Autor: arhiprofesor

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130) Because the souls are offspring of the Creator, each night, the souls of the righteous rise to the Garden of Eden. When half the night is through, the Creator comes to the Garden of Eden to play with them—with both the souls of the living and with the souls of the dead, those that He places in the world of truth, and those that He places in this world. The Creator plays with all of them at midnight in the Garden of Eden. This is so because not only the souls of the diseased rise for MAN each night. Even the souls of the living rise for MAN and for entertainment each night, as well.

131) The upper world needed awakening from the lower world. When the souls of the righteous depart from this world and rise to the Garden of Eden, they all clothe the upper light in a precious way. The Creator plays with them and yearns for them, for they are the fruit of His deeds. This is the reason why Israel are called “The sons of the Creator,” since they have holy souls, as it is written, “You are the sons of the Lord your God,” since souls are sons, the fruit of the Creator’s actions.

The upper world, the Nukva, is called “night.” Her wholeness from the side of the left line appears from midnight onward, from Chazeh of the Nukva and below, as it is written, “She rises while it is still night.” However, since the illumination of the left is Hochma without Hassadim, it is still night because the light of Hochma cannot shine without clothing of Hassadim. This is why it is written that the upper world requires an awakening from the lower world.

The upper world—Nukva, Hochma without Hassadim—cannot shine and needs an awakening—raising MAN from the lower world, from this world, from the souls—to raise MAN to her. The level of Hassadim comes out on these MAN and discloses the middle line, the Creator, who decides and dresses the Hochma in light of Hassadim.

When the souls of the righteous depart from this world and rise to the Garden of Eden, the Nukva, they raise MAN and reveal the middle line in her, meaning the Creator, who decides and dresses the Hochma in Hassadim. This clothing of Hassadim is called “precious garments,” and this is why it is written that they all clothe in the upper light in a precious way, since the measure of the lower one is rewarded with the amount of light it causes in the upper one, as well. Hence, since the souls caused a precious garment of Hassadim to the Nukva, they, too, are rewarded with it and wear that special clothing.

Also, the Creator plays with them and yearns for them because the Creator is the middle line. By the souls’ raising of MAN, He approaches the Nukva, the Garden of Eden, and complements her in the middle line. Hence, He plays with those souls and yearns for them, for they are the fruit of His deeds, since they are offspring of the Creator. This is why Israel are called “sons,” as it is written, “You are the sons of the Lord your God.”

132) He even plays with the souls in this world, since at midnight, all those true righteous awaken to read in the Torah and to sound the praises of the Torah. And the Creator and all those righteous in the Garden of Eden listen to their voices. And a thread of grace stretches over them during the day, meaning that by the MAN that they raise through the Torah and the praises, the middle line—the light of Hassadim—extends to the Nukva. And since they caused that light, they are rewarded with the same amount they have induced in the Nukva. This is the meaning of, “By day the Lord will command His mercy, and in the night His song shall be with me,” for because of the singing at night, one is rewarded with His mercy during the day.

133) Hence, the praises that rise before the Creator at night are complete praises. When Israel were confined to their homes, while the Creator was killing the firstborn of Egypt, they were saying praises and glorifying the Creator.

134) King David would rise at midnight. He would not sit or lie in bed and say the songs and praises, but as it is written, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto You.” “Rise” indeed; he would engage in songs and praises of the Torah while standing up.

Mochin de NHY in the light of Nefesh are called “lying down,” when the one who lies down has no degree. Mochin de VAK are called “sitting,” since the NHY of the one who sits are folded under him. At that time, he is lacking NHY de Kelim and GAR of lights. Mochin de GAR are called “standing up,” since then all three parts of man’s level are upright: Rosh, Toch, and Sof. In these Mochin de GAR, which are considered standing, he engaged in singing and praising before the Creator, meaning that his level was at its full Gadlut.

135) Because he engaged in songs and praises in Mochin de GAR—which is standing, the light of Haya—King David lives forever. Even in the days of the Messiah King, he is the king. The Messiah King, if he is to be from among the living, his name will be David. And if he is from among the souls of the dead, who will be revived, his name will be David. He was awakening the dawn before it came, as it is written, “Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.” Thus, he would always rise to engage in Torah before the rise of dawn.

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114) “And it came to pass, when Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman.” He brought her into Egypt in a box, and the Egyptians opened the box to charge taxes on it. In other words, after he extended the Mochin de Hochma to Sarah, he raised the Mochin from the Chazeh of ZON and above once more, where the Hassadim are covered from Hochma, so it would be kept from the Egyptians. This is why it is called “a box,” since its letters in reversed order spell “the house” [in Hebrew].

However, the Egyptians opened the box to bring it back to being a house, as it is written, “And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house,” to charge taxes. This means that they opened it to extend the illumination of Hochma in it from above downwards because they had permission to receive it as taxes because she was in their country. When the box was opened, the light was as the light of the sun, the light of Sarah, the light of the moon that is as great as the light of the sun, as in, “The two great lights.” It is written about it, “That she was very fair.”

115) “The Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.” It writes, “Very,” since the Egyptians saw a different light in the box, the light of the covered Hassadim. They took her out of the box and extended the light from above downwards in the form of a house and saw that she was as beautiful as in the beginning, as she was inside the box. In other words, the act of Egypt did not blemish her and her beauty remained as she was in the box.

And Pharaoh’s ministers saw her means that they took her out of the box, meaning the light of Hochma that was hidden in her. They extended from above downwards as in “a house,” and saw her maintaining her beauty as in the beginning when she was in the box. Then, “And praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”

The Egyptians opened the box and saw Sarah while she was still in the box, that her light was as the light of the sun. The ministers of Pharaoh who took her out of the box, saw her maintaining her beauty as before while she was still in the box. Hence, there are two sightings here—that of the Egyptians and that of the ministers of Pharaoh.

116) Woe unto the wicked of the world who do not know and do not look to understand that all that there is in the world is from the Creator, that He alone did, does, and will do all the deeds in the world. He knows in advance all that will unfold in the end, as it is written, “Declaring the end from the beginning.” And He watches and does things in the beginning in order to repeat them and to do them perfectly after some time.

117) Had Sarai not been taken to Pharaoh, Pharaoh would not have been stricken. And this striking caused the latter striking—that the Egyptians were stricken with great plagues upon Israel’s exit from Egypt. Here it writes, “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh … with great plagues,” and there, in Israel’s exit from Egypt, it writes, “And the Lord showed great signs and wonders.” There it is the ten plagues, and here, too, Pharaoh was struck ten blows. And as the Creator performed miracles and mighty deeds for Israel at night, here, too, the Creator performed miracles and mighty deeds at night. Thus, when He struck Pharaoh over Sarah, He was watching and looking to repeat them and do them in full after some time, upon Israel’s exit from Egypt.

The Kelim and the sparks of the Moach de Hochma of Adam ha Rishon, which fell off him due to the sin of the tree of knowledge and were handed over to the Klipot, were given to the Egyptians. This is Egypt’s wisdom. When Israel sort all those Kelim out of them and bring them back to Kedusha [holiness], it will be said, “And I will destroy Egypt’s wisdom.” However, that scrutiny cannot be done except through the Egyptians themselves and not by the servants of the Creator, since they cannot be sorted into Kedusha unless they draw into them the upper light from above downwards.

As they were blemished by the extension of light from above downwards, which is the prohibition of the tree of knowledge, so should their purification be from the Klipot—by extension of the light to them from above downwards. It is written about it, “Every thing that comes by fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean.” This is so because the Kelim will not eject the swallowing of impurity, which is the filth of the serpent that was swallowed in them in the sin of the tree of knowledge, unless they qualify them in the same way that they swallowed what was forbidden—by extension of light from above downwards, which is the sin of the tree of knowledge.

Hence, this cannot be done unless by the Egyptians themselves, to which the sin of the tree of knowledge and its filth are attached. They scrutinize the Kelim and give them to Israel, as it is written, “The wicked shall prepare, and the righteous shall wear.”

Two actions are required for the Kelim to be handed over to Israel: 1) Coercion—the Creator forces them through blows and suffering until they hand them over to Israel. 2) The giving itself should be their own decision and of their own will.

It is written about it, “And the Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And they exploited the Egyptians.” But Israel could not exploit the Egyptians unless by being favored in the eyes of the Egyptians. This is the reason why the Creator did not bring Israel out of Egypt against Pharaoh’s will, but commanded him, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me,” specifically with his consent.

