Autor: arhiprofesor

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205) “And Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation.” What is the reason for this blessing here? It is to tell us that even when the Creator sentences the world, He does not change, for He sits in Din on one and in Rachamim on the other. And it is all at the same time and same moment, for He was in Din for Sodom, and at the same time He was in Rachamim for Abraham and He blessed him.

206) It is written, “My prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable time.” This means that sometimes it is an acceptable time and sometimes it is not an acceptable time. At times He hears the prayer and at times He does not hear the prayer. At times He is found and at times He is not found, as it is written, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

207) Here to an individual and here to a collective. For an individual, there are different times. For a collective, it is always in Rachamim, even when He sits in judgment. Here for one place there are different times, and here for the whole world it is always in Rachamim, and He does not change. This is why He blessed Abraham while He was in judgment over Sodom, since he is equal to the whole world, as it is written, “These are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were created,” and “When they were created” has the letters of “in Abraham” [in Hebrew it’s an anagram], for whom the world was created. Thus, he is equal to the whole world.

208) “Will be” is thirty in Gematria. The Creator summoned thirty righteous into the world, to be in each generation, just as He summoned Abraham. In other words, it is written, “These are the generations … when they were created,” and it was explained that “When they were created” has the letters of “in Abraham,” for whom the world was created. And he says that similarly, there are thirty righteous in each generation, for whom the world was created, as it was created for Abraham.

209) The most honorable of the thirty refers to the thirty righteous that the Creator summoned to the world, who will never be absent from the world in every generation. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was one of them, and he was the most honorable.

210) There are three others that the world stands on, and it is not equal to them, as it is written, “But he did not attain to the three,” to be counted as one of them. He was rewarded being counted as one of the thirty, but he did not attain the three, meaning he was not rewarded with bonding with them and being as one part with them. “Will be” is thirty, as we learned, and for this reason the Creator blessed him with being equal to those thirty righteous.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

201) To whom did the Creator say, “Done all that”? To the angels? Or did He speak to Abraham and commanded the angels? And he says that he said to Abraham, “Done all that,” for those places were in his domain.

202) To Abraham? But it writes “Done” in plural form [in Hebrew]. Why did He say, “Done”? He says that He spoke to Abraham and to Divinity, who did not move from him, and this is why he said, “Done” [in plural form].

When we said that He said to the angels “Done all that,” who saw it fit to speak to one and to command another? It is because the angels were there to execute judgment. This is why He told them, “Do.”

203) Why did the Creator say, “I will go down and see”? Did He not know? But everything was open before Him. Indeed, “I will go down” means descending from the degree of Rachamim to the degree of Din. “And see,” this seeing is about seeing which judgment should He inflict upon them.

204) We have found evidence that it is for the better, and we have found evidence that it is for the worse. Evidence for the better is in the words, “And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew.” Evidence for the worse is in the words, “I will go down and see,” to watch over them in Din. And the Creator said about that, “Do I hide from Abraham?”

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

177) For this reason, when he accompanied, he was rewarded and the Creator said, “Do I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?” “For the Lord God will do nothing.” Happy are the righteous in the world whom the Creator desires, and all that He has done in heaven and will do in the world, He does through the righteous; and He hides nothing from them.

178) The Creator wishes to share with the righteous, so they would come and warn people to repent from their iniquities or they will be punished by the upper Din and will not be able to say that they were not warned and did not know. For this reason, the Creator informs them that He will execute judgment in them, so they will not say that He punishes them without sentence.

179) Woe unto the wicked who do not know and do not observe to know, and do not know how to beware of their own iniquities. And the Creator, whose every deed is true and whose ways are law, does not do all that He does in the world before He reveals to the righteous, so that people will have no claim against Him. People themselves are all the more so—they should follow their words in a way that they will not speak hatefully of them. It is also written, “Then you shall be clear before the Lord and before Israel.”

180) For people to not be able to complain about the Creator, the righteous should warn them that if they sin and do not examine themselves to be watchful, the Creator’s quality of Din will have a reason to complain against them. They will be saved from the quality of Din by repentance and good deeds.

181) The Creator gave the whole of the land to Abraham to have as his lot and inheritance forever, as it is written, “All the land which you see.” It is also written, “Lift up your eyes and look.” Afterwards, when the Creator wished to uproot and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the Creator said, “I have already given the land to Abraham, and he is everyone’s father, as it is written, ‘For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations,’ and it is unbecoming for me to strike the sons without alerting their father, which I have called ‘Abraham My beloved.’ Hence, I must notify him. For this reason, the Creator said, ‘Do I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?’”

182) Come and see Abraham’s humbleness. Even though the Creator told him, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,” and even though He waited with him and alerted him that he wished to execute judgment in Sodom, he did not pray before him to save Lot and to not execute the judgment with him, so as to not ask for reward for his deeds.

183) And even though he did not ask, the Creator sent for Lot and saved him for Abraham, as it is written, “God remembered Abraham… when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.”

184) “In which Lot lived.” They were named after him because they were all wicked and no one was found to have merit but Lot. We learn from this that every place where wicked dwell is destroyed. When the writing says, “In which Lot lived,” it means that for all the others who were living there it was not considered a settlement, but regarded as destructed, desolate, and uninhabited, since they were wicked.

185) “In which Lot lived.” But did Lot live in all of them? Since they were living in the cities thanks to him, and were not destroyed, they were named after him. And if you say that it was for Lot’s merit, it is was not so. Rather, it was for Abraham’s merit.

186) The service that a person does for the righteous protects him in the world. And even though he is wicked, he learns from his ways and does them.

187) Because Lot bonded with Abraham, although he did not learn all of his deeds from him, he did learn from him to do good to people as Abraham did. Once Lot settled among them, he would inhabit all those cities as long as they were inhabited. This is why it is written, “In which Lot lived.”

188) Divinity did not move from Abraham at the time when the Creator was with him. Moreover, Divinity herself spoke with him and not only the Creator. This is so because in this degree, the Creator appeared to him, as it is written, “And I appeared unto Abraham… as God Almighty,” which is Divinity.

189) It is written, “And the Lord said, ‘The cry.’” First it says, “And God said,” meaning He and His courthouse, Divinity. In the end it says “And the Lord said,” which is the upper degree that appeared to him over the lower degree, which is Divinity.

194) There are more than fifty portions in the Torah, for they are fifty-three portions. This is because each of the five books in the Torah consists of ten commandments, ten utterances by which the world was created, which makes fifty.

196) The thirty-two paths of wisdom are when ZON, which are twenty-two letters, rise for MAN to Bina, which is ten Sefirot. In Bina, they become thirty-two discernments, the thirty-two paths of wisdom—twenty-two from ZON and ten from Bina herself—since Bina herself desires only Hassadim.

However, when ZON rise up to her for MAN, she ascends to the Rosh of AA and becomes Hochma there. At that time, she is called “The thirty two paths of wisdom [Hochma].”

Sometimes they are mingled in eight, in Bina, where there are only eight Sefirot from her own essence downwards, since she lacks Keter and Hochma, her GAR. Also, at that time she is not regarded as thirty-two paths of wisdom but only as thirty merits because she lacks Hochma. This is implied in Abraham’s words, “Suppose thirty are found there?”

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

166) Since Abraham was told of Isaac, it is written, “And the men rose up from there, and looked out.” See how the Creator leads all the people with His quality of kindness, and especially for those who follow in His ways. Even when He seeks to judge the world, He arranges those who love Him to be rewarded with something before that judgment comes to the world.

167) When the Creator loves a person, He sends him a gift. And what is the gift? Poor, so as to be rewarded by it. And when he is rewarded by it, the Creator draws upon him a string of grace that extends from the right side, spreads over his head, and registers him so that when the Din [judgment] comes to the world, that saboteur will be careful not to harm him. He looks in that list and then retreats from him and is careful with him. For this reason, the Creator first gives him something to be rewarded with.

168) When the Creator wished to execute judgment over Sodom, He first rewarded Abraham and sent him a gift—three angels by which he would be rewarded, so as to save Lot from there. It is written, “God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the upheaval.” It does not say, “Remembered Lot,” since he was saved thanks to Abraham. “Remembered” means that He remembered for him what he was initially rewarded with by the three angels.

169) One who is rewarded with righteousness with people when there is Din in the world, the Creator remembers that righteousness that he performed because at any time when a person is rewarded, it is registered so for him above. Hence, even while there is Din in the world, the Creator remembers the good that he had done and was rewarded with people, as it is written, “Righteousness delivers from death.” For this reason, the Creator first arranged for Abraham something by which to be rewarded, through which he would save Lot.

170) “And the men rose up from there,” from the meal that Abraham had fixed for them, and by whom he was rewarded. Even though the angels did not need a meal, he was still rewarded by them. And nothing was left of that food, so that Abraham would be rewarded by it. It is written, “And they ate,” for it was consumed and burned in their fire.

171) They were three angels: Gabriel is fire, Michael is water, and Raphael is wind. Thus, only Gabriel could burn the food. However, each was included in his friend, so that each had fire, water, and wind. This is why it is written about all of them, “And they ate,” for there was fire in each of them, in which the food was burned.

“And they saw God, and they ate and drank.” This eating that they ate means that they were fed by the brightness of Divinity. With their eating, they caused nourishment from that side to which Abraham was attached—right, Hassadim. This is the reason why they did not leave anything of what Abraham gave them, to extend as much Hassadim as possible.

172) A man needs to drink from a cup of blessing so that he will be rewarded with the blessing from above through his drinking. Similarly, the angels ate what Abraham had fixed for them so as to be rewarded with nourishment from the side of Abraham—light of Hassadim—through their eating, since the nourishments extend to all the upper angels from that side.

173) “And looked out” is the awakening of Rachamim to save Lot.

174) “And Abraham went with them to send them on the way,” to accompany them. If Abraham knew that they were angels, why did he accompany them? Even though he knew that they were angels, he did with them as he was accustomed to doing with people and he accompanied them because this is what a man should do, accompany the guests. This is so because the whole Mitzva [commandment] of hospitality depends on the accompanying, which is the completion of the matter, and a Mitzva is called so only for one who completed it.

175) And while he was walking with them to accompany them, the Creator appeared to him, for it is written, “And the Lord said, ‘Do I hide from Abraham that which I am doing?’” The Lord [HaVaYaH] means He and his courthouse, which is the Nukva, since the Creator was walking with them.

176) When a person accompanies his friend, he extends Divinity to bond with him and to walk with him on the way, to save him. This is why a man should accompany his guest, since it bonds him with Divinity and extends Divinity upon him, to bond with him.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

159) When Abraham was told of Isaac’s birth, the tent door, meaning Malchut, was speaking to him, as it is written, “And He said, ‘I will surely return unto you when the time comes.’” However, it did not say who was speaking. It was the tent door. Yet “And He said” is Divinity. “And Sarah heard” is the degree of the tent door, which was speaking with Abraham, which she did not hear before. Hence, when it writes, “And Sarah heard,” it is the words of the tent door, which was announcing and saying, “I will surely return unto you.”

160) See how the Creator is fond of Abraham: Isaac did not come out of him before he was circumcised. Only after he was circumcised was he told of Isaac, for then he was a seed of holiness. And before he was circumcised he was not a seed of holiness, for then he was as it is written, “Yielding seed after its kind,” for a holy kind such as Abraham.

161) Until Abraham was circumcised, his seed was not holy because it came out inside the foreskin and was attached to the foreskin below. After he was circumcised, the seed came out inside holy and clung to holiness above, and procreated above, and Abraham was adhered to his degree, Hesed. When Abraham begot Isaac, he came out holy, and these waters that are Abraham and Hesed conceived and begot darkness.

