Autor: arhiprofesor

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55) “I am the Lord your God.” This Mitzva [commandment] is the first of all the Mitzvot [plural of Mitzva], since the first beginning of all the Mitzvot is to know the Creator in general—to know that there is an upper Ruler who is the Master of the world and created all the souls, heaven and earth and all their hosts. And this is a rule. The end of everything is in the individual—to know Him individually.

56) General and individual are Rosh [head/beginning] and Sof [end], male and female, ZON, as one. ZA is called “general,” and Nukva is called “individual.” It turns out that a man who engages in Torah and Mitzvot in this world engages in general and individual, which are the Rosh and the Sof of the Mitzvot. Thus, a man in this world is general and individual and should be complemented in both. And the correction of this world is general and individual, where the general, ZA, will be united with the individual, the Nukva.

For this reason, the beginning of everything is to know that there is a governor and a judge in the world, who is the Lord of all the worlds and created man out of dust and breathed the breath of life in his nostrils, which is He in general.

57) When Israel came out of Egypt, they did not know the Creator. When Moses came to them, he taught them this first Mitzva, as it is written, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out.” Had it not been for this Mitzva, Israel would not have been loyal to the Creator even after all those miracles and mighty deeds that the Creator had done for them in Egypt.

Once they knew this Mitzva in general, miracles and mighty deeds were done for them because there was already certainty that through them they would believe in the Lord, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord and in his servant, Moses.”

58) At the end of the forty years, when they have already exerted in all the Mitzvot in the Torah that Moses told them, both those that apply to the land and those that apply abroad, he taught them the individual, as it is written, “Know this day and take it to your heart,” precisely today, which they had no permission to know before, “Because the Lord He is the God.” This is knowing individually. There are several secrets and hidden things in the word, “part.” Also, the words, “The Lord, He is the God,” with the words, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God” are all one thing, except one is general and the other is individual.

ZA is called “general,” and Malchut is called “individual.” The Mochin that are received from ZA are light of Hassadim, and what is received from Malchut is light of Hochma. First, Mochin should be extended from all the degrees of ZA, which is general. In the end, they extend the Hochma from the Nukva, which is individual. However, individual does not mean only from Malchut, while general means only from ZA, and individual means from ZA and Malchut together, general and individual together.

When Moses came to them, he taught them this first Mitzva, as it is written, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” This means that he extended Mochin de ZA to Israel in the form of Daat, on which it is said, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God,” which is in general, future tense. This is so because these Mochin are extended daily, in each and every prayer and in each Mitzva, until they are completed.

Then Moses taught them the individual way, “Know this day and take it to your heart that the Lord, He is God,” in present tense. “This day” means you have reached your perfection, and not before. Without this Mitzva—which is the Mochin from the Daat de ZA that he extended for Israel in the beginning, as it is written, “And you shall know that I am the Lord your God”—Israel would not be faithful to the Creator even after all those miracles and mighty deeds. They would say that it is magic. However, by obtaining these Mochin from Daat de ZA, they recognized that the miracles were coming from the Creator, and through them they achieved complete faith, as it is written, “And they believed in the Lord and in His servant, Moses.”

It is all one thing, but this is the general way and that is the individual way. Here it is said, “Know this day that the Lord, He is God,” and there it says, “And know that I am the Lord your God,” since there is no difference between them. It is only that there the knowing comes from the general, ZA, and here the knowing comes from the individual, Malchut. There is the beginning, and here is the end and the perfection.

59) It is written, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Malchut, which is individual, is called “the fear of the Lord.” And yet, it says “Beginning” about her. Does that mean that the individual is the beginning, and not the general? Here it speaks of the individual itself, meaning the beginning of the individual, who should begin with knowing who is the fear of the Lord. However, the beginning of everything is the general and not the individual.

And even though a person should fear Him before he knows and attains the fear of the Lord, why does it say, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” meaning that we first have to know Him? It is because here it writes, “Beginning of knowledge,” which means that first, we must know Him. Here it says, “Beginning of knowledge,” which means that first we should fear Him, and through fear we arrive at the beginning of knowledge and of knowing Him because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowing Him individually.

60) This is why the first Mitzva is to know the Creator generally and individually, in Rosh and Sof, as it is written about Egypt, “And you shall know the Lord your God,” in future tense. And it ends at the conclusion of the forty years with the individual. This is the meaning of, “I am the first, and I am the last.” “I am the first,” in general, and “I am the last,” in particular. All is said in one whole and in one meaning.

And once he knows this in general, he will complete all his organs, the 248 positive Mitzvot [commandments that should be done], which are the 248 organs of man’s soul, where each positive Mitzva corrects the corresponding organ in man’s soul. After he is complemented in that in a general way, then he will know individually, meaning he will extend illumination of Hochma from the Malchut because this—the individual—is a cure for everyone. And he will know how all the days of the year, all the Sefirot of Malchut, called “year,” join to render healing to all the organs, which are the Mitzvot, and complement them.

61) How do all the days of the year render healing to all the organs? After all, Malchut, the year, has nothing of herself? On the contrary, the organs, which are the general, are the 248 pipes of abundance of ZA, and they impart everything to Malchut. This is certainly so above, in ZA, and below, in man. The year and its days, which are its Sefirot, give healing to all the organs above, in ZA, and below, in man, since the organs impart abundance of blessings for the days of the year, which are the Sefirot of Malchut, the individual.

In each positive Mitzva that a person keeps, he extends abundance of blessings from an organ, a pipe of ZA, unto one of the days of the year, which is the individual. And then healing and life hang upon us from above until the organs are filled with all the perfection, imparting them upon the individual, which is the year. At that time, the Mochin of the individual appear.

Who caused the organs to be filled with all the perfection? The days of the year, since the organs came to complement it. If the year did not need correction, the organs—which are ZA’s pipes of bounty—would not be filled with abundance. This is why it is regarded as though the days of the year gave healing and life to the organs.

62) And so it is below. When a person complements himself in these 248 positive Mitzvot in the Torah, there is not a day that does not come to be blessed by man. And when they are blessed by him, then life and healing hang over him from above, meaning they do not extend to Malchut before a person completes all 248 positive Mitzvot to the fullest. And until then, they hang over him from above.

Who caused the pipes above to be filled with healing and life? It is the days of the year. This is why it is regarded as though the days of the year gave them healing and life. As the days of the year are blessed from above, from man, which is ZA, they are blessed below, from the lower man, through the Mitzvot that he observes.

63) Happy are Israel in this world, in those Mitzvot that they keep, for this is why they are called “man,” as it is written, “And you … are men.” This means that you are called “men,” and the idol worshippers are not called “men.” And because Israel are called “men,” they should exert in the Mitzvot of the Torah, which are 613, corresponding to the 248 organs and 365 tendons in a man’s body, which are all one body, man.

64) When the Creator gave the Torah to Israel on Mount Sinai, the first word is “I.” I means a lot of things. Here it concerns the first Mitzva, to know Him in general. “I” implies there is a God, a high Ruler over the world, ZA, which is general. It is written, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire.” This is the first Mitzva, in general. Also, there is an intimation to the individual here, since it writes, “The Lord your God,” which is individual. And this general and individual is the first Mitzva that must be known in the beginning and in the end.

