Autor: arhiprofesor

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96) “And I saw that wisdom excels over folly.” I looked in several places in the words of King Solomon, and I observed his great wisdom, where he concealed his words inside the holy palace. Why did he say, “And I saw”? Do the rest of the people in the world not know and do they not see it? After all, even one who has never known wisdom and has never observed it knows that wisdom excels over folly as light excels over darkness. And he praises himself and says, “And I saw.”

97) However, we learn that there is none so wise as Solomon, who was called by seven degrees of wisdom, such as above, opposite HGT NHYM de Malchut, which is the lower Hochma, the degree of Solomon. There are six days above, HGT NHY de ZA, and the seventh one above them is Bina. The six days below, in Malchut, are HGT NHY, and the seventh one above them is Bina. There are six degrees to Solomon’s throne, and he is on the throne, as it is written, “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king.” There are seven Keters of days above, which are seven Sefirot HGT NHYM. Opposite them are the seven names of Solomon, to show the holy wisdom in them. This is why he is called by seven names: Solomon, Jedidiah, Agur, Son of Jakeh, Lemuel, Ithiel, and Koheleth.

98) He said seven vanities. “Hevel Havalim [Vanity of vanities], says Koheleth; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” There are three times vanity here, and two times vanities, which are four, and together they are seven. And what did he see that no other person saw. When he collected the wisdom and rose in the degree of Hochma [wisdom], he was called Koheleth. He said the seven vanities opposite the seven Sefirot above, and each vanity was made into a voice, and the world exists only on vanity, the seven vanities ZAT of YESHSUT. These are essentially the left line de YESHSUT from before the deciding from the middle line, which unites the right and left. Also, the illumination of the left is considered vanity, affliction, and ill spirit. After the unification through the middle line, it is seven vanities from which ZA is emanated, and it is called “a voice,” and the world exists from them.

99) Hevel [vanity, but also fume from exhaling] is left line. It produces a voice with the wind and water in it, in the mingling of right line, called “water,” and the middle line, called “wind.” There is no voice except in Hevel. And in the seven vanities, which are HGT NHYM de YESHSUT, the Upper Ones—ZON—exist, as well as the lower ones—the dwellers of BYA. Thus, the world exists on Hevel. Without the Hevel coming out of a person’s mouth, he would not be able to exist for even an hour.

100) A person cannot exist without the Hevel of his mouth. Solomon said his words, by which the world lives, and he said that by that, the world persists. And this Hevel, by which the world persists, comes from the Havalim above, as it is written, “Vanity of vanities,” meaning vanity from the vanities above. All his words were so. It is written concerning the vanities above, that man is according to what comes out of the mouth of the Creator. What comes out of the mouth of the Creator is the vanities above, ZAT de YESHSUT.

101) “And I saw that wisdom excels over folly.” The benefit for the wisdom comes from the very folly, for if there had not been folly in the world, wisdom and its words would not have been known. And we learned that it is mandatory for a man who learned wisdom to learn a little bit of the folly and to know it, for it is for that that wisdom has come, just as there is benefit to light from darkness, for without darkness, light would not have been known and no benefit would come from it.

102) There is advantage to wisdom, for it contains upper wisdom and wisdom of this world. The upper wisdom does not shine and is not illuminated, except for a folly that has awakened from another place. Were it not for this folly, there would not be the light and the great and excessive pride, and the benefit from wisdom would not be seen. And because of the folly, the wisdom shines more and it is shone upon more, as it was said, that wisdom excels over folly both above and below because this is how it is below. If there weren’t folly in the world, there would not be wisdom in the world.

103) When the friends learned the secrets of the wisdom from Rav Hamnuna Saba, he would set up before them chapters of words of folly, so as to yield benefit for them from wisdom, as it is written, “A little folly is weightier than wisdom and honor.” This is so because folly is the correction of wisdom and weightier than wisdom, which is why it is written, “And my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly.”

104) “Weightier than wisdom and honor” refers to the weight of wisdom and its beauty. And what is the weight of the honor of above, which is Malchut? It is a little folly. This is because a little folly shows and reveals the weight of wisdom and the honor of above more than any other way in the world.

105) “As light excels over darkness.” The benefit of the light comes only out of the darkness. The correction of the white is black, for without the black, the white would be pointless. And because there is black, the white is elevated and respected. It is like sweet and bitter. A person cannot know the taste of sweetness before he has tasted bitterness. Thus, what makes it sweet is the bitter.