Indeed so it was after the plague of the first born, as it is said, “And Pharaoh rose up in the night … and said, ‘Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said.’” Thus, these Kelim and sparks are given to Israel from the Egyptians only of their own decision and of their own will. This is the reason why Pharaoh had to rise at night and tell Israel his decision and his will, “Rise up, get out from among my people.” With these words, he handed over to them the Kelim of his own decision and his own will.

These Mochin, which are the degree of the light of Haya, are completed in three times, three discernments of Mochin:

4. By a test, as with Abraham, who was not ordered by the Creator to go down to Egypt, but sent famine through the land and forced him to go down to Egypt of his own decision. After Sarah was taken to Pharaoh’s house and he was afflicted all through the night, he thought that the Creator was punishing him for going down to Egypt and bonding with those wicked. And after he withstood the test and did not doubt the Creator, he was rewarded with receiving from Pharaoh the Kelim and the sparks for the great Mochin that fell into his domain during the sin of the tree of knowledge, as it is written, “And he dealt well with Abram for her sake.”It is also written, “Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they sent him away.” Similarly, it is written about the exodus from Egypt, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had sent the people away,” by which Pharaoh gave him the Kelim of his own decision and his own will. This discernment is considered the scrutiny of the Kelim, the Mochin de VAK of the degree of the light of Haya, since he did not attain it through the word of the Creator but through a sin and a test.

5. Through the word of the Creator, when the Creator told him to go down to Egypt. This is explained in the word of the Creator, as it is written, “Know for certain that your seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs … and afterward they will come out with many possessions,” Mochin de Haya. He also said to Jacob, “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again.” And since the descent was with the Creator’s permission, the Kelim that they brought out of there were very important and they were rewarded with the great Mochin de Haya in them, the Mochin of Passover night.
6. In the holy occasion, when they were rewarded with hearing from the Creator, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” This is the continuation of the disclosure of the Mochin of the exodus from Egypt, the Mochin de Haya, which is freedom from the angel of death.

Thus we see that these Mochin are completed only after three times. On the first time, they must come through a sin and a test, since the beginning of the scrutiny is done by the prohibition by the Egyptians. Had the Creator ordered him to go down to Egypt, he would have clung to them and to their actions and would never have retired from them. Hence, he had to come of his own decision through a sin, so as to hurry and depart from them.

This is why it is written, “Woe unto the wicked of the world who do not know and do not look to understand that all that there is in the world is from the Creator.” The wicked of the world are those who began to receive holy degrees but were detained in their beginning and do not attain more. This is a criminal offence, as The Zohar refers to those who enter but do not come out. Their impediment occurs to them primarily during the first obtainment of Mochin de Haya, since they think that the Mochin they had obtained were through their own actions and not by the Creator. If they strove to know and to understand, as did Abraham, that all that there is in the world comes from the Creator, they would be rewarded with the next degree—the Creator commanding them to go down to Egypt, which is the attainment of the great degree of Mochin de Haya, as Israel were rewarded with upon the exodus from Egypt on Passover night.

It is written, that they do not observe to understand and to know, as did Abraham, that all that there is in the world comes from the Creator, that He knows in the beginning what will unfold in the end, “And He watches and does things in the beginning in order to repeat them and do them perfectly after some time.” They must observe until they are rewarded with the attainment that those plagues that Pharaoh suffered the first time, with Abraham, were right then and there by the Creator Himself, who was watching and observing in the beginning what was to unfold in the end, in the exodus from Egypt. They were a Reshimo and preparation for the scrutinies of the Mochin that they would attain when they are given permission to go down to Egypt, such as the permission that He gave to Israel when He told him, “I will go down with you to Egypt.” At that time, one who is rewarded with it will attain the great Mochin of the light of Haya.

This is why he compares the miracles of Sarah to the miracles of the exodus from Egypt, since all the actions in the first discernment of Mochin de VAK de Haya were a Reshimo and preparation for the Mochin of the second discernment—the Mochin de Haya. Abraham himself was rewarded with this knowledge, too, as it is written, “Know for certain that your seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs.” With this knowledge, he obtained those Mochin of the exodus from Egypt, too.

118) David said, “Even if the people of the world came and waged war against me, they will not be able to defeat me because “You, O Lord, are a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.” It writes, “A shield about me.” David said to the Creator, “O Lord, why is there no blessing that ends in me, as there is a blessing that ends with Abraham, as it is written, ‘I am your shield’? And they say, ‘Abraham’s shield.’ Thus, why is there no ending in me, ‘David’s shield’?”

119) The Creator replied to David. “With Abraham, I have already tested him and purified him, and he withstood a test before Me and remained whole.” David told him, “Examine me, O Lord, and try me, test my mind and my heart.” When he did that deed with Bat Sheba, David remembered what he said to the Creator. He said, “You have tried my heart.”

120) David said, “I said, ‘Examine me, O Lord, and try me,’ and ‘You tested my heart with the try with Bat Sheba.’ I said, ‘Test my mind,’ and You ‘Have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.’ Would it be that that thing which I thought would not have gone to my mouth and I would not say, ‘Examine me, O Lord, and try me.’”

The words, “You, O Lord, are a shield about me,” and “I am your shield” relates to the Mochin that are sorted by the Egyptians. There are two reasons why they are called “shield”: 1) No one can attain them unless through shielding and saving, such as when Pharaoh was struck so as to protect Sarah and bring her out of there, and also to protect Israel and deliver them from Egypt. 2) One who is rewarded with them no longer fears anything. Hence, they are regarded as a shield for him. This is why David said that even if the people of the world were to come and wage war on him they would not prevail over him because “You … are a shield about me,” since one who is rewarded with them is no longer afraid of anything.

When David said, “Why is there no blessing that ends in me, as there is a blessing that ends with Abraham,” he was asking for the Mochin of protection. In the beginning of each blessing, VAK is extended from its unique degree. At the end of the blessing, the GAR in it is extended. At the end of the shield, the great GAR are drawn out, when the Kelim are sorted by the Egyptians. And since Abraham was rewarded with them, it is written about him, “I am your shield,” hence it ends with him, “Abraham’s shield.”

David asked of the Creator to reward him with those great Mochin, too, as with Abraham. The Creator replied to David that it is impossible to obtain these Mochin on the first time, unless through a trial, as with Abraham who was rewarded with them only by Me testing him with the trial of the abduction of Sarah. And if you are willing to go through the same test as him, you, too, can be granted them. And David told him, “Examine me, O Lord, and try me,” meaning he, too, was ready for it, like Abraham.

It is written that when he did that deed with Bat Sheba, David remembered what he had said to the Creator. He said, “You have tried my heart.” In fact, Bat Sheba was David’s mate since the day the world was created, but David could not bestow upon Bat Sheba the same Mochin as Abraham because he could not scrutinize them. And as the Egyptians sorted them for Abraham and Abraham received them from the Egyptians through a sin and a trial, Uriah the Hittite married Bat Sheba first, and gave her those Mochin. Afterwards, David received those Mochin through Bat Sheba, through a sin and a trial, like Abraham. And then, he was rewarded with those Mochin of the shield, like Abraham.

However, it first seemed to him that he did not withstand the test properly because he killed Uriah by the sword of the sons of Ammon. This is why he said, “You have tried my heart.” But in the end, the Creator pardoned him and he was rewarded with those Mochin.

121) This is the reason why a blessing, “David’s shield,” ends with him, for he was rewarded with the Mochin of the shield like Abraham. After he was rewarded with them, David said, “You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” This degree of a shield is my glory, in which I am crowned.

122) The Creator is a shield to the righteous so that people will not govern them. The Creator protected Abraham so that he and his wife would not be ruled over, since with, “[Pharaoh] commanded men concerning him, and they sent him away,” he gave him the completion of the Kelim of the Mochin of the shield. This is similar to, “And Pharaoh rose up in the night … and said, ‘Rise up, get out from among my people,’” and “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had sent the people away.” At that time, the Mochin of the shield were extended to Abraham in those Kelim, since now he was rewarded with the Mochin of the shield, and one who is rewarded with them is no longer afraid of anyone.

123) Divinity did not depart from Sarah all through that night. Pharaoh came to approach her and the angel came and struck him. Each time Sarah said, “Strike!” he struck. And Abraham was imploring his Master with prayer over Sarah—that she would not be ruled. It is written, “But the righteous are secure as a young lion.” Here was a test—the Creator tried Abraham—but he did not doubt the Creator.

124) This is the reason why the Creator did not command him to go down to Egypt, but he went down of his own decision, so people would not be able to speak against the Creator that He told him to go down to Egypt and then repented for his wife.