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52) First, it is written, “And I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,” and then, “And I will deliver you from their bondage.” And afterwards, “And I will redeem you.” Should He not have said first, “And I will redeem you,” and then, “And I will bring you”? Indeed, He first said the most important, since the Creator wished to first tell them the most beautiful—the exodus from Egypt.

53) The most beautiful of all is, “And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God.” But He told them this afterwards. At the time, there was nothing more beautiful for them than exiting because they thought that they would never come out of their slavery, since they saw that all the prisoners among them were tied by magic ties that they could never exit. This is why they were first told what they favored most.

54) And if, although they came out of Egypt, they could follow them and do them harm, it is written about that, “And I will deliver you from their bondage.” And if they could exit and be delivered but not be redeemed, it is written about that, “And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” And if He does not accept them as a nation, it is written about that, “And I will take.” And if you say that when He accepts them as a nation, He will not bring them to the land, it is written about that, “And I will bring you in unto the land.”

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21) It is written, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob.” What is, “And I appeared”? It should have said, “I will speak.”

22) There are visible colors and there are invisible colors. Both are sublime meanings of faith, which people do not know and do not observe. Man was not rewarded with the visible colors before the patriarchs came and attained them. It is written about that, “And I appeared,” meaning that they saw the visible colors.

HGT de ZA, which are his three lines, have three colors—white, red, and green. HGT are called “colors,” and the three lines extend from them to Malchut in illumination of Hochma, called “vision.” However, in their own place, HGT are covered and concealed from Hochma, and shine only in light of Hassadim. This is so because He desires Hesed, for because He extends from Bina, He loves Hassadim more than Hochma.

It turns out that only the three colors extend to Malchut and shine in illumination of Hochma, called “vision.” This is why they are called “visible colors,” those that contain Hochma. But the three colors in their own place in ZA are invisible colors; they have no Hochma, which is called “vision.”

As for the visible ones, man was not rewarded with them until HGT de ZA, called “patriarchs,” came and illuminated their three colors to the Malchut. And there, in Malchut, they became the visible colors where the three colors appear in illumination of Hochma. But while they are in ZA, they are blocked and unseen because the Hassadim in it are covered from Hochma.

23) The colors that appeared are those of Shadai [God Almighty], Malchut, which are the mirror of the upper colors in HGT de ZA. Those are the visible colors that have Hochma in them. And the colors above, in HGT de ZA, are blocked and are unseen, meaning there is no Hochma in them but only light of Hassadim. No one perceived them, to attain them there in ZA, apart from Moses.

It is written about that, “And My name is HaVaYaH, I am not known to them,” meaning I did not appear to them in the upper colors in HGT de ZA, called HaVaYaH. And should you say that the patriarchs did not know the name HaVaYaH, which is HGT de ZA, it is impossible, since the patriarchs are a Merkava for HGT de ZA. Thus, they knew from those colors that appeared in Malchut.

Their knowledge and attainment was not from the concealed HGT in ZA, but only after the visions of HGT extended to Malchut. And there in Malchut was their knowledge and attainment, since there they appear in illumination of Hochma. But in their own place, they are blocked from Hochma.

24) “And the wise shall shine as the radiance of the firmament.” The wise are those sages that have observed sublime things of their own, of whom people cannot speak aloud for their great height. They are the ones called “wise.” The firmament is Moses’ firmament, which stands in the middle, meaning ZA, which is the middle line, including the two lines, right and left, as well. His radiance is concealed and is not revealed in Hochma, which is called “radiance,” but his light is greater than his color, which includes all three colors, and stands and shines on the firmament that does not shine, meaning Malchut. The colors are seen in it because it shines in Hochma, called “vision,” and although those colors are seen in it, they do not shine as the radiance of those that are in concealed colors, the colors of ZA, called “the illuminating firmament.”

25) There are four lights. Three of them, HGT, are concealed, and one—Malchut—is revealed. And here they are: 1. The shining light, Hesed, right line. 2. The bright light, Gevura and left line, shines as the radiance of the sky in purity, hence its name, “shining.” This is so because the root of Hochma is from the left line, which receives from the left of Bina, and the illumination of Hochma is called “radiance.” 3. Crimson light, Tifferet and middle line, which takes all the lights, where the middle line includes the right and the left. 4. The light that does not shine, Malchut, gazing at those three lights and taking them.

Those lights are seen in it, such as the lantern, which is a bright metal plate that stands opposite the sun and the sun is seen in it. Similarly, the three lights of ZA appear in Malchut, called “sun.” In that respect, Malchut is called “lantern,” which receives from the sun and the sun is seen in it.

26) And those three lights are concealed in their place in ZA and stand on this fourth light that appeared, which is Malchut. Also, the three lights extend to the fourth light, where the three lights appear and shine in Hochma, and this is the eye.

There are three colors in the eye: white, red, and green. They appear in illumination of Hochma and are registered in it, in the fourth light in it, which is the black in the eye. And they all do not shine, since they stand in a light that does not shine because their core is the black in the eye, which is the Malchut, which is a mirror that does not shine.

And those three colors in the eye are as those three concealed colors of ZA that they stand on. They are regarded as the three lines of ZA, but they shine and appear in the place of Malchut. And those that appeared to the patriarchs, to know and to attain those three concealed ones in ZA, appear out of those that do not shine, meaning the three that are in Malchut. And those that shine and are concealed, which are the three in the place of ZA, appeared to Moses in his firmament. They stand and impart upon those three visible colors, the three that the patriarchs see.

27) And one who wishes to see the three concealed ones in ZA is told, “Close your eyes,” so as to not draw Hochma, called “eyes,” “And turn your eyeballs to the three places—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—that extend the three lines, HGT. By that, those three colors of ZA that shine in Hassadim will appear, shining by the radiance from the left line. However, they are concealed and covered because no permission was given to see them unless with eyes shut, since they are the three upper concealed colors in ZA, which stand and bestow upon those three visible colors in Malchut, which do not shine.

28) Moses was rewarded with the illuminating mirror, which are the three lines of ZA, which stands and shines on a mirror that does not shine. The rest of the people in the world were rewarded with a mirror that does not shine, Malchut. The patriarchs were seeing those three hidden colors that stand over the three colors that appear in Malchut and shine for them, meaning the three lines of ZA, which are the three that appear in Malchut. However, they do not shine, and it turns out that the patriarchs, too, attained the HGT de ZA, but not from their place in ZA, as did Moses, but from the HGT that are received in Malchut and are seen there. This is why it is written, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as Shadai [God Almighty],” in those three colors that are seen in Malchut, called God Almighty.

29) “And My name is HaVaYaH, I am not known to them.” Those are the upper colors that are concealed and shine, which are HGT de ZA, called HaVaYaH, with which Moses was rewarded with looking. And this is the meaning of the eye being once closed and once opened and revealed. If it is closed, it sees the shining mirror, which is HGT de ZA. If it is revealed, it sees the mirror that does not shine, which is Malchut.

