The Rods

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302) All those texts come to teach wisdom. There are sublime things, some of which depend on deeds, such as Tefillin and Tzitzit, and some on words, such as reading the Shema and prayer, and some—on the intention in the heart, such as love and fear. One who wishes to extend blessings, it is by prayer in speech and in intention, and some that are not extended by prayer but depend on actions.

303) The complete Jacob did all that he did with wisdom. It is written, “And he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters.” He did everything with wisdom, to extend blessings from the source of everything to all the upper degrees that are his lot and share.

304) Rods are degrees of the Din that are mingled with the Aviut of Malchut. “Which he had peeled” means that he lifted the Din from them by extending the level of Hassadim over them. “Against the flocks in the gutters” is as it is written, “The king is held captive in the tresses.” This is so because the blessings come to all the worlds from the upper king, Bina. The tresses are the Kelim of the left line in Bina, which shine only from below upwards due to the unification of the middle line. This is the meaning of “The king is held captive in the tresses,” since Bina, which is called “the high King” is captive in those tresses so he will not spread from there down. This was done because Jacob presented the rods, on which the middle line came out in the midst of the tresses and they can no longer shine from above downwards.

305) “The king is held captive in the tresses” is ZA, who is held captive and tied to the upper tresses, which are the Kelim of the left line in Bina, from which everyone is watered from the high King. The King, ZA, is captive, meaning He does not shine from above downwards due to the tresses, which are the Kelim de Bina in Him.

“In the gutters, in the watering-troughs” are the streams that extend and gather in the Nukva de ZA, to which the tresses of Bina extend and where they become watering-troughs. “Where the flocks came to drink,” means that there the waters gather, in the Nukva, all of them, all the dwellers of BYA come to drink from it.

306) “And they were rutting.” When the north wind, the illumination of the left, Hochma without Hassadim, blows on the Nukva, water, the abundance freezes and does not leak outside to the three worlds BYA. When the south wind awakens, meaning the illumination of the right, Hassadim, the water heats up and their freezing is lifted, and they are extended to the worlds. At that time everyone drinks because the warmth of the south opens the freezing of the water and they all warm up and are happy to drink, since that chill of the north that they had before has been lifted from them. This is why it is written, “And they were rutting.” It writes, “And they were rutting” and not “And he was rutting,” since although flock is in male form [in Hebrew], because they come to drink from the degrees of the Nukva, they are all regarded as females, like her.

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Name Me Your Wages

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294) “And he said, ‘Name me your wages, and I will give it.’” What is “And I will give it”? That wicked one said, “I see that Jacob is looking only at females, and therefore he will work for me. This is why he said, “Name me your wages” [here “Name” is spelled the same as “female” in Hebrew], meaning your reward will be a female, as in the beginning. “And I will give it” means “Say which female you were looking at and I will give her to you, you will work for me for her.”

295) “And Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything.’” Jacob said, “Absolutely not, for all that I did, I did for the glory of the Holy King, and not for my own lust. Hence, you shall give me nothing because this was never my intention.”

296) “And he removed that day the he-goats.” This is as it is written, “O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? … He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.” “He who walks with integrity” is Abraham, for when he was circumcised he was called “whole,” “And works righteousness” is Isaac, and “Speaks truth” is Jacob. Jacob certainly clung to the quality of truth, so why did he peel the rods with Laban, as it is written, “Then Jacob took fresh rods … and peeled … them”?

297) Indeed, Jacob was testing the hour of luck in all the actions that he took, since man is permitted to test his time before he returns to his land. If his luck endures for him in what he does, good. If not, he will not set out until he has a stroke of luck. This is so because nourishments do not depend on merit, on purification of the Kelim, but on luck, the thickness of Malchut on which the middle line—whose root is Dikna de AA—comes out.

Also, the land of Israel is the Malchut when she dresses Ima, whose Kelim are very pure, for this is not luck for Israel. Hence, there was a need to extend luck while he was still abroad, before he returns to the land of Israel. And he extended it with the rods that he made.

298) Thus, he did not do it to take something from Laban for free. Rather, he did everything in truth and in a complete desire. Moreover, he received permission for all that from Laban. It is written about that that he replied to him, “I have observed the signs and the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” This is so because Laban made several spells and tested his luck to see if he was succeeding because of Jacob. Each month, he found one hundred flocks, one hundred sheep, and one hundred goats added to his herd because of Jacob, and this is why he permitted him.

299) One thousand flock, one thousand sheep, and one thousand goats did Jacob add to him each and every month. It is written, “For you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned.” The blessing above is no less than a thousand of each kind. There were a thousand flocks, a thousand sheep, and a thousand goats. Wherever there is a blessing from above, it is no less than a thousand, until Laban’s wealth increased into great wealth because of Jacob.

Laban’s root is the left line of Bina. Before Jacob came to raise MAN and extend the middle line, he is darkness. It is written about Laban, “I have observed the signs and the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” It is also written, “For you had little before I came.” This is so because before Jacob came, he had little because he was dark for absence of Hassadim. When Jacob, who is ZA, came and extended the middle line to him, then, “And it has increased to a multitude, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned.” This is so because through Jacob, the three lines in Bina came out, and three come out of one. And then Laban gained the Sefirot from Bina, which are the number 100, or of Aba, which are the number 1,000. But Jacob—who is the middle line—and not Bina, took only the level of ZA, whose number is 10.

300) When Jacob wished to receive his reward he found only ten of each kind, since he was the middle line, ZA, whose Sefirot are tens. Jacob regarded it as great wealth because he received the Daat in the Rosh, he saw the difference, how much of Laban’s he took, meaning of what he was giving to Laban with his merit.

And all this came to Jacob only thanks to those rods that he placed in the flock. This is so because the rods are the Aviut [thickness] of Malchut, from which the Masach de Hirik is erected. By the force that reduces the left line from GAR to VAK, by that force he unites it with the right line, and this diminution from GAR to VAK is called “an arm.” All this came to Jacob only by the force of those rods, where by extending the middle line on the Masach of the rods and the elicitation of the three lines in Bina, as three that come out of one, Jacob, too, was rewarded with the three lines, as one who is rewarded with three.

301) Come and see how the wholesome Jacob troubled after Laban. It is written, “And he set three days’ journey.” He brought him all this wealth, and this is why Laban did not wish that this would be Jacob’s rewarded, as was the condition he had made with him, but took ten of this kind and ten of that kind and gave to him. He told him, “Take these, and if they procreate, as it is written, ‘speckled and spotted,’ you will thus have your reward,” taking ten of each kind. It is as it is written, “And you have changed my wages ten times,” ten of this kind and ten of that kind.

“Times” comes from the word “stealing” [in Hebrew], as it is written, “And your father has mocked me, and changed my wages ten times.” With those ten, he was exerting after the Creator and blessed Him. And all that Laban agreed on with Jacob, he went back on his word and took everything from Jacob until the Creator pitied him and took of Laban by force, by the force of the Masach de Hirik, which is the rods, which diminish the left line from GAR to VAK.

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Then God Remembered Rachel

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291) “Then God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her and opened her womb.” Why does it write “God” twice here? Would it not be enough to say, “God heeded her and opened her womb”? However, one is from the male world, which is Bina, called Elokim, and one is from the female world, the Nukva de ZA, who is called Elokim, too. This is so because the matter depends on luck, which is from the male world, as it is written, “Sons depend on luck.”

292) When Rachel was awakened in this name, Benjamin, as it is written, “The Lord add to me another son,” Benjamin. Jacob knew that it would be so because she was worthy of completing all the tribes in the number twelve. Also, he knew that afterwards she would no longer be in the world. This is why that was the time when he wanted to go to the land of Israel, so the tribes would be completed in the land of Israel and so that Rachel would not die abroad. But he could not go because Laban was detaining him. When Benjamin’s time came, after his mother was conceived, he fled and went on his way so the house would not be completed with twelve tribes, and the holy world, Nukva de ZA, would then be tied in him in another land.

293) It is written, “And the Lord said unto Jacob, ‘Return unto the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you.’” The Creator told him, “Thus far, Rachel, the landlady of the house, was with you. Henceforth, I will be with you and take the house,” Divinity, “with you,” in the twelve tribes. It is written, “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me.” It was “On me” and it was for me that Rachel was repelled and another dweller came, Divinity, and took the house for me, to be with me.

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Death and the Shadow of Death

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286) “Have the gates of death been revealed unto you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?” This is what the Creator said to Job when he was afflicting himself over the Creator’s Dinim [judgments]. Job said, “Though He slay me, I will hope for Him.” He also said, “If he slew him, he will not hope for him.”

287) The Creator told him, “But do I kill people?” as it is written, “Have the gates of death been revealed unto you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?” Several gates are open on that side, by which they can be saved from death, but still death governs them. However, they are all hidden from people and they do not know of those gates. In the future, when the words, “And the whole earth shall be full of the knowledge,” he will say in truth, “Death shall be swallowed up forever.” It turns out that they are dying because they do not know how to beware, and it is not the Creator who kills them.

288) “Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?” Death and the shadow of death are as one, male and female in a single Zivug. Death is the angel of death, the serpent, a female. The shadow of death is the letters of shadow and death, the one who rides the death, SAM, who rides the serpent. It is his shadow and his strength, to mate together in one knot, and they are one.

289) All the degrees that come out of them and connect to those ZON de Klipa are their gates, as above in Kedusha [holiness], as it is written, “Lift up your heads, O gates.” Those are the ones who are called “rivers” and “streams,” the Yesodot [foundations] de VAK of the world, which are ZON of Kedusha. Here, too, the gates of death and the gates of the shadow of death from the Sitra Achra are degrees of them, which govern the world. The gates of death and the gates of the shadow of death are female and male that cling to each other as one.

290) Hence, in response to what Job said, “As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more,” the Creator told him, “Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death,” to know that they are all in My domain and all will be swallowed up from the world, as it is written, “And death shall be swallowed up forever?”

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Remembering and Visiting

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267) “And God remembered Rachel … and opened her womb.” Sons depend on luck, which is the river that comes out of Eden, which drips and waters the garden, ZA. This is why remembering is mentioned in regards to her, since remembering is from remember, ZA, and visiting is from Nukva. It is written, “And God visited Sarah.” This is not from luck, since it does not say “remember” in regards to her. And if sons depend on luck and not below in the Nukva, then was there no luck here with Sarah? It is written, “And the Lord visited,” which means it includes everything as one, since “The Lord” is He and His courthouse, ZA together with the Nukva. Thus, here, too, with Sarah there is remembering from ZA, which is luck.