125) “The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” When a palm-tree is taken down, it will not rise again for seventy years. So is a righteous. When he is lost from the world, none other will follow him until seventy years have passed, meaning HGT NHYM, where each consists of ten. Because he has completeness only in the Nukva, the Malchut, the seventh Sefira, he needed all seventy years.

126) “The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree” indicates that a palm-tree is male and female. Similarly, the righteous is male and female. The male is righteous and the female is righteous, like Abraham and Sarah. Hence, he is completed only in seventy complete years.

127) “He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” The cedar in Lebanon is the highest of all trees. Similarly, the righteous is superior to all, and all are sitting beneath him, that is, they exist by his merit. The righteous is Yesod de ZA, whose root is in Bina. He is included there in the line that decides between right and left. Hence, he is considered higher than all seven Sefirot HGT NHYM.

Also, he is the one who extends the Mochin from Bina and bestows them upon the Nukva, and from her to all the worlds. The Nukva stands on one righteous, as it is written, “And the righteous is the foundation [Yesod] of the world.” The world, meaning the Nukva, stands on him, he is supported for her, and she is planted on him, for he gives her of his three lines.

128) It is written, “Does the world stand on seven pillars,” HGT NHYM, “and not on a single righteous, alone?” Indeed, all the other pillars stand by the power of the seventh pillar, which is the support of the world. This is the one called “righteous,” Yesod de ZA. It waters and satiates the world, Nukva, and nourishes all the worlds. When Yesod de ZA travels from Bina, Yesod is regarded as the seventh from Bina, and the world stands on him alone.

129) “And a river came out of Eden to water the garden,” Yesod de ZA, which comes out of Bina that returned to Hochma, who is called “Eden.” This is the pillar upon which the world stands, and this is the one who waters the garden, the Nukva, and the garden is watered by it and makes fruits from it, which are souls of people. All the fruits blossom in the world, Nukva, and they are the persistence of the world and the keeping of the Torah. These fruits are the souls of the righteous, which are the fruits of the deeds of the Creator.

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106) “And Abram went down into Egypt to dwell there,” since Egypt is similar to the Garden of the Creator, the Garden of Eden, as it is written, “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.” It is equal there and one river descends to the right, as it is written, “The name of the first is Pishon.” From the drops that Eden, Hochma, drips to the garden, Malchut, a great river is made, which divides into four heads, HB TM, where the most special of all is Pishon, Hochma, and it is in the land of Egypt. This is why the wisdom of Egypt was greater than the whole world. Also, this is the river that Ezekiel saw in his prophecy, and this is why it is written, “For the whole earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord,” since that water always increases the knowledge in the world.

They are three lines: Hochma, Hesed, and Netzah on the right, Bina, Gevura, and Hod on the left, and Daat, Tifferet, and Yesod in the middle. Thus, Hochma is at the head of the right line, and not the Hochma on the left line, which is Bina that returns to Hochma and the whole of the illumination of Hochma in ZON comes from her, and it is called “gold.” The river Pishon is the Hochma on the right, as it is written, “The name of the first is Pishon; it surrounds the whole of the land of Havilah, where there is gold.” Thus, the river Pishon is the Hochma on the right, and this is why it “Surrounds the whole of the land of Havilah, Bina, where there is gold,” meaning illumination of Hochma on the left.

107) Once Abraham knew and entered in complete faith, which is gold, the Nukva de ZA after she was completed in illumination of Hochma from the side of Bina that returned to Hochma and is called “whole faith”—illumination of Hochma from the left—he now wished to know all the degrees that grip below and can impart from above downwards, which is the Hochma on the right line. And Egypt was traveling from the right, from the river Pishon, the Hochma on the right line. This is the reason why he went down to Egypt, to elicit all the holy sparks from there, from the Hochma on the right side. Afterwards, he returned to the land of Israel and was thus completed with those Mochin de Hochma.

The famine in the land is when the Rachamim depart from the Din, when ZA, Rachamim, departs from the Nukva, Din. This is so because the Zivug of ZON was separated and hunger was made in the Nukva, called Eretz [land]. Such is the way: each time ZON dispense a new degree to the lower ones, they return to their Katnut and their Zivug stops. Thus, how is it possible that the river Pishon, the complete Hochma, will shine in the land of Egypt, the place of Klipot and the nakedness of the land?

However, as it is written, “I shall be filled with her that is laid waste,” the Klipot are built only out of the ruin of the Kedusha [holiness], and vice versa, Kedusha is built only out of the ruin of the Klipot. Hence, because of the sin of the tree of knowledge, these sparks of Hochma from the right side fell into the land of Egypt, as it is written, “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.” This is why Abraham could not be built in the great Mochin of Hochma of the right until after he collected those sparks from Egypt.

108) “And it came to pass, when he was made to be near Egypt.” It should have said, “When he came near.” However, it is written, “And Pharaoh drew near,” meaning that he brought Israel nearer to repentance. Here, too, “Made to be near” means he brought himself closer to the Creator. To come to Egypt means to observe those degrees in Egypt and to draw far from them and from those who serve Egypt.

There are two discernments here: 1) nearness to Egypt; 2) the act of Egypt. The difference between them is that the act of Egypt is extension of the light of Hochma from above downwards, like the sin of the tree of knowledge. The Kelim and sparks from Hochma, which Adam blemished by his sin in the tree of knowledge, fell into the share of the Egyptians. Hence, they continue with that sin.

However, there is a degree that is close to the act of Egypt and is not the real act of Egypt. He extends illumination of Hochma from above downwards once, to strengthen and to increase the Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. On the one hand, it is like the act of Egypt, for he extends from above downwards, like them. On the other hand, it is the opposite of the act of Egypt because he only strengthens and determines the illumination of Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. Hence, this degree is considered close to Egypt, but not the actual land of Egypt.

“Brought near” means bringing himself closer to the Creator, to the degree of HGT de ZA, which is covered Hassadim. Coming to Egypt means extending illumination of Hochma from above downwards, like the degrees of Egypt, but to draw far from extension of Hochma and to draw far from those who serve Egypt, and to strengthen and establish the illumination of Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, which is on the other extremity from the act of Egypt. The meaning of the words is that he did this to bring himself closer to the Creator. Hence, he brought himself closer to Egypt, to doing as they do, but to draw far from them and nearer to the Creator. This is why the act is regarded as drawing near Egypt, but not arriving to Egypt.

109) Because he descended to Egypt without permission, his sons were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, since it is written, “And Abram went down into Egypt,” but it does not say that the Creator told him, “Go down to Egypt.” This is why he was afflicted all through that night for Sarah.

110) “And he said unto Sarai his wife, ‘Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman to look upon.’” Until then, he did not look at Sarah’s form because of the chastity between them. But when he came near Egypt, she appeared and he saw her.

When he brought himself closer and performed an act that was close to the act of the Egyptians, extending illumination from above downwards and giving them to Sarah. Those Mochin are called “Fair to look upon” in relation to her, since looking and seeing imply to Mochin of Hochma. Hence, once he drew near Egypt, it is written, “Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman to look upon,” after she received the Mochin from him, through the nearness to Egypt.

This is why it is written that until then he was not looking at Sarah’s form because of the chastity that was between them. Abraham and Sarah were a Merkava [chariot/assembly] the male and female from Chazeh de ZA and above, where Hassadim are covered from Hochma, which is called “looking and seeing.” This is why he did not look at her. However, when he drew near to Egypt and extended the Mochin de Hochma through the proximity of Egypt and imparted upon her, her Hassadim appeared in illumination of Hochma, called “seeing,” hence he saw in her.

111) One is disgraced by the toil of the road. And yet, her beauty persisted and she did not change. This is why he knew more than ever that she was beautiful. Before they reach their goal, the passers by, who walk on the path of the Creator, are in Katnut of Mochin and they are disgraced. Sarah, too, was on the way (and a way of descent, no less), as it is written, “And Abram went down into Egypt,” and especially since the act of extending the Mochin was close to the act of the Egyptians. And yet, the Mochin illuminated in her in complete wholeness. This is why at that time he said, “Behold now, I know” because then he knew more than ever, since he saw Divinity with her, meaning he was rewarded with the revelation of Divinity. This is why Abraham was certain and said, “She is my sister.”

112) The word, “My sister” is explained in two ways: literally, my sister, and as it is written, “Say unto wisdom, ‘You are my sister.’” Here it writes, “Say, I pray thee, you are my sister.” “You” means Divinity, as it is written, “And you [in female form in Hebrew] shall speak unto us,” for there, too, it is Divinity. “That it may be good for me for your sake,” Abraham was speaking for Divinity. “And that my soul may live because of you,” since a man rises on the path of life through Mochin de Hochma, since the light of Hochma is called “light of Haya” [Haya means “alive”].