In things where there are opposites, the one reveals the other, such as in white and black, light and darkness, sick and healthy. If there were no sickness in the world, the term healthy would be unattainable, as it is written, “God has made the one opposite the other.” And it is also written, “It is good that you grasp the one, and also not let go of the other.”

What does King Solomon tell us with the words, “And I saw that wisdom excels over folly as light excels over darkness”? After all, who does not know it? To answer that, he brought the explanation of the seven vanities that he said in Koheleth. There are two discernments in Hevel:

1. When it is in the form of the left line without unification with the right. Even though at that time, GAR de Hochma shines in it, it is still considered Hevel and affliction, Hevel and ill spirit. This is so because when it is separated to itself, without the right, it is Hochma without Hassadim, and then it is darkness and not light. Moreover, harsh judgments extend from there, for which it is considered Hevel and ill spirit.
2. When it is united with the right through the middle line. This determines between right and left, where the right, Hassadim, shines from above downwards, and the left, Hochma shines from below upwards, which is VAK de Hochma. At that time the Hochma of the left clothes in Hassadim of the right. From here stem all the Mochin of ZON and BYA, and all the worlds persist on this Hevel.

The seven vanities are the seven Sefirot de YESHSUT, each of which consists of Hevel, wind, and water, since all the Mochin of the upper ones, which are ZON, and the lower ones, in the three worlds BYA, come out of these vanities. It turns out that even though at that time the left line in and of itself has GAR de GAR, it does not shine at all. On the contrary, it is Hevel and affliction. And when it unites with the right, although it consequently diminishes into VAK de Hochma and lacks GAR de Hochma, all the worlds persist from it.

It is written, “And I saw that wisdom excels over folly as light excels over darkness.” In three things are wisdom and folly akin to light and darkness:

1. If there were no darkness, there would be no advantage to the light and there would be no concept of calling it by that name. Likewise, were it not for folly, there would be no advantage to wisdom, for us to call it by that name. On the contrary, we would call it vanity and affliction.

3. Even though without the darkness we would have no perception in the light, it does not mean that the light would be an actual reality without it, but only that we would not have the concept in and of itself, to define it by a name. So is wisdom: even though without folly it would be unattainable, it does not mean that there would be no wisdom in reality at all. Moreover, at that time there is wisdom, since when it is without any folly, the GAR de Hochma [wisdom] shine. And yet, it would not be attained in the definition of wisdom.
4. As a dark place is one without light, a place without wisdom is one with folly.

Now we can understand the whole essay. We said that before the left line unites with the right, it has GAR de Hochma, but they do not shine and they are considered Hevel and affliction. Only later, when it is included in the right line through the middle line is it completed and all the Mochin in the world extend from it. However, it loses the GAR de Hochma due to the sentencing of the middle line that the right will shine from above downwards, and the left, which is Hochma, will shine from below upwards.

The illumination from below upwards is illumination of VAK de Hochma, which lacks GAR. And it has been explained above, in the third comparison between wisdom and light, that where there is lack of wisdom there is folly, as where there is lack of light there is darkness. It turns out that after the unification of the left line with the right there is folly in the left, in the place of the lack of GAR. Thus, prior to its unification with the right, even though it was not shining, the presence of wisdom in the left line—in the second comparison—was without folly, since then the left line was in GAR de Hochma. Now, however, when it lacks GAR de Hochma, there is folly opposite it.

The absence of GAR de Hochma that was done after the unification of right and left is considered folly. However, out of this folly appeared the illumination of Hochma [wisdom] to the worlds. This is so because prior to the unification, when it was without folly, Hochma was dark, and did not shine. But now Hochma is shining in its fullest perfection due to the folly, since it has been diminished from GAR and can unite with the Hassadim on the right. Thus, folly, which is the absence of GAR, reveals the VAK de Hochma so it may shine in whole. And had there not been folly, there would not have been wisdom.

And had folly not awakened from the diminution of GAR, but remained as GAR de Hochma in the left line and would not unite with the right, Hochma would not have shone and would have been dark. Then, all those great Mochin would not have been revealed to the worlds.

A man who extends the upper Hochma must also pull his hands away from extending GAR and Hochma. And even though folly appears in a place of absence of Hochma, instead, he learns wisdom out of this folly. In other words, the wisdom he obtains is through this folly, which he does not touch, and which is therefore not considered actual folly but a speck of folly, sufficient to learn and to know the wisdom that shines.