Isaac, the left line, is darkness before he clothes in Abraham’s Hassadim. By coming out of Abraham, he was clothed in his Hassadim and became light.

162) Why did the Creator call him Isaac? It should not be said that it is because she said, “God has made laughter for me” [in Hebrew: Itzhak, will laugh], for it seems that the Creator called him Isaac even before he came out to the world, before there was this reason.

163) Fire is left and Gevura. He took water, which is right and Hesed, but water comes from the side of Gevura, meaning that the left and right were mingled in each other. Then the left side became wine that delights God and people.

This is what he asked of the Levites, who extend from the left line and delight that left with musical instruments and praise that are opposite that side. Musical instruments and praise extend from the left side, too, which is why Isaac is joy and laughter, since he comes from the left side and it clung to him.

164) Isaac is joy and gladness, since he replaced water with fire and fire with water, meaning that the left and right are mingled. This is because he is left, fire, which is mingled with water—right and Hesed. At that time, every joy and gladness extend from the left. This is why the Creator called him Itzhak [Isaac] even before he came out to the world and announced Abraham.

165) The Creator allowed everyone to call names, except for Isaac. Even women would give their sons names. But here the Creator did not let his mother give him a name, but to Abraham, as it is written, “And you shall call his name Isaac,” you and no other, to replace water with fire and fire with water, meaning the inclusion of left in right and right in left, to include Isaac in his right side. This is because he imparted him with his quality, the quality of Hesed, called “water” and “right,” and received of the illumination of the left from him, meaning fire, and they were intermingled. Through this mingling, he gave him the name, Isaac, in a way that what the Creator told him, “And you shall call his name Isaac,” will make the integration with him, and by that he became the source of joy and laughter.

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

141) “And, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” It does not say, “You will have a son,” so he will not think that it would be from Hagar, as in the beginning. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.” “A son honors his father” is Isaac with respect to Abraham.

142) He honored him when he tied him at the altar and wished to offer him as sacrifice. Isaac was thirty-seven years old at the time, and Abraham was old. If he kicked him with one leg, he would not be able to stand against him. But he respected his father, and his father tied him like a sheep while he did not resist him so as to do his father’s will.

143) “And a servant [honors] his master” is Eliezer with respect to Abraham. When he sent Eliezer to Haran and did there all that Abraham wished, he honored him, as it is written, “And the Lord has blessed my master.” And it is written, “And he said: ‘I am Abraham’s servant,’” to honor Abraham.

144) Indeed, a man who brings silver and gold and gems and camels, and who is respectable and handsome, did not say that he was loved by Abraham or that he was his kin. Rather, he said, “I am Abraham’s servant,” to raise Abraham’s merit and honor in their eyes.

145) This is why it is written, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.” And you, Israel, My sons, it is a disgrace for you to say that I am your father or that you are My servants. “If I am a father, where is My honor?” This is why it is written, “And, behold… a son.” This is certainly a son, and not Ishmael. It is a son who honors his father properly.

146) “And, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” A son for Sarah, since she died for him because she heard of his tying. And for him, her soul ached until she bore him. “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son,” meaning to rise for him while the Creator is judging the world. This is because then the Creator visited Sarah, for Isaac was born in the beginning of the year. Thus, He remembered Sarah for Isaac, which is why he is a son for Sarah.

Another interpretation: “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son” because the female takes the son from the male. It turns out that the son is with the female, which is why he says, “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son.”

147) “And Sarah heard” means that when he said, “The tent door,” it is the bottom degree, the door of faith, Divinity. It is written, “And he was behind him,” which means that the upper degree, the Creator, thanked him. Since the day Sarah was in the world, she did not hear a thing from the Creator except at that time.

148) Another interpretation: Sarah was sitting at the tent door to hear what was being said, and she heard this news that Abraham was given. This is why it says, “And Sarah heard in the tent door.” “And he was behind him,” meaning that Abraham was sitting behind Divinity.

149) “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in days.” “Advanced in days” means that at that time, they came to the measure of days to which they were worthy—a hundred years for the one and ninety years for the other. And they were advanced in days, meaning in the measure of days that they should be. “Advanced in days,” meaning the day ended, evening was approaching because it was completed. Here, too, “Advanced in days” means that their days have been completed.

150) And at that time, she saw herself in another pleasure, for the manner of women had returned to her. This is why she said, “And my lord being old,” for he is unfit for begetting because he is old. And she did not say about herself, “For I am old.”

151) “Her husband is known in the gates.” The Creator rose in His honor, since He is hidden and concealed in great transcendence. There is no one, nor was there ever anyone in the world who could perceive His wisdom. Hence, none can perceive His wisdom because he is hidden and concealed and is transcended above and beyond. And all the upper ones and lower ones cannot attain Him until they all say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.”

The lower ones say that Divinity is above, as it is written, “His glory is above the heavens.” And the upper ones say that Divinity is below, as it is written, “Your glory is above all the earth.” Until all the upper and lower ones say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place” because He is unknown and there has never been anyone who could perceive Him. And you will say, “Her husband is known in the gates.”

153) “Her husband is known in the gates” is the Creator, who is known and attained by what each assumes in his heart, to the extent that he can attain by the spirit of the wisdom. Thus, according to that which one assumes in one’s heart, He is known in his heart. This is why it is written, “Known in the gates,” in those measures [the same word as “gates” in Hebrew] that each assumes in his heart. But it should be properly known that there is no one who can attain and know Him.

154) “Her husband is known in the gates.” What are gates? It is written, “Lift up your heads, O gates.” By these gates, which are high degrees, by them is the Creator known. Were it not for these gates, they would not be able to attain in Him.

155) There is no one who can know man’s soul, except by these organs of the body and those degrees of the body that disclose the actions of the soul. For this reason, the soul is known and unknown—known through the organs of the body, and unknown in its own essence. Similarly, the Creator is known and unknown, as He is a soul to a soul, a spirit to spirit, hidden and concealed from all. But one who is rewarded with these gates, the upper degrees that are doors to the soul, to him the Creator is known. Thus, He is known through the upper degrees, which are His actions, and is unknown in His own essence.

156) There is a door to a door and a degree to a degree, and from them is the glory of the Creator known. And the door of the tent is the door of Tzedek [justice], which is Malchut, as it is written, “Open to me the gates of justice.” This is the first door by which to enter in attainment. Through this door, all the other upper doors are seen, and one who is rewarded with this door is rewarded with attaining it and all the other doors with it, since they are all on it.

157) And now that the bottom door, called “The tent door” and the “door of justice,” is unknown because Israel is in exile, all the doors depart it and they cannot know and attain. But when Israel come out of exile, all the upper degrees will be on the door of Tzedek as they should.

158) And then the world will know the sublime and precious wisdom that they have never known before, as it is written, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of Hochma [wisdom] and Bina [understanding].” They are all destined to be on that bottom door, which is the tent door, Malchut, and they are all destined to be on the Messiah King to sentence the world, as it is written, “But with justice shall he judge the poor.”

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

93) After Abraham was circumcised, he was sitting and hurting, and the Creator sent him three angels openly to give him regards. How were they revealed? Who can see angels, because it is written, “He makes winds His messengers”?

94) Of course he saw them, since they came down to earth in the form of people. They were certainly holy spirits, but when they come down to the world, they clothe in air and in elements of cover and wrapping and seem to people precisely in their form.

95) Abraham saw them as in the form of people. And although he was in pain from the circumcision, he went out and ran toward them, since it was his way to welcome guests.

96) But he certainly saw them as angels, as is evident from what is written, “And the Lord [ADNI] said,” which is the name Aleph–Dalet of Divinity. Aleph Dalet is an acronym of the name ADNI, since Divinity was coming and those angels were her supports and her throne, since they are the three colors—white, red, and green—below Divinity, from her Chazeh down, regarded as being under the degree in each degree. These angels are the externality of Divinity, from the Chazeh down.

97) And he saw that they were angels because he was circumcised, which he did not see previously, before he was circumcised. In the beginning, he knew that they were men, and afterwards he knew that they were angels who came to him on a mission from the Creator when they told him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” and gave him the news of Isaac.

98) The punctuated letters in the word “Unto him” [in Hebrew] in the verse, “And they said unto him: ‘Where’” are Aleph–Yod–Vav. The sign Aleph–Yod–Vav implies to what is above; it implies to the Creator. It is about Him that they asked him, “Where.” And he said, “Behold, in the tent,” meaning he was adhered to Divinity. This is because here it is written, “Behold, in the tent,” and there, “A tent that shall not be removed.” As there it means Divinity, here it means Divinity, as well.

Since the Aleph–Yod–Vav are already punctuated in the words “Unto him,” why does it then say “Where”? It is because the joining of male and female together is faith. This is why they asked Aleph–Yod–Vav about the Creator, and “Where” about Divinity. In other words, they evoked him to unify the Creator and His Divinity. As was said, the writing says, “And he said, ‘Behold, in the tent,’” since there he connected everything—the Nukva, called “tent,” and there is the Creator.

99) But did the angels not know that Sarah was in the tent that they asked about her, “Where”? These angels know in this world only what is permitted for them to know. “For I will go through the land of Egypt,” I the Lord. But there are several emissaries and messengers to the Creator; why did He go through the land of Egypt Himself? It is because the angels cannot tell a drop of a firstborn from one that is not of a firstborn. Only the Creator knows that.

100) “And put a mark on the foreheads of the men.” Why do the angels need that sign? It is because the angels know only what is permitted for them to know, meaning all those things that the Creator is destined to bring to the world. And they know it because the Creator makes announcements through all the firmaments and announces the thing that He is destined to bring to the world, and the angels hear the announcements and know.

101) When there is a saboteur in the world, one should hide oneself in one’s home and not be seen on the street so he will not sabotage. As you say, “And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.” This is because one should hide from those angels that he can hide. But from the Creator, one does not need to hide, as it is written, “Can a man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? says the Lord.”

102) Why did they ask about her? It is because even after they had heard that she was in the tent, they did not go in there to tell her, but told Abraham while he was outside. They did not wish to convey the message to her face. Hence, when he said, “Behold, in the tent,” he immediately said, “I will certainly return,” since they did not intend Sarah to hear. Come and see, it is common manners that before Abraham invited them to eat, they told him nothing so it would not seem as though he invited them to eat because of the news. Hence, after it is written, “And they ate,” they told him the news.

103) But do angels from on high eat? Indeed, for Abraham’s honor it seemed as though they were eating, meaning they were pretending to eat. But another said that they actually ate, since they are fire that consumes fire. And it was not that they seemed as though they were eating. Everything that Abraham gave them, they ate, since they ate from Abraham’s side above.

Extending Hassadim is eating above. And Abraham is Hesed. Hence, they ate everything that he gave them from his quality, the quality of Hesed, since this is how they eat above, in heaven.

104) Everything that Abraham ate, he ate in purity. For this reason, he sacrificed before the angels and they ate. And Abraham kept purity and impurity in his home. An impure person could not even serve in his home until he gave him a Tevila [purifying bathing]—if he were only slightly impure—or made him properly keep seven days in his home if he were in grave impurity, and afterwards he gave him a Tevila.

105) It is written, “If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission,” what is his correction? “When evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water.” If some other grave impurity occurs to him, such as gonorrhea or leprosy or menstruation, meaning he has two impurities, the Tevila that he took for his emission that day before evening is insufficient. Instead, he must keep seven days and then perform Tevila again. And it makes no difference if the emission occurred to him before he received the other impurity or afterwards.