This is why it is written, “And I appeared,” in the mirror that does not shine, in the revealed, where the three colors are seen in her and of which it says, “Seeing.” However, in the shining mirror, ZA, which is blocked and there is no vision in it, it specifies knowledge in it, as it is written, “And My name is HaVaYaH, I am not known to them.” It does not say, “I am not seen,” since there is seeing only in Malchut.

30) “And you shall say, ‘All hail! and peace be both unto you.’” “And you shall say, ‘All hail!’” So should be the wealth and honor of a living man, a righteous man. But did David not know that Nabal was wicked, that he told him, “All hail”? However, that day was a good day of the beginning of the year [Rosh Hashanah], and the Creator was sitting in judgment over the world. It was for the Creator that he said, “And you shall say, ‘All hail!’” to connect the “All,” Malchut, with “hail” [also “living” in Hebrew], meaning Yesod de ZA, upon which all of life depends. “And peace be both unto you.” “You” is to tie the knot of faith, Malchut, called “You,” in ZA, which is called Vav. This is why it writes “You” with a Vav.

31) This is why it is forbidden to greet a wicked. And if one is compelled to greet him, he should greet him as David blessed the Creator, when it seemed as though he was speaking for Nabal. And if you say that it was deceit, it is not so, since anyone who raises his words to the Creator and seems as though he speaks for man, it is not deceit. This is why the way of the righteous is that it seems as though they speak to a person, but they raise their words to the Creator, to keep, “I have set the Lord always before me.” And one who greets a righteous, it is tantamount to greeting the Creator.

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32) “And I appeared unto Abraham.” “Happy is the man for whom the Lord does not count iniquity.” How dense are people for not knowing and not observing why they are in the world. After all, when the Creator created the world, He made man in His image and established him with His corrections, to engage in Torah and to walk in His ways.

33) When Adam ha Rishon was created, he was established out of the dust of the Temple below, Malchut, which is called “dust,” but Malchut that is mitigated in Bina, called “the dust of the Temple below.” And the four directions of the world, HG TM, connected in that place, called “The Temple,” in Malchut that was mitigated in Bina.

And those four directions of the world conjoined in four sides, the foundations of the world—fire, wind, water, and dust—the internality of HG TM. The four directions of the world conjoined in the four foundations of the world and the Creator established out of them a single body in the upper correction, which is Bina, in which the Malchut was mitigated in Bina. It turns out that that body was made of two worlds from this bottom world, Malchut, and from the upper world, Bina. This is the meaning of the two points that were joined together.

34) The first four, which are the four directions of the world, are faith. This is the Nukva that was established in them, and they are the patriarchs of all the worlds. This is because all the worlds—Bina, ZA, and Malchut in Atzilut, and the three worlds BYA—were established by these HG TM, which are the three lines, and the Malchut that receives from them. Also, they are the upper, holy Merkava [assembly], the Bina, which is a Merkava for the Hochma.

And the four foundations—fire, wind, water, and dust—are the upper meaning of the four directions of the world; they are the internality in the HG TM. Of those four foundations—fire, wind, water, and dust—gold, silver, copper, and iron come out. The gold comes from the Zivug of ZA and Malchut that are dominated by the fire from the left line. Silver comes from the Zivug of ZA and Malchut dominated by the water from the right line. Copper comes from the domination of the middle line, and iron comes from Malchut when she is without Zivug with ZA. Beneath those four are other metals that are similar to them. From the metal of gold, green waste comes, and from the metal of silver—lead.

35) Fire, wind, water, and dust are the first and the roots of above and below. Lower and upper stand on them because they are the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—with the Malchut that receives them. Thus, the four foundations, fire, wind, water, and dust are the roots of everything.

And those four foundations, fire, wind, water, and dust are four for the four directions of the world because they are related as externality and internality. Hence, they stand in those four—north, south, east, and west. These are the four directions of the world and the four foundations—fire, wind, water, and dust—stand in them. Fire stands in the north, which is Shuruk, left, Gevura. Wind is to the east, Hirik, middle line, Tifferet. Water is to the south, Holam, right, Hesed. And dust is to the west, which is Malchut that receives fire, wind, and water within her.

And those four foundations—fire, wind, water, and dust—are tied to the four directions—north, south, east, and west—and they are all one, although they clothe each other by way of externality and internality. And those—fire, wind, water, and dust—create four metals—gold, silver, copper, and iron—by a Zivug with the Malchut. Together they are twelve discernments, and they are all one, three lines and the Malchut that receives them. And they are three times four because the first eight are internality and externality, and the four metals are offspring born from them.

36) Fire is on the left line, north, Gevura, since there is forceful heat and dryness in fire. Its opposite is the north—cold and moist. They merge in one another and they are one. The water is on the right line, south, Hesed, warm and dry. And the Creator made their tempers opposite from each other to merge them together.

37) The north, which is cold and damp, is where fire is placed, which is hot and dry. Also, He exchanged them in the south: water, which is cold and moist, was placed in the south, which is warm and dry. And now he explains the meaning of the merging that He had merged them together. The Creator merged them as one because water comes out of the south and comes into the north, and water extends from the north. Fire, too, comes out of the north and arrives at the force of the south, and the force of the heat comes to the world from the south. Thus, the north educes the water, which belongs to the south, and the south emits the heat, which belongs to the north, since the Creator wishes for them to lend from each other, and each lends of his own to his friend as it should be.

Similarly, wind and east, which are warm and moist, have two opposites in them, since the warmth extends from the fire in the north, and the moisture extends from the water in the south, so they would each lend to one’s friend and they would be mingled in each other and join together.

38) Now he explains the oppositeness in wind and east. The fire is from the south and the water is from the north. They are in dispute—the fire wishes to burn the water, and the water to quench the fire. The wind comes between them and grips both sides together, meaning sustains both, as it is written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters,” since fire stands above, in the south, the water is in the north, and the wind comes between them and grips both sides, revoking the dispute. The water, wind, and fire stand on the dust, and by those three that stand in her she receives from all of them.

39) The wind stands on the east. The east is warm and moist, and the wind is warm and moist, as well. This is why it grips to both sides—since the fire is hot and dry and the water is cool and moist. It turns out that the warm side of the wind, which is warm and moist, grips to the fire and its cold side grips to the water. Hence, it makes peace between them and cancels the dispute between fire and water.

40) Dust is cold and dry, which is why it receives everyone atop it—fire, water, and wind. And they all do their work in it and it receives from all of them to produce food for the world through them. This is so because dust clings to the west, which is cold and dry. The cold in the dust clings to the north, which is cold and moist, since cold grips cold; hence, the north grips to the west on that side. The south is warm and dry, and the dry in it grips to the dry in the west, on the other side of the west. Thus, the west grips both sides.

41) Also, the south grips to the east because the warmth in the south grips to the warmth in the east. And the east grips also to the north because its moisture grips to the moisture in the north. It turns out that south and east are tied to each other through the warmth in both; the east and north—through the moisture in them; north and west—through the cold in both; west and south through the dry in both; and all are included in one another, hanging down in one another.

Thus, three kinds of names of these four discernments HG TM are presented here, and they are the three lines that extend from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—and the Malchut that receives them. The first is south, north, east, and west; the second is fire, water, wind, and dust; and the third is hot and dry, cold and moist, warm and moist, cool and dry. We must understand their meaning and the differences between them.