113) “Say, I pray thee, you are my sister.” Abraham knew that the Egyptians were all lustful. Because he knew it, why was he not afraid for his wife and did not turn back on his way so as to not enter there? He saw that Divinity was with her, and this is why he trusted her and was not afraid.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

96) The most hidden is given to the wise at heart. Three degrees cling to one another—Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama.

Nefesh is considered a force from which the body is built. When a man wakes up in this world to mate with the Nukva, all the organs agree and erect to enjoy it, and the soul and the will of a man readily enter that act, drawing the soul and permeating it into the semen that he lets out.

97) Out of the desire—and with the extension of the soul that he extends there—another force is drawn, from among those degrees of angels that are called “persons,” and everything enters into the extension of the semen, and the body is built of them. This is the first, lowermost force of those three degrees—the Nefesh.

Man is an offshoot of ZON de Atzilut. Hence, from his root he has only Nefesh. This is so because the light that extends from the Malchut, Nukva de ZA, is called Nefesh. However, through the mitigation, when Malchut rises and is mitigated in Bina, man, too, becomes gripped in Bina. For this reason, man consists of three degrees—Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut.

The light of Bina is called Neshama, the light of Tifferet is called Ruach, the light of Malchut is called Nefesh, and those three degrees extend from the three worlds—Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. If he is rewarded even more, they extend from Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut of the world of Atzilut.

The first extension is the light of Nefesh, the force from which the body is built, and which extends by the force of the progenitors’ light of Nefesh. This is so because by the force of the great desire of the progenitors, which is a strong agreement from their light of Nefesh, they extend the light of Nefesh of the newborn from the spiritual world of Assiya, and it clothes in the semen that they produce, and the newborn’s body gradually builds out of this spiritual light.

However, it cannot be conceived that there will be illumination of the light of Nefesh without illumination of the light of Ruach, for there is nothing that does not contain male and female. The Ruach is male and the Nefesh is female, hence the light of Ruach extends to him from the world of angels—the world of Yetzira—along with the light of Nefesh. However, in the beginning of the formation of the newborn, it is not actual light of Ruach that is drawn to him, but Malchut de [of] Ruach from the Malchut of the world of angels. This is so because they, too, divide into ten Sefirot, KHB, HGT, NHYM, and are called Malaachim, Erelim, Seraphim, Hayot, Ofanim, Hashmalim, Elim, Elokim, Bnei Elokim, Ishim.

Thus, their last degree is Ishim, Malchut of the angels, whose value is the same as Nefesh de Ruach. It clothes in the newborn’s light of Nefesh and is thus regarded as having two lights, Ruach and Nefesh in Nefesh—Nefesh in Nefesh from the world of Assiya and Ruach in Nefesh from the world of angels, with respect to the Nefesh in them, which are called Ishim.

98) And because this Nefesh offers a sacrifice in Dvekut together with the Yesod of the Guf, who is offered to atone for the Neshama, a part of it is given to those degrees of Ishim, since a part of the Nefesh, which is the Ruach in Nefesh, extends from them. It is written about it, “My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire,” meaning for the Ishim [Ishim is spelled like “my fire” in Hebrew].

Because it is atonement that comes by the force of Nefesh, they take their share, too, according to the measure of their share that is clothed in that soul which sacrifices the offering. And when a person passes away from this world, that Nefesh will never move from the grave, and by that force of the Nefesh that remains in the grave, the dead know and speak to one another.

99) The Ruach is what sustains the Nefesh in this world, extending the abundance of life and giving to the Nefesh. It is the middle of three degrees and it is an extension that comes by the awakening of Nukva de Atzilut to the Dechar [male] de Atzilut while they are of one desire during the Zivug. This is so because then she awakens toward the male because of her desire to receive the light of Ruach from him.

It is like the Nukva of this world, which fertilizes the semen by the force of her craving to receive from the male. It is written about it, “And the spirit will return to God who gave it,” meaning he returned to the Nukva, who is called Elokim. And even though the Ruach extends from ZA, who is called HaVaYaH, still, because he comes with the awakening of the Nukva, she is regarded as its root, and it returns to her after the demise from the body.

100) After man’s demise, this Ruach comes out of this world and parts from the Nefesh, which remains hovering over the grave, while he enters the Garden of Eden in this world. There, he clothes in the air of the Garden of Eden like the upper angels that come down to this world. They clothe this air when they come down to this world because they were made of that Ruach, as it is written, “He makes the winds His messengers.”

101) In the middle of the garden is a pillar that is formed with all the colors. When that Ruach wishes to rise to the world of Atzilut, it undresses that clothing of the air of the Garden of Eden and goes into the pillar, rising up to the place from which it came out, to the Nukva de Atzilut, as it is written, “And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

102) At that time, the great priest, Michael, takes the Ruach and offers it as an offering of sweet savor before the Creator, ZA. It sits there in ZA de Atzilut and is refined in that bundle of life, on which it is written, “Neither has the eye seen a God besides You.” Afterwards, it comes back down from there to the Garden of Eden on the earth and is refined with all kinds of refinements, dresses that clothing of the air of the Garden of Eden once more, and sits there now in a crown that is twice as big as what it was prior to its ascent to ZON de Atzilut.

103) The Neshama is a superior force to the Nefesh and the Ruach. It is from the male force, which is the tree of life. ZA, called “the tree of life,” pulls her from Bina de Atzilut, and because ZA is pulling her, it is considered her root. It is like the Ruach, that the Nukva is considered its root because she extends it from ZA. However, the light of ZA is called Ruach, and the light of Bina is called Neshama. And after a man’s demise, the Neshama immediately rises up and does not come to the Garden of Eden on the earth first, like the Ruach, but immediately rises to her root, to ZA.

All three degrees NRN are connected to each other. When they part from the Guf, they all rise and return to the place from which they went out.

104) When the Ruach comes out of this world and enters the cave of Adam ha Rishon and the patriarchs, they give him there a letter as a sign, and he goes to the Garden of Eden. When he approaches, he meets the Cherubim there and that flaming sword which turns every way. If he is rewarded, they see the letter that is the sign, open the gate for him, and he enters. If not, they repel him outside.

105) She sits there for as long as she sits there and dresses there in a form of this world. In the beginning of the month and on the Sabbath, when she wishes to rise to the upper Garden of Eden, the righteous in the Garden of Eden give her a letter as a sign and she rises through that pillar in the middle line of the lower Garden of Eden, where she meets the watchmen of the walls of Jerusalem. If she is rewarded, the gate is opened before her and she enters. If not, the letter that is the sign is taken away from her and she is repelled outside. Then she says, “The watchmen that go about the city found me, …the keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.” “My mantle” is the letter that is the sign that the keepers of the walls of Jerusalem took from her.

Death comes to the world due to the sin of the tree of knowledge that disclosed the point of Midat ha Din [quality of judgment] of Malchut, which is not corrected through the six thousand years. This is the reason why there is not a righteous man on earth that does not sin. And even if a person is rewarded with extending NRN with his good deeds, the angel of death still has the strength to reveal the point of Midat ha Din that is hidden in his root, and then he dies. This is so because wherever this point appears, the lights of life depart, and after six thousand years, when this point is mended, then it will be said, “And death shall be swallowed up forever.”

However, Midat ha Din de Tzimtzum Aleph controls only Malchut, not the upper nine, hence it remains only over the body—which extends from this Malchut, and on the Nefesh, the light of Malchut, from which the body is built—but not over Ruach and Neshama, the upper nine. This is so because the Ruach is ZA, which contains HGT NHY, and the Neshama is the light of Bina, which contains GAR, and they are not blemished whatsoever but exit the body and depart to their root.

But still, there is a difference between Ruach and Neshama. Ruach is the light of ZA, which sustains the Nefesh. Hence, it is mingled with Malchut de Midat ha Din. This is the reason why it cannot immediately rise to its root but requires mitigation from Bina once again. But the Neshama, which is the light of GAR, has no contact with this Malchut of Midat ha Din, hence she requires no mitigation. For this reason, when the body dies, she immediately rises to her root. Thus, there are three discernments between them:

1. The Nefesh and the body on which there is the force of Midat ha Din, by appearing at the time of death, which is called “grave.”
2. The Ruach, which has the correction of returning to its root by receiving mitigation from Bina.
3. The Neshama, which immediately rises to her root without any mitigation.

It writes that when a man passes away from this world, that Nefesh will never move from the grave. The grave is the force of Midat ha Din in Malchut, from which a man dies. He is locked there until the revival of the dead, and it hovers primarily over the body, Malchut, and over the Nefesh—the light of Malchut that sustains the body—hence they are in the grave.