106) Abraham and Sarah were setting up Tevila for every person—he for the men and she for the women. The reason why Abraham engaged in purifying people is that he was pure and he was called “pure,” as it is written, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one,” and Abraham is pure who came out of Terah, who was unclean.

107) This is why Abraham engaged in Tevila, to correct the degree of Abraham. And his degree is water, Hassadim, for which he was made to purify all the people in the world with water. Similarly, when he invited the angels, in the beginning of his words, it is written, “Let him take some water,” to strengthen the degree where there is water, the degree of Hesed.

108) For this reason, he was purifying people from everything, purifying them from any idolatry and purifying them from the side of impurity. And as he was purifying the men, she was purifying the women. Thus, all those who came to him were purified from everything, from idolatry and from impurity.

109) Wherever Abraham lived, he planted a tree. But it did not grow properly in any place except when he lived in the land of Canaan. And by that tree he would know who was united with the Creator and who was united with idolatry.

110) When one was united with the Creator, the tree would spread its branches over him and cover his head and give him a nice shade. When one united with idolatry, the tree would lift itself from him and its branches would rise up. Then Abraham knew that he was an idolater and warned him and did not let go until he united with faith in the Creator.

111) One who is pure, that tree receives him. And one who is not pure, that tree does not receive him, and then Abraham knew that he was impure and would purify him with water.

112) There was a spring under the tree. When anyone needed Tevila, the waters would immediately rise toward him and the branches of the tree would rise. Then Abraham knew that he was impure and needed immediate Tevila, meaning that he was only slightly impure and did not need to wait seven days. And if he did not need Tevila at once, the water would dry out. Then Abraham would know that he still needs to be impure and wait for seven days.

The tree is the tree of life, ZA, the middle line. The spring beneath it is the Masach de Hirik, which became a perpetual spring, emitting the level of Hassadim by which he subdues the left line and mingles with the right. And all the prohibitions and the Sitra Achra, such as idolatry and impurity, come from the left line because they wish to give the left dominance over the right and to extend the abundance of the left from above downwards, which is the source of all the prohibitions in the world.

It turns out that within the impure who clings to the left, there is that same correction that was during the elicitation of the left line, when it was in dispute and shutting of lights until the level of Hassadim extended over the Masach de Hirik in the middle line. At that time, the Hassadim overcame the left line and it surrendered and was included in the right line.

It is the same with one who fails by the Sitra Achra and clings to the left line to extend from it from above downwards. He cannot be corrected unless by receiving the level of Hassadim from the middle line. At that time, he is integrated in the right and is pure, as was written, “What is his correction? But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself in water.” This is because he needs to return and extend the left line, and extend the sentencing of the middle line through coming in water, which is the level of Hassadim that comes out on the Masach de Hirik under the tree.

“When evening approaches” he returns and draws the illumination of the left because there is no illumination of the left in the daylight. “He shall bathe himself in water” means that he returns and draws the level Hassadim in the middle line that subdues the illumination of the left and incorporates it in the right.

It is known that there are two points in the Nukva, one is mitigated in Bina and is called Miftacha [key], and one is of the quality of Din, from Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction]. This one is unmitigated in Bina and is called Man’ula [lock]. One who is rewarded with adhering to the middle line, the point of the quality of Din is concealed for him, and the point of the quality of Rachamim [mercies] is revealed for him in the high governance. If he is rewarded, good. If he is not rewarded but clings to the domination of the left, the point of the quality of Din appears—in Nukva de Tzimtzum Aleph that was on the Malchut that is unfit for reception of direct light. And at that time, all the lights depart her. Thus, if he is not rewarded, it is bad.

For this reason, there are two kinds of impurities: one is slight impurity, such as night emission, when one clings to the left line, but not enough to reveal the point of Man’ula, as in, if he is not rewarded, it is bad. Thus, he lacks only the subjugation of the middle line through the level of Hassadim, and he goes in water and he is purified.

The second is grave impurity where by adhering to the left, the point of Man’ula has already appeared and removed all the lights from the Nukva, as in, if he is not rewarded, it is bad. At that time, he must first mitigate the Malchut in Bina in the two discernments, in Katnut and in Gadlut, which are the count of seven days.

Thus, with light impurity, the tree raises its branches and does not shade him, since he is still attached to the left line, which is his impurity. This is so because while the middle line mingles the two lines—left and right—in one another, it makes a shade that covers the GAR de GAR. Therefore, when he clings to the left line he has no shade at all, as it was written that the tree removes its branches from him. But the spring under the tree, the middle line, raises its level of Hassadim to him, which stretches over him so he would immediately come inside the water, the lines will be integrated in one another, and he will be purified.

But in the acute impurity, when the Man’ula appears on him, the waters in the spring dry out, which means that there is no Zivug on the Masach in the middle line to educe the level of Hassadim. This is so because due to the disclosure of the Man’ula, the Zivug ceases, for as long as the Man’ula is revealed in ZON, they are unfit to receive the upper light. Hence, the spring dries up until he counts the seven days and returns and mitigates the Malchut in Bina, as in, third and seventh for Katnut and for Gadlut. At that time, the Zivug on the Masach in the middle line and the spring regain their strength and then he goes in the water and purifies, for he lacks only the reception of the determining of the middle line, which comes with the Tevila.

However, this pertains only to the Masach de Hirik in the middle line of ZON. But the Masach is not obliged to mitigate in the Miftacha in the Masach de Hirik of the middle line in Bina, but the Zivug for the level of Hassadim emerges on the discernment of Man’ula. And the reason is that the Masach of the Man’ula does not act in any way to blemish above its own source, above ZON, since Tzimtzum Aleph occurred only on the Malchut herself, as well as on ZA who serves her, but not at all in Bina.

113) Even when he invited the angels, he told them, “Lean under the tree,” to see and to examine them. He examined all the people in the world in that tree. And the reason is that he said that for the Creator, who is the tree of life for all. This is why he told them, “Lean under the tree,” which is the Creator, and not under idolatry.

114) When Adam ha Rishon sinned, he sinned with the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as it is written, “but of the tree of the knowledge.” And he sinned in it and caused death to the whole world. It is written, “And now, he might reach out his hand and take from the tree of life, as well, and eat, and live forever.” And when Abraham came, he corrected the world with the other tree, the tree of life, and announced the faith to all the people in the world.

115) Rav said, “If we examine the portion, we must examine wisely. If you interpret it concerning the soul, the beginning is not as the end and the end is not as the beginning.” This means that it is hard to explain the end of the portion in regards to the soul, as well. It turns out that its end is not as its beginning, and its beginning not as its end.

And if you interpret it in regards to man’s passing from the world, we will continue in this way throughout the portion. And whether we interpret this portion one way or another, we must continue. What is the meaning of “Let him take some water, and wash your feet”? What is, “And I will fetch a piece of bread”? what is, “And Abraham rushed into the tent to Sarah”? what is, “And Abraham ran to the herd”? And what is, “And he took butter and milk”?

116) The soul found no use for the body except what he implies here of the offerings in the above mentioned verses, “Let him take some water.” And although they cancelled the offerings because the Temple was ruined, the Torah was not cancelled, and he can engage in Torah, which will do him even more good than the offerings.

118) Anyone who utters the matter of offerings and sacrifices in synagogues and seminaries and intends it, a covenant is made that those angels that mention his iniquities to harm him can only do him good.

119) And who proves it? This portion proves it to us. He said, “Three men stood opposite him.” What is “opposite”? It is to consider his judgment. Since the soul of the righteous saw it, it is written, “And Abraham hastened into the tent.” The tent is the seminary. And what did he say? “Quickly, prepare three measures,” which are the sacrifices, and the soul intends in them. And it is written, “And Abraham ran to the herd,” and then they are content and cannot harm him.

120) It is written, “And, behold, the plague was begun among the people.” And it is written, “And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘Take thy fire-pan,’” and it is written, “And the plague was stopped.” In the same manner, here it writes “quickly,” when it says that he rushes to the congregation, and there it writes, “Quickly, prepare three measures.” As it is a sacrifice to be saved there, it is a sacrifice to be saved here, as well.

121) I once met Elijah. I said, “Let my lord say a word that is good for people.” He told me, “The Creator made a covenant. When all those appointed angels come before him to mention a person’s iniquities, when people mention the sacrifices that Moses commanded and set their hearts and desire on them, all the angels mention them favorably.”

122) Elijah also told me that when there is a plague among people, a covenant is made, and an announcer declares to all the hosts of heaven that if his sons enter synagogues and seminaries in the land and wholeheartedly say the matter of the incense that was for Israel, the plague will be removed from them.

123) It is written, “And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘Take thy fire-pan,’” Aaron told him, “What for?” Moses said, “For there is wrath gone out from the Lord.” And what does it say? “And ran into the midst of the assembly… and the plague was stopped.” The damaging angel could not rule and the plague was revoked. Thus, it explains that the incense cancels the plague.

124) Rabbi Aha went to the village of Tarsha and went into a hotel there. All the town’s people talked about him and said, “A great man has come, let us go to him.” They went to him and told him, “Have you no mercy for the plague?” He said, “What is that?” They told him that for seven days now there has been a plague in the city, which is getting stronger every day without letting up.

125) He told them, “Let us go to the synagogue and ask for the Creator’s mercy.” While they were walking, people came and told them that so and so have died, and that so and so are about to die. Rabbi Aha told them, “It is not the time to stand idle, time is of the essence.”

126) “Take forty of your purest men and divide them into four parts of ten, and I am with you. Ten to this corner of the city, ten to that corner of the city, and ten to the four corners of the city. And say with your soul’s desire the matter of the incense that the Creator gave to Moses. And also, say the matter of the sacrifices with it, too.”

There is Dever [Bubonic plague] and there is a plague. Dever is if three people die within three days in a city, one at a time. This is Dever. A plague, however, is mass mortality, as was written in the portion about Korah, “Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand.”

There are two discernments in the Dinim in general: Dinim de Nukva, called “the tent door,” and male Dinim, called “In the heat of the day.” Dever extends from the Dinim de Nukva, as in, if he is not rewarded, it is bad, when the quality of Din in it appears. It requires prayer and penitence to re-mitigate it with the quality of Rachamim as it was prior to the sin. And a plague extends from the male Dinim, from the overcoming of the left line over the right. These Dinim extend from Bina, the male world, the quality of Rachamim. Hence, no prayer is required here, whose purpose is to mitigate the Nukva with the quality of Rachamim, Bina.

On the contrary, these Dinim from the quality of Rachamim come from Bina, the place of these three lines. Instead, what is needed is to raise MAN in the Masach de Hirik and to extend the middle line and include the right and left lines in each other, in Bina itself, and from there to ZON. This is done by offering the incense or by saying it with intention.

In the beginning, Rabbi Aha thought that there was Dever in the city, for which a prayer is required to bring the Nukva back to the quality of Rachamim. This is why he told them to pray. But when he heard that there were multiple deaths, when he was told that so and so have died and so and so were about to die, he saw that it was a plague, and a prayer does not help with a plague. This is because this does not require the mitigation in the quality of Rachamim. Rather, the incense is required, to reveal the middle line in it and to incorporate the lines in one another. And all this is done by the incense or by saying the portion of the incense with intention.

Four times ten men that he took with him and arranged for them to say the portion of the incense in the four corners of the city, and who did this three times, is to extend the thirteen holy attributes from Dikna de AA. This is why he circled the city three times, since three times four in the forty men is twelve, which was corresponding to the one that contains all twelve, and together they were thirteen.