268) If “And the Lord” includes ZA and Nukva together—remembering and visiting—why does it say “visited”? After all, “And the Lord” includes visiting, as well. However, there was remembering here already before, and this key of the sons below was already given, as it is written, “But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto you.” It is also written, “And the Lord said … ‘At the set time I will return unto you, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.’” And since there was already remembering—in the merit of ZA, since it is written, “But My covenant,” which is Yesod de ZA—afterwards, remembering was said, meaning the Nukva, so everything will be included together, there would be remembering and visiting together in her.

269) “And God remembered Rachel.” Remembering is above, in ZA, since this luck, which is above in the male, comes over visiting—which is the Nukva below, which is in exile—to redeem her. Similarly, it is written, “And God remembered Rachel,” which is as it is written, “And I have remembered My covenant.” The word “remember” means remembering, which is ZA. “And God remembered Rachel” is the Nukva, remembering. The remembering implied in “And … remembered” relates to Rachel, who is visiting, and imparted her with the abundance of sons. Also, the name God in the words, “And God remembered,” is Bina.

270) It is written, “I have surely visited you.” Can there be visiting in the Nukva while she herself is in exile? And since she is in exile, how did she appear here to Moses, and how did she say, “I have surely visited you”?

271) But when the sun shines it is in heaven and its strength and might rules everywhere on the earth. Similarly, it is said about the Creator, “The whole earth is full of His glory.” When the Temple was standing, “The whole earth is full of His glory” is the holy land, the Nukva. At that time, there is disclosure of Divinity. But now that Israel are in exile, Divinity is above Chazeh de ZA where it is considered heaven, covered Hassadim, and it does not appear on earth. Rather, its strength extends to the earth like the sun that hides in the heaven and its strength and might fill the earth. It surrounds Israel to protect them, even though they are in another land, in exile.

272) There is Divinity below Chazeh de ZA and there is Divinity above Chazeh de ZA. Divinity above is in twelve boundaries of holy Merkavot [plural of Merkava (chariot/structure)], and twelve upper animals. The four Sefirot HB TM in each HB and Tifferet, which are twelve, are twelve boundaries, as well as twelve big animals because they are from the Chazeh and above. Divinity below is in the twelve holy tribes. And then when both are in twelve, Divinity is included above and below, meaning that both became a single Partzuf and everything shines at once, simultaneously. And then it is said, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” and there is disclosure of Divinity below in this world.

And even though Divinity was not corrected below the Chazeh while Israel are in exile, but rather rose to above the Chazeh, she was not corrected above, as well, since she is regarded as lacking GAR because she was not corrected below the Chazeh. For this reason, she is regarded as lacking NHYM below the Chazeh. This is why it was said that Divinity is in exile with Israel because she is in exile with them. This is so because due to her ascent, she was made deficient in GAR of lights and NHY of Kelim, and this is considered exile.

273) In what is the Nukva corrected during the exile so she can appear below? It is like a king whose son had died. He undid his bed because of the mourning for his son and did not remake it. Rather, he took thorns and thistles and threw them under his bed, and lied down on them. So is the Creator. When Israel were exiled and the Temple was ruined, He took thorns and thistles and placed them under Himself. It is written, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.” He did that because Israel were in exile.

This settles the first question that since Divinity was in exile, how was she revealed to Moses? She was revealed to him out of the bush, which is imperfection and Dinim. In this way, she can appear even during the exile.

274) One who is not in his own authority but in exile, what can he visit and what can he do? Thus, how did Divinity say, “I have surely visited” while she is in exile? However, visiting means from above, from ZA, which means remembering. “Visited” is below in the Nukva. When she said “Visited,” it means remembering. She did not say “remember” explicitly because this remembering was already on her from before, as it is written, “And I have remembered My covenant.”

Because it is written, “And I have remembered,” it means that remembering has already been placed in her, and this is why she later said, “I have surely visited,” where the word “surely” implies the remembering that was already placed in her. This sign is given from Jacob and from Joseph. Jacob said, “Will surely visit you,” and Joseph said, “God will surely visit you,” since redemption requires remembering and visiting, and visiting points to remembering from before, “I have visited” over visiting.

276) In the blessings, one mentions the name of the Creator and two reply to him, as it is written, “For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness unto our God.” “For I will proclaim the name of the Lord” is one who mentions the Name.” “Ascribe greatness unto our God” are the other two, who reply. But in the Torah, even two who sit and engage in Torah give greatness, strength, and the glory of Torah to the Creator.

277) Why are three required in the blessings? Indeed, all the blessings are so—one to bless and two to respond so as to raise the merit of the Creator in three lines: one blesses—the middle line, which acts to reveal the light—and two to thank and to keep His blessings—the two lines that receive the action of the middle line and shine by its strength. This is the keeping of the blessings so they will be in the upper one properly, and in three.

278) There is remembering for better and there is remembering for worse, and there is visiting for better and visiting for worse.

Remembering for better is as it is written, “But for their sakes, I will remember the covenant of their ancestors,” “And God remembered Noah,” and “And God remembered His covenant.” Remembering for worse is as it is written, “So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not return.”

Visiting for better is as it is written, “I will surely visit you.” Visiting for worse is as it is written, “Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes.”

279) All those remembering and visiting for better are specific degrees, faith. They are male and female as one, remembering and visiting. Remembering is male and visiting is the female. Those are for the better. Remembering and visiting for worse are the other side, other gods, male and female as one, remembering in the male and visiting in the female, which always stand for the worse. They are opposite one another—the male and female of the Sitra Achra opposite the male and female of Kedusha [holiness].

All the meanings of faith and all the upper, holy degrees come out of the remembering and visiting of Kedusha. Conversely, all the types of evil, all the death, and all the sides of evil kinds in the world come out of the remembering and visiting of the Sitra Achra.

280) Happy is one whose lot is on the good side and who is not deviating himself toward the Sitra Achra and is saved from them. Happy is one who can be saved from that side, and happy are the righteous who can be saved from them and wage war on that side. Man must wage war against it, govern it, and be saved from it.

281) Jacob did so toward Esau in order to subdue that side of his, to outsmart it and to be as cunning as necessary with it so as to first rule, and finally, to make everything proper. The beginning and the end were as one, as it is written in the beginning, “He took away my birthright,” and in the end it writes, “And now he has taken away my blessing,” and their letters [of “birthright” and “blessing” in Hebrew] are the same. Thus, the beginning and the end were one, and all this was to rule it in an upright way. This is why happy is he who is saved from the Sitra Achra and can rule over them.

282) Remembering and visiting for the better are when they are as one in faith, in Nukva, meaning when ZA, remembering, and the Nukva, visiting, are in Zivug. Happy is one who strives after faith, to be rewarded with it, as it is written, “They shall walk after the Lord, who shall roar like a lion.”

283) When a person prays his prayer, he does not say about himself, “Remember me, visit me,” since there is remembering and visiting for the better and remembering and visiting for the worse. The slanderers are destined to receive the words, “Remember me, visit me,” from his mouth, and will come to mention the sins of a person and punish him. In other words, they will inflict him with remembering and visiting for worse, unless he is a complete righteous, for if those remembering and visiting are for worse, ZON de Klipa, they will look for his sins but will not find them. Then he is permitted to say, “Remember me, visit me.”

284) Wherever a person prays his prayer, he should incorporate himself in the public, in the manifold public, as it is written about Shunammite when Elisha told her, “Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?” “Would you be spoken for to the king,” since that day was the festival of the first day of the year, and the day when Malchut of the firmament rules and sentences the world. At that time, the Creator is called “The king of the sentence,” and this is why he told her, “Would you be spoken for to the king,” since he called the Creator “King.”

285) And she said, “I dwell among my own people.” In other words, she said, “I have no wish to be mentioned above, but to put my head among the masses and not leave the public. Similarly, man should be included in the public and not stand out as unique, so the slanderers will not look at him and mention his sins.

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Each Set Is Only in three lines

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258) Three sets divide into each of the four directions of the world. In each set within each direction are three other sets. Thus, the first set, in the east, has three sets, and they are nine, since each of those three sets contains three sets, thus they are nine. Similarly, there are nine in each of the three other directions of the world, and several thousands and myriads under them.

The tabernacle is in three, three, in those metals—gold, silver, and copper. In the rest of the things, it was four, HG TM. Some are in three, some are in four, some are in two, and some are in one, but each and every set is only in three.

Although the four directions of the world, HB TM, are included in one another, and each of them should have had HB TM, there are only HB and Tifferet in each, and Malchut is absent. Even in the west direction, Malchut, there are only HB and Tifferet, with her own essence, Malchut, absent. Malchut was mitigated in Bina. For this reason, she is regarded as Malchut de Bina, which is Ateret Yesod, and Malchut herself disappeared because of this mitigation.

Hence, although there are four directions, HB TM, the west, which is Malchut, is only regarded as Ateret Yesod, Tifferet, and not as Malchut. When they are included in one another, there are only three in each, HB and Tifferet, and even the west has only three, which are HB and Tifferet.

The three sets divide into each of the four directions of the world. Even to the west, Malchut, there are four orders. But in each set within each direction there are three other sets and not four. This is so because the actual Malchut is missing and the west is only Malchut that is mitigated in Bina and not Malchut herself.

Hence, two kinds of mingling of the Sefirot in one another are discerned: The first mingling is that HB TM are included in one another and they are twelve and not sixteen. This is not complete mingling because there should be sixteen here, hence a second mingling is required. The second mingling is that the three in each direction are included in one another, too, and three are made in each, making them nine in each direction. The second mingling is complete inclusion and it is all Rachamim [mercy], for there is not even a mingling of the west direction there.

And yet, by the corrections and the Mochin of the number twelve, which Malchut herself is missing, she still receives her correction from them. This is the several thousands and myriads under them, since the illuminations of Hochma that extend from YESHSUT are regarded as thousands because their ten Sefirot are in the thousands. And the illuminations of Hassadim that extend from upper AVI are regarded as myriads [tens of thousands] because their ten Sefirot are in the tens of thousands.

Opposite them are Klipot, opposite the discernment of one thousand. They cling to the mitigated Malchut, Ateret Yesod, which is fit for Mochin of one thousand. Also, there are Klipot opposite the discernment of ten thousand, which cling to the unmitigated Malchut, the actual Malchut. It is written about it, “A thousand may fall at Your side,” where through the Mochin of illumination of Hochma that extend from YESHSUT, which are regarded as one thousand, they extend from the left line, which is the meaning of “At Your side,” primarily from the left.

