Leer — Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment, Daniel Chanan Matt (1983)

School of Theology at Claremont inn 1 13240 Oo) {The Sook of Enlightenment ae "3 heed ee 4 oe _ Ww « —— ee THE CLASSICS OF WESTERN SPIRITUALITY A Library of the Great Spiritual Masters President and Publisher Kevin A. Lynch, C.S.P. EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Richard J. Payne Associate Editor John Farina Editorial Consultant Ewert H. Cousins—Professor, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y. John E. Booty—Professor of Church History, Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass. Joseph Dan—Professor of Kaballah in the Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. Albert Deblaere—Professor of the History of Spirituality, Gregorian University, Rome, Italy. Louis Dupré—T.L. Riggs Professor in Philosophy of Religion, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Rozanne Elder—Executive Vice President, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, Mich. Mircea. Eliade—Professor in the Department of the History of Religions, University of Chicago, Chicago, III. Anne Fremantle—Teacher, Editor and Writer, New York, N.Y. Karlfried Froelich—Professor of the History of the Early and Medieval Church, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J. Arthur Green—Associate Professor in the Department of Reli- gious Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. Stanley S. Harakas—Professor of Orthodox Christian Ethics, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Brookline, Mass. Jean Leclercq—Professor, Institute of Spirituality and Institute of Religious Psychology, Gregorian University, Rome, Italy. Miguel Leon-Portilla—Professor Mesoamerican Cultures and Languages, National University of Mexico, University City, Mexico. George A. Maloney, S.J.—Director, John XXIII Ecumenical Center, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y. Bernard McGinn—Professor of Historical Theology and History of Christianity, University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, III. John Meyendorff—Professor of Church History, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y., and Professor of Patristics and Church History, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Tuckahoe, N.Y. Seyyed Hossein Nasr—Professor of Islamics, Department of Religion, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., and Visiting Professor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Heiko A. Oberman—Director, Institute fuer Spaetmittelalter und Reformation, Universitaet Tuebingen, West Germany. Alfonso Ortiz—Professor of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N. Mex.; Fellow, The Center for Advanced Study, Stanford, Calif., Raimundo Panikkar—Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara, Calif. Jaroslav Pelikan—Sterling Professor of History and Religious Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Fazlar Rahman—Professor of Islamic Thought, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, University of Chicago, Chicago, IIl. Annemarie B. Schimmel—Professor of Hindu Muslim Culture, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Sandra M. Schneiders—Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies and Spirituality, Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, Calif. Huston Smith—Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. John R. Sommerfeldt—Professor of History, University of Dallas, Irving, Texas. David Steindl-Rast—Monk of Mount Savior Monastery, Pine City, N.Y. William C. Sturtevant—General Editor, Handbook of North American Indians, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. David Tracy—Professor of Theology, University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, Il. Victor Turner—William B. Kenan Professor in Anthropology, The Center for Advanced Study, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. Kallistos Ware—Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford; Spalding Lecturer in Eastern Orthodox Studies, Oxford University, England. -» @ eit ink ee ae um “peasaperse (har we. eet VF igh Fak ta eur 2 " * a a = a ue 4 lm id i ahs Ta Sati} * Wicd = Wii's, Me™ a: 7 « keerasorsgs idan ae Bt * Fyre. ge tall eee at hata see aga oe ied ' ae oe YN Fae he pet ‘intat i) eo) pas (2~ i) Oh ‘At gee) 17 arora \e@” Le 7 ° r< ele DO ta Ws. ” a a* Vales d iin « \Ebe ee ewe ag W PRR, preston : Fak ~ Se Mi Cetiek? gas TO se ie eee ee ee \ 20) Speen weer 4 dew . + a ee ae Rag? th \ren es The Book of Enlightenment TRANSLATION AND INTRODUCTION BY DANIEL CHANAN MATT PREFACE BY ARTHUR GREEN PAULIST PRESS NEW YORK * RAMSEY * TORONTO i ————— Cover Art: MICHAEL BOGDANOW is a native of Houston, Texas. He now lives near Boston and is completing a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School while continuing with his art. “My art is motivated by a desire to communicate with people, to express feelings and ideas that cannot necessarily be captured by word,” he says. Theology Library SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT GLAREMONT California Copyright © 1983 by Daniel Chanan Matt All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the pub- lisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 83-82145 ISBN: 0-8091-2387-8 (paper) 0-809 1-0320-6 (cloth) Published by Paulist Press 545 Island Road, Ramsey, N.J. 07446 Printed and bound in the United States of America CONTENTS Preface xiii Foreword xv Introduction 1 The Ten Sefirot 35 Zohar How To Look at Torah 43 Zohar on Genesis 47 The Creation of Elohim 49 The Hidden Light 51 Adam’s Sin 54 Male and Female 55 After the Flood 5 Abram, the Soul-Breath 60 Abram’s Descent into Egypt 63 Openings 65 An Offering to God 69 The Binding of Abraham and Isaac 72 Jacob’s Journey oh) Joseph’s Dream 80 Seduction Above and Below 84 Jacob’s Garment of Days 91 Zohar on Exodus 97 The Birth of Moses 99 Moses and the Blazing Bush 102 Moses and His Father-in-Law 105 Colors and Enlightenment 107 Pharaoh, Israel, and God ila Manna and Wisdom 113 Is There Anyone Like Moses? 7 All of Israel Saw the Letters 119 Vil CONTENTS The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden 121 The Gift of Dwelling 127, The Secret of Sabbath 132 The Golden Calf 133 Zohar on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy 143 Qorban and Olah, Drawing Near and Ascending 145 Guests in the Sukkah 148 God, Israel, and Shekhinah 153 Threshing Out the Secrets 163 The Rabbis Encounter a Child 170 Miracles 177 The Wedding Celebration 182 Notes 191 Appendix 301 Glossary 303 Bibliography 307 Index to Zohar Passages 311 Indexes 313 Vili TO MY PARENTS, TOVAH GITEL AND HA-RAV ZEVI YONAH HA-LEVI, WHO HAVE NURTURED ME WITH LOVE AND TORAH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I have been blessed with wise teachers and understanding havrayya. Here I thank a few who read portions of the manuscript: Pamela Adelman, Alexander Altmann, Michael Fishbane, Arthur Green, Burt Jacobson, Steve Joseph, Ana Massie, Jo Milgrom, Stephen Mitchell, Sara Shendelman, and David Winston. [ am grateful to John Farina and Richard Payne, editors at Paulist Press, for their help and encouragement. Editor of This Volume DANIEL CHANAN MATT teaches at the Center for Judaic Studies in the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. He received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and has taught at Boston Universi- ty and the University of Texas at Austin. His edition of David ben Yehudah he-Hasid’s Book of Mirrors was published by Scholars Press in 1982. Author of the Preface ARTHUR GREEN is a student of Jewish mysticism and theology. He is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Penn- sylvania. His anthology Your Word Is Fire, co-edited with Barry W. Holtz, was published by Paulist Press in 1977. Tormented Master: A Life of Rabbi Nabman of Bratslav appeared in 1979. Dr. Green serves on the editorial board of the Classics of Western Spirituality Series. PREFACE One who delves into the religious literature of some figures and periods can never forget the profound link that exists between spiritu- al creativity and the poetic imagination. The reader of Solomon Ga- birol or Judah Halevi among the medieval Hebrew poets, like the reader of John of the Cross, to limit the consideration to fellow Spaniards, will perforce see how the poetic vehicle and the religious message converge to influence and mediate one another. This is not so obviously the case with the Zohar, the magnum opus of Spanish-Jewish Kabbalah in the late thirteenth century. Here the thicket of symbolism is so dense, and the Aramaic prose in which the work is presented often so obscure, that the sense of the poetic is not immediately apparent. The author of the Zohar was, however, pos- sessed of a truly magnificent literary imagination, and he created out of the emerging kabbalistic tradition a work of masterful poetic scope, though doing so without recourse to those specific literary canons that distinguished “poetry” in his age. Working with an already established system of symbolic correspondences (the sefirot, as will be explained below), Moses de Leén was able to keep the conventionalized religious language in the background, and to sing loftily of lights and sparks, sun and moon, flowing streams and rivers, and, most passionately, of the unending love between the celestial Bridegroom and His Bride. Such was the fate of this work, however, that it came to be increasingly venerated by generations of devotees who sought to make its poetry transparent, to see beyond the imagery into theetrue”’ religious meaning of the text, exegeting it much as the early rabbis had the Bible, to find in each word or phrase previously unseen layers of sacred meaning. As kabbalistic thought itself developed, particularly after the sixteenth century, a new and infinitely more complicated system of symbols, based on further development of zoharic themes, supplanted the old. Now the purpose of exegesis became a rereading of the Zohar in this later spirit, seeking to find the Lurianic teaching, as it was called, in the more venerable source. Commentaries of the Zohar became increasingly illegible to the noninitiate, and even once deci- X1il PREFACE phered had increasingly little to do with the original meaning of the Zohar text. As moderns have turned their attention once again to the study of Zohar, largely under the inspiration of Gershom Scholem and his Jerusalem school of kabbalistic history, the task of exegesis has turned again to peshat, the attempt to reconstruct the symbolic meaning of the Zohar’s fantasy-laden means of expression. Here too, however, the goal is to some extent one of penetrating beyond the surface content of the work, translating its unique poetic back into the conventional symbol- clusters of kabbalistic tradition. It is the strength of the work before us that its editor has refused to follow such a generally accepted method. The work you are about to read, both in selection and translation, is an act of daring, the creation of a young scholar undaunted by the conventions of the academy. He seeks to do nothing less than to recover de Leon the poet, to allow the Zohar to be read, perhaps for the first time since it emerged from the author’s mind into the written word, first as a work of poetic imagina- tion, and only second, through a highly competent series of notes, as a textbook of kabbalistic symbolism. It is characteristic of the editor and his intent that he chose to place the notes at a distance from the text itself, so that the reader be left the choice of when—and indeed whether—to consult them. In both readings, that of translation alone and that of text as explicated in the notes, Matt’s Book of Enlightenment is one that the Zohar’s author would enjoy, and one that the thoughtful reader will find enriching, on more than one level. Arthur Green XIV FOREWORD Sefer ha-Zobar, the Book of Splendor, Radiance, Enlightenment, has amazed and overwhelmed readers for seven centuries. The Zohar is the major text of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. It is arranged in the form of a commentary on the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. It is a mosaic of Bible, midrash (see Glossary), medieval homily, fiction, and fantasy. Its central theme is the interplay of human and divine reali- ties. Its language is a peculiar brand of Aramaic that breaks the rules of grammar and invents words. Who wrote the Zohar? The question has been debated ever since the first hand-written booklets were distributed in Spain late in the thirteenth century. The Introduction below tells the story of the answer. The Zohar is immense. This volume contains approximately 2 percent of the entire work. It is presumptuous to pick and choose from a mystical corpus, but I have tried to select passages that are spiritually evocative and that demonstrate the uniqueness of the Zohar’s encoun- ter with Torah. I have supplied the passages with titles, and occasional- ly omitted material within a passage, in which case the omission is indicated by ellipsis points. An index at the end of the volume identi- fies the location of the passages in the Zohar. The translation attempts to convey the lyrical flavor of the original without smoothing away its rough vibrancy. The Zohar is an esoteric and cryptic work, a commentary that requires a commentary. The notes in the second half of the volume are designed to guide the reader through the maze of kabbalistic symbol- ism and to identify rabbinic sources and zoharic parallels. Here I have relied especially on Ketem Paz by Shim’on Labi; Or ha-Hammab, edited by Avraham Azulai,; Nizozei Zohar by Re’uven Margaliot (printed in his edition of the Zohar); Mishnat ha-Zobar by Isaiah Tishby; and the works of Gershom Scholem (nishmato eden). 1 suggest that the reader first encounter each passage on his own, and then go back to study it with the notes, which are unnumbered (except in the Foreword and Introduction) and keyed to a particular Zohar selection. XV FOREWORD The teachings of Kabbalah are profound and powerful. One who hopes to enter and emerge in peace must be careful, persevering, and receptive. Follow the words to what lies beyond and within. Open the gates of imagination. Let Zohar alef the Ineffable. XVi ee an INTRODUCTION With the light created by God during the six days of Creation Adam could see from one end of the world to the other. God hid the light away for the righteous in the hereafter. Where did He hide it? In the Torah. So when I open The Book of Zobar, I see the whole world. —Israel son of Eli’ezer the Ba’al Shem Tov The Zohar has kept me Jewish. —Pinhas of Koretz Hasidic rabbi! Seven hundred years ago, a Spanish Jewish mystic named Moses de Leén began circulating booklets to his friends and fellow kabbalists. These booklets contained teachings and tales that had never been seen or heard. Moses claimed that he was merely the scribe, copying from an ancient book of wisdom. The original had been composed in the circle of Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai, a famous teacher of the second century who lived in the land of Israel and, according to tradition, spent twelve years secluded in a cave. After Rabbi Shim’on’s death, so the story goes, the book was hidden away or secretly handed down from master to disciple. Only recently had it been sent from Israel to Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Then it fell into the hands of Moses de Leon of Guadalajara. He took it upon himself to spread the ancient secrets, copying portions from the original manuscript and offering them for sale. But history impinged. In 1291 the Mamluks conquered the city of Acre in Israel and massacred most of the Jewish and Christian inhabi- tants. One of the few who managed to escape was a young man named Isaac son of Samuel. He journeyed to Italy and eventually to Spain, arriving in Toledo in 1305. Isaac, who later became one of the leading kabbalists of the fourteenth century, was amazed at the reports he heard about the newly discovered Midrash of Rabbi Shim’on. The book had supposedly been written in Israel, but Isaac was from Israel and had never heard of it. According to his diary, Isaac sought out those who possessed the booklets and was informed that the distributor was Moses de Leon, whom he located in Valladolid. Moses assured him that he owned the original manuscript composed by the ancient sage, and that he would let Isaac see it if he came to Avila, where Moses now lived. They parted company. Moses set out for his home, but on the way, in the town of Arévalo, he became ill and died. When Isaac heard the news, he went straight to Avila to see if anyone there knew the truth about the book. He was told that immediately following Moses’ death, the wife of Joseph de Avila, the tax collector of the province, had offered her son INTRODUCTION in marriage to the daughter of Moses de Leon’s widow in exchange for the ancient manuscript. Moses’ widow had responded: Thus and more may God do to me if my husband ever possessed such a book! He wrote it entirely from his own head. When I saw him writing with nothing in front of him, I said to him, “Why do you say that you are copying from a book when there is no book? You are writing from your head. Wouldn’t it be better to say so? You would have more honor!” He answered me, “If I told them my secret, that I am writing from my own mind, they would pay no attention to my words, and they would pay nothing for them. They would say: ‘He is inventing them out of his imagination.’ But now that they hear that I am copying from The Book of Zohar composed by Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai through the Holy Spirit, they buy these words at a high price, as you see with your very eyes!” Isaac was aghast when he heard this story. He traveled on to make further inquiries and found support for Moses’ claim that the book was ancient. He heard a report that Rabbi Jacob, a former student of Moses de Leén, had sworn that “the Zohar composed by Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai...” And here the citation from Isaac’s diary breaks off.2 Moses de Le6on’s name faded. The Zohar was gradually accepted as the ancient wisdom of Rabbi Shim’on and his circle. By the middle of the sixteenth century, it ranked with the Bible and the Talmud as a sacred text. While kabbalists delved into its mysteries, Oriental Jews chanted the strange Aramaic, often unaware of the literal sense. But both groups, and countless others, were inspired and uplifted by the Holy Zohar.? Who was Moses de Leon? Devoted scribe or devious author? As with many mystics, the facts of Moses’ life are scarce. In one of his books, he calls himself “Moses son of Shem Tov from the city of Leon.’* The year of his birth is unknown, but by 1264 he was engaged in the study of philosophy, for in that year a Hebrew translation of Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed was copied “for the erudite [ba- maskil| Rabbi Moses de Leon.”5 (The Guide, completed about 1200 in Egypt, was a grandiose attempt at a synthesis of Jewish faith and Aristotelian philosophy.) Philosophy, however, was not Moses de Leén’s only undertaking. He immersed himself in rabbinic literature and was also drawn to the teachings of Kabbalah. Kabbalah means “receiving” and refers to that which is handed down by tradition. For many centuries the word was used quite generally, but by the time of Moses de Leon, the term Kabbalah denoted esoteric teachings, techniques of meditation, and a growing body of mystical literature. A kabbalistic movement had emerged in Provence and Catalonia toward the end of the twelfth and the begin- ning of the thirteenth centuries. The famous rabbi Nahmanides of Gerona explored the teachings and helped Kabbalah gain wider accep- tance. The movement spread westward to Castile (central Spain). Wandering south from Leon, Moses came to know some of the kabba- lists and was introduced to the Bahir (“Brightness”), the main text of Provencal Kabbalah, to the teachings of the school of Gerona, and to more recent Castilian formulations.° Moses de Leén did not reject philosophy. Many of his kabbalistic comrades had also studied the Guide of the Perplexed, and there were parallels and connections between Maimonides’ system and Kabbalah. Both adopted the Neoplatonic scheme; both aimed at contemplative union with higher spheres; both were dissatisfied with the plain, literal meaning of Torah and sought to spiritualize its teaching. However, Moses and his fellow kabbalists saw the effects of radi- cal rationalism on Spanish Jewry. Maimonides had written his Guide in Arabic for an intellectual elite. Once it was translated into Hebrew a INTRODUCTION and transplanted to Spain, rationalism became the vogue among the Jewish upper class. Many of these wealthy, assimilated Jews embraced a rationalistic ideology not for the pursuit of truth but in order to justify their neglect of tradition. In his Sefer ba-Rimmon (‘Book of the Pomegranate’), Moses de Leon lashes out at these lazy scoffers: When they are alone with one another, they ridicule and mock [the words of the rabbis] and delight in the words of the Greeks and their assistants [the medieval philosophers]. They kiss their words! Furthermore, I have seen them on the festi- val of Sukkot [“Booths”] standing in their places in the syna- gogue, watching the servants of God circling with palm branches around the Torah scroll in the ark, laughing at them and mocking them, saying that they are fools without any knowledge. Meanwhile, they have no palm branch and no citron. They claim: “Has not the Torah said to take these in order to ‘rejoice in the presence of YHVH your God for seven days’ (Leviticus 23:40)? Do you think these species will make us happy? Silver and gold ornaments and fine clothes make us happier!” And they say, ‘“‘Do you think we have to bless God? Does He need this? Foolishness!” Eventually there are no phylacteries on their heads. When you ask them why, they answer, “Phylacteries are only meant to be ‘a reminder be- tween your eyes’ (Exodus 13:9). This is no reminder. It is better to mention the Creator with our mouths several times a day. That is a better and more fitting reminder!” They take those books and see those words and say that this is the Torah of truth!” Moses was incensed at this cavalier attitude toward tradition. At the same time, he was dissatisfied with the traditionalists. Having experienced the knowledge of Kabbalah, he was no longer content with mere book learning. In his Or Zaru’a (““Sown Light’), Moses writes: I have seen some people called “wise.” But they have not awoken from their slumber; they just remain where they are.... Indeed, they are far from searching for His glorious Reality. They have exchanged His Glory for the image of a INTRODUCTION bull eating grass [cf. Psalms 106:20]. For when one of them comes to the case of a bull that is to be stoned [because it gored someone, see Exodus 21:28-32; Mishnah and Talmud, Bava Qamma, 4], and he finds out exactly how it should be stoned, he thinks he is a great wise man and has achieved what no one else has. Now indeed, all the words of the rabbis, may their memory be a blessing, are true and perfect; they are all words of the living God! But having reached this case, which is one level, why does he not ascend from wisdom to wisdom, from level to level? The ancient wise ones have said that there was once a man who engaged in Mishnah and Talmud all his days ac- cording to his animal knowledge. When the time came for him to depart from the world, he was very old, and people said that he was a great wise man. But one person came along and said to him, “Do you know your self? All the limbs in your body, what are they for?” He said, “J do not know.” “Your little finger, what is it for?” He said, “I do not know.” “Do you know anything outside of you, why it is how it is?” He began shouting at everyone, “I do not know my self! How can I know anything outside my self?” He went on, “All my days I have toiled in Torah until I was eighty years old. But in the final year I attained no more wisdom or essence than I attained in those first years when I began studying.” The people asked, “Then what did you toil over all these years?” He said, “‘What I learned in the beginning.” They said, “This wise man is nothing but an animal without any knowledge. He did not know the purpose of all his work; just like an animal carrying straw on its back, not knowing whether it is sifted grain or straw!” ... See now how my eyes shine, for I have tasted a bit of this honey! O House of Jacob! Come, let us walk in the light of YHVH!® Moses settled in the city of Guadalajara and sometime between 1275 and 1280 began to produce a mystical Midrash. The root of midrash means “to search.” Midrash is the ancient technique of search- ing for the meaning of passages, phrases, and individual words of the Bible. It includes philology, etymology, hermeneutics, homiletics, and imagination. The earliest Midrashim were edited during the fourth INTRODUCTION and fifth centuries. Moses called this creation Midrash ha-Ne'elam, the Concealed Midrash, the Esoteric Midrash, an ancient composition that had disappeared until now.? Midrash ba-Ne’elam is the earliest stratum of the Zohar. It is a commentary on parts of the Torah and the Book of Ruth. We also possess Midrash ha-Ne’elam on the beginning of Lamentations and the beginning of Midrash ha-Ne'elam on Song of Songs.'° The style of these passages reveals that Moses de Le6n is still under the influence of philosophy. He employs philosophical terminology and the technique of allegory. Abram’s journey to the land of Canaan, for example, is presented as the journey of the soul into the world.'! The language of Midrash ba-Ne’elam is a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, unlike that of the rest of the Zohar, which is completely Aramaic. Aramaic, the language of the Talmud, spoken hardly anywhere in the medieval world, lent an ancient tone to the Zohar and clothed its radical teach- ings in the garb of tradition.'2 The figure of Rabbi Shim’on appears in Midrash ha-Ne elam, but he is not the only master. At times Eli’ezer son of Hyrcanus, an earlier rabbi, is the hero. At other times there is no single master. Rather, we meet a whole array of talmudic figures, many of whom lived centuries apart. In the main body of the Zohar the anachronisms are fewer though still striking; Rabbi Shim’on is the undisputed Holy Light. By the year 1281 Moses de Leon had already shown parts of Midrash ha-Ne’elam to at least one of his kabbalistic colleagues in Guadalajara, Isaac son of Solomon Abi Sahula. In Isaac’s Meshal ha- Qadmoni (‘Fable of the Ancient”), written in that year, there appear one quotation and one paraphrase from Midrash ha-Ne’elam and several oblique references to the work. Two years later Isaac completed a mystical commentary on the Song of Songs in which he quotes eight passages from Midrash ha-Neelam. Apparently Isaac knew the real origin of these citations and was helping to spread the “ancient” teachings. 13 _ Between 1280 and 1286 Moses de Leén produced the main body of the Zohar, a rambling mystical commentary on the Torah containing a number of distinct literary compositions.!* The language is a pseudo- Aramaic spoken by Rabbi Shim’on and his disciples as they wander through the Galilee exchanging kabbalistic insights. The Zohar refash- ions the Torah’s narrative into a mystical novel. On one level, the biblical heroes are the protagonists, and the rabbis interpret their words, their personalities, and their encounters with holy or demonic INTRODUCTION forces. The commentary is often far removed from the literal meaning - of the biblical text. The words of Torah are a starting point, a spring- board for the imagination. At times the commentators become the main characters, and we read about dramatic study sessions with Rabbi Shim’on or about the rabbis’ adventures on the road. In the standard printed editions of the Zohar there is one volume on Genesis, one on Exodus, and one on the remaining three books of the Torah: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. On Deuteronomy, in fact, there are only a few Zohar passages. It is unlikely that signifi- cant portions have been lost. Rather, at a certain point Moses de Leon simply exhausted his creative power or felt that he had done enough and turned his attention elsewhere.'° From 1286 until his death in 1305, Moses wrote books in Hebrew under his own name and copied out portions of the Zohar for sale and circulation. His Hebrew writings are filled with the ideas and imagery of the Zohar and serve as a valuable commentary. They were intended to prepare his reading audience for the publication of his pseudepi- graphic magnum opus. Frequently in these books Moses alludes to the Zohar: “It is expounded in the inner Midrashim”; “They say in the secrets of Torah”; ‘The pillars of the world have discussed the secrets of their words”; “I have seen a profound matter in the writings of the ancients”; “I saw in the Yerushalmi”’; “T have seen in the secrets of the depth of wisdom.” Moses is tantalizing the reader, hinting that an unknown book of ancient wisdom has been discovered. Soon it will be available. Moses remained in Guadalajara until at least 1291,17 and from there he began circulating the Zohar. He did not distribute entire copies of the book, just portions. This is indicated in the diary of Isaac of Acre and accords with the fact that the first authors to quote the Zohar cite only certain sections. No complete manuscript has yet been found. When the Zohar was first printed in Italy in the sixteenth century, the editors had to combine several manuscripts to produce a complete text. Later other manuscripts were located, and an additional volume was printed elsewhere."® Despite Moses’ efforts, the Zohar was not accepted by everyone as an ancient work. We have already heard of the investigation of Isaac of Acre. There were other kabbalists who treated the Zohar with re- straint, for example, the students of Rabbi Solomon son of Abraham ibn Adret of Barcelona. In 1340 the philosopher and kabbalist Joseph ibn Waqqar warned: “Very many errors occur in the book. Therefore INTRODUCTION it is necessary to be careful and keep a safe distance from it in order not to make mistakes.” 1? A number of adventurous souls followed Moses’ example and produced their own ancient Midrashim. Foremost among these were Ra‘aya Meheimna (“The Faithful Shepherd”) and Tigqunet Zobar (“Em- bellishments on the Zohar”), written at the end of the thirteenth or the beginning of the fourteenth century. These two imitations were suc- cessful enough to become part of the zoharic literature. Ra‘aya Me- heimna is actually printed as part of the Zohar, while Tigqunei Zohar appears in a separate volume.”° Another kabbalist, David son of Judah the Hasid, wrote Mar’ot ba-Zove'ot (“The Book of Mirrors’) in the early fourteenth century. This work contains numerous translations of Zohar passages into Hebrew along with rabbinic Midrashim, selec- tions from thirteenth-century kabbalistic literature, and the author’s own imitations of Zohar.?! 10 Gradually the Zohar’s antiquity was accepted by kabbalists. How- ever, it was not read or circulated beyond small circles. In the middle of the fifteenth century the Marrano Pedro de la Caballeria stated that few Jews possessed the Zohar.?2 It was not until after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 that the Zohar became the Bible of Kabbalah. From 1530 onward, Safed, Israel, was a meeting place for kabbalists. One of them, Moses Cordovero, wrote two systematic books of Kabbalah based on the Zohar and also a long commentary on it. Isaac Luria developed a new system of Kabbalah that drew heavily on certain sections of the Zohar. The mystical-ethical literature that emerged from this circle helped to popularize the Zohar’s teachings, while the messianic fervor generated here encouraged the spreading of the secrets. Earlier kabbalists had already made a connection between the dissemination of Kabbalah and the redemption of Israel, but now studying the Zohar was raised to the level of a divine command: The decree from above not to engage openly in the wisdom of Kabbalah was meant to apply only for a set time, until 1490. From then on is the time of the last generation [before the Messiah]; the decree is rescinded, and permission is granted to engage in studying The Book of Zohar. From 1540 on, the best way to fulfill the mizvah [divine command] is to engage in it publicly, young and old. ... Since this and nothing else will bring about the coming of King Messiah, do not be negli- gent!*9 The technology of printing made it feasible for young and old to engage in the Zohar. Between 1558 and 1560 the first two editions appeared in the neighboring Italian cities of Mantua and Cremona. There was a fierce controversy over the printing; among the oppo- nents were kabbalists who felt that it was dangerous and forbidden to reveal such secrets of Torah. They did not agree that the decree from above had been rescinded. Others opposed publication because they JB INTRODUCTION suspected that the Zohar was a late work. However, the editors coun- tered these objections, and The Book of Enlightenment became available to wider circles.?4 Even before the Zohar was printed, it had aroused the interest of certain Christians. At the end of the fifteenth century, Pico della Mirandola and Johannes Reuchlin took up the study of Kabbalah. They became convinced that it contained the original divine revelation and that its true, hidden meaning accorded with the secrets of the Christian faith. They tried to identify kabbalistic parallels to the Trinity, Incarnation, the Virgin Mother, the Name of Jesus, and Original Sin. In the first half of the sixteenth century, the Franciscan Francesco Giorgio of Venice used manuscript material from the Zohar extensively in his works, and Guillaume Postel began to translate the Zohar into Latin.?° The claims of Christian Kabbalah helped stimulate the first criti- cal work on the Zohar, Art Nobem (‘Roaring Lion”), written by the Italian rabbi and scholar Leone Modena in 1639. Modena stated flatly iat the Zohar was not composed by Rabbi Shim’on or his circle; that it could not be “more than 350 years old.” He praised the Zohar’s style and inspirational effect but identified anachronisms to prove its recent origin and impugn its authority.2° By now, however, the Zohar was too highly venerated to be openly challenged. Modena did not dare to publish Ar1 Nohem; it was printed only in 1840, nearly two hundred years after the author’s death. Until then it circulated in manuscript. Certain freethinkers approved, while one kabbalist of the eighteenth century, Moses Hayyim Luzzatto, responded to it with a written defense of Kabbalah.?7 It was not until the second half of the eighteenth century that a major critical work on the Zohar was printed. This book too was written with polemical intent. Sabbatianism, the messianic movement of the seventeenth century, was based on Lurianic Kabbalah and relied heavily on the Zohar for imagery, symbolism, and doctrine. In fact, Shabbetai Zevi, the hero of the movement and reputed Messiah, was more influenced by the Zohar than by Luria.2® In 1666 the royal council of Turkey, alarmed at Shabbetai’s growing power and eccen- tric behavior, offered him the choice of being put to death or convert- ing to Islam. Shabbetai converted, but the movement persisted and was driven completely underground only at the start of the eighteenth century. One of the most dedicated opponents of the later secret sect was 12 INTRODUCTION Jacob Emden, a noted rabbi and halakhic authority. He pursued sus- pected Sabbatians, including the famous rabbi Jonathan Eybeschuetz, and developed an extraordinary critical ability for uncovering heretical allusions in Sabbatian literature. This led him to a critical reading of the Zohar, the bastion of Sabbatianism. Emden believed firmly in the truth of Kabbalah, and it was difficult for him to publish his radical discoveries. At the beginning of his Mitpabat Sefarim (“Covering of the Holy Books,” 1768), he says that he suppressed his doubts for forty years but now feels compelled to reveal the truth. He then proceeds to list nearly three hundred pieces of evidence culled from the pages of the Zohar that prove the late editing of the book. These include traces of medieval sources, corrupt Aramaic, halakhic mistakes, historical allusions, and anachronisms. Nevertheless, Emden attempted to pre- serve the sanctity of at least part of the Zohar and concluded that there was an ancient core to the book, though even this was composed hundreds of years after Rabbi Shim’on. Many passages, including the entire Midrash ha-Ne’elam, were added in the thirteenth century.?° Emden laid the groundwork for modern research on the Zohar. In the nineteenth century, Adolf Jellinek proceeded to compare one of Moses de Leén’s Hebrew writings with the Zohar. He showed that most of the Hebrew book appeared in the Zohar in Aramaic, some- times with variations. The Hebrew work also quoted zoharic passages, attributing them to ancient sources.*° Jellinek concluded that Moses de Leon was, at least, one of the authors of the Zohar. He also detected the influence of thirteenth-century Kabbalah on the Zohar’s ideas and terminology.*! The historian Heinrich Graetz relied on Jellinek but insisted that the Zohar was written entirely by Moses de Leon. Graetz worshiped rationalism and saw Kabbalah as a malignant growth in the body of Judaism. He called the Zohar a “book of lies” and claimed that its fantasies and illusions had blinded Jews to the light of rational truth. Accepting the testimony recorded by Isaac of Acre, Graetz charged that Moses de Leon was nothing but a conniving forger.*? The reserach of Gershom Scholem has broken through the ratio- nalistic prejudice of the nineteenth century and demonstrated that Kabbalah is a vital component of Jewish thought and history. Scho- lem’s first lecture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1925 was entitled: “Did Moses de Leon Write the Zohar?” The question occu- pied him for many years. He sifted the writings of kabbalists, critics, and scholars. He examined the Zohar’s language, terminology, ideas, 13 INTRODUCTION and symbolism in the context of early Kabbalah and medieval Hebrew thought and literature. He explored the literary structure of the Zohar, its fictional format, and historical allusions. Scholem demonstrated that the peculiar Aramaic was constructed from literary sources, par- ticularly the Babylonian Talmud and Targum Ongelos; it contains grammatical errors and medieval Hebraisms. The mystical theosophy of the work proved to be pure thirteenth-century Kabbalah, which derives from medieval Jewish Neoplatonism and Gnosticism. Scholem undertook a detailed analysis of all of Moses de Leon’s extant Hebrew writings, most still in manuscript. Moses draws on the Zohar frequently, quoting it directly as an ancient work, paraphrasing or altering it, combining separate passages. “His method is that of the artist who shapes the material into any form he desires.”°* Moses’ Hebrew exhibits characteristics of the Zohar’s Aramaic: the same strange syntax, the same new meanings, the same incorrect grammati- cal forms. These similarities appear not only in Moses’ translations of Zohar passages but also when he is writing on his own. Gradually Scholem became convinced that the author was one and the same. But whereas Graetz had condemned Moses de Leon, Scholem defended his pseudepigraphic venture as a legitimate expression of religious creativ- ity Scholem’s student, Isaiah Tishby, has further advanced Zohar scholarship. His Mishnat ha-Zobar (‘The Wisdom of the Zohar”) in- cludes extensive analyses and numerous translations arranged by sub- ject. 7 Traditionalists often feel threatened by the findings of critical scholarship. Some still cling to the view that the Zohar is ancient. They suspect that historical research is out to destroy the wonder and mystery of the book. But reality is more amazing than fantasy. Under- standing when, how, and by whom the Zohar was written only en- hances one’s appreciation. By the end of the thirteenth century, the condition of Spanish Jewry was on the decline. The Jews were still a vital source of revenue for the royal treasury; they remained so until their expulsion in 1492. However, their political power was already weakening. In the height of the Reconquista (the Christian reconquest of Spain from the Mos- lems), the Jews had played an important role in resettling and adminis- tering captured cities. But during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile (1252-1284), the Reconquista was nearly completed, and the Jews’ use- fulness as colonizers soon disappeared. The emerging class of Christian burghers saw the Jews as competition. Jewish economic opportunities were gradually restricted. Officially, the Jews were the property of the king and enjoyed his protection, but even so there was little security. The reign of Alfonso X provides a dramatic example. Called Alfonso the Wise, he was a patron of scholarship and employed several Jewish translators and scientists. He also produced a comprehensive code of law, Las Stete Partidas. This code was not enforced until the fourteenth century, but it reflects the attitudes prevailing during Alfonso’s reign. The Jews were guaranteed physical security and the right of worship, but they were required to wear a “distinguishing mark upon their heads” in accord with the edict of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215). A judicial procedure was outlined for suspected cases of ritual murder. Following older authorities, the code states that Jews are tolerated as a reminder of their ancestors who crucified Jesus.3¢ Toward the end of his reign, Alfonso’s attitude toward the Jews worsened. In 1279 he imprisoned all the Jewish tax collectors; in 1281, ona Sabbath, he arrested all the Jews in Castile while they were attending synagogue and demanded a huge ransom in gold.*’ 15 INTRODUCTION The picture was not altogether bleak. The Jews lived independent- ly, within their own tradition and legal system. Because of the special relationship the Jews had with the King, the Christian municipalities had no authority over them. Nahmanides, the famous rabbi of Gerona (1194-1270), states in his Commentary on the Torah (Deuteronomy 28:42): ‘We dwell in countries like the other inhabitants or better.” Still, there was an overwhelming sense of galut, exile. The Zohar expresses this feeling and offers words of comfort and encouragement. Once, it is told, Rabbi El’azar encountered a gentile who chal- lenged the chosenness of Israel: You say that you are closer to the Supreme King than all other nations. One who is close to the King is always happy, with no pain, fear, or oppression. But you are always in pain and grief, more oppressed than all other people in the world. As for us, no pain, oppression, or grief even comes near. We are close to the Supreme King; you are far from Him! Rabbi El’azar stared at this man and he turned into a heap of bones. Then the rabbi said: The words spoken by that wicked man I once asked the prophet Elijah. He told me that these words were once ar- ranged before the Blessed Holy One in the Academy in Heav- en, and this was the response. ... Indeed we are closer to the Supreme King than all other nations. Indeed it is so! For the Blessed Holy One has made Israel the heart of the whole world. Thus Israel lives among the other nations as the heart among the limbs of the body. Just as the limbs cannot exist even for a moment without the heart, so all the nations cannot exist without Israel. ... The heart is tender and weak; yet it is the life of all the limbs. Only the heart perceives pain and trouble and grief, for it contains life and intelligence. The other limbs are not close to the King. They have no life; they perceive nothing.?8 Israel feels the pain of the world. As the heart, they also nourish the world, and their exile enables them to perform this vital function. “Rabbi Hizkiyah said, ‘The Blessed Holy One placed Israel in exile 16 INTRODUCTION among the nations only so that the nations would be blessed because of them, for Israel causes blessings to flow from above to below every day’ ” (Zohar 1:244a). Christian teaching claimed that Israel’s exile was a sign of divine punishment for their rejection of Christ. The Zohar turns this argu- ment upside down and cites biblical verses to indicate that Israel’s lowly condition is the result of God’s loving, parental discipline, whereas Christianity’s rise to power is evidence that God has forsaken them and offers them no correction.?? Despite these rationalizations, the Zohar does not gloss over the humiliation of exile. “There is no nation that mocks Israel to their face and spits in their face like the children of Edom.’’*° Israel is persecuted and oppressed; the time is ripe for the coming of Messiah. The author of the Zohar offers a number of apocalyptical calculations that set the date of redemption around 1300. Strong yearnings and pleadings are heard: “The exile is drawn out, and still the Son of David has not come.” “How long will we be in this exile? ... When will You deliver us from it?”4! God is viewed not only as the transcendent source of deliverance but also as a being who is personally involved in Israel’s exile. The Talmud records a teaching by the real Shim’on son of Yohai: “Wherev- er Israel went in exile, Shekbinab [God’s Presence] was with them.” The Zohar expands this notion into a dramatic theme: the exile of Shek- hinab. God shares Israel’s suffering and yearns along with them for reconciliation and redemption.‘ Meanwhile, Israel needs strength and hope. Torah offers both, providing a noble way of life and the promise of a better life. “Even when they are among the nations, bowed down among them, they are like a lion with the laws of Torah, the ways of Torah.” Were it not for all those good things that they look forward to, that they see written in the Torah, they would not be able to endure and to bear the exile. But they go to the houses of study, they open the books and see all those good things they are waiting for. They see in the Torah everything promised to them by the Blessed Holy One, and they are comforted in theiresile** In a revealing passage, the Zohar indicates that kabbalistic creativ- ity is a means of sustaining the people: 17 INTRODUCTION If you do not know how to fortify yourself in exile, how to assert the power to protect your own child, then go out, go out to be strengthened by following the tracks of the sheep [see Song of Songs 1:8]. ... Rabbi El’azar said, ‘‘ ‘The tracks of the sheep’ means the students of the Academy who later came into the world [{i.e., the kabbalists] and discovered Torah by following the straight path. The path is open; so they create/ renew ancient teachings every day. Shekhinab rests upon them and listens to their words.”’*4 By renewing tradition, by discovering and inventing ancient teachings, the Zohar overcame the degradation of exile and celebrated the vision of Israel’s spiritual destiny. The Christian environment leaves its mark in other ways as well. Yitzhak Baer has pointed out the influence of the Spirituals, the radical wing of the Franciscans, for example, their glorification of poverty as a religious value.*5 There are also parallels in the Zohar to the Christian midnight vigil and the four levels of meaning in Scripture.*® However, in an era of religious disputations and dogmatism there was little room for open sharing and tolerance. The Zohar sees Israel as the heart of the world, God’s chosen people. They have sole claim on truth. The faith of all other peoples is ‘‘a faith of foolishness.”’