127) And so they did. Afterwards, he told them, “Let us go to those who are about to die and say these verses: ‘And Moses said unto Aaron, ‘Take thy fire-pan…’ And Aaron…And he stood between the dead.’” So they did, and the plague was removed from them.

128) They heard a voice saying, “Concealment, the first concealment was mitigated above, for the Din of heaven does not abide here, since they know how to cancel it.”

Two things were meant to be corrected by saying the incense: 1) To raise MAN to the Masach de Hirik on which the level of Hassadim—the middle line—extends. 2) To extend the Zivug on the Masach de Hirik and to include the right and left lines in one another and extend GAR.

However, because of the sins of the town’s people, they raised only the Masach de Hirik, which weakens the strength of the left line, by which the male Dinim, which is the plague, were cancelled. But because of it, they came into a second concealment when they fell into a state of VAK without Rosh, since they did not reveal the Zivug on the Masach to extend the GAR. This is what that voice evoked them to, saying, “Only the first concealment, the plague, was mitigated above. Male Dinim, called ‘heaven,’ are no longer here.”

This is so because through the incense, they raised the Masach de Hirik that cancels out the male Dinim. However, for this reason, they came into the second concealment, which is VAK without a Rosh, and it is to that that the voice evoked them.

Rabbi Aha’s heart was weakened. He drowsed. He heard himself being told, “As you did this, do that. Go and tell them to repent, for they are sinners before Me.” He rose and reformed them in complete penitence, and they took it upon themselves to never abandon the Torah. They changed the name of the city and called it, “Shelter Town,” for the Creator sheltered [in Hebrew: also spared] them.

After Rabbi Aha heard the voice, his heart was weakened and he drowsed. This means that he, too, felt the departure of the Mochin. By that, he was told that he must reform them in complete penitence so they will extend the GAR by extending the Zivug on the Masach and include the lines in one another, at which time a Zivug Panim be Panim [face-to-face] extended to ZON. This is called Teshuva [penitence]—when the Hey Tashuv [will return] to the Vav. Since you brought them to VAK without a Rosh, you must instruct them to extend the GAR, as well, so they will forever cling to the middle line, called Torah.

This is so because previously it was called “The Village of Rocks,” from the term, “A field of rocks,” meaning a field that is filled with rocks and is unsuitable for sowing because its dwellers follow the left line. But now that they have clung to the middle line and extended GAR, the place has been changed and has become a shelter city, a place that the Creator shelters and imparts them with abundance.

138) “And He said, ‘I will surely return unto you.’” It should have said, “He will surely return,” since the key to visiting those who are barren is in the hands of the Creator, and not in the hands of another messenger.

139) Three keys were not given to a messenger: Chaya, revival of the dead, and rains [also corporeality in Hebrew]. Since they were not given to a messenger, why does it say, “I will surely return unto you,” which means that the angel would return when the time comes and will visit her? Instead, the Creator who stood over them said it. This is why it is written, “And He said: ‘I will surely return unto you.’”

140) Wherever it writes, “And he said,” or “And he called,” without mentioning who is saying or calling, it is the angel of the covenant, Divinity. And everything is said in the Creator because Divinity is the Creator. This is why it is written, “And He said, ‘I will surely return unto you,’” since the Creator, who has the key for the barren in His hand, will say, “I will surely return.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

45) The authority and the desire of the king, Divinity, appears in three colors—white, red, and green. These are the three colors in the eye. One color shows what is seen to the eye from afar, when the eye cannot clearly tell what it sees because it is far, until the eye receives a little bit of seeing by narrowing it. This is why it is written, “From afar the Lord appeared unto me,” which is the illumination of the middle line through the Masach de Hirik, for there is no opening for the lights without it.

46) The second color is the seeing of the eye when it is shut. This color is seen only by some shutting that it receives. Also, it is not clear vision because it is seen by shutting the eye and then opening it just a little, and then perceiving this vision. This vision requires resolution to comprehend what the eye perceived, for it is not clear. This is why it is written, “What do you see?” This is illumination of the left line from the point of Shuruk, when the lights are concealed for lack of Hassadim.

47) The third color is the radiance of the mirror. This is not seen at all except by rolling of the eye. When the eye is shut by shutting and rolled in rolling, the illuminating mirror is seen in this rolling. This is the illumination of the right line from the point of Holam. But the eye cannot remain in this third color except by seeing the illumination of the radiance by the shutting of the eye, which is the second color, mingled with the first color.

48) This is why it is written, “The hand of the Lord was upon me.” “The hand of the Lord was strong upon me,” since vision is by the shutting of the eye, which is Gevura and force. The prophets of truth attain the first two colors, with the exception of Moses, the high trustee, who was rewarded with seeing the third color, the illuminating mirror.

It is written, “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, HaVaYaH, I did not make Myself known to them.” But here it says in regards to Abraham, “And the Lord [HaVaYaH] appeared unto him.” Thus, He appeared by the name HaVaYaH to the patriarchs, as well. And he elaborates on the difference between the mirror of the prophecy of the patriarchs and the mirror of Moses’ prophecy, where even though it writes, “And HaVaYaH appeared unto him,” it is Divinity, a mirror that does not shine.

The Mochin that extend by three lines, extend from three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. The Holam is covered Hassadim, MI of Elokim. The Shuruk is ELEH of Elokim, concealed light, since it is light of Hochma without Hassadim. Until Hirik—the level of VAK—arrives and decides between them. Through its force, the two lines are included in one another, where the Holam is AVI, Shuruk is YESHSUT, and Hirik is ZA.

Divinity, which is the King’s will, appears to the prophets in three colors, called “The three colors of the eye.” It begins from below upwards, from the middle line, the point of Hirik. One color shows what the eye sees from afar, but the eye cannot clearly tell what it sees because it is far. This is so because this color is the middle line, the level of Hassadim that emerges on the Masach de [of] ZA, Behina Aleph. This level is VAK, Hassadim without Hochma, while seeing means Hochma, and it cannot see clearly because this color is far from Hochma [wisdom], and Hochma is vision.

As long as this color of the eye is included with the left line, the illumination of the point of Shuruk, the eye receives some vision there by the force of her thriftiness, since the left line is thrift with Hassadim and its Hochma cannot shine without Hassadim. Hence, according to the force of the Hassadim, where the blocking of the left line receives from the middle line in order to open its block, its Hochma shines to the middle line and the Hochma enters it, although its quality is VAK and it is far from Hochma.

It turns out that this color—of the middle line—takes scanty vision with its stringency and blocking. And he calls it, “scanty vision,” to indicate that the GAR de Hochma do not shine in her, but only VAK de Hochma. And the VAK, compared to GAR, is considered “scanty vision.” It is written, “From afar the Lord appeared unto me.” This relates to the middle line, which is remote from Hochma, as it is VAK. But because of its mingling with the left line, it is said, “From afar the Lord appeared unto me,” since vision is received specifically in the middle line, which is far. Had it not been for the middle line, vision would not have appeared at all.

He says that the second color, vision, meaning the light of Hochma in this color, is shut, since it is the left line and the illumination of Shuruk, which is blocked and does not shine for lack of Hassadim. This is why the color of Hochma in it is blocked. The color of Hochma is unseen to the eye except the little bit of blocking that he receives from the first color, which is the middle line, and does not shine clearly. This means that for lack of Hassadim, he cannot shine unless by integration with the middle line, which is VAK, to receive Hassadim from it. It turns out that he is necessarily unable to shine unless by minute shutting from the first color.

This is the reason why it does not shine clearly in GAR de Hochma, but only in VAK de Hochma, which is not as clear as the GAR de Hochma. This color, which is illumination of Shuruk and left line, shines by the shutting of the eyes. First, illumination of Hochma is drawn without Hassadim, which shuts the eye so it does not shine at all. Next, through mingling with the first color, he opens it to shine a little, meaning to illuminate in VAK de Hochma and not in GAR. At that time, she receives the measure of seeing, VAK de Hochma.

This second color is considered a dream and requires a solution because for itself, it is blocked for lack of Hassadim. For this reason, its illumination is called “light of Achoraim” [posterior], which is illumination of the dreams that are written in the Bible. It awaits a solution, the illumination of the light of Hassadim, for then, by clothing in Hassadim, the light of the dream is drawn—to exist while awake.

The illumination of Hochma that the eye received in the form of illumination of Shuruk and left line exists through the solution, which is the clothing in the light of Hassadim from the first color. And if he does not obtain the light of Hassadim from the first color, this light of the dream does not exist at all, and is not known. It is as though it never existed. For this reason, the illumination of this second kind is called “a dream,” as it does not exist at all without a solution, since it is unattainable prior to the solution.

The third color is the illumination of the point of Holam, covered Hassadim, the light of HGT de ZA, called “illuminating mirror.” However, this light is present in the eye only when the eye is shut, and shines only when the illumination of Shuruk alone shines in her. Then it is rolled in rolling on the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik, and the illumination of Holam appears in that rolling, too, which is the light of the illuminating mirror, Hassadim that are covered from Hochma.

But the eye cannot remain in that color of the point of Holam because it needs Hassadim that are revealed in Hochma. The eye sees the radiance that shines within the shutting of the eye only when it clothes the illumination of Hochma that is in the second color, which is the illumination of the point of Shuruk inside the Hassadim that it obtained. At that time, it is primarily the light of Hochma that shines in it.

Hence, it is regarded as a mirror that does not shine because the illumination of the point of Holam does not remain in it. Since it receives primarily from the first two colors—the illumination of Hirik and Shuruk—which are restricted, the Nukva is called “The hand of the Lord,” from the words Gevura and force, as it is written, “The hand of the Lord was strong upon me.” Also, the first two colors shine in a vision to the prophets of truth, meaning in a mirror that does not shine, with the exception of Moses, who was rewarded with looking up at the illumination of Holam, in what is not seen at all, meaning in the illuminating mirror.

49) “Appeared unto him” refers to Divinity appearing before him inside these degrees that connect in her—Michael to the right, Gabriel to the left, Raphael in front, and Uriel in the back. After he explains the difference between Moses’ prophecy and the prophecy of the patriarchs, he proves that the words, “Appeared unto him” means the revelation of Divinity in three colors.

“And HaVaYaH [the Lord] appeared unto him.” The name, HaVaYaH, points to the mirror that shines only in the form of bestowal upon Divinity during the rolling, since then the illuminating mirror appears, meaning HaVaYaH, while drawing the right line, the illumination of Holam. However, after the rolling it remains primarily in the two lines—middle and left—as this is why it is called a mirror that does not shine, Nukva. And when it writes HaVaYaH, it is to indicate bestowal upon the Nukva during the rolling.

There are two thrones in Atzilut: the upper throne, Bina, becomes a throne for Hochma, since Hochma appears only through her. The bottom throne is the Nukva, where Mochin de ZA appear only through the Nukva. The upper throne stands on the four legs, HGT de ZA and the Nukva. HGT de ZA are the three lines that extend in the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—that shine in the Bina, and the Nukva is the fourth leg, which receives from them and stands behind HGT de ZA.

Afterwards, when the Nukva returns to Mochin of Panim be Panim [face-to-face], she herself becomes a throne for ZA. Then her four legs are the four angels—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael extend from the three lines, HGT, the three legs of the upper throne. Hence, they are inside, like HGT that stand there inside. And Uriel stretches out from the fourth leg of the upper throne, the Nukva, which stands there in the Achoraim of HGT. Hence, the angel Uriel, too, is in the back of the Nukva, meaning within the four degrees that were connected into being the four legs in the upper throne, which are four angels in the Nukva.