“And ten thousand at Your right hand; it shall not come near you.” Through the Mochin de Hassadim that extend from upper AVI, which are regarded as ten thousand, they are saved from the Klipot, which are regarded as ten thousand. They do not let them draw near a person and they extend from the right line. This is why he says, “At Your right hand.” The Klipot of ten thousand are strong; they cannot be dropped like the Klipot in the discernment of one thousand. This is why he says about them, “It shall not come near you,” since they cannot be cast away before the end of correction.

And several thousands and myriads under them” refers to the two discernments of illuminations that drop the Klipot in the thousands and remove the Klipot of ten thousand. It turns out that the correction reaches the actual Malchut, too, which is missing in the number twelve, to the extent that the Klipot of the discernment of ten thousand are kept away.

259) These nine orders are all guided by certain recorded letters. Each order looks, meaning receives abundance into the recorded letters that relate to it. They journey when these letters fly in the air of the wind that is appointed over everything. One letter from below receives a strike and the letter goes up and down, and two letters fly over it. This letter below elevates the order from below upwards and bonds with them in two letters that fly. Thus, they become three letters, all of which are according to the letters YodHeyVav, which are three within the illuminating mirror, ZA. Three orders divide from those YodHeyVav, which are two letters and the letter that rises and bonds with them, which are three.

The nine orders in each direction are HB and Tifferet, where in each of them are HB and Tifferet that are guided by certain letters according to the Tikkun Kavim [correction of lines]. This is so because Nekudot [points] are in Bina, and Otiot [letters] are in ZON. Hence, the three lines in Bina are called “three points,” as well—HolamShurukHirik—and in ZON they are three letters.

Those nine orders, HB and Tifferet that each has HB and Tifferet are all led by certain recorded letters, three letters on the right, left, and middle, which extend from the three points in BinaHolamShurukHirik. Each order in the nine orders looks into those recorded letters, receives from one letter in those three letters, right, left, and middle that relate to it—whether from the right in the right, from the left in the right, from the middle in the right, or from the right in the left, etc. similarly.

Now he explains the nature of the three letters. He says that they journey when these letters fly in the air of the wind that is appointed over everything. The right letter and the left letter extend from the two points in BinaHolam, and Shuruk. This is so because when the Yod enters the light of Bina and the light becomes Avir, the letters ELEH [AlephLamedHey] of Elokim fell from her to ZON and she remained with the letters MI [MemYod] of Elokim, which are the point of Holam and Hassadim, and the root of the right.

Afterwards, when the Yod departed the Avir of Bina and the letters ELEH returned to her, the letters ELEH returned to her. Then the letters ELEH became the root of the left, Hochma without Hassadim, the point of Shuruk. At that time the two lines, MI and ELEH were disputed—one was entirely Hassadim and the other was entirely Hochma—and each wished to revoke the illumination of the other. For this reason, they were thrown from Din [judgment] to Rachamim [mercy] and from Rachamim to Din, since when the left line, ELEH, prevails, the Din strengthens and governs. And when the right line, MI, prevails, the Rachamim strengthen and govern, meaning the Hassadim in the right. Hence, even though the Yod has already departed the Avir, the two lines are still regarded as being in the Avir, in VAK, at the level of Ruach, since they are jolted back and forth and do not shine.

This is why it is written that when all these letters fly in the air, the right-hand-side letter that extends from the MI and the left-hand-side letter that extends from ELEH, before the coming of the middle line, they fly in the air of the wind of the one who is appointed over everything, in the Avir of Bina, appointed over all the Mochin in the worlds, from which all the Mochin are extended. This is so because the root of the flying in the air is the dispute of the right in left there, in Bina. When the left prevails, the Yod comes out of the Avir. And when the right prevails, the Yod reenters the Ohr [light] and it becomes Avir. At that time, they journey, jolted once to the right and Rachamim, and once to the left and Din.

To determine between right and left and unite them, ZA became MAN in Bina because he rose to her with the letters ELEH, to which he clung. Then a Zivug de Hakaa was made with the upper light on the Masach de ZA, and the level of Hassadim emerged, which decides and unites the two lines—MI ELEH—in one another. Then the name Elokim was completed, and this is the point of Hirik, the middle line.

One letter from below, a letter that extends from the point of Hirik in Bina, is struck, meaning that a Zivug de Hakaa is made in it. This is from below, from ZA that rose to Bina for MAN. Similarly, in all the degrees it is considered a middle one, coming for MAN from the lower degree, where the lower one always rises with the AHP of the upper one that clings to them, and where it becomes a middle line. This is why it is written that the letter goes up and down and two letters fly over it. It means that that middle letter rises from below and subjugates the two lines in the upper one, and the two letters in the upper one fly over it, meaning it makes peace between them because it keeps the illumination of the both of them—the left shining from below upwards, and the right from above downwards.

When it is written that this letter below elevates the order from below upwards, it means that the letter that comes from below raises the order, meaning illumination of the left, so it would shine from below upwards. It bonds with them, with the two letters that fly, and they become three letters where the letter that comes from below to MAN unites in the two upper letters in the right letter and in the left letter, and they become three letters—right, left, and middle—all of which are according to the letters YodHeyVav, which are three within the illuminating mirror, ZA.

The letters YodHeyVav inside the illuminating mirror are HGT de ZA, and they are the three lines in him. He says that those three letters in the tabernacle, in Nukva, extend and are led by the three lines, YodHeyVav of ZA. Also, three orders extend from those YodHeyVav, three lines that are two letters, the right letter and the left letter, and the letter that rises and bonds with them, the middle letter, bonding with the two, and making them three—YodHeyVav de ZA.

The orders of the works of the tabernacle are divided: Some of them are in three, corresponding to HB and Tifferet, which are included in each direction. Some of them are in four, corresponding to the four directions HB TM. These are twelve because the four directions are HB TM that are included in one another, and there are only three in each, HB and Tifferet, lacking Malchut. Some of them are in two, corresponding to the two letters—right and left in the Nukva—which extend from Holam and Shuruk. And some of them are in one, corresponding to the middle letter that comes from below, from Nukva. It is extended in Hirik and MAN is made in it, on which a Zivug de Hakaa is elicited, which elicits the level of Ruach, and subjugates and unites the right and the left in one another.

260) Those two high letters that rise in the Avir, the right letter and the left letter, are included in one another, Rachamim in Din. This is so because the right letter is Hassadim and Rachamim, and the left letter is Hochma without Hassadim and Din. And because of their oppositeness, they are regarded as two. Also, they are from the upper world, the male, and this letter that rises and bonds with them, the middle letter, is Nukva, since the Zivug de Hakaa is made on the Masach in her. She is included in both, since the two letters—right and left—bond in the middle letter and three letters are made in her, herself—right, left, and middle.

The Nukva consists of two sides in general—right and left—which she receives from ZA, as it is written, “Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me,” and she bonds with them. Similarly, the middle letter, Nukva, bonds with the two other letters and they become two sides in the middle letter—right and left. The two letters in her become superior while she herself is below them. Also, all three letters become one—male and female that became one in a Zivug, like male and female.

The two upper letters are males and the middle letter is a female. This is so because when the world was created, when the three lines in Bina emerged in order to create the world, which is ZON, those two letters—the right one and the left one—were from the upper world, from Bina. They procreated all the actions below in their form, and not the middle line in Bina. Hence, these two letters are regarded as males. For this reason, anyone who attains them and is cautious with them is loved above and loved below.

The creation of the world, which is ZON, was made by the ascent of ZON for MAN to the two lines—right and left—in Bina, where it was made into a middle line. Then it received all the Mochin in Bina, for three come out of one and one is rewarded with three. It turns out that only the two lines—right and left—in Bina give all the Mochin to ZON, since the middle line of Bina is regarded as ZON themselves. Thus, the creation of the world was through two letters only, right and left, and this is why they are considered males, while the middle one is a female.

261) All twenty-seven letters in the [Hebrew] alphabet are male and female, included in one another as one. The letters that belong to the right and to the left are males and those that belong to the middle line are females. The male letters impart upper water, and the female letters raise MAN, and everything bonds and becomes one. This is the complete unification. Hence, one who knows how to make those unifications and is cautious with aiming them, happy is he in this world and in the next world because this is the essence of the complete unification as it should be.

The letters divide into groups of three: two males above and one Nukva below, from this side and from that side, in one unification. The right and the left unite as one in the middle one, which is the completeness of everything. All the groups of three in the alphabet are in the higher order, such as above, in Bina. That order is three, three, as one. This is so because when the three original lines emerged in Bina, they were mingled with one another and three groups of three lines were made in her. Hence, all twenty-seven letters in the Nukva follow suit and divide into groups of three letters.

262) Once the nine orders in the first set, toward the east—Tifferet—was clarified, he explains the second set—of the south direction, Hesed. There are three orders to that direction, and in each order it is three by three, nine orders. All of them emerge from the order of the patriarchs, the three lines that are above, in Bina, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as in the order that the letters YodHeyVav were erected in the Holy Name. All of those nine orders are led in these three groups of three letters—right, left, and middle—and they journey in them. Also, several armies and tens of thousands of angels that are below in BYA journey and are led in this order that is toward the south.

263) The third set is to the north, Gevura, three orders to that direction, which are nine because there are three to each side in the three orders, thus they are nine. Also, those nine orders are from three sides—right, left, and middle.

264) The twenty-seven orders are the twenty-seven letters, which are twenty-two letters with the doubled MANTZEPACH [five final letters in Hebrew]. These twenty-seven orders divide into three orders to each direction: three to the east, three to the south, and three to the north. And since the three in each direction are included in one another, the three from this direction are nine, the three from that direction are nine, and the three from that direction are nine. And they are all together, which makes them twenty-seven letters.

265) Those twenty-seven are nine female letters united with the eighteen other male orders. It is all as it should be because each three letters are three lines that extend from the three lines in Bina, where the two upper letters, the right letter and the left letter are males, and the third letter below them is a female. Thus, the nine letters in each direction are in three groups of three.

It therefore turns out that within each direction are six male letters—which are three times the two right-hand-side letters and left-hand-side letters in each group—and three female letters, which are the three middle letters in each group. It turns out that there are six males and three females in the east, six males and three females in the south, and six males and three females in the north. Together, they are eighteen males and nine females, since the three female letters are in each direction and three times three is nine. There are six male letters in each direction, and three times six is eighteen. Thus, the twenty-seven letters divide into eighteen males and nine females.

