candle, up above, Hochma de ZA, who is covered and concealed, and whose Hochma is not revealed at all. It does not illuminate from within the candle that appears, Malchut, in which the Hochma is disclosed.

This is why the back of the fingers with the nails on them needs to be shown, as it extends Hochma from the candle, Malchut, and the front of the fingers does not need to be shown before that candle, as it is hidden and illuminates in hiding, not receiving Hochma from that candle because it is internality and illuminates from within. It is superior and illuminates from the upper ones.

Man is a Merkava for ZON. The hands are HG, which become HB at the time of Gadlut, as it is written, “Lift up your hands to the sanctuary.” In each hand are three joints, HBD. The three joints of the right are HBD de Hochma, and the three joints of the left are HBD de Bina. The biceps connected to the shoulder is Daat, the arm is Bina, and the joints of the fingers are Hochma. Thus, man’s fingers indicate Hochma.

It is known that there is no degree without Panim [anterior] and Achoraim [posterior]. This is because in each degree are ten Sefirot KHB TM, where KH and half of Bina are regarded as Panim of the degree, below which is a Parsa that, in Katnut, elicits half a degree to the degree below it, which are half of Bina and TM. In Gadlut, the Masach de Malchut descends from the Parsa to her place below, returning the half of Bina and TM to the degree. For this reason, those Bina and TM that fell in the Katnut of the degree are called Achoraim of the degree even during the Gadlut after they returned to the degree.

The degree of fingers is also divided into the two above-mentioned halves, Panim and Achoraim, where KH and half the Bina in them are considered the Panim of the fingers. These are the fingertips, on the side of the flesh. And Bina and TM that fell from the degree during the Katnut, and returned at the time of Gadlut, which are regarded as Achoraim, are the fingertips on the side of the nails. The nails, Parsa, separate between Kelim de Panim and Kelim de Achoraim.

In general, Malchut is regarded as Achoraim de ZA. In particular, all the Behinot of Achoraim in ZA were given to Malchut in regard to the sowing off. For this reason, each Behina in the fingers receives from its corresponding Behina. The Panim of the fingers receives from Hochma de ZA, who is Panim, and in which the Hochma does not appear, as it was said that the Panim of the fingers do not need to be shown so they would illuminate from within that candle because they have no relation to Malchut.

It was said that they illuminate only from within the upper candle up above, but receive from Hochma de ZA, who is the Behina [discernment] opposite them, which is related to them. But the Achoraim of the fingers receive from Hochma in Malchut, who is the Behina opposite them, which is related to them. When blessing on the candle, the back of the fingers with the nails should be down, illuminating from within the candle, since they receive from the candle, Malchut, as it is the Behina opposite them.

270) When the Sabbath ends, one should smell the perfumes because the spirit has departed from the man, meaning the addition of Neshama of the Sabbath, while the Nefesh of the man remains bare by that departure—that the Ruach [spirit] has departed from her.

271) It is written, “And he smelled the smell of his clothes and blessed him.” The smell is the keeping of the Nefesh because it enters the Nefesh and not the Guf [body]. “And he smelled the smell of his clothes” means that they were the clothes of Adam HaRishon that the Creator had given him.

272) When Adam sinned, the garment of honor—in which he was dressed initially, when the Creator admitted him into the Garden of Eden—was removed from him. After he sinned, He clothed him with a different garment. The first garment, which Adam wore at first, in the Garden of Eden, was of those blessings that are called Achoraim, which are the garments that are called “nail garments.”

273) When he was in the Garden of Eden, all those chariots and all those holy camps were circling Adam. He was guarded from everything, and no evil thing could reach him. When he sinned, these garments of nails were removed from him and he feared evil things and evil spirits, and those holy camps that surrounded him and guarded him had parted from him. Of all those attires, only the nails at his fingertips remained, surrounded by the filth of the Sitra Achra.

The nails are the Parsa that separates the Kelim of Panim [face] from the Kelim of Achoraim [back]. It is attached to the Kelim of Achoraim because it is the root of their illumination, as their whole illumination comes from the Parsa, lowering the ending Malchut from it to her own place. By that, the Kelim of Bina and TM rose from the place to which they fell to their own degree, where they became the left, and Kelim of Achoraim. Thus, the Parsa is the root of their illumination and is thus attached to them as the nails are attached to the fingertips.

As the Parsa is the root of the Kelim of Achoraim, it is the root of the illumination of the lower degree. This is because when the Kelim of Achoraim, Bina and TM, rise to their degree, they take the lower degree with them and elevate it to their degree. Thus, the Parsa has become the root of the lower degree, as well, as it is the root of the Kelim of Achoraim. For this reason, the Parsa is attached to the Kelim of the lower degree, as well.

The souls of Adam and Eve are from the degree below ZON because they emerge and cascade from them. It follows that when the Parsa of ZON raised their Kelim of Bina and TM, which were fallen in the souls of Adam and Eve, the souls of Adam and Eve rose along with them to the place of Malchut of Atzilut, “The Garden of Eden,” as it is written, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden.” Thus, that same Parsa of Malchut of Atzilut, attached to the Kelim of Achoraim—which are her Bina and TM—is also attached to Adam, to whom she is the root, as she is the root of the Kelim of Achoraim.

