{ "meta": { "schema_version": "1.1", "endpoint": "/api/sources/zohar/vol-5-00-body.json" }, "work": { "slug": "zohar", "name": "Zohar" }, "parents": [], "chapter": { "num": 5, "slug": "vol-5-00-body", "title": "Volume V — Devarim (Deuteronomy)", "of": 5, "words": 157473, "text": "## Volume V\nANp THE Loxp sroxe UNTO Moses savING, WHEN\n'A Woman, Enc. [42a] R, Abba ted here the verse: \"By night\n'upon my bed I sought him\", ec. ($.S. tm, 1). \"This verse'\nthe aid, \"ix spoken by the Community of arse ho in the\nexile ies in the dust, in an alien unclean land, and therefore\ncomplains of her bed and beseches \"him whom her soul\nJoveth\" to deliver her from thence. She \"secks him but finds\nhim not\", fortis not his way to unite [425] with her save\nin his temple. She \"call him and he answers not, for She\ndlvells among other peoples, and only his sons hear his voice.\"\nIsaac interpreted thus:\"*\"\"T make plaint to him of m\n\nbed, that he may unite with me to gladden and bless me'\nfor, as we hate learnt, from the union of the King with\nthe Community of fsrael many righteous ones obtain a holy\ninheritance and many blessings accrue tothe world.\" Abba\nwas once going from Kfar Kania tothe cave of Lydda, slong\nWith R. Jose and R. Hiya, Suid R. Jose: \"Te fs wriuen: \"A\nVirtuous worn is crown to her Husband' (Prov. xt, 4).\n'The virtuous woman', he said 'isthe Community of Israel,\nand \"she that maketh ashamed\" refers to the idolatrous\nrations whom God cannot abide, as it says \"I abhorred\nthem\" (Lev. xx, 3) Said R. Abba: 'Assuredly itis s0; the\n'Community of Tsral is called s \"woman of valour\" (Kay)\nIbecause she isthe mistress of so many legions of saliant ones\n(Gayaliny\" R. Abba then sad: 'Let each of us give some\n'exposition of the Torah', and he himself commenced with\nthe verse: \"A virtous woman who can find ?\" (Prov. axxt,\n40). \"The \"virtuous woman\", he said, is the Community\nof Tarel, as we have just explained. \"Who shall find\": who\nhall succeed in being wholly ia her and always with her ?\n\"Far above rubies is her price\" (michrah, lit. sling): those\nwho do not truly and wholeheartedly cleave to her she sells\ninto the hands of other peoples, and they are removed far\nfrom those precious holy pearls and have no share in them.\"\n\n4 'THe zomaR ¥ [abyse\nHiya then expounded the next verse: \"The heart of her\nhusband trusteth in her, and she shall have no lack of spoil\".\n\"The \"husband\", he esi, \"is the Holy One, blessed be He,\n'who hath appointed her' to govern the whole world and\nplaced in her hands all his armoury and warriors; wherefore:\nshe \"lacketh not spoil.\" R. Jose took the next verse: \"She\nddoeth kim yood and not evil all the days of her life\" \"She\n'provides good for the world, for the temple of the King\nfand those who frequent it. When is this ? When thos: \"days\n'of the heaven\" shine upon her and unite with her fly, these\nbeing then the \"days of her life\", because the Tree of Life\n'has ent to her life and shines upon her.' Said R. Abba: 'AIL\nthis is well said, and all these verses can be applied to the\n'Community of Israel.\"\n\nIv A woman conceive seep. We have learnt that if a\nwoman conceives the seed frst, the child io = male Said\nRo Aha: 'But have we not learnt that God decrees whether\nthe semen is to bemale or female? R. Jose replied: Indeed,\nGod distinguishes whether the geem itself comes from\nmale or female source,' and therefore He decrees whether the\nchild isto be male or female.' R. Aha also asked why the\nword \"conceive-seed\" is used instead of merely \"conceive\n1. Jose answered: 'A woman from the time she becomes\npregnant tll she is delivered can talk of nothing ut the\nchild she i co bear, whether it is to be a boy or agit'\n\nTR Hiskiah addaced hece the verse: \"O Lord, how manic\nfold are thy works\" (Ps. ctv, 24) \"How manifold, be sai,\n'are the works of the Holy King in