It is also written that when the Ruach comes out of this world and enters the cave of Adam ha Rishon and the patriarchs, they give him there a letter as a sign, since the harsh Klipa, the grave, does not govern the Ruach, but requires mitigation from Bina once again. Hence, it enters the Cave of Machpelah, the place of mitigation of the two letters Hey together, which are Malchut and Bina. This mitigation is called “a notebook,” which is a folded letter, like the fetus in its mother’s womb, which is folded like a notebook, its head on its knees, indicating the ascent of NHY to HGT, three within three.

When the Ruach receives this notebook from Adam and the patriarchs, it is a sign that he was sufficiently mitigated in Bina. And then he goes to the Garden of Eden, which is the lower Garden of Eden, since a garden is Malchut. And when she is corrected to being in the lights of Bina, which is called “Eden,” Malchut is called “the Garden of Eden,” and then two general matters are discerned in her: 1) the general Bina in Malchut, which is the lower Garden of Eden, and 2) the general Malchut in Bina, which is the upper Garden of Eden. There it speaks of Ruach and Neshama together in general, and here it speaks in particular. This is why he says that only the Ruach rises to the lower Garden of Eden.

It is also written that at the beginning of the month and on the Sabbath, when she wishes to rise to the upper Garden of Eden, the righteous in the Garden of Eden give her a letter as a sign. In the beginning of the month and on Shabbat, the Ruach rises to the upper Garden of Eden, hence a second mitigation is required in Bina. All this relates only to Ruach, which requires those mitigations in Bina. But the Neshama immediately rises up because she does not need mitigations.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

66) “And Abram passed through the land.” It should have said, “Went.” However, passed through implies to the Holy Name in which the world was signed in the seventy-two carved letters, all of which are the letters AB RIU [Ayin–Bet Reish–Yod–Vav, the letters of “And passed through” in Hebrew], “And passed through,” implying to the AB [seventy-two] names and RIU (216) letters. It is written, “And the Lord passed by before him, and called.” As there it is about the Holy Name, AB, “And passed through,” is speaking of the Holy Name, AB, as well.

67) It is written, “I will make all My goodness pass before you.” This relates to all His goodness in a high place, in Bina. Here, too, it writes, “And Abram passed through the land,” which implies to the holiness of the land, which comes from a high place with all its goodness, as it should be, meaning Malchut that properly clothes the Bina and receives her lights.

68) “And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh.” The place of Shechem is the left side, the place of the illumination of Shuruk, which is now called Shechem because it was diminished from GAR de GAR and is attained only from its shoulder down and not from its shoulder up.

“The oak of Moreh” is the east because “Oak” comes from the word “strength,” which implies to the Man’ula, where the east side, the middle line, received it to extend the level of Hassadim on his Masach. And after the Zivug was made on this Masach, the level of Hassadim continued, all three lines were included in one another, and Abraham extended them to the Nukva, who is called “earth.”

Abraham extended the abundance from a high place, Bina, as it is written, “I will make all My goodness pass before you,” to the Nukva, which is “And Abram passed through the land.” This extension is called “And passed through” because it passes in three lines.

“Unto the place of Shechem” means from his own degree, right line, where all the abundance of the Creator was included. He extended to the place of Shechem, left line, and then the two lines—right and left—were included in one another.

“To the oak of Moreh” means he extended the two lines to the middle line, who is the carrier to the Masach de Man’ula, and all three lines were included in the middle line.

“And the Canaanite was then in the land.” Before there Zivug on the Masach de Man’ula in the middle line was done, the Canaanite, the serpent’s curse was ruling over the land. This means that there was a dispute between the lines, and the illumination of the left was like a burning fire. By that, the Klipa of Canaan was given dominance over the land. But now, after the arrival of the Zivug on the Masach in the middle line, this cursed Klipa was removed from the earth and the two lines—right and left—illuminated in her. And since the middle line was the cause of all that, he, too, was rewarded with it, since the lower one is rewarded with all the light that it causes in the upper one. This is the meaning of “Three come out of one, one is rewarded with all three.”

Through the middle line, “The oak of Moreh,” the Creator appeared to him with all His goodness described in the words, “Go forth.” What appeared to him was what he did not know because of the Man’ula, which governed the land. After the appearance of the Man’ula and before the Zivug extended on her, the Dinim of Haran were doubled on him: not only did the Dinim of the left not depart him, the Dinim of the annulment of the GAR were renewed on him.

Now after the Zivug that was done on the Masach de Man’ula, what he did not know appeared to him. This is because now the lines were included in one another and the illumination of the left was completed by the right, the right by the left, and illuminated in all the possible wholeness because all the Dinim on the left were lifted from him and are no longer hidden from him.

69) “And he built there an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.” Since he said, “To the Lord,” why does he also need to say, “Who appeared to him”? Indeed, here that same degree that rules over the land appeared to him and he entered it and existed in it, meaning the governance of the Man’ula over the land appeared to him. He received the level of the Zivug that came out on her and existed to receive the whole of the Mochin through her. Were it not for her governance, he would have remained in the dark and would not be able to exist.

70) “And he moved from there to the mountain,” meaning “From there he knew the mountain of the Lord,” and all the degrees planted in that place. He rose from the degree of Nukva in the place of NHY from Chazeh de ZA down, to the Nukva in the place of HGT, from Chazeh de ZA and above. This is so because HGT are called “mountains,” and the Nukva that is there is called “the mountain of the Lord.” He attained all the degrees there, which are planted in the place of HGT. “And pitched his tent,” the tent of the Lord, which implies to the Nukva. It does not write “His tent” with a Vav because he spread a Masach and received the kingdom of heaven in all the degrees that depend on her, and then he knew that the Creator rules over everything, and then he built an altar.

“And pitched his tent” is written with the letter Hey, which implies to the correction of the Masach, which Abraham had pitched in the place of the Chazeh, where he made the boundary of distinguishing the degrees from the Chazeh and above from the degrees from the Chazeh and below, to not extend from above downwards. By that, he received the illumination of the kingdom of heaven from the Chazeh and above, called “Leah,” in all the degrees in her. And she is implied in the letter Hey of “His tent.” A tent means a Masach and a Parsa that he spreads beneath it.

71) There were two altars, since here it appeared to him that the Creator was governing everything, which is considered from the Chazeh and above. He also knew upper Hochma, from the Chazeh down, which he did not attain before. This is why he built two altars—one altar for the Nukva from Chazeh de ZA down, called “Rachel,” the revealed world, whose illuminations are revealed in Hochma, and one altar for the covered degree, the Nukva from Chazeh de ZA and above, called “Leah,” the covered world, who shines in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma.

In the beginning, it wrote, “And he built there an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.” Afterwards, it wrote, “And he built there an altar to the Lord.” It does not write, “Who appeared to him.” He built the first altar at the degree of Nukva from the Chazeh down, the revealed world. This is why it writes, “To the Lord, who appeared to him.” He built the second altar at the degree of Nukva from the Chazeh and above, the covered world. This is why it does not write about her, “Who appeared to him,” but only “To the Lord.”

This is so because after he disclosed and extended Hassadim that are revealed in Hochma at the degree of the Nukva from the Chazeh down, as it is written, “And he built there an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him,” he did not remain in those Mochin. Instead, he rose above the Chazeh and extended Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, as the degree of Nukva from Chazeh de ZA and above. This is so because Abraham is a Merkava [chariot/assembly] for ZA, and ZA does not receive Hochma for itself except when it gives to the Nukva. This is why Abraham, too, chose covered Hassadim.

72) And then Abraham was crowned from degree to degree until he rose to his degree. It is written about it, “And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the Negev,” south. He wished to be rewarded with the degree of Hesed de ZA, which is called “south.” This is the part that was destined to be a Merkava for the Sefira of Hesed de ZA. This is why he was “Going on still” from degree to degree until he rose to the south, where he corrected himself to be able to maintain the permanent degree of Hesed. Then he rose to the degree of the south and was rewarded with being a Merkava to Hesed de ZA, called “south.”

73) After Abraham was crowned in his degrees in the holy land, in Mochin from the revealed world, Rachel, he entered the degree of holiness, Hesed, the covered world, Leah. Then, “And there was a famine in the land,” meaning they did not know how to draw near to the Creator. It was written about it, “Neither hunger for bread nor thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.”