266) Similar to these letters in the upper world, in Bina, there are other letters below in the Nukva. The upper letters in Bina are great and the lower letters in the Nukva are small. Everything is one opposite the other, where everything that applies to the letters in Bina applies to the letters in the Nukvaas well. And there are also all those males and females in the letters in them. Everything is one, in completeness, where all that applies to the upper world applies to the lower world, as well.

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Maidens of Song

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253) “For the Leader; a Psalm of the sons of Korah; upon maidens. A Song.” All those songs and praises that the sons of Korah were saying are not new. Rather, they renewed old songs and praises that already existed. Also, all those songs and praises that David and all those who were with him said—whose names are mentioned in the beginning of the songs in Psalms—were all the upper one, Bina, meaning Hochma.

The Mochin extend and spread through a song because the TANTA [TaamimNekudotTaginOtiot] in the singing are the order of the unifications by which the Mochin spread. The songs in Psalms are orders of unification of the Mochin in the lower world, the Nukva de ZA. The roots of the Mochin in all their forms are in the upper world, Bina, and extend from the upper world to the lower world.

Also, there is a difference between the left line and the rest of the lines because the left line receives the Nukva from Bina herself and not from ZA, her husband at the time of the two great lights. Yet, she receives the rest of the lines from ZA, her husband, and not from Bina. It turns out that no change occurs in the left line of the Nukva as it passes from Bina to the Nukva, but the rest of the lines change as they are passed on to ZA, whose conduct is with covered Hassadim, and from whom the Nukva must receive.

All those songs and praises that the sons of Korah were saying are not new. Rather, they renewed old songs and praises that already existed. This is so because the singing of the sons of Korah is expansion of the left line in Nukva, in which there is no change from its order of illumination in Bina, but only renewal of Bina’s singing in the place of the Nukva. Hence, their singing is regarded as old singing that is renewed.

As for the rest of the lines, although they, too, extend from Bina, there are still changes in them because of their passing through ZA. It is written that all those songs and praises that David and all those who were with him said—whose names are mentioned at the beginnings of the songs in Psalms—all of them were in the upper one, Bina, in Hochma. This does not mean that only the singing of the sons of Korah is from Bina and not the singing of David and the other elders who were with him. Indeed, all those songs and praises are from Bina, but they are the upper one, Bina; they are not the actual singing of Bina because they change as they pass through ZA. But the singing of the sons of Korah does not change at all.

254) The Creator made the lower world, Nukva, like the upper world, Bina, as it receives from it. And all those things that David and his son, Solomon, arranged, as well as all the true prophets, they all arranged the lower world the same as above, in Bina.

255) As there are watches on earth, meaning that the twelve hours of the night divide into three times four, they are also in the firmament. Three companies of angels sing in them to their Master, always saying poems in them. And they all stand one atop the other according to their degrees, as it is written, “For one higher than the high watches,” and they are all in sets of songs and praises where each company sings according to its degree.

256) “Maidens of song,” as it is written, “There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.”

“Number” is the Mochin of illumination of Hochma, as it is written, “The heavens tell” [“number” and “tell” are spelled the same in Hebrew]. Mochin de Hassadim is regarded as being without number; this is why it is written, “And maidens without number,” since the name Alamot [maidens] indicates He’elem [concealment], for the Mochin are covered Hassadim and there is no illumination of Hochma in them. This is why it is written about them that they are without number, pointing to the Mochin of light of Hassadim in them. Also, “Maidens of song” points to the Mochin of light of Hassadim in them.

257) And all of them are arranged in these sets, one opposite the other, singing and praising their master. And these are the maidens of song. Because there are maidens that do not sing as these do, these are called “maidens of song.” Poetry and singing are used primarily in the degrees that extend from the illumination of Hochma in the left line. However, illumination of Hochma does not shine without clothing in Hassadim. Hence, there is singing in the light of mercy, too, which are mingled with illumination of Hochma.

Therefore, there are two kinds of concealment, which are light of Hassadim: 1) Those that are mingled with Hochma, which are the maidens of song of the sons of Korah. 2) There is no singing in those that are not included in Hochma and they are simply called “maidens.”

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When Rachel Had Borne Joseph

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238) “And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, ‘Send me away, that I may go.” What did Jacob see that he asked to go on his way when Joseph was born? And did he not ask to go on his way before Joseph was born? He saw that Esau’s Satan was born, since Joseph is Esau’s Satan, as it is written, “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble.”

239) Joseph complemented the place of Jacob after him, since he is the Sefira Yesod, Jacob’s last Sefira. Also, Joseph was rewarded with being called “righteous,” Yesod, the Sium [end] of the Guf [body], the last Sefira. When Jacob saw that the Guf was completed with the birth of Joseph, the Guf asked to go on his way, and the Sium of the Guf is the circumcision, Joseph. This is why Benjamin completed the count, since the number twelve was completed along with him.

240) But did Jacob not know that thus far the tribes have not been completed even though Joseph was born? What is the reason that he did not wait until Benjamin would be born and the tribes were completed? Indeed, Jacob did wisely. He knew that the tribes have not been completed yet. He said, “Indeed, if all the tribes are completed here, I know that the upper correction will be upon them properly, and I do not want them completed in this land, but in the land of holiness.”

241) All twelve tribes are correction of the lower world, the Nukva de ZA from the Chazeh down. And when Benjamin was born and the twelve were completed, Rachel died and the lower world, Nukva de ZA, took a place to be corrected in them.

This is so because the Nukva is not corrected in less than twelve. When she is corrected in the twelve tribes, in the complete Mochin of illumination of Hochma, the two Nukvin [plural of Nukva] of ZA, Rachel and Leah, become one Partzuf, where Leah is internal and Rachel is external. When Benjamin was born and the twelve tribes were completed, the Nukva de ZA from his Chazeh down was erected. She rose and united with the Nukva from the Chazeh and above, Leah, since they have become one Partzuf.

However, before the twelve tribes were completed, Nukva de ZA divides into two Partzufim, both of which are incomplete, since the upper one, Leah, lacks TNHY de ZA, and the lower one, Rachel, lacks the GAR from Chazeh de ZA upwards. This is the meaning of Rachel dying at that time, that the Nukva from Chazeh de ZA down was cancelled because the two females became one. This is why it is written that when Benjamin was born, when the twelve tribes were completed, Rachel died, and the lower world, Nukva de ZA, took a place to be corrected in them. In other words, the Nukva from Chazeh de ZA down was cancelled because the lower world was corrected in the twelve tribes and hence became a single Partzuf with the upper world.

This is why Benjamin was born only in the land of holiness. It is written, “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me in the land of Canaan.” Rachel died there, and the lower world, Nukva de ZA from the Chazeh down, received a place to settle in a complete home, in the full level of ZA, since he became one with the upper world above the Chazeh. As long as Rachel was alive, when he had two Nukvin, the lower world was not yet corrected with the twelve tribes. When Rachel died, since she became one with the upper Nukva, she received a complete home, corresponding to the full level of ZA.

242) Why did Leah not die at the time when the twelve tribes were completed and the two Nukvin de ZA became one? After all, at that time, the discernment of Leah was cancelled, too, like the discernment of Rachel. So did Leah, too, have to die like Rachel? The house is in the lower world, in the Nukva from the Chazeh down, which is called Rachel, and all must be corrected by it. The completion of all the lower ones in BYA depends on its completion, and not on the upper world. This is why the upper world, Leah, is not cancelled at all even after the twelve tribes are completed, since then, too, she is in covered Hassadim, as before the completion. And this is the reason why Leah did not die at that time, for she was not cancelled.

243) All the words of the upper world, Leah, are in concealment, and all the words of the lower world are revealed. For this reason, Leah was hidden and was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, and Rachel was buried in disclosure. Also, the upper world excelled in concealment, as it is written, “And Leah said, ‘Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.’” And this is why “She called his name Asher” [Asher is spelt like Osher, happiness].

The name Asher indicates covered HassadimBina, which came out of Rosh AA, called Reshit [beginning], when she became covered and concealed from the Rosh, which is Hochma. The letters of Asher are the letters of Rosh in reversed order, the opposite of Rosh. From the side of the Nukva, who is Ima, she is called “Asher,” and from the side of the Dechura [male], she is called Rosh.

The Rosh of all the Roshim [heads] is AAHochma. “And she called his name Asher” means that she called him by her own name, after the covered Hassadim in her. Thus, Leah excelled in the covered Hassadim in her, and she is glorified with them, for even when the two females became one Partzuf and she could receive Hochma, she still did not wish for Hochma but remained in covered Hassadim. This is why Leah did not die at that time.

244) This is the reason why everything became one, and the two females became one Partzuf, since everything is from the upper world. And because the lower Nukva, from the Chazeh down, was completed and became completely similar to the upper Nukva, in that state only the lower Nukva, Rachel, was cancelled. She became like the upper one, Leah, but the upper one herself was not cancelled, which is why Leah did not die.

It is the same everywhere. Whether complete or incomplete, they are two worlds, one is revealed and the other is concealed. Even during completeness, when Rachel occupies the full level of ZA, even from the Chazeh down, there are still two worlds. However, this is internal, in concealment, and that is external, revealed, clothing one atop the other.

We bless the Creator only in two worlds, as it is written, “Blessed be the Lord from the world and unto the world.” This is the reason why we call the upper world, “He,” implying concealment. We call the lower world, “You,” implying presence and disclosure, since it is blessed by the upper world through the righteous. And it is written, “Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem.” This is so because the lower world is blessed with Hassadim from the upper world. This is why it is revealed to us, since it is blessed form Zion, the Yesod of the upper world. For this reason, the upper world must always exist.

245) Similarly, it is written, “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord.’” “The Lord, the Lord” in the beginning of the thirteen qualities are two worlds, one is revealed and the other is concealed. They are the two sides of the Rosh—the right one is covered Hassadim, and the left one is the disclosed illumination of Hochma. This is why there is a comma between the two HaVaYot [plural of HaVaYaH]. And from this world to that world, it is all one because the revealed world has nothing of its own. All that there in it is what it receives from the hidden world.

246) “And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph.” Come and see Jacob’s wholeness, who did not wish to go unless by permission from Laban, as it is written, “Jacob said unto Laban, ‘Send me away, that I may go.’” But why did he escape him the other time? It was because Jacob feared that he would not allow him to go from him and the twelve tribes would be completed in a foreign land. Hence, when Jacob saw that it was time for Benjamin’s birth, he fled.