Thus, we learn from it how to extend the wisdom that shines, and it arranges for them that they do not draw the Hochma in the chapters of GAR de Hochma, since at that time, folly appears in those chapters and teaches them that benefit will come from this folly to the wisdom that shines. As long as GAR de Hochma illuminated and there was no speck of folly, the Hochma was Hevel and ill spirit, without wisdom and without honor. But now that the left has been united with the right, even though there is a little folly due to the absence of GAR de Hochma, for that, she shines with much glory and elegance. This is because one who attains it is rewarded with wisdom and honor, as it is written, “And my heart conducting itself with wisdom,” VAK de Hochma. “Yet to lay hold on folly” means to not extend GAR de Hochma, as it is written, “It is good that you grasp the one,” meaning wisdom, “And do not let go of the other,” meaning hold on to the folly of the absence of GAR de Hochma, as well.

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

93) When the primordial serpent begins to show, the supporters, Netzah and Hod, disappear, and the structures, which are the Mochin, are removed from the Malchut. Then comes the strong serpent and casts filth, and the sanctuary is defiled. The sanctuary is as it is written, “And I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession.” It is written, “Now the serpent was more crafty… and he said unto the woman,” actually to the woman, in whom the place of the sanctuary unites, which is Malchut. “He has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord” through his sins, since through his sins, the strong serpent appeared.

94) His sins are slander, since the primordial serpent appears because of slander, whether above or below, as it is written, “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people.” It does not say, “burning” or “burnt,” but “fiery.” Fiery relates to the primordial serpent. And he says “serpents,” in plural form, as it is written, “heads of the sea-monsters,” two, for one gripped above and one gripped below in this world.

It is also written, “Above Him stood the seraphim,” opposite the Creator, since the judgments are the sons of God, and the Lord is Rachamim [mercies]. “Above him” is the same as opposite him, and then it is complete closing, for all the lights are closed and there is no one to open. At that time comes the serpent and casts filth at the root of the sinner’s soul, which is in Malchut, and this is considered adultery. This is why it is written, “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wrong.’”

95) By the will of everything, meaning by the will of the Upper One, the serpent is not present below, since it is present above. And it is present above only where it is present below, in the iniquities of the world, for everything is interdependent.

There are two points in Malchut: the first point is Malchut de [of] Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction]. It was not mitigated in Bina, in the quality of Rachamim, and is therefore unfit to receive any light, since the force of the Masach and Tzimtzum is over it. The second point is the Malchut that was mitigated in the quality of Rachamim, in Bina. All the lights that Malchut receives are from the second point. Hence, the first point is concealed within her, and only the second point is revealed and governs her. This is why she is fit for reception of the upper lights.

For this reason, Malchut is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” since if a person is rewarded, it is good.

When the first point is concealed and only the second point rules, there is abundance in Malchut and the lower one receives from her. If he is not rewarded, for he is a sinner, then there is power in the serpent to reveal the first point in Malchut, which did not partake in Bina, and then she is bad because all the lights depart her, for the force of Tzimtzum that rides over her appeared, as it is written, “Sin crouches at the door.” This is when the sinner gives strength to the Sitra Achra to extend from the left, from above downwards, as did Cain. Then the serpent, called “sin,” which crouches at the door of Malchut, discloses the first point, which is hidden in Malchut, and all the lights depart from the root of the soul of the sinful person (in Malchut), as in, “If not rewarded, bad.”

Afterwards, the serpent intensifies further and casts filth, and blemishes and expels the lights from Bina de Malchut, too. This is so because after Malchut is associated with Bina, Bina receives the form of Malchut. Hence, after Malchut was flawed due to the appearance of the Tzimtzum over her, Bina in Malchut is flawed, as well, since she has the form of Malchut. Thus, in the beginning, only Malchut is blemished by the disclosure, and this is Malchut of the quality of judgment. Afterwards, Bina de Malchut is blemished, too, since she has the form of Malchut due to the association of the second point.

He says here that there are two serpents. This is so because one who uncovers the point of Tzimtzum Aleph, which blemishes only Malchut and none of the first nine Sefirot, cannot blemish Bina later. But another serpent awakens and rises and clings to Bina because she has the form of Malchut, due to the association.

The sinner causes the uncovering of the serpent, as it is written, “Sin crouches at the door.” The serpent acquires strength through its sin to uncover the hidden point of Tzimtzum Aleph, when the Kelim of NHY de Bina that are present in Malchut depart, meaning the ones through which Malchut receives all her lights. And she receives these Kelim de NHY from Bina through association of the quality of mercy, as it is written, “The mother lends her clothes to her daughter.” The Kelim and the lights in the Kelim depart with them because the association with Bina that is in her was corrupted by the disclosure of the point of Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph, which is not associated with Bina whatsoever.