Uriel is in the back, since he is the fourth leg, like the fourth leg of the upper throne, which is in Achoraim there, as well, in the four angels that carry the throne to the Zivug during the rolling of the eye. But afterwards the Nukva remains in another order, where Uriel is in front and Raphael is in the back. In this respect, the Nukva is called, “a mirror that does not shine.

This is the reason why Divinity appeared before him in these oaks, the shades of the world, to show them the first covenant, the holy Reshimo [recollection] that was in the whole world in the form of faith. This is so because there are two points to Malchut: the point of Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction], the middle point in the whole world, both from the settlements and from the wilderness, and the point of Tzimtzum Bet [second restriction], the middle point of the only the settlements, and not from the whole world.

Opposite them are two covenants, which correspond to cutting and exposing. The first covenant corresponds to the middle point of the whole world, the cutting of the foreskin. The second covenant corresponds to the point of settlement, the exposing.

The oaks of Mamre are harsh Dinim that extend from the middle point in the world. This is why Divinity appeared before him at the Oaks of Mamre, which are the shades of the whole world, corresponding to the middle point of the whole world. It is to present the first covenant before them, the cutting off of the foreskin, opposite the holy Reshimo that was in the whole world in the form of Nukva, called “faith.” This is opposite the first point that occurred in Tzimtzum Aleph, the middle one in the whole world, from which the first covenant extends—the cutting off of the foreskin.

50) “While he was sitting at the tent door.” The tent door is the place called “covenant,” which is “faith,” meaning Nukva. “In the heat of the day” is what Abraham adhered to. It is the force of the right side, his degree.

There are two kinds of Dinim:

• Dinim de Nukva, which extend from the force of Tzimtzum in her. This is the tent door.
• And male Dinim, which extend from the illumination of the point of Shuruk. This is “In the heat of the day,” when the sun, the light of Hochma, shines without the sheath of Hassadim, at which time it emits great heat, as it is written, “Do not look at me because I am swarthy, since the sun has tanned me.” This is the force of the right side, the male Gevurot, considered right.

Also, these two kinds are called Tzadik [righteous] and Tzedek [justice].

51) “The tent door” is the gate of righteousness, the door of faith, Nukva, the Dinim de Nukva. She is called “a door” because then Abraham went into that holy Reshimo of the circumcision. Had it not been for that, he would not have come under the circumcision. This is why it is called “a door.”

“In the heat of the day is considered Tzadik, a degree of connection that those who are circumcised enter it, and the holy Reshimo is registered in it, since the foreskin has been removed from it and it entered in the illumination of the two degrees, Tzadik and Tzedek, which are faith.

Tzadik and Tzedek are Yesod and Malchut. However, these two names indicate the great Zivug of ZON to disclose the Mochin of Haya. As long as there is a hold for Klipot and Dinim, this Zivug cannot appear. Accordingly, these Mochin cannot be revealed before the end of correction.

The advice for that is the circumcision. The Dinim consist of two discernments: Nukva and male, and they are opposite. Both cannot serve in the same place, since two opposites do not come in one place. Hence, by the awakening of the lower one through the commandments of the circumcision, the two kinds of Dinim are brought into one place, the upper Yesod, and they revoke each other, as is the nature of opposites, and both are cancelled. And since they have been cancelled, the Zivug of Tzadik and Tzedek immediately appears and the great Mochin are revealed.

This is the act of the circumcision. The scalpel that cuts extends from the Dinim de Nukva and the foreskin is the male Dinim. It turns out that the scalpel removes the foreskin, meaning that the Dinim de Nukva cancel out the male Dinim. And sometimes the contrary is needed, for the male Dinim to cancel out the Dinim de Nukva.

Rashi writes about the verse, “And the waterfalls of the streams,” that there were two mountains; one had dents, Dinim de Nukva, and the other had protruding breasts opposite the dents, male Dinim. And the Amorites were hiding in the dents and showered arrows over Israel from there while they were walking between the mountains. And the Creator made a miracle of bringing the two mountains so they became as one. Thus, the protrusions in one, the male Dinim, entered the dents of the other, the Dinim de Nukva, and the Amorites were crushed between them. Hence, through the arrival of the two opposites into one place, the Dinim de Nukva were cancelled because the Amorites in the dents were killed. But here in the circumcision the primary need is to cancel out the male Dinim, the foreskin. But in reality, both are cancelled.

The Dinim de Nukva are the tent. They cancel out and remove the foreskin, the male Dinim, which become a gate for Malchut’s completion, named Tzedek. This is so because by the removal of the Klipa of the foreskin by the Dinim de Nukva, Abraham entered to receive those holy Mochin that appear in a Zivug of Tzadik and Tzedek. This is why they are considered a gate.

“In the heat of the day” is Tzadik. After the Dinim de Nukva removed the foreskin so it is adhered to the Yesod, which is “In the heat of the day,” the name Tzadik appeared in it, meaning the exposing, which is made of the words Parah Koh [the Lord (Yod–Hey) exposed]. This is the degree of the great bonding of Tzadik and Tzedek that discloses the great Mochin. After all the Dinim and the Klipot were removed by the cutting, the Mochin of Yod–Hey appear in the exposing, which is Tzadik and Tzedek.

52) “Behold, three men.” These are three angels, messengers who clothe in the air and descend into this world in the form of human beings. They were three, as it is above, HGT de ZA, since the rainbow, meaning the Nukva, appears in only three colors—white, red, and green—like the colors of HGT de ZA.

53) These three people are the three colors—white, red, and green. White is Michael, right, and extends from Hesed de ZA; red is Gabriel, left, and extends from Gevura de ZA; and green is Raphael, extending from Tifferet de ZA. These are the three colors of the rainbow, without which the bow, the Nukva, is not seen. And this is why it is written, “Appeared to him,” since the revelation of Divinity is in these three colors, meaning that the words, “Behold, three men” is the explanation of the words, “And the Lord appeared to him.” “Appeared to him” means that Divinity appeared to him, and that revelation was by the revelation of the three colors on which the text concludes, “Behold, three men standing opposite him,” Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, who extend from the three lines of ZA, which extend from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik de Bina.

54) All three angels are required. One is for curing him from the circumcision, which is Raphael, who is the healer. One was to tell Sarah that she would have a son. This is Michael, since he is appointed over the right side and all the blessings and the good from the right side were given into his hands.

55) And one was for overturning Sodom. This is Gabriel, who is to the left, appointed over the Dinim in the world. This is so because Din is from the left side and the action is through the angel of death, who is the king’s captain of the guard, who executes the Dinim that were sentenced by Gabriel.

56) And all of them do their mission, each according to what befits him. Angel Gabriel goes on a mission to the holy soul, and the angel of death goes on a mission to the soul, from the evil inclination. And yet, the soul does not leave the body until she sees Divinity.

57) When Abraham saw those three angels coming together, he saw Divinity in her colors and bowed, since they are the three colors of ZA that Divinity clothes in. This is why it is written, “And bowed down to the earth.” This is similar to Jacob, who said, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed’s head,” that is, to Divinity.

58) He referred to Divinity by the name ADNI, when he said, “ADNI [My Lord], if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by,” as he turned to the Tzadik, Yesod de ZA, called “Lord.” This is so because then Divinity is called “The Lord of all the earth” because she shines from the righteous one, Lord, and shines with her colors, which stretch from the three lines of ZA, as she is completed with them above.

59) We learn from this that the lower mirror, Divinity, draws from above, from Bina, since these three colors, which are the three angels, draw the lights from above, from those high sources that are the three lines in Bina herself.

60) And because they bond with her and support her in everything, the name ADNI is said about her, since this name appeared to Abraham completely in the upper ones, in the lights of Bina. And it became openly revealed to him, which was not so before he was circumcised. Before he was circumcised, the Creator did not wish to elicit holy seed from him. But once he was circumcised, the holy seed immediately came out of him, meaning Isaac.

61) For this reason, when he was circumcised, Divinity appeared over him in these holy degrees, as it is written, “And the wise shall shine as the radiance of the firmament.” Thus, with the correction of the firmament, the Parsa, KHB TM de Atzilut were split and divided, and twelve Partzufim emerged from them.

• Keter was divided into four Partzufim: Atik and Nukva, AA and Nukva.
• Hochma and Bina were divided into four Partzufim: upper AVI and Ysrael Saba and Tevuna.
• Tifferet and Malchut were divided into four Partzufim: the great ZON and the small ZON.

Hence, these twelve Partzufim are called “The radiance of the firmament,” since they were made and came out by the force of the firmament.

• The first radiance is the radiance of those who shine in the lighting up of the radiance.
• The second radiance is the radiance that shines and glitters to several sides.

The first radiance is Partzuf Atik and the second radiance is his Nukva. Atik himself is from the unmitigated Malchut, above the firmament, which is not fissured. However, this Malchut is the root of the mitigated Malchut, and she lights the lights of Bina after they have been quenched. It is written about the importance of Partzuf Atik that his radiance shines with the lighting of the radiance. It lights the radiance of Bina, which is the root of all the Mochin, and had it not been for that lighting, there would have been no Mochin of Gadlut in Atzilut.

He adds about the importance of Partzuf Nukva de Atik that she lights and shines both in the unmitigated Malchut and in the mitigated Malchut, since she has already been established with the firmament, having been fissured. For this reason, she shines to all sides. But the Partzuf of the male Atik does not shine to all sides but only to the lighting, since he is above the firmament and he did not fissure.

And thus he elaborates on the virtues of all twelve Partzufim of Atzilut, all of which are included in ZA. And ZA bestows upon the Nukva all those holy degrees. Thus, although Abraham received only from the Nukva, he is still rewarded with all twelve upper degrees because they were all connected to the Nukva in the name ADNI in her. However, before he was circumcised, he was rewarded with receiving the speech only from the Nukva, before those twelve degrees connected to her.

62) The rising and falling radiance is Partzuf AA. This is so because the illumination of Atik cannot descend to Atzilut. The radiance shines to all discernments. This is the Nukva de AA, since AA bestows only Hochma without Hassadim, but the Nukva de AA, his Malchut, bestows Hassadim, as well. From the Rosh of AA, from Eden, Bina came out and clothed in four Partzufim: her GAR clothed in AVI and her ZAT in YESHSUT.

The never-ending radiance is the two Partzufim, upper AVI, whose Zivug is perpetual. Since GAR de Bina clothes in them, they are in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, in accord with the nature of Bina.

The radiance that produces offspring is the two Partzufim Ysrael Saba and Tevuna, whose illumination is not perpetual, although they shine in illumination of Hochma and there is no Zivug for procreation of souls without the light of Hochma; hence, they are of great merit.

63) The radiance that is hidden and concealed, the spark of all sparks. This means that his sparkling is greater than all the sparkling in the worlds and all the degrees are in him, since he contains all twelve degrees of Atzilut. He is the two Partzufim, the great Zeir and his Nukva, which together are called ZA.

He comes out and disappears, blocked and revealed, sees and does not see. When he comes out and shines, he disappears, since the illumination of ZA extends from the upper AVI, who are in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. Hence, when he comes out and shines he is also necessarily as hidden as AVI.

When he is concealed and does not shine, then he is revealed. This means that when he receives the illumination of Shuruk from Ima, Hochma, he is then disclosed. However, Hochma does not shine without Hassadim. Therefore, he is blocked and does not shine. He does not receive Hochma for himself, since he is from the discernment of GAR de Bina, but he does receive Hochma for the Nukva. This is why it is written that he sees, since the light of Hochma is called “vision.” He sees in order to bestow upon the Nukva, but for himself, he is always in covered Hassadim.