247) When Benjamin was born, Divinity, the lower Nukva, was connected to all the tribes because she became one Partzuf with the upper Nukva, Leah. Also, the lower Nukva gripped to the six sons of Leah and received the house in all the tribes. A house means the Mochin of illumination of Hochma, as it is written, “Through wisdom is a house built.” Jacob knew through Hochma [wisdom] that when the twelve tribes are completed, Divinity would be adorned and tied in them, meaning that she would be adorned with Mochin of Gadlut through them and would tie in them into a single Partzuf with the upper Nukva above the Chazeh, and Rachel would die because she had been revoked, and Divinity would receive the house.

248) The lower world, Divinity, was fit for bonding with Jacob as it was fit for Moses. However, she could not connect to them before they were twelve tribes to connect to in the house. When the twelve were completed, Rachel was rejected and Divinity received the house in all twelve tribes, and became the landlady of the house. Then it was said, “Who makes the barren woman [also landlady in Hebrew] dwell in her house.”

249) Jacob said, “It is already time for Benjamin to be born and for the twelve tribes to be completed.” Certainly, the world above, Nukva from the Chazeh and above, descended here to the house to connect to them, so the two females would tie into a single Partzuf. And this poor one, Rachel, would be repelled before him. This is why Jacob said, “If she dies here, I will never leave here.” Moreover, this land is unfit for the completion of the house, but in the holy land. For this reason, “And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph,” meaning before the tribes were completed.

250) But he did not go on his way immediately. Rather, he was detained and worked six years in Laban’s flock, since as long as Rachel was not conceived with Benjamin, he was detained there. When the time came that she was impregnated with Benjamin, he fled and did not ask Laban for permission so he would not be detained there, and so that Jacob would unite with all the tribes in the required place, in the land of holiness.

251) It is written, “And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law.” Moses was the shepherd of Jethro, his father-in-law. He lived with him and when he wished to leave, he left only with his permission. But Jacob, who was a whole man, who always lived with Laban, why did he not ask him for permission as did Moses? It was for fear that he would manipulate him into staying there, since previously, he already told him that he wished to go to his home and he immediately manipulated him and he stayed there. Hence, now he feared him and did not ask his permission.

252) But Jethro was not so toward Moses, since Laban was a sorcerer, and he did all his deeds against Jacob with witchcraft. And because now Jacob did not wish to be detained there, since the Creator told him, “Return unto the land of your fathers,” he did not wish to be detained and forsake the commandment of his Master. This is why he did not ask his permission.

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And Found Mandrakes in the Field

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190) “How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You have made them all.” “How manifold are Your works, O Lord” indicates that there is no number to them, meaning Mochin de Hassadim [light of mercy]. “In wisdom You have made them all” indicates the Mochin of a number, of Hochma. And although they differ from one another, they all come out at the same time, simultaneously. As a hammer strikes a rock and elicits sparks to all sides at once, the Creator elicited several different kinds at once.

191) The world was made by speech and wind together, which are ZON, as it is written, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” “By the word of the Lord” is speech, the Nukva, who shines in Hochma. And “By the breath of His mouth” is the wind, ZA, who shines in Hassadim. One does not go without the other; they are incorporated in one another and several armies and camps come out of them, which differ in their illumination in Hochma and in Hassadim, but they are all at the same time.

192) When the Creator wished to create the worlds, He elicited one hidden light, the light of Bina, because He inserted the Yod into the light of Bina and it became Avir [air]. This means that all the revealed lights come out and shine from that light, through the removal of the Yod from the Avir, when it returned to being Ohr [light]. And from that light, the rest of the lights were expanded and came out. This is the upper world, Bina.

193) The upper light, Bina, spread further and the craftsman, the Emanator, made a light that does not shine. He made the lower world, the Nukva. And because it does not shine, it must connect above and connect below, and through the connection below it becomes connected to shine in the connection above.

“How manifold are Your works, O Lord,” and “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.” Even though this was said about illuminations that differ from one another, Hassadim and Hochma, they nonetheless came out at once, since the root of Hochma and Hassadim is in the upper world, Bina. Also, Bina spread in her left line, which is light that does not shine because it is Hochma without Hassadim, and then it made the lower world, the Nukva.

Since the left does not shine without Hassadim, it mated on the Masach de Hirik de ZON that rose there for MAN and elicited the level of the middle line on it, uniting right and left. Then the Hochma clothed in Hassadim and her illumination was complemented in three lines, HBD. And because three come out of one and one stands in all of them, meaning that ZON, too, obtained the illumination of those three lines, it follows that because of Bina’s left, which does not shine, Bina mated on the Masach de ZON, and thus obtained the Mochin from her. This is why it is written that the artisan, the Emanator, made a light that does not shine, and made the lower world, the Nukva. Because the Emanator made the light that does not shine in the left of Bina, He made and corrected the lower world with all His Mochin.

Also, because it is a light that does not shine, it must connect above and connect below, since the left line of Bina does not shine. Thus, it must connect in a connection of three lines in the two worlds. In the upper world itself, it does not shine for lack of Hassadim; and in the lower world itself, the Nukva, it does not shine because its root is in Bina. Hence, it must connect in Bina, which is its root, and connect to the Nukva to receive from her the Masach de Hirik, on which the level of the middle line comes out, which complements the left.

And although the Masach de Hirik is in ZA, each Masach is still considered the Nukva because the male is considered the light of the degree, hence the Masach de ZA is regarded as being in the Nukva. And through the connection below, meaning the Masach de Hirik in the lower world, the left line connects to shine in the connection of Bina above, since through the Masach de Hirik in the lower world, the left line connects to shine in the connection of Bina above. This is so because through the Masach de Hirik in the Nukva, which elicits the middle line, the left of Bina connects with her right and shines.

194) And that light which does not shine—the left line in the connection of the three lines above in Bina—elicits all the many different kinds of armies and camps, where one is in Hochma and the other is in Hassadim, as it is written, “How manifold are Your works, O Lord!”

“How manifold are Your works” means illuminations of HassadimMochin that have no number. And “In wisdom You have made them all” is Mochin of a number. And yet, they came out at once because the illumination of the left is tied to the two worlds together, and its illumination is primarily in the upper world, which is governed by the illumination of Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, which have no number. Hence, although the two above-mentioned kinds of Mochin differ from one another, still, each illumination consists of both, since they come out at once.

195) All that exists on earth, exists above, as well. There is not a tiny thing in this world, in the Nukva, that is not dependent upon another thing, a higher one, which is appointed over it from above, in Bina. This is so because all that there is in the Nukva is from what she receives from Bina. This is why there is nothing in the Nukva whose root is not in Bina. Therefore, when something awakens below, in the Nukva, its appointed root awakens over it above in Bina, first, since all things are united with one another.

196) “And Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.’” This does not mean that the mandrakes begot Rachel, but the Creator arranged that Issachar would be born through the mandrakes. He clung to the Torah more than all the other tribes because Rachel clung to Jacob and did not let him to go Leah, as it is written, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband?” And it is written, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

The light that does not shine, the illumination of Hochma in the left line, can shine only in two worlds, Bina and Nukva. This is so because its root is in Bina, but it needs the Masach de Hirik, which is in ZON, to elicit the middle line over it, which decides. This is why it is written, “Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah.”

Mandrakes are illumination of the left, light that does not shine. It is called Dudaim [mandrakes] since it is the root of Ahavat Dodim [love of lovers]. The text tells us that Leah’s son found them and brought them to his mother, to teach us that the root of this light is in Leah, Bina, and not in Rachel. However, Rachel receives it from Leah, and this is the meaning of what she said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes,” meaning that she wanted to be rewarded with this light.

And Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband?” ZA, the proprietor of the Masach de Hirik, who complements the illumination of the mandrakes with his decision, is constantly with the Masach in Rachel, for she carries the Masach de Hirik when ZA is with her. This is the meaning of Leah’s argument to Rachel: “You want both—to keep the Masach de Hirik, which I need in order to elicit the middle line, and you want my mandrakes, too, for without Jacob, the middle line, they do not shine even in me.” This is why Rachel’s reply to her was, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight.” And then, “And he lay with her that night.” “He” refers to the Masach de Hirik in him, so that from its Zivug, the level of the middle line that unites the two lines in Leah would be extended, and then the mandrakes are complemented in her. Afterwards, she gave them to Rachel, too, according to the rule, “Three come out of one, and one stands in three.”

197) They caused Issachar to appear in the world so that the scent of Torah would rise before the Creator, as it is written, “The mandrakes give forth fragrance.” This is because Issachar clings to the Torah more than all other tribes.

It is written, “And he lay with her that night.” He is called “the upper world” because he is concealed and is not revealed. And because the Torah came out from the upper world, it is implied in the Zivug for Issachar. “And he lay with her that night,” since Issachar is a Merkava [chariot/structure] for the Torah.

198) The upper world is called “he” in all the places since it is not revealed. Also, it is said, “But the Levites alone shall do the service,” which means that he is serving the upper world, called “he,” to extend blessings from there to all the worlds. And Issachar clings to the upper world, hence we call ZA, “the tree of life,” since it is a tree that extends from the upper life, in the upper, hidden world, called “he,” and not “you.” For the word “you,” indicates the revealed and the word “he” indicates the concealed.

199) Did those mandrakes open Rachel’s womb? They did not. It was the Creator who opened her womb and nothing else, as it is written, “And God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” Even though those mandrakes have the power to affect above, it is not in their power to bring about sons, since sons depend on luck, meaning Dikna de AA, and on nothing else.

200) Were the mandrakes created in vain because they do not affect anything? Indeed, they affect a special action, and they even help sons, those that are delayed in bearing and are not barren. However, it was not given to them to beget, but to luck. And if they are sentenced to beget in luck, but are detained for some reason, then the mandrakes are helpful.

201) From the illumination of Hochma in her, which shines—the wine that delights God and people—the Nukva is blessed only by the right side, Hassadim, since Hochma without Hassadim is darkness. For this reason, while the right was awakened to bestow into the cup of blessing, to the Nukva, the left would not support there because the right found a reason in the cup, for which to awaken to the upper world, which is Hassadim that are covered from Hochma.

The Nukva, while she is the left line, Hochma without Hassadim, is called “a cup.” At that time she does not shine and she needs the blessing, the extension of Hassadim from the right line, called “blessing.” Thus, while the right awakened to bestow unto the cup of blessing, to the Nukva, the left will not support there. When the right bestows Hassadim upon her, she will completely terminate the illumination of the left, Hochma, since the right has found a reason in the cup, in what was darkened and does not shine. Because of it, it abandoned the illumination of Hochma in the left and was evoked to extend Hassadim from the upper world, which is Leah, who is in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. And if at that time there is some support from the left, the right will not be able to cling to the upper world, which is covered from Hochma, and extend Hassadim from there, since Dvekut [adhesion] means equivalence of form.