*7 Throughout the Zohar there is an implicit rejection of Christian belief and an affirmation of the faith of Israel. In one passage Rabbi Shim’on ritualizes these attitudes: Rabbi Shim’on said, ‘When the Torah scroll is taken from the ark to be read in public, the heavenly gates of compassion are opened and love is aroused above, and a person should say the following: ‘Blessed be the name of the Master of the world!... I am a servant of the Blessed Holy One, before whom and before whose glorious Torah I bow at all times. I do not place my trust in a human being; I do not rely upon a son of divinity, but rather, on the God of heaven, who is the God of truth, whose Torah is truth, whose prophets are truth, and who abounds in deeds of goodness and truth. In Him do I trust; to His holy and glorious name I utter praises!’ 48 Without naming Jesus directly, the Zohar makes it clear that Israel does not need him. All! Jews are the sons of God. “Out of His love for 18 INTRODUCTION them, He called them ‘My first-born son, Israel’ (Exodus 4:22).”49 The role of atoning for the sins of the world is assigned by Rabbi Shim’on to the righteous, and Isaiah 53 is cited as the proof text: When the righteous are seized by disease or affliction, it is in order to atone for the world. Thus all the sins of the genera- tion are atoned for. When the Blessed Holy One wants to bring healing to the world, He strikes one righteous human among them with disease and affliction; through him He brings healing to all. How do we know this? As it is written: “He was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities ... by his bruises we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5).5° Two Zohar passages contain mythical descriptions of the Son of God: The Blessed Holy One has one son who shines from one end of the world to the other. He is a great and mighty tree, whose head reaches toward heaven and whose roots are rooted in the holy ground. (Zohar 2:105a) The son is the cosmic tree, the trunk of the body of the seftrot (see chart in §6). Another passage reads: The mystery of the word is written concerning the mystery on high: “What is His name? What is the name of His son, if you know?” (Proverbs 30:4). That name is known: YHVH Zeva'ot is His name. The name of His son? Israel is his name, as it is written: “My first-born son, Israel.” All the keys of faith hang from Israel. He praises himself, saying: ‘“VHVH has said to me: ‘You are My son’ ” (Psalms 2:7). Indeed it is so, for Father and Mother have crowned him and blessed him with countless crowns; they have commanded everyone: “ ‘Kiss the son!’ (Psalms 2:12). Kiss the hand of this son!” As if it were possible, He has given him power over all, for all will worship him. “Lest he turn angry” (Ibid.). For he has been crowned with judgment and compassion. Judgment for one who de- serves judgment; compassion for one who deserves compas- sion. All the blessings of above and below belong to this son.>! 19 INTRODUCTION The son is not earthly Israel but its divine archetype, the central sefirah called Beauty of Israel. Of course the theme of the Son of God is not original to Christianity; its ancient mythological derivation is well known. However, the use of such language and imagery by a Jewish mystic in Christian Spain is remarkable. The author of the Zohar is translating Christological formulations into the language of kabbalistic myth. Similarly, Trinitarian formulae appear occasionally in descrip- tions of the sefirot. Graetz, the great Jewish historian who maligned Kabbalah, was shocked to find that “the Zohar even contains utter- ances which seem favorable to the Christian dogma of the Trinity of the Godhead.”5? Christian kabbalists adduced such passages as proof that Kabbalah accorded with the Catholic faith. Here too we are dealing with an ancient mythological image adopted and transformed by Christianity and imitated by the author of the Zohar, who no doubt rejected the Christian formulation. That it is possible to reject the Trinity and yet be influenced by its terminology is demonstrated dramatically by a contemporary of Moses de Leon, Abraham Abulafia. A prophetic kabbalist, he calls the Trinity “a lie and a deception” in one composition, but elsewhere refers to the three aspects of the intellect as God, Son of God, and Holy Spirit.53 The Zohar is more subtle in its borrowings. There are certain similarities between the Trinity and the sefirot. The Trinity consists of three persons of God, all coequal, coeternal, and indivisible. It is considered a profound mystery of faith. The sefirot are ten manifestations of the Infinite, ten aspects of the divine person- ality. “It is they and they are It” (Zohar 3:70a). They are called “the mystery of faith,” raza di-meheimanuta.>* Abulafia offers this revealing criticism: The masters of the kabbalah of sefirot intended to unify the Name and flee from the Trinity, but they have made it ten! As the gentiles say, ‘“‘He is three and the three are one,” so certain kabbalists believe and say that Divinity is ten sefirot and the ten are one.>° The term sefirot first appears in the early cosmogonic text Sefer Yeztrah (‘The Book of Creation’’), written between the third and sixth centuries. There the word means “numbers, ciphers” and refers to metaphysical potencies that are stages of creation. Gradually Gnostic 20 INTRODUCTION elements were assimilated, and in the Babhir, the first kabbalistic text (edited in the twelfth century), the sefirot constitute a mythical scheme. The Spanish kabbalists adopted this scheme and expanded it.°° The ten sefirot are sometimes grouped in three triads. The last sefirah, Shekhinab, the Divine Presence, includes them all. Near the beginning of the Zohar (1:32b) appears this cryptic description of the emanation of the sefirot: Three emerge from one; one stands in three; enters between two; two suckle one; one suckles many sides. Thus all is one. The Oneness of God was a vital issue. The traditional Jewish declaration of God’s unity is the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel! YHVH, our God, YHVH is one.” Christian interpreters adduced the threefold mention of God in the verse as proof of the Trinity, and as early as the twelfth century, Jewish commentators countered this interpretation.>’ The Zohar (2:43b) has this to say: The unification [recited] every day is the unification of the verse in the Bible: ‘“‘Hear O Israel! YHVH, our God, YHVH is one.” They are all one; therefore He is called One. But there are three names! How are they one? Even though we say “One,” how are they one? Through the vision of the Holy Spirit it is known. In the vision of the eye that is closed these three are revealed as one.... “YHVH, our God, YHVH” are one. Three colors, and they are one. The passage is cryptic. Closing the eye and rotating the eyeball is described elsewhere in the Zohar as a technique for attaining a vision of the colors of the sefirot.58 In the Shema, “YHVH, our God, YHVH” designates the middle triad of seftrot, which linked together, demon- strates the unity of God.°? In another passage (Zohar 3:162a), two rabbis on a mystical jour- ney to the Garden of Eden hear a voice saying: “They are two; one is joined to them, and they are three. When they become three, they are one.” The rabbis are confounded, but the guardian of the Garden explains the meaning: “These are the two names in the Shema: ‘YHVH, 21 INTRODUCTION YHVH.’ ‘Our God’ joins them. ... When they join together, they are one in one union.” It was a kabbalistic custom to correlate individual words of the liturgy to specific sefirot. However, in his specific wording with regard to the Shema, the author of the Zohar appears to be responding to the Christological interpretation. Appropriating the Trinitarian theme, he transposes it into a kabbalistic key. The structure of the seftrot offers ready-made triads, and the result is a curious harmony. An element of parody may also be involved. In several narrative passages of the Zohar such an element can be detected.°° The Zohar’s emphasis on faith and belief is colored by the Chris- tian environment, but its prime motivation was provided by the con- temporary rationalistic trends. The kabbalists perceived these trends as a threat to tradition, and as we have seen (above, $2), Moses de Leon was deeply concerned. He felt called upon to defend traditional belief and practice, and he indicates in one of his Hebrew works that this was his purpose in revealing the ancient secrets: “God knows that my intention is good: that many may become wise and strengthen their faith in God.’’6! Despite Moses’ critical attitude toward the effects of philosophic rationalism, the Zohar’s theology is influenced by philosophy. Kabba- lah grew out of philosophy, or as some kabbalists would say, outgrew it: “Their heads reach the point where our feet stand.”©? The kabba- lists drew on Jewish Neoplatonic and Aristotelian teaching but were not confined to it. Their name for the ultimate reality of God is Ein Sof, the Infinite. Ein Sof is inaccessible to thought and has no attributes. This accords with Avicenna’s and Maimonides’ conception. In the Zohar, however, Ein Sof is rarely mentioned.®? The focus of theological discussion is the seftrot, the manifestations of Ein Sof, Its mystical attributes. Here God thinks, feels, responds, and is affected by the human realm. He and She comprise the divine androgyne; their ro- mantic and sexual relationship is one of the most striking features of the Zohar. Though ultimately God is infinite and indescribable, the sefirot are real “from our perspective.”®* They provide the human being with a way to know the Unknowable. “Through these gates, these spheres on high, the Blessed Holy One becomes known. Were it not so, no one could commune with Him.’¢> The human need to contact God informs the Zohar’s theology. Its emphasis on a living, a INTRODUCTION dynamic faith is a reaction against the pure, cold logic of the philoso- phers. The critique is expressed by the poet Meshullam Da Piera (first half of the thirteenth century): “Those who deny the proper attributes of God speak out until faith has been drained.”©° In the Zohar Rabbi Yohanan exclaims: “We must not destroy the faith of all; we must maintain it!” (Zohar 1:136a [Midrash ha-Ne’elam]). The kabbalists are called ‘“‘sons of faith.”’®” Some of the radical rationalists questioned the divine origin of the Torah. The Zohar responds by saying that not only does the Torah come from God; her words and letters are permeated with God. Study flowers into revelation.®® The Zohar is also capable of employing philosophical terminology and techniques for its own purposes. In the early stratum, Midrash ha- Ne’elam, where Moses de Leon is still making the transition from philosopher to kabbalist, there are numerous allegories modeled on philosophical exegesis.©? Gradually mystical symbols replace philo- sophical allegories.7° Still, the author knows how to apply the philo- sophical method of spiritualizing the commandments to the ritual of sacrifice, which is thereby transformed into a ritual of meditation.” The kabbalist worships the God of Moses yet acknowledges the God of Maimonides. Divinity is not only Father in heaven but also Prime Mover. The Zohar strives to unite the two. It plays with the divine names Sibbeta de-Sibbatin, ‘The Cause of Causes,” and Saba de- Sabin, “The Old Man of Old Men.”’?2 On the theoretical level the issue was faith; on the practical level it was religious observance. Laxity in observance was prevalent, due to the inroads of rationalism and heresy as well as to more mundane factors: laziness and ignorance. The moralistic literature of the times lists a number of mizvot (commandments) that were neglected, for example, tefillin (phylacteries), mezuzab (the sign on the doorpost), sukkah (the booth constructed on the Festival of Sukkot), the ritual washing of hands, and sexual morality. The Zohar emphasizes the importance of all of these.’% The Zohar rarely discusses mystical experience, but it is eager to point out the mystical significance of Torah and mizvot. Studying and living Torah are the surest ways to direct encounter with God. ‘“Hap- py are those who engage in Torah, for everyone who engages in Torah, it is as if he were joined to the Blessed Holy One” (Zohar 3:9b). “When 23 ¢ INTRODUCTION a human being observes the commands of Torah, Shekbinab (the Divine Presence] walks with him constantly and never departs from him” (1:230a). The author speaks with the passion of a mystical moralist. If one invites the poor into his sukkah, seven biblical heroes abide there with him. If one arrives early at the synagogue, Shekhinah joins Herself to him. Every day lived in accordance with Torah is woven into the soul’s garment of splendor.’4 ““Through an action below, an action above is aroused” (Zohar 3:31b). Even the inner dynamics of Divinity depend upon the human realm. The union of the divine couple, 7if‘eret and Shekhinabh, is effected by righteous action and destroyed by sin.’° Torah is not merely law; it is cosmic law, a blueprint of creation.’¢ The Zohar illuminates the cosmic aspect of Torah. It strengthens tradition and at the same time transforms it. The literal sense is sanctified, but readers are urged to “look under the garment of To- ralieen’ The idea of searching for a deeper layer of meaning is not original to Kabbalah. It was adopted from Jewish philosophers who had taken it from Islamic tradition; earlier roots lie in Christian sources and Philo.”? The Zohar employs this method for its own mystical and mythical exegesis. Biblical and rabbinic Judaism had fought to suppress and elimi- nate divine mythology. Medieval Jewish philosophy tried to complete the task by explaining away all anthropomorphisms, thus purifying the conception of God. The Zohar, responding to a profound human need, resurrects myth and transforms the Torah into a mythical text. The first verse of Genesis is interpreted as a description of the emana- tion of the cosmic seed and the divine womb.’? Theosophy replaces ~theology. The inner life of God is the hidden meaning of Torah, the true tradition: Kabbalah. Fic, To promote this mythical, mystical tradition and establish its authenticity, the Zohar employs a number of devices. It reports teach- ings from the Academy of Heaven and from the mouth of the prophet Elijah.®° It concludes other teachings with: “This has been said,” “This has been established,” ‘‘As the Comrades have established.” At times these refer to actual! talmudic or midrashic sources; at times to parallels in the Zohar.®! An entire imaginary library provides proof texts when- ever necessary. Its fantastic catalog includes the Book of Adam, the Book of Enoch, the Book of Wisdom of King Solomon (perhaps intend- ed to be confused with the Apocryphal work of the same name), the Book of Rav Hamnuna Sava, the Book of Rav Yeiva Sava, the Book of Rav Yeisa Sava.82 The Zohar cites “our Mishnah” or “the mystery of our Mishnah” when the actual source is another Zohar passage or medieval Kabbalah.*3 A transformation of tradition could not succeed without ancient authorization. Moses de Leén secured this by recording the teachings in the names of the second-century sage Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai and his wide-ranging circle. The figure of Rabbi Shim’on provided ideal sanction. Miraculous stories about him appear already in talmu- dic times. Opposed to the Romans, he was sentenced to death; so he and his son hid in a cave for twelve years. The eighth-century apoca- lyptic work Nistarot shel Rabbi Shim’on ben Yobai (“The Mysteries of Rabbi Shim’on’”) records heavenly secrets revealed to him in the cave.84 Crowned by these traditions, Rabbi Shim’on assumed the role of Holy Light in the Zohar.*° The pseudepigraphic format was not something new. A whole ancient literature of pseudepigrapha is extant, and in medieval times the practice continued. An early kabbalistic text, the Bahir, was attrib- uted to a rabbi of the first century, Nehunya son of ha-Kanah. Moses de Leén also composed several short pseudepigraphic pieces.°° Rabbi Shim’on and his circle enabled Moses to transmit radical teachings as ancient wisdom. At the end of one mythical passage Rabbi Shim’on alludes to this by exclaiming: “Torah has been restored to her 25 INTRODUCTION ancientry!”’8? On the material plane the ancient format commanded a high price, as indicated in the diary of Isaac of Acre.®* Moses de Leon felt that the teachings he espoused were both new and ancient.8? In one of his Hebrew books he writes: “Only recently has this spring of mystery begun to flow through the land.”%° God delights in new words of Torah and has commanded everyone to expand Torah daily.?! On the other hand, Kabbalah stretches back to Moses at Mt. Sinai and ultimately to Adam.°? Adam is the source of Kabbalah because the essential teaching conveys our original nature: the unbounded awareness of Adam. This nature is the most ancient tradition. It has been lost; that is the tragedy of Adam’s Sin. The mystic yearns to recover the tradition, to regain cosmic consciousness, to see from one end of the world to the other.” As a kabbalist, Moses de Leén was communicating this ancient wisdom. His style could be biblical or mythological, rabbinic or medi- eval; the essence was eternal. As one link in the chain of Kabbalah, he was transmitting something beyond himself and felt free to cite the sages who inhabited his imagination. The pseudepigraphic and fictional design proved irresistible to centuries of readers. It also had a powerful effect on Moses de Leén as he composed the Zohar. This becomes clear through a comparison with his acknowledged Hebrew works, written later. As Jellinek and Scholem have demonstrated, the Hebrew writings depend heavily on the Zohar. However, some of the Zohar’s most profound and radical teachings are not found in these books, for example, the detailed descriptions of the long-suffering and impatient aspects of God.% These secrets are so overwhelming that three of the Comrades die while hearing them. Apparently Moses felt free to set them down only in the name of Rabbi Shim’on. The style of the Zohar is far superior to that of the Hebrew writings. In his acknowledged works Moses still displays originality and creativity, but the poet is subservient to the systematic theoso- phist. In the Zohar these roles coalesce, and the reader finds himself wandering through an enchanted forest, a mysticism of the imagina- tion. Flights of lyrical freedom break through to the realm of the Divine, unlocking for the kabbalist, or any sensitive seeker, the deepest secrets of being. Nothing is dry or doctrinaire; everything breathes, ~ sparkles, and flows. Images, colors, and streaming sermons fill the space between page and reader. The Zohar overwhelms the senses, = 26 INTRODUCTION threatening one’s puny, linear understanding with hints of the beyond within. The pseudepigraphic venture has succeeded. By surrendering his identity to Rabbi Shim’on and company, by adopting a talmudic alter ego, Moses de Leén has been liberated. Relieved of the burden of self- consciousness, he is free to plumb the depths of his soul and soar to timeless dimensions. Released from the constraints of acknowledged authorship, he can record his own ecstasy and pathos. The personality of Rabbi Shim’on makes him immune from criticism and enables him to publish all secrets. He expounds mythology and mysticism, revels in anthropomorphic and erotic imagery. The Zohar alludes to these liber- ating effects: [Rabbi Abba said:] “If the Holy Light [Rabbi Shim’on] had not revealed it, I could not reveal it” (Zohar 1:217a). {Rabbi Yose said:] ‘““We should reflect upon this, though if the Master were not present, I would not speak” (2:144a). Rabbi Judah said, “The generation in which Rabbi Shim’on is present is completely worthy and devoted, completely sin- fearing. Shekbinah dwells among them. This is not so in other generations. Therefore words are expressed openly and not concealed. In other generations this is not so; secret words from above cannot be revealed, and those who know are afraid.” (3:79a) The literary trick has worked its magic on the author as well as his audience. Something profound has come over Moses de Leon or through him. Parts of the Zohar may have been composed by automatic writ- ing, a technique that is well attested in the history of mystical litera- ture.95 Joseph Abulafia, an acquaintance of Moses, possessed “the writing name” (shem ha-kotev), a holy name that focused meditation and placed one in a trance in which automatic writings were produced. The following report appears in a kabbalistic manuscript: This name was given to me by the sage Rabbi Joseph ha-Levi son of Todros ha-Levi, may his memory be a blessing. He told me in kabbalabh [i.e., handing down a secret tradition] that it was the writing name and that with it he would write whatev- 2% INTRODUCTION er came to his hand. He wrote a booklet in my presence and gave it to me, saying that he had written [it] by the power of this [mame].9° Joseph son of Todros ha-Levi Abulafia was a friend and benefactor of Moses de Leon. Several of Moses’ Hebrew writings are dedicated to him. He was also one of the first to receive booklets of the Zohar from Moses, as Isaac of Acre indicates in his diary. What Isaac also reports is that one current opinion was “that Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai never composed this book [the Zohar], but rather, this Rabbi Moses knew the writing name, and by its power he wrote these wondrous things. In order to obtain a high price in silver and gold, he hangs his words on high tamarisks, saying: ‘I am copying these words for you from the book composed by Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai and his son, Rabbi El’azar, and his Comrades.’ ”97 Later, still searching for the true origin of the Zohar, Isaac ap- proached Joseph Abulafia. Joseph tried to convince him that automatic writing played no part in the book’s composition, but his proof is suspect: He [Joseph] said to me: “Know and believe that Sefer ba-Zobar [The Book of Zohar] written by Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai was in the possession of Rabbi Moses: from it he copied and gave to whomever he pleased. Now look at the great test with which I tested Rabbi Moses to see whether he was copying from an ancient book or by the power of the writing name. The test was this: Many days after he had written out for me numerous booklets of the Zohar, I hid one of them. I told him that I had lost it and begged him to copy it for me again. He said to me, ‘Show me the end of the preceding booklet and the beginning of the following one, and I will copy it completely for you like the first one which you lost.’ I did so. A few days later, he gave me a copy of the booklet. I compared it with the earlier one and saw that there was no difference at all between them, nothing added or deleted, no change in content or style, ‘the same language and the same words’ (Genesis 11:1), as if one had been copied from the other. Could there be a greater test than this or a more difficult trial?’ 28 INTRODUCTION As Isaac is soon told by some skeptical residents of Toledo, this is no proof. Moses could have composed the original under the influence of the writing name and then made copies whenever he wished. Joseph was either amazingly naive or deliberately covering up for his friend. Automatic writing would have contributed to the Zohar’s freedom of style and to its peculiar Aramaic. Foreign and invented languages are known to appear in automatic writings. Several peculiarities are shared by the Zohar and such works: neologisms, reversed sequences of letters, and strange conglomerations of words in otherwise clear sen- tences.2? If automatic writing contributed to the composition of the Zohar, so did conscious pseudepigraphy, fiction, and editing.’ At times Moses de Le6n is an inspired scribe recording the wisdom of Kabbalah as it courses through him, a vessel channeling the kabbalistic collective unconscious. The fact that the Zohar is suffused with thir- teenth-century Kabbalah does not invalidate such a hypothesis, auto- matic writing may correspond to the agent’s normal mental content.!0! Similarly, the Zohar’s Aramaic derives from literary sources studied by Moses de Leén. Neologisms appear, but also medieval Hebraisms, Spanish syntactical constructions, and mistakes in grammar and vocab- ulary. The language is idiosyncratic.'©? Certain passages in the Zohar are anonymous and appear as utter- ances of a heavenly voice.!©? Usually, though, the teachings are attrib- uted to Rabbi Shim’on and his Comrades. Moses may have imagined that he was transmitting their words. But Moses is not only a medium, he is an author. He constructs discussions among his characters and weaves dramatic narratives; he employs humor and parody; he alludes to other Zohar passages; he responds polemically to Spanish Christians and Jewish rationalists. The Zohar’s style of commentary embraces the precision of textual analysis and the abandon of contemplative fantasy. Its creativity is motivated both consciously and unconsciously. All creativity links the conscious and the unconscious, the person- al and the transpersonal. From a mystical perspective, creativity flow- ers when the human mind draws on its divine source. According to Moses Cordovero, that is why the kabbalists are called Reapers of the Field: The Reapers of the Field are the Comrades, masters of this wisdom, because Malkbut [Shekhinab] is called the Apple Field, and She grows sprouts of secrets and new flowerings of 29 INTRODUCTION Torah. Those who constantly create new interpretations of Torah are harvesting Her.!% The kabbalist knows that he is not the source of his teaching. His name is not essential. When a donkey driver on the road reveals mystical secrets to two of the Comrades, they dismount and kiss him and say: “All this wisdom was in your hand, and you were driving our donkeys?! Who are you?” He responds, “Do not ask who I am. Rather, let us walk on and engage in Torah. Let each of us speak words of wisdom to light up the way.’’! Anonymity is raised to a virtue. “The best of all is he who is neither specified nor revealed, all of whose words are hidden” (Zohar 3:183a). “Every word hidden from the eye gives rise to sublime bene- fit.”"106 Hiddenness is the key to the Zohar’s success. Moses de Leon will not reveal his own identity, but occasionally he appears to drop a hint. “In this zohbar [splendor] dwells the one who dwells. It provides a name for the one who is concealed and totally unknown.” “Moses .. . this zohar of his is concealed and not revealed.”!°? Both passages convey theosophical secrets and can be explained accordingly, but they may also allude to Moses’ best-guarded secret, his own role and identi- ty. Identities are often hidden in the Zohar. A talmudic sage is dis- guised as a donkey driver; a nameless little boy turns out to be a wonder child and stuns the rabbis with his wisdom. Rabbi Judah says to Rabbi Isaac, “It seems that this child is not a human being!” No one can be dismissed too easily because “sometimes in those empty fools, you discover bells of gold!’18 The anonymous author plays with the names and identities of his characters. Shim’on son of Yose, mentioned in the Talmud, becomes Yose son of Shim’on.!°? Pinhas son of Ya’ir, Rabbi Shim’on’s son-in- law, is transformed into his father-in-law.!!° A fantastic fictional framework is created in which rabbis who lived centuries apart walk together through the hills of the Galilee, discovering and sharing secrets of Torah. Anachronism is not a concern; playfulness is part of the design. “A little bit of foolishness reveals the sublime glory of wisdom better than any other way in the world” (Zohar 3:47b). The Zohar is a mystical novel based on the Torah. Its characters include Rabbi Shim’on and his Comrades, biblical figures, and the sefirot, the various aspects of God’s personality. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between these last two sets of characters. Abraham 30 INTRODUCTION embodies the sefirab of Hesed, Divine Love; Isaac represents Din, Judg- ment: Jacob harmonizes the two aspects and symbolizes Rabamim, Compassion. The stories in Genesis about these three Patriarchs are interpreted in the Zohar as accounts of their mystical journeys, their temptations and tests, and their attainment of divine qualities. Moses is the most perfect human being; he is arrayed in all ten sefirot.'! The Zohar on Exodus presents his spiritual biography and his mythical romance with Shekbinah, the feminine Divine Presence. After the Reve- lation at Sinai there are relatively few narrative sections in the Torah; from here on, the Zohar weaves several exegetical tales involving Rabbi Shim’on and his circle and the amazing characters they encoun- ter: Through all these mystical episodes, the Zohar never loses sight of its goal: the creation of a mystical commentary on the Torah. God is hidden in the Torah; hidden and revealed there, because Torah is God’s Name. This kabbalistic idea means that Torah expresses not only divine will but divine being.'!2 The mystic who studies Torah is meditating on the Name of God. He sees through the text into the texture of divine life. Through commentary, midrash, and mystical hermeneutics, the Zohar introduces the reader to this hidden dimension of Torah, con- fronts him with it. The literal text is the starting point, but the Zohar is dissatisfied with superficial meaning. At times, its tone seems no less - irreverent than that of the rationalists: ‘‘ ‘In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark [Noah’s ark] came to rest on the mountains of Ararat’ (Genesis 8:4)... . What do we care if it rested here or there? It had to rest somewhere!”!!3 If the Torah consisted only of mundane stories, “we could compose a Torah right now with ordinary words, and better than all of them!.... Ah, but all the words of Torah are sublime words, sublime secrets.”'!* The Zohar may abandon the literal sense of a verse or, conversely, employ the technique of mystical literalness, reading hyperliterally.1'> The goal is to penetrate, to unlock the secret content of the word, to elicit its divine essence. It is impossible to capture and formulate this flowing essence. As Maimonides stated in the Introduction to his Guide of the Perplexed, ultimate secrets cannot be taught, only indicated: Know that whenever one of the perfect wishes to mention, either orally or in writing, something that he understands of these secrets, according to the degree of his perfection, he is bs INTRODUCTION unable to explain with complete clarity and coherence even the portion that he has apprehended, as he could do with the other sciences whose teaching is generally recognized. Rather, there will befall him when teaching another that which he had undergone when learning himself. I mean to say that the subject matter will appear, flash, and then be hidden again, as though this were the nature of this subject matter.!1¢ Such is the nature of Torah, according to the Zohar: “Torah removes a word from her sheath, is seen for a moment, then quickly hides away.... She does so only for those who know her intimate- ly.”!!7 The Zohar does the same. It hides more than it reveals; only the careful, devoted reader can learn from it. It is a common experience to read several lines of Zohar, or an entire passage, and then wonder what the message was. Cascading imagery overwhelms coherent teaching. But that is the nature of the subject matter: “. .. the whole spectrum of colors flashing, disappearing. Those rays of color do not wait to be seen; they merge into the fusion of zobar.”118 The Zohar yearns to reveal the divine light permeating Torah, but since that dimension of meaning is beyond words, words are employed as symbols. Torah becomes a treasure house of symbols, pointing to that which cannot be expressed. Imagination guides the Zohar’s read- ing of Torah and is essential to the reading of Zohar. God can only be ‘known and grasped to the degree that one opens the gates of imagina- tion.”!19 Bz The imagery and symbolism are rich and fluid, but they follow a = - pattern, the pattern of the sefirot. The Zohar rarely describes the entire sefirotic system. It even avoids the term sefirot and instead speaks of lights, levels, links, roots, garments of the King, crowns of the King, and dozens of other images for the individual seftrot. The reader must interpret the symbolism and identify the corresponding sefirab. !?° As noted above, the term sefirot originally meant “numbers” or numerical potencies, but in medieval Kabbalah the sefirot became stages of God’s being, aspects of divine personality. Their pattern and rhythm inform all the worlds of creation. Prior to the emanation of the sefirot, God is unmanifest, referred to as Ein Sof, Infinite. God as Infinity cannot be described or comprehended. A fourteenth-century kabbalist writes: “Ein Sof... is not hinted at in the Torah, the Proph- ets, the Writings, or the words of our Rabbis, may their memory be a blessing; but the Masters of Service {the kabbalists] have received a little hint of It.”!! Critics charged that the theory of Fin Sof and the sefirot was dualistic, that by positing and describing ten aspects of Divinity, Kabbalah verged on polytheism.'?? The kabbalists insisted that Fin Sof || and the sefirot formed a unity “like a flame joined to a coal.”!?° “It is they, and they are It” (Zohar 3:70a). “They are Its name, and It is they” (3:11b). From the human perspective, the sefirot appear to have a multiple and independent existence. Ultimately, though, all of them are one; the true reality is the Infinite.'?* Nevertheless, the mythologi- cal character of the system cannot be denied; it is a prominent feature of the Zohar. The sefirot are often pictured in the form of Primordial Adam or as a cosmic tree growing downward from its roots above. As the kabbalists were quick to point out, these images should not be taken literally; they are organic symbols of a spiritual reality beyond normal comprehension. At the start of one of his most anthropomorphic descriptions, Rabbi Shim’on cites a verse from Deuteronomy: “Cursed be the one who makes a carved or molten image, the work of the hands 33 if, « INTRODUCTION of an artisan, and sets it up in secret.”!25 Sefirotic imagery is intended to convey something of the beyond; worshiping its literalness prevents profound communication. According to Genesis 1:27, the human being is created in the image of God. The sefirot are the divine original of that image. As Primordial Adam, they are the mythical paragon of the human being, our archetypal nature. The human race has lost this nature, but if one were to purify himself, he would reconnect with the sefirot and become a vessel for them.!26 This is what the Patriarchs attained and, to a greater degree, Moses. The sefirot generate the ultimate confusion of identities: human and divine. Such sublime confusion catalyzes the process of enlightenment. From above to below, the sefirot enact the drama of emanation, the transition from Ein Sof to creation. From below to above, they are a ladder of ascent back to the One. Keter (Crown) is the first sefirah, coeternal with Ein Sof. It repre- sents that aspect of the Infinite that turns toward manifestation and is therefore called Razon, Will. It is also known as Ayin, Nothingness, “having more being than any other being in the world, but since it is simple and all other simple things are complex compared with its simplicity, in comparison it is called Nothing.”!27 No differentiation or individuality exists in Keter, no “thingness.” From this sefirah all emanation flows. First the primordial point of Hokbmab (Wisdom) shines forth. Though it is the second sefirah, Hokhmab is called Begin- ning because Keter is eternal and has no beginning. The point expands into a circle, the sefirah of Binah (Understand- ing). Binab is the womb, the Divine Mother. She receives the seed, the point of Hokbmab, and conceives the seven lower sefirot. Created being too has its source in Her; She is called “the totality of all individua- tion.””!?8 She is also “the world that is coming,” constantly coming and flowing. !29 The three highest sefirot represent the head of the divine body and are more hidden than the offspring of Binah. She gives birth first to Hesed (Love) and Din (Judgment). This pair of sefirot is also called Gedullah (Greatness) and Gevurah (Power). They are the right and left arms of God, two sides of divine personality: free-flowing love and strict judgment, grace and limitation. Both are necessary for the world to function. Ideally a balance is achieved, symbolized by the central sefirah, Tif eret (Beauty), also called Rahamim (Compassion). However, if Judgment is not softened by Love, Din lashes out and threatens to 34 THE TEN SEFIROT “Understanding” Palace Womb “Power” Din (Judgment) Rigor, Red Left Arm Isaac Heaven, Sun Harmony, King Green, Purple Jacob, Moses “Majesty” Prophecy Left Leg Aaron Covenant Phallus Joseph Earth, Moon Justice, Queen Blue, Black Apple Orchard “Wisdom” Point Beginning “Love” Gedullab (Greatness) Grace, White Right Arm Abraham “Beauty” Rabamim (Compassion) Blessed Holy One “Endurance” Prophecy Right Leg Moses “Foundation” Zaddiq (Righteous One) “Presence” Malkbut (Kingdom) King David Communion of Israel INTRODUCTION destroy life. This is the origin of evil, called Sitra Abra, the Other Side. From a more radical perspective, evil originates in divine thought, which eliminates waste before emanating the good. The demonic is rooted in the divine.13° Tiferet is the trunk of the sefirotic body. He is called Heaven, Sun, King, and the Blessed Holy One, the standard rabbinic name for God. He is the son of Hokhmah and Binab. The next two sefirot are Nezah (Endurance) and Hod (Majesty). They form the right and left legs of the body and are the source of prophecy. Fesod (foundation) is the ninth sefirah and represents the phallus, the procreative life force of the universe. He is also called Zaddig (Righteous One), and Proverbs 10:25 is applied to Him: “The righteous one is the foundation of the world.!3! Yesod is the axis mundi, the cosmic pillar. The light and power of the preceding sefirot are channeled through Him to the last sefirah, Malkbut. Malkhut (Kingdom) is also called Shekhinah (Divine Presence). The term Shekbinab appears frequently in earlier rabbinic literature, where it signifies God’s Presence and Immanence. In Kabbalah it takes on new-ancient mythological meaning. Shekhinah is the daughter of Binah, the bride of 7if‘eret. The joining of Tif'eret and Shekhinah becomes the focus of religious life. Human righteous action stimulates Yesod, the Righteous One, and brings about the union of the divine couple (Zohar 3:110b). Human marriage symbolizes divine marriage. Sabbath Eve is the weekly celebration of the bieros gamos, the sacred wedding. This is the ideal time for mystics to make love.132 The tenth sefirab appears under many other names: Earth, Moon, Matronita, Mirror, Rose, Throne of Glory, Justice, Garden of Eden, Holy Apple Orchard. She reflects all aspects of Divinity and sustains all the worlds below, though “She has nothing at all of Her own.’’!33 Shekbinah is also Keneset Yisra’el, the mystical Community of Israel. All of Israel are Her limbs (Zohar 3:231b). She symbolizes the people’s intimate connection with God and accompanies them in exile.!34 She prevents the masculine aspect of God from punishing Her children, though at other times She Herself administers punishment.!35 She- kbinah is personally threatened by human sin because it taints Her and ruins Her union with 7if eret: “When the powerful serpent up above is aroused by the sins of the world, it joins with the Feminine [Shekhinab] and injects venom into Her.'3¢ The Male [Tif ret] separates from Her because She has been defiled” (3:79a). The union of 7if’eret and Shekhinah gives birth to the human 36 INTRODUCTION soul,!37 and the mystical journey begins with the awareness of this spiritual fact of life. Can a human being experience Shekbinab directly? The Talmud had posed this question rhetorically: “Is it possible for a human being to walk behind Shekhinab>?” “Is it possible to cleave to Shekbinab?” No. Rather, one should engage in good deeds and thus imitate God.!38 Kabbalah is more daring. In the words of Joseph Gikatilla, a friend and colleague of Moses de Leon, “As to what the Rabbis have said: ‘Is it possible for a human being to cleave to She- khinab?,’ it certainly is possible!” 139 Shekhinah is the opening to the Divine: “One who enters must enter through this gate” (Zohar 1:7b). Once inside, the sefirot are no longer an abstract theological system; they become a map of conscious- ness. The mystic climbs and probes, discovering dimensions of being. ~Spiritual and psychological wholeness is achieved by meditating on the qualities of each sefirab, by imitating and integrating the attributes of God. The path is not easy. Divine will can be harsh: Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac in order to balance love with rigor.'4° From the Other Side, demonic forces threaten and seduce. Contempla- tively and psychologically, evil must be encountered, not evaded. By knowing and withstanding the dark underside of wisdom, Abraham was refined.'*1 Near the top of the sefirotic ladder, meditation reaches Binab. She is called Teshuvah, Return. The ego returns to the womb of being. Binab cannot be held in thought. She is called Who. Who is that? An | intuitive flash illuminating and disappearing, as sunbeams play on the | surface of water.'*? In the depths of Binah lies Hokbmah, Wisdom. The mystic is nourished from this sphere.!43 It is so profound and primal that it cannot be known consciously, only absorbed. Isaac the Blind, one of the earliest kabbalists (ca. 1160-1235), says: “No creature can contem- plate [the wondrous paths of Wisdom] except one who sucks from It. This is meditation through sucking, not through knowing.” !*4 Beyond Hokbmab is the Nothingness of Keter, the Annihilation of Thought.!45 In this ultimate sefirah human consciousness expands, dissolves into Infinity. The Zohar is rarely explicit about the ascent. In Kabbalah medita- tion often takes place during ritual prayer; so the Zohar correlates blessings and individual words of the liturgy with specific sefirot. The goal is to unify the various aspects of God through focused awareness 37 INTRODUCTION and visualization. Successful prayer draws forth the flow of divine blessing.'*® The ecstasy of sefirotic contemplation, however, seems reserved mostly for souls who have departed this world or for the high priest on the Day of Atonement.!47 Souls of the living who succeed in prayer delight in palaces below Shekhinah. If especially devout, they may be raised to the level of Yesod or attain a sefirotic vision,!4® but the highest seftrot are considered unapproachable. In fact the Zohar forbids contemplation of Binab and what lies beyond Her. Deuteronomy 22:7 is cited as the proof text: “Let the mother go; the children you may take.”!49 The Divine Mother is a cosmic question; Her children, the seven lower sefirot, would seem more attainable. However, even con- cerning these rungs of meditation, the Zohar offers little direct guid- ance. The Patriarchs and other biblical heroes who mastered individual seftrot serve as archetypes, but to the uninitiated, they are awesome. Sefirotic imagery abounds, but the reader must decipher the allusions, be open to the power of the symbol, and join the search. Zohar is an adventure, a challenge to the normal workings of consciousness. It dares you to examine your usual ways of making sense, your assumptions about tradition, God, and self. Textual analy- sis is essential, but you must engage Zohar and cultivate a taste for its multiple layers of meaning. It is tempting and safe to reduce the symbols to a familiar scheme: psychological, historical, literary, or religious. But do not forfeit wonder. What is the Concealment of the Book?!5° Rabbi Shim’on said “Five chapters in a great palace; they fill the whole world.” Rabbi Judah said “If so, they are the best of all.” Rabbi Shim’on said “So it is, for one who has entered and emerged.!5! For one who has not entered and emerged, it is not so. A parable. There was a man who lived in the mountains. He knew nothing about those who lived in the city. 38 INTRODUCTION He sowed wheat and ate the kernels raw. One day he entered the city. They brought him good bread. He said, ‘What is this for?’ They said, ‘Bread, to eat!’ He ate, and it tasted very good. He said, ‘What is it made of?’ They said, ‘Wheat.’ Later they brought him cakes kneaded in oil. He tasted them and said, ‘And what are these made of?’ They said, ‘Wheat.’ Finally they brought him royal pastry made with honey and oil. He said, ‘And what are these made of?’ They said, ‘Wheat.’ He said, ‘I am the master of all of these, for I eat the essence of all of these: wheat!’!52 Because of that view, he knew nothing of the delights of the world; they were lost to him. So it is with one who grasps the principle and does not know all those delectable delights deriving, diverging from that principle.” 39 i ee) mt rey? ios “+ fe “tf frye ue reg eS Se ig ee ee, een eo rN = ea oo. ak FR = ee e oe: oli Ferner te Tig Stet” bed ass = 1 ; Ba a Se a ee a ee ee Buss ees) = aera. cat ewer nee BP ogag WE” wx | hen! Fe ee ewe oe . aad te © \gemger. Ger) Vly CA ww : ss P : ‘ ie 1 Se Mee ee ae Tol : ites ze To eae fe nee Ve ro ” ate Aes HOW TO LOOK AT TORAH Rabbi Shim’on said ‘“‘Woe to the human being who says that Torah presents mere stories and ordinary words! If so, we could compose a Torah right now with ordinary words and better than all of them! To present matters of the world? Even rulers of the world possess words more sublime. If so, let us follow them and make a Torah out of them! Ah, but all the words of Torah are sublime words, sublime secrets! Come and see: The world above and the world below are perfectly balanced: Israel below, the angels above. Of the angels it is written: ‘He makes His angels spirits’ (Psalms 104:4). But when they descend, they put on the garment of this world. If they did not put on a garment befitting this world they could not endure in this world and the world could not endure them. If this is so with the angels, how much more so with Torah who created them and all the worlds and for whose sake they all exist! In descending to this world, if she did not put on the garments of this world the world could not endure. So this story of Torah is the garment of Torah. Whoever thinks that the garment is the real Torah and not something else— may his spirit deflate! He will have no portion in the world that is coming. 43 ZOHAR That is why David said: ‘Open my eyes so I can see wonders out of Your Torah!’ (Psalms 119:18), what is under the garment of Torah! Come and see: There is a garment visible to all. When those fools see someone in a good-looking garment they look no further. But the essence of the garment is the body; the essence of the body is the soul! So it is with Torah. She has a body: the commandments of Torah, called ‘the embodiment of Torah.’ This body is clothed in garments: the stories of this world. Fools of the world look only at that garment, the story of Torah; they know nothing more. They do not look at what is under that garment. Those who know more do not look at the garment but rather at the body under that garment. The wise ones, servants of the King on high, those who stood at Mt. Sinai, look only at the soul, root of all, real Torah! In the time to come they are destined to look at the soul of the soul of Torah! Come and see: So it is above. There is garment and body and soul and soul of soul. The heavens and their host are the garment. The Communion of Israel is the body who receives the soul, the Beauty of Israel. So She is the body of the soul. The soul we have mentioned is the Beauty of Israel who is real Torah. ZOHAR The soul of the soul is the Holy Ancient One. All is connected, this one to that one. Woe to the wicked who say that Torah is merely a story! They look at this garment and no further. Happy are the righteous who look at Torah properly! As wine must sit in a jar, so Torah must sit in this garment. So look only at what is under the garment! So all those words and all those stories— they are garments!” 