The south is considered Hesed, water, and the north is considered Gevura, fire. The east is Tifferet, Ruach, and the west is dust, Malchut. Fire is Gevura and Dinim; water is Hesed, Ruach that is merged of Hesed and Din; and dust is Malchut. He adds that there are two discernments in each of the fire, wind, water, and dust: 1. Torah in its quality of Din, and 2. Torah in its manner of bestowal.

Also, it is known that there are two discernments in Dinim: 1. Dinim de Nukva, which come from the Masach in Malchut and are called “heat”; 2. Dinim de Dechura, which come from extension of illumination of Hochma from the left from above downwards. Those freeze the lights and do not extend below. They are called “cold,” as it is written, “Out of whose womb came the ice?”

There are also two discernments in the manner of bestowal: 1. From below upwards, regarded as abundance of VAK without GAR. This is called “dry,” not being drawn below. 2. From above downwards, considered abundance of GAR, which is called “moist,” meaning liquids that extend from above downwards.

This is so because the fire, which has the force of the heat, is Dinim de Nukva that come because of the Masach. Its dryness is firm since the abundance in it, which goes from below upwards and does not pour down, is seemingly dry in relation to below. Water is cool and moist, since the Dinim in them are only Dinim de Dechura, called “ice” and “freeze.” But when they are corrected, they shine from above downwards like liquids. This is called “moist.” The wind is warm and moist because it contains Dinim de Nukva, called “heat,” and yet, its abundance is considered GAR and pours from above downwards, which is called “moist,” meaning liquid. The dust is cold and dry since it contains Dinim de Dechura, called “cold.” It shines only from below upwards and does not pour down at all, hence it is called “dry,” which is illumination of VAK. Thus, he explains two discernments: the Din and the abundance in the four discernments—fire, water, wind, and dust.

Who caused the division of the Dinim and the abundance in these measures among the four discernments? The four discernments—south, north, east, and west—or their internality—fire, water, wind, and dust—extend from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik, and the Malchut that receives them. Also, four discernments come out in Bina, from which the whole of the Mochin de ZON de Atzilut and BYA come. First, Malchut should be mitigated in Bina. Malchut is raised to the place of Bina and then the VAK, Katnut [infancy] come out there. This is so because then the degree is split into two halves: Keter and Hochma remain in the degree, and the Malchut that rose beneath them ends the degree, and Bina and ZON of the degree fall outside the degree to the degree below it.

This is the Holam, Kelim de Panim [anterior Kelim], right side, which contains two Kelim—Keter and Hochma—and two lights—Ruach Nefesh—and lacks GAR because of the absence of the three Kelim—Bina and ZON—that fell from the degree. At that time, it is considered fire, which is hot, meaning Dinim de Nukva that extend from the Masach de Malchut that split the degree. It is also considered dry, meaning the lights extend in it from below upwards, where with respect to below it is considered dry. And it has been explained why the fire, which extends from the Holam, is hot, dry, and south.

Now we will explain the point of Shuruk. MAN draws illumination of AB SAG de AK, which are governed by Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction], which stands in her place after the Sium [end] of ZA. This illumination brings down the ending Malchut that rose to the place of Bina, too, and brings her back to Malchut. Then those Bina and ZON that fell from the degree because of her ascent return to the degree as before. And since the five Kelim KHB ZON are now present in the degree, the five lights NRNHY clothe in them and the degree returns to the state of GAR.

However, the point of Holam remains as it was prior to Malchut’s descent to her place. It does not change due to the extension of GAR, and the whole of this new extension is received by Bina and ZON that returned to the degree after their fall. However, they become two lines within the degree: The point of Holam, containing Keter and Hochma, becomes the right line, and the point of Shuruk, containing Bina and ZON that returned to being GAR through Malchut’s descent to her place become the left line.

Also, there are two extensions at the point of Shuruk—one that serves to enhance the Hassadim that it receives from the Hochma, and then there is great peace between them, and two that extends light of Hochma from above downwards, and then there is dispute between them. This is so because the point of Shuruk wishes to annul the point of Holam, and vice versa, the point of Holam wishes to annul the point of Shuruk, and then the lights in the Shuruk freeze.

And those two extensions at the point of Shuruk are in the degrees of Abraham—approaching Egypt and descending to Egypt.

North, the point of Shuruk, is water, whose nature is cool and moist. This is said about the extension of the first kind. At that time it is moist, meaning extending from above downwards like liquids. And then it is cold, the root of the Dinim de Dechura, where if it were to continue the extension of the second kind, the coolness would intensify and the water would freeze. However, as long as it is in the first kind of extension, they do not freeze but flow. They are only cold, which is the root of the freeze, and this explains why the water that extends from the point of Shuruk is cool and moist.

So why does The Zohar differ here from other places, saying that south is fire and north is water? It is because the south extends from the Holam, fire, meaning hot and dry, while the north extends from the Shuruk, water, cool and moist. And what is written, that south is Hesed and water, and north is Din and fire will be explained below.

Once the Shuruk completes the first kind of extension, it draws the second kind of extension, which brings it into a dispute with the Holam, at which time the lights in it freeze and block. And then ZA rises for MAN to Bina, which has a Masach of Behina Aleph, called Masach de Hirik. This Masach diminishes the point of Shuruk from GAR to VAK, by which the point of Shuruk surrenders under the point of Holam, and peace is made between them, sustaining the illumination of both of them. However, the right, which is south, will shine from above downwards, and the left, which is north, will shine only from below upwards.

It turns out that the Mochin have swapped, since the water that were cold and moist in the north have now come to the south, where they are imparted upon from above downwards. And the fire that was in the south has come to the north because of the Masach de Hirik that diminished it from GAR to VAK, and contains Dinim de Masach, and the Mochin in it do not pour from above downwards. Hence, it is hot because of the Dinim de Nukva in the Masach de Hirik, and it is dry for it no longer bestows from above downwards, but only from below upwards. Thus, because of the decision in the middle line, the Mochin have been replaced—the fire, which was in the south, came to the north, and the water, which was in the north, came to the south.

This swap is only in the interior, in Mochin, which are called “fire” and “water.” But the exterior, which are the Kelim, called “north south,” do not change at all and remain as they were in the place where they came out, prior to the decision in the middle line. The south was and remained hot and dry, and the north was and remained cool and moist. And because of that, oppositeness was created between the Mochin and the Kelim: the Kli of the right, south, is always hot and dry, while the Mochin in it—after the decision in the middle line—are cold and moist. And the Kli of the left, north, is always cool and moist, but the Mochin in it—after the decision in the right line—are hot and dry.

After the decision in the middle line, when the Mochin have already been swapped, fire is on the left, to the north. This is so because after the decision in the middle line, the force of the heat is in the fire, meaning Dinim de Nukva, which are called “heat.” And its dryness is firm, meaning bestows nothing below but only from below upwards. Its opposite is the north, since the Kli called “north” does not change at all because of the decision in the middle line and remains as cool and as moist as before. Thus, it is opposite from the Mochin that are clothed in it because the Mochin were changed by the decision of the middle line, when the water came in the south and the fire in the north, which is warm and dry.