And once all the lights depart, due to the disclosure of the first point to which the serpent clung, there comes another serpent and casts filth in Bina de Malchut, called “Sanctuary,” and then the sanctuary is defiled. This is why he calls the second serpent, “a strong serpent,” since it rose and clung not in its place, in Bina, which is all Rachamim without any judgment at all. However, it has the strength to cling to her because she was associated with Malchut in order to mitigate her.

It was written, “And he said unto the woman, actually to the woman,” to Malchut. The Kelim of Bina—the place of the sanctuary—were mingled with Malchut by the association of Malchut in Bina, as it is written, “He has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord.” Hence, when the serpent cast filth in Bina de Malchut, called “the sanctuary of the Lord,” due to the association of Malchut in Bina, Bina received the form of Malchut and the serpent had the power to cast filth in her.

This means that the second serpent, called “the strong serpent,” appeared and rises and clings to Bina, for one who slanders, who casts flaws at one’s friends when they are not on him gives strength to the second serpent to throw filth and to blemish Bina de Malchut, even though it is clean from any restriction and judgment. However, since the second serpent can act only by the force of the earlier flaw in Malchut, through the first serpent, it turns out that he flaws both Bina—through the second serpent—and Malchut—through the first serpent, since to give strength to the second serpent, the first serpent necessarily awakens.

And he brings evidence that there are two serpents from the verse, “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people.” It says “serpent,” in plural form, one in Bina de Malchut and one only in Malchut. This is why he says, “Fiery serpents,” in plural form.

The fiery serpents are corporeal serpents, which is why it is said “fiery.” And the sons of God are judgments, facing HaVaYaH, Rachamim. In the verse, “Above Him stood the seraphim,” they are opposite the Creator, too, and they are the sea monsters. The fiery serpents here are the sea monsters, too. It was written that all the lights were closed, since wherever the point of Malchut of Tzimtzum Aleph appeared, all the lights close and there is no one to open them. This is so because in Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph, repentance does not help, but only in Malchut de Tzimtzum Bet [second restriction].

It is written that for repentance to help, “This is the way of an adulterous woman.” The disclosure of the point of Tzimtzum Aleph through the serpent and its grip in it, which removes the lights of holiness, is considered that the serpent is really the adulterous woman. “She eats and wipes her mouth, and says.” This is perplexing: Because the first serpent disclosed the point of Tzimtzum Aleph, which is not associated with Bina, she lost the association with the quality of Rachamim, Bina. Thus, since the association with Bina was parted, there should not be the form of Malchut in Bina. Thus, how will the second serpent be able to cast filth in Bina because she has the form of Malchut? It is a contradiction.

This is why the text says, “This is the way of an adulterous woman,” who is the first serpent. “She eats and wipes her mouth” after she flaws Malchut and her lights depart due to the corruption of the association of the quality of Rachamim. She wipes and cleans her mouth as though she had done nothing, “And says, ‘I have done no wrong,’” to keep the form of association of Malchut in Bina as prior to the corruption of the serpent, so the second serpent may cling to Bina because she has the form of Malchut.

Indeed, this ascent of the serpent to cling to Bina is an obstacle to the serpent, since now that it has clung to Bina, the serpent itself cancelled the flaw of Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph and established the flaw of the sin in Malchut de Tzimtzum Bet. This allowed for a possibility to cancel the flaw through repentance because through repentance, illumination comes down from AB SAG de AK, which lowers the Malchut from Bina and purifies Bina from the filth of the serpent. Had it not clung to Bina, the flaw of the first serpent would have remained, meaning the disclosure of the point of Malchut de Tzimtzum Aleph, where the force of the restriction rides atop Malchut, making her unfit to receive light. Here repentance is irrelevant because repentance does not revoke Tzimtzum Aleph and the Masach that prevents Malchut from receiving the upper light. Thus, concerning the second serpent that clung to Bina, it was deliberately given this grip, so that repentance could work. This is an obstacle only to the serpent.

This is done by a higher will. Since there is the grip of the serpent above, which qualifies the sinner to repent, there is the grip of the serpent below to reveal the Tzimtzum Aleph in Malchut, and there is no fear that repentance will not work there and the flaw will remain forever. After all, it is certain that the serpent will rise and cling in Bina above, and it, itself, will cancel the flaw of Tzimtzum Aleph, as it is written, “She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wrong.’” And then repentance will work.