202) “And Reuben went” is the south side, right line, Hassadim. This is why his banner is on the south, the head and the beginning of the twelve boundaries. The twelve boundaries are the four directions—HGTifferet, and Malchut—in each of which are three lines. Hesed is the beginning of the twelve boundaries and the craving of the south to find reason and a gift for the Nukva, to bless her.

203) “And found mandrakes in the field.” He went looking through all the treasures of the Nukva, and in the field, the Nukva, he found the mandrakes. It was said about them, “The mandrakes give forth fragrance.” They are the two cherubim, the correction of the Nukva for awakening upwards, to Bina, since in all the corrections of this field, there is no correction that awakens upwards, to Bina, but the cherubim.

Mandrakes are illumination of Hochma in the left line. As long as she is devoid of Hassadim, she does not shine and is considered absent. Reuben is the light of Hesed. He went to search and disclosing the mandrakes in the field. Without him, they do not exist because by clothing them with the light of Hesed, they appear and shine. This is why it is considered that he found them, disclosed them.

Also, these are the two cherubim that come from the illumination of the left, the correction of the Nukva for awakening upwards, toward Bina, since Nukva receives all the corrections and the Mochin from ZA and not from Bina. From Bina herself, she receives only those Mochin of the illumination of the left, the mandrakes, and equally with ZA, since then she is in a state of the two great lights. This is so because in all the corrections of this field, there is no correction that awakens upwards, to Bina, but the cherubim.

204) The south side, Hesed, awakens to her to find reason to bless her, to extend Hassadim to her, during the harvest when he gives spoils to her armies, the angels. It is written about it, “She rises while it is still night and gives food to her household,” and to all the harvesters of the field, the souls that are rewarded with receiving the fruits of the Nukva, who is called “field.” And promptly, “And brought them to his mother Leah,” meaning he raised their scent and awakening to the upper world that was covered, Leah, so it would impart blessings upon the lower world, Rachel.

205) And when the mandrakes were blessed, meaning clothed in Hassadim, they receive and give to all the worlds, as it is written, “The mandrakes give forth fragrance.” When they give forth fragrance, meaning when they shine in Hochma from below upwards, the south side receives that scent, meaning the Hesed, to awaken it toward the upper world so it would shine from below upwards, as it is written, “And at our doors are all manner of precious fruits.” Then no abundance is missing in the world.

206) The lower world does not awaken toward the upper world to receive Mochin from it, unless when the mandrakes give forth fragrance to the right. When they give forth fragrance to the right, and the right awakens toward the upper world, the lower world immediately awakens to ask for what it needs. It is written, “Then Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes,’” meaning give me blessings from that awakening of the mandrakes that have awakened to be included in the right side, to clothe in the Hassadim on the right.

207) Then the upper world responds to her with joy and play and says, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband?” but like a mother who entertains herself with her daughter, not with grievance. Hence, this means that the husband of the upper world, Bina, is Jacob, because she said about Jacob, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband?” But isn’t Hochma the husband of Bina? He is not. Rather, the craving of AbaHochma, is always for that daughter, Nukva de ZA, because his love is always to her because she is an only daughter among six sons, HGT NHY. Also, he gave all six sons portions, pleasures, and gifts that contain two kinds of abundance: 1) Portions, Mochin de VAK, so they will not be deficient of them. 2) Pleasures and gifts, Mochin de GAR, which they sometimes lack.

But to her, he gave nothing. She has no inheritance whatsoever, since the Nukva has nothing of her own except what her ZA—her husband—gives her, meaning the HGT NHY, the six sons. For this reason, he regards her with more love and craving than all the others.

208) For his love, he called her “daughter.” But this was not enough for him until he called her “sister.” And this was not enough for him, and so he called her “mother,” with the name of his mother. And this was not enough for him so he called her by his name, as it is written about her, “But wisdom, where shall it be found?” He called her Hochma [wisdom]. He gave her the four letters HaVaYaH, first from the bottom Hey, called “daughter,” then from the Vav de HaVaYaH, called “brother,” and the Nukva is called “his sister,” then from the first Hey de HaVaYaH, called Ima [mother], and then from the Yod de HaVaYaH, called Hochma.

This is the reason why the upper world—BinaIma—told her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband,” referring to HochmaAba [father], for all his love is drawn out to you. This is why the mother spoke to the daughter playfully and lovingly.

209) If she was not resentful when she said, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband,”
then why did Rachel respond, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight”? Indeed, wherever it is written, “therefore,” it is an oath. This is why what she said is not a reply to “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband,” but an oath and a resolution, for she told her, “If you give me the mandrakes, he will be obliged to lie with you tonight.

To lie is the correction of the Nukva in the male, so he instills the depiction of all the letters in her. Yishkav [will lie] consists of Yesh [310 in Gematria] and Kav [22 in Gematria]. Yesh is the upper world, Bina, who returned to being HochmaKav is the Torah, ZA, a hidden point in whom Kav (22) letters awaken, meaning the point of Hirik on which the middle line emerges, which elicits three lines in Bina. For this reason, it, too, receives three lines, which are twenty-two letters.

Yesh Kav [will lie] are Yesh, the next world. Twenty-two is the upper point, Hirik, which brings all twenty-two letters, the whole Torah, all the Kelim de ZA, who is called “Torah.”

210) The words, “Therefore he may lie with you” point to the hidden, upper Aba, who is fit to bond with you. This is so because Jacob is not the male of Bina, but rises to MAN to Bina. And upper Hochma, called Aba, who is the male of Bina, mates with her. Here, Leah implies to the upper Bina herself.

211) “And Jacob came from the field in the evening.” Jacob is TifferetZA. “Came from the field” means that he captures all the blessings, as it is written, “Which the Lord has blessed,” the Nukva de ZA. “In the evening” is when the Nukva receives illumination of left without right, Hochma without Hassadim. This causes darkness in her and she is called “evening,” the time when his father, Isaac, awakened toward this field and holds it.

Isaac does not awaken toward this field because it belongs to Jacob, ZA, unless Jacob has departed there in the evening, since the day, Hassadim, has set and become darkness. At that time, he leaves this field for his father, Isaac, the left line, and at that time Jacob rises to Bina for MAN.

212) “And Leah went out to meet him.” Upper ImaBina, went out toward the only son, ZA, and said, “Come to me, under my wings, so I will bless you and satiate you with pleasures and sublime delights. Now is a good time and a delight to give you the pleasure of the upper RuachHassadim from the pure Avir [air] for the field, Nukva, before the day is burnt out by the might of Isaac’s Din [judgment], meaning the left, which then shines without Hassadim from the right, which is a burning fire then.

213) Since she received Jacob under her wings, meaning he rose to her for MAN, “He lay with her that night.” “He” points to the hidden, from whom all the blessings depart, meaning upper Aba. It does not say, “Jacob lay,” but “He,” pointing to the one who was worthy of bonding with her, upper Aba, who imparts upon Bina.

214) Before he came under Bina’s wings, Jacob received those blessings. Before Jacob rose for MAN under the wings of Ima to receive the blessings for Rachel, the upper world—Bina—was not filled with blessings from the hidden point. This means that there was no renewal of the Zivug of Hochma and Bina on the Masach de Hirik because this point rises with Jacob. This is the reason why the mandrakes evoke everything, since it is because of them that Jacob rose for MAN to Bina, to clothe them in Hassadim. Afterwards, he imparted them to Rachel.

What is Reuben? The Creator placed names in the land. The Creator called him Reuben, Reu Ben [Look, a son].

“And Reuben,” Hesed, “Went … and found mandrakes in the field,” meaning he clothed the mandrakes, which are a light that does not shine, with the light of Hesed, and then they illuminated. This is considered for him as finding them, disclosing their illumination.

“And brought them unto his mother Leah,” meaning raised their illumination to Bina, Leah, where they are covered. The place where they are disclosed is only in Rachel, the Nukva from Chazeh de ZA down. Hence, “Then Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes,’” since the place where they illuminate is only in me. “But she said to her, ‘Is it a small matter for you to take my husband?’” She spoke in a playful tone, “Is it a small matter for you” that the whole of the love of my man, Hochma, is only for you, and that he built you with HB TM, which is a daughter, sister, mother [Ima], and wisdom [Hochma]?

“So Rachel said, ‘Therefore he may lie with you tonight.’” “Therefore” means that she promised her that Jacob would rise to her for MAN if she gave her the mandrakes, since he would have to extend Hassadim and to clothe the mandrakes for Rachel. “In return for your son’s mandrakes” means to complement them for me. And after Rachel received the mandrakes—Hochma without Hassadim—from Leah, the lights depart and become darkness. It is said about it, “And Jacob came from the field,” from Nukva, Rachel, who is called “field” at the time of Dinim [judgments]. “In the evening” means when it grew dark in her due to the mandrakes that she received. Hence, “And Leah went out to meet him, and said, ‘You must come in unto me,’” meaning to come to her and raise MAN to her through the point of Hirik, to subjugate and clothe the mandrakes in Hassadim.

“For I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” She told him, “I gave the mandrakes to Rachel and it turned dark in her so you must rise to me for MAN to extend Hassadim to her so she will not be burnt by the Dinim of the left. This is considered that she hired him.

“And he lay with her that night.” She mated with upper Aba, He, from whom all the blessings extend to her, and she gave it to Jacob. And Jacob imparted them to Rachel. The illumination of the left, Hochma without Hassadim, receives the Nukva from Bina herself equally with ZA. Hence, she is at the same degree as ZA and their level is the same. However, she must receive the illumination of the right—the Hassadim that clothe the Hochma—from ZA, her husband. Here, too, Rachel received the mandrakes from Bina herself, from Leah, but she received the illumination of Hassadim from Jacob after he rose for MAN to Bina and caused a Zivug of HB, as it is written, “And he lay with her that night.”

215) “And Leah went out to meet him, and said, ‘You must come in unto me.” “You must come in unto me,” is this not insolent? On the contrary, here is where we learn of Leah’s humbleness. She did not say anything before her sister but went ahead to the road and informed him in a whisper, for she was in Rachel’s domain, as it is written, “For I have surely hired you,” meaning received permission. But to not displease Rachel, she told him outside and not inside the house.