But the north, which is the Kli, still remains in the form of water, which is cool and moist, as prior to the decision. Thus, the north is opposite from the Mochin that are clothed in it, which are the fire. Water is to the right, and this is to the south, since the Kli is hot and dry and the Mochin, which are water, are cool and moist. Also, they are opposite to one another: The north is cool and moist while fire, which is hot and dry, is clothed in it. It is similar in the south: The south is hot and dry because the Kli does not change, and water, which is cool and moist, clothed in it, for they came from the north to the south.

Because of their oppositeness, the Mochin are completed only through the Kli, which they had had prior to the decision in the middle line. And the water from the south returns to the north because the Kli, meaning the south, cannot complement the GAR in the Mochin of the water and they return back to their Kli—the north. And water extends from the north because it is in the north that it receives its completeness.

It is likewise in the Mochin of the fire in the Kli of the north. The fire comes out of the north and comes into the force of the south to be complemented there. This is because the Dinim de Nukva are not revealed in the Kli of the south, since the Masach there is below the Kelim of Keter and Hochma, the Kelim of the right and the south, and the Aviut [thickness] of the Masach cannot blemish anything above its place. Thus, the force of the heat goes out to the world from the south, for because they come from the south, there is no flaw in them because the Creator, which is the middle line, borrows one from the other. This means that He borrows from the completeness of the south and gives to the north, and borrows from the completeness of the north and gives to the south.

Indeed, in wind and east, and dust and west, there is no oppositeness in them between the light and the Kli because they both come after the determining of the middle line. Hence, the inversion of Mochin does not apply in them, and there is no reason that there will be a difference between the light and the Kli. Hence, both wind and east are warm and moist, since being a middle line, it carries the Masach de Hirik in which there are Dinim de Nukva, which are called “hot.” Also, there is illumination of GAR in it, imparted from above downwards, and they are called “moist” because it complements the GAR in the right and the left of Bina, where three come out of one and one is rewarded with three.

Dust and west are both cool and dry. This is because Malchut, called “dust” and “west,” is built of the left line of Bina, with respect to the Kli in it, called “north,” “cold.” And because she is a female and has Dinim de Nukva, she must receive mitigation from the Kli in the right of Bina, called “south,” “dry.” And here in the dust and west, there is no difference between Mochin and Kli because both receive from the south and the north, which are Kelim.

This is so because Malchut is only a Kli and her light is not her own but from ZA. However, in wind and east there is a difference between Mochin and Kli, since the Mochin in it, called “wind,” receives from the right and from the left, which are called “fire” and “water,” which are Mochin. And the Kli in it is called “east,” receiving from the right and left of the Kelim that are called “north” and “south,” which are Kelim.

42) Similarly, the north makes the gold because the gold is made by the force of the fire, as it is written, “Out of the north comes gold,” since the fire grips the dust and becomes gold. It is written about that, “And it has dust of gold,” and this is the two golden Cherubim.

Fire is Dinim de Katnut de Bina. When this fire connects with the dust, the Masach comes down from Bina and back to its place, and the Hochma appears in the dust, in Malchut. This is the gold. It is written, “Out of the north comes gold” because this is where the fire is clothed. And this is the two golden Cherubim in which the Mochin de Hochma, called “gold,” extend. However, there is no gold without dust, since Hochma appears only in Malchut, as it is written, “And it has dust of gold.”

43) Water grips to dust. The cool of the dust in the moisture of the water makes the silver, which is the light of Hassadim in the south, poured from above downwards. When it connects with the cold and dry in the dust, the dryness in the dust is cancelled and becomes moist, meaning liquids from above downwards. This degree of the dust is called “silver.”

Now the dust grips to both sides, the gold and the sliver, and is placed between them. The wind grips to the water and to the fire because it is the middle line, and educes both as one. It is called, “like burnished bronze.” And when dust is in and of itself, in its coolness and dryness, iron comes out of it. The sign is that the iron is blunt. And the dust, Malchut, is called “the weaker hand,” since the Malchut is the hand Tefillin.

44) This dust grips to all of them—the fire, the wind, and the water—and they create in it what is similar to them. The fire brings gold out of it, which is similar to it. The water brings silver out of it, which is similar to it, and without dust there is no gold or silver or copper, since each lends to his friend of his own, to connect with one another.

And the dust grips to all of them because both sides, fire and water, cling to it: the cold in it grips to the water and the dry in it grips to the fire. And the wind, ZA, comes closer to it because it contains fire and water, and does its thing in it. This is so because the wind, too, contains fire and water, where the warmth in it is from fire and the moist in it is from water.

45) It turns out that when dust connects to them, to fire, water, and wind—which bring out of it gold, silver, and copper—the dust creates and begets other metals, like the gold, silver, and copper. Like the gold, the dust begets the waste of gold, as green as the actual gold. Like the silver, it begets lead, and like the copper, it begets tin. And like the iron, it begets iron in iron together, which means that there are two kinds of iron.

46) Fire, wind, water, and dust are gripped to each other, tied to one another and there is no separation between them. Hence, gold, silver, and copper that come out of them have no separation between them. But when dust later begets the waste of gold, the lead, the tin, and the iron, they do not connect with each other like the gold, silver, and copper that came out of the fire, water, and wind that are connected to the dust. Rather, it is written, “And from there it parted and became four heads,” and in those there is separation.

47) When the dust begot by the force of the three upper ones, it educed four rivers where there are precious gems. And they are in one place, in the river Pishon, which came out by the force of the fire in the dust. And those four gems are twelve, and they are to the four directions of the world, three to each side because when they are included in one another, there are only three to each side in them, from fire, water, wind, and dust, and not four to each side, since the dust does not shine in itself but only receives.

Also, they correspond to the twelve tribes, as it is written, “And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel,” twelve after their names, while they are twelve oxen standing under the sea that Solomon made.

48) Even though all four discernments are connected to one another and they are the sustenance of the world, the sustenance of the world is still primarily the Ruach because everything exists for it. Also, the Nefesh exists in Ruach because if the Ruach is absent from it for even a moment, the Nefesh will not persist, as it is written, “Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good,” and Daat is the middle line, called Ruach.

49) These twelve stones are twelve oxen under the sea that Solomon made. This is so because the Nukva is called “sea” and stands on the twelve oxen, which are four oxen that each comprises three in the world of Beria. They are called “oxen” because they are dominated by the left, the face of an ox. This is why the twelve presidents took them, as it is written, “All the oxen for the burnt-offering twelve bulls.”

50) When the Creator created man, meaning his body, he was created out of the dust of the Temple below, Malchut. The soul was placed within him out of the dust of the Temple above, Bina. As he was created from the dust below, the three foundations of the world were joined in him—fire, wind, and water below. Similarly, when he was created from the dust above, the three foundations of the world were connected to that dust, fire, wind, and water above, and man was completed with a body and a soul.

51) Moses was more complete than the patriarchs because the Creator spoke to him from a higher degree than all of them, meaning the degrees of the patriarchs. Moses was inside the King’s house, ZA, the Daat, which is the interior of ZA.