74) “And there was a famine in the land.” Thus far the force that governs the land, the Masach de Man’ula, did not give strength and nourishments on the land because the Nukva was not completely corrected and did not have its proper existence. This is so because all the corrections that have thus far been extended to the Nukva were from the Miftacha, the Kelim of Ima. But from Man’ula, who is Malchut’s own essence, he still did not extend the corrections that were unique to her. Hence, in that respect, there was famine in the land, meaning he did not know or attain how to draw near to the Creator with her. When Abraham saw that the force that was appointed over the earth, the Man’ula, did not give proper strength and holy might, “Abram went down to Egypt to live there.”

75) How did Abraham know that the land, Nukva, still lacked corrections? It is written, “Unto your seed will I give this land,” and it does not say, “Unto you and to your seed will I give this land.” Then Abraham knew that the land would not be corrected in the holy correction, except through the holy degrees that would be born from him, of whom it was said, “Unto your seed will I give this land,” and not to him. This is when Abraham knew why this land would not be corrected in Kedusha [holiness], and this is why he went down to Egypt, to correct the deficiency from there.

76) The Creator implies to upper Hochma, in Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is Neshama to Neshama, light of Haya. Neshama is Sarah. Lot is the serpent, SAM’s mate. The spirit of holiness is Isaac. The holy Nefesh is Rebecca, and the evil inclination is the spirit of the beast. In his wisdom, Solomon says about him, “Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?” The spirit of the beast is a Nefesh from the side of the evil inclination.

77) Neshama to Neshama comes to man from the Sefira of Hochma, with fear and with wisdom. The Neshama comes to man in Bina, as it is written, “Behold, the fear of the Lord is wisdom.” Hence Neshama to Neshama comes only through fear and wisdom.” But the Neshama comes to a person through repentance, which is called, Bina, and is called, “Sarah.” Ruach [spirit/wind] is called “voice,” and it is called Daat, and it extends to a man who raises his voice in Torah. The Ruach is also called “Written Torah.” The good deeds extend from the Nefesh of the mind.

Neshama to Neshama and NRN extend from HBD:

• The Neshama to Neshama, Abraham, extends from the Sefira of Hochma.
• The Neshama, Sarah, extends from the Sefira of Bina.
• The Ruach, Isaac, extends from the Sefira of Daat; it is the right of the Daat.
• The Nefesh, Rebecca, extends from the Sefira of Daat, which is the left of the Daat.

78) Similarly, the Creator created the body out of four basic elements: Fire, wind, dust, and water, similar to Neshama to Neshama, Neshama, Ruach, and Nefesh. Neshama to Neshama is Water; Neshama is fire; Ruach is wind; and Nefesh is dust.

Water is male, like Neshama to Neshama, which comes from Hochma. This is sweet water of Kedusha, and opposite that is the water that cause a curse, which are the evil inclination, SAM.

There is a holy fire, female, like the Neshama that comes from Bina. Opposite it is the strange fire, of which it is written, “That he shall not enter at any time into the holy place,” which is the Nukva from the side of the evil inclination, the serpent, the Nukva of SAM.

The holy Ruach is male, like the wind that comes from the Sefira of Daat. Opposite it is an impure Ruach, the evil inclination. It is said about it, “Out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a basilisk,” meaning the spirit of the beast, which is called “a basilisk, which an offspring of the serpent of impurity, from the impure Bina.

And there is holy dust, like the Nefesh that comes from the left of Daat. Opposite it is the impure dust, the beastly Nefesh from the side of the evil inclination.

79) Hence, the Neshama, which is repentance, Bina, assails that serpent to break it by the power of enslavement of the penance, drawing him to the assembly houses and seminaries. And those four elements, which are four Behinot [discernments], Hochma, Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut, spread into twenty-two letters that come out of the five outlets of the mouth: Aleph–Het–Hey–Ayin from the throat; Bet–Vav–Mem–Peh from the lips; Gimel–Yod–Chaf–Kof from the palate; Dalet–Tet–Lamed–Nun–Tav from the tongue; and Zayin–Samech–Shin–Reish–Tzadik from the teeth.

Those five outlets correspond to Keter. HB and TM are the four elements—water, fire, wind, and dust. The four elements are the five outlets of the mouth, in which the twenty-two letters spread.

80) “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem.” This is the assembly-house, the place where Divinity dwells. It is written, “I have given to you one portion” [“portion” is spelled the same as “Shechem”]. This Shechem is the Shechina [Divinity], who is worthy of Joseph because he was called “righteous.” Tzedek [justice], which is Divinity, dwells only with the Tzadik [righteous], who is Joseph.

“Unto the place of Shechem” means unto the place of Divinity, the assembly-house.

“To the oak of Moreh” is the seminaries where mass teaching of the law is done.

81) “And the Canaanite was then in the land.” At that time, the evil inclination, who is called “Canaanite,” was mitigated and forced into correction in the body, which is called land. It was certainly forced in the body when the Neshama, Abram, shines in it, too, since then the body is in a state where the serpent was not completely removed. And because the serpent still has Dvekut [adhesion] with the body, the Canaanite is in the land. The evil inclination is called, “Canaanite” because it surrounds the body with bad Dinim because a Canaanite surrounds, as in “surrounding.”

82) And the Neshama stands in this world properly, to be rewarded with it after it departs this world. If it is worthy, it returns to the place from which it departed, as it is written, “To the place of the altar” that he had made there the first time. It is as it is written, “To the place where his tent had been in the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai.” It writes “His tent” with a Hey [in Hebrew], which is Divinity.

83) And for now, it is in this world, between going up to the place from which it came and going down to the place of punishments, between Beth-El above and Ai below, the place of punishments.

If she is rewarded, she rises to the place of the altar that he had made. Accordingly, who is the one who made and who is the altar? “That He had made” is the Creator, who made this altar there, Divinity. He erected it on twelve stones, “According to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying , ‘Israel shall be your name.’” When the ten Sefirot are corrected to shine in illumination of Hochma, they divide into twelve. This is the complete construction of Divinity through her husband, ZA. At that time, ZA, too, is called “Israel,” with the letters Li Rosh [“a head unto me”]. “Israel shall be your name,” since she receives Rosh and GAR from Israel, her husband.

84) This altar, Divinity, first made a name when the upper world, the most hidden of all the worlds, was created. The angel Michael, the great priest, stands and offers on it sacrifices from the souls of the righteous. When the soul rises as an offering, it is written about it, “And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.” There the soul calls on the name of the Lord and becomes connected in the tie of life.

Bina is called the upper world, the most hidden of all the worlds, Bina de AA. The altar is built on twelve stones. First, it is built in the upper world, the most hidden of all the worlds, Bina de AA that came out of Rosh AA, and is built there in the thirteen corrections of Dikna. It is written about her, “Which he had made there at the first.” From there, the altar, Divinity, receives the great and complete Mochin from the illumination of Hochma.

The angel Michael is the light of Hesed, which brings the soul closer and elevates her from BYA to the altar of Atzilut. By the power of the light of Hassadim that the soul receives, she can rise and cling to Divinity, and receive from the great wholeness of illumination of Hochma from the thirteen corrections of Dikna. It is written about it, “And Abram called there on the name of the Lord,” meaning that there the soul calls on the name of the lord and is tied in the tie of life, since Mochin de Hochma are called “the light of life.”

85) All this is if the soul is rewarded with correcting the body and with tying the strength of that cursed one, the evil inclination, called “Lot,” until it parts from him. It is written about it, “And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle,” the Neshama, “And the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle,” the evil inclination. In this world, each day the camps and leaders from the side of the soul struggle with those camps and leaders on the side of the body. They quarrel with each other and all the organs of the body are in pain between them, between the soul and that serpent—the evil inclination—who struggle daily.

86) “And Abram said unto Lot,” meaning the soul replied to the evil inclination, “Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen,” between my camps and your camps, “For we are brothers,” meaning the evil inclination and the good inclination are close to each other. One stands to the right of a person and the other stands to his left. The evil inclination to his left, and the good inclination to his right.

87) “Is not the whole land before you? Please part from me,” meaning there are many wicked in the world, go and sail after them, and part from me. “If to the left, then I will go to the right; and if to the right, then I will go to the left,” meaning he reproaches him and pesters him on how many wars he fights with him each day, until it is written, “And they parted from each other.”

88) When they parted from each other, it is written, “Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan,” meaning the soul sat among the righteous in a good settlement, in peace. “And Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain,” meaning that that cursed one who slanders went to slander and to bond in the place where the wicked are, as it is written, “And moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” This is where he lived and this is where he placed his abode among them, to bond with them, to lure them and to destroy them with bad deeds.

89) When the soul remained without the slanderer and the body was purified from that filth, the Creator immediately placed His abode with him and he inherited the upper and lower inheritance. Then he has contentment among the righteous, and that wicked one, Lot, is among the wicked and they sin with him until there is no redemption to their sins.