45 ZOHAR ON GENESIS THE CREATION OF ELOHIM In the Beginning When the King conceived ordaining 2 mF c He engraved engravings in the luster on high. A blinding spark flashed within the Concealed of the Concealed from the mystery of the Infinite, F. in ee f a cluster of vapor in formlessness, setinaring, A’e (He * not white, not black, not red, not green, no color at all. When a band spanned, it yielded radiant colors. Deep within the spark gushed a Hoy imbuing colors below, <¢ concealed within the concealed of eine mystery of the Infinite. The flow broke through and did not break through its aura. iv Vp It was not known at all until, under the impact of breaking through, one high and hidden point shone, j* § Beyond that point, nothing is known. So it is called Beginning, the first command of all. “The enlightened will shine like the zohar of the sky, and those who make the masses righteous will shine like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). Zohar, Concealed of the Concealed, struck its aura. The aura touched and did not touch this-pormt. Then this Beginning emanated and made itself a palace for its glory and its praises “ There it sowed the seed of holiness / © + ¢vyp/ 2, Kf eee F 49 ZOHAR to give birth for the benefit of the universe. The secret is: “Her stock is a holy seed” (Isaiah 6:13). Zohar, sowing a seed for its glory | like the seed of fine purple silk. | The silkworm wraps itself within and makes itself a palace. This palace is its praise and a benefit to all. With the Beginning f4 Sat the Concealed One who is not_ t knowrycreated the palace. This Palace i is called Elobim. he A et 4 The secret is: “With Beginning, a created Elohim” Ss Jost / (Genesis 1:1). el \ . 50 THE HIDDEN LIGHT God said, ‘Let there be light!” And there was light. (Genesis 1:3) This is the light that the Blessed Holy One created at first. It is the light of the eye. It is the light that the Blessed Holy One showed the first Adam; with it he saw from one end of the world to the other. It is the light that the Blessed Holy One showed David; he sang its praise: “How great is Your good that You have concealed for those who fear You!” (Psalms 31:20). It is the light that the Blessed Holy One showed Moses; with it he saw from Gilead to Dan. But when the Blessed Holy One saw that three wicked generations would arise: the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Tower of Babel, He hid the light away so they would not make use of it. The Blessed Holy One gave it to Moses and he used it for the three unused months of his gestation, as it is said: “She concealed him for three months” (Exodus 2:2). When three months had passed, he was brought before Pharaoh and the Blessed Holy One took it away from him until he stood on Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Then He gave him back that light; he wielded it his whole life long and the children of Israel could not come near him until he put a veil over his face, as it is said: “They were afraid to come near him” oy ZOHAR (Exodus 34:30). He wrapped himself in it as in a tallit, as it 1s written: “He wraps Himself in light as in a garment” (Psalms 104:2). “Tet there be light!’ And there was light.” Every subject of the phrase ““And there was” exists in this world and in the world that is coming. Rabbi Isaac said, “The light created by the Blessed Holy One in the act of Creation flared from one end of the world to the other and was hidden away. _ Why was it hidden away? — So the wicked of the world would not enjoy it and the worlds would not enjoy it because of them. It is stored away for the ee f for the Righteous One! [i367 ~ i As it is —— > , 2. 3 Mess, ak ‘Light is sown for the righteous one, joy for the upright in heart’ (Psalms 97:11). Then the worlds will be fragrant, and all will be one. But until the day when the world that is coming arrives, it is stored. and hidden away... .” It Rabbi Judah said “If it were completely hidden the world would not exist for even a moment! Rather, it is hidden and sown like a seed that gives birth to seeds and fruit. Thereby the world is sustained. Every single day, a ray of that light shines into the world and keeps everything alive, for with that ray the Blessed Holy One feeds the world. And everywhere that Torah is studied at night one thread-thin ray appears from that hidden light and flows down upon those absorbed in her, as it is written: 2 ZOHAR ‘By day YHVH will enjoin His-love; dosed in the night His song is with me’ (Psalms 42:9), as we have already established. . .. Since the first day, it has never been fully revealed, but it plays a vital role in the world, renewing every day the act of Creation!” 53 ADAM'S SIN YHVH Elohim expelled him from the Garden of Eden... He drove out et Adam. (Genesis 3:23—24) Rabbi El’azar said “We do not know who divorced whom, if the Blessed Holy One divorced Adam Kor not.) But the word is transposed: ‘He drove out et.’ Et, precisely! And who drove out Et? ‘Adam’ Adam drove out Et/ Therefore it is written: ‘YHVH Elobim expelled him from the Garden of Eden.’ Why did He expel him? Because Adam drove out Ef, as we have said.” 54 MALE AND FEMALE This 1s the book of the generations of Adam. On the day that God created Adam, in the likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. He blessed them and called their name Adam on the day they were created. (Genesis 5:1-2) Rabbi Shim’on said “High mysteries are revealed in these two verses. ‘Male and female He created them’ to make known the Glory on high, the mystery of faith #779¢ /©@ Out of this mystery, Adam was created. Come and see: With the mystery by which heaven and earth were created Adam was created. Of them it is written: ‘These are the generations of heaven and earth’ (Genesis 2:4). Of Adam it is written: ‘This is the book of the generations of Adam.’ Of them it is written: ‘when they were created.’ Of Adam it is written: ‘on the day they were created.’ ‘Male and female He created them.’ From here we learn: Any image that does not embrace male and female is not a high and true image. We have established this in the mystery of our Mishnah. 55 ZOHAR Come and see: The Blessed Holy One does not place His abode in any place where male and female are not found together. Blessings are found only in a place where male and female are found, as it is written: ‘He blessed them and called their name Adam on the day they were created.’ It is not written: ‘He blessed him and called his name Adam.’ A human being is only called Adam when male and female are as one.” 56 AFTER THE FLOOD Rabi opened “*VHVH smelled the pleasing aroma and said “Never again will I doom the world because of humankind” ’ (Genesis 8:21) When Noah came out of the ark he opened his eyes and saw the whole world completely destroyed. He began crying for the world and said ‘Master of the world! If You destroyed Your world because of human sin or human fools, then why did You create them? One or the other You should do: either do not create the human being or do not destroy the world!’ He offered up offerings and began to pray before Him and the aroma ascended before the Blessed Holy One and was sweet.” Rabbi continued “A triple aroma ascended to God: the aroma of Noah’s offering, the aroma of his prayer, and the aroma of his actions. No aroma in the whole world was as pleasing to Him. Therefore He commanded: ‘Be observant and present to Me in due season My pleasing aroma’ (Numbers 28:2). This means: ‘Be observant: Present to Me the aroma that Noah presented to Me: the aroma of offering and prayer and right action. ’ a: 7 ZOHAR Our Rabbis have taught: How did the Blessed Holy One respond when Noah came out of the ark and saw the whole world destroyed and began to cry over the holocaust? Noah said, “Master of the world, You are called Compassionate! You should have shown compassion for Your creatures!” The Blessed Holy One answered him, ‘Foolish shepherd! Now you say this, but not when I spoke to you tenderly, saying ‘Make yourself an ark of gopher wood ... As for Me, I am about to bring the Flood . . . to destroy all flesh . .. [Go into the ark, you and all your household] for you alone have I found righteous before Me in this generation’ (Genesis 6:14, 17; 7:1). I lingered with you and spoke to you at length so that you would ask for mercy for the world! But as soon as you heard that you would be safe in the ark, the evil of the world did not touch your heart. You built the ark and saved yourself. Now that the world has been destroyed you open your mouth to utter questions and pleas?” Seeing this, Noah presented offerings and sacrifices, as it is written: “Taking of every clean animal and of every clean bird, he offered up offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20). Rabbi Yohanan said “Come and see the difference between Noah and the righteous heroes of Israel! Noah did not shield his generation and did not pray for them like Abraham. For as soon as the Blessed Holy One said to Abraham ‘The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,’ immediately, ‘Abraham came forward and said “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?” ’ (Genesis 18:20, 23). He countered the Blessed Holy One with more and more words until finally he implored Him to forgive the entire generation 58 ZOHAR if just ten innocent people could be found. Abraham thought there were ten in the city, counting Lot and his wife and his sons and daughters; that is why he entreated no more. Moses also shielded his entire generation. As soon as the Blessed Holy Oneyssaid ‘Israel-has_sinned, ¢,.farm “quickly they have turned from the way,”’ what is written? ‘Moses implored’ (Exodus 32:8, 11). What does ‘implored’ mean? It means that he prayed until he was overtaken by trembling.” Our Rabbis have said: “Moses did not leave the Blessed Holy One until he pledged his li y oe them both in this worldand the world that is coming, as it is written: ‘And now if You would only forgive their sin! If not, erase me from the book that You have written’ (Exodus 32:32).” Rabbi Yose said “(Moses’ bravery is demonstrated] from this verse: ‘He would have destroyed them had not Moses, His chosen, confronted Him in the breach’ (Psalms 106:23).” So all the righteous heroes shielded their generations and did not allow the attribute of Judgment to have power over them. And Noah? The Blessed Holy One lingered with him and spoke many words to him; perhaps, he would ask for mercy for his generation. But he did not care and did not ask for mercy. He just built the ark and the whole world was destroyed. 2 ABRAM, THE SOUL-BREATH YHVH said to Abram . “Go forth from your land, your place of birth, your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you; he who curses you I will curse; all the families of the earth will bless themselves by you.” Abram went forth as YHVH had directed him and Lot went with him. i (Genesis 12:1-4) Rabbi Jacob son of Idi said ‘‘All soul-breaths of the righteous have been carved from the bedrock of the Throne of Glory to guide the body like a father guiding his son. For without the soul-breath, the body could not conduct itself, would not be aware of the Will, could not actualize the Will of its Creator. As Rabbi Abbahu has said: “The soul-breath directs and trains the human being and initiates him into every straight path.’ When the Blessed Holy One sends her from the place of holiness He blesses her with seven blessings, as it is written: ‘YHVH said to Avram,’ this is the soul-breath who is av, ‘a father,’ to teach the body and ram, ‘high’ above him for she has come from a high and lofty place. What does He say to her? 60 ZOHAR ‘“Go forth from your land, your place of birth,” your dwelling, your place of bliss.’ ” “And from your father’s house” 2 Rabbi Jacob said, ‘This is the mirror that shines. fy ‘To the land that I will show you’ means to such and such a body, a holy body, an upright body. And even so, ‘I will bless those who bless you,’ those who treat you correctly and virtuously, those who bless Me for you, saying ‘As long as the soul breathes within me I acclaim in Your presence: YHVH is my God.’ ‘He who curses you I will curse,’ those who curse you by acting perversely. ‘Abram went forth as YHVH had directed him.’ Blessed with these seven blessings, Abram, the soul-breath, went forth, father to the body and high from the place of the highest. ‘As YHVH had directed him’ to enter the body that she had been commanded to guide and train.” Rabbi Jacob continued “Look what is written about her once she has entered the body: ‘And Lot went with him.’ This is the Deviser of Evil, destined to enter along with the soul-breath once a human is born. How do we know that the Deviser of Evil is called by this name? It is said: ‘The devisings of the human mind are evil from youth’ (Genesis 8:21). This is Lot, who was cursed. This corresponds to what Rabbi Isaac has said: ‘The serpent who seduced Eve was the Deviser of Evil.’ We know that he was cursed, as it is said: ‘Cursed are you above all animals’ (Genesis 3:14). Therefore, he is called Lot, Cursed. 61 ZOHAR When the soul-breath enters the body, immediately, ‘Lot went with him.’ For he is destined to enter with him, to mislead the human being and challenge the soul-breath.” 62 ABRAM’S DESCENT INTO EGYPT And Abram went down to Egypt. (Genesis 12:10) Rabbi Shim’on said “Come and see: Everything has secret wisdom. This verse hints at wisdom and the levels down below, to the depths of which Abraham descended. He knew them but did not become attached. He returned to face his Lord, was not seduced by them like Adam, was not seduced by them like Noah. When Adam reached that level, he was seduced by the serpent and dragged Death into the world. When Noah descended to that level, what is written? ‘He drank of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself within his tent’ (Genesis 9:21). The spelling implies ‘her tent.’ But what is written of Abraham? ‘Abram went up from Egypt’ (Genesis 13:1). He went up and did not come down. He returned to his domain, _. the high rung he had grasped before. Ag Le? This story appears in the Torah to reveal wisdom. Abraham fulfilled himself, 63 ZOHAR was not seduced, rose to his full stature, returned to his domain: ‘into the Negev’ (Genesis 13:1), the South, the high sphere he was linked to before. Before, it was written: ‘Abram journeyed by stages toward the Negev’ (Genesis 12:9). Now, ‘into the Negev,’ the domain he adhered to before. Come and see the secret of the word: If Abram hadfot gone down into Egypt and been refittéd there first, he could not have partaken of the Blessed Holy One. Similarly with his children, when the Blessed Holy One wanted to make them unique, a perfect people, and to draw them near to Him: If they had“hot-fone down to Egypt and been refined there first, they would not have become His special ones. So too the Holy Land: If she had not been given first to Canaan to control, she would not have become the portion, the share of the Blessed Holy One. It is all one mystery.” De SS OPENINGS He [Abraham] was sitting in the opening of the tent. .. . Sarah beard from the opening of the tent. (Genesis 18:1, 10) Rabbi Judah opened ‘Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land’ (Proverbs 31:23). Come and see: The Blessed Holy One has ascended in glory. He is hidden, concealed, far beyond. There is no one in the world, nor has there ever been, who can understand His wisdom or withstand Him. He is hidden, concealed, transcendent, beyond, beyond. The beings up above and the creatures down below— none of them can comprehend. All they can say is: ‘Blessed be the Presence of YHVH in His place’ (Ezekiel 3:12). The ones below proclaim that He is above: ‘His Presence is above the heavens’ (Psalms 113:4); the ones above proclaim that He is below: ‘Your Presence is over all the earth’ (Psalms 57:12). Finally all of them, above and below, declare: ‘Blessed be the Presence of YHVH wherever He is!’ For He is unknowable. No one has ever been able to identify Him. 65 ZOHAR How, then, cas Yotrgay: ‘Her husband is known in the gates’? , Her husband is the Blessed Holy One! ( Indeed, He is known in the gates. He is known and grasped to the degree that one opens the gates of imagination! The capacity to connect with the spirit of wisdom, to imagine in one’s heart-mind— this is how God becomes known. Therefore ‘Her husband is known in the gates,’ through the gates of imagination. But that He be known as He really is? No one has ever been able to attain such knowledge of Him.” Rabbi Shim’on said “Her husband is known in the gates.’ Who are these gates? The ones addressed in the Psalm: ‘O gates, lift up your heads! Be lifted up, openings of eternity, so the King of Glory may come!’ (Psalms 24:7). ’ Through these gates, these spheres on high, Se the Blessed Holy One becomes known. Were it not so, no one could commune with Him. Come and see: Neshamab of a human being is unknowable except through limbs of the body, subordinates of neshamah who carry out what she designs. Thus she is known and unknown. The Blessed Holy One too is known and unknown. " wa For He is Neshamab of neshamab, Pneuma of pneuma, ~ ' completely hj den.away; but through these,gates, openings for neshamah, the Blessed Holy Orie becomes known. 66 ZOHAR Come and see: There is opening within opening, | jj level beyond level. Through these the Glory of God becomes known. ‘The opening of the tent’ is the opening of Righteousness, as the Psalmist says: ‘Open for me the gates of righteousness .. .’ (Psalms 118:19). This is the first opening to enter. Through this opening, all other high openings come into view. One who attains the clarity of this opening discovers all the other openings, for all of them abide here. Now that Israel is in exile, this opening is unknown; all the openings have abandoned Her. It is impossible to know, impossible to grasp. But when Israel comes forth from exile, all the soaring spheres will touch down upon this opening, one by one. Then human beings will perceive wondrous, precious wisdom never known by them before, as it is written: ‘The spirit of YHVH shall alight upon him: "a spirit of wisdom and insight, \: spirit of design and power, a spirit of knowledge and awe of YHVH’ (Isaiah 11:2). All these are destined to alight upon the opening below, the Opening of the Tent. All these are destined to alight upon King Messiah so that he may judge the world, = as it is written: ‘He shall judge the poor with righteousness .. .’ (Isaiah 11:4). Therefore when Abraham received the good news, this sphere delivered it, as has been said, for it is written: 67 ZOHAR ‘Then one said, “I will return to you when life is due” ’ (Genesis 18:10). ‘One said’ Who it was is not spelled out. It was the Opening of the Tent! Now the same verse says: ‘Sarah heard.’ She heard this sphere speaking with her husband; someone she had never heard before. And so it is written: ‘Sarah heard the Opening of the Tent’ who was delivering the good news: ‘I will return to you when life is due and your wife Sarah will have a son.’” 68 AN OFFERING TO GOD Rabbi Shim’on opened and said “Anyone who rejoices on the festivals and does not give the Blessed Holy One His portion, that stingy one with the evil eye, Satan, Archenemy, appears and accuses him, removes him from the world. Oh, how much trouble and suffering he brings upon him! What is the portion of the Blessed Holy One? To gladden the poor as best as one can. For on these days the Blessed Holy One comes to observe His broken vessels. He enters from above and if He sees that they have nothing to celebrate He cries over them. Then he ascends to destroy the world! The members of the Academy of Heaven appear before Him and declare: ‘Master of the world! You are called Compassionate and Gracious. May Your Compassion be aroused for Your children!’ He answers them: ‘Does not everyone know that I based the world solely on love? “I have said, ‘The world is built by love’ ” (Psalms 89:3). It is love that sustains the world? The angels on high then declare: ‘Master of the world! Look at so-and-so who is eating and drinking his fill. He could share something with the poor 69 ZOHAR but he gives them nothing at all!’ Then the Accuser steps forward, claims authority and sets out in pursuit of that human being. ho in the world was greater than Abraham? Loree/ ite was kindhearted to all creatures. ~ One day he prepared a feast, as it is written: ‘The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned’ (Genesis 21:8). To this feast Abraham invited all the great people of his time. Now we have learned that the Accuser comes to every joyous meal to see if the host has already provided for the poor or invited the poor into his home. If so, the Accuser departs and does not enter. If not, he enters and witnesses this chaos of joy without poor, without gifts for the poor. Then he rises above and accuses the host. When Abraham welcomed all those great people the Accuser descended and stood at the door disguised as a poor man. But no one noticed him. Abraham was serving the kings and celebrities. Sarah was nursing all their children, because no one believed that she had given birth; they said, ‘It is a foundling from off the street!’ So Sarah took their children who had come along and nursed them in front of everyone, as it is written: ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would suckle children?’ (Genesis 21:7), ‘Children,’ in the plural! Meanwhile, the Accuser was still at the door. Sarah said, ‘God has made me a laughingstock!’ (Genesis 21:6). 70 ZOHAR At once, the Accuser rose to face the Blessed Holy One. He said, ‘Master of the world! You call Abraham “My friend”? (Isaiah 41:8). He held a feast and gave nothing to me and nothing to the poor, not even a single dove did he present to You! Furthermore, Sarah says that You made fun of her!’ The Blessed Holy One responded ‘Who in the world is like Abraham?’ But he held his ground until he ruined the whole celebration and the Blessed Holy One commanded that Isaac be brought as an offering and it was decreed that Sarah would die in anguish over her son’s * ordeal. All that suffering he brought about because he gave nothing to the poor!” a THE BINDING OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC And it came to pass after these devarim that Elohim tested Abrabam. He said to him, “Abraham!” and he answered, ‘‘Here I am.” He said, “‘Take your son, your favored one, whom you love, Isaac and go to the land of Moriab and offer him up as an offering ...” (Genesis 22:]-2) Rabbi Shim’on said ‘‘We have learned that the expression ‘And it came to pass in the days of’ denotes sorrow, while the expression ‘And it came to pass’ even without ‘in the days of’ is still tinged with sorrow. ‘And it came to pass after,’ after the lowest of all the higher spheres. Which is that? Devarim. As Moses said: ‘I am not a man of devarim’ (Exodus 4:10). And who came after this sphere? ‘Elohim tested Abraham.’ The Deviser of Evil came to accuse him in the presence of the Blessed Holy One. Here we must reflect: ‘Elohim tested Abraham.’ The verse should read: ‘tested Isaac,’ for Isaac was already thirty-seven years old and his father was no longer responsible for him. If Isaac had said, ‘I refuse,’ 72 ZOHAR his father would not have been punished. Why, then, is it written: ‘Elohim tested Abraham,’ and not ‘Isaac’? No, it had to be Abraham! He had to be crowned with Rigor. For until now, Abraham had no rigor at all. Now Water was crowned with Fire. Abraham was not complete until now when he was invested with the power to execute Judgment, to ordain-it ints domain. His whole life long, he had not been whole until now when Water was crowned with Fire, and Fire with Water. That is why ‘Elobim tested Abraham,’ not Isaac. He summoned Abraham to be crowned with Rigor. When he had done so, Fire entered Water, each completing the other. One was judged and one executed judgment, each crowning the other. That is why the Deviser of Evil appeared to accuse Abraham. For until he had executed judgment by binding Isaac he could not attain perfection. The Deviser of Evil always appears behind things and words; he comes to challenge. Come and see the secret of the word: Even though we have said that Abraham, not Isaac, is designated in the verse, Isaac is secretly implied, for it is written: ‘Elohim tested et Abraham.’ Not ‘Abraham,’ but ‘et Abraham.’ It is precisely this et that refers to Isaac. For until now, Isaac was dwelling in the sphere of low power. As soon as he was bound on the altar, ) initiated into Judgment by Abraham, ») fn he was arrayed in his own-sphere alongside Abraham. Fire was crowned with Water; both rose higher. Thus the battle was joined: Water versus Fire. 73 ZOHAR Who has ever seen a compassionate father turn cruel? It was only to reveal the polarity: Water versus Fire, each one arrayed in its own sphere, until Jacob appeared and everything harmonized: the triad of Patriarchs, the symmetry of above and below.” 74 JACOB'S JOURNEY Jacob left Beer Sheva and set out for Haran. (Genesis 28:10) Inside the hidden nexus, /f from within the sealed secret, 9 a zobar flashed, shining as a mirror, embracing two colors blended together. Once these two absorbed each other, all colors appeared: purple, the whole spectrum of colors, flashing, disappearing. Those rays of color do not wait to be seen; they merge into the fusion of zobar. In this zobar dwells the one who dwells. It provides a name for the one who is concealed and totally unknown. It is called the Voice of Jacob. Complete faith in the one who is concealed and totally unknown belongs here. Here dwells YHVH, perfection of all sides, above and below. Here Jacob is found, perfection of the Patriarchs, linked to all sides. This zohar is called by the singled-out name: “Jacob, whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 41:8) Two names he is called: Jacob and Israel. At first, Jacob; later, Israel. The secret of this secret: d j First he attained the End of Thought, f° * the Elucidation of the Written Torah. la tana” se. ¥ PGs | fc ZOHAR She is the Oral Torah, called Beer, as it is said: ‘Moses began beer, to explain, the Torah” (Deuteronomy 1:5). She is a beer, a well and an explanation; 4 of the one who is called Sheva, Seven, ey jak as it is written: “Tt took him sheva, seven, years to build it” (1 Kings 6:38). Sheva is the Mighty Voice, while the End of Thought is Be er Sheva. Jacob had entered this gateway to faith. Adhering to that faith, he had to be tested in the same place his fathers had been tested, entering in peace and emerging in peace. Adam entered but was not careful. Seduced by her, he sinned with that whore of a woman, the primordial serpent. Noah entered but was not careful. Seduced by her, he sinned as well, as it is written: “He drank of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself within his tent” (Genesis 9:21). Abraham entered and emerged, as it is written: ‘And Abram went down to Egypt... And Abram came up from Egypt” (Genesis 12:10; 13:1). Isaac entered and emerged, as it is written: ‘Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar ... From there he went up to Be’er Sheva” (Genesis 26:1, 23). 76 “*ZOHAR Jacob, having entered into faith, had to continue and probe the other side. For one who is saved from there is a loved one, a chosen one of the Blessed Holy One. What is written? “Jacob left Be’er Sheva” the secret of the mystery of faith, “and set out for Haran” the side of the woman of whoredom, the adulteress. _The secret of secrets: @ ¥ é . Out of the scorching noon of Isaac, out of the dregs of wine, a fungus emerged, a cluster, male and female together, red as a rose, expanding in many directions and paths. The male is called Sama’el, his female always included within him. Just as it is on the side of holiness, so it is on the other side: male and female embracing one another. The female of Sama’el is called Serpent, Woman of Whoredom, End of All Flesh, End of Days. Two evil spirits joined together: the spirit of the male is subtle; the spirit of the female is diffused in many ways and paths but joined to the spirit of the male. She bedecks herself with all kinds of jewelry like an abhorrent prostitute posing on the corner to seduce men. The fool who approaches her— she grabs him and kisses him, pours him wine from the dregs, from the venom of vipers. As soon as he drinks, he strays after her. Seeing him stray from the path of truth, she strips herself of all her finery that she dangled before that fool, her adornments for seducing men: her hair all arranged, red as a rose, a ZOHAR her face white and red, six trinkets dangling from her ears, her bed covered with fabric from Egypt, on her neck all the jewels of the East, her mouth poised, a delicate opening, what lovely trappings! The tongue pointed like a sword, her words smooth like oil, her lips beautiful, red as a rose, sweet with all the sweetness of the world. She is dressed in purple, adorned with forty adornments minus one. This fool follows her, drinks from the cup of wine, fornicates with her, deviates after her. What does she do? She leaves him sleeping in bed. She ascends, denounces him, obtains permission, and descends. That fool wakes up and plans to play with her as before. But she removes her decorations and turns into a powerful warrior confronting him. Arrayed in armor of flashing fire, his awesome terror vibrates the victim’s body and soul. He is full of fearsome eyes; in his hand a sharp-edged sword drips bitter drops. He kills that fool and flings him into hell. Jacob descended to her, went straight to her abode, as it is said: ‘and he set out for Haran.” He saw all the trappings of her house and was saved from her. Her mate, Sama’el, was offended and swooped down to wage war but could not overcome him, as it is written: “And a man wrestled with him...” (Genesis 32:25). 78 ZOHAR Now he was saved and perfected, raised to a perfect sphere and called Israel. He attained a high rung, total perfection! He became the central pillar, of whom it is written: “The center bar in the middle of the planks shall run from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). 12 JOSEPH’S DREAM Joseph dreamed a dream and told it to bis brothers, and they hated him even more. (Genesis 37:5) Rabbi Hiyya opened and said ‘He said, “Hear my words: If there be a prophet among you, I, YHVH, make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream” ’ (Numbers 12:6). Come and see how many levels within levels the Blessed Holy One has made, arranged one on top of the other, step by step, this one higher than that one, these absorbing those, as they should, these on the right, those on the left, each one assigned its domain, all as it should be. Come and see: All the prophets of the world wer eons re a Si 4 through two well-known levels. /' rap Those levels appeared in the mirror snie does not shite as it is written: | ‘I make Myself known to him in a vision, mar ‘ab.’ What is this mar ‘ah? It has been explained: a mirror in which all colors appear. This is the mirror that does not shine. ‘I speak with him in a dream.’ This is one-sixtieth of prophecy, as they have established. It is the sixth level from the level of prophecy, 80 ZOHAR the level of Gabriel, appointed over dreams. This has already been said. Come and see: Every proper dream comes from this level; so you canngt have a dream without false imaginings intermingling, as we have established. Therefore parts are true and parts are false. You cannot have a dream that does not reflect both this side and that. Since everything is contained in a dream, as we have said, all dreams of the world follow the interpretation of the mouth. They have established this based on the verse: ‘As he interpreted for us, so it came to pass’ (Genesis 41:13). Why? ecause a dream includes illusion and truth, and the word rules over all. So a dream needs a good interpretation.” Rabbi Judah said “Because every dream is from that lower level, and Speech commands that level; that is why every dream follows the interpretation.” He opened and said “In a dream, a vision of the night, when slumber falls on humans as they sleep upon their bed, He uncovers human ears, terrifies them with warning’ (Job 33:15-16). Come and see: When a person climbs into bed, first he must enthrone and accept the Kingdom of Heaven, then say a verse of mercy, as the Comrades have established. For when a person sleeps in his bed, 81 ZOHAR his soul leaves him and soars up above, each one on its own path. She ascends in this way, as has been said. What is written? ‘In a dream, a vision of the night,’ when people are lying in their beds asleep, the soul leaves them, as it is written: ‘as they sleep upon their bed, He uncovers human ears.’ Then the Blessed Holy One reveals to the soul, through that level presiding over dreams, things that are destined to come about in the world or things corresponding to the mind’s reflections, so that the dreamer will respond to the warning. For nothing is revealed while the person is still under the spell of the body, as we have said. Rather, an angel tells the soul, and the soul, the person, and that dream is from beyond, when souls leave bodies and ascend, each on its own path. There are levels upon levels within the mystery of a dream, all within the mystery of wisdom. Now come and see: Dream is one level, vision is one level, prophecy is one level. All are levels within levels, one above the other. ‘Joseph dreamed a dream and told it to his brothers... and they hated him even more because of his dreams’ (Genesis 37:5, 8). From here we learn that a person should only tell his dream to one who loves him. Otherwise the listener interferes, and if that dream is transformed, he is the cause. 82 ZOHAR Come and see: Joseph told the dream to his brothers, and they made the dream disappear; for twenty-two years it was delayed.” Rabbi Yose said, ‘‘How do we know this? Because it is written: “They hated him even more.’ This implies that they provoked accusations against him. What is written? ‘He said to them, “‘Please hear this dream that I have dreamed” ’ (Genesis 37:6). He begged them to listen; then he revealed the dream to them. If they had transformed its meaning, it would have come true according to their words. But they responded: ‘Will you reign over us? Will you rule over us?’ (Genesis 37:8). Suddenly they had revealed the interpretation of the dream and sealed their own fate! That is why ‘they hated him even more.’ ” 83 SEDUCTION ABOVE AND BELOW And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast ber eyes upon Joseph and said, “Lie with me!” And he refused. ... Though she urged Joseph day after day, he did not yield to her, to lie beside her, to be with her. (Genesis 39:7-8, 10) “Though she urged him day after day” Rabbi El’azar opened and said ‘““*To guard you from the evil woman, the smooth-tongued alien’ (Proverbs 6:24). Happy are the righteous who know the paths of the Blessed Holy One, who learn how to follow them by striving for Torah day and night! For everyone who engages Torah days and nights occupies two worlds: the higher world and the lower world. He obtains this world even if he engages in Torah with selfish motives; he obtains that world if he engages in Torah for the Name within ber, Come and see what is written: _ ‘Long life she offers with her right hand, with her left hand riches and honor’ (Proverbs 3:16). One who walks on the right side of Torah is extended long life in the world that is coming. There he acquires the splendor of Torah, a precious crown of supreme power, 84 ZOHAR for the crown of Torah is in that world. ‘With her left hand riches and honor’ in this world. Even if he hasn’t studied Torah for the Name within her he still obtains in this world riches and honor. Now when Rabbi Hiyya came from Babylonia to the land of Israel he read from the Torah until his face shone like the sun, and when everyone studying Torah stood before him he would say: ‘This one engages Torah for the Name within her; that one does not.’ He would pray for the first one that he always be like that and obtain the world that is coming. He would pray for the other that he discover how to study Torah for the Name within her and obtain eternal life. One day he saw a student toiling over Torah whose face turned pale. He said, ‘This one is conceiving sinful thoughts!’ He held him and looked into his eyes and emanated words of Torah to him until he became calm. From that day on, he resolved not to pursue those evil imaginings and to strive to study Torah for the Name within her.” Rabbi Yose said “When a person sees that evil imaginings are assailing him he should occupy himself with Torah and they will pass away.” Rabbi El’azar said ‘“‘When that evil side approaches to seduce a human being he should pull it toward Torah and it will leave him. Come and see what we have learned: When that evil side confronts the Blessed Holy One, accusing the world of evil doings, the Blessed Holy One feels compassion for the world and offers a device to human beings to save themselves from him, to neutralize his power over them and their actions. 85 “ ZOHAR What is the device? Engaging in Torah! This saves them from him. How do we know? Because it is written: ‘A mizvah is a lamp; Torah is light; rules of discipline lead to life’ (Proverbs 6:23). What is written in the following verse? ‘To guard you from the evil woman, the smooth-tongued alien.’ This is the unclean side, the Other Side, who constantly confronts the Blessed Holy One to press charges based on human sin, who constantly confronts human beings to pervert and mislead them below. He constantly presents himself above to report the sins of humans and accuse them of their doings so that they be delivered into his power as was done to Job. At the same time, he looms over humans below to mislead them and remind them of their sins, everything they have done. Especially when the Blessed Holy One stands in judgment over them he rises to indict them and enumerate their sins. The Blessed Holy One, however, felt compassion for Israel and gave them a device to save themselves from him. What? A, shofar on = and on Yom Kippura scapegoat to give to him so that he leave them alone and occupy himself with that portion of his. This has been established. Come and see what is written: ‘Her feet lead down to death, her steps grasp the netherworld’ (Proverbs 5:5). But of the mystery of faith, it is written: 86 ZOHAR ‘Her ways are ways of delight, all her paths are peace’ (Proverbs 3:17). These are the ways and paths of Torah. All is one, this peace and that death, reverse sides of each other. Happy is Israel’s portion! They are perfectly linked to the Blessed Holy One. He offers them guidance on how to be saved from all other tendencies in the world since they are a people consecrated to Him. He offers them guidance on everything. Happy are they in this world and in the world that is coming! Come and see: When this evil side comes down and roams through the world and sees how human beings act, how they all stray from their paths in this world, he ascends and accuses them. If the Blessed Holy One did not feel compassion for the work of His hands, no one would survive! What is written? ‘Though she urged Joseph day after day’ She rises faithlessly every single day and uncovers for the Blessed Holy One so much evil news so that she can destroy humankind. What is written? ‘He did not yield to her, to lie beside her, to be with her.’ He does not yield to her request because He feels compassion for the world. ‘To lie beside her’ Why does she want Him to lie beside her? So she can take control and dominate the world! Her control does not prevail until she is given power. 87 ZOHAR Something else about ‘to lie with her’: as it is said: ‘and the man who lies with an unclean woman’ (Leviticus 15:33). ‘To be with her,’ to give her dignity, blessings, and help. For if she had help from above, not even a single person would remain alive. But the Blessed Holy One feels compassion for the world; so the world remains in existence.” Rabbi Abba said “It is all one path, but it is the Deviser of Evil who comes to seduce human beings, to pervert their paths, to cling to them day after day. Time after time, he diverts one from the path of truth to force him off the path of life and draw him on toward hell. A righteous person—what does he do? He watches his step on the path so the Deviser of Evil cannot cling to him, as it is written: ‘Though she urged Joseph day after day, he did not yield to her,’ to what she proposed day after day. For the unclean spirit, the Deviser of Evil, seduces a man every day ‘to lie beside her’ in hell, to be condemned there ‘to be with her.’ Come and see: When a person joins that side he is drawn to her more and more; he defiles himself with her both in this world and the other world. Come and see this unclean side: It is ugly, it is filth. ‘“Qut!” you will call to it’ 88 ZOHAR (Isaiah 30:22), Excrement! One who turns away from Torah is punished in excrement! Sinners of the world who do not believe in the Blessed Holy One are punished in excrement! What is written? ‘One such day, he came into the house to do his work. There was no man of the household there inside’ (Genesis 39:11). ‘One such day,’ a day when the Deviser of Evil is at large in the world, coming to lead humans astray. When is that day? The same day a person acknowledges his sins and begins to turn himself around, or when he engages Torah and resolves to obey her commands. At that very moment, he descends to lead humans astray. ‘He came into the house to do his work,’ to engage Torah and obey her commands, for that is the work a person should do in this world. Now since a person’s real work in this world is the work of the Blessed Holy One, he must be as strong as a lion on every side so that the Other Side will not overpower him or be able to seduce him. What is written? ‘There was no man,’ no man to stand up against the Deviser of Evil and wage war with him as one should. How does the Deviser of Evil operate? Once he sees that no man stands in his way, ready to fight him, immediately ‘she grabbed him by his coat and said, “Lie with me (Genesis 39:12). She grabbed him by his coat because when the Deviser of Evil takes control of a person he dresses him up in beautiful clothes yy? 89 ZOHAR and curls his hair and says, ‘Lie with me! Join me!’ One who is pure steels himself and wages war. What is written? ‘But he left his coat in her hand and fled outdoors.’ One should abandon him, harden oneself against him, flee from him to be safe from him. Then he cannot take control.” Rabbi Isaac said “The righteous are destined to see the Deviser of Evil in the shape of » huge mountain. Astounded, they will say: ‘How were we able to overturn that huge mountain?’ The wicked are destined to see the Deviser of Evil as thin as a thread of hair. Astounded, they will say: ‘How could we fail to overcome a thread of hair so thin?’ These will cry and those will cry. The Blessed Holy One will sweep the Deviser of Evil off the earth and slaughter him before their eyes, and his power will be no more. Seeing this, the righteous will rejoice, as it is said: ‘Surely the righteous will praise Your Name; the upright will dwell in Your Presence’ ”’ (Psalms 140:14). 90 JACOB’S GARMENT OF DAYS The days of Israel drew near to die. He summoned bis son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, place your hand under my thigh; act toward me out of true love: please do not bury me in Egypt. I will lie down with my fathers; then take me out of Egypt and bury me in thetr burial place.” (Genesis 47:29-30) Rabbi Judah opened and said “Listen, you deaf ones! You blind ones, look up and see!” (Isaiah 42:18). ‘Listen, you deaf ones!’ you human beings who do not hear Torah speaking, who do not open your ears to let in the commands of your Master. ‘You blind ones’ who do not examine your own foundations, who do not seek to know why you are alive! Every single day a herald comes forth and proclaims but no one hears his message! It has been taught: When a human being is created, on the day he comes into the world, simultaneously, all the days of his life are arranged above. One by one, they come flying down into the world to alert that human being, day by day. If, when a day comes to alert him, he sins on that day before his Master, then that day climbs up in shame, bears witness, and stands alone outside. 94 ZOHAR It has been taught: After standing alone it sits and waits for that human to turn back to his Master, to restore the day. If he succeeds, that day returns to its place; if not, that day comes down to join forces with the outlaw spirit. It molds itself into an exact image of that human and moves into his house to torment him. Sometimes his stay is for the good if one purifies himself. If not, it is a horrible visitation. Either way, such days are lacking, missing from the total. Woe to the human being who has decreased his days in the presence of the Holy King, who has failed to reserve days up above— days that could adorn him in that world, days that could usher him in to the presence of the Holy King! Come and see: When those days draw near to the Holy King, if the person leaving the world is pure he ascends and enters into those days and they become a radiant garment for his soul! But only his days of virtue, not his days of fault. Woe to him who has decreased his days up above! For when he comes to be clothed in his days, the days that he ruined are missing and he is clothed in a tattered garment. It is worse if there are many such days; then he will have nothing to wear in that world! Woe to him! Woe to his soul!! He is punished in hell for those days, days upon days, two days for every wasted day! For when he left this world, he found no days to wear, he had no garment for cover. Happy are the righteous! Their days are all stored up with the Holy King, woven into radiant garments to be worn in the world that is coming. 92 ZOHAR We have learned in the mystery of our Mishnah: Why is it written: ‘And they knew that they were naked’ (Genesis 3:7)? Adam and Eve knew the naked truth: the radiant garment woven from their days had faded away. Not one single day was left to wear, as it is written: ‘Your eyes saw my unformed limbs; in Your book they were all recorded. The days that were fashioned— not one of them is left’ (Psalms 139:16). Exactly! Not one of those fashioned days was left to be worn. And so it remained until Adam made the effort to turn back to God and mend his ways. The Blessed Holy One accepted him and made him different garments but not from his days, as it is written: ‘YHVH Elohim made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and He clothed them’ (Genesis 3:21). Come and see: Abraham, who was pure, what is written of him? ‘He came into days’ (Genesis 24:1). When he left this world he entered into his very own days and put them on to wear. Nothing was missing from that radiant garment: ‘He came into days.’ But what is written of Job? ‘He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked shall I return there” ’ (Job 1:21). No garment was left for him to wear. 3 ZOHAR It has been taught: Happy are the righteous for their days are pure and extend to the world that is coming. When they leave this world, all their days are sewn together, made into radiant garments for them to wear. Arrayed in that garment, they are admitted to the world that is coming ‘to enjoy its pleasures. Clothed in that garment, they are destined to come back to life. All who have a garment will be resurrected, as it is written: ‘They will rise as in a garment’ (Job 38:14). Woe to the wicked of the world whose days are faulty and full of holes! There is not enough to cover them when they leave the world. It has been taught: _. Ay a All the righteous ds a id Re CY iy who are privileged to wear a radiant garment of their days ptare te As are crowned in that world with crowns worn by the Patriarchs — from the.stream that flows and gushes into the Garden of Eden, as it is written: \‘YHVH will guide you always ‘and satisfy your soul with sparkling flashes’ (Isaiah 58:11). But the wicked of the world, unfit to wear a garment of days, of them it is written: ‘He shall be like a bush in the desert, unaware of the coming of good, inhabiting scorched wilderness’ (Jeremiah 17:6).” Rabbi Isaac said “Happy is the destiny of Jacob! He had such faith that he could say: 94 ZOHAR ‘T will lie down with my fathers.’ He attained their level, nothing less! He surpassed them, dressed in his days and in theirs!” A 95 a ee a a ose aa ae e agpin ae rae psi. qjahaet ae rich a2 raat ‘ers tps jal oe ile it ate TE ay ON PPP Ne gl we = ee: Fhe se HH ee, Seer |) Jerse pete: eee Ses Hye PE Rk yg? aa wr Gyawis yp aw PF Ree s. z “Siew Bal O'R, ‘. Sagsieat. FE ge, Pee ee ZOHAR ON EXODUS THE BIRTH OF MOSES A man of the house of Levt went and married a daughter of Levt. The woman conceived and bore a son; she saw how good he was, and she hid him for three months. (Exodus 2:1-2) ‘““A man” is Gabriel, as it is said: “The man Gabriel whom I had seen in a vision...” (Daniel 9:21). “The House of Levi’? means the Communion of Israel who emanates from the left side. ‘Married a daughter of Levi” refers to the soul-breath, for we have learned: When the body of a righteous hero is born in this world the Blessed Holy One summons Gabriel who carries the soul-breath from the Garden and brings her down to his body, born into this world. Gabriel is appointed guardian of the soul-breath . .. ‘““A man” is Amram. “Married a daughter of Levi” refers to Yocheved. A daughter of the Voice, a divine echo, descended and told him to unite with her, for the time was ripe for Israel to be delivered by the son they would engender. The Blessed Holy One assisted Amram, for we have learned: Shekhinah was present on their bed and their desire joined with Her. Therefore Shekbinab never left the son they engendered, confirming what is written: 7 ZOHAR ‘Make yourselves holy and you will be holy” (Leviticus 11:44). A human being who makes himself holy below is made holy above by the Blessed Holy One. Their desire focused on joining Shekhinabh; so Shekhinah joined in the very act they were engaged in. Rabbi Isaac said ‘“‘Happy are the righteous! Their desire is focused on joining the Blessed Holy One constantly. Just as they cleave to Him constantly, so He cleaves to them, never leaving them. Woe to the wicked! Their desire and attachment is far removed from Him. Not only do they alienate themselves from Him; they cleave to the Other Side! Come and see: Amram adhered to the Blessed Holy One and Moses came forth from him. Moses! The Blessed Holy One never departed from him. Shekbinab joined with him constantly. Happy is his share!” “The woman conceived and bore a son; she saw how good he was...” What does this mean: “how good he was”? Rabbi Hiyya said “Tt means that he was born circumcised, for the secret of the covenant is called “good” as it is written: ‘Say of the righter us one that [7 is — J- ~ (Isaiah 3:10): Fm Ad Jk Le o le Rabbi Yose said “She saw the radiance of Shekhinab shining in him, for when he was born the whole house was filled with light! This verse reads: ‘She saw how good he was’; another verse reads: ‘God saw how good the light was’ 100 ZOHAR (Genesis 1:4). That is how good he was: he was everything!” “She hid him for three months.” What is the point of saying “three months’? Rabbi Judah said “It hints at a secret: Moses’ enlightenment was not recognized until ‘three months,’ as it is written: ‘On the third new moon after the Children of Israel had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai’ (Exodus 19:1). Only then was Torah transmitted through him, Shekbinab revealed Herself and rested upon him before the eyes of all, as it is written: ‘Moses went up to Elohim, and YHVH called to him’ (Exodus 19:3).” 101 MOSES AND THE BLAZING BUSH Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, bis father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Horev, the mountain of Elohim. The Angel of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. He gazed: the bush is blazing in fire yet the bush is not consumed! (Exodus 3:1-2) “The Angel of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire.” To Moses in a flame of fire, unlike other prophets. Why? Rabbi Judah said ‘Moses was not like other prophets. We have learned: One who comes close to fire is burned. Yet Moses came close to fire and was not burned, as it is written: ‘Moses approached the dense cloud where Elohim was’ (Exodus 20:18). So here: “The Angel of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush.’ ” Rabbi Abba said P ‘We should explore the nature of Moses in the light.of-wisdom. (? Why is it written: ‘She named him Moses, saying “It means: I drew him out of the water” ’? : 4 (Exodus 2:10). Ot r hed One who has been drawn out of. water has no fear of f fire. And it has been taught in the name of Rabbi Judah: — ‘From the place Moses was hewn, no other human was hewn.’ ” 102 ZOHAR Rabbi Yohanan said ‘Moses was arrayed in all ten spheres, ~~ as it is written: ‘He is trusted throughout My household’ (Numbers 12:7). Not just a loyal member of My household but entrusted with everything! Happy is the share of a human being given such an affirmation by his Lord!” Rav Dimi spoke up: “But it is written: ‘Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses’ (Deuteronomy 34:10), and Rabbi Joshua son of Levi has taken this to mean: in Israel none arose, but among the nations of the world one did! Who was that? Balaam.” ‘Indeed, you are right,” said Rabbi Yohanan, and he was silent. When Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai appeared they asked him about this word. He opened and said “Black resin mixed with finest balsam? God forbid! Rather, this is the true meaning: Among the nations of the world one did arise. Who was that? Balaam. Moses’ actions were high; those of Balaam, low. Moses worked wonders with the holy crown of the supernal King above; Balaam worked black magic with the nethermost crowns, unholy, below. Because of this ‘the Israelites slew Balaam son of Be’or, the sorcerer, with the sword’ (Joshua 13:22). If you think he was any higher, go ask his ass!” Rabbi Yose came and kissed his hands; he said, “Ah! The coveting in my heart has disappeared, 103 ZOHAR for now I see that there is high and low, right and left, compassion and judgment, Israel and the idolaters! Israel wields high and holy crowns; idolaters, the nethermost crowns, unholy. Israel is on the right; idolaters, on the left. What a difference there is between high prophets and low prophets, holy prophets and unholy prophets!” Rabbi Judah said ‘““As Moses was one of a kind among all prophets high and holy, so Balaam was one of a kind among unholy prophets and sorcerers below. Yet from every angle, Moses was up above and Balaam was down below. So many levels separate the two!” Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Isaac “Moses was worried that Israel might perish from the harsh bondage God forbid! as it is written: ‘He went out to his kinsfolk and saw their burden’ (Exodus 2:11). Therefore ‘The Angel of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire ... He gazed: the bush is blazing in fire,’ showing that Israel is enslaved, but ‘the bush is not consumed!’ ” Happy are Israel! The Blessed Holy One has separated them from all nations and called them His children, as it is written: “You are children of YHVH your God!” (Deuteronomy 14:1). 104 MOSES AND HIS FATHER-IN-LAW Moses returned to YHVH. He said, “Adonai, why did You wrong this people? Why did You @6er send me? Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name it bas gotten worse for this people; You have certainly not delivered Your people!” . . . -wklahim spoke to Moses; He said to him, “I am YHVH!” (Exodus 5:22-23; 6:2) Rabbi Yose said ‘Moses! If he had not been master of the house, husband.of Elohim, he would have been punished for what he said. But since he was, he was not punished. It is like a man who falls into an agrument with his wife and speaks harshly to her. She starts to get upset but as the words begin to fly, the king appears and takes up the word. She turns silent and says nothing more. The king says to him, ‘Do you not know that I am King? It is as if you spoke these words against me!’ Here too, as if it were possible: ‘Moses returned to YHVH. He said, “Adonai, why did You wrong this people?” ’ At once ‘Elohim spoke to Moses’ She started to get upset. At once the king took up the word: ‘He said to him, “I am YHVH!”’ ‘Do you not know that I am King? You have spoken these words against Me!’ 105 ZOHAR ‘I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob through E/ Shaddai’ (Exodus 6:3). . Why is this name different from theones above? xy It is like a king who had a daughter fot yet married. He also had a dear friend. When the king wanted to speak with his friend he would send his daughter to speak with him. Through his daughter, the king would speak with his friend. The time came for his daughter to be married. On the day of her wedding, the king said ‘Call my daughter, Mistress Matronita!’ He said to her, ‘Until now I spoke through you to whomever I spoke with. From now on I will talk to your husband and he will transmit the message to whomever it should be given.’ One day her husband spoke harshly to her in the presence of the king. Before she could answer back, the king took up the word and said ‘Am I not King? Until now no one has spoken with me except through my daughter. I have given you my daughter and spoken with you openly! Such things I have done for no one else!’ Similarly, God said to Moses: ‘“T appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob through E/ Shaddai,” when She was in My house, not yet married. They did not speak with Me face to face as I have spoken with you! How dare you open with words such as these, spoken to My daughter in My presence! “T appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob through E/ Shaddai, but by My name YHVH, I was not known to them”; I did not speak with them on the same level I have spoken with you!” 106 COLORS AND ENLIGHTENMENT One day Rabbi Shim’on was sitting. Rabbi El’azar, his son, and Rabbi Abba were with him. Rabbi El’azar said “The verse written here: I bave appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob... Why appeared? The word should be spoken.” He answered “El’azar, my son, it is a high mystery! Come and see: Certain colors can be seen; certain colors cannot. These and those are the high mystery of faith. But human beings do not know; they do not reflect. The colors that can be seen— no one was pure enough to see them until the Patriarchs came and mastered them. Therefore the word appeared, for they saw the colors which are revealed. Which are revealed? Colors of Et Shaddat, €olors-in a cosmic prism. These can be seen. But the colors above, hidden and invisible— no human has mastered them except for Moses. Therefore the verse concludes: ‘But by My name YHVH, I was not known to them.’ I was not revealed to them in high colors. Do you think that the Patriarchs were not aware of those colors at all? They were aware, thfough those that are revealed. 107 ZOHAR It is written: ‘The enlightened will shine like the zohar of the sky, and those who make the masses righteous will shine like the stars forever and ever’ (Daniel 12:3). ‘The enlightened will shine’ \, / A Who is enlightened? ate Lgt ey Ge The wise one who contemplates by himself, from himself, words that human beings cannot mouth. — ‘Will shine like the zobar of the sky’ Which sky? The sky of.Moses « } which. stands in_the.center; this zohar of his is concealed and not revealed. It stands above the sky that does not shine, in which colors can be seen. There those colors can be seen, but they do not glow with the brilliance of the hidden colors. Come and see: There are four lights. Three are conceals and one is revealed. A shining light. { A glowing light; Ar?’ ¢ it shines like the clear brilliance of h - ral : A purple light that absorbs all ere eat FF A light that does not shine © f@ ee. but gazes toward the others and date thém in. Those lights are seen in her as in a crystal facing the sun. The first three are concealed, overseeing this one, which is revealed. The secret is: the eye. Come and see: Three colors appear in the eye, but none of them glow, for they are overshadowed by a light that does not shine. These are images of the colors that are hidden, which oversee them. 108 ZOHAR These were shown to the Patriarchs, so they would know those hidden ones that glow through these that do not glow. The ones that glow and the ones that are hidden were revealed to Moses in that sky of his. These oversee those colors that are seen in the eye. The secret is: close your eye and roll your eyeball. Those colors that shine and glow will be revealed. Permission to see is granted only with eyes concealed, for they are high and concealed, ig overseeing thoge colors that can be seen but do not glow. Te Ate + 8 $4 oer And so we read: THAN ‘Moses attained the mirror that shines,’ which oversees the one that does not shine. The rest of humanity, that mirror that does not shine. The Patriarchs saw, through these colors that are revealed, those hidden ones, which oversee the ones that do not shine. Therefore it is written: ‘I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob through El Shaddai,’ through the colors that can be seen. ‘But by My name YHVH, I was not known to them.’ These are high colors, hidden and glowing. Moses was so pure that he gazed into them! The secret is: the eye, closed and open. Closed, it sees the mirror that shines. Opened, it sees the mirror that does not shine. So, ‘I appeared’ in the mirror that does not shine, which is open and revealed. This is described as seeing. But the mirror that shines, which is concealed— this is described as knowing, as it is written: ‘I was not known.’ ” Rabbi El’azar and Rabbi Abba came and kissed his hands. Rabbi Abba cried, and said “Woe when you disappear from the world! 109 ZOHAR The world will be an orphan without you! Who will be able to illumine the words of Torah?” 110 PHARAOH, ISRAEL, AND GOD YHVH hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the Children of Israel. As the Children of Israel were departing boldly, the Egyptians pursued them and overtook them encamped by the sea— all the chariot horses of Pharaoh, bis horsemen, and his warriors— near Pi ha-Hirot, before Ba’al Zefon. Pharaoh.drew near. The Children of Israel lifted their eyes— and there was Egypt advancing upon them! They were very frightened; the Children of Israel cried out to YHVH. (Exodus 14:8-10) “Pharaoh drew near.” Rabbi Yose said “It has been said that he brought Israel to the point of turning back to God. ‘Pharaoh drew [them] near!’ It is written: ‘YHVH! In distress they sought You, pouring out a whispered prayer ...’ (Isaiah 26:16). ‘In distress they sought You’ Israel does not seek the Blessed Holy One when they are comfortable; only when they are in trouble. Then all of them remember Him and seek Him. ‘Pouring out a whispered prayer’ They all pray their prayers and pleadings. They pour out prayers to Him. 111 ZOHAR When? ‘When Your chastisement falls upon them.’ The moment the Blessed Holy One hands them over to His scourge, He stands over them compassionately. Their voice of prayer pleases Him; so the enemies of Israel are called to account. He is filled with compassion for His people, as we have established. A parable: the dove and the hawk. [A dove escaped from the hawk and took refuge in the cleft of a rock. There she found a serpent nesting. She tried to enter but could not because the serpent was there. Could she go back? She could not because the hawk was poised for attack. What did she do? She began to cry and clap her wings so the owner of the dovecote would hear her and come to save her.] So, Israel drew near to the sea. They saw the sea raging, its waves surging. They were frightened. They lifted their eyes and saw Pharaoh and his army with shooting stones and catapults. ‘They were very frightened.’ What did they do? ‘The Children of Israel cried out.’ Who brought it about that Israel drew near to their Father above? Pharaoh! This is what is written: ‘Pharaoh drew [them] near.’ This has already been said.” 112 MANNA AND WISDOM YHVH said to Moses “Tam about to rain down for you bread from heaven!” . . Moses said to Aaron “Say to the whole assemblage of the Children of Israel: ‘Approach YHVH, for He has heard your grumbling.’ ” As Aaron spoke to the whole assemblage of the Children of Israel, they turned to face the desert, for there, the Presence of YHVH had appeared in the cloud.... That evening, the quail rose and covered the camp. In the morning, there was a fall of dew around the camp. The fall of dew rose, and there, on the face of the desert, a fine coating, as fine as frost on the ground. The Children of Israel saw. They satd to one another, “What 1s it?” for they did not know what it was. Moses said to them “Tt is the bread that YAVH bas given you to eat.” (Exodus 16:4, 9-10, 13-15) Come and see: Every single day, dew trickles down from the HglyAncient One to the Impatient-One, he pte + tH and the Orchard of.Holy Apple Trees is blessed. § / ”/ 7 { Some of the dew flows to those below; holy angels are nourished by it, each according to his diet, as it is written: ‘““A human ate angel bread” (Psalms 78:25). Israel ate of that food in the desert. Rabbi Shim’on said ‘Some people are nourished by it even now! 113 ZOHAR Who are they? The Comrades, who engage Torah day and night. Do you think they are nourished by that very food? No, by something like that very food; two balancing one. Come and see: When Israel entered and joined themselves to the Holy King by uncovering the holy marking, they were pure enough to eat another kind of bread, higher than at first. At first, when Israel went out of Egypt, they went into the bread called Mazzah. Now they were purer; they went in to eat higher bread from a high sphere, as it is written: ‘I am about to rain down for you bread from heaven,’ literally: from Heaven! («) It was then that Israel discovered the taste of this sphere. Comrades engaging Torah are nourished from qn.even_higher sphere. Which is that? That.swhich is written: ‘Wisdom gives life to those who have it’ ‘Ecclesiastes 7:12), a very high sphere.” Rabbi El’azar said to him “If so, why are they weaker than other human beings? Other human beings are stronger and more powerful; the Comrades should be the stronger ones.” He said to him, “A good question! Come and see: All human food comes from above. The food that comes from heaven and earth is for the whole world. It is food for all; it is coarse and dense. The food that comes from higher above is finer food, coming from the sphere where Judgment is found. This is the food that Israel ate when they went out of Egypt. 114 ZOHAR The food found by Israel that time in the desert, from the higher sphere called Heaven— it is an even finer food, entering deepest of all into the soul, detached from the body, called “angel bread.” The highest food of all is the food, of the ae) those who engage Torah. Ry OA For they eat food of the spirit and/the soul, Kae they eat no food for the body at all. Rather, from a high sphere, precious beyond all: Wisdom. That is why a Comrade’s body is weaker than a normal body: they do not eat food for the body at all. They eat food for the spirit and the soul-breath from someplace far beyond, most precious of all. So their food is finest of the fine, finest of all. Happy is their portion! As it is written: ‘Wisdom gives life to those who have it.’ Happy is the body that can nourish itself on food of the soul!” Rabbi El’azar said to him, “Certainly that is true. But how can such food be found now?” He answered, “Certainly a good question! Come and see: This is the clarity of the word. . The food of the Comrades aueagiig Torah is most precious of all. This food flows from Wisdom on high. Why from this sphere? Because Torah derives from Wisdom on high, and those who engage Torah enter the.source of her roots; so their food flows down from that high and holy sphere.” Rabbi El’azar came and kissed his hands. He said, “Happy is my portion! I understand these words! Happy is the portion of the righteous! Engaging Torah day and night 115 ZOHAR entitles them to this world and the world that is coming, as it is written: ‘That is your life and the expanse of your days.’ ” ad 116 IS THERE ANYONE LIKE MOSES? On the third new moon after the Children of Israel had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the desert of Sinai. They journeyed from Rephidim and entered the desert of Sinai and camped in the desert. Israel camped there facing the mountain and Moses went up to Elohim... (Exodus 19:1-3) Happy is Moses! He attained the Presence! W Cind Torah herself is his witness: ns “Moses went up to Elohim.” Rabbi Judah taught: ‘Come and see the difference between Moses and the rest of the world. For the rest of the world ‘going up’ means greater wealth, prestige, and power. But when Moses went up, what is written? ‘Moses went up to Elohim.’ Happy is he!” Rabbi Yose said “This is the origin of the saying of the Comrades: ‘One who comes to purify himself—they help him.’ For it is written: ‘Moses went up to Elohim.’ What is written next? ‘YHVA called to him.’ One who.desires to draw himself near—they draw. himrear.” “VHVH called to him from the mountain, saying: ‘Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob...’” iy ZOHAR Rabbi Isaac opened ‘Happy is the one You choose and bring near; he will dwell in Your courts’ (Psalms 65:5). Happy is the human being whom the Blessed Holy One is drawn to, whom He draws near to dwell in the palace! Whomever He desires for His work is marked with markings of the beyond to show that he has been chosen by the high and holy King to dwell in His dwelling. Whoever displays that sign passes through all gates of the beyond. No one can stop him!” Rabbi Judah said ‘‘Happy is Moses! This verse was written for him: ‘Happy is the one You choose and bring near.’ Of him it is written: ‘Moses drew near to the thick darkness; Moses alone shall draw near YHVH; they shall not draw near.’ ” 118 ALL OF ISRAEL SAW THE LETTERS Anokhi A secret of secrets for those who know wisdom: The moment these letters came forth, secretly circling as one, a spark flashed out to engrave. A flowing measure extended ten cubits on this side, and out shot comets inside comets, seventy-one. Sparks burst into flashes, up high and down below, then quieted down and rose up high, beyond, beyond. The flow measured out ten cubits on the other side, and comets shot out in colors like before. And so on every side. The spark expanded, whirling round and round. Sparks burst into flashes and rose high above. The heavens blazed with all their powers; everything flashed and sparkled as one. Then the spark turned from the side of the South and outlined a curve from there to the East and from the East to the North until it had circled back to the South, as before. Then the spark swirled, disappearing; comets and flashes dimmed. Now they came forth, these carved, flaming letters flashing like gold when it dazzles. rf $n ¥ Like a craftsman smelting silver and-gold: // @S eg ’ OF when he takes them out of the blazing fire all is bright and pure; so the letters came forth, pure and bright from the flowing measure of the spark. Therefore it is written: 119 ZOHAR “The word of YHVH is refined” (Psalms 18:31), as silver and gold are refined. When these letters came forth, they were all refined, carved precisely, sparkling, flashing. All of Israel saw the letters flying through space in every direction, engraving themselves on the tablets of stone. 120 THE OLD MAN AND THE BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yose met one night at the Tower of Tyre. They stayed there as guests, delighting in each other. Rabbi Yose said, ‘I am so glad to see the face of Shekhinab. For just now, the whole way here, I was pestered by an old man, a donkey driver, who kept asking me riddles the whole way: ‘What is a serpent that flies in the air and wanders alone, while an ant lies peacefully between its teeth? Beginning in union, it ends in separation. What is an eagle that nests in a tree that never was? Its young who have been plundered, who are not created creatures, lie somewhere uncreated. When they go up, they come down; coming down, they go up. Two who are one, and one who is three. What is a beautiful maiden who has no eyes and a body concealed and revealed? She comes out in the morning and is hidden all day. She adorns herself with adornments that are not.’ All this he asked on the way; I was annoyed. Now I can relax! If we had been together, we would have engaged in words of Torah instead of strange words of chaos.” Rabbi Hiyya said, “That old man, the donkey driver, do you know anything about him?” He answered, “I know that there is nothing in his words. If he knew anything, he should have opened with Torah; y? then the way would not have been empty! 121 ZOHAR Rabbi Hiyya said, “That donkey driver, is he here? For sometimes in those empty fools, you discover.bells of-gald!” He said to him, “Here he is! Fixing up his donkey with food.” They called to him; he came before them. He said to them, ‘Now two are three, and three are like one!” Rabbi Yose said “Didn't I tell you that all his words are empty nonsense?” He sat before them and said “Rabbis, I turned into a donkey driver only a short time ago. Before, I wasn’t one. But I have # small son, and I put him in school; I want him to engage Torah. When I find one of the rabbis traveling on the road I guide his donkey from behind. Today I thought that I would hear new words of Torah. But I haven’t heard anything!” Rabbi Yose said, “Of all the words I heard you say, there was one that really amazed me. Either you said it out of folly, or they are empty words.” The Old Man said, “And which one is that?” He said, ‘“The one about the beautiful maiden.” The Old Man opened and said ‘““‘VHVH is on my side; I have no fear. What can any human do to me? YHVH is by my side, helping me.... It is good to take refuge in YHVH. ..’ (Psalms 118:6—8). How good and pleasant and precious and high are words of Torah! But how can I say them in front of rabbis from whose mouths, until now, I haven’t heard a single word? But [ should say them 122 ZOHAR because there is no shame at all in saying words of Torah in front of everyone!” The Old Man covered himself... . The Old Man opened and said ‘““Moses went inside the cloud and ascended the mountain .. .’ (Exodus 24:18). What is this cloud? The one of which it is written: ‘I have placed My bow in the cloud’ (Genesis 9:13). We have learned that the Rainbow took off Her garments and gave them to Moses. Wearing that garment, Moses went up the mountain, from inside it he saw what he saw, delighting in the All, up to that place.” The Comrades approached and threw themselves down in front of the Old Man. They cried, and said, “If we have come into the world only to hear these words from your mouth, it is enough for us!” The Old Man said “Friends, Comrades, not for this alone did I begin the word. An old man like me doesn’t rattle with just a single word. Human beings are so confused in their minds! They do not see the way of truth in Torah. Torah calls out to them every day, in love, but they do not want to turn their heads. Even though I have said that Torah removes.a.word.fromeher,sheath, is-seen-feraanemient, thenquickly-hidesaway— that is certainly true— but when she reveals herself from her sheath and hides herself right away, she does so only for those who know her intimately. A parable. To what can this be compared? To a lovely princess, beautiful in every way and hidden deep within her palace. 123 ZOHAR She has one lover, unknown to anyone; he is hidden too. Out of his love for her, this lover passes by her gate constantly, lifting his eyes to every side. She knows that her lover is hovering about her gate constantly. What does she do? She opens a little window in her hidden palace and reveals her face to her lover, then swiftly withdraws, concealing herself. No one near the lover sees or reflects, only the lover, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flow out to her. And he knows that out of love for him she revealed herself for that one moment to awaken love in him. So it is with a word of Torah: She reveals herself to no one but her lover. Torah knows that he who is wise of heart hovers about her gate every day. What does she do? She reveals her face to him from the palace and beckons him with a hint, then swiftly withdraws to her hiding place. No one who is there knows or reflects; he alone does, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flows out to her. That is why Torah reveals and conceals herself. With love she approaches her lover to arouse love with him. Come and see! This is the way of Torah: At first, when she begins to reveal herself to a human she beckons him with a hint. If he knows, good; if not, she sends him a message, calling him a fool. Torah says to her messenger: ‘Tell that fool to come closer, so I can talk with him" 124 ZOHAR as it is written: ‘Who is the fool without a heart? Have him turn in here!’ (Proverbs 9:4). He approaches. She begins to speak with him from behind a curtain she has drawn, words he can follow, until he reflects a little at a time. This is derashg. > @ & if Then shéConverses with him through a veil, words riddled with allegory. This is haggadah. Once he has grown accustomed to her, she reveals herself face to face and tells him all her hidden secrets, all the hidden ways, f PA since primordial days secreted in her heart. 4 , A Aa) Now he is a perfect human being, husband of Torah, master of the house. All her secrets she has revealed to him, withholding nothing, concealing nothing. She says to him, ‘Do you see.thatsword, ¢hat hint with which I beckoned you at first? So many secrets there! This one and that one!’ Now he sees that nothing should be added to those words and nothing taken away. Now the peshat of the verse, just like it is! Not even a single letter should be added or deleted. Human beings must become aware! They must pursue Torah to become her lovers! . ” He was silent for a moment. The Comrades were amazed; they did not know if it was day or night, if they were really there or not.... 125 ZOHAR ‘Enough, Comrades! From now on, you know that the Evil Side has no power over you. 1, Yeiva Sava, have stood before you to awaken your awareness of these words.” They rose like one who is awakened from his sleep and threw themselves down in front of him, unable to utter a word. After a while they began to cry. Rabbi Hiyya opened and said ‘“ ‘Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm’ (Song of Songs 8:6)... . Love and sparks from the flame of our heart will escort you! May it be the Will that our image be engraved in your heart as your image is engraved in ours!” He kissed them and blessed them, and they left. When they rejoined Rabbi Shim’on and told him everything that happened, he was delighted and amazed. He said, “You are so fortunate to have attained all this! Here you were with a heavenly lion, a powerful hero compared with whom many heroes are nothing, and you did not know how to recognize him right away! I am amazed that you escaped his punishment! The Blessed Holy One must have wanted to save you!” He called out these verses for them: ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, growing brighter and brighter until the day is full. When you walk, your stride will be free; if you run, you will not stumble. Your people, all of them righteous, will inherit the land forever; a sprout of My planting, the work of My hands, making Me glorious!” 126 THE GIFT OF DWELLING YHVH spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the Children of Israel and have them take Me a gift. From everyone whose heart moves him take My gift. This is the gift that you shall take from them: gold, silver and copper; blue, purple and crimson yarn, fine linen and goats’ hatr; rams’ skins dyed red, dolphin skins, and acacia wood; oil for lighting, spices for the oil of anointing and for aromatic incense; lapis lazuli and precious setting stones for the efod and the breastpiece. Have them make Me a holy place, and I will dwell in their midst.” (Exodus 25:1-8) Rabbi Shim’on, Rabbi El’azar, Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yose were sitting one day beneath some trees on the plain by the Sea of Ginnosar. Rabbi Shim’on said “The shade spread over us by these trees is so pleasant! We must crown this place with words of Torah!” Rabbi Shim’on opened and said “ ‘King Solomon made himself a palanquin out of the cedars of Lebanon’ (Song of Songs 3:9). We have already established the meaning of this verse; but the palanquin is the Palace below which is like the Palace on high. 2) The Blessed Holy One calls it Garden of Eden, for He planted it for His pleasure and His yearning to delight in the souls of the righteous Ley ZOHAR who are all enrolled within. These are souls who have no body in this world. They all ascend; there they are crowned. They have places from which to gaze, to enjoy the joy on high, called Delight of YHVH. Cin There they are filled by precious flows of rivers of pure balsam. ... One who attains the Palanquin is entitled to everything. He is worthy of sitting in the comfort of the shade of the Blessed Holy One, as it is said: ‘I delight to sit in His shade’ (Song of Songs 2:3). Now that we are sitting in this shade of comfort, we should be aware that we are sitting in the shade of the Blessed Holy One within the Palanquin! We should crown this place wjth crowns so high that(the trees of the Plana will be swayed 7~ to cover us with another shade... . Happy is the Holy People! Their Master searches for them, calls to them to bring them close to Him. So the Holy People must join together and enter the synagogue. Whoever arrives earliest joins himself to Shekbinah in a single bond! Come and see: The first one present in the synagogue, happy is his portion! He stands on the level of Zaddig, together with Shekhinah. This is the secret meaning of: oe who seek Me early will find Me] ( >roverbs 8:17). bi? 7 This one ascends very high! eae ol Now you might say, ‘But we have learned: ‘When the Blessed Holy One comes to synagogue and does not find ten people there, He instantly turns angry!” How can you say that one who comes early joins himself to Shekbinah and stands on the level of Zaddig?’ 128 ZOHAR A parable. There was a king who ordered all the inhabitants of the city to appear in his presence on a certain day, at a certain place. While the people were preparing themselves, one came early to that place. Meanwhile, the king came and found the person who had arrived early. He said, ‘You! Where are all my subjects?’ He answered, ‘My Lord, I have come early, but they are coming behind me, according to the command of the king.’ The king was pleased and sat down with him and conversed with him; he became the king’s beloved. Meanwhile, all the people arrived. The king was appeased and sent them in peace. But if they had not arrived, if one had not come early to represent them, to tell the king that all of them were on the way, the king would have instantly turned very angry. Here too, since one comes early and is present in the synagogue and Shekhinah comes and finds him, it is considered as if all of them were present because this one is waiting for them. At once Shekbinabh joins Herself to him; they sit in one coupling. She comes to know him well and seats him on the level of Zaddiq. But if no one comes early, if no one is present, what is written? ‘Why have I come? There is no man! (Isaiah 50:2). The verse does not read: ‘There are not ten.’ It reads: ‘There is no man!’ to join himself to Me, to be with Me, as it is said: ‘the man of Elohim,’ to be on the level of Zaddiq....” 129 ZOHAR Rabbi Shim’on rose, and the Comrades too. They rose and walked on. Rabbi El’azar said to Rabbi Shim’on, his father, ‘Father, until now we have been sitting in the shade of the Tree of Life, in the Garden of Eden! CG From now on, since we are walking, we must follow the paths that guard this Tree.”. ..9 7 - A Toh Rabbi Abba opened and said “Have them take Me a gift. From everyone .. .’ When the Blessed Holy One showed Moses the work of the Dwelling, it was difficult for him; he was unable to understand it. This has been established. Now we have to raise a difficulty: If this gift was given by the Blessed Holy One to Moses alone, how could he give Her to another? How could he say that the Children of Israel should take this gift? Ah, but of course He gave Her to Moses, not to anyone else! A parable. There was a king among his people, but the queen was not with the king. As long as the queen was not with the king, the people did not feel secure; they could not dwell safely. As soon as the queen came, all the people rejoiced and dwelt safely. So, at first, even though the Blessed Holy One performed miracles and signs through Moses, the people did not feel secure. As soon as the Blessed Holy One said ‘Have them take My gift: I place My Dwelling in your midst!” everyone felt secure and rejoiced in the rite of the Blessed Holy One as it is written: ‘On the day that Moses consummated setting up the Dwelling’ (Numbers 7:1), for the Bride of Moses came down to earth!” . . 7) 130 ZOHAR Rabbi Shim’on cried, and said ‘“‘Now I know for sure that the High Holy Spirit is vibrating within you. Happy is this generation! A generation like this will not arise until King Messiah appears! Torah has been restored to her ancientry! Happy are the righteous in this world and the world that is coming!” 131 THE SECRET OF SABBATH The Secret of Sabbath: She is Sabbath! -_ a“ United in the secret One’) NZ a #! to draw down upon Mer thé secret of One. / a The prayer for the entrance of Sabbath: The holy Throne of Glory is united in the secret of One, prepared for the High Holy King to rest upon Her. When Sabbath enters She is alone, separated from the Other Side, all judgments removed from Her. Basking in the oneness of holy light, She is crowned over and over to face the Holy King. All powers of wrath and masters of judgment flee from Her. There is (9 power in all the worlds aside from Her. Her face shines with a light from beyond; She is crowned below by the holy people, and all of them are crowned with new souls. Then the beginning of prayer to bless Her with joy a ing faces; = , Barekb YHVH ha&Mevorakhy v, ¢ a! ra k “Bless/ET YHVH, the Bléssed One,” 4 at ET YHVH, blessing Her first. Vax god, 4? s+3 ~~ 132 THE GOLDEN CALF When the people saw that Moses took so long coming down from the mountain, they gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Rise, make us Elohim who will go before us, for this man Moses, who brought us out from the land of Egypt— we do not know what happened to him!” Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people tore off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. This be took from their hands and cast in a mold and made it into a molten calf. They exclaimed, “This ts your God, O Israel, who brought you out from the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, be built an altar before tt and proclaimed: “Tomorrow is a feast for YHVEH!” The next day, they rose early and offered up offerings and brought peace offerings; they sat down to eat and drink, then got up to play. YHVH spoke to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought out from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves! . Quickly they turned from the way I enjoined upon them. They made themselves a molten calf, bowed down to it and sacrificed to tt, saying: ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out from the land of Egypt!” YHVH said to Moses, “I have seen this people: it is a stiffnecked people. Now leave Me alone! 133 ZOHAR My anger will blaze against them and I will consume them, and I will make you into a great nation!” And Moses sweetened the face of YHVH, bis God. He said, “Why, YAVH, should Your anger blaze against Your people, whom You brought forth from the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should Egypt say, ‘With evil intent He brought them forth: to kill them off in the mountains, to annihilate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your blazing anger! Repent of this wrong against Your people! Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, how You swore to them by Your Self and said to them: ‘T will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven; I will give to your seed this whole land of which I spoke, to possess forever.’ ” And YHVH repented of the wrong that He had threatened to bring upon His people. (Exodus 32:1-14) Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Hiyya were walking on the road. While they were walking, night fell; they sat down. While they were sitting, morning began to shine; they rose and walked on. Rabbi Hiyya said, ‘See the face of the East, how it shines! Now all the children of the East, who dwell in the mountains of light, are bowing down to this light, which shines on behalf of the sun before it comes forth, and they are worshiping it. Of course once the sun comes forth, there are many who worship the sun; but these are those who worship this light, calling this light, ‘God of the shining pearl,’ and their oath is by ‘Allah of the shining pearl.’ Now you might say: ‘This worship is in vain!” But since ancient, primordial days 134 ZOHAR they have discovered wisdom through it. When the sun begins to shine, before coming forth, the deputy in charge of the sun comes forth, with holy letters of the high holy Name engraved on his forehead. With the power of those letters, he opens all the windows of heaven, knocking them open, then moving on. That deputy enters the shining splendor surrounding the sun, and there he stays until the sun comes forth and spreads over the world. That deputy is in charge of gold and rubies, and they worship his image there. With points and signs inherited from the ancients, from ancient days, they come to know the points of the sun and find the location of gold and gems!” Rabbi Yose said “How long will all these rites persist in the world? Surely falsehood has no feet on which to stand!” Rabbi Hiyya opened and said “<The lip of truth will be established forever, but the tongue of falsehood only till I wink my eye’ (Proverbs 12:19). Come and see: If all the inhabitants of the world worshiped falsehood, it would be so. But this light and shining splendor is certainly true; the stars in the loft of the sky are true. If out of their stupidity and lack of awareness they call them ‘God,’ the Blessed Holy One does not want to destroy His own creations! Even in the time that is coming the stars and the lights of the world will not be destroyed. But who will be destroyed? Those who worship them! This is the meaning of the verse: ‘The lip of truth will be established forever.’ This means Israel, who are the lip of truth: ‘VHVH is our God; YHVH is one.’ All is truth, the secret of truth; 135 ZOHAR they conclude: ‘VHVH, your God, is truth.’ This is: ‘The lip of truth will be established forever.’ ‘Only till I wink my eye’ The verse should read: ‘only for a moment.’ Why does it read: ‘till I wink my eye’? To indicate how long they will last in the world: till the time comes when I will have rest from My harsh servitude. When I can relax and take a wink, the tongue of falsehood will be destroyed— those who call ‘God’ him who is not God. But Israel, who are the lip of truth, of them it is written: ‘This people I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise’ (Isaiah 43:21). I remember one time I was walking with Rabbi El’azar. He met a hegemona, who said to him ‘Are you familiar with the Torah of the Jews?’ Rabbi El’azar answered, ‘Yes, I am.’ He said, ‘Do you not claim that your faith is true and your Torah, true, and that our faith is a lie, and our Torah, a lie? Yet it is written: “The lip of truth will be established forever, but the tongue of falsehood only till I wink my eye.” We have reigned since ancient times; the kingdom has never departed from us, generation after generation: “established forever,” just like it says! But you had a kingdom only a little while and it was taken right away. The verse is thus fulfilled: “but the tongue of falsehood only till I wink my eye’”!’ Rabbi El’azar said, ‘I see that you are wise in Torah. May your spirit deflate! If the verse read: “The lip of truth You have established forever,” it would be as you have said. But it is written: “will be established.” The lip of truth is destined to be established, 136 ZOHAR though now it is not. Now the lip of falsehood stands, while the lip of truth lies in the dust. But in the time when truth stands erect and springs forth from the midst of the earth, then “the lip of truth will be established forever. ...”’ The hegemon said, ‘You are right! Happy are the people who possess the Torah of truth” Later I heard that he converted.” They walked on and came to a field and prayed their prayers. Having prayed their prayers, they said “From here on, let us join with Shekhinah, engaging in Torah as we walk.”... Rabbi Yose said “There has never been a father so compassionate to his children as the Blessed Holy One. This is demonstrated in a verse: ‘Not a single word has failed of all His good words ...’ (1 Kings 8:56). Come and see His compassion! If the verse read: ‘Not a single word has failed of all His words,’ and nothing more, it would be better for the world to have never been created! But since it reads: ‘of all His good words,’ the bad is left behind, for He does not want to carry out a bad word. Even though He threatens and raises the lash, Mother comes and grabs hold of His right arm and the lash is suspended, the sentence is not carried out, because both of them share one design: He by threatening, She by holding back His right. If you ask: ‘How do we know this?’ From a word that is revealed, as it is written: ‘Go down, for your people have corrupted themselves!’ iy ZOHAR He began to raise the lash, and Moses, not knowing the way of the Mother, was silent. As soon as the Blessed Holy One saw this, He penetrated him and prodded him by saying, ‘Now leave Me alone!’ Moses was instantly roused and he seized the arm of the Blessed Holy One, as it is written: ‘Remember Abraham’ This is the right arm. So the lash did not come down. If you ask: ‘Where was Mother, who usually holds back the lash of the King? Why did She leave it to Moses?’ I ask this question myself! We will not know the clarity of the word until we are in the presence of the Holy Light!” When they came into the presence of Rabbi Shim’on he saw a sign in their faces. He said, “‘Come in, my holy children! Come in, beloved of the King! Come in, my beloved ones! Come in, you who love one another!” As Rabbi Abba has said: ‘All those Comrades who do not love one another pass away from the world before their time. All the Comrades in the days of Rabbi Shim’on shared a vital, spiritual love. That is why Torah was revealed in the generation of Rabbi Shim’on.” As Rabbi Shim’on used to say: ‘All Comrades who do not love one another divert [themselves] from the straight path. Moreover, they produce a defect in her! te toh For Torah embodies love, friendship, and truth: Abraham loves Isaac; Isaac, Abraham; 138 ZOHAR they embrace one another. Jacob is held by both of them in brotherhood and love. They offer to one another their spirit, their breath of life! Comrades must be just like that and not produce a defect!” Once he saw the sign in their faces and said what he said, they said to him “Indeed a spirit of prophecy rests upon the Holy Light, and so we should have known!” Rabbi Shim’on cried, and said ‘“‘A word of those words whispered to me from the head of the Academy of the Garden of Eden! Never spoken openly! This word is a secret, but I will tell you, my beloved children, my children, beloved of my soul. What can I do? They said it to me in a whisper, but I will say it openly! And when the time comes that we see face to face, all faces will be in agreement. My children, the sin committed by the mixed multitude, the outsiders, the sin in which the holy people joined, was a sin against Mother, as it is written: ‘Rise, make us Elohim.” the real Elobim, the Glory of Israel, the one who hovers over them like a mother over her children. This is the secret of what is written: ‘They exchanged their Glory for the image of a bull’ (Psalms 106:20). This means the Glory of Israel, their Mother; and therefore it is written: ‘Glory has gone into exile’ (1 Samuel 4:22), for they drew Shekbinab into exile along with them. So ‘they exchanged their Glory.’ For what? ‘For the image of a bull.’ 19 ZOHAR J / Here is the secret of the word: 44 , peldin Come and see! Below, within the dregs of wine, the evil dregs, there emerges an agitator, an accuser, the primordial demon. He is disguised in the form of » man when he approaches the holy place. ———) As soon as he moves on from there, eager to come down below, he must clothe himself in a garment to victimize the world. Then he swoops down with his chariots. ; The first garment that he seizes is ‘the image of a bull,’ = the form of a bull.... Pann That is why Mother was not there; it would not have been right for Her to be there. But since Father knew the compassion of Mother and Her loving ways, He said to Moses— Oh, my beloved children, the design of them both is always for this! This is what they whispered to me in a whispering, for it is not meant to be revealed, so that the son will not know and see that the lash is poised and be always afraid. But both of them share this design, one design... . So, my beloved children, since they desired Elohim and the work was constructed on the verge of Elohim, Holy Elohim, Mother, who always grasps the arm of the King and suspends the lash, was not there. Moses had to take Her place. As soon as the Blessed Holy One penetrated him, he saw clearly. Three times he penetrated him! O Moses, Faithful Shepherd! How mighty is your strength, how great is your power. Three times He penetrated you! As it is written: 140 ZOHAR ‘Now leave Me alone!’ that is one. ‘My anger will blaze against them and I will consume them,’ that is two. ‘And I will make you into a great nation!’ that is three. The wisdom of Moses was in these three points. He grasped His right arm in response to: “Leave Me alone!’ He grasped His left arm in response to: ‘My anger will blaze against them and I will consume them.’ He embraced the body of the King in response to: 2) ‘IT will make you into a great nation!’ Having embraced the body, both arms on this side and that, He could not move to any side at all! This was the wisdom of Moses: he knew the various points of the King, O where to be firm on each one. He acted in wisdom!” Rabbi El’azar and the Comrades came and kissed his hands. Rabbi Abba was there, and he said “If we have come into the world only to hear this, it is enough for us!” Then he cried, and said ‘“‘Woe unto us, Rabbi, when you depart from the world! Who will illumine and reveal the lights of Torah? This word was hidden in darkness until now. Suddenly it has emerged and shines up to the loft of the sky and is engraved on the throne of the King. The Blessed Holy One is rejoicing now in this word. Joy is added to joy in the presence of the Holy King! Who will awaken words of wisdom in this world as you do?” eal ZOHAR ON LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY QORBAN AND OLAH, DRAWING NEAR AND ASCENDING He called to Moses. YHVH spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: When any of you brings qorban to YHVH ...” (Leviticus 1:1—2) Rabbi Hizkiyah was in the presence of Rabbi Shim’on. He said to him “That which is called gorban— it should be called getruv, drawing near, or qereivut, nearness. Why qorban?” Rabbi Shim’on replied “This is well-known to the Comrades! Qorban, their drawing near, the drawing near of those holy crowns, drawing near to one another, connecting with each other, until all turn into one, complete oneness, to perfect the Holy Name, as it is written: ‘gorban to YHVH.’ The drawing near of those holy crowns is to YHVH so that the Holy Name be perfected and united, so that compassion fill all the worlds and the Holy Name be crowned with its crowns and everything be sweetened. All this is intended to arouse Compassion, not to arouse Judgment. Therefore ‘to YHVH,’ not ‘to Elohim.’ ‘To YHVH’ ity ZOHAR We must arouse Compassion! Not ‘to Elohim’ We need Compassion, not Judgment!” Rabbi Hizkiyah said “Iam so happy that I asked and gained these words! This is the clarity of the word!” 146 We ZOHAR YHVH spoke to Moses, saying: “Enjoin Aaron and bis sons, saying: This is the torah of the olah...” (Leviticus 6:1~-2) Rabbi El’azar asked Rabbi Shim’on, his father, “The bond of olab, bound to the Holy of Holies, lighting up the joining of desire of priests, Levites, and Israel up above— how high does it ascend?” He replied “We have already established this: to Infinity. 5 Sor For all binding and union and wholeness are secreted in the secrecy that cannot be grasped and cannot be known, that includes the desire of all desires. LL Ke Infinity does not abide being known, does not produce end or beginning. Primordial Nothingness brought forth Beginning and End. & } Who is Beginning? Sfehdy The highest point, beginning of all, the concealed one abiding in thought. And It produces End, ‘the end of the matter.’ But there, no end. No desires, no lights, no sparks in that Infinity. All these lights and sparks are dependent on It but cannot comprehend. The only one who knows, yet without knowing, is the hi desire, concealed of all concealed, Nothingness. And when the highest point and the world that is coming ascend, they know ofily the Aroma, 7A as one inhaling an Aroma is sweetened.” Moh ial, py 147 GUESTS IN THE SUKKAH YHVH spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for YHVH.... When you have gathered in the yield of the land celebrate the Festival of YHVH seven days: a complete rest on the first day and a complete rest on the eighth day. On the first day take fruit of lovely trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook. Rejoice in the presence of YHVH your God seven days. Celebrate it, a festival to YHVH, seven days a year. An eternal decree throughout the generations: celebrate it in the seventh month. Seven days dwell in sukkot; every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkot, so that your generations may know that I lodged the Children of Israel in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I, YHVH your God.” (Leviticus 23:33-34, 39-43) Rabbi El’azar opened ““Thus says YHVH: “T remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land unsown” (Jeremiah 2:2). ? This verse refers to the Communion of Israel when She was walking in the wilderness along with Israel. ‘I remember the devotion’ This is the cloud of Aaron 148 ZOHAR which floated along with five others, all bound to You, shining on You. ‘Your love as a bride’ he EF i cemdicorenatl crowned, and arrayed You like a bride bedecked with jewels. Why all this? Because ‘You followed Me in the wilderness, in a land unsown.’ Come and see: When one sits in this dwelling, the shade of faith, Shekhinah spreads Her wings over him from above, Abraham and five other righteous heroes come to dwell with him!” Rabbi Abba said ‘Abraham, five righteous heroes, and King David dwell with him! As it is written: ‘Seven Days dwell in sukkot.’ ‘Seven days’ it says, not ‘For seven days.’ Similarly it is written: ‘Six Days YHVH made heaven ...’ (Exodus 31:17). Day after day, one should rejoice with a radiant face along with these guests who abide with him.” And Rabbi Abba said “It is written: ‘Seven days dwell in sukkor’; then, ‘shall dwell in sukkot.’ First, ‘dwell’; then, ‘shall dwell.’ The first is for the guests; the second, for human beings. The first is for the guests: as Rav Hamnuna Sava, upon entering the sukkah, used to stand in joy inside the opening and say: ‘Let us invite the guests!’ He would set the table, stand erect, recite a blessing and then say: ‘Seven Days, dwell in sukkot! Sit down, sublime guests, have a seat! Sit down, guests of faith, have a seat!’ 149 ZOHAR Raising his hands in joy, he would say: ‘Happy is our portion! Happy is the portion of Israel! As it is written: “The portion of YHVH is His people”’ (Deuteronomy 32:9). Then he would sit down. The second, for human beings: One who has a portion among the holy people and in the holy land sits in the shade of faith to welcome the guests, to rejoice in this world and the world that is coming. Nevertheless, he must make the poor happy. Why? Because the portion of those guests whom he has invited belongs to the poor. One who sits in this shade of faith and invites these sublime guests, guests of faith, and does not give them their portion— all of them rise to leave, saying: ‘Do not eat the food of a stingy person ...’ (Proverbs 23:6). It turns out that the table he set is his own, not divine. Of him it is written: ‘I will spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your festal offerings’ (Malachi 2:3), ‘your festal offerings,’ not Mine! Woe to that human being when these guests of faith rise to leave his table!” And Rabbi Abba said ‘All the days of his life, Abraham used to stand at the crossroads to invite guests and set a table for them. Now that he is invited along with all those righteous heroes and King David too, and they are not given their portion, Abraham rises from the table and calls out: ‘Move away from the tents of these wicked people!’ (Numbers 16:26). 150 ZOHAR All of them get up to leave. Isaac says, ‘The belly of the wicked will feel want’ (Proverbs 13:25). Jacob says, ‘After eating your morsel, you will vomit it up!’ (Proverbs 23:8). All the other righteous heroes say ‘All tables are covered with vomit and filth; there is no filace} Pyaeerer® (Isaiah 28:8).7. .” Rabbi El’azar said ‘Torah does not demand of a person more than he can do, as it is written: ‘Each according to what he can give...’ (Deuteronomy 16:17). But a person should not say: ‘First, I will fill myself with food and drink, what is left I will give to the poor.’ No, the prime portion belongs to the guests. If he makes the guests happy and full, the Blessed Holy One rejoices with him! Abraham calls out: ‘Then you will delight in YHVHY (Isaiah 58:14). Isaac calls out: ‘No weapon formed against you will succeed!’ (Isaiah 54:17).” Rabbi Shim’on interrupted, “This verse is said by King David, because all weapons of the King and battles of the King have been handed over to David. What Isaac says is: ‘His seed will be powerful on cath geld Wealth and riches in his house! ...’ (Psalms 112:2-3). . of Jacob says, ‘Then your light will burst through like the dawn! .. .’ (Isaiah 58:8). The other righteous heroes say “ | ‘YHVH will guide you always and satisfy > Mie Se yl wit HaAsS (Isaiah 58:11). King David says, ‘No weapon formed against you will succeed!” For he has been appointed over all weapons of the world. 1st ZOHAR Happy is the portion of the human being who attains all this! Happy is the portion of the righteous in this world and the world that is coming! Of them it is written: ‘Your people, all of them are righteous! . .. 979 is GOD, ISRAEL, AND SHEKHINAH “Tf you follow My decrees and observe My commands and carry them out... I will place My mishkan in your midst and My soul will not abbor you. I will move about in your midst: I will be your God, and you will be My people. ... But if you spurn My decrees, and if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not carry out My commands, so that you break My covenant... I will set My face against you: you will be routed by your enemies and your foes will dominate you. You will flee though none pursues. And if, for all that, you do not obey Me, I will discipline you more, seven for your sins... I will discipline you Myself, seven for your sins... and I will scatter you among the nations... . Yet even at this point, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them or abbor them so as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them, for lam YHVH, their God.” (Leviticus 26, passim) “T will place My mishkan in your midst ...” My mishkan is Shekhinah, My mishkan is My mashkon, My dwelling is My pledge, who has been seized on account of Israel’s sins. 153 ZOHAR “T will place My mishkan” My mashkon, literally Mine! A parable: One person loved another, and said “My love for you is so high I want to live with you!” The other said, “How can I be sure that you will stay with me?” So he took all his most precious belongings and brought them to the other, saying “Here is a pledge to you that I will never part from you.” So, the Blessed Holy One desired to dwell with Israel. What did He do? He took His most precious possession and brought it down to them, saying “Israel, now you have My pledge; so I will never part from you.” Even though the Blessed Holy One has removed Himself from us, He has left a pledge in our hands, and we guard that treasure of His. If He wants His pledge, let Him come and dwell among us! So “I will place My mishkan in your midst” means “I will deposit a mashkon in your hands to ensure that I will dwell with you.” Even though Israel is now in exile, the pledge of the Blessed Holy One is with them, and they have never forsaken it. “And My soul will not abhor you.” A parable: One person loved his friend and wanted to live together. What did he do? He took his bed and brought it to his friend’s house. He said, ““My bed is now in your house, so I will not go far from you or your bed or your things.” So, the Blessed Holy One said “T will place My Dwelling in your midst and My soul will not abhor you. 14 ZOHAR Here, My Bed is in your house! Since My Bed is with you, you know I will not leave you: My soul will not abhor you.” “Y will move about in your midst: I will be your God.” Since My Dwelling is with you, you can be certain that I will go with you, as it is written: “For YHVH your God moves about in your camp to deliver you and deliver your enemies to you: let your camp be holy” (Deuteronomy 23:15). One night, Rabbi Isaac and Rabbi Judah were staying in a village near the Sea of Tiberias. They rose at midnight. Rabbi Isaac said to Rabbi Judah, “Let us converse in words of Torah, for even though we are in this place, we must not separate ourselves from the Tree of Life.” Rabbi Judah opened and said ““*Moses took the Tent and pitched it outside the camp... (Exodus 33:7). Why? Moses said to himself, ‘Since Israel] has dealt falsely with the Blessed Holy One and exchanged His Glory, let His pledge be placed in the hands of a trustee until we see with whom it remains.’ So he said to Joshua, ‘You will be the trustee between the Blessed Holy One and Israel. The pledge will remain in your trust and we will see with whom it remains.’ What is written? ‘And he [Moses] returned to the camp, but his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a youth, did not stir out of the Tent’ (Exodus 33:11). Why Joshua? Because he was to Moses as the moon is to the sun. 155 ZOHAR He was worthy to guard the pledge; so he ‘did not stir out of the Tent.’ The Blessed Holy One said to Moses, ‘Moses, this is not right! I have given My pledge to them! Even though they have sinned against Me, the pledge must remain with them so that I will not leave them. Do you want Me to depart from Israel and never return? Return My pledge to them, and for its sake I will not abandon them, wherever they are.’ Even though Israel has sinned against God, they have not abandoned this pledge of His, and the Blessed Holy One has not taken it from them. So wherever Israel goes in exile, Shekhinab is with them. Therefore it is written: ‘I will place My mishkan in your midst.’ This has been established.” Rabbi Isaac opened and said ““*My beloved is like a gazelle, like a young deer. There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the holes’ (Song of Songs 2:9). Happy are Israel! They are privileged to hold this pledge of the Supreme King! For even though they are in exile, every new moon and Sabbath and festival the Blessed Holy One comes to watch over them and to gaze at His pledge which is with them, His treasure. A parable: There was a king whose queen offended him. He expelled her from the palace. What did she do? She took his son, his precious beloved. Since the king was fond of her, he let him go with her. When the king began to yearn for the queen and her son he climbed up on roofs, ran down stairs, scaled walls; he peered through the holes in the walls just to see them! 156 ZOHAR When he caught a glimpse of them he started to cry from behind the wall. Then he went away. S60: with Israel: Even though they have left the palace of the King, they have not abandoned that pledge. And since the King loves them, He has left it with them. When the Holy King begins to yearn for the Queen and for Israel He climbs up on roofs, runs down stairs, scales walls; He peers through the holes in the walls just to see them! When He catches a glimpse of them, He starts to cry. As it is written: ‘My beloved is like a gazelle, like a young deer,’ jumping from wall to roof, from roof to wall. ‘There he stands behind our wall’ in the synagogues and houses of study. ‘Gazing through the windows,’ for indeed, a synagogue must have windows. ‘Peering through the holes’ to look at them, to look after them. Therefore Israel should rejoice on that day, for they know this, and they say: ‘This is the day YHVH has made— let us rejoice and be happy” (Psalms 118:24).” “But if you spurn My decrees...” Rabbi Yose opened “ ‘My son, do not spurn the discipline of YHVH, do not dread His correction’ (Proverbs 3:11). How beloved are Israel to the Blessed Holy One! He wants to correct them and guide them in a straight path like a father who loves his son: because of his love for him, there is always a rod in his hand to guide him in a straight path so that he will not stray to the right or the left; as it is written: 157 ZOHAR ‘YHVH corrects the one whom He loves; as a father, the son he delights in’ (Proverbs 3:12). One who is not loved by the Blessed Holy One, one who is hated by Him— the correction is removed from him, the rod is removed. It is written: ‘I have loved you, says YHVH ...’ (Malachi 1:2). Because of His love, there is always a rod in His hand to guide him. ‘But Esau I hated’ (Malachi 1:3); so I removed the rod from him, removed the correction, so as not to share Myself with him. He is far from My soul, but as for you, ‘I have loved you!’ Therefore, ‘My son, do not spurn the discipline of YHVH, do not dread His correction.’ What does this mean: ‘do not dread’? Do not bristle from it, like one who flees from thorns, for those things are like thorns in the flesh. Come and see: When Justice is aroused with Her powers flashing forces arise on the right and on the left. Many shafts fly forth from them: shafts of fire, shafts of coal, shafts of flame! They materialize to strike at human beings. Under them are other deputies, sparklers charged with forty-minus-one. They hover and swoop down, strike and dart up. Empowered, they enter the Hollow of the Great Abyss. Here their sparks are dyed red; a blazing fire is fused to them. Embers explode, flying, falling, befalling human beings! Just as it is written: ‘I will discipline you more!’ 158 ZOHAR I will give something more to the Masters of Judgment over and above their claim! Whereas after the Flood, God said: ‘I shall not doom the world any more because of humankind’ (Genesis 8:21). What does this mean: ‘any more’? I will not give more to the Masters of Judgment lest they destroy the world, but only as much as the world can endure. So ‘I will discipline you more’ means ‘I will give them more.’ Why more? To discipline you ‘seven for your sins.’ Seven? But if the Blessed Holy One collected His due, the world could not endure for even a moment, as it is written: ‘If you kept account of sins, YH YHVH, who would survive?” (Psalms 130:3). How can you say: ‘seven for your sins’? Rather, what does ‘seven’ mean? Seven is confronting you! Who is She? Release, who is seven, and called Seven, Kf, of as it is said: — > ‘At the end of seven years enact a release’ (Deuteronomy 15:1). Therefore ‘Seven for your sins’... .” Rabbi Abba said “‘T will discipline you Myself, seven for your sins.’ I disciplined you through other deputies, as has been established. ‘Myself’ Now I will confront you! Seven will be aroused against you! Come and see the pure love of the Blessed Holy One for Israel. A parable: There was a king who had a single son who kept misbehaving. One day he offended the king. 159 ZOHAR The king said, ‘I have punished you so many times and you have not received. Now look, what should I do with you? If I banish you from the land and expel you from the kingdom, perhaps wild beasts or wolves or robbers will attack you and you will be no more. What can I do? The only solution is that I and you together leave the land!’ So, ‘Myself’: I and you together will leave the land! The Blessed Holy One said as follows: ‘Israel, what should I do with you? I have already punished you, and you have not heeded Me. I have brought fearsome warriors and flaming forces to strike at you and you have not obeyed. If I expel you from the land alone, I fear that packs of wolves and bears will attack you and you will be no more. But what can I do with you? The only solution is that I and you together leave the land and both of us go into exile. As it is written: “I will discipline you,” forcing you into exile; but if you think that I will abandon you— “Myself” too, along with you!” ‘Seven for your sins’ This means Seven, who will be banished along with you. Why? ‘For your sins,’ as it is written: Coser your crimes, your Mother was sent away’) (Isaiah 50:1). 7 The Blessed Holy One said ‘You have made Me homeless as well as yourselves, for the Queen has left the palace along with you. Everything is ruined, My palace and yours! For a palace is worthless to a king unless he can enter with his queen. A king is only happy when he enters the queen’s palace 160 ZOHAR and finds her with her son; they all rejoice as one. Now neither the son nor the queen is present, the palace is totally desolate. What can I do? I Myself will be with you!’ So now, even though Israel is in exile, the Blessed Holy One is with them and has not abandoned them. And when Israel comes out of exile the Blessed Holy One will return with them, as it is written: ‘YHVH your God will return’ (Deuteronomy 30:3), He Himself will return! This has already been said.” Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yose were walking on the road. They happened upon a certain cave in a field.... Rabbi Hiyya said “T have heard a new word said by Rabbi El’azar: ‘J will not spurn them or abhor them so as to destroy them.” The verse should read: “I will not strike them or kill them so as to destroy them.” But instead we find: “I will not spurn them or abhor them.” Usually, one who is hated by another is repulsive and utterly abhorrent to him; but here, “I will not spurn them or abhor them.” Why? Because My soul’s beloved is among them and because of Her, all of them are beloved to Me, as it is written: | s le-kballotam, S°% ke ds TF ‘| Hows. =" f fits £ Jj spelled: le-khalltam, without the o. Zz Cl O* Eig Because of Her, “I will not spurn them or abhor them,” because She is the love of My life. A parable: A man loved « woman. She lived in the tanners’ market. 161 ZOHAR If she were not there, he would never enter the place. Since she is there, it appears to him as a market of spice-peddlers with all the world’s finest aromas in the air. Here too: ‘Yet even at this point, when they are in the land of their enemies,’ which is a tanners’ market, “T will not spurn them or abhor them.” Why? Le-kballatam, ‘‘Because of their bride,” for I love Her! She is the beloved of My soul dwelling there! It seems filled with all the finest aromas of the world because of the bride in their midst.’ ” oJ Rabbi Yose said “If I have come here only to hear this word, it is enough for me ? 162 THRESHING OUT THE SECRETS It has been told: Rabbi Shim’on said to the Comrades, “How long will we sit on a one-legged stand? It is written: ‘Time to act for YHVH! They have violated Your Torah?’ (Psalms 119:126). The days are few, the Creditor is pressing, a herald cries out every day! The Reapers of the Field are few and only at the edge of the vineyard! They do not watch or know where they are going, as they should. Assemble, Comrades, at the threshing house, wearing coats of mail, . with swords and spears in your hands! ke Ther q t/ | VV pt ij Arm yourselves with your array: mn w, ae Design, Wisdom, Intellect, Knowledge, and Vision, Don : p Ch / the power of Hands and Feet. Enthrone and acknowledge the King © who has the power of life and death, that words of truth may be ordained, words followed by high holy ones, happy to hear them and know them!” Rabbi Shim’on sat down. He cried, and said, “Woe if I reveal! Woe if I do not reveal!” The Comrades were silent. Rabbi Abba rose and said to him, “If it pleases the Master to reveal, 163 ZOHAR it is written: ‘The secret of YHVH is for those who fear Him’ (Psalms 25:14), and these Comrades are God-fearing. They have already crossed the threshold of the Dwelling. Some have entered; some have emerged.” It has been told: The Comrades were mustered before Rabbi Shim’on. Present were: Rabbi El’azar, his son, Rabbi Abba, Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Yose son of Jacob, Rabbi Isaac, Rabbi Hizkiyah son of Rav, Rabbi Hiyya, Rabbi Yose, Rabbi Yeisa. Giving hands to Rabbi Shim’on, raising fingers above, they entered the field and amidst the trees sat down. Rabbi Shim’on rose and prayed his prayer. He sat down among them, and said “Let everyone place his hands on my breast.” They placed their hands, and he took them. He opened and said “ ‘Cursed be the one who makes a carved or molten image, the work of the hands of an artisan, and sets it up in secret!’ ” (Deuteronomy 27:15). They all responded, “Amen!” Rabbi Shim’on opened and said “Time to act for YHVH? Why is it time to act for YHVH? Because ‘they have violated Your Torah!’ What does this mean? The Torah up above is nullified “777 4& if this Name is not arrayed perfectly. The verse is addressed to the Ancient of Days. It is written: ‘O happy Israel! Who is like you?’ (Deuteronomy 33:29), and it is written: 164 ZOHAR ‘Who is like You among the gods, YHVH? (Exodus 15:11).” He called Rabbi El’azar, his son, and sat him in front and Rabbi Abba on the other side. He said, ‘‘We are the sum of the whole! Now the pillars stand firm!” They were silent. They heard a sound, and their knees knocked, one against the other. What sound? The sound of the Assembly on High assembling. Rabbi Shim’on rejoiced, and said ““*VHVH, I heard of You; I was afraid!’ (Habakuk 3:2). There it was right to be afraid; for us the word depends on love, as it is written: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ ‘Love YHVH your God,’ ‘Because YHVH loved you,’ ‘I have loved you.’ ... It has been told: When the desire arose in the Will of the White Head to manifest Its Glory, It arrayed, prepared, and generated from the Blinding Flash one spark, radiating in 370 directions. © “°”74. 44 The spark stood still. ’ A pure aura emerged whirling and breathed upon the spark. The spark congealed Q, and one hard skull emerged, emanating to eee - { Surrounded by this pure aura, the spark wa Sr and absorbed. Completely absorbed, you think? p: J No, secreted within. A, Hseol 7 arabe That is how this skull emanated to its sides. / 4 : : : 4 vA his aura is the secret of secrets of the Ancient of Day} ( : r Shad) ral! J Through the breath hidden in this skull fire emanated on one side, and air on the other, 165 ZOHAR with the pure aura standing over this side and pure fire over the other. What is fire doing here? It is not fire, but the spark surrounded by the pure aura illuminates 270 worlds, and from its side, Judgment comes into being. That is why this skull is called the Hard Skull. Inside this skull lie ninety million worlds moving with it, relying upon it. Into this skull trickles dew from the White Head, constantly overflowing. From this dew shaken from Its Head the dead are destined to come to life. It is a dew composed of two colors: from the aspect of the White Head it is imbued with a white embracing all whites, but when it settles upon the Head of the Impatient One Binh red appears. Like this crystal that is white: the color red appears within the color white. Therefore it is written: ‘Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; these to eternal life, those to shame and eternal horror’ (Daniel 12:2). ‘To eternal life’ because they deserve the white that comes from the aspect of the Ancient of Days, the Patient One. ‘To shame and eternal horror’ because they deserve the red of the Impatient One. All is contained in that dew, as it is written: ‘Your dew is a dew of lights’ (Isaiah 26:19); ‘lights,’ two of them! That dew that trickles trickles every day to the Apple Orchard, colored white and red. This skull lights up in two colors, on this side and that. From this pure aura 166 —_—_—_—— ZOHAR one-and-a-half million worlds emanate through the skull to His face. That is why He is called the Impatient One. When necessary, His face expands and becomes long-suffering, for then He is gazing into the Face of the Ancient of Ancients and He feels compassion for the world... .” It has been told: Before they left that threshing place Rabbi Yose son of Jacob, Rabbi Hizkiyah, and Rabbi Yeisa died. The Comrades saw holy angels carrying them off in a canopy. Rabbi Shim’on said a word, and they settled down. He cried, and said, “Perhaps, God forbid, a decree has been issued for us to be punished because through us has been revealed something not revealed since the day Moses stood on Mt. Sinai, as it is written: ‘He was there with YHVH forty days and forty nights ...” (Exodus 34:28). What am I doing here? Were they punished because of this?” He heard a voice: “Happy are you, Rabbi Shim’on! Happy is your portion! Happy are the Comrades who stand with you! For something not revealed to all the powers above has been revealed to you! But come and see what is written: ‘At the cost of his firstborn, he shall lay its foundations, at the cost of his youngest, he shall set up its gates’ (Joshua 6:26). All the more so, for by intense desire, their souls joined the Divine the moment they were taken. Happy is their portion! They rose in perfection!” It has been told: While the words were being revealed, those above and those below were shaken and a voice stirred through 250 worlds, for ancient words were being revealed below! 167 ~ ZOHAR While the souls of these ones were being sweetened with those words, their souls departed by a kiss and were bound in that canopy. The angels took them away and lifted them above. Why these ones? Because on a previous occasion they had entered and not emerged. All the others had entered and emerged. Rabbi Shim’on said “How happy is the portion of these three! Happy is our portion in the world that is coming, because of this!” The voice resounded: “You who cleave to YHVH your God are alive, every one of you, today!” (Deuteronomy 4:4). They rose and walked on. Wherever they looked, aromas arose. Rabbi Shim’on said “This proves that the world is being blessed because of us!” Everyone’s face shone, and human beings could not look at them! It has been told: Ten entered; seven emerged. Rabbi Shim’on was happy; Rabbi Abba was sad. One day Rabbi Shim’on was sitting, and Rabbi Abba was with him. Rabbi Shim’on said a word, and they saw these three. Angels were carrying them gloriously, showing them treasures and threshing houses in the sky, bringing them to mountains of pure balsam! Rabbi Abba’s mind was eased. It has been told: From that day on the Comrades did not leave the house of Rabbi Shim’on. When Rabbi Shim’on revealed secrets, only they were present. Rabbi Shim’on called out to them: “The seven of us are the eyes of VHVH, as it is written: 168 ZOHAR ‘These seven are the eyes of YHVH’ (Zechariah 4:10). This verse was said for us!” Rabbi Abba said ‘“‘We are six lights shining from the seventh. You are the seventh of all! The six exist only because of the seventh. All depends on the seventh!” Rabbi Judah called him ‘Sabbath, source of blessing for all six, as it is written: ‘Sabbath for YHVH,’ ‘Holy to YHVH.’ Just as Sabbath is holy to YHVH, so Rabbi Shim’on is Sabbath, holy to YHVH!” 169 THE RABBIS ENCOUNTER A CHILD Rabbi Isaac and Rabbi Judah were out on the road. They reached the village of Sikhnin and stayed there with a woman who had one little son who went to school every day. That day he left school and came home. He saw these wise men. His mother said to him, “Approach these distinguished men; you will gain blessings from them!” He approached them and suddenly turned back. He said to his mother, “I don’t want to go near them because they haven’t recited Shema today, and I have been taught: ‘Anyone who has not recited Shema at its proper time is under a ban that entire day.’ ” They heard this and were amazed. Raising their hands, they blessed him. They said, ‘Indeed, it is so! Today we were engaged with u bride and groom who did not have what they needed and were delaying their union. There was no one to engage in helping them, so we engaged, and we did not recite Shema at its proper time. One who is busy doing a mizvab is exempt from another mizvab.” Then they said, “My son, how did you know?” He said, “I knew by the smell of your clothes when I came near you.” They were amazed. They sat down, washed their hands, and broke bread. Rabbi Judah’s hands were dirty, and he blessed before he washed. The boy said to them, “If you are students of Rabbi Shema’yah the Hasid you should not have blessed with filthy hands. One who blesses with filthy hands should be put to death!” 170 ZOHAR The child opened and said ‘“‘*When they enter the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water so they will not die...’ (Exodus 30:20). We learn from this verse that one who is not careful and appears in the presence of the King with filthy hands should be put to death. Why? Because the hands of a human being inhabit the height of the world. There is one finger on the human hand: the finger that Moses raised. It is written: ‘You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the planks of one side of the Dwelling, five for the planks of the other side of the Dwelling.’ And it is written: ‘The center bar in the middle of the planks shall run from end to end’ (Exodus 26:26—28). Now you might say that the center bar is another one, not included in those five. Not so! That center bar is one of those five. Two on this side, two on that side, and one in the middle. This is the Center Bar, Pillar of Jacob, Secret of Moses! Corresponding to this are the five fingers on the human hand. The center bar is in the middle, greatest and highest of all. All the others exist through it. Those five bars are the five hundred year, / through which the Tree of Life extend Gr circrares The Holy Covenant is arqused by the five fingers of the hand. It is a secret wordhat I have spoken! Qy leg * & That is why all the blessings of the priest depend on the fingers. Moses’ hand was spread out because of this. If they embody all this, doesn’t it follow that they must be clean when with them one blesses the Blessed Holy One? For by them and their paradigm, the Holy Name is blessed! You who are so wise, how could you be so careless? Didn’t you serve Rabbi Shema’yah the Hasta? 171 ZOHAR He himself said: ‘All filth and all dirt heighten the Other Side, for the Other Side feeds on filth and dirt.’ That is why washing after a meal is compulsory, a compulsory offering!” They were amazed and could not speak. Rabbi Judah said, “My son, what is the name of your father?” The child was silent for a moment. He rose and went over to his mother and kissed her. He said, “Mother, these wise men have asked me about father. Should I tell them?” His mother said, “My son, have you tested them?” He said, “I’ve tested them and found them lacking!” His mother whispered to him, and he returned to them. He said, “You have asked about father. He has departed from the world, but whenever holy devotees are walking on the road he appears as a donkey driver behind them. If you are so high and holy, how could you have missed him following you as a donkey driver? Ah, but right from the start I saw who you were, and now I see through you! For father never sees a donkey and fails to goad it from behind so he can share the yoke of Torah. Since you weren’t worthy enough for father to follow you, I won’t say who father is!” Rabbi Judah said to Rabbi Isaac, “It seems that this child is not a human being!” They began to eat, and that child spoke words of Torah, new discoveries of Torah. ... Rabbi Judah said, “Happy are we! Since the day of the world, I have never heard such words! Just as I said, this is no human being!” He said to him, “Son, Angel of YHVH, His beloved! What you said before: ‘You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the planks of one side of the Dwelling, 172 ZOHAR five ... and five at the rear to the west.’ There are many bars, but only two hands!” He said to him, “Just as they say: ‘From a person’s mouth you hear who he 1s.’ But since you weren’t paying attention, I will explain.” He opened and said ‘““‘One who is wise has his eyes on his head ...’ (Ecclesiastes 2:14). Now where are a person’s eyes but on his head? Perhaps on the trunk of his body or on his arm? Does this distinguish one who is wise from everyone else? Ah, but the verse means this: We have learned: ‘A person should not walk four cubits with his head uncovered.’ Why? Because Shekbinah rests on his head. Every wise person has his eyes and his words on his head, focused on the one who is resting right there! With his eyes there he knows that the light kindled on his head needs oil. For the human body is a wick, and a light is kindled above, and King Solomon cried out: ‘Never let your head lack oil!” (Ecclesiastes 9:8). The light on one’s head needs oil, the oil of good deeds! That is why ‘One who is wise has his eyes on his head’ and not somewhere else! You are certainly wise, and Shekbinah rests on your heads. How could you be so careless not to see what is written: ‘You shall make bars ... for the planks of one side of the Dwelling, five for the planks of the other side of the Dwelling’? The verse says ‘one’ and ‘the other’; it doesn’t say ‘third’ and ‘fourth.’ ‘One’ and ‘the other’ are the essence of the two sides; so only these two are enumerated.” They came and kissed him. Rabbi Judah cried, and said “Rabbi Shim’on, happy are you! Happy is the generation! 173 ZOHAR Because of you even little schoolchildren are towering, invincible rocks!” His mother came and said to them, “Masters, please look upon my son only with a good eye!” They said to her, ‘“‘“Happy are you, worthy woman! Singled out from among all women! The Blessed Holy One has selected your portion, raised your banner above all women of the world!” The child said, “I am not afraid of the evil eye, for I am the son of a great and precious fish and fish do not fear the evil eye, as it is written: “They shall multiply like fish in the midst of the earth’ (Genesis 48:16). This blessing includes protection from the evil eye, for we have learned: ‘Just as fish of the sea are covered by water and are immune to the evil eye, etc. {so the descendants of Joseph are immune to the evil eye].’ ‘In the midst of the earth’ indeed! Among human beings on earth!” They said, “Son, Angel of YHVH! There is no evil eye in us; we do not come from the side of the evil eye. The Blessed Holy One is covering you with His wings!” .. . They kissed him as before and said, “Come, let us bless.” He said, “I will bless because everything you’ve heard until now was from me. I will fulfill the verse: ‘One whose eye is generous will be blessed.’ Read it: ‘will bless.’ Why? ‘Because he gave of his own bread to the needy’ (Proverbs 22:9). From the bread and food of my Torah you have eaten!” 174 ZOHAR Rabbi Judah said, “Son, Beloved of the Blessed Holy One! We have learned: ‘The master of the house breaks bread, and the guest blesses.’ ” He said to them, “I am not master of the house, and you are not guests! But I have found a verse and I will fulfill it, for I am truly generous. Without your asking, I have spoken until now and you have eaten my bread and my food.” He took the cup of blessing and began to bless. His hands could not hold the cup; they were trembling. When he reached “for the land and the food,” he said “I raise the cup of salvation and invoke the Name, YHVH?”’ (Psalms 116:13). The cup stood firm and settled in his right hand and he continued blessing. At the end he said, ‘“‘May it be the Will that life be extended to one of these from the Tree of Life, on which all life depends! May the Blessed Holy One be surety for him! May he find surety below to share his surety with the Holy King!” Having finished blessing, he closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and said “Comrades, Shalom to you from the good Lord who possesses all Shalom!” They were amazed, and cried, and blessed him. They stayed that night. In the morning they rose early and left. When they reached Rabbi Shim’on, they told him what had happened. Rabbi Shim’on was amazed. He said, “He is the son of an invincible rock! He deserves this and more than any human can imagine! He is the son of Rav Hamnuna Sava!” 175 ZOHAR Rabbi El’azar was excited; he said, ‘‘I must go see that flaming light!” Rabbi Shim’on said ‘This one is not known by any name in the world, for something sublime is inside him. It is a secret! The flowing light of his father shines upon him! This secret has not spread among the Comrades.” 176 MIRACLES Rabbi Pinhas was going to see his daughter, the wife of Rabbi Shim’on, who was ill. Comrades were accompanying him, and he was riding on his donkey. On the way he met two Arabs. He said to them, “Since days of old has a voice arisen in this field?” They said, ‘““We don’t know about days of old; we know about our own days! One day highway robbers were passing through that field. They ran into some Jews and were just about to rob them when from a distance, in this field, this donkey’s voice was heard braying two times; a flame of fire shot through its voice and burned them and those Jews were saved!” He said to them, “O Arabs! For telling me this, you will be saved today from other robbers who are lying in wait for you on the way!” Rabbi Pinhas cried, and said, ‘Master of the world! You brought about this miracle for my sake and those Jews were saved, and I did not even know!” He opened and said ““*To the One who performs great wonders alone, for His love is everlasting’ (Psalms 136:4). So. much goodness the Blessed Holy One performs for human beings! So many miracles He brings about for them every day! And no one knows except for Him! A person gets up in the morning, and a snake comes to kill him. He steps on the snake’s head and kills it without knowing; only the Blessed Holy One knows, ‘the One who performs great wonders alone.’ as ZOHAR A person is walking on the road, and robbers are lying in wait to kill him. Someone else comes along and is given as ransom and he is saved without knowing the goodness performed for him by the Blessed Holy One, the miracle brought about by Him! Only He knows, ‘the One who performs great wonders alone.’ Alone He performs and knows, and no one else knows!” He said to the Comrades, “Comrades, what I was asking these Arabs, who are always in the fields, was if they had heard the voice of the Comrades who engage in Torah. For Rabbi Shim’on and Rabbi El’azar, his son, and the other Comrades are ahead of us and do not know that we are here. So I asked these Arabs about them, for I know that the voice of Rabbi Shim’on makes fields and mountains quake! But they revealed to me something I never knew!” As they were leaving, those Arabs came back and said “Old man! Old man! You asked us about days of old and not about today! Today we saw wonder of wonders! We saw five men sitting and one old man among them. We saw birds gathering and spreading their wings over them. While some flew away, others flew back; so the shade over their heads never disappeared. That old man raised his voice, and they obeyed!” Rabbi Pinhas said, “That is what I was asking about! Arabs, Arabs, be on your way and may the way be paved for you with everything you desire! You have told me two things over which I rejoice.” They departed. The Comrades said to him, ‘“‘How will we know where Rabbi Shim’on is?” 178 ZOHAR He said, ‘‘Leave it to the Master of the steps of my animal! He will guide its steps there.” With no prodding, his donkey turned aside from the road and walked one mile. It brayed three times. Rabbi Pinhas dismounted and said to the Comrades, ‘Let us prepare ourselves to receive the Countenance of Days, for the Great Face and the Small Face are about to appear!” Rabbi Shim’on heard the braying of the donkey. He said to the Comrades, “Let us rise, for the voice of the donkey of the old Hasid has been aroused toward us!” Rabbi Shim’on rose and the Comrades rose. . . . They saw Rabbi Pinhas coming and went up to him. Rabbi Pinhas kissed Rabbi Shim’on. He said, “I have kissed the mouth of YHVH, scented with the spices of His garden!” They delighted as one and sat down. As soon as they sat, all the birds providing shade flew off and scattered. Rabbi Shim’on turned his head and shouted to them: “Birds of heaven! Have you no respect for your Master standing here?” They stopped and did not go further and did not come closer. Rabbi Pinhas said, ““Tell them to go on their way, for they are not allowed to come back.” Rabbi Shim’on said “I know that the Blessed Holy One wants to perform a miracle for us! Birds, birds, go your ways and tell him who is in charge of you that at first it was in his power and now it is not. But I have reserved him for the Day of the Rock, when a cloud rises between two mighty ones, and they do not join.” The birds scattered and flew away. Meanwhile three trees were spreading their branches over them in three directions; 179 ZOHAR a spring of water was gushing in front of them. All the Comrades rejoiced; Rabbi Pinhas and Rabbi Shim’on rejoiced. Rabbi Pinhas said “It was so much trouble for those birds at first! We do not want to trouble living creatures, for ‘His compassion is upon all His works’ (Psalms 145:9).” Rabbi Shim’on said, “I did not trouble them; but if the Blessed Holy One is kind to us we cannot reject His gifts!” They sat down under that tree, drank from the water, and enjoyed themselves. Rabbi Pinhas opened and said “A spring of gardens, a well of living water, flows from Lebanon’ (Song of Songs 4:15). ‘A spring of gardens’ Is this the only kind of spring? There are so many good and precious springs in the world! Ah, but not all pleasures are the same! There is a spring gushing forth in the wilderness, in a parched place. It is a pleasure for one to rest there and drink. But ‘a spring of gardens,’ how good and precious! Such a spring nourishes plants and fruit; one who draws near enjoys everything: he enjoys the water, he enjoys the plants, he enjoys the fruit! Such a spring is crowned with everything! So many roses and fragrant herbs all around! How much finer is this spring than all others, ‘a well of living water’! We have established that all this refers to the Communion of Israel. She is ‘a spring of gardens.’ Who are the gardens? (+) The Blessed-Holy One has five gardens in which He delights and one spring above that waters and drenches them, 180 ZOHAR secret and hidden; they all produce abundant fruit. There is one garden below them; that garden is guarded round, on every flank. Beneath this garden are other gardens, bearing fruit of every kind. This garden turns into a spring, watering them. ‘A well of living water’ When the need arises, She becomes a spring; when the need arises, She becomes a well. What is the difference? There is no comparison between water flowing by itself and water drawn for watering. ‘Flows from Lebanon’ 4 What flows? he ah f Five sources issuing from Lebanon.ahove become flows, for when they turn into a spring, water flows, trickles drop by drop. Sweet water, pursued by the soul! 7 ; q a os xf es Gof Te! Th i So, the Blessed Holy One has brought about a miracle for us right here with this spring! For this spring I recite this verse.” 