Also, there is no fear that the serpent might not rise to cling to Bina, since it is instilled in the serpent’s nature to always crave to grip unto a higher place. And if it finds a way to cling to Bina, it is certain that it will. Had the serpent not initially revealed the flaw of Tzimtzum Aleph in Malchut, to not receive light, the second serpent would not have been able to cling to Bina and to blemish her because she has the form of Malchut, while the flaw would not appear in Malchut herself. Also, had there not been the grip of the serpent above, which allows for repentance and correction of the flaw, no possibility would have been given from above for the serpent to cling to Malchut, below. And if there weren’t the grip of the serpent below first, it would be inconceivable for the serpent to grip above, in Bina. Thus, they are interdependent.

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

88) “When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest.” The friends evoked all the colors of this affliction in him, and the priest knew them, to purify and to defile. He knew that they were pangs of love, or those that are found in those whose Master despises and turns away from them, since the plague is caused in the world according to man’s ways.

89) It is written, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to be occupied in deeds of wickedness.” We learn from this that when a person wishes to walk, he is walked, and that the Creator lures a person to walk by the way of sin and to do evil deeds, for he says, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing.” Thus, there is no judgment in this world or in the next world, and the Torah is not established, for it is written of her, “Whether you hear or do not hear.” Thus, does it all depend on man?

90) However, David warned his heart with his words, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing,” to lead it in the path of truth, as it is written, “And lay it to thy heart.” “And lay it” means one must rehearse with the heart—once, twice, and thrice—to lead it on the path of truth and to caution it. And this is what he told him, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing,” for an evil thing causes affliction in the world. Then there is judgment in the world, the plague of leprosy.

91) Leprosy means closing, since it closes the upper lights and does not open. And when it closes and does not open, it is called “a plague.” The patriarchs, HGT, are not nourished, for they do not receive light, and all the more so the sons, NHY. It is written, “When the plague of leprosy is in a man,” meaning actually in Adam, in ZA, who is HaVaYaH with Alephs, which is Adam in Gematria. And from here it descends to the lower Adam, who caused it, and blocks his light, and there is affliction for all by that closing of lights.

92) This is the meaning of the thing. It is written, “He has abhorred His sanctuary,” when the lights of the Temple, Malchut, were closed because the people of the world caused it with their iniquities. It is written, “He has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord.” “Defiled,” since ZA departed and the harsh serpent is present and casts filth and defiles, and all because of the iniquities of the world.

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(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

80) His other son started and said, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground.” “Then the Lord God Yatzar [formed],” The word Yatzar is written with two Yods [in Hebrew], indicating that man was created in two inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination. The good inclination corresponds to water, and the evil inclination corresponds to fire. “The Lord God” is a full name. “The man” consists of male and female, since “the” implies the female. “Dust from the ground” is the dust of a holy land, from which he was created, the place of the Temple. Dust is Malchut; ground is Bina, the land of Edom. Adam ha Rishon was created from Malchut that was mitigated in Bina, since the dust of the Temple is considered Malchut that is mitigated in Bina.

81) “And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” is the holy soul that extends from this life above, from Bina.

“And man became a living soul,” meaning man was mingled with the Nefesh of holiness of the upper Haya, Bina, who educed the land, Malchut.

“Let the earth bring forth the living [Haya] soul” is the Nefesh of that upper Haya, Bina.

82) Whenever the holy soul is attached to a person, he is his Master’s beloved. He is kept by guards from all sides, written favorably above and below, and the Holy Divinity is upon him.

83) And when he diverts his ways, Divinity parts from him and the holy soul does not cling to him. And a spirit awakens on the side of the evil, harsh serpent, and wanders about in the world. It stays only in a place where the upper holiness has parted and it hovers over man. Then, man is defiled and he becomes flawed in all his flesh and in the appearance of his face.

84) Because this living soul is holy and sublime, from Bina, when the holy earth, Malchut, pulls her and mingles within her, she is called “a soul,” since the light of Bina is called “a soul.” It is she who rises and speaks before the holy king and enters in all the gates, and there is no one to stop her. This is why she is called “the whispering Ruach [wind],” “the speaking Ruach,” for all other souls that are not from Bina have no permission to speak before the king, except this one, who is from Bina.

85) This is why the Torah declares and says, “Keep your tongue from evil.” It is also written, “Who keeps his mouth and his tongue,” since if one’s lips and tongue say these bad things, the words rise up and everyone declares and says, “Turn away from the evil words of so and so, make room for the way of the harsh serpent.” Then the holy soul is removed from him and departs, and cannot speak, as it is written, “I was mute and silent, I refrained from good, and my sorrow grew.”