This boundary is the border in this Partzuf. A boundary means border, the origin of the pit, the Nukva de ZA. This border is the Masach erected in the Kli of Malchut on which the Zivug de Hakaa is made. The face of a man is from the Chazeh de ZON upwards. Hence, there is a place of Zivug there, and not from the Chazeh down. From the Chazeh de ZON upwards it is called “the great ZON,” and it is called ZA only. From the Chazeh de ZON downwards it is called the small ZON, and it is called Partzuf Nukva only.

The Masach in the Partzuf of a man’s face is the origin of the pit, the Nukva, since she receives only from the illumination of the Zivug in this Masach, which comes out to shine only in the day. At night, it disappears. It does not shine then and at midnight, he plays with the souls of the righteous in the Garden of Eden, who are his offspring.

64) Radiance that shines and illuminates for everyone the whole of the Torah, which is Hochma. It receives Hochma and all the colors HB TM are blocked in it, since he is Partzuf Nukva that contains two Partzufim from the Chazeh down, which are called “the small ZON.” It is known that Hochma is not received in Atzilut but in the Nukva, and she is called ADNI.

Three colors, NHY, are seen below her, and three colors above—HGT. When she rises above the Chazeh for a Zivug with ZA, she becomes a fourth to the patriarchs, and it is considered that HGT de ZA are above and NHY de ZA are below her. And only the three below her are revealed and seen in the illumination of Hochma, not the HGT above her.

Everything extends from those upper three, HGT. Even the illumination of Hochma in the three lower ones, NHY, extends from HGT. And yet, they are unseen because they do not receive Hochma for themselves. And he sparkles in twelve sparkles and lights that sparkle off him. This means that she receives from ZA all twelve degrees of the twelve Partzufim that ZA contains. And they are thirteen with the one that includes them, the Holy Name, HaVaYaH, within Ein Sof. Thus, they are twelve degrees in Atzilut, and with Ein Sof that includes them they are thirteen.

It is the same in the twelve degrees in the Nukva. They are thirteen with the Holy Name of ZA that contains them, and in which Ein Sof is clothed. The one that contains them is called HaVaYaH, and the twelve degrees in the Nukva are called ADNI.

65) When the lower radiance, the radiance of the twelve, called ADNI, connected with the upper radiance, ZA, called HaVaYaH, they became one name in which the prophets of truth attain and look into the upper radiance. This is the name HaVaYADNI, meaning HaVaYaH and ADNI combined. In it, they attain seeing the concealed things, as it is written, “As the color of electrum out of the midst of the fire.”

66) This secret, the nine points in the Torah, meaning Bina, was said unto you upper ones, the high and the good from the right side. This is the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—each of which consists of all three, hence they are nine points. They come out the Rosh [head] de AA through Malchut’s rising to Bina and they divide into Keter and Hochma, Bina, and TM. Bina and TM clothe in the letters that are ZON, and the letters travel small journeys through Bina and TM de Bina that clothe in them, meaning that the letters receive from them Mochin de Katnut [smallness], VAK without Rosh.

At the time of Gadlut [adulthood, greatness], Bina and TM de Bina that contain nine points ejects from herself these letters in whom she was clothed, and the letters expand from Bina and TM de Bina, which are called nine rulers. Thus, nine points remain whole, to move the letters, meaning to bestow Mochin upon them, which provide motion and livelihood in the letters, which are ZON.

First, the nine points that are Bina are divided into two halves. Their bottom half, Bina and TM, descended and clothed in the letters ZON, at which time these points imparted small journeys upon the letters, which means Mochin de Katnut. Afterwards, at the time of Gadlut, the bottom half of the points ejects the letters and the letters expand from them, since Bina returned to the Rosh of AA and the bottom half returned and joined with the upper half. Thus, she was once again complete with ten Sefirot in Kelim and lights, and the points could then bestow Mochin de Gadlut upon the letters, which are ZON.

They will travel only when these come out of Rosh de AA by themselves. Why should Bina come out of the Rosh and diminish into VAK, and then return to the Rosh to bestow Mochin de Gadlut upon the letters? Why does she not bestow them Mochin de Gadlut before she departs the Rosh de AA? The letters could not travel to receive Mochin for movement, except when these points exit the Rosh of AA. At that time, the bottom half descends and clothes in the letters.

67) These letters are considered Ein Sof, Malchut of the quality of Din, on whom there was Tzimtzum Aleph [the first restriction], to not receive any direct light within her. All the letters are under the shade of Ein Sof. The letters are ZA and the Nukva, which is Malchut, can say that Tzimtzum Aleph de Ein Sof lies atop her.

But ZA, on whom there was no Tzimtzum Aleph, is not under the shade of Ein Sof. This is why he says, “All the letters,” since even ZA is under the shade of Ein Sof because the root of ZA is from Tabur de AK downwards, which is the place of Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph. Hence, the letters are unfit to receive any Mochin within them. Instead, as the points travel, these blocked letters travel, too.

Due to the exit of Bina from Rosh de AA, her Bina and TM fell and clothed in letters. Hence, the letters became as one body with these Bina and TM within them. At the time of Gadlut, just as these Bina and TM return and rise and travel to the Bina, and Bina returns to Rosh de AA, the letters that clothe them travel with them. They, too, ascend and unite with the Bina and receive her lights, like her Bina and TM.

Thus, in and of themselves, the letters are unfit for traveling, for Mochin. But because half of the Kelim de Bina fell and clothed in them, they became a single body with them and they receive Mochin through the journeying of the Kelim de Bina. And although they are unfit for traveling in and of themselves, since they are the restricted Malchut, these secrets on which there are the letters—meaning the restricted Malchut—become revealed and concealed.

These are the forces of the quality of Din from the restricted Malchut. They are concealed and hidden in the letters, and only Malchut that is mitigated in Bina is revealed in them by the descent of half of Bina into them. And do not think that the forces of the restricted Malchut are hidden and concealed in a way that they never appear in them, since when they need to receive Mochin they are concealed and hidden. But sometimes they appear, when they need to elicit the middle line.

68) Nine names are engraved in ten. Because the restricted Malchut was concealed, there are only nine Sefirot in them, nine names, since the tenth, Malchut, is missing. However, he says that the nine names were engraved and ten were made out of them because the Yesod was divided into two Sefirot and two names, Adon, Shadai. The first is EKYEH, Keter, and the second is Yod Hey, Hochma. EKYEH Asher EKYEH [I am that I am] is Bina; HaVaYaH, punctuated as Elokim is YESHSUT; El is Hesed; Elokim is Gevura; HaVaYaH is Tifferet; Tzevaot [hosts] is Netzah and Hod; and Adon Shadai are both in Yesod—Adon is Ateret Yesod, and Shadai is Yesod itself.

69) These ten names are engraved according to their essence. All these names were engraved and came in the ark of the covenant, which is the name ADNI. This is what appeared to Abraham after the circumcision, meaning the name ADNI, the Nukva after she received within her all ten names, which are all the degrees in Atzilut. But before he was circumcised, he did not attain the seeing, except from the Nukva alone, without her connection with the upper degrees.

70) Michael is the name of the right, Hesed, who clings and serves the name ADNI more than the other angels. Where the name ADNI is found, Michael is there, too. When Michael departs, God, which is Nukva, departs with Shadai, which is Yesod.

71) In the beginning, there were three men, who clothed in this image of Avir [air] and were eating. Of course they ate, since their fire consumed and destroyed everything. This gave contentment to Abraham. For themselves, they are certainly fire, and this fire was covered by the image of the Avir and was unseen. And that food that they ate was scorching fire and they ate it. This gave Abraham contentment.

72) When Divinity departed, it is written, “And God went up from Abraham.” Michael promptly departed with her, as it is written, “And the two angels came to Sodom.” First it said three, and now two, which means that the angel Michael departed along with the ascent of Divinity and only two angels remained.

73) The angel that appeared before Manoah descended and clothed in the air and appeared before him. This is the angel Uriel, who did not descend among those angels who were with Abraham. Here he descended alone to tell him he would have a son.

74) And because Manoah is less important than Abraham, it does not say that he ate, for it is written, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your bread.” And it is written, “When the flame went up… the angel of the Lord ascended.” And here it writes, “And God went up from Abraham.” But in the angels, it does not say that they went up from Abraham, since with God, Michael departed, too, and Raphael and Gabriel remained, and it is written about them, “And the two angels came to Sodom,” in the evening, when Din is in the world. Afterwards, one of them departed and only Gabriel remained for the upheaval of Sodom. Lot was saved by Abraham’s merit, and hence, he, too, was rewarded with the two angels, which is why they came to him.

76) “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in His holy place?” All the people in the world do not see why they are in the world. They do not observe so as to know for what purpose they are living in the world, and the days go by and never return. And all those days that people live in this world rise and stand before the Creator, for they were all created and they are real. And how do we know that they were created? Because it is written, “The days that were created.”

77) And when the time comes to depart this world, they all approach the High King, as it is written, “As David’s days to die drew near,” and “As Israel’s days to die drew near.”

78) When a person in this world does not watch and does not consider why he is alive, but considers each day as walking in a void, when the soul departs this world, she does not know which way it is being lifted. This is so because the way up to where the illuminations of the high souls shine—the Garden of Eden—is not given to all the souls. Rather, as one draws upon himself in this world, the soul continues to walk after she departs him.

79) If that person follows the Creator and desires Him in this world, later, when he passes away from this world, he follows the Creator, too, and is given a way to rise to the place where the souls shine due to the craving that his desire followed everyday in this world.

80) Rabbi Aba said, “One day, I came across a city that was one of those that were in the east, and I was told of that wisdom that they knew since the old days. They found their books of wisdom and presented me with such a book.

81) “And the book said that according to the direction of a person’s desire in this world, he draws upon himself the spirit from above, similar to the desire that had become attached to him. If his desire aims for a sublime and holy thing, he extends upon himself that same thing from above downwards.

82) “And if his desire is to cling to the Sitra Achra, and he aims for it, he extends that thing upon himself from above downwards.” And they said that extending something from above depends primarily upon the speech, the act, and the desire to adhere. This draws from above that same side that had clung to him.”

83) And I found in the book all those deeds and worships of stars and idols, and the things that are needed to worship them, and how the desire should aim in them in order to draw them to themselves.

84) Similarly, when one wishes to adhere to the holy spirit above, it depends on the act, the speech, and on aiming the heart to that thing, so one will be able to draw it from above downwards and to adhere to it.

85) And they said that a person is pulled out when he leaves this world by what attracts him in this world; and he is attached and attracted in the world of truth to what he had been attached and attracted to in this world. If it is holiness—holiness; and if it is impurity—impurity.

86) If it is holiness, he is pulled to the side of holiness. It clings to him above and he becomes appointed as a servant, to serve before the Creator among all the angels. Also, he adheres above and stands among those holy ones, as it is written, “And I will grant you access among those who are standing here.”

87) Similarly, if he clings to impurity in this world, he is pulled to the side of impurity and becomes as one of them, adhering to them. These are called, “damagers to people,” and when one passes away from this world, he is taken and submerged in hell, that same place where the impure ones who have defiled themselves and their spirits and then clung to them are judged. And he becomes a damager, as one of those damagers of the world.

88) I told them, “My sons, the words in the book are close to words of Torah. But you must stay away from these books lest they will divert your hearts to these works and to all those sides it mentions here. You might stray from the work of the Creator.”

89) This is so because all those books mislead people, since the sons of the east were wise and inherited this wisdom from Abraham, who gave to the sons of the maidservants, as it is written, ‘But unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts,’ and afterwards they were drawn in this wisdom to several directions.