181 THE WEDDING CELEBRATION It has been told: On the day that Rabbi Shim’on was to leave the world, while he was arranging his affairs, the Comrades assembled at his house. Present were Rabbi El’azar, his son, Rabbi Abba, and the other Comrades. The house was full. Rabbi Shim’on raised his eyes and saw that the house was filled. He cried, and said “The other time I was ill, Rabbi Pinhas son of Ya’ir was in my presence. I was already selecting my place in Paradise next to Ahiyah of Shiloh when they extended my life until now! When I returned, fire was whirling in front of me; it has never gone out. No human has entered without permission. Now I see that it has gone out, and the house is filled!” While they were sitting Rabbi Shim’on opened his eyes and saw what he saw; fire whirled through the house. Everyone left; Rabbi El’azar, his son, and Rabbi Abba remained; the other Comrades sat outside. Rabbi Shim’on said to Rabbi El’azar, his son, “Go out and see if Rabbi Isaac is here, for I have been surety for him. Tell him to arrange his affairs and sit by my side. Happy is his portion!” Rabbi Shim’on rose and laughed in delight. He said, ““Where are the Comrades?” Rabbi El’azar rose and brought them in. 182 ZOHAR They sat in front of him. Rabbi Shim’on raised his hands and prayed a prayer. He rejoiced and said “Those Comrades who were present at the threshing house will convene here!” Everyone left; Rabbi El’azar, his son, Rabbi Abba, Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Yose, and Rabbi Hiyya remained. Meanwhile, Rabbi Isaac came in. Rabbi Shim’on said to him, “Your portion is so fine! yp? So much joy will be yours today! Rabbi Abba sat behind him and Rabbi El’azar in front. Rabbi Shim’on said, ‘“‘Now is a time of favor! I want to enter without shame into the world that is coming. Holy words, until now unrevealed, I want to reveal in the presence of Shekhinab; so it will not be said that I left the world deficiently. Until now they were hidden in my heart as a password to the world that is coming. I will arrange you like this: Rabbi Abba will write; Rabbi El’azar, my son, will repeat; the other Comrades will meditate within.” Rabbi Abba rose from behind him; Rabbi El’azar, his son, sat in front. Rabbi Shim’on said, “Rise, my son, for someone else will sit in that place.” Rabbi El’azar rose. Rabbi Shim’on enwrapped himself and sat down. He opened and said ‘The dead cannot praise Yab, nor any who go down to Dumab’ (Psalms 115:17). ‘The dead cannot praise Yah’ the ones who are really dead! For the Blessed Holy One is alive and He dwells among the living, not with those called ‘dead.’ The verse concludes: ‘nor any who go down to Dumah.’ All those who go down to Dumah remain in hell. 183 ZOHAR It is different with those called ‘living,’ for the Blessed Holy One wants them to be honored.” Rabbi Shim’on said “It is so different now than at the threshing house. There the Blessed Holy One and His chariots convened. Now He is accompanied by the righteous from the Garden of Eden! This did not happen before! The Blessed Holy One wants the righteous to be honored more than He wants Himself to be honored! So it is written concerning Jeroboam. He offered incense to idols and worshiped them; yet the Blessed Holy One was patient. But as soon as he stretched out his hand against Ido the prophet, his hand dried up, as it is written: ‘His hand dried up... .’ (1 Kings 13:4). Not because he worshiped idols, but because he threatened Ido the prophet! Now the Blessed Holy One wants us to be honored and all of them are coming with Him! Here is Rav Hamnuna Sava surrounded by seventy of the righteous adorned with crowns, each one shining from the splendor of the luster of the Holy Ancient One, Concealed of all Concealed! He is coming to hear in joy these words I am about to speak.” He was about to sit down when he exclaimed: “Look! Here is Rabbi Pinhas son of Ya’ir! Prepare his place!” The Comrades trembled; they got up and moved to the outskirts of the house. Rabbi El’azar and Rabbi Abba remained with Rabbi Shim’on. Rabbi Shim’on said “In the threshing house, we were found to be: all the Comrades speaking, I among them. Now I alone will speak; all are listening to my words, those above and those below. Happy is my portion this day!” 184 ZOHAR Rabbi Shim’on opened and said “Tam my Beloved’s, His desire is upon me’ (Song of Songs 7:11). All the days that I have been bound to this world I have been bound in a single bond with the Blessed Holy One. That is why now ‘His desire is upon me’! He and His holy company have come to hear in joy concealed words and praise for the Holy Ancient One, Concealed of all Concealed! Separate, separated from all, yet not separate! For all is attached to It, and It is attached to all. It is all! Ancient of all Ancients! Concealed of all Concealed! Arrayed and not arrayed. Arrayed in order to sustain all; not arrayed, for It is not to be found. When arrayed, It generates nine lights, flaming from It, from Its array. Those lights, sparkling, flashing, radiate, emanate to all sides. ... Until now these words were concealed, for I was scared to reveal; now they have been revealed! Yet it is revealed before the Holy Ancient One that I have not acted for my own honor nor for the honor of my family but rather so I will not enter His palace in shame. Furthermore, I see that the Blessed Holy One and all these righteous ones approve: I see all of them rejoicing in this, my wedding celebration! All of them are invited, in that world, to my wedding celebration! Happy is my portion!” Rabbi Abba said “When the Holy Spark, the High Spark, finished this word he raised his hands and cried and laughed. He wanted to reveal one word. He said, ‘I have been troubled by this word all my days and now they are not giving me permission!’ 185 a el cllll " ZOHAR Summoning up his courage, he sat and moved his lips and bowed three times. No one could look at his place, certainly not at him! He said, ‘Mouth, mouth, you have attained so much! Your spring has not dried up! Your spring flows endlessly! For you we read: ‘A river issues from Eden” (Genesis 2:10), and it is written: “Like a spring whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:11). Now I avow: All the days I have been alive, I have yearned to see this day! Now my desire is crowned with success. This day itself is crowned! Now I want to reveal words in the presence of the Blessed Holy One; all those words are adorning my head like a crown! This day will not miss its mark like the other day, for this whole day is mine! I have now begun revealing words so I will not enter shamefully into the world that is coming. I have begun! I will speak! ... I have seen that all those sparks sparkle from the High Spark, Hidden of all Hidden! All are levels of enlightenment. In the light of each and every level there is revealed what is revealed. All those lights are connected: this light to that light, that light to this light, one shining into the other, inseparable, one from the other. The light of each and every spark, called Adornments of the King, Crowns of the King— each one shines into, joins onto the light within, within, not separating without. 186 ZOHAR So all rises to one level, all is crowned with one word; no separating one from the other. It and Its Name is one. | The light that is revealed is called the Garment of the King. The light within, within is a concealed light. In that light dwells the Ineffable One, the Unrevealed. All those sparks and all those lights sparkle from the Holy Ancient One, Concealed of all Concealed, the High Spark. Upon reflecting, all those lights emanating— there is nothing but the High Spark, hidden and unrevealed! ...’” Rabbi Abba said “Before the Holy Spark finished saying ‘life,’ his words subsided. I was still writing, intending to write more but I heard nothing. I did not raise my head: the light was overwhelming; I could not look. Then I started trembling. I heard a voice calling: ‘Length of days and years of life...’ (Proverbs 3:2). I heard another voice: ‘He asked You for life...’ (Psalms 21:5). All day long, the fire in the house did not go out. No one reached him; no one could: light and fire surrounded him! All day long, I lay on the ground and wailed. After the fire disappeared I saw the Holy Spark, Holy of Holies, leaving the world, enwrapped, lying on his right, his face smiling. 187 ZOHAR Rabbi El’azar, his son, rose, took his hands and kissed them. As for me, I licked the dust from the bottom of his feet. The Comrades wanted to cry but could not utter a sound. Finally they let out a cry, but Rabbi El’azar, his son, fell three times, unable to open his mouth. Finally he opened and said, ‘Father! Father! Three there were! Turned back into one! Now the animals will wander off! Birds are flying away, sinking into the bowels of the Great Sea! All the Comrades are drinking blood!’ ” Rabbi Hiyya rose to his feet and said “Until now the Holy Spark has looked after us; now is the time to engage in honoring him!” Rabbi El’azar and Rabbi Abba rose. They carried him in a truckle made out of a gangplank— Who has seen the confusion of the Comrades?— and the whole house was fragrant. They lifted him onto his bed; only Rabbi El’azar and Rabbi Abba attended him. Truculent stingers and shield-bearing warriors from Sepphoris came and beset them. The people of Meron ganged together and shouted, for they feared he would not be buried there. After the bed emerged from the house it rose into the air; fire blazed before it. They heard a voice: “Come and enter! Assemble for the wedding celebration of Rabbi Shim’on! ‘He shall come to peace; they shall rest on their couches’ (Isaiah 57:2).” As he entered the cave, they heard a voice from inside: ‘This is the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble! Many open mouths of accusation up in heaven subside today because of you, Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai! His Lord prides Himself on him every day! 188 ZOHAR Happy is his portion above and below! Many sublime treasures lie in store for him! Of him it is said: ‘As for you, go to the end and take your rest; you will rise for your reward at the end of days.’ ” 189 Way Op kh ee atl Se Shree an? ted Ah= Whe cone <_ iii Mi fete sot BM sui ay oe ESS te ieee ae jaa Benet: apd pen. 3 ee ey Vay oe” “tee Ca. wogete! ere, pas Soe Od De RE re A te : a seaete ad tas “Hy eae ag [ex atato nee | ‘i de bal ooh, Re te yh Nn ORE nbeveg, crbecrome cc ge ee e. AAS Sees Ha eR ei pea ie gate OR eet we th! “5 ee me) jth ire are a) ee ha Eh ge Ny ee he - fy ee oa ae od dh aaa tag Pate ierpeey tq ae oak Ber, Yaaro 0 ie sem ee TS ae bet ae ee a ag Mier’ - (Ss = 1 ae oe 8 by? a ag ‘hen? aie NOTES FOREWORD & INTRODUCTION Foreword 1. Literally, zobar means “splendor, radiance.” In the Zohar the root zhr often appears in the context of mystical perception or an enlightened state of being; see Zohar 1:52a~—b, 234a (Tosefta); 2:2a, 23a-b; 3:202a; cf. Daniel 12:3: “The enlightened will shine like the zobar of the sky,” cited frequently in the Zohar; Psalms 19:12; Mitchell Dahood, Psalms (New York, 1965), 1:121, 124; Efraim Gottlieb, Mehgarim be-Sifrut ha-Qabbalab, pp. 210-1 (hereafter cited as Mebqarim). Introduction 1. Benjamin Mintz, ed., Shivhei ha-Besht (Tel Aviv, 1961), p. 61; Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, pp. 156-7 (hereafter cited as Major Trends). 2. Isaac’s diary, Sefer Divrei ha-Yamim, is cited in Sefer ha-Yubasin, written by the astronomer and historian Avraham Zacuto. Zacuto himself believed in the antiquity of the Zohar despite the critical conclusions that could be drawn from the story. For an analysis of the document see Scholem, Madda'ei ha- Yabadut 1 (1926): 16-29; idem, Major Trends, pp. 190-2; Isaiah Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar \:28-33 (Introduction), who includes a corrected text of the citation. 3. On the chanting of Zohar, cf. the remark by the eighteenth-century scholar Moses Hayyim Luzzatto (cited by Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zohar, 1:44 (Introduction): “Even if one does not understand, the language is suited to the soul.” 4. Shegel ha-Qodesh, ed. A. W. Greenup, p. 3. 5. This MS is described in the catalogue of the Guenzberg collection (no. 771), now in Moscow; see Israel Zinberg, A History of Jewish Literature, trans. Bernard Martin, 3:41; Scholem, Major Trends, p. 194. 6. On the early stages of Kabbalah see Scholem, Ursprung und Anfange der Kabbala (hereafter cited as Ursprung);, idem, Kabbalah, pp. 8-57. 7, The Hebrew text appears in Scholem, Mayor Trends, pp. 397-8, n. 154. On the role played by Kabbalah in the Maimonidean controversy see idem, Ursprung, pp. 357-66, David J. Silver, Maimonidean Criticism and the Maimoni- dean Controversy, pp. 182-98 (hereafter cited as Maimonidean Criticism). 8. Or Zaru’a, ed. Alexander Altmann, Qovez al Yad, n.s. 9 (1980): 249. On the last lines see 1 Samuel 14:29; Isaiah 2:5. On the concept of “Know yourself” 193 NOTES see Altmann, Studies in Religious Philosophy and Mysticism, pp. 1-40 (hereafter cited as Studies). 9. See Scholem, Major Trends, p. 183; Kabbalah, pp. 217, 432; cf. Zohar 3:23a. The phrase is also employed by Moses’ contemporary, Moses of Burgos, who calls the kabbalists ‘“‘masters of ba-midrash ha-ne’elam” (Scholem, Tarbiz 5 [1934]: 51). 10. See Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 217; Major Trends, pp. 181-6; Tishby, Mish- nat ba-Zobar, 1:18 (Introduction). 11. See above, “Abram, the Soul-Breath.” Other passages from the Mid- rash ha-Ne'elam are ‘After the Flood” and “Moses and the Blazing Bush.” See also Zohar 1:135b, where Moses de Leén adopts Maimonides’ allegorization of the feast awaiting the righteous in the hereafter (Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Teshu- vab 8:4). For examples of philosophical terminology see Tishby, Mishnat ha- Zobar, 1:77 (Introduction). 12. Several earlier mystical writings had been written in artificial Arama- ic, e.g., Shimmusha Rabba and Aggadat Rabbi Yeboshu’a ben Levi. 13. See Scholem, Kiryat Sefer 6 (1929-1930): 109-18; idem, Tarbiz 3 (1932): 181-3; idem, Major Trends, pp. 187-8, Yitzhak Baer, Toledot ba-Yebudim bi- Sefarad ha-Nozrit (Tel Aviv, 1959), pp. 508-9. The Zohar occasionally refers to its teachings as “new ancient words” (millin badtin attigin): Zohar 1:243a; 2:183b; 3:166b, 171b; Zohar Hadash, Rut, 85b (Midrash ba-Ne’elam). 14. Selections from several of these appear in this volume: “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden,” “Threshing Out the Secrets,” “The Rabbis En- counter a Child,” “The Wedding Celebration.” For a full description of the various units see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 214-7. The years 1280-1286 are proposed by Scholem in Major Trends, p. 188. Tishby suggests a later dating (Mishnat ha-Zohar, 1:105-8 [Introduction]), but the evidence favors Scholem’s thesis; see below, and Gottlieb, Ha-Qabbalah be-Khitvei Rabbenu Babya ben Asher, p. 168 (hereafter cited as Babya). 15. Scholem, Major Trends, p. 185. 16. See Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 234. For a full list of Moses’ Hebrew writings see ibid., p. 433; cf. below, Bibliography. 17. At the beginning of Shegel ba-Qodesh, Moses writes: “I composed this composition in the year 5052 after Creation [1291-1292] in the city of Guadala- jara.” 18. See Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zohbar, 1:30-1, 35-7, 110-2 (Introduction). The additional volume was later called Zohar Hadash (‘New Zohar”), a misleading title, since the volume contains much of Midrash ha-Ne’elam, the oldest stratum of the Zohar. 19. Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 189; 394, n. 124; Kabbalah, pp. 236-7. For the attitude of Bahya son of Asher see Gottlieb, Babya, pp. 168-71. 20. Ra aya Mebeimna expounds the mystical significance of the command- 194 NOTES ments; Tigqunei Zobar is a wide-ranging commentary on the first portion of the Torah; see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 218-19. No selections from these works are included in this volume since Moses de Leon is not the author. 21. See my “David ben Yehudah he-Hasid and His Book of Mirrors,” HUCA 51 (1980): 129-72; and my edition of The Book of Mirrors: Sefer Mar’ot ha- Zove'ot by R. David ben Yebudab he-Hasid. For further examples of Zohar imitations see Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar, 1:39-40 (Introduction). 22. Scholem, Mayor Trends, p. 407, n. 1. 23. Quoted from an unknown kabbalist by Abraham Azulai in his intro- duction to Or ba-Hammab. Cf. Zohar 3:124b (Ra ‘aya Meheimna): “Since Israel is destined to taste the Tree of Life, namely, this Book of Zobar, they will come forth from exile by [divine] compassion.” 24. On the controversy see Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:45-6, 108 (Intro- duction); idem, Peragim | (1967-1968): 131-82. 25. On the phenomenon of Christian Kabbalah see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 198-201, and the bibliography on pp. 209-10. 26. On Modena and the Christian Kabbalah see Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zohar 1:47—50 (Introduction). 27. His book is entitled Hoger u-Mequbbal (‘Scholar and Kabbalist”); see Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zohar 1:50 (Introduction). 28. Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah (Princeton, 1973), p. 118. For a general overview of the movement see idem, Kabbalah, pp. 244-86. 29. See Emden, Mitpahat Sefarim, esp. pp. 38-40; Tishby, Misbnat ha-Zobar 1:52-6 (Introduction). 30. Cf. above, n. 16. 31. Adolf Jellinek, Moses ben Schem-Tob de Leon und sein Verbaltniss zum Sohar, esp. pp. 24-36; idem, Beitrage zur Geschichte der Kabbala \:41-S. 32. See above, §1; Graetz, History of the Jews, 4:10-24. 33. Madda’ei ha-Yahadut | (1926): 16-29. 34. Scholem, Major Trends, p..198. In Qovez al Yad, n.s. 8 (1975): 325-84, Scholem provides examples of Moses’ method of utilizing the Zohar in his Hebrew writings. 35. Scholem’s research is summarized in Major Trends, pp. 156-204, Kabba- lah, pp. 213-43. 36. For selections from Las Siete Partidas see Jacob Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World (New York, 1965), pp. 3440. 37. For a study of this period see Baer, 4 History of the Jews in Christian Spain 1:111-37, 177-305 (hereafter cited as History). 38. Zohar 3:220b-221b. The image of Israel as the heart derives from Judah Halevi (eleventh-twelfth centuries), Kuzari 2:36. For another confronta- tion with a gentile see above, “The Golden Calf”; also Wilhelm Bacher, “Judaeo-Christian Polemics in the Zohar,” JQR 3 (1891): 781-4. lise) NOTES 39. See above, “God, Israel, and Shekhinah.” 40. Zohar 2:188b. Edom symbolizes medieval Christendom; see above, loc. cit. 41. Zohar 2:188b; Zohar Hadash, Bereshit, 8a (Midrash ha-Ne’elam). On the calculations for the coming of Messiah see Abba H. Silver, 4 History of Messianic Speculation in Israel (New York, 1927), pp. 90-2; Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 232. On the messianic aspect of R. Shim’on’s personality in the Zohar see Yehuda Liebes, “Ha-Mashiab shel ba-Zohar.” 42. Rabbi Shim’on’s teaching appears in Talmud, Megillab 29a. For an example of the Zohar’s presentation of the theme see above, ‘“‘God, Israel, and Shekbinab.”” 43. Zohar 3:212a; 2:188b. 44. Zohar 3:197b; cf. above, n. 23. On “the tracks of the sheep” as a designation for kabbalists cf. Zohar Hadash, Shir ba-Shirim, 70d. 45. See Baer, History 1:266-9; 437, n. 24; Scholem, Major Trends, p. 234. The Spirituals had a stronger influence on the author of Ra’aya Mebeimna, one of the early imitations of the Zohar; see Baer, History, pp. 270-7; idem, Zion 5 (1940): 144; Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 180; 392, n. 97. 46. On the vigil see above, “God, Israel, and Shekhinah’”; on the four levels see Scholem, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, pp. 50-62 (hereafter cited as On the Kabbalah), and above, ““The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden.” For another parallel, see Liebes, ““Peragim be-Millon Sefer ba-Zohar” (hereafter cited as ““Peragim”), he compares the phrase gufa de-malka (‘the body of the King”) to corpus domini. 47. Zohar 2:37a. In one passage the Zohar indicates that Christianity and Islam approximate Israelite monotheism: “... two other nations who are close in [their conception of] unity to Israel” (1:13a); cf. Nahmanides on Genesis 2:3 (end); Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Melakhim 11-4. 48. Zohar 3:206a. Following the practice of Isaac Luria (1534-1572), the famous kabbalist of Safed, these words are recited as part of the Sabbath liturgy at the designated point in the service. On the phrase ‘“‘a son of divinity” (bar elabin) see Tishby’s note, Mishnat ha-Zohar 2:327. 49. Zohar 3:149a; cf. 1:154b; 3:7b; above, ‘Moses and the Blazing Bush”; Mishnah, Avot 3:18; John 3:16. 50. Zohar 3:218a; cf. 1:65a; 2:269a; 3:231a; Adolf Neubauer and S. R. Driver, The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah according to the Jewish Interpreters (New York, 1970), 1:111; 2:117-18; George Foot Moore, Judaism (New York, 1971), 1:546-52. Talmud, Mo'ed Qatan 28a, reports a teaching in the name of Rabbi Ammi (third century): “Just as the red heifer atones, so the death of the righteous atones.” Cf. Zohar 2:212a, where the Messiah is described as bearing all the suffering of Israel and Isaiah 53:5 is cited; also Zohar Hadash, Eikhah, 91a (Midrash ha-Ne'elam). 51. Zohar 3:191b; cf. 2:79a—b, 147a. The Ra ‘aya Meheimna refers to Moses, 196 NOTES its central figure, as the son of God (3:243a) and applies to him the phrase “Kiss the son” (3:281b) as well as certain verses from Isaiah 53 (3:280a, 282b); cf. Talmud, Sotah 14a. 52. Graetz, History of the Jews 4:23. 53. Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 129; 380, n. 37; cf. above, “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden”: Now two are three, and three are like one!” 54. See above, ‘Male and Female”; cf. Zohar 1:230b; 2:126b. 55. Cited by Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zohar 2:279. One rationalistic opponent of Kabbalah stated: “The Christians believe in the Trinity; the kabbalists believe in the Decade.” 56. For a discussion of the historical development of the sefirotic system see Scholem, Ursprung; Kabbalah, pp. 23-116. 57. See Jacob Katz, Exclusiveness and Tolerance (New York, 1961), p. 19. 58. See above, “Colors and Enlightenment.” 59. This is clear from the context in Zohar 2:43b. Elsewhere the phrase “VHVH, our God, YHVH” is applied to different sets of three seftrot, though the central sefirah, Tiferet, is always included; see Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 2:278-9. Cf. Zohar 2:38a; 3:36a, where the middle triad is referred to as “three bonds of faith.” 60. See above, “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden,” “The Rabbis Encounter a Child,” and ‘““The Wedding Celebration.” 61. Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 202; 397, n. 152; cf. p. 396, n. 151; Zohar 13720, 2484 62. Moses of Burgos, cited by Isaac of Acre; see Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 24; 354, n. 22. Cf. Moses de Leén’s statement: “The quality of Malkbut [the tenth sefirab] causes the supernal flow to emanate from high above all the separate levels [i.e., Intelligences] until the emanation reaches the Active Intellect” (Mishkan ha-‘Edut, Berlin MS Or. 833, f. 40b). 63. For one example see above, “‘Qorban and Olab.” 64. Zohar 2:176a; 3:141b; see Scholem, Major Trends, p. 402, n. 66. 65. See above, “Openings.” 66. Silver, Maimonidean Criticism, p. 190. 67. Benei meheimanuta; Zohar 1:36b, 37b (see Ketem Paz, ad loc.), 43a; 2:262a; 3:12b—13a, 105a, 110b, 267a. 68. See above, “How to Look at Torah.” 69. See above, n. 11. 70. On the distinction see Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 25-8. The prestige of mystical symbolism is indicated by the fact that at the beginning of the fourteenth century Rabbi Jacob ibn Tibbon argued that the allegorism of the rationalists was no less legitimate than the symbolism of the kabbalists; see Baer, History 1:296. 71. See above “Qorban and Olah.” There is a subtle antirationalistic polem- ic involved here; see the corresponding notes. 197 NOTES 72. Zohar 3:288b (dra Zuta); 1:72b; see Scholem, “Das Ringen zwischen dem biblischen Gott und dem Gott Plotins in der alten Kabbala,” Uber einige Grundbegriffe des Judentums, p. 50. 73. Rabbi Jonah Gerondi (1200-1263), the Spanish moralist, notes that these mizvot were neglected or violated; see Baer, History 1:250; cf. 236. For the Zohar’s response see above “Jacob’s Journey,” “Seduction Above and Below”; Zohar 2:3b, 61a, 87b (sexual morality); “Guests in the Sukkah”; “The Rabbis Encounter a Child” (ritual washing); Zohar 1:13b—14a; 3:269b (tefillin; cf. above, n. 7); 3:265b, 266b-267a (mezuzah). The command “You shall not bow down to a foreign god” (Psalms 81:10) is taken to mean: “You shall not lie down with a foreign woman” (Zohar Hadash, Noah, 21a (Midrash ba-Ne’elam)). 74. See above, “Jacob’s Garment of Days” and “The Gift of Dwelling.” The Ra‘aya Meheimna, written soon after the Zohar, offers a harsh criticism of Spanish Jewish society; see Baer, Zion $ (1940): 1-44; Mistory 1:270-7; Scholem, Major Trends, p. 180. 75. See above, ‘““Adam’s Sin,” “God, Israel, and Shekhinah”, Zohar 3:44b, 110b. 76. See Bereshit Rabba 1:1: “The Blessed Holy One looked into the Torah and created the world.” Cf. Harry A. Wolfson, Philo (Cambridge, 1968), 1:242- Ss 77. See above, ‘How to Look at Torah,” “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden.” 78. See Scholem, On the Kabbalah, pp. 50-2; Leo Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing (Glencoe, IIl., 1952). As noted above, n. 46, the Christian theory of the fourfold meaning of Scripture appears in the Zohar. 79. See above, ‘““The Creation of Elohim”; Zohar 1:29b-31b. On the relation between Kabbalah and myth see Scholem, On the Kabbalah, pp. 87-117. 80. See above, “The Golden Calf.” For Elijah’s teachings see Zohar 1:1b~ 2a; 3:221a, 231a; Zohar Hadash, Ki Tavo, 59d. In 3:241b Elijah turns to Rabbi Shim’on for instruction. Elsewhere (Zohar Hadash, Shir ba-Shirim, 63d, 70d, 73c) Elijah encourages him to reveal the secrets, and says (ibid., 62c): ‘My words will be written by you.” For earlier reliance on the figure of Elijah see Scholem, On the Kabbalah, pp. 19-21. 81. See above, “Joseph’s Dream,” “Pharoah, Israel, and God,” “Qorban and Olah,” “God, Israel, and Shekhinah.” Cf. Zohar Hadash, Toledot, 27a (Sitrei Torab). 82. See Scholem, Major Trends, p. 174; Kabbalah, p. 223. Simon Neuhausen published a catalogue of these works entitled Sifriyyah shel Ma'lab (“Library of the Upper World”) (Baltimore, 1937). On the Book of Enoch see Louis Ginz- berg, Legends of the Jews 5:158, n. 60. One commentator on the Zohar tries to explain why these books appear nowhere else: “All the books mentioned in the Zohar ... have been lost in the wandering of exile due to our many sins. 198 NOTES Nothing is left of them except what is mentioned in the Zohar” (Shim’on Labi, Ketem Paz on Zohar 1:7a). 83. See above, ‘Male and Female,” ‘“Jacob’s Garment of Days”; Zohar 1:93a, 95b, 96a, 137a (Midrash ha-Ne’elam), 223b; 2:5a, 123b; 3:75b, 78a, 284b, 285a, 292b (Idra Zuta); Zohar Hadash, Bereshit, \6a (Midrash ha-Ne’elam). In some cases “our Mishnah” refers to genuine, ancient rabbinic sources, but these citations are usually altered or interpreted mystically; see Zohar 1:226b; Zobar Hadash, Bereshit, 15b-c, 18b, 20a (Midrash ba-Ne’elam). In one of his Hebrew works Moses de Leon introduces a Zohar passage with the line: “I have seen in the words of the sages of the Mishnah”; see Scholem, Major Trends, p. 394, n. 122. The Zohar also contains numerous kabbalistic pieces entitled Matnitin and Tosefta; see Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 216; Gottlieb, Mebgarim, pp. 163-214. 84. On the development of legends around Rabbi Shim’on see Lee Levine, “R. Simeon b. Yohai and the Purification of Tiberias: History and Tradition,” HUCA 49 (1978): 143-85. The Nistarot is printed in Yehudah Ibn Shemu’el, Midreshei Ge’ullab (Jerusalem, 1968), pp. 161-98; cf. pp. 253-86. 85. In the earlier stratum, Midrash ha-Ne’elam, Moses’ imagination had not yet focused sharply on Rabbi Shim’on; see above, §§1-2; Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 182-3. 86. Scholem, Major Trends, p. 200, Kabbalah, pp. 231-2, 432. 87. See above, “The Gift of Dwelling.” 88. See Moses’ wife’s statement, above, §1; Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:29- 30 (Introduction). Scholem questions its authenticity; see Major Trends, p. 192, Madda’ei ha-Yahadut 1 (1926): 18-20. However, other, independent testimony recorded by Isaac supports her statement; see below, n. 97. Cf. Zohar 3:153b (Ra‘aya Meheimna) and Tishby’s interpretation, Mishnat ha-Zobar 2:393, n. 100. 89. See above, n. 13. 90. Scholem, Major Trends, p. 201; cf. Zohar 2:215a; 3:87b—-88a. 91. See above, “The Golden Calf”; Zohar 1:12b. 92. The Book of Adam is located in the Library of the Upper World. Ketem Paz (on Zohar 1:55a) traces the book’s transmission from Adam to Rabbi Shim’on. See also Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 21, 354, n. 21. 93. See above, “The Hidden Light” and “Adam’s Sin”, cf. the Ba’al Shem Tov’s statement, above, n. 1. 94. See Zohar 3:127b-145a (Idra Rabba); 3:287b-296b (Idra Zuta), above, “Threshing Out the Secrets,” “The Wedding Celebration”; Liebes, “‘Peragim,” . 2-3. i 95. See R. J. Zwi Werblowsky’s comments on automatic writing and speech in Joseph Karo: Lawyer and Mystic (Philadelphia, 1977), pp. 287-8; cf. pp. 47, 82; Philo, De Migratione Abrahami, §35; Scholem, Sefunot 11 (1973): 67-112, Lawrence Fine, “Maggidic Revelation in the Teachings of Isaac Luria,” in Mystics, Philosophers, and Politicians—Essays in Jewish Intellectual History in Honor 199 NOTES of Alexander Altmann, ed. Jehuda Reinharz, Daniel Swetchinski, and Kalman P. Bland (Durham, N.C., 1982); idem, “Recitation of Mishnah as a Vehicle for Mystical Inspiration,” RE] (in press); Ian Stevenson, “Some Comments on Automatic Writing,” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 72 (1978): 315=32. 96. Published by Jellinek in Kerem Hemed 8 (1854): 105; see Scholem, Kabbalab, p. 188. 97. Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:29 (Introduction). 98. Ibid., p. 30. 99. See Carl Jung, The Psychogenesis of Mental Disease, Collected Works 3:75-7; Leslie Shepherd, ed., Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology (Detroit, 1978), p. 78. On the Zohar’s Aramaic see Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 163-8; Kabbalah, pp. 226-9; Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zobar, 1:76-80; Menahem Z. Kaddari, Diqdug ba-Lashon ha-’Aramit shel ha-Zobar; also above, “How to Look at To- rah,” “Moses and the Blazing Bush,” “The Wedding Celebration,” and passim in the Notes. 100. For an example of revision see Scholem in Sefer ba-Yovel li-Khevod Levi Ginzberg, pp. 425-46; Kabbalab, p. 230; cf. Major Trends, pp. 172; 390, n. 73. 101. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. “automatic writing.” 102. On the Zohar’s Aramaic see the sources cited above, n. 99; cf. Wer- blowsky, Joseph Karo, pp. 262-3. Certain linguistic peculiarities of the Zohar reappear in Moses’ Hebrew writings; see above, nn. 34-5; Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 196-7. Cf. the following description of automatic speech offered by Seth and transmitted through his medium, Ruburt: “All knowledge or infor- mation bears the stamp of the personality who holds it or passes it on. Ruburt makes his verbal knowledge available for our use, and quite automatically the two of us together cause the various words that will be spoken” (Jane Roberts, Seth Speaks [New York, 1974], p. 17). 103. Le., the Matnitin and Tosefta, scattered throughout the Zohar; see Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 216; Gottlieb, Mehqarim, pp. 163-214. 104. Cordovero, Or ba-Hammab on Zohar 3:106a; see above, “Threshing Out the Secrets.” 105. Zohar 1:6a; cf. Zohar Hadash, Bereshit, \\¢; Rut, 85b (Midrash ha- Ne'elam). 106. Zohar 1:5a; cf. Talmud, Ta anit 8b: “Blessing is not found in anything weighed, measured, or counted, but only in that which is hidden from the eye”; cf. Zohar 2:230b. 107. See above, “Jacob’s Journey,” “Colors and Enlightenment.” 108. See above, “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden,” “The Rabbis Encounter a Child”; cf. Zohar 2a 5ib33-1157 bp: 109. See Scholem, Major Trends, Pp. 169-70; Kabbalab, p. 222; Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zohar 1:71 (Introduction); cf. Zohar Hadash, Noah, 22c (Midrash ba- Neelam) with Jerusalem Talmud, Ma ‘aserot 3:8, 50d. 200 NOTES 110. See above, “Miracles.” 111. See above, ‘Moses and the Blazing Bush.” Moses is usually identified with Rabamim (Tif eret), sometimes with Nezab. 112. See Scholem, On the Kabbalah, pp. 37-44, 113. Zohar 3:149b; cf. Babir, §161; Zohar 1:203a. 249a; 3:170b, 188b, 266b; and above, “The Rabbis Encounter a Child.” 114. “How to Look at Torah.” 115. For examples of the latter technique see above, “Openings,” “Jacob’s Garment of Days,” “Guests in the Sukkab.” 116. Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed, trans. Shlomo Pines (Chicago, 1963), p. 8. 117. See above, “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden.” 118. See ‘above, “Jacob’s Journey.” 119. See above, “Openings.” 120. Consult Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 207-39; Kabbalah, pp. 88-116; Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zobar, 1:95—-283; David Blumenthal, Understanding Jewish Mysticism, pp. 113-9; Adin Steinsaltz, The Thirteen Petalled Rose, pp. 37-47, 59- 65. Joseph Gikatilla’s Sha’arei Orah is a useful guide to the sefirotic symbolism of the Zohar. 121. Ma’arekhet ha-’Elobut, p. 82b. The author is unknown. 122. See Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar, 1:43 (Introduction), 104-5; cf. above, n. 5s: 123. Zohar 3:70a. The expression appears in Sefer Yezirab 1:7; cf. 1:5. 124. See above, “The Wedding Celebration”; cf. Zohar 3:297a; and above, n. 64. 125. See above, “Threshing Out the Secrets.” 126. Cf. Gikatilla, Sha‘aret Orab, pp. 4-5. 127. David son of Abraham ha-Lavan (ca. 1300), in Masoret ba-Berit; see Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 95. 128. Kelala de-khol perata, Zohar 3:65b; see Scholem, Major Trends, p. 219. 129. See above, “Qorban and Olah.” 130. On the Zohar’s doctrine of evil see above, “‘Adam’s Sin,” ‘“*Abram’s Descent into Egypt,” “An Offering to God,” “Jacob's Journey,” “Seduction Above and Below,” “The Golden Calf’; Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 235-9; Kabbalab, pp. 122-8; Von der mystischen Gestalt der Gottheit, pp. 49-82 (Hebrew translation: Pirgei Yesod be-Havanat ha-Qabbalah u-Semaleba, pp. 187-212 [here- after cited as Pirgei Yesod)), Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zohar 1:285-377. On the cathar- tic view of evil see Zohar 2:254b-255a; 3:292b (Idra Zuta), Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:150-1, 296; Gottlieb, Mebgarim, pp. 178-82; Liebes, ‘“‘Peragim,” p. 147; Moshe Idel, ‘““Ha-Mahshavah ha-ra’ah shel ha-’el,” Tarbiz 49 (1980): 356-64. 131. This midrashic reading of the verse appears in Talmud, Hagigah 12b, cf. Babir, §102. 132. See above, “Male and Female,” “The Secret of Sabbath”; Zohar 201 NOTES 2:63b, 204+b—205a; cf. Talmud, Ketubbot 62b. For a full discussion of the develop- ment of the concept of Shekbinah see Scholem, }on der mystischen Gestalt der Gortheit, pp. 135-91 (Hebrew translation: Pirgei Yesod, pp. 259-307); Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zobar 1:219-31; Raphael Patai, The Hebrews Goddess. 133. Zohar 1:181a. The phrase derives from medieval astronomers’ de- scription of the moon; see Scholem, Qovez al Yad, n.s. 8 (1976): 338, 381. 134. See above, ‘God, Israel, and Shekbinab.” 135. See ibid. and “The Golden Calf.” 136. The image appears in Talmud, Shabbat 146a and Yevamort 103b, where it is said that the serpent injected its venom into Eve. 137. Zohar 3:7a,; Zobar Hadash, Yitro, 37b. For a discussion of the sources of the various parts of the soul see Tishby, Mfishnat ba-Zobar, 2:20-6. 138. Talmud, Sotah 14a, Ketubbot 111b. 139. Gikatilla, Sha arei Orab, p. 166. On the relationship between Gikatilla and Moses de Leon see Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 194-6; Altmann, Qovez al Yad 9 (1980): 217-93; and the recent studies by Asi Farber listed in the Bibliography. On the concept of devegut, communion with God, see Scholem, The Messianic Idea in Judaism, pp. 203-27. 140. See above, ““The Binding of Abraham and Isaac.” 141. See above, “Abram’s Descent into Egypt”; cf. “Jacob's Journey.” Scholem has noted (On the Kabbalah, pp. 99-100) that such willingness to deal with the reality of evil contributed to the appeal and influence of kabbalistic thought. 142. Moses de Leon employs this image in his Hebrew writings and in the Zohar; see Shegel ba-Qodesh, p. 113; Zohar 1:41b; Zobar Hadash, Yitro, 39d; Scholem, A{GH7 71 (1927): 118-9; Major Trends, pp. 220-1. 143. See above, “Manna and Wisdom.” 144. Isaac the Blind, Commentary on Sefer Yezirab, printed in Scholem, Ha- Qabbalab be-Provans (Jerusalem, 1963), Appendix, p. 1; cf. Ursprung, pp. 246-7. 145. See Tishby, ed., Perush ba-'Aggadot le-Rabbi Azriel, pp. 40, 116; Scho- lem in Sefer Bialik (Tel Aviv, 1934), p. 160, n. 8; Moses de Leon, Shushan Edut, ed. Scholem, Qovez al Yad, n.s. 8 (1976): 334. 146. See Tishby, Afishnat ha-Zobar 2:247-306; above, “The Secret of Sab- bath,” “Qorban and Olab.” On meditation see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 369-72; Perle Epstein, Kabbalah: The Way of the Jewish Mystic; Aryeh Kaplan, Meditation and Kabbalab. 147. See above, “The Gift of Dwelling”; Zohar 3:67a. 148. The seven palaces below Shekhbinab are described in the Heikbalot (Zohar 1:38a—+5b; 2:244b-262b). On Fesod see above, “The Gift of Dwelling.” For a cryptic description of sefirotic vision see “Colors and Enlightenment”; cf. Rabbi Shim’on’s revelation before his death in “The Wedding Celebration.” 149. Zohar 2:93a; cf. 3:254b. 150. An inversion of “The Book of Concealment,” one of the most obscure 202 NOTES sections of the Zohar (2:176b-179a). It contains five brief chapters and is preceded by this passage. 151. For the kabbalist who has entered the secret realm and emerged unscathed with wisdom; see above, “Threshing Out the Secrets.” 152. In Talmud, Berakbot 64a, the phrase “master of wheat” means one who has mastered the literal traditions. Here wheat and its products (kernels, bread, cake, and royal pastry) may symbolize the four levels of meaning in Torah (literal, midrashic, allegorical, and mystical). 203 ZOHAR Notes to Page 43 How to Look at Torah Torah “Teaching,” the first five books of the Bible. ordinary words Aramaic, millin de-hedyotei. Millin has several meanings in this passage: words, things, matters. Hedyotei means ‘common, popular, ignoble.” The phrase may be translated: “everyday matters.” Cf. Zohar 3:149b, where the phrase refers to secular, ignoble stories of the Torah, in contrast to millin gaddishin, “‘holy words, holy matters.” better than all of them! than all the stories of Torah, or than all its ordinary words; see next note. rulers of the world Aramaic, gaftirei de-'alma. Qafsir is a neologism. Elsewhere in the Zohar it appears to mean “ruler”; see 1:37a, 177a, 243a; Shim’on Labi, Ketem Paz on 1:37a; cf. Aramaic, tafsera, “royal dignitary,” and Zohar 1:243b. The neologisms of the Zohar often contain the letters ¢ and q; see Scholem, Major Trends, p. 166. In 3:36b the word means something else, perhaps “pieces.” In his Be’ur migzat millot zarot she-be-Sefer ha-Zohar (“Expla- nation of Some Strange Words in the Zohar”) Labi comments on this phrase: “Rulers have many stories and chronicles from which they learn wisdom and ethics, such as Meshal ha-Qadmonim and the like.” Meshal ba-Qadmoni (“The Fable of the Ancient”) is a collection of fables and homilies written in 1281 in Guadalajara by a friend of Moses de Leon, the poet and kabbalist Isaac ibn Sahula. Noted for its beautiful Hebrew, this book was modeled on popular works such as Kalila and Dimna, a collection of moral fables supposedly compiled for the king of Persia from all the books of wisdom that could be found. Ibn Sahula wanted to show Jews that they need not rely on foreign material, that Jewish works were equally edifying and entertaining. He de- scribes his fables as “secular things based on the purity of holiness” (Meshal ba- Qadmoni [Tel Aviv, 1952], p. 6). In his book Isaac quotes one passage from the Midrash ha-Ne'elam (the earliest stratum of the Zohar), paraphrases another, and refers to the work obliquely several times; see Scholem, Tarbiz 3 (1932): 181-3; Baer, A History of the Jews in Christian Spain 1:436-7, n. 17; idem, Toledot ha-Yehudim bi-Sefarad ha-Nozrit, pp. 508-9, n. 61a. Is Moses de Leon returning the favor and alluding here to Meshal ha-Qadmoni, written by his friend? The neologism hides more than it reveals. Tishby (Mishnat ha-Zobar 2:402) renders the phrase: “Booklets [guntresim] of the world,” which he takes to mean secular compositions. He rejects the interpretation “rulers” and translates according to the context. 204 Notes to Pages 43—44 make a Torah out of them deleting the words ke-bai gavuna, in accord with the reading of the Cremona edition; see Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zohar 2:402, 769. all the words of Torah... a basic exegetical principle of the Zohar, cf. 2:55b: “There is no word in the Torah that does not contain many secrets, many reasons, many roots, many branches”; cf. 3:79b, 174b. are perfectly balanced Aramaic, be-had mazgela itgelu; the same phrase recurs in Zohar 2:176b (Sifra di-Zeni uta), 3:138b (Idra Rabba), 290a (Idra Zuta). Cf. Bereshit Rabba 1:15: Rabbi El’azar son of Rabbi Shim’on said, ‘... Both [heaven and earth] are balanced by each other.” ‘He makes His angels spirits’ The verse in Psalms means: “He makes winds His messengers.” Rabbi Shim’on reads the words in the literal order they appear, in order to introduce his teaching. Cf. Zohar 1:101a; 3:126b. they put on the garment of this world they appear as physical beings, e.g., to Abraham; see Genesis 18:1-2. Torah, who created them and all the worlds Torah is the instrument with which God created the universe; cf. Wolfson, Philo 1:243-5; Bereshit Rabba 1:1: “The Torah says, ‘I was the instrument of the Blessed Holy One.’ ... The Blessed Holy One looked in the Torah and created the world.” for whose sake... Cf. Talmud, Pesahim 68b: Rabbi El’azar said, “Were it not for Torah, heaven and earth would not have remained in existence.” may his spirit deflate! Aramaic, tippab rubeib, “may his spirit [or “breath”] blow out”; cf. Zohar 3:149b: “Whoever says that the story of Torah is intended to show only itself, may his spirit deflate!” the world that is coming Aramaic, a/ma de-vatei; on the mystical signif- icance of the phrase, see below, notes to “Qorban and Olab.” under the garment of Torah The search for the wonders, the mystical essence of Torah, has an erotic quality to it; cf. above, “The Old Man and the Beautiful Maiden”; Zohar 2:98b, 3:49b, 81a; Tanhuma, Ki Tissa, §16. ‘embodiment of Torah’ Hebrew, gufei Torah, “bodies of Torah.” In the Mishnah this term denotes the essential teachings of Torah; see Mishnah, Hagigab 1:8: “Judgments and the laws of sacrifices, what is pure and impure, sexual immorality ... these are gufet Torah”; cf. Tosefta, Shabbat 2:10; Mishnah, Avot 3:23. Here the category is broadened to include all the commandments; cf. Zohar 2:85b. garments: the stories Several of the Torah’s commandments are clothed in stories; see Genesis 32:24-32; Numbers 9:6-14; 15:32-36, 27:1-11. Furthermore, the narrative format of the Torah transmits moral teaching throughout, as noted by Moses Cordovero: “The entire Torah—ethics, laws, and piety—is [presented] through stories” (Or ha-Hammah, on this passage). do not look at the garment but rather at the body Such readers penetrate the narrative layer and concentrate on the commandments of Torah. The wise ones... Mystics, kabbalists. 205 Notes to Page 44 those who stood at Mt. Sinai According to the Midrash, the souls of all those not yet born were present at Sinai; see Shemot Rabbah 28:4; Tanbuma, Yitro, §11; Pirgei de-Rabbi Eli’ezer, Chap. 41; cf. Zohar 1:91a. Here the Zohar implies that only the souls of mystics were actually present; perhaps only mystics are aware that they were present at Sinai. - look only at the soul, root of all, real Torah! The mystics see through the outer, physical layers of Torah, both her garment of stories and her body of commandments, into her soul. Real Torah, oraita mammash, is their sole object of study and contemplation. What this sou! is becomes clear below. Cf. Philo’s description of the Therapeutae, the contemplative Jewish sect: “The whole of the law seems to these people to resemble a living being, with the literal commandments for its body, and for its soul the invisible meaning stored away in its words” (De vita contemplativa 10:78, trans. David Winston, Philo of Alexandria (Ramsey, N.J., 1981], p. 55). Cf. Origen: “Just as a human being is said to be made up of body, soul, and spirit, so also is sacred Scripture” (De principtis 4:2,4, trans. Rowan Greer, Origen [New York, 1979], p. 182). Cf. Rumi, Mathnawi (trans. E. H. Whinfield [London, 1887], p. 169): “The outward sense of the Qur’an is like Adam’s body: only its exterior is visible; its soul is hidden.” the soul of the soul of Torah see below. the Communion of Israel Hebrew, Keneset Yisrael, “Community of Israel.” In earlier rabbinic literature this phrase denotes the people of Israel, the Ecclesia of Israel. In the Zohar Keneset Yisrael refers to Shekbinah, the divine counterpart of the people, that aspect of God most intimately connected with them, “She in whom the Jew has his communion” (Robert Duncan, cited in Jerome Rothenberg, 4 Big Jewish Book [New York, 1978], p. 36). Here Shekhinah is described as the divine body clothed by the heavens who receives the soul, a higher sefirah. the soul, the Beauty of Israel The masculine aspect of God is called Tif eret Yisrael, “the Beauty of Israel” (cf. Lamentations 2:1). Shekhinah receives Him as the body receives the soul. So She is the body of the soul This is not merely redundant. Talmud, Yevamot 62a speaks of a cosmic body that contains all souls; cf. Rashi, ad loc. Moses de Leén identifies this body with Shekhinab; see his Sefer ha-Mishgal, p. 93; Liebes, ““Peragim,” pp. 179-80, 226; cf. Zohar 2:142a, 157a. Shekbinah receives the soul of 7iferet and thereby carries all human souls, which are engendered by the union of these two sefirot; see 1:13a, 197a, 209a; Tishby, Mishnat ha- Zohar, 2:20-6. The soul we have mentioned... This refers not only to the immedi- ately preceding lines but also to the preceding passage: “The wise ones . . . look only at the soul.” The mystics gaze into the soul of Torah, which is none other than the seftrab of Tiferet. One of the names of this sefirah is the Written Torah, while Shekhinabh is called the Oral Torah. The hidden essence of Torah 206 Notes to Pages 44-49 is God. The ultimate purpose of study is direct experience of the divine, who is real Torah; the search for meaning culminates in revelation. Cf. Zohar 2:60a, 90b; 3:9b; Scholem, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, pp. 37-50. The soul of the soul is the Holy Ancient One Alttiga Qaddisha, the Holy Ancient One, is the primal, most ancient manifestation of Ein Sof, the Infinite, through Keter, Its Crown, beyond both Shekbinab and Tif eret. The phrase “soul of the soul” derives from Solomon ibn Gabirol (eleventh century): “You are soul of the soul” (Keter Malkhut); cf. Zohar 1:45a, 79a (Sitrei Torah), 103b, 245a; 2:156b; Zobar Hadash, Rut 75a, 82c (Midrash ha-Ne’elam); Philo, De Opificio Mundi, §66; Lucretius, De rerum natura, trans. Cyril Bailey (Oxford, 1947) 3:275 (anima animae). Woe to the wicked ... The literalists are not merely fools; they are wicked sinners, bayyavayya. The Zohar is referring here to radical rationalists who read the Torah critically and question its divine origin, thus undermining its authority. Cf. above, Introduction, n. 7; Zohar 1:163a; ‘“‘All those close- minded fools, when they see words of Torah, not only do they not know [the mystical meaning]; they even say that those are defective words, useless words!” Reacting to this heretical attitude, Rabbi Shim’on urges readers of Torah not to be content with the superficial garment but to penetrate to the inner meaning and divine core. As wine must sit in a jar... Cf. Mishnah, Avot 4:27: Rabbi Meir said, “Do not look at the jar, but rather at what is inside.” Cf. Talmud, Ta ‘anit 7a: Rabbi Hosha’ya said, “Why have the words of Torah been compared to these three drinks: water, wine, and milk? .. . Just as these three drinks keep only in the most inferior vessels, so words of Torah keep only in one who is humble.” The Creation of Elohim Elohim one of the names of God; see below. In the Beginning Genesis 1:1. This selection is a commentary on the first half of the verse; it appears at the beginning of the Zohar on Genesis. the King the Infinite, Ein Sof, about to begin Its manifestation. the luster on high the brilliance of the first sefirah, Keter, the Crown. Keter is coeternal with Ein Sof. A blinding spark Aramaic, bozina de-qardinuta. Bozina means “Jamp,” but in the Zohar also “light” and “spark.” Qardinuta offers a good example of the author’s linguistic method. In conveying mystical secrets, he fashions words that conceal more than they reveal. Qardinuta is based partially on a phrase in Talmud, Pesabim 7a: hittei qurdanaita, “wheat from Kurdistan.” This kind of wheat is very hard (see Rashi, ad loc.), and, drawing on this association, the author employs the word here to describe the spark; cf. Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 228: ‘a very powerful light.” Qardinuta is also intended to evoke an image of 207 Notes to Page 49 darkness, gadrut; cf. Zohar Hadash, Bereshit 2a, where gardenuta de-sibara means “eclipse of the moon” (Hebrew, gadrut ba-yareab). Some Zohar MSS read here: bozina de-qadrinuta, and a number of translators, though retaining gardinuta, render the phrase in this sense: “spark of darkness” (Ketem Paz and, following him, Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zohar 1:163); ‘a dark flame” (Scholem, Zohar, p- 27). Cf. Shemot Rabbah 2:10: “The fire up above . . . is black.” On the Sufi image of “the black light” (niir-e siyah) see Henry Corbin, The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism, trans. Nancy Pearson (Boulder, 1978), pp. 99-120. The spark is over- whelming, so bright and powerful that it cannot be seen. This blinding spark is the first impulse of emanation proceeding from Ein Sof, the Infinite, through Keter. The goal of meditation is to attain this spark and participate in the flow of being; see Zobar Hadash, Va-’Ethannan, 57d—58a, 58c—d (Qav ha-Middah). On the meaning and connotations of this phrase see the wealth of material collect- ed by Liebes, ‘‘Peragim,” pp. 145-51, 161-4. the Concealed of the Concealed the luster on high, the first and most hidden sefirab, Keter. the Infinite Fin Sof, “there is no end.” On the evolution of this term see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 88-9. a cluster of vapor in formlessness ... Aramaic, gutra be-golma. Qutra means both “knot” and “smoke” in the Zohar; see 1:30a, 33b, 94b, 161b; 2:80a, 124a; 3:45b, Sla—b, 107a, 289b, 295b Udra Zuta). The ring is Keter, the Crown. not white, not black... Abraham Galante (sixteenth century) suggests that these two colors are excluded first to remove the notion that the spark is of a physical nature, either white light or black darkness (Or ha-Hammah, ad \oc.). The four colors are associated elsewhere with four sefirot: Hesed, Shekhinah, Gevurab, and Tiferet, none of which appear until a later stage of emanation. When a band spanned... The spark that is a vapor is also a band or cord (Aramaic, meshiba), referred to elsewhere in the Zohar as gav ha-middah, “the line of measure”; see Zohar Hadash, Va-'Ethannan, 56d-58d (Qav ha- Middab); and on the connection between gardinuta and measurement, Liebes, “Peraqim,” pp. 149, 162-3. The line maps out the paths and stages of emana- tion, the spectrum of divine colors. concealed within the concealed ... The flow of emanation has just begun. Everything is still hidden within the mystery of Ein Sof. broke through and did not break through its aura It is impossible to describe the spiritual nature of the breakthrough; so the act is stated and immediately denied; see Scholem’s remarks on expressions of this kind in Major Trends, pp. 166-7. The aura (or “ether” or “air”; Aramaic, avira) is Keter; cf. Zohar 1:16b; 3:135b (/dra Rabba); Altmann, Studies in Religious Philosophy and Mysticism, p. 174. The designation derives from Sefer Yezirah 2:6: “He formed substance from chaos and made that which is not into that which is. He hewed great pillars out of avir that cannot be grasped.” one high and hidden point ... Beginning The flow of emanation 208 Notes to Pages 49-50 manifests as a point of light. This is the second seftrah: Hokhmah, Wisdom. It is the Beginning mentioned in the first verse of Genesis; cf. Targum Yerushalmi and Ramban, ad loc.; Bereshit Rabba 1:1; Wolfson, Philo, 1:242-5, 266-9, Scho- lem, Major Trends, p. 391, n. 80. The point is called Beginning because it is the first ray of divine light to appear outside of Keter, the first aspect of God that can be known. the first command of all The Mishnah states that God created the world with ten commands. Only nine explicit commands appear in Genesis 1, but the decade is completed by counting the phrase “In the Beginning.” See Mishnah, Avot 5:1; Talmud, Rosh ba-Shanah 32a, Megillah 21b. “The enlightened ...” Hebrew, ha-maskilim. On the following pages of the Zohar this term is applied to secret aspects of the alphabet and the seftrot; see 1:15b-16a. Elsewhere the Zohar employs the term to designate kabbalists, masters of meditation. The citation of this verse here, at the beginning of the Zohar on Genesis, may also refer to them. The Zohar on Exodus opens with the same verse and spells out the referent: “The enlightened are those who contemplate the secret of wisdom” (2:2a); cf. Zohar Hadash, Va-’Ethannan, 8c (Qav ha-Middab); above, ‘Colors and Enlightenment”; Bahir, §139. “like the zohar of the sky” In the verse zobar means “splendor, bril- liance.” Here the word designates the hidden power of emanation (see below) and suggests the title of the book; cf. Zohar 3:124b, 153b (Ra aya Meheimna). “make the masses righteous” cf. Zohar 1:15b. Converting the masses into righteous human beings is one of the goals of the Zohar; cf. above, Introduction, §4. Zohar ... this point The spark of emanation flashes again, and Keter, the aura, transmits the impulse to Hokbmah, the point of Wisdom. a palace for its glory ... sowed the seed... The purpose of emanation is to display the glory of the hidden God. This is achieved through a rhythm of revelation and concealment. The point expands into a circle, a palace; cf. Be- reshit Rabba 1:1. This palace is the third sefirah: Binab, Understanding. She is the divine womb; the seed of holiness, another name for Hokhmah, is sown inside Her. Binab will give birth to the seven lower sefirot, which bring about the rest of Creation. “Her stock is a holy seed” Isaiah refers here to one-tenth of the people of Israel, who will be saved. The Zohar cites the verse as an allusion to Shekbinab, the mystical Community of Israel, the tenth seftrah, whose origin is the seed of holiness sown in Binab. The silkworm ... As the silkworm spins a cocoon out of its own substance, so Hokbmah, the point of Beginning, expands into the palace of Binab. Cf. Bereshit Rabba 21:5: “like the locust whose garment is of itself”; Shnei’ur Zalman of Lyady, Sha’ar ha-Yibud ve-ha-’Emunabh, Chap. 7; and the spider simile in the Upanishads: Robert E. Hume, ed., The Thirteen Principal Upanishads (New York, 1971), pp. 95, 367. 209 Notes to Pages 0-51 the Concealed One who is not known the hidden source of emana- tion, Ein Sof or Keter. Elohim a divine name meaning “God” or “gods.” Here the name signi- fies Binab, the Divine Mother who gives birth to the seven lower sefirot; cf. Zohar 1:3b, 15b. The secret is... The Zohar offers its mystical reading of the first words of Genesis. The following should be noted: (1) The Hebrew preposition be- means both “in” and “with.” Therefore the first word of the Bible, Be-Resbit, may be translated: “With [the] Beginning” as well as: “In the Beginning”; cf. Targum Yerushalmi and Ramban, ad loc.; Bereshit Rabbab 1:1. (2) The subject of the verse, Elobim, ‘‘God,” follows the verb, “created.” The Zohar insists on reading the words in the exact order they appear and thereby transforms Elobim into the object; cf. Megillah 9a. This means that there is now no subject, but that is perfect because the true subject of emanation cannot be named. For the Zohamthe words no longer mean: “In the Beginning God created,” but ratherWith Beginning [by means of_the point of Wisdom] the Ineffable Source created Elohim [the palace of Bina The Hidden Light the light ... created at first The primordial light of the first day of Creation. Elsewhere the Zohar identifies this light with the sefirab of Hesed, Love; see 1:20a; 2:137a, 166b. Hesed is the first sefirab that emanates from Binab. the light of the eye A rabbinic tradition on the primordial light indi- cates its overwhelming brilliance; see Bereshit Rabba 3:6: ‘““The light created during the six days of Creation cannot shine during the daytime because it overwhelms [literally, ‘“dims”] the orb of the sun”; cf. Isaiah 30:26. A contrary view appears in Shemot Rabbah 35:1: ‘Its light was pleasant for the world and did not cause harm like the sun.” Babir, §§147, 190 state: “No creature could look at it”; cf. Zohar Hadash, Bereshit 1Sb (Midrash ba-Ne’elam); Philo, De Opificio Mundi, §§29-31. Here the Zohar draws a direct parallel between the primordial light and the light of vision. This may be an allusion to the mystical properties of the eye; see above, “Colors and Enlightenment.” the first Adam Aramaic, Adam Qadma ‘ah, “the first Adam,” or “Primor- dial Adam.” The term appears in both senses in the Zohar; see 1:37b, 91b, 139b; 2:144a, 167b, 262b, 275b; 3:43b. On the mythological and mystical implications, see below. he saw from one end of the world to the other Cf. Talmud, Hagigab 12a; Rabbi El’azar said, ‘With the light that the Blessed Holy One created on the First Day, Adam could see from one end of the world to the other”; cf. Bereshit Rabba 41:3. There is a close parallel between the primordial light and the original nature of Adam; see Talmud, loc. cit.: Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rav, ‘‘Adam extended from one end of the world to the other.” Like 210 Notes to Page $1 the primordial light, “the apple of Adam’s heel overwhelmed [literally, “dimmed”] the orb of the sun” (Tanbuma, Abarei Mot, §2). See Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews 5:112-3, n. 104 (hereafter cited as Legends); Altmann, ‘“‘Gnos- tic Themes in Rabbinic Cosmology,” Essays in Honour of the Very Rev. Dr. J. H. Hertz (London, 1942), pp. 28-32; idem, Studies, p. 133; Ephraim E. Urbach, Hazal, pp. 202-4, Lawrence Kushner, Honey from the Rock, pp. 93-120; idem, The River of Light, pp. 93-110. Numerous parallels exist in Gnostic, Iranian, and Buddhist traditions; see Mircea Eliade, ‘Spirit, Light, and Seed,” History of Religions 11 (1971): 1-30. In Kabbalah the relationship between Adam and the light is regarded as one of the deepest secrets; see Ketem Paz on Zohar 1:37b: ‘“‘My teacher taught me that Adam resembled the primordial light that was hidden away. Afterwards a thread-thin ray appeared to give breath [or “soul”; Hebrew, neshamah] to people on earth and life to those who walk thereon [see Isaiah 42:5]. ... Understand this, for the secret is one and of one foundation. I cannot expand on this, for thus have I been commanded.” “How great is your good...” This verse is cited frequently in refer- ence to the primordial light reserved for the righteous; cf. Genesis 1:4; see Babir, §147; Zohar 1:47a; 2:220b; 3:88a. Moses; ... saw When he was about to die, Moses climbed Mt. Nebo in Moab and saw the entire land of Israel from a distance; Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-5. In Sifrei, Deuteronomy, §338 Rabbi Joshua says that Moses was able to view the entire land because God “placed power in Moses’ eyes and he saw from one end of the world to the other.” The Zohar connects his vision with the power of the primordial light. three wicked generations would arise ... He hid the light away Cf. Shemot Rabbah 35:1: Rabbi Judah son of Simon said, ‘‘As soon as the Blessed Holy One saw the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Tower of Babel, whose actions were corrupt, He hid the light away from them, as it is said: ‘The light of the wicked is withheld’ (Job 38:15). For whom did He hide it? For the righteous in the hereafter. ... Where did He hide it? In the Garden of Eden, as it is said: ‘Light is sown for the righteous’ (Psalms 97:11).” Cf. Talmud, Hagigah 12a; Bereshit Rabba 3:6, 41:3. Concerning the generation of Enosh, Genesis 4:26 states: “Then, for the first time, the name YHVH was invoked.” The Midrash takes this to mean that his was the first generation to worship idols and address them by the name YHVH; see Bereshit Rabba 23:7; cf. Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Avodah Zarab 1:1, the three unused months of his gestation ... Literally, “the three remaining months of his gestation.” According to one midrashic tradition, Moses was born three months premature, and the phrase in Exodus 2:2, “She concealed him for three months,” refers to the last three months of the normal period of pregnancy, which were the first three months of Moses’ life; see Targum Yerushalmi and Midrash ba-Gadol, ad loc.; Rashi on Exodus 2:3. Talmud, 2 Notes to Pages $1—52 Sotah 12a, cites a tradition that when Moses was born the whole house filled with light; cf. Shemot Rabbah 1:24, and above, ‘““The Birth of Moses,” where rabbinic inference and allusion are spelled out mystically. he was brought before Pharaoh ... See Exodus 2:3-10. Pharaoh’s evil nature was incompatible with the holy light. he wielded it Aramaic, ishtammash beih, “he used it.” This verb can have theurgic connotations, see Mishnah, Avot 1:13; Scholem, Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism, and Talmudic Tradition, p. 54, n. 36; Major Trends, p. 358, n. 17; Urbach, Hazal, pp. 110-1. “They were afraid to come near him” The entire verse reads: “Aaron and all the Children of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face was radiant! They were afraid to come near him.” He wrapped himself in it as in a tallit ... Ta/lit originally meant “gown” or “cloak” and was worn by the wealthy and by distinguished rabbis and scholars. Later it came to mean ‘“‘a prayer shawl.” The image here derives from the Midrash; see Midrash Tebillim 104-4: “Rabbi Shim’on son of Yehoza- daq asked Rabbi Shemu’el son of Nahman, ‘How did the Blessed Holy One create the light?’ He answered, ‘He wrapped Himself in a white ta/lit, and the world shone from His light.’ He said this to him in a whisper. Rabbi Shim’on said, ‘Is this not stated explicitly in the Bible? “He wraps Himself in light as in a garment.” ’ Rabbi Shemu’el replied, ‘As I received it in a whisper, so I told it to you in a whisper.’” Cf. Bereshit Rabba 3:4, and the parallels cited in Julius Theodor’s edition Jerusalem, 1965), p. 19. The image of God wrapping Him- self in a garment of light appears in Greek, Iranian, and kabbalistic sources; see Robert Eisler, Weltenmantel und Himmelszelt (Munich, 1910), pp. 49-112; R. C. Zaehner, Zurvan, A Zoroastrian Dilemma (Oxford, 1955); Altmann, Studies, pp. 128-39; Scholem, Jewish Gnosticism, pp. 57-62. The Zohar employs the image frequently in describing the process of emanation; see 1:2a, 29a, 90a (Sitrei Torah), 2:39b, 164b. Here the image is transferred from God to Moses, and he wraps himself in the garment of light. The mythical nature of Moses unfolds in the Zohar on Exodus. Every subject of the phrase ... Here the Zohar formulates its own exegetical principle while drawing on older rabbinic models. Cf. Tanbuma (ed. Buber), Naso, §24: Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai said, “Wherever the phrase ‘And there was’ appears, it refers to something that was and ceased for many days and returned to its original state.” Cf. Beresbit Rabba 41:3: “Rabbi Shim’on said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan, ‘Wherever the phrase “And there was” appears, it serves for sorrow and for joy. If sorrow, there is none like it; if joy, there is none like it.’ Rabbi Shemu’el son of Nahman came and made a distinction: ‘Wherever it says, ‘““And there was,” there is sorrow; wherever it says, “And there will be,” there is joy.’ It was objected: ‘But it is written: “God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light.” ’ He responded, ‘There is no longer any joy, for the world was not worthy to use that light.’”” Cf. Talmud, 212 Notes to Pages 52-53 Megillab 10b. The Zohar is alluding to the tradition that the light was hidden away for the righteous in the hereafter; see above. Bahir, §160, identifies the hidden light with the world that is coming, which it takes to mean: “the world that already came”; see below, end of notes to ‘“Qorban and Olab.”’ The phrase “And there was light” is similarly taken to mean: “There already was light,” i.e., the primordial light; see Babir, §25; Zohar 1:16b, 30b, 45b; Zobar Hadash, Bereshit, \a; Yitro, 37d; Bereshit Rabba 3:2, the variant readings, and Theodor’s note, p. 19. flared Aramaic, bavab selig neboreih, “its light rose”; cf. Zohar 1:45b. and the worlds would not enjoy it because of them The wicked have deprived the world of the primordial light. the Righteous One! ... Hebrew, zaddig. The appearance of this word in the verse from Psalms is proof to Rabbi Isaac that the reference is to the sefirah of Yesod, Foundation, who is called the Righteous One; cf. Proverbs 10:25; Talmud, Hagigah 12b; Bahir, §102. Yesod is the procreative power of God, and the primordial light is hidden there; cf. Zohar 1:la, 45b; 2:35a, 166b-167a; Tiqqunei Zohar, §18, 31b; Eliade, ‘Spirit, Light, and Seed,” p. 4. The same verse from Psalms is cited in the Midrash in reference to the hidden light; see above; Midrash Tebillim 27:1. the worlds will be fragrant Aramaic, yitbassemun almin; cf. similar phrases in Zohar 1:34a; 2:143a, 168a, 227a; 3:18a. The Zohar’s use of the root bsm is influenced by Spanish endulzar; see Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 228; cf. idem, Zobar, p. 30: “then the worlds will be in harmony.” until the day... literally, “until the day when it will be the world that is coming.” The world that is coming reveals the hidden light; see above. Rabbi Judah said... The rest of this selection is from another discus- sion of Genesis 1:3 found in Zohar 2:148b—149a. It is no accident that the name Rabbi Judah appears here. The teaching that follows is a radical interpretation of the theme of the hidden light. Moses de Leén lends it an aura of tradition by transmitting it in the name of Rabbi Judah, who delivered a teaching on this theme in the Midrash; see Bereshit Rabba 41:3, and Theodor’s note, pp. 405-6. Rabbi Judah introduces other variations on the hidden light in Zohar 1:121b (Midrash ha-Ne’elam), 3:88a. Zohar 2:166a—167a contains an elaborate sefirotic homily on the light. Here Rabbi Judah does not appear; instead, a young boy who is thought to be illiterate leaps over the heads of the rabbis, sits down and smiles, and begins to spout mystical secrets. Moses de Leon alternates between wrapping himself in the garment of tradition and startling the traditionalists. absorbed in her Aramaic, de-la’an bab; la’ei means “to work, toil, study.” Torah is feminine. as we have already established in Talmud, Hagigah 12b: Resh Laqish said, “Whoever engages in Torah at night, the Blessed Holy One extends a thread-thin ray of love to him during the day, as it is said: ‘By day YHVH will enjoin his love.’ Why? Because ‘in the night His song is with me.’ ” “His song” 213 Notes to Pages S3-S4 is the song of Torah; “His love,” hasdo, suggests the sefirab of Hesed, the primordial light. With the words “as we have already established,” Rabbi Judah conveys the impression that the motif of the hidden light is implied in the talmudic midrash. This midrash is often applied by the Zohar to the kabbalistic midnight study session; see, e.g., 1:82b; 2:46a; 3:22a. On the connec- tion between Torah and the hidden light see Bahir, §§147-149; Zohar 1:47a; 2:167a; and the teaching of the Ba’al Shem Tov: “With the light of the six days of Creation, one could see from one end of the world to the other. Where did the Blessed Holy One hide it? He hid it in the Torah. And when it says: ‘for the righteous,’ this means for the righteous who will come into the world [i.e., not merely as their reward in the afterlife]. Whoever attains the light hidden in the Torah can see with it from one end of the world to the other” (Shivbei ha- Besht, ed. Mintz, p. 79). Since the first day of Creation. The reading “Since that day” is found in many editions; see the entire passage in Zohar 2:149a. it plays a vital role Aramaic, shimmusha ga meshammesh, “it certainly does function”; cf. the use of the root shmsh above: “make use,” ‘‘used,” “wielded”; and Zohar 2:148b. renewing every day the act of Creation! Cf. the morning liturgy: “Lord of wonders, the One who renews in His goodness every day continually the act of Creation.” Cf. Augustine’s image of the semina seminum implanted in the world at Creation to give rise to miracles (De trinitate 3:5-10). On the creative power of the primordial light see Pirgei de-Rabbi Eli’ezer, Chap. 3; Zohar 2:220b, Zohar Hadash, Rut, 85a (Midrash ha-Ne'elam); Menahem Recanati, Commentary on the Torab, p. 8c, Urbach, Hazal, pp. 184-5; and Ketem Paz on Zohar 1:47a: “For with the appearance of the light, the universe expanded. With its concealment, all existing things were created according to their species.... This is the secret of the act of Creation. One who is able to understand will understand.” Adams Sin YHVH Elohim two divine names. YHVH is the ineffable name of God; Elobim means “‘God” or “gods.” et Adam rt is an accusative particle introducing a determinate object. It has no independent sense and is lost in translation, though originally it may have meant “substance” or “essence.” The Midrash often interprets this seem- ingly insignificant little word as an amplification of a biblical verse; see Talmud, Pesabim 22b. Here the word et and the apparent redundancy of the clause in which it occurs stimulate Rabbi El’azar to create a mystical midrash that hints at the true nature of Adam’s sin. divorced Aramaic, aveid tirukhin. Several midrashim interpret the He- brew word va-yegaresh, ‘‘He drove out,” in the sense of geirushin (Aramaic, oe Notes to Page 54 tirukhin), “divorce.” See Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu, §1: ‘‘Va-yegaresh et ha-'adam. This teaches that the Blessed Holy One gave him a divorce like a wife.” Cf. Zigquqin de-Nura, ad loc.; and Midrash ha-Gadol on this verse: ““This teaches that he was divorced like a wife who is divorced from her husband because of something indecent [ervat davar; see Deuteronomy 24:1].” Cf. Bereshit Rabba 21:8; Yalqut Shim ‘oni, Genesis, §34. Adam’s harmonious and intimate relationship with God is destroyed by sin. The Zohar adopts this midrashic view but reassigns the roles. Et, precisely! In the Zohar et is a kabbalistic code name for Shekbinah, the last sefirab. Expressing the fullness of divine speech, Shekhinab spells out all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alef to tav: et. See Zohar 1:15b (and Ketem Paz, ad loc.), 30b. Once Et was driven out of the Garden, language became corrupt and remained so until the Revelation at Sinai; see Zohar Hadash, Bereshit, 8c (Sitrei Otiyyot); Zohar 1:55b—56a; and Ketem Paz, ad loc. Adam drove out Et! The nature of Adam’s sin is one of the most tightly guarded secrets of the Zohar. The language of Genesis 3, the Garden story, is understood as hiding the true meaning of the sin; see Zohar Hadash, Bereshit, 19a (Midrash ha-Ne’elam), where Rabbi Shim’on recounts a conversation he had with Adam while selecting his future place in Paradise: ‘““Adam ... was sitting next to me and speaking with me, and he asked that his sin not be revealed to the whole world beyond what the Torah had said concerning it. It is concealed in that tree in the Garden of Eden.” The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is a symbol of Shekbinab. Adam’s sin was that he worshiped and partook of Shekbinab alone, thus splitting Her off from the higher sefirot and divorcing Her from Her husband, Tif ret, the Tree of Life. Adam disrupted the unity of the cosmos and “severed the young trees” (gizzez ba-neti ot). This last image, employed by the Talmud, to describe heresy, is applied by the Kabbalah to Adam's sin; see Talmud, Hagigah 14b; Bereshit Rabba 19:3; Zohar 1:12a—b, 35b— 36a, 221a—b; 3:182a, 240a; Scholem, Major Trends, pp. 231-2, 236, 404-5, n. 105; On the Kabbalah, p. 108; Ursprung, p. 273, Tishby, Mishnat ba-Zohar, 1:221-3. On the psychological plane, the sin corresponds to the splitting off of conscious- ness from the unconscious; see Jung, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, Collected Works 8:157; Erich Neumann, The Origins and History of Consctousness (Princeton, 1970), pp. 102-27; Julian Jaynes, The Origin of Consctousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (Boston, 1976), p. 299; cf. Scholem, Mayor Trends, pp. 216, 236-7. Here, by means of a midrashic twist, Rabbi El’azar indicates that Adam has divorced Shekbinah. This may mean “divorced Her from Tif‘ret{ or | “divorced Her from himself.” The first interpretation accords with the kabbe listic scheme outlined above; cf. Zohar 1:53a: “He caused a defect, separating the Wife from Her Husband.” The second interpretation fits Rabbi El’azar’s opening remark, though note the cryptic words “or not,” which leave open the exact nature of the alternative. Cf. Bereshit Rabba 19:7: Rabbi Abba son of 25 Notes to Pages $4-S5 Kahana said, “The essence of Shekhinah was in the lower worlds. As soon as Adam sinned, She withdrew to the first heaven.”” Moses de Leén’s friend and fellow kabbalist, Joseph Gikatilla, expands this midrash in his Sha arei Orah, p. 15: “You must realize an essential principle. Know that at the beginning of Creation, the essence of Shekhinah was in the lower worlds, for the arrange- ment of all creatures was in accord with the levels, high corresponding to high, low corresponding to low. So Shekhinah was in the lower worlds. Since She was below, heaven and earth were united ... perfecting one another, filling one another. The channels and wellsprings were working perfectly, conducting the flow from above to below. Thus YHVH, may He be blessed, filled every- thing from above to below. .. .He was present equally in the upper and lower worlds. Then Adam came and sinned. The lines were ruined, the channels broken, the pools cut off; Shekhinab withdrew and the bond was severed.” Adam’s sin has dissolved the union and driven Shekhinah from the Garden. But it has also dissolved the higher, sefirotic union, and Shekbinah finds Herself abandoned in a no man’s land. Meanwhile, as a result of his sin, Adam is banished from the Garden. Wandering outside, he finds Shekhinab, and togeth- er they go into exile. Cf. above, “God, Israel, and Shekhinah”’; Zohar 1:237a: “Come and see the secret of the word: Adam was caught by his very sin. He brought death upon himself and upon the whole world. He caused that Tree with which he sinned to be divorced, to be driven away with him, to be driven away with his children forever, as it is written: ‘He drove out et Adam.’” Male and Female High mysteries... The mysteries are explained below; these two verses are cited elsewhere as biblical indications of the secret arts of chiromancy and physiognomy. Such techniques were employed by the Merkavah mystics to ascertain whether a person was fit to receive esoteric teachings. “The book of the generations of Adam” was taken to mean “the book of human character and fate.” “Male and female He created them” implied that chiromantic prediction varied according to sex, the right hand being the determining factor for the male, the left hand for the female. See Ketem Paz on this passage; Ramban on Genesis 5:2; Zohar 2:70a—b (Raza de-Razin), 75a, 77a; Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 317-9; cf. Sifra, Qedoshim 4:12. to make known the Glory on high, the mystery of faith The human being mirrors the structure of divinity, the ten sefirot, in which masculine and feminine are balanced. The seftrot constitute the mystery of faith, raza di- mebermanuta, the belief system of Kabbalah. See Bahir, §82; Zohar 1:101b; 3:117a, 141b dra Rabba); Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:155-61; above, Introduc- tion, §6. heaven and earth... Adam... Rabbi Shim’on proves the correspon- 216 Notes to Pages SS-56 dence between Adam’s creation and the creation of heaven and earth by verbal analogy, a common technique of interpretation (gezerah shavab). The micro- cosm motif is ancient and widespread; see Altmann, Studies, pp. 19-28; and for rabbinic parallels, Tanhuma, Fequdei, §3, Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Chap. 31; cf. Zohar 1:134b. the mystery of our Mishnah Cf. Talmud, Bava Batra 74b: Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rav, ‘Everything that the Blessed Holy One created in His world He created male and female”; cf. Zohar 2:144b. Rabbi Shim’on’s formu- lation does not appear in the Mishnah or the Talmud; he is referring to a secret, mystical Mishnah known only to him and his fellow kabbalists; see above, Introduction, n. 83. Blessings are found only... Cf. Talmud, Yevamot 62b: Rabbi Tanhum said in the name of Rabbi Hanilai, “Any man who does not have a wife is without joy, without blessing, without goodness.” Cf. Zohar 1:165a; 3:74b; Talmud, Sotab 17a. when male and female are as one Cf. Talmud, Yevamot 63a: Rabbi El’azar said, “Any man [adam] who does not have a wife is not an adam, as it is said: ‘Male and female He created them .. . and He called their name Adam.’ ” Rabbi Shim’on is also alluding to the original androgynous nature of Adam, a theme that informs the Zohar’s psychology and theosophiy. See Bereshit Rabba 8:1: Rabbi Jeremiah son of El’azar said, ‘When the Blessed Holy One created Adam He created him androgynous, as it is said: ‘Male and female He created them.’” Rabbi Shemu’el son of Nahman said, “When the Blessed Holy One created Adam He created him with s double face. Then He sawed him apart and gave him two backs, one on this side and one on that side.” Cf. Talmud, Berakhot 61a; Eruvin 18a; Plato, Symposium, 189d-190d; Philo, De Opificio Mundi, §§24, 76; Ginzberg, Legends, 5:88-9, n. 42. The Zohar refers to this myth frequently; see 1:34b-35a, 37b (and Ketem Paz, ad loc.), 165a; 2:55a, 231a—b; 3:10b, 19a, 44b; Zohar Hadash, Balag, 55c—d; Shir ha-Shirim, 66c. An essential component of the “mystery of faith” is that the sefirotic realm is androgynous. Tif eret and Shekbinah are the masculine and feminine aspects of God, and the language of this myth is applied to them; see Zohar 1:30b-31a;, 3:142b (Idra Rabba), 204a, 296a (Idra Zuta);, cf. Gikatilla, Sha’arei Orab, p. 115. From their union all souls are born, and these souls too, in their original nature, are androgynous; see 1:85b, 91b, 108a; 2:246a, 3:43a—b, 283b. It is only because of Adam’s sin that our androgynous nature has been lost; see 3:43b, 117a; Zobar Hadash 60b. Any man or woman who remains single is only “half a body” (pelag gufa); see 3:7b, 57b, 296a (dra Zuta). But by joining together and engendering new life, each couple extends the chain of being. The inner purpose of human sexuality is to regain wholeness and manifest the oneness of God: see 3:7a, 81a—b; Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 2:607-26; June Singer, Androgy- ny, pp. 144-63. 217 Notes to Pages 57-60 After the Flood (Midrash ha-Ne’elam) Rabi Rabbi Judah the Nasi (Patriarch), who lived in the second-third centuries and redacted the Mishnah. He was so highly esteemed that he was called Rabi, the Rabbi. the aroma of his actions Noah’s bold statement is a delight to God. Cf. Midrash Tebillim 2:2: Rabbi Isaac said, ‘‘One person says to another, ‘Why are you doing that?’ and the other gets angry. But the righteous say to the Blessed Holy One, ‘Why?’ and he does not get angry; they are not punished. Why not? Because they have sought good not for themselves but for Israel.” Cf. Bereshit Rabba 33:3; Talmud, Mo’ed Qatan 16b. Therefore he commanded ... The divine command to the people of Israel to offer sacrifices is expanded. You are called Compassionate! ‘“YHVH, YHVH, a compassionate God” (Exodus 34:6). Seeing this, Noah presented offerings to atone for his selfish behavior. Abraham thought there were ten This explanation derives from Bere- shit Rabba 49:13. Moses also shielded Cf. Devarim Rabbah 11:3, where Moses and Noah are contrasted, and Mekbilta, Pisha, §1. Israel has sinned by worshiping the Golden Calf. overtaken by trembling The Hebrew root of “implore,” d/h, is here associated with hil, “to writhe, tremble.” This midrashic wordplay is found in Talmud, Berakhot 32a. the book that You have written the Book of Life. did not allow the attribute of Judgment ... Cf. Bereshit Rabba 33:3: Rabbi Shemu’el son of Nahman said, “Woe to the wicked, who turn the divine attribute of Compassion into the attribute of Judgment.... Happy are the righteous, who turn the divine attribute of Judgment into the attribute of Compassion.” He just built the ark ... Since Noah failed to stand up to God and plead for the world, he is implicated in the holocaust. That is why Isaiah calls the Flood “the waters of Noah” (Isaiah 54:9): “Indeed, ‘the waters of Noah’! They were named after him because he did not plead for mercy for the world” (Zohar 3:15a; cf. 1:67b). Abram, the Soul-Breath (Midrash ha-Ne’elam) Abram. the original form of Abraham’s name; see Genesis 17:45. soul-breaths of the righteous Hebrew, nishmotan shel zaddigim. In the Bible neshamah means “breath”; see Genesis 2:7: ‘““He blew into his nostrils the breath of life [nishmat hayyim].” In the Zohar neshamab refers to a spiritual essence, the highest level of soul. This neshamah is sometimes correlated with 218 Notes to Pages 60-63 the breath: ““The neshamab of a human being ... leaves him every single night. In the morning she returns to him and dwells in his nostrils” (Zohar Hadash, Rut 90d |Midrash ha-Ne'elam); cf. Zobar Hadash, Noah, 22a [Midrash ha-Ne ‘elam]; Zohar 2:155a; Jellinek, Beit ba-Midrash [Jerusalem, 1967], 3:137). According to Zohar 1:235a and 2:95b, neshamot are emanated by a divine breath. carved from the bedrock of the Throne of Glory _ literally, “hewn out from beneath the Throne of Glory.” In Talmud, Shabbat 152b, the souls of the righteous are said to be “hidden beneath the Throne of Glory” after death; cf. Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Chap. 12. The Zohar teaches that the soul has been created out of the substance of the Throne, which here refers to Shekhinah, mother of the soul; cf. Zohar 1:125b (Midrash ba-Ne’elam), Zohar Hadash, Bereshit 10d (Midrash ha-Ne’elam), Werblowsky, “Philo and the Zohar,” /JS 10 (1959): 38-9, her the soul-breath. seven blessings the seven blessings pronounced in Genesis 12:2-3; cf. Zohar 1:78a (Sitrei Torah). Traditionally, seven blessings are recited at a mar- riage ceremony. Avram, this is the soul-breath ... Employing the philosophical meth- od of allegory, the Midrash ha-Ne’elam (the earliest stratum of the Zohar) weaves a drama of the fate of Avram, the soul-breath; see above, Introduction, int, JUNE the mirror that shines Hebrew, ispaglareya ha-me%rah. In Talmud, Yevamot 49b, this image denotes the highest medium of prophecy. In the Zohar it designates Tif‘eret, the Blessed Holy One, the central sefirah and divine mate of Shekhinab. The soul-breath is born from the union of Tifret, her father, and Shekhinah, her mother. And even so_ even though the soul is far from her divine source. ‘As long as the soul breathes within me...’ from the closing lines of Elohai nesbamab, recited upon awakening. Deviser of Evil Hebrew, yezer ha-ra, “the evil impulse, inclination.” The root of yzr means “to fashion, devise,” as in Genesis 8:21, quoted in the following lines. Lot, who was cursed In Aramaic the verb /ut means “to curse.” what Rabbi Isaac has said as reported in Zohar 1:35b. challenge the soul-breath literally, “accuse” (Hebrew, meqatreg). The Deviser of Evil and the soul-breath battle for control of the human body; cf. Zobar Hadash, Ki Teze 58d: “All the limbs of the body are in torment, caught between the soul-breath and the Deviser of Evil.” Abram’s Descent into Egypt The main character here is Abraham the Patriarch, not the soul-breath. pal Notes to Pages 63-64 to the depths of which Abraham descended Having discovered the mystery of faith, the mystical union of the divine realm, Abraham “had to know all those levels that are connected below” (Zohar 1:81b), the dark underside of wisdom. This wisdom of Egypt includes magic and alchemy. Abraham’s descent symbolizes his exploration of Sitra Abra, “the Other Side,” the Abyss. This dangerous psychic journey is the crucible of Abraham’s spiritual transformation. When Adam reached that level According to Kabbalah, Adam’s sin was a misapprehension of the unity of God. Deceived by the serpent of false knowledge, he separated Shekhinah from the other sefirot instead of preserving their unity through pure contemplation. This tragic separation left Shekhinab vulnerable, enabling the demonic powers to take control of Her. Ever since, She has ruled the world under the aspect of the Tree of Death. See Zohar 1:35b, 52a—b, 221a—b; and above, ““Adam’s Sin.”’ On the relation between Shekbinah and the demonic see Scholem, Von der mystischen Gestalt der Gotthett, pp. 183-6 (Hebrew translation: Pirget Yesod, pp. 300-3); Tishby, Mishnat ha- Zohar 1:222-6. The spelling implies ‘her tent.’ The Hebrew word in the verse is obalob, ‘his tent,” but the suffix 0, “his,” is spelled here oh and can be read ah, “her.” Bereshit Rabba 36:4 takes this to mean that Noah shamed himself in his wife’s tent. The Zohar, expanding on the midrash, transfers Noah’s sin to the divine feminine: Shekbinah. Noah was really trying to repair the damage caused by Adam, to reunite Shekbinah with the higher sefirot. However, intoxicated by the wine of false imagining, he blundered and “uncovered the breach of the world” (Zohar 1:73a—b; cf. Recanati, Commentary on the Torah, p. 20b). the high rung he had grasped before Through his discovery of God and his own loving nature, Abraham had attained the rung of Hesed, Love, the first of the seven lower sefirot; cf. Babir, §§135, 191. rose to his full stature Cf. Mishnah, Avot 5:4: “Abraham was tested ten times, and he withstood them all, revealing how great was his love.” the Negev, the South, the high sphere The Negev is the southern region of the land of Israel and comes to mean “south.” The sefirah of Hesed, Abraham’s rung, is identified with south in the Zohar; cf. 1:80a. refined as in the refining or smelting of precious metals, and as in alchemy. Cf. Cordovero’s comment: ‘‘As silver is refined within lead, so holiness is refined through the power of the demonic” (Or ha-Hammabh, ad loc.). The Zohar refers to alchemical transmutation in several passages; see Encyclo- paedia Judaica, s.v. alchemy.” partaken of the Blessed Holy One Abraham’s descent into Egypt and safe return is a rite of passage. Having confronted and experienced the Abyss, he is transmuted into a divine hero, apotheosized as Hesed, the Love of God. 220 Notes to Pages 65-66 Openings Abraham was sitting ... Sarah heard... Three messengers from God appear to tell Abraham that Sarah, ninety years old and barren, will conceive and bear a son. Sarah overhears the fantastic promise. Blessed be the Presence of YHVH wherever He is! Cf. Talmud, Hagigah \3b: “It is written: ‘Blessed be the Presence of YHVH in His place’ because no one knows his place.”’ Cf. Babir, §131: “ ‘Blessed be the Presence of YHVH in His place.’ What is the Presence of YHVH? A parable. To what can this be compared? To a king who had a queen in his chamber over whom all his soldiers delighted. They had children who came every day to see the king and praise him. They said to him, ‘Where is our mother?’ He said, ‘You cannot see her now.’ They said, ‘May she be blessed wherever she is!’ ” How, then, can you say... Rabbi Judah addresses his question directly to the Bible and then presents the answer himself. Her husband is the Blessed Holy One! Proverbs 31:10-31, which describes the “woman of valor,” is understood by the Zohar as a hymn to Shekbinah, the feminine aspect of God. Her husband is Tiferet, the Blessed Holy One, a more transcendent sefirah; cf. Va-Yigra Rabbah, 11:8. to the degree that one opens the gates of imagination! literally, “according to what one imagines [or “estimates”’] in his heart.” The Hebrew word sha’ar, “gate,” is here associated with the verb shar, “to imagine, estimate.” Imagination provides the human being access to God, though, as Rabbi Judah goes on to say, all imaginative representations fall short of God’s true being. Cf. the line in “The Song of the Presence,” ascribed to Rabbi Judah the Hasid (twelfth century): “They have portrayed You in many visions; You remain one through all imaginings.” The relation between visions of the divine realm and human imagination is pointed out by Hai Gaon (tenth century) and Hanan’el son of Hushi'el (eleventh century). Hai, describing the heavenly ascent of the Merkavah mys- tics, writes: “... not that they actually ascend to heaven, but rather, they see and gaze within the recesses of their hearts [or “minds”; see the following note].” Hanan’el, perhaps borrowing from Hai, says: “The Blessed Holy One reveals His Presence to those who fear and love Him, through speculation of the mind [be-’ ovanta de-libba)”; cf. Talmud, Megillah 24b. For the sources see Reuven Margaliot’s comment in his edition of the Zohar, ad loc. Cf. Moses de Leén’s statement in his Mishkan ha-’Edut: “They saw the King of Hosts in their mind” (cited by Scholem, Major Trends, p. 397, n. 151). in one’s heartemind Aramaic, be-libbeih. Lev, usually translated “heart,” also means “mind” in the Bible. these gates, these spheres on high the sefirot, stages of emanation through which the Unknown becomes known. Neshamah the soul-breath, the spiritual essence of the human being. 221 Notes to Pages 66-69 Neshamah of neshamah The human neshamab is of divine origin; the Blessed Holy One is the essence of this essence. Here “Blessed Holy One” refers not to Tif‘eret but to Ein Sof, the Infinite, who becomes known through the sefirot. The phrase “neshamah of neshamah” derives from Solomon ibn Gabirol’s Keter Malkhbut: ‘You are alive but not through soul [nefesh] or nesha- mab, for You are neshamah of neshamah’’, cf. above, ‘‘How to Look at Torah”; Talmud, Berakhot 10a; Midrash Tebillim 103:5. openings for neshamah The sefirot are openings for the human nesha- mah to approach the hidden God, and openings for Neshamah of neshamab to manifest. opening within opening, level beyond level The sefirot are revealed one by one as the mystic journeys within and beyond. ‘The opening of the tent’ Rabbi Shim’on connects his teaching with Genesis 18:10. the opening of Righteousness ... the first opening Shekhinabh is the opening of the divine tent, the first seftrah one encounters upon entering the divine realm; cf. Babir, §63; Zohar 1:7b, 79b. She is also called Zedeg, Righteous- ness or Justice; see Bahir, §§74-75, 120. all other high openings come into view All the other sefirot are reflected in Shekhinah. Entering Her, the mystic’s awareness and consciousness expand. Now that Israel is in exile, this opening is unknown __Israel’s histori- cal exile symbolizes cosmic dysfunction. The unity of the sefirot has been ruptured. All the higher openings have closed shut and vanished, leaving Shekhinah Herself in exile: alienated from the higher realms and unknown on earth. the soaring spheres the higher sefirot. All these The various “spirits” in the verse represent the higher seftrot. the Opening of the Tent Shekhinah. the good news that a child would be born to Sarah. this sphere Shekbinah, the Opening of the Tent. ‘Sarah heard the Opening of the Tent’ The clause is often translated: “Sarah was listening at the opening of the tent.” The Hebrew, however, employs no preposition before “the opening.” Taking advantage of this ellip- sis, Rabbi Shim’on reads the words with mystical literalness: “Sarah heard the Opening of the Tent.” She heard Shekhinab, who was revealing to Abraham that Sarah would soon give birth. An Offering to God removes him from the world Satan and the angel of death are two manifestations of Sitra Abra, “the Other Side,” the demonic; cf. Talmud, Bava Batra 16a. 222 Notes to Pages 69-71 To gladden the poor Cf. Zohar Hadash, Rut, 87b (Midrash ba-Ne'elam): “The Blessed Holy One enjoys the food that one gives to # poor person because that food satisfies the poor person and makes him happy.” Cf. Zavva‘at R. Elvezer, §27. His broken vessels Cf. Psalms 34:19: ““YHVH is close to the broken- hearted.” The Midrash calls such supplicants “broken utensils” (Vayigra Rabba 7:2). In the Zohar it is the poor who are God’s broken vessels. They are compared to Shekhinab because, like Her, they have nothing at all of their own (3:113b). As She is provided for by the other sefirot, so we must provide for the poor, and “anyone who mistreats a poor person mistreats Shekbinah” (2:86b). The members of the Academy of Heaven The souls of the righteous reside in heaven, imbibe the deepest secrets of Torah, and defend the human species. You are called Compassionate and Gracious ‘“YHVH, YHVH, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Exodus 34:6). It is love that sustains the world! If there are no deeds of love, the world will collapse. the Accuser Satan. He was kindhearted to all creatures Abraham’s devotion to God and love of his fellow creatures elevated him to the rung of Hesed, the sefirah of Love; cf. above, “Abram’s Descent into Egypt,” “Guests in the Sukkab.” all the great people of his time Cf. Bereshit Rabba 53:10: Rabbi Judah said, “ “A great feast’ means a feast of the great. Og [King of Bashan] and all the great ones were there.” Now we have learned apparently a new teaching. no one believed that she had given birth since she was ninety years old and barren until then; cf. Talmud, Bava Mezi’a 87a; Pirget de-Rabbi Eli’ezer, Chap. 52. and gave nothing to me Most printed editions read “to You,” i.€., to God; however the earliest editions (Mantua and Cremona) read: ‘‘to me,” i.e., to Satan. not even a single dove... Cf. Talmud, Sanhedrin 89b: Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Yose son of Zimra, “Satan said in the presence of the Blessed Holy One, ‘Master of the world! You bestowed upon this old man the fruit of the womb at the age of one hundred! From his entire feast could he not offer a single dove or pigeon to You?’” Cf. Bereshit Rabba 55:4. Leviticus 5:7 specifies doves or pigeons as the offering that a poor person may bring if he cannot afford a sheep. But he held his ground Satan would not leave God’s presence or relent until... that Isaac be brought as an offering The Talmud (loc. cit.) suggests that God commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac in order to prove to Satan that Abraham was a loyal servant. Here the tone is different. The binding of ? 