86) And that soul rises in disgrace, in affliction from everything, and it is not given room as before. It is written about that, “Who keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps his soul from troubles.” His soul, which used to speak, is now silent because of the evil words that she spoke. Then comes the serpent, for everything has reverted back to the beginning, as before he was rewarded with a soul. And when the evil speech rises by certain ways to being before the harsh serpent, several spirits awaken in the world, and an impure spirit descends from that side, of the serpent, and finds that that man evoked it with the evil speech. It finds that the holy speaking Ruach is removed from him, at which time the impure Ruach is upon him and defiles him, and then he is a leper.

87) As man is punished for evil words, so he is punished for good words that he could say but did not. This is so because he has flawed that speaking Ruach, for he has been corrected to speak above and speak below, and all in holiness. It is even more so if the people walk on a twisted path, and he can speak with them and rebuke them, but he does not speak. It is said about him, “I was mute and silent, I refrained from good, and my sorrow grew.” It grew by the afflictions of impurity, as we said, that King David was afflicted with leprosy and the Creator turned away from him, for he asked, “Oh turn unto me and be gracious unto me,” which means He had turned His face from him.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

75) “All things have I seen in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.” How did King Solomon, the wisest of all, say that he saw everything while he was walking in the darkness of the world, in the days of his vanity? After all, one who engages in the darkness of the world sees nothing and knows nothing.

76) However, in the days of King Solomon, the moon was full and Solomon was wiser than all the people in the world, and then he saw and knew everything. He saw everything is Yesod, which is called “everything,” for it does not move away from the moon, Malchut, and was shining the sun for her, as it is written, “All things have I seen in the days of my vanity.” Vanity is the moon, Malchut, which consists of everything: water—Hesed, fire—Gevura, and Ruach—Tifferet. All is like Hevel [fume] that comes out of the mouth, which contains everything—water, wind, and fire.

77) And he saw everything, which is Yesod, in Hevel—Malchut—which grips it. “There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness.” When there are many righteous in the world, “everything,” Yesod, is never removed from the moon, Malchut. And this “everything” takes all the oil and the valor and the joy above, and is filled and rejoices and rises to mate with the moon. And he gains all that for her.

78) And when the wicked in the world multiply and the moon grows dark, the righteous, Yesod, perishes in his righteousness. It does not say, “A righteous is lost,” but “the righteous perishes, since he is not seen in the moon, to which he is not imparting and does not take oil and valor and joy to fill her and to unite with her. Hence, a righteous loses all of that in his righteousness, which is the moon, meaning he is lost because the moon is not there to unite with him and he does not nourish from the joy above, as he did. Then, the whole of the left side awakens and the wicked prolong peacefully in the world, as it is written, “And there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness,” in that evil side that has clung to him.

79) “There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness” because when the righteous multiply in the world and the judgment is hung, the righteous perishes in his righteousness. He is caught in their iniquities like my father, who was caught in the iniquities of his town’s people, who were all insolent and he did not warn them and never shamed them, and he prevented us from provoking the wicked. He would tell us, “A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers; do not envy evildoers.” His father said, “The Creator must have punished me for it, for I had the authority to stop them but I did not, and I did not despise them, neither secretly nor openly.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

70) As they were walking, they came across a man whose face was full of sores, who rose from under a tree. They looked at him and saw that his face had turned red from all the sores. Rabbi Hiya told him, “Who are you?” And he replied, “I am a Jew.” Rabbi Yosi said, “He is a sinner, or these bad sores would not be seen in his face. These are not called ‘Pangs of love.’” Rabbi Hiya said, “It must be so, since pangs of love are covered from people.”

71) It is written, “When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot.” There are three kinds, and they are all called “The plague of leprosy,” as it is written, “And it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy.” The plague of leprosy is with a closed syllable [in Hebrew], for it is closed in everything, meaning that the affliction is covered and hidden from the eye. It is written about that, “He shall be brought unto Aaron the priest.” But the sores that are seen on the outside, it is written about that, “And the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean,” since what is seen to people on the outside comes from the side of impurity and are not pangs of love.

72) How do we know that? It is written, “Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden,” which means that open rebuke is better. And if the rebuke is out of love, it is hidden from people. Similarly, one who rebukes one’s friend with love must hide his words from people so his friend will not be shamed by them. And if his words are open before people, they are not with love.