216) Moreover, the door of Leah’s tent was outside, and she let Jacob through the door that is on the outside before he went into Rachel’s tent, so she would not say in front of Rachel and would not be insolent before her sister. Moreover, Leah said that if Jacob were to enter Rachel’s tent, it would be unjust to bring him out of there, and this is why she greeted him outside.

217) And all this was because the spirit of holiness was sparkling in Leah and she knew that all the upper tribes, all of whom are holy, came out of her, and she rushed because of the love for the Creator. And because she was rewarded with the spirit of holiness, she knew how to name them with wisdom.

219) It is written, “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread.” It is also written, “Seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction.” “Bread of affliction” is written without a Vav [in Hebrew], since when Israel were in Egypt, they were under another authority. When the Creator wished to bring them closer to Him, He gave them the degree of bread of affliction. The bread of affliction is King David, of whom it is written, “For I am afflicted and needy.”

King David is the Nukva. When she receives the illumination of the left from Bina, she is at the same level as ZA, the fourth leg of the throne, Bina. At that time the Nukva is attached to Bina and does not mate with ZA, her husband. Hence, she is poor and without light, and she is called “the bread of affliction,” since the Hochma does not shine without Hassadim. At that time, it is written, “For I am afflicted and needy.” And this degree of the Nukva is her first degree, since when He brought them out of Egypt, from the authority of the Sitra Achra, and wished to bring them closer to holiness, He gave them the degree of bread of affliction in the Nukva, as this is the first degree of the Nukva.

220) This bread of affliction is called Matza [unleavened bread], without VavZA, since Nukva without a male is poor, devoid of Hassadim. First, Israel approached the state of Matza, as this is the first degree. And once He brought them closer, the Creator brought them into other degrees and the male connected with the Nukva, who mated with ZA and received Hassadim from him.

At that time, after the Matza has bonded with the male, she is called Mitzva [good deed/commandment], with an additional Vav, since Vav implies ZA, as it is written, “For this commandment.” This is why in her first degree, she is called “a Matza,” and later, in the other degrees, she is called “a Mitzva.”

224) The Creator gave Israel this bread, meaning Mochin, from the land of the living, from the Nukva, who is called Matza, and then this bread was bread from the heaven, from ZA.

225) When Israel went out of Egypt, they did not know anything until the Creator let them taste the bread from this land, the Nukva, who is called Matza, as it is written, “The earth, from it comes bread.” Then Israel came to know and to attain the Creator like an infant who does not know and does not attain until he tastes bread from this world. In other words, this bread that Israel received on Passover only from the Nukva, who is called Matza, is the first degree of attainment, like an infant who begins to taste the taste of bread.

226) Israel did not know and did not attain higher degrees until they ate the upper bread, which extends from ZA, from the heaven. And before they ate the upper bread, they knew and attained only in the place of the Nukva. But the Creator wished for Israel to know more, higher degrees, which shine from ZA to the Nukva, but they could not until they tasted bread from the high place, from the heaven, ZA, as it is written, “I will rain bread from heaven for you.” Then they knew and looked at that high place.

227) The beginning that Israel began to know was bread of affliction. However, we have nothing in the world that is without male and female, and all that there is on land exists at sea, as well.

228) “And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him.” How did she know he was coming? His donkey brayed, so Leah knew and went out to meet him. Also, the donkey made Issachar come out of Leah, as it is written, “Issachar is a large-boned donkey” [“made” and “boney” are spelt the same in Hebrew], meaning that the donkey caused his coming to the world. Leah said, “I know for certain that if Jacob comes to Rachel’s tent, I must not bring him out of there, so I will wait for him here and he will come to my tent.”

229) “For I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” Why did she say, “With my son’s mandrakes”? It would have been enough for her to say “For mandrakes.” However, it was so that Jacob would be pleased that they are helping beget sons. However, Jacob knew that this did not depend upon the mandrakes, but upon luck, above, since “My son’s mandrakes” are mandrakes that beget sons, and she reminded Jacob of that so he would be pleased with the remedy that was given to Rachel to give birth to sons.

230) It is written, “Who makes the barren woman to dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah.” “Who makes the barren woman to dwell in her house” is the lower world, Nukva de ZA, Rachel. “A joyful mother of children” is the upper world, Bina, Leah. This is why “Hallelujah” comprises the words Hallelu [praise] Yah [the Lord], since the upper world was created with the letter Yod, and the lower world was created with the letter Hey.

231) All those tribes are corrections below, of the Nukva. They are all corrected to be as above, Bina. It is written about it, “For I have surely hired you,” to take a body from him. The body is Torah. “For I have surely hired you” means your very body, “I have surely hired you” to beget your form.

Leah is Bina, and the Zivug was with Hochma. This is why it is said, “And he lay with her that night,” but it did not say “Jacob.” “You must come in unto me,” meaning to raise MAN. It is written about it, “For I have surely hired you,” meaning many hires: 1) To take a body from Hochma, meaning Torah. Issachar, who is a Merkava [chariot/structure] for the Torah more than all the tribes, and the hiring falls on the Zivug with the Hochma because of him. 2) “For I have surely hired you,” your very body. The hiring is of Jacob’s body, to rise for MAN for a Zivug of Hochma and Bina. 3) “For I have surely hired you,” to deliver your form. The hiring is on the birth of the form, begetting a son.

All those three hires are included in the words, “For I have surely hired you.”

232) This implies that one who engages in Torah inherits the next world, Mochin de Bina, and inherits Jacob’s lot, the Mochin of upper AVI. The word Issachar has the letters of Yesh Sachar [there is reward] to your action—engagement in the Torah. And the reward is what is written, “That I may cause those that love me to inherit.” Yesh is Bina that returned to Hochma. “I will fill their treasures” is the Mochin of upper AVI, Jacob’s inheritance, which from whom he inherited unbounded inheritance. Those two Mochin are the reward of one who engages in the Torah.

233) “And Leah said, ‘…because I have borne him six sons.’” Above and below are NH, and the four directions of the world—HesedGevuraTifferet, and Yesod. One who prolongs in the “One” of the Shema reading should crown the Creator above and below to the four directions of the world. This is the “One,” whose oneness appears in these VAK.

234) “Mountains of perfumes” are the six sons of Leah. They include six others—Joseph, Benjamin, and the sons of the maidservants. They are twelve and they are six. It can be said that they are twelve, and it can be said that they are six because each is incorporated in the other. The six main ones are six, and with those incorporated in them, they are twelve. And Leah stands over them, so it is thirteen, to keep the words, “As a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah.”

235) This is why it is written, “You shall not take the mother with the young,” since she is the hidden world, which is not revealed because the lower ones have no attainment in her. This is why it is written, “You shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself,” since the mother is the hidden world and is completely undisclosed. “Take for yourself” means extend illumination of Hochma in them and disclose them. This is mandatory because the mother, Leah, is hidden, unattainable; hence, you will attain the sons.

236) “But the young you may take for yourself.” It is written, “For ask now of the days past … and from the one end of heaven,” Hesed, the first end of ZA, heaven, “Unto the other end,” Yesod, the last end of ZA. The six ends, HGT NHY de ZA, are called “the six sons of Leah.” The text tells us that there is a question about them, meaning raising MAN for extension of Hochma. And all those are called “Mountains of perfumes.”

From here down, past Malchut de Atzilut, they are called “the mountains of Bether,” as it is written, “And from there it parted and became four heads,” which are mountains of separation. Until Malchut de Atzilut, it is the world of unity, where Israel, the Torah, and the Creator are one. Below it, they are the three worlds of separation, BYA.

237) The sons of the maidservants made connections, the four ties that require correction. This is why those ties bulge out from the body, although they are all one. In other words, even though they were already corrected, as it is written, “And all their hinder parts were inward,” they still bulge out of the body, since initially, before the unification, they were empty, without any light. Henceforth, the rest of the ties are all one, on a plain, not bulging out of the body. Hence, all the tribes rise upwards in a testimony, which is the Mochin de Bina, as it is written, “And a river went out of Eden.” This is why it is written that there the tribes rose, the tribes of Koh, a testimony to Israel, to thank the name of the Lord.

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His Thought Was of Rachel

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176) Children of the upper one, high holy ones, blessed of the world with a hazel brain, gather to know that a bird comes down each day and awakens in the garden with a flame of fire in its wings. In its hand are three rakes and shovels as sharp as a sword, and the keys to the treasures are in its right hand.

The Zohar invites only those people who have been rewarded with the degrees HB TM—the children of the upper one, meaning Bina. The high holy ones are Hochma, the blessed of the world are Tifferet, and the hazel brain is Malchut. It tells them, “Gather to know the calling of the bird that declares in the Garden of Eden each day, for they are the ones who are worthy of understanding its words, and not others, who have not been rewarded with these degrees.

The bird is the Nukva de ZA. The garden is the Garden of Eden, the place of the Nukva who obtained the form of her mother without any remnant of her own form. The bird, Nukva, descends from the place of Ima [mother] after she received her form and awakens in the Garden of Eden each day, to declare from there, since there she is equal to Ima.

The equalization to the shape of Ima is in three forms: 1) KatnutVAK, called “wings,” for she needs to be similar to the wings of Ima. 2) Illumination of Hochma while she is still blocked. Her place is in the left hand and she is GAR de VAK. 3) Hassadim that clothe Hochma and open her to illuminate in complete perfection. For this reason, they are called “the keys to the treasures.” Without them, all the treasures of the wisdom would remain hidden.

The Nukva descended to the Garden of Eden from Ima and received from her a flame of fire in her wings. Along with her, she lowered the Dinim from Ima, which are called “a flame of fire.” Their place is called “wings,” the Katnut from Ima. She also lowered three rakes with her, as sharp as a sword. With the left hand, she brought down the illumination of Hochma, and even though it is still hidden, she still chases away all the Klipot, which are the filth and foulness that block the channels of abundance from imparting upon the lower ones.

This is why she is called “a rake that is as sharp as a sword,” because she cleans each dirt until its place is unrecognized. And since there are twelve Behinot [discernments] because of the mingling, three joints in each of the HG and NH, which are called arms and thighs, the three rakes on her left hand are regarded as the three joints of the hand. This is the second discernment that she received from Ima.

The keys to the treasures are on her right hand. These are the third discernment that she brought down with her from Ima to the Garden of Eden, the light of Hassadim whose place is in the right hand, which clothe the Hochma, and which are called “keys to the treasures,” since they open the treasures of the wisdom. Without them, all the treasures of the wisdom would remain hidden, like a lock and bolt.