90) “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house.” “And when Abram heard” is the soul that remained in purity in the body. “That his brother was taken captive” refers to the evil inclination, which was taken captive among the wicked with many iniquities. “He led out his trained men, born in his house” are those righteous who engage in Torah, the organs of the body.

The organs of the body are likened to righteous who engage in Torah, who are armed to go with him, and they number 318, that is, 248 organs of the body and 70 of the soul that extends from the seven Sefirot de ZA, each of which is ten. And 218 and 70 are 318. He armed himself with all of them to go there to those wicked ones and make them repent for their iniquities.

91) “And pursued as far as Dan.” He pursued them and alerted them of the Din [judgment] in the world of truth and the punishment in Hell, and he did not sleep day and night until he convinced them and made them repent and return to the Creator, as it is written, “And he brought back all the goods.”

92) “And Lot his brother, too,” meaning he assailed even that evil inclination called, “Lot,” until he forced it to annul, and properly mitigated it. He brought everyone into complete repentance as it should be. He did not rest day or night from persuading them, and he chased them for every single iniquity that they had committed until they repented in complete repentance as it should be.

93) It is written, “The watchmen that go about the city found me.” The Creator made Jerusalem above, Bina, similar to the Jerusalem below, Malchut, with walls and towers and open gates. The towers are the Gadlut of Malchut, GAR. The walls are her VAK. The doors are her Malchut, and they are RTS [Rosh-Toch-Sof] and NRN [Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama].

Jerusalem above, Bina, was mingled with Malchut, Jerusalem below. Thus, anything that applies to Malchut applies to Bina. And those walls that are there in Bina and in Malchut have guards on them, as it is written, “On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen.” Michael, the great priest, is superior to all the watchmen of the gates.

94) When the soul leaves this world, upon a person’s departure, if he is rewarded, she enters the Garden of Eden of the earth, which the Creator planted for the spirits of the righteous on the earth, Malchut, similar to the upper Garden of Eden, Bina. This is where all the righteous of the world stand.

95) And when the soul departs from this world, she first enters the Cave of Machpelah, which is the door to the Garden of Eden, and meets Adam ha Rishon and the patriarchs that are there. If she is rewarded, they are happy with her, open the gates to her, and she enters. If not, they repel her outside. If she is rewarded, she enters the Garden of Eden and sits there, clothed in a clothing of a form of this world and is refined there.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

58) “And Abram took Sarai his wife.” This is extension in good things because man is forbidden to take his wife out to another land against her will. It is also written, “Take Aaron,” meaning take the Levites. This is why “And Abram took” is extension in things, and he alerted her how evil were the ways of the people of the generation. This is why it writes, “And Abram took Sarai his wife.”

59) “And Lot his nephew.” Why did Abraham see fit to attach Lot to himself? It was because he saw in the spirit of holiness that David was destined to come out of him.

“And the souls that they had made in Haran” are the converted men and women who corrected their souls. Abraham would convert the men, and Sarah would convert the women, and this is why the writing speaks about them as though they had made them.

60) But the proselytes were many people. How can it be said that they all walked with him? This is the reason why all the people who went with him were called “The people of the God of Abraham,” and he would pass through the land without fear, as it is written, “And Abram passed through the land.”

61) It does not say, “And the souls that they had made in Haran,” that because of their great number they did not fear going through the land. Rather, it writes, “And the souls.” The word Et [“of,” appears only in the Hebrew] comes to increase the merit of all the souls who were walking with him. Hence, Abraham walked through the land without fear, since anyone who makes another virtuous, that virtue stands up for him and does not move away from him. It is written, “And the souls that they had made in Haran,” meaning the merit of those souls was walking with Abraham.

62) What is the reason that the first time when the Creator was revealed to Abraham began with “Go forth”? After all, thus far the Creator did not speak with Abraham. What is the reason that it started with “Go forth”? This is implied in the calculation that “Go forth” is 100 in Gematria, since he would have a son when he was 100 years old.

63) Everything that the Creator does on earth is with wisdom. Because at that time, Abraham was still not properly attached to the Creator, He told him, “Go forth.” This implies to that place where he had to draw near to the Creator. This is the first degree of the arrival towards the Creator, and this is why it writes, “Go forth.”

64) Abraham could not grip to that degree before he came into the land of Israel, for there they receive this degree. Similarly, it is written, “And David inquired of the Lord.” But since Saul died and David was worthy of receiving the kingship, why did he not receive the kingship over Israel immediately, but first had to rule for seven years in Hebron?

65) This was so because he could not receive the kingship before he bonded with the patriarchs, who are in Hebron, and then he would receive the kingship in them. This is why he was detained there in Hebron for seven years, to receive the kingship properly, so his kingship would be corrected. It is the same with Abraham: he did not come to the Creator in complete persistence before he entered the land.

First Malchut, Nukva de ZA, is built in the two great lights. At that time, her level is completely equal to that of ZA, and both use the same crown, receiving their illumination from a single source, from Bina. ZA receives her right, Hassadim, and Nukva receives her left, illumination of Hochma, in the Shuruk. At that time, they are both considered the four legs of the upper throne, Bina. ZA, HGT, is regarded as the three legs of the throne. The Nukva, Malchut is regarded as the fourth leg of the throne, and for this reason the Nukva can never impart Mochin, for this is not her place. Hence, they are both called Mochin de Achoraim [posterior Mochin], Hebron, since she was connected with the patriarchs, HGT, on the same level.

Afterwards, she comes down from them and is built as the small light from the Chazeh of ZA down. At that time, she receives two kinds of Mochin through ZA: Achoraim [posterior] and Panim [anterior], and she is completed in the completed Mochin de Gadlut and bestows upon the world. At that time, she is regarded as “the land of Israel,” when illumination of Hochma is imparted only from her.

David is a Merkava [chariot/structure] to the Malchut, Nukva de ZA. Hence, he could not receive kingship over the whole of Israel and become a Merkava to the Malchut, who is called “the land of Israel,” before he reigned in Hebron and there became a Merkava to the Malchut, who is called Hebron, from which are the first Mochin of the Malchut that receives from Bina that returned to being Hochma.

And since David received the Mochin of Hebron, he could then receive the complete Mochin in the form of “the land of Israel” and he received the kingship over all of Israel. Had he not received the Mochin of Hebron, he would not be able to receive the Mochin of the land of Israel because he would lack Bina’s Mochin of illumination of the left, which are received only in Hebron.

Abraham was a Merkava for HGT de ZA, whose core is in Hesed de ZA. It is known that ZA is always in covered Hassadim, except while giving to the Nukva. At that time, it receives Mochin of illumination of Hochma for the Nukva and is included with them, too.

And because Abraham was still not properly attached to the Creator, he told him, “Go forth.” This is so because before he imparted the Mochin for the Nukva, he had only Hassadim that were covered from Hochma. And since he lacked the illumination of Hochma, he was not properly attached to the Creator because he did not cause the Zivug of the Creator and His Divinity. This is why He told him, “Go forth,” implying to go and bring Divinity closer to the Creator, which is the first degree to come and become a Merkava for the Creator, since he cannot adhere to the Creator before he causes the Zivug of the Creator and His Divinity.

Abraham could not grip to this degree before he entered the land of Israel. He cannot extend this degree of being rewarded with Mochin of illumination of Hochma by causing a Zivug of the Creator and His Divinity, unless when he is in the land of Israel. This is because there the Nukva is corrected in Mochin of PBP [Panim be Panim (face-to-face)] with the Creator and can impart upon the world. This is why he resembles the coming of Abraham to the land of Israel to David’s kingship in Hebron.

King David, who was the Merkava for the Nukva, could not receive the complete Malchut, which is the land of Israel, before he received illumination of Hochma from Bina—in the matter of the fourth leg of the throne, which is the kingship of Hebron. Similarly, Abraham—the Merkava for ZA—was unfit for complete Dvekut with ZA before he came to the land of Israel and caused the Zivug of the Creator and His Divinity, from which he, too, was included in the illumination of Hochma. David was unfit to cleave to the complete Malchut, which is the land of Israel—for lack of Mochin of illumination of Hochma, which are drawn to him only in Hebron. Similarly, Abraham was unfit to cleave to the Creator due to absence of Mochin of illumination of Hochma, which are drawn to him only in the land of Israel.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

49) It does not say, “And Abram went out, as the Lord had spoken to him” but “Went,” as in “Go forth.” This is so because the exit was already done before, as it is written, “And they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan.” This is why now it writes, “Went out.”