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1) “Trust in the Lord forever and ever, for the Lord is God, an everlasting rock.” “Trust in the Lord” means that all the people in the world should strengthen themselves in the Creator and have confidence in Him.

2) Thus, what is “Forever and ever”? One’s strength should be in a place of persistence and connection of everything, and this is called Ad [and ever], which is ZA. This “And ever” is a place that unites to this side and to that side, which is the middle line, which unites the right and the left in each other, to persist and to connect, so the two lines will persist and their illuminations would be permanently connected.

3) This Ad [and ever] has the desire of everything, as it is written, “Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.” Who are the everlasting hills? They are the two mothers, Bina and Malchut. Bina is called Yovel [Jubilee], and Malchut is called Shmita [periodic break in land-cultivation]. They are called “Everlasting hills,” as it is written, “From everlasting even to everlasting,” meaning Bina and Malchut, and both are called “everlasting” [or “world”].

4) Their desire is in this Ad, ZA, the middle line, the sustenance of all sides, right and left. Hence, the desire of the Yovel, Bina, is for the Ad, to crown it with GAR and to extend blessings unto it, which is abundance of Hassadim, and to pour sweet springs upon it, meaning Hochma that is mitigated in Hassadim. It is written about it, “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother has crowned him.” King Solomon is the king that peace is his, meaning ZA, whose mother is Bina.

The desire of the Shmita, Malchut, for Ad, ZA, is to be blessed by him and to shine from him. Thus, certainly, this Ad is the “Bound of the everlasting hills,” which are Bina and Malchut, one to bestow and the other to receive.

5) For this reason, “Trust in the Lord forever and ever,” which is ZA, since from there and up, meaning Hochma and Bina, which are above ZA, it is a place that is covered and concealed, which none can attain. It is a place from which the worlds, which are ZON, emerge and form, as it is written, “For the Lord is God, an everlasting rock.” Koh is Hochma; HaVaYaH is Bina; and they are the ones who form and elicit the worlds, which are ZON. And this place is hidden and concealed, which is why it is written, “Trust in the Lord forever and ever,” to show that thus far, through ZA, called Ad [and ever], everyone is permitted to observe. Henceforth, in HB, no one is permitted to observe, since it is hidden from all people. And what is the place that is forbidden to observe? It is the Koh of HaVaYaH, HB, from which all the worlds were formed. There is no one who can perceive that place to attain something.

6) The text indicates the inability to attain above ZA, as it is written, “For ask now of the days past … from the end of heaven,” which is ZA, “To the end of heaven.” The writing explains that asking and attaining is only in the degree of heaven, ZA, from its end to its end, that thus far man has permission to observe; henceforth, meaning above ZA, none can perceive it.

This is so because each degree comprises GAR and ZAT, which is ZA, and there is attainment only in ZA of each degree, even in ZA de [of] GAR, called Daat. However, no one can attain in the GAR of each degree, even in the GAR of the degree of Assiya.

7) “Trust in the Lord forever and ever.” In all of man’s days, he needs to strengthen himself in the Creator. One who puts his trust and strength appropriately cannot be harmed by any person in the world, for anyone who places his strength in the Holy Name persists in the world.

8) This is so because the world persists in His Holy Name, as it is written, “For the Lord is God, an everlasting rock,” meaning formed worlds [in Hebrew, “everlasting rock” can also mean “form worlds”], since the worlds were created by two letters, this world and the next world. This world was created in Din [judgment] and stands, meaning persists on Din, as it is written, “In the beginning God created,” and this Name implies Din. This is so men will behave by Din [“law,” in this case] and will not stray from the way.

9) “And God spoke unto Moses.” The name, God, implies the sentence of the Din that it stands on. “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord [ADNI],’” with Aleph–Dalet–Nun–Yod, which is the name of Malchut. See Moses’ strength: at the very beginning of his prophecy, his spirit did not rest in this place, which is Malchut. He said, “O Lord [ADNI], why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You send me? Ever since I came … to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.” Who is the one who could say this? Only Moses, for he knew that another degree, higher than Malchut, was intended for him, since he was a Merkava [assembly/chariot] for ZA, the queen’s husband.

10) In the beginning, when he was given the house, Malchut, which is a Merkava for ZA, who is the queen’s husband, he was rewarded with the degree of Malchut being his home, as it is the home of ZA. This is why he commanded it as one commands in his home and says what he wishes without fear. Moses, too, was speaking to his house, which is Malchut, and he was not afraid.

11) “And God spoke” is the sentencing of Din, since the name God is Din, Malchut. “And He said unto him, ‘I am the Lord’” is another degree, ZA, Rachamim [mercy]. And here everything is tied, Din and Rachamim together, which is a great perfection. This is why it is written, “And He said unto him, ‘I am the Lord,’” which is the quality of Rachamim. Had it been written, “And God spoke unto Moses, ‘I am the Lord,’” it would mean that for him Din and Rachamim were tied together. But this is not what is written. Rather, first, “And God spoke unto Moses,” and then, “And He said unto him, ‘I am the Lord.’” This means that they are degree after degree, and are not Din and Rachamim that are tied together.

12) If Moses had not been the owner of the house, as it is written about him, “A Prayer unto Moses the man of God,” he would have been punished for what he said to ADNI, “Why have You brought harm to this people?” But since he was the owner of the house, he was not punished.

This is similar to a man who quarrels with his wife, who is a king’s daughter. He tells her indecent words and she gets upset. When she begins to speak, the king comes over there. The king takes over the matter and she becomes silent and ceases to speak. The king says to her husband, “Did you not know that I am a king, and that it is before me that you speak these words?” Moses is seemingly likewise, as it is written, “And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, ‘O Lord [ADNI], why have You brought harm?’” Promptly, “And God spoke unto Moses,” which is the quality of Din, since the king’s daughter became upset. The king immediately takes over the matter and says to him, “I am the Lord, did you not know that I am a king and that you speak these words before me?”

13) “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as Shadai [God Almighty].” Why did he change the name here from the names above—ADNI, HaVaYaH, and God—and here he says Shadai? It is like a king who had an unmarried daughter, and there was one whom he loved. When the king wished to speak to the loved one, he sent his daughter to speak with him, and the king would speak to him through his daughter. Then it was time for his daughter to be wedded, and on her marriage day, the king said, “Call her ‘Dear Queen.’” And he told her, “Thus far I spoke to whomever I spoke through you. Henceforth, I will tell your husband, and he will speak to whomever he should.” In time, her husband told her quarrelsome words in front of the king. Before she began to speak, the king took the matter over and told him, “Am I not the king to whom no one has spoken unless through my daughter? I gave you my daughter and spoke openly to you, which I have done with no other.”

14) “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as Shadai [God Almighty]” is the name of Malchut before she mates with ZA face-to-face. Its meaning is, “And I appeared unto the patriarchs as Shadai,” meaning Malchut, when she was in My house and she was unmarried, and I was not spoken to face-to-face as I did to you. And you, in the beginning of your words, said such words to My daughter before Me. However, it is written about that, ‘And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as Shadai, and My name is HaVaYaH, I am not known to them,’ speaking to them at the degree in which I spoke to you.”