90) But the seed of Isaac, the share of Jacob, is not so, as it is written, “And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.” This is the holy share of the faith to which Abraham adhered, and it is from this lot and from this side that Jacob came. It is written about it, “And behold, the Lord stood above him,” and it is written, “But you… My servant, Jacob.” For this reason, one must take after the Creator and always adhere to Him, as it is written, “And to Him shall you cling.”

91) It is written, “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord?” It is also written, “He who has clean hands,” who did not make a statute and whose hands were not made coarse by what he does not need. His hands were not defiled and he did not defile the body with them, such as those who defile themselves with their hands. And it is written, “And a pure heart,” meaning one who did not extend his desire and his heart toward the Sitra Achra, but followed the work of the Creator.

92) “Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood.” It writes, “His soul,” but it is read, “My soul.” This is the soul of David, the side of faith, Nukva de ZA. His soul is the soul of a real person, and this is the difference between the text and the reading. Thus, when a person passes away from this world and his soul departs with good deeds, she will be rewarded for them with walking among all those holy ones, as it is written, “I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living.” Hence, he says, “Because he has not lifted up my soul to falsehood, he will be blessed by the Lord.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

32) When the great Rabbi Eliezer became ill and was about to die, it was the eve of the Sabbath. He had Hyrcanus, his son, sit on his right, and disclosed before him profound and hidden things. At first, Hyrcanus did not learn from him wholeheartedly because he thought that his mind was not fully lucid. But once he saw that his father’s mind was clear, he received from him 189 sublime secrets.

33) When he reached the secret of the marble stones that mix with the high waters, Rabbi Eliezer wept and stopped speaking. He said, “Arise and go there, my son.” He told him, “Why?” And he replied, “I see that I will soon pass away.” He told him, “Go and tell your mother to move my Tefillin to a high place,” which hints to her of his departure, “And when I depart and come here to see them,” meaning the family, “They should not cry, for they are with me, near and high, and not lowly. And the human mind cannot attain it.”

34) While they were sitting, the greatest sages of the generation came in to visit him and he cursed them for not coming to him to serve him, as it is said, “Its service is greater than its study.” In the meantime, Rabbi Akiva came. He told him, “Akiva, Akiva, why have you not come to serve me?” He replied, “I did not have free time.” He was angered and said, “I wonder if you will die a natural death.” He cursed him that his death would be harsher than anyone’s. In other words, he also cursed the rest of the sages who did not come to serve him that they would not die a natural death, and said that Rabbi Akiva’s death would be the harshest.

35) Rabbi Akiva wept and told him, “Rabbi, teach me Torah.” Rabbi Eliezer began to speak of Maase Merkava [functioning of the system]. Fire came and encircled the two of them. The sages said, “This means that we are unworthy of hearing his teaching now.” They went out the door and sat there. Whatever happened happened, and the fire was gone.

36) He taught 300 decided rules in clarity as bright as snow; he taught him 216 reasons for the verses in the Song of Songs, and Rabbi Akiva’s eyes were shedding water, and the fire encircled them as before. When he reached the verse, “Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick,” Rabbi Akiva could not bear it anymore and wept aloud, and lowed like an ox. He could not speak for fear that Divinity was there.

37) He taught him every profound and sublime secret in the Song of Songs and adjured him to not use any verse in it, so the Creator will not destroy the world because of him, since He has no desire for people to use it because of the great sanctity in it. Afterwards, Rabbi Akiva went out sobbing and his eyes were shedding water. He said, “Woe my teacher, woe my teacher, the world will be orphaned from you.” The rest of the sages entered and asked him, and he replied with words of Torah.

38) It became pressing for Rabbi Eliezer. He raised his arms, placed them on his heart, and said, “Woe unto the world. The upper world has once again removed and hidden every light and every illumination from the bottom world, as it was prior to his coming to the world. Woe unto you two arms, woe unto you two laws, for you will be forgotten from the world this day.” And The Zohar concludes about it and says, “Rabbi Isaac said that in all of Rabbi Eliezer’s days, the law was shining from his mouth as on the day when it was given on Mount Sinai.”

39) Rabbi Eliezer said, “I have learned Torah and I have grasped wisdom and have done services to sages that even if all the people in the world were authors, they would not suffice to write them. And my disciples did not lack from my wisdom but as a brush in the eye,” meaning as the drop that the eye sheds for the drop off the brush that enters it. “And did not lack from the wisdom of my teachers but as one who drinks in the sea.”

And The Zohar concludes that he said that only to praise his masters more than himself. In other words, his saying that he lacked from his teachers as one who drinks in the sea is more than a brush in a tube, which he said about his disciples, meaning it was to praise his masters more than himself.

40) They asked him about the rule of the sandal of the levirate marriage, if it accepts impurity, until he passed away and said, “Pure.” And Rabbi Akiva was not there at the time of his passing. At the end of the Sabbath, they found Rabbi Akiva dead. He tore his clothes and scraped his flesh, and blood was pouring down his beard, and he was yelling and crying. He came out and said, “Heaven, heaven, say unto the sun and the moon that the light that shone more than them has darkened.”

41) When the soul of a righteous wishes to depart the body, she is glad because the righteous is confident that upon his death he will receive his reward. It is written about that, “And when he saw… he ran… to meet them,” opposite the three angels that came with Divinity to receive his soul, glad to greet the angels. From which place does he greet them? From the tent door, as it is written, “And bowed himself to the earth,” to Divinity. In other words, the soul bowed down to Divinity who came to her.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)

1) It is written, “The buds appear on the earth.” When the Creator created the world, He placed in the earth all the power it deserves, but it did not bear fruit until man was created. When man was created, everything appeared in the world and the land revealed the fruits and forces that were deposited in it. And then it was said, “The buds appear on the earth.”

2) Similarly, the heaven did not endow the earth with force until man came, as it is written, “No shrub of the field was yet in the earth… for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth.” Thus, all these offshoots were not revealed in it and the heavens halted and did not pour rain upon the earth since man was absent, for he has not yet been found and created. Thus, everything was delayed from appearing because of him. When man appeared, the buds immediately appeared in the land and the hidden forces appeared and were placed in it.

3) “The time for singing [in Hebrew it also means pruning] has arrived,” for the midnight correction has been corrected, of song and praises, to sing before the Creator. This did not exist prior to man’s creation. “And the voice of the turtledove was heard in our land.” This is the speaking of the Creator, who was not present in the world prior to man’s creation. When man was present, everything was present.

4) After he sinned, everything departed from the world and the land was cursed, as it is written, “Cursed is the ground because of you.” It is also written, “When you till the land,” and also, “Thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.”

5) Noah came to the world and established axes and files in the world, meaning built tools for tilling the land. This is why it is written about him, “This one shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands,” because he will give us tools and will rid us of the toil of our hands, which was our share thus far. And afterwards, “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered in his tent.” And then the people of the world came, sinned before the Creator, and the forces of the earth withdrew as in the beginning. This means that all of Noah’s corrections were cancelled until the arrival of Abraham.

6) When Abraham came, the buds promptly appeared in the land, for all the forces of the earth were corrected and appeared. “The time of pruning has arrived,” when the Creator told him to circumcise himself. Pruning means cutting off, cutting off the foreskin. Since it was time for that covenant to be in Abraham, who was circumcised, the verse, “The buds appeared,” came true in him and the world existed. Then the Creator’s speech revealed before him, as it is written, “And the Lord appeared unto him,” after he was circumcised.

7) Before Abraham was circumcised the Creator did not speak to him, except from an inferior degree called from the Chazeh, the Nukva while she is still in illumination of the left. It is written, “The Lord spoke unto Abram in a vision” [“vision” contains the word Chazeh in Hebrew]. And the upper degrees of ZA did not join the degree of Nukva. Since he was circumcised, the buds, the lower degrees, immediately appeared in the land, meaning the bottom degree, called “from the Chazeh,” educed and corrected them so that all the upper degrees would bond in her.

Like the two lines—right and left—in YESHSUT, they do not mate and integrate in one another unless through the level of Hassadim that emerges on the MAN de [of] ZA, which determines between them and integrates them in one another. Once ZON rise to YESHSUT to receive Mochin from them, they become a right line there and the Nukva becomes the left line. Then they separate from one another as do the two lines—right and left—until MAN rises to them through the souls of the righteous and the level of Hassadim emerges on these MAN of the righteous and mates the ZA and Nukva. And when ZON separate from one another, the Nukva is called “vision” because the translation of seeing is vision and a translated word in the Bible indicates Mochin de Achoraim, and these Mochin of the left line in the Nukva prior to the Zivug with ZA are Mochin de Achoraim.

And before Abraham raised MAN to ZON in the Mitzva [commandment] of the circumcision, ZA was not in a Zivug with the Nukva and they were separated from each other because ZA is in the right line and Nukva is in the left line and they are disputed with each other. Since he raised MAN through the Mitzva of the circumcision, the buds immediately appeared in the land, meaning the Masach on which the Zivug de Hakaa was made, which elicits the level of Hassadim in the middle line, subduing and uniting the two lines—right and left—with one another. And these discernments of the Masach are called “buds” because they appeared in the land, in the Nukva, by the force of the MAN, the Mitzva of circumcision. These forces emerged and appeared in the Nukva and she corrected herself through them with a Masach that is ready for a Zivug, to educe the level of Hassadim that copulates her with the ZON.

8) “The time of pruning has arrived,” the time of cutting off the bad branches has come, the branches of the foreskin, since this Klipa [shell] governed before he was circumcised. It was as it is written, “A quarrelsome man spreads strife.” “And the voice of the turtledove was heard in our land” is the voice that come out of the one that is the most internal, the voice, ZA. The most internal of all is Ima, from whom ZA was emanated and emerged. And that voice, ZA, is heard in our land, which is the Nukva. Thus, ZA mated with the Nukva through the MAN from the Mitzva of circumcision, and this is the voice that cuts the word into speech, that has “a cutting of speech” [accent] and makes her perfection. ZA is called “voice” and Nukva is called “speech.” And he says that ZA corrects the Nukva and makes her utterly perfect.

9) As long as Abraham was not circumcised, the degree of the Nukva was upon him. When he was circumcised, “The Lord appeared unto him.”

10) “And the Lord appeared unto him,” meaning he appeared to that degree that was speaking to him. In other words, ZA, which is HaVaYaH, appeared to him, to the Nukva. This did not happen before he was circumcised because then she was separated from ZA. And now the voice, ZA, appeared and joined with the speech, the Nukva, when he spoke unto Abraham. Now Abraham receives from the Zivug of ZON and has become a Merkava [assembly] for both of them. This is why it writes here, “And the Lord appeared unto him,” indicating the Zivug of ZON together.

11) “While he was sitting at the tent door.” He means Nukva. Sitting at the tent door means becoming an opening for all the degrees. The tent comes from the words, “Come and see.” “And the Lord appeared unto him” means that the voice, ZA, was heard and joined with speech, which is Malchut, and appeared in it.

12) “While he was sitting at the tent door.” He means the upper world, Ima, which is poised to shine over him, on the Nukva, called “The tent door,” meaning she has become an opening for the lights. “In the heat of the day” means that the right, Hesed—the degree to which Abraham joined—illuminated.

Another interpretation: “In the heat of the day” means that when one degree comes near another degree with desire, ZA to Nukva, it is said about them, “In the heat of the day.”

13) Until Abraham was circumcised, he was blocked. He could not receive the upper lights. When he was circumcised everything appeared, meaning all the lights appeared to him, since his blockade was opened and Divinity was upon him in whole.