50) “And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him,” as He promised him in all the promises. “And Lot went with him,” meaning he connected to him, to learn from his deeds.” And yet, he did not learn so much. Happy are the righteous, who learn the ways of the Creator to walk in them and to fear that day of judgment when man gives account before the Creator.

51) On the day when man’s days to exit the world have come, the body breaks and the soul must depart from it. Then man is given permission to see what he could not see while the body was governing, and he attains the matters truthfully.

52) At that time, three messengers stand by him, calculating his days and his sins, and all that he has done in this world. And he confesses to everything and then signs the account, as it is written, “He seals up the hand of every man.”

53) They are all signed by his hand, each act and sin, to be judged in this world, for the first and for the last, for new and for old, none forgotten. It is written, “That all men whom He has made may know it.” This means that as all those deeds that he did in this world were in body and spirit together, and he gives account to them when he is in body and spirit together, before he passes away from this world.

54) As the wicked are stubborn in this world, even when they are about to depart from this world, they are still obstinate. For this reason, happy is a man who learns in this world the ways of the Creator so as to walk by them. And the wicked, though he observes those righteous, he is obstinate and does not wish to learn from them.

55) This is why he has a righteous to grip to. And although the wicked is obstinate, he does not leave him. Instead, he should hold him in his hand and not let go of him, for if he lets go of him, he will go and destroy the world.

56) Like Elisha, who rejected Gehazi, so was Abraham. As long as Lot was with him, he did not connect with the wicked. When he parted him, it is written, “And Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.” Thus, he bonded with the wicked.

57) It writes, “And Abram went as the Lord had spoken to him,” and not “And Abram went out,” since the exit was done before. This is good. However, at the end of the verse, it writes, “When he departed from Haran.” Was the verse relying on the exit, too, even though he had already gone out? It writes, “When he departed from Haran,” but the departure is primarily the exit from his kindred, and this was before, while the exit from Haran came with the words, “Go forth,” so it is possible to say here, “When he went out of Haran.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

41) There are seven blessings. “And I will make you a great nation” is one, “And I will bless you” is two, “And [I will] make your name great” is three. “And you will be a blessing” is four,” “And I will bless those who bless you” is five, “And I will curse those who curse you” is six, “And all the families of the earth will be blessed in you” is seven. After he was blessed with those seven blessings, it is written, “And Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him,” meaning he went to come down to this world, as he was commanded. Abraham is the Neshama [soul], and after the Neshama is blessed in seven blessings, it comes down to this world to clothe in a Guf [body].

42) Promptly, “And Lot went with him.” This is the serpent for which the world was corrupted, and this is why the text calls the serpent by the name “Lot.” Lot means curse in Aramaic. He was cursed and brought curse to the world, and he accompanies the soul in this world.

The serpent stands at the door, to fool the body, as it is written, “Sin crouches at the door.” Hence, the soul will not do its assigned task before it spends thirteen years in this world, since the soul awakens to do the work it is told from twelve years on, as it is written, “Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” Seventy, in units, is seven. Seventy-five are twelve years. And then the soul departs from Haran, the Klipot, and awakens to go with the work of the Creator.

43) And after twelve years the soul will be seen in this world. It comes from five years, which are 500 Parsas of the tree of life, and then it is apparent that she is an offshoot of ZA, who is called, “the tree of life,” and spans over 500 Parsas. The seventy years are that very same tree, the seventh in the degrees of the Nukva, the seventh Sefira of the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM. At that time, it is apparent that the soul is an offshoot of ZA and Nukva.

44) Then, the soul comes out of the filth of the serpent and enters the holy work. It is written, “When he departed from Haran,” from that Haron Af [wrath] and from the power of Satan, who until now was deviating the body and governing it.

45) The foreskin rules over the tree for three years, which are called “the foreskin years.” In a man, the thirteen years are called “his foreskin years.” When the body completes those years and the soul awakens to do the holy work, it commands the body and evokes a good will in it: to subdue that serpent. At that time, the serpent cannot rule over him as it did before.

46) “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his nephew.” “Sarai his wife” is the body, which, to the soul, is as the female to the male. “Lot his nephew” is the serpent, which does not let go of the body even after thirteen years, since the Dvekut [adhesion] of the body does not depart from him, but the awakening of the soul always strikes him and warns him. It admonishes him and surrenders him against his will, and he cannot rule.

47) “And all their substance that they had gathered” are the good deeds that a person does in this world by the force of the awakening of the soul.

“And the souls that they had made in Haran” is that soul that was initially in Dvekut and connection of the foreskin and the body, and which the soul later corrected. The desiring soul is one that has close proximity to the desires of the body and the Klipot. From thirteen years onwards, when the soul awakens to correct the body, both of them—the soul with the body—correct that soul, which was mingled with the strength of the Dinim of the serpent and his ill will.

It is written, “And the souls that they had made in Haran.” “Made” is in plural tense [in Hebrew], since it relates to the soul and to the body, for both correct the soul—by the awakening of the soul, when it evokes the body—and the body—through its good deeds.

48) This is why the soul attacks that serpent, to break it by the power of enslavement of repentance, as it is written, “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem.” Shechem is the dwelling place of the Shechina [Divinity], since the power of the serpent had by now been completely broken by the soul.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

34) What does it mean when it says, “Go forth from your country and from your kindred”? Because everyone came out of Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan, why was it not said that everyone would go?

35) Even though Terah was an idol worshipper, because he was awakened by a good awakening to go out with Abraham—and the Creator desires the repentance of the wicked—he began to come out. Why does it not say “Go forth” in plural form? Why was “Go forth” said only to Abraham?

36) When Terah went out of Ur of the Chaldees, it was not in order to repent. Rather, it was only to be saved that he went out, since all the people in his country wanted to kill him. After they saw that Abraham was saved from the furnace, they said to Terah, “You are the one who was misleading us with those statutes, and they wanted to kill him. And because of the fear of them, Terah went out. Hence, when he reached Haran, he did not leave there anymore, since it is written, “And Abram went … and Lot went with him,” but Terah is not mentioned in the writing.

37) Instead, it is written, “But from the wicked, their light is withheld, and the uplifted arm is broken.” “But from the wicked, their light is withheld” is Nimrod and his contemporaries, from whom Abraham—who was their light—went out. “And the uplifted arm is broken” is Nimrod.

38) Another meaning, “But from the wicked, their light is withheld” is Terah and his household. Their light is Abraham, since it does not say “The light,” but “Their light,” which was with them, meaning Abraham who was with them and departed them. “And the uplifted arm is broken” is Nimrod, who was luring all the people in the world after him. This is why it says, “Go forth,” to shine for you and for all those who will come out of you henceforth.

39) After Abraham went out they did not see light any longer. When it writes, “Bright in the skies,” it relates to Abraham, whom the Creator wished to attach to the upper light so he would illuminate there.

40) “But the wind passes, and cleanses them” relates to Terah and his town’s people, since afterwards, Terah and all of his town’s people repented. It is written, “And the souls that they had made in Haran.” Thus, his town’s people repented. Terah repented, as it is written, “And you shall come to your fathers in peace.” If Terah did not repent, the Creator would not tell Abraham that he would come to his fathers in peace.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / Lech Lecha – click)

32) “And I will make you a great nation” is because of the verse, “Go forth.” Because he raised MAN and caused a high Zivug on the Masach de Hirik that educed the level of Hassadim, by that, the upper Mochin were completed. This is why the Creator rewarded him, too, with those great Mochin, the promise, “I will make you a great nation.”

“And I will bless you” because it is written, “From your country.” By retiring from the right line that is not mingled with the left, he was rewarded with illumination of the right that is mingled with the left, and its illumination is implied in the words, “And I will bless you.”

“And [I will] make your name great” because it is written, “And from your kindred.” Because he retired from the illumination of the left that is not mingled with the right, he was rewarded with the promise implied in the words, “And [I will] make your name great,” which is the illumination of the left that mingled with the Hassadim on the right.

“And you will be a blessing,” because it is written, “And from your father’s house.” Because he retired from the Klipa of Haran, which governs Haran—“Your father’s house”—he was rewarded with the promise, “And you will be a blessing,” which is the illumination of the middle line.

33) Rabbi Shimon disagrees and says, “And I will make you a great nation” is the illumination of the right side. “And I will bless you” is the illumination of the left side. “And [I will] make your name great” is the illumination of the middle line. “And you will be a blessing” is from the side of the land of Israel, Nukva.

There is a four-legged throne here—three lines, HGT, which are three legs, and the Nukva, the fourth leg. These are the four legs of the upper throne, Bina. From here on the blessings are for others who are fed from here, so they will be blessed for it, as it is written, “And I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.”

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