15) “A Psalm of David. The land is the Lord’s, and all it contains; the world and those who dwell in it.” “The land” is the holy land of Israel, which is destined to be watered by the Creator and to be blessed with Him first. And from it, the whole world will be watered. “The world and those who dwell in it” is the rest of the lands, which drink from it.

16) “For He has founded it upon the seas” are seven pillars, HGT NHYM de ZA, on which the land is supported. They are the seven seas, and the Sea of Galilee, Malchut, governs them. But do not say that it governs them, since the Malchut does not govern the seven Sefirot de [of] ZA. Rather, the Sea of Galilee is filled by them because the Malchut receives from them.

“And established it upon the rivers.” Who are the rivers? It is written, “The rivers have raised their voice; the rivers will raise their roaring.” They are the Yesod de ZA, called “river,” as it is written, “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.”

17) This land, which is Malchut, is called “the land of Israel” when she is Panim be Panim [face-to-face] with ZA, who is called “Israel.” But why does Jacob, who is Israel, not govern her like Moses? After all, he, too, is a Merkava for ZA, called “Israel,” since it is written, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as Shadai,” which is the name of the Nukva before she mates with ZA.

18) However, Jacob took the house below, in this world, and hence was denied the house above, Malchut. With the house below, the four women, he established the upper house, Malchut, in twelve tribes and seventy branches, which are her seventy names, the seventy souls that came to Egypt. Moses took the upper house, Malchut, and left the lower house, since he was separated from his wife. This is why it is written of Jacob, “As Shadai,” since only as Shadai did the Creator speak to him, and nothing more than that. “And My name is HaVaYaH, I am not known to them,” to speak with them on this degree of HaVaYaH, which is superior.

19) Jacob was the glory of the patriarchs, the perfection of everything. In all of them, it writes, “Unto Abraham, unto Isaac,” and one letter was added in him, as it is said, “And unto Jacob.” The Vav [and] was added in him to show that he was more complete than all of them. And yet, he was not rewarded with using her, the Malchut, like Moses.

20) “And I have also established My covenant,” since they were circumcised, and anyone who is circumcised inherits the earth. This is why it is written, “To give them the land of Canaan,” since only righteous inherit the land, and anyone who is circumcised is called “righteous,” as it is written, “Then all your people will be righteous; they will inherit the land forever.” Anyone who is circumcised and keeps the sign of the covenant is called “righteous.” Joseph was not called “righteous” all his days until he kept that covenant, the sign of the holy covenant. When he kept it in the deed with Potiphar’s wife, he was called “righteous,” “the righteous Joseph.”

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371) “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” “The Lord is my shepherd,” my shepherd. As the shepherd leads the flock to a good grazing site, a lush grazing site in a place of springs, and straightens their walk with righteousness and justice, so does the Creator, as it is written, “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul.”

372) It is the way of the shepherd to lead his flock with righteousness, to remove them from robbery, to lead them in plains, and the rod is always in his hand lest they turn to the right or to the left.

379) “And came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb,” he alone, without the flock. When that stone that pulls and receives iron sees it; the iron jumps on it. So were Moses and Mount Sinai. When they saw each other, he jumped on it, as it is written, “And came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb.”

388) When Moses entered Mount Sinai, why did it appear to him in a flame of fire, which is Din? At that time, it was the time that caused. This was a time of Din, the time of Minchah [afternoon prayer]. Everything—the core of fire and the name Horeb, and the bush—was rooted into one stem. It is written, “And came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb,” and it is written, “At Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath,” and also, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.” This means that since they were destined to be as the bush, “Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.” The Creator caused Israel to be destined to sin there and to be as the bush. This is why He appeared in the flame of fire, which is Din, which burns the wicked, as it is written, “Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

358) Woe unto people who do not watch and do not know. When a thought came before the Creator to create His world, all the worlds rose in one thought, and in that thought they were all created, as it is written, “In wisdom have You made them all.” And in that thought, which is wisdom [Hochma], this world and the world above were created.

359) His right [side] leaned and He created the world above, ZA. His left [side] leaned and He created this world, Malchut, as it is written, “My hand has laid the foundation of the earth,” Malchut, “And My right hand has spread out the heavens,” ZA. “When I call unto them, they stand up together.”

All were created in a single moment, and He made this world corresponding to the world above, and all that there is above, its likeness appeared below. Thus, there is nothing below without a root in the upper worlds, and all that there is below on earth, its likeness exists in the sea, and all is one. In the upper worlds, He created the angels; in this world, He created people; and in the sea, He created the leviathan [whale], as it is written, “To join the tent together so that it might be one.”

360) It is written of man that He made man in the image of God. It is also written, “You have made him a little lower than God.” If people so cherish their deeds and they are lower than the dust of the well, for they are lowered by the Klipot that cling to the dust of Malchut, called “well,” how will they come to pump out abundance from the well? He chose the upper ones, the angels, and He chose Israel. He did not call the upper ones, “sons,” but called the lower ones, “sons,” as it is written, “You are the children of the Lord your God.” He called them “children,” and they called Him “Father,” as it is written, “For You are our father,” and it is written, “My Beloved is mine and I am His,” meaning He chose me and I chose Him.

361) “He pastures among the lilies.” He pastures among the lilies despite the thorns, the Klipot around them. No other can pasture in the lilies like Him. “He pastures among the lilies.” As this rose is red and its waters, which are melted out of it, are white, the Creator leads His world from the quality of Din, implied in the red, to the quality of Rachamim, implied in the white, as it is written, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

362) Rabbi Abba was walking along the way and Rabbi Isaac was with him. While they were walking, they came across roses. Rabbi Abba took a rose in his hand and was walking. Rabbi Yosi met them and said, “Divinity must be here,” and I see a rose in Rabbi Abba’s hand, which is to learn much wisdom from him, for I know that Rabbi Abba took it only to show wisdom.”

363) Rabbi Abba said, “Sit down my son.” They sat. Rabbi Abba smelled that rose and said, “The world exists only by the smell,” the Mochin of illumination of Hochma that shine from below upwards, like the smell. “I see that the soul exists only on the smell,” which is why we smell the myrtle at the end of the Sabbath, to extend Mochin of illumination of Hochma, smell.

364) He started and said, “My Beloved is mine and I am His, He pastures among the lilies.” Who caused me to be my Beloved’s and my Beloved to be mine? It is because He leads His world with roses. As a rose has a smell and is red, when it melts, it turns to white, but its smell never goes away. So is the Creator: He leads His world in this way. Otherwise, the world would not persist because of the sinful man.

The sinful is called “red,” as it is written, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Also, the sinner offers his sacrifice to the fire, which is red. He throws the blood, which is red, around the altar, and the quality of Din that is implied in the red. It melts when the offering burns on the altar and the smoke that rises is all white. Then the red turns to white, implying that the quality of Din has been turned into the quality of Rachamim.