177) She calls out loud to the righteous in the Garden of Eden, “Whomever among you whose face shines (who has been rewarded with wisdom [Hochma], as it is said, ‘Man’s wisdom makes his face shine’), who came in and came out and grew strong in the tree of life (who has been rewarded with three lines), entered (in the right line) and came out (in the left line), and grew strong in the tree of life (the middle line), who has reached his branches (HGT NHY de ZA, which are the tree of life and its branches), and has clung to his roots (GAR de ZA), who eats of its fruits that are sweeter than honey (the illumination of Hochma in Nukva de ZA, which is its sweet fruit), who gives life to the soul and healing to himself (to his body), she declares and says, ‘Who is the one who is rewarded with all that?’ It is one who is kept from bad thoughts, from a thought that is deceitful in the tree of life, from a thought that defiles the river and the stream, the source of Israel, from a source that gives death to the soul and shattering to himself; he has no existence whatsoever.”

In and of herself, Nukva is unfit for reception of any Mochin because Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction] is on her, and all the Mochin that she receives is due to her ascent and mingling with Kelim de Ima. Hence, the point of her self should be hidden in her in complete concealment. And if she is revealed, all the lights immediately depart her because it is revealed that she is not considered Ima but Malchut, for the Tzimtzum is on her and she is unfit for reception of lights of Ima.

This is the reason why the tree of knowledge is good and bad. If one is careful in clinging to the middle line, which decides between the two lines, where the right line shines from above downwards and the left line from below upwards, and man, too, does not extend illumination of Hochma in the left line from above downwards, it is considered that he has been rewarded.

And this is good, meaning that the point of Nukva herself is hidden and unknown. However, if he extends illumination of the left from above downwards and blemishes the middle line, it is considered that he was not rewarded and this is bad. Then the point of Nukva herself immediately appears on him and the lights of life promptly flee and depart him.

Concerning not being rewarded, it does not require an actual deed, to actually extend from above downwards. Rather, the thought of sinning—even though he has not actually sinned—is already considered not been rewarded, and it is bad. Then the lights depart from him and the spirit of folly, which is death and evil, dresses in him, and this is what causes the actual sin, as it is written, “One does not sin unless the spirit of folly enters him.”

One who is rewarded with the upper lights is one who is kept from bad thoughts, from the thought of sinning and extending illumination of the left from above downwards, from that thought that lies and blemishes the tree of life. The tree of life is the middle line, which decides that only the right line will shine from above downwards, and the left line only from below upwards. And since man thought of extending from above downwards, he lies and blemishes the correction of the tree of life. Moreover, he defiles the river, Ima, and the stream, Yesod de Ima, the source of ZA, called “Israel.”

This is so because once the lights depart from the Nukva because the force of Tzimtzum appeared in her, this flaw reaches Ima, too, since the Nukva has already been included in Ima. This is considered that she is defiled by her touch with others. For herself, Ima has no flaw from Tzimtzum Aleph. Rather, she is only flawed by her inclusion with the NukvaIma is called “a river that comes out of Eden,” and from the perspective of her Yesod, she is called “a stream,” as it is written, “He will drink of the brook in the way.” Hence, he will raise his head, meaning that ZA obtains GAR and Rosh [head] from the stream, which is Yesod Ima.

It is written, “A thought that gives death to the soul and a breaking with it.” This is so because after the lights depart from Nukva, the light of man, called “soul” [Nefesh] depart, as well, and his Kli, called Guf [body], breaks, since he has no one from whom to receive the lights of life. Hence, he breaks and dies.

179) The thought that defiled the source of the tree of life, which is ZA, since it elevated the flaw of Nukva to Ima, makes the tree of falsehood. This is so because the flaw and the ruin of the lights of the source of the tree of life gradually build the tree of falsehood of the Sitra Achra, as it is written, “Tyre was built only on the ruin of Jerusalem.” Through that thought, it rises and replaces Nefesh for NefeshNefesh from the lights of the Sitra Achra for Nefesh from the lights of Kedusha. Because of the thought, the tree of life departs and the tree of death clings to it, pulling the Nefesh out of it.

This is so because as soon as he thinks of transgressing, the lights of holiness, which are the tree of life, depart him, since if he is not rewarded, it is bad. Instead, the lights of the Sitra Achra—the tree of death—clothe in him. It turns out that now his soul necessarily extends from the tree of death and he has a Nefesh of the Sitra Achra instead of the Nefesh of holiness that he had before.

180) Woe unto him for because of that thought, he was uprooted from the tree of life and clung to the tree of death, whose light has stopped and is not spreading, and one who clings to it sees no good in the world. It is dry without any moisture of light, and its fruits are as bitter as wormwood. It is said about him, “For he shall be like a tamarisk in the desert, and shall not see when good comes.”

181) A good thought that rises above clings to the tree of life, the middle line, holds onto its branches, and eats of its fruits. All the sanctities and all the blessings come from him, and he inherits life for his soul and healing for himself. It is said about him, “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and … by the river.”

182) All the words of the world follow the thought and the contemplation. It is written, “Sanctify yourselves and be holy.” This is so because He brings out and extends all the sanctities in the world with a good thought.

183) One who is defiled by an evil thought, when he comes to mate with his wife, he replaces the upper degrees above—the degree of holiness with the degree of impurity—because his wish and his thought are for another woman and he inseminates with this thought. As his thought replaces below, replacing his wife with another woman, he also replaces above. And as the body of the son that he begets is called “replaceable,” with respect to his soul he is called “replaceable” because he did not extend holy extension with that thought and his Nefesh was replaced with the degree of the Sitra Achra.

The great flaw that he makes if he clings to Kedusha, to the tree of life, when he thinks of extending the left from above downwards, is that with his evil thought, all the lights of life and all the good immediately depart him, and an impure Nefesh [soul] replaces his holy Nefesh because he was not rewarded, and it is bad. Thus, one who mates with his wife and thinks of another, because those who mate in holiness are a Merkava for the upper ZA and Nukva, when he think of another, he evokes the Nukva of the Sitra Achra, a woman of harlotry, opposite from the Nukva de ZA.

Thus, he causes the illumination of the left from Nukva—regarded as the tree of knowledge of good and evil—to be extended from above downwards to the Klipot. It is considered the tree of knowledge of good and evil because if he is not rewarded, it is bad, since the point of Tzimtzum Aleph appeared on her, when all the lights of Kedusha depart and instead of them arrive the lights of the Sitra Achra. It turns out that then those who mate become a Merkava [chariot/structure] for ZON de Klipot. Hence, a son who is born from this Zivug extends from the Sitra Achra and becomes replaceable, since there is an evil soul in him, from the Sitra Achra, from the forces of Tzimtzum Aleph, and he is no longer worthy of receiving the light of life of holiness.

If he is not rewarded, it is bad, the point of Tzimtzum Aleph appears and the lights of life are replaced with the lights of the tree of death. And as the evil appeared below, in the Nukva, in the place where the good was placed, a swap was made above in Ima, whose flaw rose to ZAT de Ima, too, since because they were connected to each other during the correction, they blemish each other during the flaw.

184) Hence, as the body of the son that he bears is called “replaceable,” he is considered replaceable with respect to his soul, as well, since he did not extend holy extension with that thought and his soul was replaced with another degree, with the Sitra Achra.

The body extends from Nukva and the soul from the lights of Ima. But since, Ima, too, was blemished, not only was the body blemished, but the soul from Ima was blemished, too, and it is considered replaceable, for she has been replaced and became an impure soul.

185) Jacob, who was whole, was revealed before the Creator and all of Jacob’s ways were in truth, and always contemplated thoughts of truth in everything. The night when he copulated with Leah, his thought was of Rachel. He was copulating with Leah but thinking of Rachel, and his source went with his thought.

Leah is Bina and Rachel is MalchutNukva from Chazeh de ZA and below. Nukva de ZA cannot receive light in and of herself because she is in Tzimtzum Aleph. Rather, she first extends Kelim from Ima, which is Malchut that is mitigated with Midat ha Rachamim [quality of mercy], and then she is fit for reception of the lights. It turns out that in and of herself, Rachel is unfit for any light, but only after she receives the Kelim from Leah, from Ima. In the first seven years, Jacob wished to extend the seven lights HGT NHYM to Rachel, since first, corrected Kelim must be extended from the upper world, Bina, which is Leah, to the lower world, which is Nukva, Rachel.

It turns out that when he came to Leah and thought of Rachel, of extending the lights to Rachel, when he did not know that it was Leah, he thought of extending the lights in the Kelim of Tzimtzum Aleph before they were mitigated. And they are called “bad,” that if he is not rewarded, it is bad.

Before he married Leah, he could not extend corrected Kelim to Rachel. This is why Leah’s Kelim were replaced for him with Rachel’s Kelim, since the force of Tzimtzum was in Rachel, and he clung to the Kelim of Leah and could only extend VAK without a Rosh in his Zivug.

186) He did not know that she was Leah. This is why Reuben did not receive a name, since he had VAK without a Rosh, since a name means attainment. But the Creator, who knew that she was Leah, Bina, and did not need to be blemished by Rachel’s force of Tzimtzum, showed him, meaning imparted upon him Rosh and GAR. And he said, “Reu Ben [Look, a son] is born in the world.” Because he appeared before the Creator, since Jacob was thinking truthfully in his desire, Reuben was not disqualified from among the holy tribes, meaning he was not considered replaceable, for if this were not so, he would have been disqualified.

187) Because the thought is the essence and the doer of the act, the Creator, who knew the place where that thought was clung while inseminating the first drop, He kept the seniority for that place. It is written about it, “For he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph,” since where the thought went and clung to the insemination of the drop, there the birthright clung and was given.

Thus, the seniority was taken from Reuben and was given to the place to which the thought clung—he thought of Rachel and the desire clung to her. This is why the birthright was attached to Rachel, and everything was established after the thought and the contemplation.

188) The thought and the contemplation make the act, and extend the extension from everything that man clings to in secret, as it is written, “The wife of the dead shall not be married abroad.” Here the thought and the will must cling to the soul of his dead brother, and with that will and thought, he draws the extension and does the deed he must do, and the name of the dead will not be erased from the world.

189) “If He set His heart upon man, He will gather his spirit and his breath unto Himself.” The will and the thought draw the extension and do the deed with everything that is needed. This is why in prayer, a desire and a thought to aim in are required. Similarly, in all the works of the Creator, the thought and the contemplation does the deed and draw extensions to all that is needed.

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