73) So is the Creator. When He rebukes a person, He rebukes him with love in everything. First, He strikes him in his body, from within. If he repents, good. If not, He strikes him under his clothes. And these are called “Pangs of love.” If he repents, good. If not, He strikes him openly in his face, in front of everyone, so people will look at him and know that he is a sinner and is not loved by his Master.

74) That man told them, “You must have contrived to come over me to despise me. You must be from among those who sit at the house of Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, who fear nothing. If my sons, who come after me, should come, they will persecute you. Why do you speak openly? After all, you should fear my sons.” They told him, “Such is the Torah, for it is written, ‘She calls at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings.’ If we fear you with words of Torah, we are in contempt of the Creator. Moreover, the Torah needs purity, meaning to speak openly.” The man started and said, “Who is a God like You, that pardons iniquity?” He raised his hands and cried. At that time, his sons came and his junior son said, “Here is heaven’s help to my father.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

67) “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” The land is Malchut. Since he said, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,” why the double wording, “The world, and those who dwell in it”? Is the world not the earth? However, he says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” This is the holy land, called “the land of the living.” “The world and those who dwell in it” are the rest of the lands.

68) “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” The earth is Malchut. “All it contains” are the souls of the righteous in Malchut. “The world, and those who dwell in it.” The world is the earth below, in this world. “Those who dwell in it are people, and the earth is the Malchut, “For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon rivers.” This is so because the land of the living, Malchut, “He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon rivers,” since all of them, all the Mochin, emerge from the uppermost river that stretches out of Eden, from Bina. And the Malchut is corrected by them, to be crowned with the Holy King and to nourish the worlds.

69) “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? … who has not carried My soul [Nefesh] in vain.” My Nefesh is Malchut, and King David was united in that heart, and that Nefesh, in Malchut. This is why he says, “Who has not carried his soul [Nefesh] in vain.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

62) “Look not upon me, that I am swarthy, that the sun has tanned me.” In exile, the moon, Malchut, is covered and says, “Look not upon me.” It is not that she is demanding that we do not see her. But because she sees Israel’s desire to see her light she says, “Look not upon me,” meaning you will not be able to see me; “Look not upon me” because I am swarthy, since I am in the dark.

63) What is swarthy? Should it not have said “Black”? Indeed, there are two kinds of darkness: 1) “That the sun has tanned me,” that the sun, ZA, has parted from me, from shining in me and from looking at me. 2) “My mother’s sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper.”

64) Sheshzaphtany [that has tanned me] implies six, since Sheshzaphtany is made of Shesh [six] Zaphtany. This is so because when the sun—ZA—shines, it shines in six lights, in the six Sefirot HGT NHY. And when it leaves, all six lights leave. “My mother’s sons” are those that come from the side of harsh judgment to punish for the sins. “Were incensed against me,” as in, “My throat is dried” [there is similarity of words and pronunciation in Hebrew]. It is written, “To our very necks we are pursued,” since when Israel came to the exile, their hands were tied behind them and millstones were around their necks, and they could not open their mouths, as it is written, “My throat is dried.”

65) “They made me keeper of the vineyards,” to go into exile and to keep the rest of the nations for Israel. “But I have not kept my own vineyard,” for I cannot keep them as in the beginning. In the beginning, I was keeping my own vineyard, Israel, and from it, the rest of the vineyards—which are the nations—were kept. Now I keep the rest of the vineyards for my own vineyards, so it will be kept among them.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

51) “Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’” “Then he said, ‘Let me go.’” Was he a prisoner of Jacob? Happy are the righteous, for the Creator spares their honor and never leaves them, as it is written, “He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Still, it is written, “And the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was sprained.”

52) But the angel took what was his, as it is written, “And he himself lodged that night in the camp.” It is also written, “And he took them, and sent them over the stream.” What was on Jacob’s mind, to take them across the river at night? But he saw the accuser walking among his camps, and Jacob said, “I will move them to the other side of the river, perhaps there will not be bewilderment.

53) What did he see? He saw a blazing flame of fire walking and flying through his camps. Jacob said, “It would be best to take them from here across the river so the river will part between them and there will be no bewilderment, since damagers do not cross rivers. “And he took them, and sent them over the stream.” “And Jacob was left alone.” And since Jacob obstructed him from harming the camps, he touched the hollow of his thigh, “And the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was sprained,” for he had taken from him what was his. We learn from this that one can be harmed if he is alone at home at night, or in a secluded house during the day, and especially during the night in a secluded house, separated from other houses, or walks alone at night.