365) The whole of the quality of Din needs its scent only from the side of the redness, since the smell, illumination of Hochma, does not extend from the side of the white—right line, which is all Hassadim—but from the side of the red, left line, from which comes Hochma, the point of Shuruk. It is written, “And cut themselves according to their custom … until the blood gushed out on them.” And yet, they knew that they would not obtain their wish from the quality of Din, meaning Malchut, to extend Hochma from above downwards, as is the wish of all idolaters. Rather, it is only in redness, through the left line, which is red. This is why they “Cut themselves … with swords … until the blood gushed out on them,” to extend the redness.

366) Moreover, red and white—left and right—approach the world and the smell rises from the both of them, since the Hochma in the left cannot shine without clothing in light of Hassadim on the right. Hence, as the rose is red and white, the smell of the offering and the offering itself is from red and white. In the scent of the incense, the oils are red and white. The frankincense is white; the flowing myrrh is red, and the scent rises from red and white. Hence He leads His world with roses, which are red and white, and it is written, “To offer unto Me the fat and the blood,” where the fat is white and the blood is red.

367) Correspondingly, a man sacrifices his fat and his blood is atoned for him, for this is red and that is white. As the rose is red and white, it is not melted to be made all white again, but in fire. Likewise, the sacrifice is not melted to be made all white again, but in fire. Now, one who sits in his fast and sacrifices his fat and his blood is not melted into being all white again, but in fire. Out of one’s fasting, his organs weaken and the fire overcomes him. At that time, he should sacrifice his fat and his blood in that fire, and this is called “the atonement altar.”

368) When Rabbi Elazar was sitting in fasting, he was praying and said, “It is revealed and known to You, the Lord my God and the God of my fathers, that I have sacrificed my fat and my blood to You, and I boiled them with the warmth of the weakness of my body. May it please You that this scent that comes out of my mouth at this time is like the scent of the offering from the sacrifice in the fire of the altar and You will grant me.”

369) It turns out that with his fasting, a man sacrifices the fat and the blood, and the smell that comes up from his mouth is the altar of repentance. This is why they established the prayer at the place of the offering, as long as he intends to what we were saying. “Everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean.” Through the fire, it is returned to being all white.

Rabbi Yosi said that while the Temple stood, a person would offer his sacrifice on that matter of the red and white and the smell that rises from them, and its complete return into whiteness through the fire, and he would be forgiven. Now, a man’s prayer atones for him in the place of the sacrifice in the same way as the intention of the sacrifice.

370) “My Beloved is mine and I am His, He pastures among the lilies.” As the lilies have thorns in them, the Creator leads His world with righteous and wicked. As the lilies would not persist without the wicked, the righteous would not be distinguishable without the wicked. By what are the righteous recognized? Because there are wicked. Had there been no wicked, the righteous would be undetected. “He pastures among the Shoshanim [lilies]” means that He leads His world in Shesh Shanim [six years], since “lilies” have the letters of “six years” [see brackets]. And the seventh is a Sabbath for the Creator. Another thing, “In lilies” means in those lilies in the Torah, since Shoshanim [lilies] come from the word Shoneh [delving].

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

353) There are three things here: sigh, cry, and outcry, and they are not similar. With a sigh, it is written, “And the children of Israel sighed.” With a cry, it is written, “And they cried.” With an outcry, it is written, “And their outcry came up unto God.” Each is interpreted separately, but Israel did all of them. However, another one said, “Israel did the cry and the outcry, but they did not do the sigh.” This is implied by the words that they sighed but were not sighed, and that the sigh above was for them.

354) How are outcry and cry different? There is an outcry only in prayer, as it was said, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my outcry,” and also, “Unto You, O Lord, is my outcry,” and “My outcry is unto You, and You will heal me.” Thus, an outcry means words of prayer. A cry means crying and not saying anything, without any words. The cry is greater than all of them, for the cry is in the heart. It is closer to the Creator than a prayer or a sigh, as it is written, “For if they cry unto Me, I will surely hear their cry.”

A sigh, a cry, and an outcry are thought, voice, speech—Bina, ZA, and Malchut. Hence, a cry in which there is no speech is more acceptable to the Creator than a prayer in words, since the speech is revealed and there is gripping in it, but a cry, where there is no disclosure except in the crying heart, there is no hold for the accusers in it. It is also more acceptable than a sigh because it is revealed only in the thought of the one who sighs, which is Bina, and the lower one cannot properly adhere to the Creator through it. This is why a cry is more acceptable.

355) What does it say when the Creator said to Samuel, “It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king”? “And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.” He left everything—the sigh, the outcry—and took the cry, since it was closest to the Creator, as it is written, “And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come unto Me.”

356) One who prays and cries and cries out until he can no longer move his lips, this is a complete prayer that is in the heart. It is never returned empty, but is accepted. Great is the cry for it tears a man’s sentence from all his days.

357) Great is the cry that governs the quality of Din above. Great is the cry that governs this world and the next world. For a cry, man inherits this world and the next world, as it is written, “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

350) “And the children of Israel sighed.” It does not say that they were sighing because of their own affliction. Rather, “Sighed” means that they sighed for others’ affliction. The sigh was for them above; the angels were sighing for Israel.

351) “And the children of Israel sighed,” meaning the children of Israel above, the angels. “By reason of the bondage” means that the children of Israel are called “the ones who work,” those who are from the work above, the serving angels. “Their outcry came up unto God” means that thus far their cry did not rise before Him.

352) What is the Din that the Creator executes in the servants above, in the serving angels and the ministers of the seventy nations? He takes them through the river of fire, removes them from their government, and appoints other ministers from the rest of the nations, as it is written, “Flaming fire are Your ministers.” Hence, what does He deny them if they are taken through the river of fire? There is a fire that is harder than fire, and there is fire that repels fire. Hence, even though they are fire, the fire of the river of fire is harder than them, and there the Din is executed upon the angels of fire.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)

346) “Behold, a day of the Lord is coming,” “And there shall be one day which shall be known as the Lord’s.” But are the rest of the days not the Lord’s? This teaches that the rest of the days were given to the ministers, and that “day” is not the ministers’, but the Creator’s, to execute judgment on idolaters, since on that day, all the ministers will fall from their degree. This is why it is written, “And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,” since on that day there will be no rank to the ministers.

347) When the Creator passes judgment on the ministers above, it is written, “For My sword has drunk its fill in heaven.” But does the Creator have a sword? He has a sword, as it is written, “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,” and it is written, “By His sword with all flesh.”

348) That sword is the Din [judgment] that He executes, as it is written, “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand.” But was there a drawn sword in the hand of the angel? He was given authority to execute judgment, and that authority is called a “sword.”

349) He asks, “The angel of death told me that if I did not spare the dignity of people, I would reveal to them the slaughterhouse like a beast.” This means that there is a real sword in the hands of the angel of death, but wherever it writes, “sword,” in the upper ones, it means that he was given authority to complete the judgment, not a real sword. And disclosure of the slaughterhouse is that he would reveal the cause of death, the iniquity, which is like a slaughterhouse, the reason for the death of the beast, as it is written, “Having a drawn sword in his hand,” meaning the authority given to him to execute judgment. Why does it say, “And he put his sword back into its sheath”? It means that the Din was given back to the litigant, and the authority to execute the Din was returned to the one that the authority is His, to the Creator.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ŞMOT – click)