225 Notes to Pages 71-72 Isaac is a punishment for Abraham’s selfishness and neglect of the poor, s substitute offering to God; cf. Bereshit Rabba 55:5, where Micah 6:7 is cited. Sarah would die in anguish as related in the Midrash (Tanhuma, Va- Yera, §23; Pirget de-Rabbi Eliezer, Chap. 32). he brought about Abraham brought about. The Binding of Abraham and Isaac devarim things. Elohim a divine name; see below. We have learned in the Talmud, Megillah 10b. the lowest of all the higher spheres... Devarim Shekhinah, the last of the ten seftrot, is called davar, ‘“‘word” of God; see Zohar 1:1b; 3:191a, 193b. Through Her the ineffable divine essence is mediated and expressed. Davar means both “word” and “thing.” Here the plural, devarim, is cited from the verse and applied to Shekbinab. ‘I am not a man of devarim’ At the beginning of his career, Moses denied that he was connected with Shekhinah. Later, however, he is described as Her partner; cf. above, ‘The Birth of Moses”; Zohar 1:192b. Elohim ... The Deviser of Evil came to accuse him Flobim has a wide range of meaning in the Zohar. Already in tabbinic literature it is distinguished from YHVH and applied specifically 6 di#, the divine attribute of judgment; see Sifret, Deuteronomy, §26. Similarly in the Zohar Elohim often refers to the sefirah of Din or Gevurah, Judgment or Power. Sometimes it refers to Binah, the Divine Mother, situated above Gevurah (see above, “The Creation offfebin’’), while elsewhere it is a name for Shekhinah, since She is said to lean toward the left, toward Din. Elohim also refers to various powers that originate in Din; see Zohar 1:111b; 3:8a, 200a. In this passage Elohim refers both to Din (cf. 3:18a) and the Deviser of Evil, a harsh manifestation of Din who appears outside the divine realm, after the sphere of Shekbinah. According to Talmud, Sanhedrin 89b, when Satan accused Abraham of neglecting God, God respond- ed by commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and thereby prove his devotion and zeal; see above, “An Offering to God,” where Rabbi Shim’on alters the talmudic account and suggests that the binding of Isaac is a punishment, not a test. Here Rabbi Shim’on presents a more paradoxical view: the Deviser of Evil is working for Elohim; his accusation is really part of God’s plan, a mystical, psychological challenge to Abraham. reflect Aramaic, /e-'istakkala. In earlier mystical literature this verb means “to contemplate”; see Scholem, Kabbalah, p. 369; cf. Bereshit Rabba 2:4. In the Zohar it often appears in the context of mystical search or mystical exegesis; see 1:10a, 34b; 3:15ib, 224a, 270b (Matnitin), Zohar Hadash, Bereshit lid, 15b; Noah, 23d (Midrash ba-Ne’elam); Va- ‘Ethannan, 58d (Qav ha-Middab). 724 Notes to Pages 72-74 Isaac was already thirty-seven years old as related in the Midrash (Tanbuma, Va-Yera, §23). Rigor Aramaic, dina (Hebrew, din). Abraham had attained the level of Hesed, Love, through his devotion and goodness. However, he was one-sided; he had to balance Hesed with Din, strict judgment and rigor. This new dimension would round out his personality and make him a complete human being in the image of God; cf. Bereshit Rabba 78:8; Zohar 1:230b; 2:257a; 3:18a; Moses de Leon, Sod Eser Seftrot Belimab, p. 372. Water was crowned with Fire Water and Fire represent the pair of opposite sefirot, Hesed and Din. Hesed is free-flowing love; Din, the purgative power of judgment and rigor. Their conjunction symbolizes Abraham’s whole- ness. to ordain it in its domain Abraham's attainment has cosmic effects. By manifesting Din, he conducts the power of that sefirah into the world. That is why ‘Elohim tested Abraham’ ... Cf. Bereshit Rabba 55:1: “test after test, elevation after elevation, in order to test them in the world, to elevate them in the world .. . so that the attribute of Judgment be arrayed in the world”; cf. Zohar 3:18a. One was judged and one executed judgment following the reading of Ketem Paz, ad loc. Isaac submits to Abraham, and together they enact the drama of the seftrot. to challenge Aramaic, /e-gatrega, “to accuse.” et Abraham On the word et see above, ““Adam’s Sin,” note on “et Adam.” Isaac...the sphere of low power Fz indicates Isaac because of the midrashic principle noted above (ibid.) and because in the Zohar et refers to Shekhinab, the lowest sphere, “the sphere of low power”; see above, “Adam’s Sin,” note on “Et, precisely!” Isaac was destined to rise to the sphere of high power (Din, Gevurah), but at this stage he was unfulfilled and inhabiting the lower sphere of Shekhinab. he was arrayed in his own sphere alongside Abraham Having un- dergone Judgment, Isaac manifests Din alongside Abraham, who manifests Hesed; cf. Zohar 1:133b. "Thus the battle was joined Abraham and Isaac, Hesed and Din, have completed each other but have not yet been reconciled. Their dialectical relationship awaits a synthesis. until Jacob appeared ... Jacob, the third and decisive Patriarch, repre- sents the sefirah of Tiferet, Beauty and harmony. He was able to balance the polar qualities of Hesed and Din, Abraham and Isaac. He is called Israel, the father of the Jewish people, who are enjoined to realize the divine plan on earth. 225 Notes to Page 75 Jacob’s Journey (Sitrei Torah) the hidden nexus the realm of the ten sefirot. the sealed secret the deepest recesses of the sefirot: Keter, Hokbmab, and Binab, azohar an effulgence, a splendor; cf. above, “The Creation of Elohim.” shining as a mirror The zobar is the first ray of Tif ‘eret, Beauty, the central sefirah. Tiferet is also called “the mirror that “ele cf. above, “Abram, the Soul-Breath.” b a 4, embracing two colors Tiferet includes and balances ¥ two polar i sefirot, Hesed and Din, Love and Judgment. Their colors are and red; Tiferet is green, the color of harmony and life. purple T7iferet is the King, the Blessed Holy One; so royal purple is also His color; cf. Zohar 2:135a; 3:141b (dra Rabba). flashing, disappearing Hebrew, razo va-shov, “racing back and forth.” The phrase first occurs in Ezekiel 1:14, describing the prophet’s vision of the heavenly creatures. The Zohar applies this image to mystical vision; cf. Sefer Yezirah 1:6, 8; Zobar Hadash, Vitro, 39d; Shir ba-Shirim, 62a: Shegel ha-Qodesh, p. 113; above, Introduction, nn. 116-7, 142; and the intriguing reference to cannabis in the context of a fleeting comprehension of the knowledge of God: Zohar Hadash, Bereshit 16a (Midrash ha-Ne ‘elam). In this zohar dwells the one who dwells ... Ein Sof, the Infinite, manifests through Tif‘ret, who thus provides a name for the Ineffable. Moses de Leon may also be alluding to his own concealment within the Zohar. His pseudepigraphic technique provides him with a pseudonym, cf. above, Intro- duction, §5. the Voice of Jacob Cf. Genesis 27:22. Tiferet is called both Voice and Jacob. He mediates the ineffable essence of the divine into the phenomenon of raw speech: voice. (Individual words are not articulated until Shekhinah ap- pears; She is called Speech and Word.) Tiferet is represented by Jacob, the third Patriarch, who balanced Abraham and Isaac; see the end of the previous selection. Here dwells YHVH ... the divine name given to Tiferet, who is also called the Blessed Holy One and Compassion (Rabamim), cf. Sifrei, Deuterono- my, §26, where YHVH is associated with the attribute of Rahamim. Tiferet is the focus of all the lower sefirot, the various sides and dimensions. perfection of the Patriarchs Cf. the end of the previous selection; Targum Ongelos on Genesis 25:27; and Bereshit Rabba 76:1: “The chosen one among the Patriarchs is Jacob, as it is said: ‘For Yah has chosen Jacob for Himself’ (Psalms 135:4).” At first, Jacob; later, Israel After wrestling with the divine, Jacob was given the name Israel; see Genesis 32:25-29, and below. the End of Thought Shekbinab, the last sefirab, is the consummation of the process of emanation, which begins with the appearance of Hokbmah, 226 Notes to Pages 75-77 Wisdom and Thought. She is therefore called both Lower Wisdom and the End of Thought. Mystical ascent begins with Her. Written Torah Tifcret. Oral Torah Shekbinab, the mouth of the sefirot, who mediates revelation to the lower worlds; see Scholem, On the Kabbalah, pp. 47-8. Be’er The root letters mean both “to explain” and “a well.” Sheva, Seven the Divine Mother, Binah, who gives birth to the seven lower sefirot. Six of these flow into the seventh, Shekhinah, and manifest through Her. “It took him sheva, seven, years ...” for Solomon to build the Tem- ple. The Temple symbolizes Binah, who contains seven years: the seven lower sefirot; cf. Zohar 2:31a. the Mighty Voice Cf. Deuteronomy 5:19. Binah, the Mighty Voice, is the source of Tifret, the Voice of Jacob; cf. Zohar 1:50b. Be’er Sheva Shekbinah is the be’er, the well and explanation, of Binab, who is Sheva. Thus Be’er Sheva in the Jacob story refers to Shekbinab, the first stage of his mystical journey. this gateway to faith Shekhinab, the opening to the realm of the sefirot, which are the object of mystical faith; cf. above, “Openings.” entering in peace and emerging in peace The same phrase appears in rabbinic literature to describe Rabbi Akiva’s successful journey into the mysti- cal orchard; see Tosefta, Hagigah 2:4; Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah 1:28. Adam entered... Here we find another perspective on Adam’s sin: he was seduced by demonic and sexual forces; cf. Zohar 1:140b; 2:245a; and above, “Adam’s Sin,” “Abram’s Descent into Egypt.” that whore of a woman __Lilit, the demonic feminine, who seduces men to sin. In the Zohar she is identified with the serpent; see below; cf. Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 1:301-7; Patai, The Hebrew Goddess, pp. 180-225; Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 356-61. « within his tent” Cf. above, “Abram’s Descent into Egypt.” Abraham entered See ibid. Isaac entered... Isaac’s journey to a foreign country is interpreted as a descent into the demonic realm; cf. Zohar 1:140b. the other side the demonic sphere. Lilit and Shekhinah are reverse sides of each other; see above, “Seduction Above and Below.” Be’er Sheva Shekbinab. Haran, the side of the woman of whoredom _Lilit, the dark side of the feminine. The Zohar associates Haran with baron, “wrath”; cf. 1:78b (Sitret Torah). , The secret of secrets a veiled description of the genesis of the demonic. the scorching noon of Isaac Isaac represents the sefirab of Din or Gevurah, Judgment or Power. This sefirab is meant to balance Hesed, Love. If, however, its fire and power rage out of control, the results can be catastrophic. 227 —_ aa Notes to Pages 77-79 the dregs of wine Wine is a symbol of Din or Gevurab because of its innate power. The dregs are the source of a dangerous concoction that gives rise to chaos and evil. red asa rose Red symbolizes the power of the left and the demonic. Sama’el Satan his female Lilit. The Zohar avoids mentioning her name. Just as it is... In the sefirotic realm Tiferet and Shekhinab are male and female; if they are not united, holiness cannot function. Serpent, Woman of Whoredom, End of All Flesh The Zohar links sin, lust, and death. All these are the work of Lilit acting in consort with Sama’el. The phrase “woman of whoredom” is from Hosea 1:2; “end of all flesh” is from the story of the Flood, Genesis 6:13; cf. Zohar 1:62b-63b. she grabs him and kisses him an Aramaic rendering of Proverbs 7:13, which describes a prostitute’s advances. the venom of vipers Cf. Job 20:14. fabric from Egypt Cf. Proverbs 7:16: the prostitute’s invitation. On the reading adopted here see Ketem Paz, ad loc. forty adornments minus one corresponding to the number of lashes administered by the court according to rabbinic law; see Deuteronomy 25:3; Mishnah, Afakkot 3:10. Lilit’s allurements soon turn into punishments. ascends, denounces him... Cf. Talmud, Bava Batra 16a, where Satan's itinerary is described: “He descends and leads astray, ascends and arouses [God's] anger, obtains permission and takes the soul.” turns into a powerful warrior Lilit becomes Sama’el. He is full of fearsome eyes Sama’el is also the angel of death. Cf. Talmud, Avodah Zarah 20b: “It has been said of the angel of death that he is completely full of eyes. When a sick person is about to die, he stands above the head of the bed. In his hand is a drawn sword with a bitter drop suspended. When the sick person sees him, he is frightened and opens his mouth. The angel flings the drop inside. From this drop he dies; from this drop he turns putrid; from this drop his face turns green.” Jacob descended to her He exposed himself to demonic and sexual temptation as part of his journey of transformation. Cf. Zohar 2:163a, where a king tests his son by instructing a prostitute to try to seduce him. There the parable symbolizes the encounter with the Deviser of Evil. Here Lilit serves the same function in a more dramatic and mythological setting. Haran see above. “And a man wrestled with him” In Genesis this man is a superhuman power, see Genesis 32:29. Afidrash Tanhuma, ba-Yishlab, §8 identifies him with Sama’el. raised ... called Israel Jacob's struggle with the demonic, his prevailing over Lilit and Sama’el, clear the way for his ascent to Tifret, the sefirah of wholeness and balance. Having attained perfection, he receives a new name: 228 Notes to Pages 79-80 Israel, “for you have struggled with superhuman and with human beings, and you have prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). “The center bar...” from the description of the Tabernacle built by the Children of Israel in the desert, which symbolizes the structure of the sefirot. Tifteret is the center bar, balancing right and left, joining the higher and lower sefirot; cf. Zohar 1:1b. Jacob, now centered and whole, manifests 7if‘eret Yisrael, the Beauty of Israel. Joseph’s Dream levels within levels the sefirot and the entire chain of being. these absorbing those the lower absorbing the flow of life (literally, “sucking”) from the higher. these on the right, those on the left Life is a balance between the flow of love and the force of limitation, the seftrot of Hesed and Din, right and left. from a single aspect, through two well-known levels Prophecy is the result of emanation. The pair of lower seftrot, Nezah and Hod, Endurance and Majesty, are the channels of inspiration, the field of prophetic vision, cf. Zohar 2:25: 3:3i5a: the mirror that does not shine Shekbinab, the lowest sefirab, is the medium through which the prophet sees his vision. She is called ispaglareya, “mirror” or “speculum,” but one that is not clear. The divine essence must be filtered even for a prophet; otherwise it would be overwhelming. Cf. Talmud, Yevamot 49b: It has been taught: “All the prophets gazed through a mirror that does not shine; Moses our Rabbi gazed through a mirror that shines.” Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.” Tif eret, the sefirah of Jacob and Moses, is called “the mirror that shines”; see above, “Abram, the Soul-Breath.” a mirror in which all colors appear The Hebrew word marab means both “vision” and “ mirror.” Shekbinah is a mirror reflecting all the other seftrot to the gaze of the prophet, though not with full clarity; cf. Zohar 1:88b. one-sixtieth of prophecy Cf. Talmud, Berakhot 57b: “Fire is one-sixti- eth of hell; honey is one-sixtieth of manna; the Sabbath is one-sixtieth of the world that is coming; sleep is one-sixtieth of death; a dream is one-sixtieth of prophecy.” (Berakhot 55a-57b contains a wealth of material on dreams and interpretation.) Cf. Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed 2:36: “The action of the imaginative faculty in the state of sleep is also its action in the state of prophecy; there is, however, a deficiency in it and it does not reach its ultimate term.” Averroes alludes to a hadith according to which Muhammed defined a dream as the forty-sixth part of prophecy (Epitome 67:4-11; 84:11). the sixth level from the level of prophecy From the level of prophecy to the level of dream there are six stages: the sefirot Nezab, Hod, Yesod, and Shekbinab, and the angels Michael and Gabriel. 229 Notes to Pages 81-83 Gabriel In the Book of Daniel Gabriel is the angel who interprets dreams (Daniel 8:16; 9:22). In Merkavah mysticism he is one of the four archangels. Here he appears as the prince of dreams. already been said elsewhere in the Zohar: 1:149b. false imaginings intermingling... Gabriel is located beneath She- kbinab, outside the realm of the purely divine; so demonic forces are in the vicinity. It is these forces who smuggle false images into the dream material; see Zohar 1:130a—b. Cf. Talmud, Berakhot 55a: Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai, “As there can be no grain without straw, so there can be no dream without absurdities.” follow the interpretation of the mouth of the interpreter; see Berakhot 55b. that lower level Gabriel. Speech commands that level Shekhinah is the realm of Speech: She expresses divine language; cf. Zohar 3:261a. She rules over Gabriel; thus “Speech commands that level.” Human interpretation is effective because its words activate the divine realm of Speech, who then translates the dream into reality. enthrone and accept the Kingdom of Heaven by reciting the Shema: “Hear O Israel! YHVH is our God; YHVH is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4); see Berakhot 4b. a verse of mercy, as the Comrades have established The verse is Psalms 31:6: “Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You redeem me, YHVH, faithful God.” The Comrades (Aramaic, bavrayya) are the rabbis of the Tal- mud; see Berakhot Sa. each one on its own path A soul receives what it is prepared to receive, and ascends as high as its nature and conduct allow. She the soul. things corresponding to the mind’s reflections corresponding to the impressions left in the dreamer’s mind from the day that has ended. Cf. Berakhot 5Sb: Rabbi Shemu’el son of Nahman said, quoting Rabbi Yonatan, “A person is shown only what is suggested by the reflections of his mind.” Dream ... vision... prophecy Gabriel, Shekhinab, Nezab and Hod. From here we learn... Cf. Zohar 1:200a: “One who dreams a dream should discuss it in the presence of people who love him, so that their will may work in his favor and their utterances be good. Then will and word become completely good.” for twenty-two years it was delayed The dream that Joseph told his brothers is related in Genesis 37:7: “We were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine!” Talmud, Berakhot 55b reckons that it took twenty-two years for this dream to be fulfilled, i.e., for Joseph’s brothers to bow down to him; see Genesis 42:6. 230 Notes to Pages 83-85 they provoked accusations against him Their hatred had cosmic im- pact, stimulating demonic forces to delay the fulfillment of the dream. then he revealed the dream to them see the note before last. Suddenly . . . sealed their own fate! Their spontaneous, angry reaction revealed the correct reading of the dream. By expressing it in words, they guaranteed the dream’s fulfillment. Seduction Above and Below “Though she urged him” Genesis 39:10 reads: “Though she urged Joseph.” Later in this passage the Zohar cites the verse correctly twice. Here Moses de Leon may be altering the biblical text intentionally in order to leave the object of the seduction unspecified in accord with his midrashic message: Beware of the alien woman, the temptress, the Deviser of Evil, who seduces everyone day after day. for the Name within her Hebrew, /i-shemah, “for her name,” for her own sake. This is the ideal mode of study: to engage in Torah without selfish motives, purely as an end in itself; see Mishnah, Avot 6:1; Talmud, Sukkab 49b, Ta’anit 7a, Sanhedrin 97b. For the kabbalist, Torah is the Name of God; see above, Introduction, n. 112. The goal of mystical study is to learn this Name, to~ recitet , to address and encounter the Infinite. ‘Long life she offers...’ Cf. Sifrei, Deuteronomy, §48. on the right side of Torah with pure intention, for the Name within her; cf. Rashi on Talmud, Shabbat 63a: “those who walk on her right side— engaged in Torah for her own sake.” the world that is coming On the mystical significance of this phrase see below, end of notes to “Qorban and Olah.” he still obtains ... riches and honor Cf. Talmud, Shabbat 63a; Zohar 1:184b. his face shone Cf. Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 8:1, 11a, Pirgei de-Rabbi Eli’ezer, Chap. 2; Kitvet Ramban 2:305-6; Zohar 2:15a; 3:163a. He would pray for the other as Rav Safra prayed, according to Tal- mud, Berakbot 17a. Cf. Pesahim 50b: Rabbi Judah said, quoting Rav: “A person should always engage in Torah and mizvot even if not for their own sake, because by doing them not for their own sake, he will eventually do them for their own sake.” turned pale . . . ‘This one is conceiving sinful thoughts!’ Cf. Talmud, Shabbat 33a: “Dropsy is a sign of sin; paleness is a sign of blind hatred”; cf. Yevamot 60b; Rashi and Tosafot, ad loc. In Zohar 3:193b Rabbi Shim’on quotes a different formulation: “Paleness is a sign of sin.” He cites the Book of Wisdom of King Solomon as his source, but the Apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon contains no such statement. Rabbi Shim’on is relying on one of the imaginary sources in his Celestial Library; see above, Introduction, §5. Zo Notes to Pages 85-87 and they will pass away Cf. Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Chap. 20: Rabbi Hananya, Assistant to the Priests, said, “Anyone who meditates on words of Torah ... the imaginings of the Deviser of Evil are removed from him.” pull it toward Torah Cf. Talmud, Sukkah 52b: It was taught in the school of Yishma’el: “If you run into the repulsive one [the Deviser of Evil] drag him to the house of study!” Cf. Qiddushin, 30b; and Sifrei, Deuteronomy, §45: “The Blessed Holy One said to Israel, ‘My children, I created the Deviser of Evil for you; no one is worse than he. ... Engage in words of Torah, and he will have no power over you; keep away from words of Torah, and he will control you.” mizvah a divine command. the Other Side The demonic is the opposite of the holy. It is both masculine and feminine, Sama’el and Lilit. It moves back and forth between heaven and earth, demanding strict judgment from God and tempting human beings to sin. as was done to Job Satan received God’s permission to test Job’s character and faith; see Job 1:6—12; 2:1-6. when the Blessed Holy One stands in judgment on Rosh ha-Shanab, the First of the Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. A shofar on Rosh ha-Shanah The shofar, a ram’s horn, is a device to confound Satan. “It is written: ‘He will swallow up death forever’ (Isaiah 25:8), and it is written: ‘On that day a great shofar shall be blown’ (Isaiah 27:13). When Satan hears the sound of the shofar the first time, he is a little frightened. When they repeat it, he says, ‘That must be the shofar of “‘a great shofar shall be blown.” My time has come to be swallowed up!’ He trembles, becomes con- fused, and has no time to make accusations” (a midrash quoted in the Arukh, s.v. “arev”’; cf. Talmud, Rosh ha-Shanah 16a—b). on Yom Kippur a scapegoat ... This has been established This ritual of atonement is described in Leviticus 16:7-22. Aaron casts lots over two he-goats. One is designated as a sin offering to VHVH; the other is designated for Azazel, a demonic power. This second goat is sent off to the wilderness to carry away the sins of Israel. Cf. the Babylonian Akitu ritual of offering = goat as a substitute for a human being to Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Abyss. The late Midrash Pirgei de-Rabbi Eliezer (Chap. 46) says: “They gave him [Satan] a bribe on Yom Kippur so that he would not interfere with Israel’s sacrifice.” Rabbi El’azar draws on the midrashic passage here and then alludes to his source with the formula: “This has been established.”” The Zohar returns to the same motif frequently. In several passages it suggests that by means of this device the demonic accuser is transformed into an advocate of Israel; see 1:174b; 3:102a, 203a; Tishby, Mishnat ha-Zobar 2:206-10. the mystery of faith the realm of the sefirot, the content of mystical faith and experience, the goal of Torah study. All is one ... From a mystical perspective, the holy and the demonic 232 Notes to Pages 87-89 are the two sides of existence. Lilit is the “nakedness of Shekhinah” (Zohar 1:27b [Tigqunei Zohar], see Patai, The Hebrew Goddess, pp. 218, 222-5; above, “Abram’s Descent into Egypt,” note on “When Adam reached that level.” When this evil side comes down Cf. Talmud, Bava Batra 16a: “He [Satan] descends and leads astray, ascends and arouses [God’s] anger, obtains permission and takes the soul.” until she is given power reading /ah, “to her,” instead of /ezh, “to it, to him”: see Ketem Paz, ad loc. There is abundant erotic imagery in the Zohar, but this passage is unusual and daring. The feminine aspect of the demonic, Lilit, attempts to seduce God into lying with her so that she can obtain power (or “authority”; Aramaic, reshu) to rule the world. In the Zohar Joseph represents the sefirah of Yesod, Foundation, which corresponds to the phallus in the human body; see Zohar 2:258a; 3:296a (dra Zuta). Joseph attained Yesod as a result of his model behavior in this biblical narrative. By withstanding sexual temptation, he became the archetype of righteous conduct and self-control: Joseph the Zaddig, the Righteous; cf. Talmud, Yoma 35b; Ginzberg, Legends §:324-5, n. 3; and Proverbs 10:25: “The zaddig is the yesod [‘‘foundation”’] of the world” (So the verse is understood midrashically and kabbalistically; see above, Introduction, n. 131). Normally the sefirab of Yesod channels all divine energy to Shekhinah (also called Malkbut, “Kingdom”; it is through Yesod that the union between Tif eret and Shekbinah is consummated. Since Yesod, i.e., Joseph, is the conveyor of power, Lilit tries to seduce Him. If she is successful, she will take the place of Shekhinah, receive the potency of Yesod herself, and tyrannize the world; cf. 3:69a. Something else ... an unclean woman Impure sexual behavior pro- motes the power of the demonic; see Ketem Paz, ad loc.; Zohar 2:60b-61a. “It is all one path” Rabbi Abba indicates that his own interpretation is not in conflict with that just offered by Rabbi El’azar. He is about to speak about psychological evil, the Deviser of Evil who works within the human being, rather than mythological evil, Lilit, who attempts to seduce man and God. But “‘it is all one path,” above and below, Lilit and the Deviser of Evil. ‘to lie beside her’ in hell... Cf. Bereshit Rabba 87:6; Talmud, Yoma 35b. punished in excrement Cf. Talmud, Gittin 57a. Here Moses de Leon lashes out at the unbelievers of his time; cf. above, Introduction, §§2, 4. to turn himself around “to turn in teshuvah.” Teshuvah means turning back to God, reorienting one’s life to focus on the divine. that is the work a person should do Cf. Mishnah, Avot 2:20: Rabbi Tarfon says, “The day is short; the work is great; the workers are lazy; the reward is abundant; the Master of the house is pressing.” as strong asa lion See Avot 5:24: Judah son of Teima says, “Be powerful as a leopard, swift as an eagle, fleet as a gazelle, and strong as a lion, to carry out the will of your Father in Heaven.” 233 Notes to Pages 89-93 the Deviser of Evil ... curls his hair Cf. Bereshit Rabba 22:6: Rabbi Ammi said, ‘““The Deviser of Evil does not walk on the side but in the middle of the street. When he sees someone painting his eyes, fixing his hair, swinging his heel like a dandy, he says, ‘This one is mine!’ ” Cf. ibid. 84:7. “The righteous are destined ... The wicked...” See Talmud, Sukkah $2a. as it is said ... The entire psalm is a plea for deliverance from evil enemies. Jacob’s Garment of Days a herald ... no one hears his message! Cf. Mishnah, Avot 6:2: Rabbi Joshua son of Levi said, “Every single day a divine echo reverberates from Mt. Sinai declaring: ‘Woe to humankind for the humiliation of Torah!” While alluding to this tradition, Rabbi Judah goes on to create a new ancient tradi- tion: “It has been taught...” its place among the other days. the outlaw spirit “the outside spirit,” the demonic. missing from the total of fulfilled days. When those days draw near to the Holy King when one is about to die, as indicated in the verse: ‘“‘The days of Israel drew near to die.” Cf. Zohar 1:221b: “ “The days of Israel drew near to die.’ ... Happy is the person whose days draw near to the King without shame, with no day excluded because of a sin committed thereon.” and they become a radiant garment for his soul! To enter and experience higher dimensions of reality, one’s soul must be clothed in a garment of splendor. Such a garment is woven out of days lived in goodness or out of the good deeds themselves; cf. Zohar 1:66a, 226b; 2:229b; 3:69a. Parallels appear in Islamic and Iranian eschatology and also in Mahayana Buddhism, where it is said of Buddha that upon attaining nirvana “he has, as it were, a special body created from his good deeds” (see Scholem, Tarbiz 24 [1955]: 305; Pirget Yesod, pp. 371-2). the mystery of our Mishnah What follows is a kabbalistic homily with no basis in the Mishnah. The Zohar employs this formula to conceal the recent character of the teaching and present it as ancient tradition; see above, Intro- duction, §5; cf. Bereshit Rabba 19:6; Pirgei de-Rabbi Eliezer, Chap. 14. the radiant garment ... had faded away Adam and Eve’s sin was so great that their entire fabric of days was ruined. garments of skin According to the Zohar, Adam and Eve were original- ly clothed in garments of “light” (7, spelled with an alef) befitting their high spiritual nature. As a result of the primordial sin, they fell into a lower, physical form and were clothed in garments of “skin” (07, spelled with an ayin); Zak Notes to Pages 93-99 see Bereshit Rabba 20:12; Zohar 1:36b; 2:229b; 3:261b; cf. Origen, Contra Celsum 4:40; above, “The Hidden Light.” Here the radiant garment of days represents the garments of light. ‘He came into days’ Hebrew, ba ba-yamim. The phrase is usually translated: ‘‘advanced in days,” “advanced in years.” Literally, however, it means ‘came into days.” Cf. above, Introduction, n. 115. No garment was left for him to wear Job is a target of criticism in the Zohar because he denied resurrection and dared to question God’s justice; see Zohar Hadash, Rut, 75d (Midrash ha-Ne’elam), cf. Talmud, Bava Batra 16a; Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed 3:23. In the Midrash Job is often contrasted with Abraham. All who have a garment will be resurrected, as it is written... Job, who denied resurrection, has no garment. God’s answer to him out of the whirlwind reveals that without such a garment one cannot rise from the dead. Cf. Bereshit Rabba 95:1. crowned ... with crowns worn by the Patriarchs ... Cf. Talmud, Berakbot \7a: “A pearl in the mouth of Rav: ‘[In] the world that is coming .. . the righteous sit with crowns on their heads and bask in the splendor of Shekbinab.’” The “crowns worn by the Patriarchs” are their respective seftrot: Hesed, Gevurab, and Tiferet. The “stream that flows” is the flow of emanation that fills Shekhinab, who is the mystical Garden of Eden. ‘satisfy your soul with sparkling flashes’ The phrase is normally translated: “satisfy your thirst [nefésh] in parched places [zabzabot].” According to the Zohar, the zahzahot enlighten the righteous soul in the world that is coming; see 2:97a, 142b, 210b. A theory of ten zabzahot is presented by a later contemporary of Moses de Leon, David son of Judah the Hasid, in his Book of Mirrors. According to him, the zabzahor are the first sparks of emanation within Keter, the highest sefirab. See the conclusion of the verse in Isaiah. He attained... Jacob’s life was the culmination of the days and lives of the Patriarchs. Upon his death, he was arrayed in the sefirab of Tiferet, Beauty, which harmonizes the sefirot of Abraham and Isaac, Hesed and Gevurah; cf. above, “The Binding of Abraham and Isaac,” “Jacob's Journey”; Sifrei, Deuter- onomy, §312. The seven lower seftrot are the seven primordial days of Creation; see above, ‘Guests in the Sukkab.” The Birth of Moses Gabriel One of the angels serving Shekbinah; cf. Tanbuma, Va-Yeshev, §2; Pirgei de-Rabbi Eli'ezer, Chap. 38; Zohar 1:184a. the Communion of Israel Hebrew, Keneset Yisra’el, “Community of Israel.” This is a name of Shekbinah, the divine counterpart of the people of Israel; see above, ‘““How to Look at Torah.” Shekhinab is “the house of Levi” 235 Notes to Pages 99-100 because She emanates from the sefirah of Din, Judgment, who is called Levi. She is mild judgment, while Din is strict judgment, located on the left side of the sefirotic tree. “daughter of Levi” refers to the soul-breath The neshamab, soul- breath, is the fruit of the union of Tiferet and Shekhinah, the divine couple. Tiferet expresses His passion for Shekhinah through the left side, Levi; so the soul-breath is called “daughter of Levi.” In Zohar 2:19a ‘daughter of Levi” refers to Shekhinah Herself, who emanates from Levi. Shekhinah is the mother of the soul-breath; both are daughters of Levi. from the Garden the Garden of Eden, where all soul-breaths await their bodies. “‘“Garden” may also refer to the mystical Garden of Eden, She- khinah, mother of all soul-breaths; cf. above, “Abram, the Soul-Breath,” “The Gift of Dwelling.” “A man” is Amram... The Zohar now offers a literal interpretation of the verse. Amram and Yocheved, both from the tribe of Levi, are Moses’ parents. A daughter of the Voice, a divine echo Hebrew, bat gol, a voice from heaven revealing God’s will. Amram is directed by God to unite with Yo- cheved. In the Midrash it is not a daughter of the Voice but Amram’s own daughter, Miriam, who urges him to have another child with his wife, Yo- cheved. Yocheved, herself, is referred to as bat ql, ‘daughter of 130,”, i.e., 130 years old; see Shemot Rabbah 1:17, 23; Talmud, Sotah 12a. Moses de Leén loves to transpose midrashic traditions. Shekhinah was present ... Cf. Sotab 17a: Rabbi Akiva expounded: “A man and a woman: if they are pure, Shekhinah is between them; if not, fire consumes them.” Cf. Zohar 2:19a: ‘Amram was not worthy to give birth to Moses until he had partaken of Shekbinab. Then he fathered Moses.” Shekhinah never left the son Moses became an intimate partner of Shekhinab; see below. “Make yourselves holy and you will be holy” Engage in sex in holiness, and the fruit of your union will be holy; cf. Talmud, Shevu’ot 18b; Zohar 1:112a (Midrash ha-Ne’elam). A human being who makes himself holy .... Cf. Talmud, Yoma 39a: Our rabbis have taught: “ ‘Make yourselves holy and you will be holy.’ If a person makes himself a little holy, he is made very holy. If he makes himself holy below, he is made holy from above. If he makes himself holy in this world, he is made holy in the world that is coming.” Their desire focused on joining Shekhinah ... For the mystic, sex is not merely a personal act; it is an occasion for communion with God; cf. Zohar 1:49b-50a; 2:89a—b; 3:81a—b, 168a. See Cordovero’s comment on this passage (Or ha-Hammab, ad loc.): “Their desire, both his and hers, was to unite Shekhinah. He focused on Tiferet, and his wife on Malkhut [Shekhinab]. His union was to join Shekhinab; she focused correspondingly on being Shekhinab and uniting 236 Notes to Pages 100-101 with Her Husband, Jif ret.” This corresponds to the Tantric ritual of maith- una, in which the human couple focuses on identification with their divine models; see Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom (New York, 1958), pp. 200- 73; Agehananda Bharati, The Tantric Tradition (London, 1965), cf. above, ‘‘Male and Female.” cleave to the Other Side the demonic. One can attach himself to either side. Shekhinah joined with him constantly Talmud, Shabbat 87a, indi- cates that Moses stopped having sexual relations with his wife once he received the Torah at Mt. Sinai because from then on he was in constant communica- tion with Shekhinab. The Zohar teaches that Moses and Shekhinab were actually united in marriage. Moses rose to the sefirah of Tiferet while still in his body and thus assumed the role of the divine husband. This is the hidden meaning of the phrase ‘Moses, the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1). Shekbinah is called the Bride of Moses; see Zohar 1:21b—22a; 236b; 3:148a; cf. Pesigta de-Rav Kabana 1:1; Midrash Tebillim 90:5; Liebes, “‘Peragim,” pp. 182-3. he was born circumcised See Talmud, Sotah 12a; Shemot Rabbab 1:24. the secret of the covenant the sign of circumcision. See Genesis 17:11: “You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” ‘Say of the righteous one that he is good’ The righteous one, zaddiq, is one of the names for the sefirab of Yesod, Foundation, corresponding to the phallus in the human body. Yesod is also called “good” in the Zohar; here the secret of the covenant is found. She saw the radiance of Shekhinah Cf. Sotah 12b; Shemot Rabbah 1:28, where it is said in the name of Rabbi Yose son of Hanina that Pharaoh's daughter saw Shekbinah when she opened the basket containing baby Moses; see Exodus 2:5-6. the whole house was filled with light! ... See Sotah 12a; Shemot Rabbab 1:24. ‘God saw ...’ That is how good he was: he was everything! On the primordial light see above, “The Hidden Light.” This light is a metaphor for cosmic consciousness. Experiencing it, Adam not only saw “from one end of the world to the other”; he extended from one end of the world to the other; cf. Zohar 3:117a. He had full awareness. This awareness and light had been lost to humanity since the expulsion from the Garden, but now that Moses is born, there is a new vessel for that light to shine through into the world; he is as good and pure as the primordial light. Born of a spiritual-physical union, he is a constant partner of Shekhinah; his awareness is unbounded; he is everything! What is the point of saying “three months’? This detail seems unnecessary and provides Rabbi Judah with the starting point for another mystical midrash. was not recognized until ‘three months,’ ... ‘On the third new oom Notes to Pages 101-103 moon’ Rabbi Judah connects the “three months” of Exodus 2:2 with the “third new moon” of Exodus 19:1. Moses’ state of enlightenment was fully revealed only at Sinai. Elohim ... YHVH_ Shekhinah and Tiferet; see above, “Is There Anyone Like Moses?” Moses and the Blazing Bush (Midrash ha-Ne’elam) One who comes close to fire is burned Cf. Talmud, Ketubbot 111b: “Is it possible to cleave to Shekhinah? Is it not written: ‘For YHVH your God is a consuming fire’ (Deuteronomy 4:24)?” the dense cloud Cf. Deuteronomy 4:11: “The mountain was ablaze with flames to the heart of heaven, dark with densest clouds.” The Angel of YHVH Shekhbinab, who is given this name because She transmits the power and blessing of the seftrot; cf. Zohar 1:166a; Shemot Rabbah 2:8:°3228. in the light of wisdom in relation to the sefirot. Why is it written ... The literal sense of the verse is too mundane to satisfy Rabbi Abba’s mystical yearning. “The water” must mean more than the Nile River, from which Moses was drawn by Pharaoh’s daughter. It is really a symbol of Hesed, the free-flowing love of God. This was Moses’ source; so he could confront fire, which in Rabbi Abba’s view refers to Gevurah, the power of God. Moses was able to harmonize the two polarities. He attained the rung of Tiferet, Beauty, the central sefirah. the place Moses was hewn Normally, according to the Midrash ha- Neelam, human souls are hewn from the Throne of Glory, Shekbinab; see above, ‘“‘Abram the Soul-Breath.”” Moses had a higher source. Cordovero (Or ha- Hammab, ad loc.) suggests Hokbmah, which stands above Hesed. Cf. Zohar 1:22a. arrayed in all ten spheres Moses’ perfection is symbolized by his intimate relation with Shekhinab and his attainment of Tiferet; but according to Rabbi Yohanan, he was invested with all ten sefirot. He had full awareness of God and displayed all the divine qualities. Not just a loyal member of My household as the phrase could be understood; cf. the King James’ Version: “who is faithful in all mine house.” Happy is the share ... Cf. Sifrei, Numbers, §68: “Happy is the mortal human who is given such a promise: anytime he wanted to, he could converse with Him.” Who was that? Balaam Balaam was the soothsayer from Aram invited by King Balak of Moab to curse the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land; see Numbers 22-24. The Midrash compares him to Moses: “God raised up Moses for Israel and Balaam for the nations of the world” (Bemidbar Rabbah 20:1; cf. Tanhuma, Balaq, §1). The midrash quoted here (from Sifret, Deuteronomy, §357) is more striking: Balaam was as great as Moses! The 238 Notes to Page 103 rabbis are perplexed and have to wait for the master, Rabbi Shim’on, to offer the true, mystical explanation of this bizarre midrash. Black resin mixed with finest balsam? How could Balaam possibly be associated with Moses? Thirteen rivers of balsam await the righteous in the world that is coming, according to the Talmud (7a ‘anit 25a; Jerusalem Tal- mud, Avodah Zarah 3:1, 42c; Bereshit Rabba 62:2). In the Zohar the rivers of balsam are the fragrant flow of emanation from Binab, the Divine Mother, to Shekhinab, Her daughter; see Zohar 3:181a. Moses, arrayed in all the seftrot, bathes in these rivers. Black resin is the ultimate impurity. The Aramaic phrase, gotifa de- garnetei, is characteristic of the Zohar’s style. Qotifa is a variation on qetaf, which means resin from the balsam tree. Qarnetei is a neologism, its meaning unknown; cf. Zohar 2:175b; and Spanish, carantona: “ugly, false face.” The phrase has been interpreted variously to mean: ‘‘a chamber pot” (Cordovero, Or ha-Hammah, ad \oc.), “‘cedar resin” (Vital, Derekh Emet); ‘‘a bunch of resin, dark and black” (Galante, Or ba-Hammab). One must invent new words to adequately describe the gross impurity of Balaam. Moses worked wonders ... Balaam worked black magic... Arama- ic, ishtammash means ‘made use of,” but it is also a technical term for theurgic practice. See Mishnah, Avot 1:13: {Hillel] said, “One who makes theurgic use [de- ishtammash] of the crown [i.e., the name YHVH] has‘@o share in the world that is coming.” Cf. above, “The Hidden Light.” Moses worked wonders with the holy crown. Because of his status in the sefirot, he was able to use the name YHVH to work wonders for Israel. Balaam’s powers of magic also derived from crowns, but not holy crowns. The lower, or nethermost, crowns are the demonic powers located outside the realm of the sefirot and their corresponding names. Their potency derives from the fact that they are fed from the drippings of the juice of Shekbinab, see Zohar 3:209b, This accords with Rabbi Shim’on’s first image: Balaam is black resin from the balsam tree; Moses is pure essence of balsam. If you think he was any higher, go ask his ass! Balaam’s ass makes a fool of him on the way to see Balak, king of Moab. She sees the Angel of YHVH, while he, the great sorcerer, sees nothing; see Numbers 22:21-35; Zohar 3:209b. On one level, Rabbi Shim’on’s closing words are a mocking reference to this episode. But they also allude to Balaam’s method of attaining prophetic powers. According to the Zohar, Balaam was able to draw down upon himself the impure spirit by having sexual relations with his ass; see Zohar 1:125b; 3:207a; Shegel ha-Qodesh, p. 18; cf. Talmud, Sanhedrin 105b. kissed his hands as a sign of veneration and thanks. This is a frequent custom among the Havrayya, the Comrades of the Zohar; see 1:83b, 133a, 250b; above, ‘‘Colors and Enlightenment,” “Manna and Wisdom,” “The Golden Calf,” “The Wedding Celebration.” Cf. Talmud, Berakhot 8b; Bereshit Rabba 74:2; Bacher, REJ 22 (1891): 137-8; 23 (1891): 133-4. 239 Notes to Pages 103-105 The coveting in my heart has disappeared ... Aramaic, bamida de- libba’i nefaq le-var. The Aramaic root md means “to desire, covet.” The sentence may mean: “The yearning in my heart [to know the true meaning of this midrash] has been satisfied.” The translation in the text conveys the role played by Kabbalah in Spain: reassuring the Jews that although the Christians were politically, economically, and socially in power, the Jews were God’s chosen people and thus ultimately higher; see above, Introduction, §4. Rabbi Shim’on’s midrash on the midrash has just this effect on Rabbi Yose, and he responds by thanking the master for helping him see the true state of affairs; cf. Zohar 3:119b, 221b. He no longer has a desire to covet the power and position of the gentiles, for Israel is high and the idolaters are low. Idolaters refers to Spanish Christians; cf. 2:163b; 3:119b. Balaam is the archetype of the non-Jewish prophet and may stand for Jesus, claimed to be the successor to Moses but here unmasked as a sorcerer. (See, however, Ginzberg, Legends, 6:123-4, n. 722, who rejects this interpretation in regard to rabbinic literature; cf. Urbach, Tarbiz 25 [1956]: 281-4.) In another passage Rabbi Shim’on de- clares: “I am a servant of the Blessed Holy One ... I do not rely upon a son of divinity, but rather, on the God of heaven” (see above, Introduction, n. 48). There is no need to covet Christian theology. As the closing lines of this passage indicate, the Jews are God’s children and have a direct line themselves. Moses was one of a kind On the special quality of Moses’ prophecy see Vayigra Rabba \:14, Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed 2:36, 45. Moses was worried... Cf. Shemot Rabbah 2:10. His children ... children literally, “sons.” Moses and His Father-in-Law Moses returned to YHVH_ Moses’ first attempt at convincing Pharaoh to let the people go was a failure. Not only did Pharaoh refuse; he punished the Israelites with harsh labor as a result of Moses’ demand. The people themselves were angry with Moses. Frustrated, he addresses God in bold terms. Adonai... Elohim “My Lord,” “God.” Both these words are names of Shekhinab, the feminine Divine Presence; YHVH refers to Tiferet, a higher sefirab. In rabbinic literature a distinction is made between Elohim and YHVH, the former indicating the divine attribute of judgment; the latter, the attribute of compassion; see Sifrez, Deuteronomy, §26. In the Zohar Shekhbinah (Elohim) executes judgment, and 7if‘eret is called Compassion. The various divine names appearing in these verses stimulate Rabbi Yose to weave a mystical midrash. husband of Elohim literally, “the man of Elobim” (Deuteronomy 33:1), which for the Zohar means “the husband of Shekhinah [Elobim]’; see above, “The Birth of Moses,” note on “Shekbinab joined with him constantly.” Moses is on such intimate terms with Shekbinah that he is called Her husband. 240 Notes to Pages 105-106 Therefore he is allowed to speak to Her as he wishes. It is instructive to compare this passage with a midrash on these verses (Shemot Rabbab 6:1): Rabbi Shim’on son of Yohai said, ‘“‘Why did he [Moses] criticize the ways of the Blessed Holy One? ... As a result, the attribute of Judgment sought to harm Moses, as it is written: ‘Elohim spoke to Moses.’ However, since the Blessed Holy One saw that he had spoken up because of the suffering of Israel, He continued to deal with him through the attribute of Compassion, as it is written: ‘He said to him, “I am YHVH.”’” The Zohar passage is obviously built on the midrash; following its exam- ple, Rabbi Yose divides Exodus 6:2 into two sentences with two different subjects: “Elohim spoke ... He [YHVH] said ...” Here the similarity ends, however. According to Rabbi Yose, Moses is forgiven not because he was standing up for Israel, but because he is a member of the divine family, the husband of Elohim. Do you not know that I am King? The man’s wife is the daughter of the king. Rabbi Yose does not spell this out, but it is clear from the context and the second parable, below. This cryptic style is characteristic of the Zohar. The reader is puzzled and forced to search the text, to involve himself. as if it were possible a common rabbinic expression used to tone down radically anthropomorphic statements. He said, “Adonai...” Moses addresses Shekhinah. Elohim spoke to Moses Shekhinah begins to answer; cf. the midrash quoted above: “The attribute of Judgment sought to harm Moses, as it is written: ‘Elohim spoke to Moses.’ ” He said to him, “I am YHVH ... You have spoken these words against Me!” Impugning S