54) “And Jacob was left alone.” Then, “There wrestled a man with him.” The angel came from the side of judgment and his government was on the side of the night, appointed over bringing Israel into exile, which is night, and darkness. And since the light came up, his power waned and Jacob’s strength overcame him, since he came from the side of the night. Hence, while it was night, Jacob could not prevail over him, and when the light came up, Jacob’s strength intensified and he held him and prevailed over him. Then Jacob saw that he was an angel.

55) The angel told him, “Let me go for I cannot overcome you.” He could not overcome him because the light had come up and his spirit had been broken, as it is written, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” They shouted means that all those from the side of judgment were broken. Shouted means that they were broken, as in, “The earth is broken, broken down.” “Sons of God” are those that come from the side of judgment, called “God.” Then Jacob grew strong and gripped him.

56) He told him, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” It was time to assemble and praise the Creator. And he said, “I will not let you go, except you bless me.” It should have said, “If you will bless me” [in future tense], why “Except you bless me,” which is past tense [in Hebrew]? Jacob told him, “My father certainly blessed me with these blessings, which he wished to bless Esau with, and I am afraid of you in regards to these blessings, whether you admit to them; for if not, you might slander me for them.

57) “He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob.’” He told him, neither by deceit nor by cunningness did you obtain these blessings. Hence, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob.” It is as Esau said, “Therefore… he has supplanted me two times.” But this was not with cunningness. Rather, it was Israel, ZA, from whom the blessings emerge. Certainly, admitting about you that the blessings are yours because you are gripped in it, and for this reason, I and all the camps of angels admit that the blessings are yours.

58) “For you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” “With God” are all those who come from the side of harsh judgment. “And with men” is Esau and his camps. “And have prevailed,” you overcame them and they did not overcome you. And Jacob did not leave him until he admitted to these blessings before him, as it is written, “And he blessed him there.”

59) When the light of Bina comes up, all the litigants yield and are absent, and the assembly of Israel speaks with the Creator. That time is a time of good will for all, and the king gives a scepter, a thread of grace to Malchut and to all who are with her, to be whole in the holy king.

60) When the Creator is with the assembly of Israel, Malchut, and she evokes the desire for him first, and attracts him to her with much love and yearning, Malchut is filled with the Hassadim of the male from the right side, and several camps of angels are on the right side in all the worlds.

And when the Creator evokes love and desire first, and Malchut awakens later, not while the Creator has awakened, then everything is in the form of female, Malchut, and the left awakens. And several camps of angels stand and awaken on the left side in all the worlds, as it is written, “If a woman inseminates and delivers a male child.” If the woman inseminates first, she delivers a male child, since the lower world is akin to the upper world, and one is like the other. And as it is above, if Malchut awakens the desire first, below, too, she is filled with the male from the right side.

61) For this reason, the Creator determines a male or a female, for a desire, Malchut, exists in the world first, and then the woman below awakens to inseminate first, and deliver a male child. This is so because everything depends on above not on below, and in all things, man must have his desire clinging upwards, toward the Creator, so there will first be a desire in the world, Malchut, and then his wife, too, will inseminate first and deliver a male. Happy are the righteous who know how to attach their will to the Holy King. It is written about them, “You that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive everyone of you today.”

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)

48) “He who robs his father and his mother.” His father is the Creator; his mother—the assembly of Israel. “Robs,” as it is written, “The plunder of the poor is in your houses.” The plunder is one who covets another woman, who is not his mate.

49) Anyone who enjoys this world without a blessing, as though steals from the Creator and the assembly of Israel, as it is written, “He who robs his father and his mother, “And says, ‘It is not a transgression’ is the companion of a man who destroys.” Anyone who enjoys this world—this rule that says, “Anyone who enjoys,”—is a woman. This is so because one who clings to a woman, who comes to enjoy her, even if she is available, but enjoys her without a blessing, without the seven blessings that the bride is blessed, it is as though he robs the Creator and the assembly of Israel.

The reason is that their Zivug is in seven blessings. And one who enjoys without seven blessings blemishes the seven blessings above. And as with an available one, it is much more so with the wife of another, who stands in a Zivug in seven blessings through her husband, as it is above.

50) “Is the companion of a man who destroys” is Jeroboam. “And says, ‘It is not a transgression,’” meaning he says, “She is available; why is it forbidden?” he thus robs his father and mother. Moreover, he is a companion to a man who destroys. Who is a man who destroys? It is one who blemishes the form and the correction above. It is even more so with one who covets his friend’s wife, to cling to her, for he blemishes more. For that, he is blemished forever. “A man who destroys,” since he blemishes above, blemishes below, and blemishes his soul.

(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / TAZRIA – click)