It was said that the first clothing that Adam wore in the Garden of Eden was of those Merkavot called Achoraim, which are the garments called “nail garments.” This is so because as the nails cling to Malchut’s Kelim of Achoraim, they clothe the whole of the level of Adam HaRishon because the nails were the root of their illumination.

This attire was very important, as it is the Parsa of Malchut of Atzilut on her Kelim of Achoraim. And when he sinned and those nail garments were removed from him, he feared evil things and evil spirits, and those holy camps that surrounded and protected him departed. Of all those garments, only those nails in the fingertips remained.

After the sin, the soul—which had come to him from Atzilut through the Parsa—was lost. Naturally, the nail garment that comes from the Parsa was lost, as well. And befitting the small measure of his high soul that remained in him, a part of the nail garment remained in him, as well. This is the surplus of the nails on the fingertips. And since the nails are considered Kelim of Achoraim, the Sitra Achra has the strength to cling to them and suckle from them. The part of the nails that is not attached to the flesh of the finger, where there is always filth, is the place from which the Sitra Achra always sucks. This is why it is forbidden to grow them beyond the finger-flesh.

274) For this reason, one should not grow one’s nails, for there is filth in them. As they grow, the force of Din grows upon him, too, by the force of the Klipot that suckle from the nails that surpass the flesh. One should attend to it everyday. He should cut them but not throw them away, to not act disrespectfully in that place, since their root is a high place and one could be harmed by it.

It is all as it is above. The Sitra Achra surrounds all the Kelim of Achoraim above; hence, the nails, too, are surrounded by filth, since they extend from the Achoraim and must not be in the place of the world, in an inhabited place.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)

257) Once the Sabbath is over, a person should separate between holy and secular because the appointees below have been permitted to rule over the world and all the actions in the world. There is a need to show the unity in a holy place, in the upper Kedusha, the Sabbath, and distinguish the lower ones from the upper unification and bless for the illumination of the fire.

258) This is so because every other fire is hidden and concealed on the Sabbath day, except a fire that is in the upper Kedusha, which appears from the Masach de Hirik on the middle line of Bina that returned to Hochma and is included in the sanctity of the Sabbath, which is the Malchut that clothes Bina. When this fire appears, all the other fires are hidden and concealed before Him, and that fire of the tying of Isaac, the middle line, ties and connects the left line, Isaac, so it illuminates only from below upward, so it is included in the right.

On the Sabbath day, it blazes on the altar. That is, the fire of the altar, which burns also on Sabbath, extends from a fire of the middle line to Malchut, who is called an “altar.” Thus, there should be blessing on the illumination of the fire at the end of the Sabbath. This fire does not refer to the fire of weekdays, but to the fire of the Sabbath. This fire comes out from the fire of above, extending from the middle line to the altar, Malchut.

259) It is a fire that tolerates fire, the fire in Malchut. And because this fire that comes out of the fire of above—the middle line—is blessed in the blessing for the light, all the other fires come out and become appointed in their places. That is, they are permitted to illuminate.

The Dinim are called fire because they are tantamount to fire. Like the corporeal fire when it is properly set up, nothing in the world is better than that for sustaining the whole of reality. But if it is not set up properly, no saboteur and destroyer of reality is worse than that. So are the upper Dinim: when they are set up properly, the entire completeness of the keeping of the spiritual reality depends on them, such as the Dinim that are established in the middle line, by which it forces the left line to bond with the right line. It follows that by that it causes the illumination of Hochma, which does not illuminate at all without the Hassadim on the right. Also, the illumination of Hochma is the source of all the Mochin de Gadlut in the upper Partzufim. It follows that the entire wholeness depends on those corrected Dinim.

And if the upper Dinim are not corrected, every punishment and every departure of lights from the upper ones comes from them. By that we will understand the blessing, “Who creates the illuminations of the fire,” which is blessed at the end of the Sabbath over that corrected fire in Malchut, which comes out of the fire of above, the middle line. Thus, a correction is done on all the fires that come out of Malchut that could illuminate, such as the four angels of the Merkava of Malchut—Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael—who illuminate, for then the illumination of Hochma in Malchut that rides over them is revealed.

260) At the time when we bless for the fire, four Merkavot arrive, four camps below—Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael—each of which is appointed over a camp of angels. They illuminate from a fire in Malchut that was blessed, and they are called “Illuminations of the fire.” Because their illumination extends from the fire of Malchut that was blessed, four fingers of the right hand should be bent and illuminate within them from the light of the candle that is blessed. This implies that that fire that is blessed, which extends from the fire of above, the middle line, causes diminution of the GAR in the illumination of Hochma on the left. Also, the bending of the fingers implies diminution of GAR.

261) These fingers imply these illuminations of the fire, the four Merkavot that illuminate and govern from within the light of the candle that was blessed. And because they are degrees below, when a person shows his fingers before the light of the candle, he should bend them before him because that light rules over them and they illuminate from him.