“While he was sitting at the tent door.” He means the upper world, Bina, being in the lower world, the Nukva. “In the heat of the day,” when the desire of one righteous, Yesod de ZA, is to be in the lower world, Nukva. This means that when there is Zivug of ZON, the Mochin of Bina are in the Nukva.

14) Promptly, “He lifted up his eyes,” immediately following the Zivug of ZON, “He lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him,” Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—Hesed, Gevura, and Tifferet de ZA, standing on the same degree, the Nukva, from whom she nourishes and feeds.

15) Then, “When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them,” since the desire of the lower degree, Nukva, is to bond with the HGT, and her joy is to follow them. Hence, “He saw” and “He ran” refers to the Nukva, who wished to bond with them. “And bowed himself to the earth,” to be corrected and become a throne for them, for the Nukva to be a throne for HGT de ZA, so they will be over her like a man sitting on a chair.

16) The Creator made King David, the Nukva, into one of the legs of the upper throne, like the patriarchs. The upper throne is Bina; the patriarchs, HGT, are the three legs of the throne. ZA established the Nukva, called King David, to be as the fourth leg of the throne. Thus, the Nukva is at the same degree as the patriarchs, HGT, since she has been established as a leg of the throne, like them.

And although she is a throne to the patriarchs, how was she established at the same degree with the patriarchs, to complete the four legs of the throne? This was only while she joined them into being one leg, established in the upper throne. From there, King David received kingship over Israel in Hebron for seven years, to bond with HGT.

First, the Nukva is built in the two great lights, at the same level with ZA and behind him. At that time, both use the same crown, Bina—ZA receiving the right and Nukva, the left side of Bina. At this time, ZON are considered her four legs and she is called the “upper throne.” HGT de ZA are the three legs of the throne and the Nukva is the fourth leg. Thus, they are both equal.

However, these Mochin are considered only Mochin de Achoraim for the Nukva. To be built in Mochin de Panim [anterior Mochin], she wanes in the form of the small light and can then receive Mochin de Panim from ZA. In that respect, she becomes a throne to ZA, below it, in a way that there are two times for the Nukva: first at the same level with ZA, and then she wanes and becomes smaller than him.

During the time of Mochin de Panim, she is smaller than him and is regarded as a throne to HGT de ZA. But at the time of Mochin de Achoraim [posterior Mochin], when she joins with HGT de ZA at the same level, she is then one leg, equally established in the upper throne with HGT de ZA. This is so because then they are both equal in the upper throne, which is Bina.

Had Nukva not received the Mochin de Achoraim in the form of the two great lights to begin with, she would not have been able to receive the Mochin de Panim afterwards. Malchut of Hebron is Mochin de Achoraim and Malchut of the whole of Israel is Mochin de Panim. Had David not received the Malchut of Hebron first, which are the Mochin de Achoraim, he would not have been worthy of receiving the Malchut of the whole of Israel at all, which are the Mochin de Panim. This is because first, she needs to connect at an equal level with the HGT from the Achoraim. Without that, Malchut would not be able to receive completion, which is Mochin de Panim.

17) “And the Lord appeared unto him by the Oaks of Mamre,” and not in some other place because Mamre gave him an advice about the circumcision. When the Creator told Abraham to circumcise himself, Abraham went to consult his friends. Aner told him, “You are over ninety years old; you will torment yourself.”

18) Marme told him, “Remember the day when the Chaldees threw you in the furnace, and that famine that the world endured, as it is written, ‘And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt,’ and those kings that your men chased and which you struck. The Creator saved you from all of them and none could harm you. Rise up and do as your Master commands.” The Creator said to Mamre, “You advised him in favor of the circumcision, thus, I will appear only in your abode, in Oaks of Mamre.”

19) When a man sleeps at night, his soul rises from the earth to the firmament and stands in that high radiance that we said, and the Creator visits her.

20) Each soul of a righteous, since she stands in the place of His glory, is worthy of receiving illumination of Hochma, standing, and she is worthy of sitting with her, meaning receiving the clothing of Hassadim, which is sitting. The Creator, ZA, called upon the patriarchs, HGT, His three lines, and told them, “Go visit so and so, the righteous who arrived, and greet him on My behalf, meaning that the three lines will bestow upon her the illumination of the Zivug called “greeting.” “On My behalf” is the Nukva, and they say, “God almighty, he is not worthy of the father going to see his son. The son should see and behold and come to meet his father.”

In the beginning, ZA illuminated for the soul the illumination of the right line, called “Abraham,” Holam. Afterwards he illuminated for her the illumination of the left line, called “Isaac,” Shuruk, and a division between the two lines occurred. Then the soul was blocked and the illumination of the two lines departed from the soul and they returned to ZA, since she was blocked and cannot receive from him. The soul should raise MAN from the Masach de Hirik and then the middle line, Jacob, will awaken. At that time the soul will be able to receive our illumination.

21) And the Creator calls Jacob and tells him, “You, who suffered raising sons, go and greet so and so, the righteous who came here, and I will go with you.” This is the meaning of “That seek your face, even Jacob. Selah,” referring to the souls of the righteous that Jacob the patriarch would greet, and they sought his face.

Jacob is the middle line. Sons is the birth of Mochin. The affliction of the son is the Masach de Hirik that diminishes the level from GAR to VAK and thus causes sorrow. But it is impossible to bear sons that are Mochin, except with that Masach.

After the soul raised MAN to Jacob, meaning he attracted the Masach de Hirik on which the middle line—which is Jacob—emerges, she told him, “Your way is to extend Mochin on the Masach de Hirik; make this Zivug for the soul.”

Panim is Hochma. Greeting [The Hebrew writes, “reception of face”] is clothing of Hochma in Hassadim. And eliciting the level of Hassadim and clothing Hochma in Hassadim is called “greeting.”

22) Jacob the patriarch is the throne of glory. The Creator made a covenant only with Jacob, more than the making of covenants with all his fathers. He made that throne for His dwelling only from the first ones because the first ones, who are Abraham and Isaac, cannot shine without him. This is why he includes their illumination in himself and becomes a throne in and of itself.

23) “[He will make them] inherit the throne of glory.” This is Jacob the patriarch, who made that throne in itself, to receive the Torah for the souls of the righteous. And the meaning of the words is “The throne of glory,” meaning the law of Jacob, who became the throne, will inherit them to the souls of the righteous.

24) The Creator walks with Jacob every beginning of the month. When the soul sees the glory of the mirror, which is the Divinity of her Maker, the soul blesses and bows before the Creator, as it is written, “Bless [the Lord] my soul.”

25) The Creator stands over the soul and the soul opens and says, “O Lord my God, You are very great” She praises the Creator for the body that remains in this world, too, and says, “Bless the Lord, my soul; and all that is within me,” indicating to the body. Thus, first the soul praises the Creator for her own attainment and then she says, “Bless the Lord, my soul, O Lord my God, You are very great.” Afterwards she praises Him for the body, too, for the splendor of the soul extends downwards and shines to the body. Then she says, “Bless the Lord, my soul; and all that is within me.”

26) And the Creator walks with Jacob, as it is written, “And the Lord appeared unto him by the Oaks of Mamre,” and Jacob is called “Mamre.” The name “Mamre” is because Jacob inherited 200 worlds from Eden, and he is a throne, for he became a throne in and of itself. Mamre is 281 in Gematria, hence the 200 of Eden that Jacob was awarded, as it is written, “And two hundred are for those who keep its fruit.” Eighty-one, in Gematria, is a chair, thus 281 in Gematria are Mamre. 200 worlds from Eden is the Hochma, called “Eden,” and the chair is for the Hassadim that clothe the Hochma. This is why it is said, “And the Lord appeared unto him by the Oaks of Mamre,” and this is the reason why Jacob is called “Mamre,” for he contains Eden and throne, which are the name Mamre. Hence, “And the Lord appeared unto him.”

27) “By the Oaks of Mamre.” Oaks means mighty and strong, and Mamre is Jacob, as it is written, “the Mighty One of Jacob.” “While he was sitting at the tent door, as it is written, “Lord, who will dwell in Your tent?” In other words, the tent door is illumination of the right line, covered Hassadim, illumination of the point of Holam, MI of Elokim, implied in “Who will dwell in Your tent?” in the word MI [who].

“In the heat of the day,” as it is written, “But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings.” This refers to the illumination of the left line, the illumination of the point of Shuruk, ELEH of Elokim, illumination of Hochma without Hassadim, called “The coming out of the sun from its sheath, since the light of Hochma shines only in a sheath of Hassadim. And when it shines without Hassadim, it burns, as it is written, “In the heat of the day.”

At that time the wicked are sentenced in it, but the righteous are healed by it, since they disclose MAN and extend Hassadim to clothe the Hochma. This is what The Zohar implies in its interpretation of “In the heat of the day,” in the verse, “But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings.” This teaches us that this light of the sun heals only in its wings, in the clothing of Hassadim that cover the force of the sun like wings. And before the arrival of the wings from the middle line, it is “In the heat of the day,” and at that time it burns.

28) At the time when the soul is “In the heat of the day,” the Creator, ZA, goes to bestow upon the soul. This means that He walks from place to place, in three places. He also walks from the tent door—the hidden Hassadim, in the form of MI, right line—to “In the heat of the day,” ELEH, meaning left line, and afterwards to Jacob’s place, the middle line.

Since the patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac, heard that the Creator, ZA, is going to the soul, they sensed that the soul was in a state of “In the heat of the day,” that she needed a place for clothing the Hassadim. Hence, they asked Jacob to go with them and greet the soul, meaning to extend over his Masach de Hirik, the level of Hassadim that determines between Abraham and Isaac, at which time the Hochma clothes in Hassadim, which is peace [also greeting in Hebrew]. It is called “peace” because prior to the determining of the level of Hassadim, the two lines are disputed. But through the level of Hassadim, the middle line, peace is made between them.

29) And Abraham and Isaac were standing over the soul after Jacob imparted the Hassadim as a greeting, and shone upon her the two lines—Abraham and Isaac—as well, as it is written, “And he lifted up his eyes,” meaning the soul, “And looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him.” The three men are the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—standing opposite him and seeing the good deeds that the soul has done, meaning they see the MAN of the soul and impart her with Mayin Duchrin [Aramaic: male water].

“And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth,” since she saw the presence of His glory with them, as it is written, “Your oils are good for fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; therefore the maidens love you.” Fragrance is the MAN that the soul raises, to extend Jacob’s illumination of peace, the level of Hassadim, when the level of Hassadim is clothed. Hence, “Your oils are good,” since the Mochin are received as good oil.

“Purified oil” means “In the heat of the day,” when the two lines depart the soul and cannot shine. At that time, it is considered that the oil, the Mochin, is emptied from the soul, the illumination of the point of Shuruk. However, afterwards, at the coming of Hassadim from Jacob, the illumination of Hochma is obtained from that point of Shuruk. Thus, “Like purified oil” means that during the illumination of the point of Shuruk, Your name is attained, the revelation of Divinity, the name of the Creator.

And yet, the soul’s only craving is to draw the Hassadim of the right line, MI. This is why the verse ends, “Therefore the maidens love you,” meaning the concealed Hassadim from MI, GAR de Bina, from which the souls particularly like to draw. This is what is explained in the words, “When he saw,” meaning the revelation of Divinity through the illumination of Shuruk after it clothes in Hassadim. At that time, he ran to meet them, to receive from the tent door, MI, as it is written, “Therefore the maidens love you,” meaning the Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, which are called “maidens” that the souls love.

30) “And the Lord appeared unto him by the Oaks of Mamre” speaks of the time of a person’s demise.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Vayera – click)