The illumination of Hochma in Malchut is called “illumination of the fire” because the illumination of Hochma comes out only from the left line, and the left line can illuminate only by the subduing of the middle line with its Masach de Hirik, which is fire. Thus, the illumination of Hochma illuminates only through the fire of the middle line. For this reason, this Hochma is called “illumination of the fire.” Also, it is known that Hochma illuminates only in Malchut, hence Malchut is called “illumination of the fire” or “the light of the candle.”

The four angels—Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael—are the three lines NHY, and Malchut that receives them when they rise and clothe the NHYM of Malchut. At that time the Malchut appears over them with her illumination of Hochma, like the king who appears to the people in his carriage. Therefore, they are called Malchut’s Merkava [chariot/assembly]. It was said that those fingers imply those illuminations of the fire. From their posterior, in the place of the nails, a man’s four fingers imply those four angels, Malchut’s Merkava, on which the illumination of Hochma appears in Malchut, as it is written, “And you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

It was said that he should bend them before him, implying diminution of GAR that appears over the fingers in illumination of Hochma. It is so because since Malchut is considered an illumination of the fire, it causes them to bend, diminution of GAR, since that light governs them—Hochma in Malchut is called “illumination of the fire” because it does not shine without it. Therefore, it must illuminate like the subduing of the middle line only in VAK de GAR, only from below upward, in bending the fingers, and not from above downward, GAR de GAR, by straightening the fingers.

262) On the rest of the blessings, such as the blessing of the priests, the fingers should be straightened up, to show the high Kedusha of the upper degrees that govern everything—the degrees of the right of ZA—which extend their Kedusha from upper AVI, who are holiness. The holy name, Malchut, is crowned in them and sanctified in them, and all the degrees are blessed together, illuminating from within the upper illumination, GAR de Bina—the root of all the Hassadim. This is why the fingers should be held up. But here one should bend the fingers before the candle to show the degrees of below—the four Merkavot that illuminate from within the light of above, Malchut. They govern and illuminate from her, and they are the illuminations of the fire.

It is so because through the middle line’s subduing of the two lines—right and left—their lights are corrected. The light of the right line, Hassadim, will illuminate from above downward in actual GAR, and the light of the left line, illumination of Hochma, will illuminate only from below upward, in VAK de Hochma. Also, the illumination of Hochma illuminates only in Malchut when she is riding in her four Merkavot—Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael. It follows that the lights above Malchut, the light of Hassadim and right line, illuminate from above downward, and this is the straightening of the fingers. But in the light of Malchut, the illumination of Hochma and left line, which is set up to illuminate only from below upward, the fingers should be bent, indicating the bending and diminution of the GAR.

263) Each day, we bless for the illuminations of the fire, meaning “Who creates the light,” “Who makes the illuminations,” which are upper lights that stand in the first light, Hesed. Then all the degrees are blessed, and all shine together from the upper illumination, Bina. But the ones here are called “illuminations of the fire,” and this is why we bless, “Who creates the illuminations of the fire.”

264) Why “Who creates the illuminations of the fire” and not “Who illuminates the illuminations of the fire”? After all, they illuminate from the fire of the blessed light—the fire that extends from the middle line. But when the Sabbath begins, all the degrees below—the four Merkavot—and all who illuminate and govern from the illumination of that fire enter and are included in the candle, Malchut. They are hidden and concealed and kept in it. They are not seen in it, except for that point, Malchut, and all are hidden in it throughout the Sabbath day.

On the Sabbath day, Malchut is in a Zivug PBP [face-to-face] with ZA and the left is not apparent in her at all. Moreover, all the degrees that extend from her illumination of Hochma, which is called “illuminations of the fire,” are included, swallowed in her, and are unseen. Thus, only her own point remains in Malchut.

265) When the Sabbath ends, Malchut brings out those illuminations of the fire to each one as though they were created at that time. They all come out and are created as in the beginning, appointed over their places to govern. Then that candle is blessed and they bow before her to illuminate—in the bending of the fingers. When they illuminate, each is appointed his place.

266) Similarly, those upper degrees, called “illuminations of the lights,” govern during the day and illuminate from the upper light, Bina. When the night grows dark, that upper illumination gathers them and brings them into it until the day rises. When Israel bless for the day, it takes them out in the wholeness of their illumination. And yet, they bless, “Who makes the illuminations,” and do not say “Who creates,” even though they are renewed each day. At the end of the Sabbath, they say, “Who creates,” because the illuminations of the fire are degrees below, of Achoraim, and with lights of Achoraim, the words “Who creates” are possible, such as “Who creates darkness.”

267) The upper degrees of illuminations of light, and the lower degrees of illuminations of fire, are implied in the fingers. The upper degrees are known by straightening the fingers upward, implying to illumination of GAR, which is from above downward. By straightening the fingers, the upper degrees and the lower degrees are blessed together. By lowering the fingers, which implies VAK, illuminating only from below upward, only the lower degrees are blessed to illuminate, meaning Malchut and the Merkavot extended from her, as illumination of Hochma appears only in Malchut.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / VAYAKHEL – click)