the world ! He a like a\n'man who takes in his hand a number of [43] bundles of\nseed and sows them all at once, and in time each kind comes\nup separately. So the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplished\niis work with wisdom; with Wisdom He took all together\nand sowed them and afterwards they all issued etch\ntime, as it says: \"In wisdom hast thow made them all\nR. Abba suid: 'They were all secreted in Wisdom, and\nthey didnot iste into being save hy certain paths alongside\n\n\" Acindig t the Zohar the see tet contains bth male a &\nera sleet Ze, Exe, 16,\n\n4ger4g8] wt raznta! (vevivicus) 5\n'of Understanding (Binah), whence they become firmly\n'established. Observe that when a man goes to unite with his\n'wife in sanctity, his holy thought awakens a spirit compound\nced of male and female, and God signals to a messenger who\nis in charge ofthe conception of human beings and entrust\n10 him that spirit and informs him where to deposit it, and\nalto lays varias injunctions on the sprit itaalf. Then the\nspirit goes down to earth along with a certain form which\nbore its image above, and in that form it is reated and goes\nabout in this world; and so long as that form is with a man,\nhe retains his form in this world.\n\n\"In the bock of the sorceries of Asmodsi we find that\n'one who knows how to practise magic from the side of the\nleft should rise by the light of the lamp and utter certain\nincantations and call the unclean sides by their names and\nprepare his forms for those whom he invites and say he is\nready for thet commands, 'Then that man passes out of the\ndominion of his Master and places himself in charge of the\nunclean side, And through his incantations two spirits appear\nin the shape of men which show him how to confer certain\nbenefits or do certain kinds of harms at certain spectied times.\n'eis forbidden to a man to abandon any vesel of his house\ninto the possesion ofthe \"other side\", for many emissaries\nare in wait to punish such an act, and from that tre blessings\ndo not rest upen him—all the more ifhe assigns tothe \"other\nside\" the mos: precious part of himself. For from that time\nbbe belongs to it, and when the time comes for the celestial\nform which has been given to him to depart from this world,\nthe evil spit to which he clung comes and takes i, and itis\nnever again restored to him.\n\n\"When the soul is about to descend to this world, it frst\ngoes down to the terrestrial Garden of Eden and sees there\nthe lary of the souls of the righteous, and then itgoes dawn\nto Gehinnom and sees the wicked who ery \"Woe, woe\", and\nfind no comparsion, That holy form stands by him until he\nemerges into the world, [430] after which it keeps him\n'company and grows up with him. Observe that al spirits are\n'compounded of male and female, and when they go forth\ninto the world they go forth as both male and female, and\n\n6 sux sonar ¥ fase\nafterwards the two elements ae separated, Ifa mans worthy\nthey are afterwards united, and itis then that he truly meets\n'mate and there ia perlect union both inepirtand es\nHone fle wien here: \"When al wonan eoneives oc\nand bears @ male\", and not \"male and female together\",\n'ince on account ofthe ways ofthe word they ae not united\n{Gt birth) a8 they were when they ised from on high, be-\ncause the frst man and his mate sinned before God. There-\nfore they are separated unt, if a man is worthy, it pleases\nGod to restore to hit his mate, But ihe is not northy, she\nven toanother, and they bear children whom they abould\nno' R, Eleazar sid: \"Ths is nt x. All at fst comprise\nboth male and female, and they are separated afterwards,\nBut ifthe woman bears a male, they are then united fom the\n'side of the right, and if she bears female, fram the side\n'ofthe left, this side being then predominant. Hence, ifthe\ntale child fsues from the side of the lft, he i effeminate,\ntht if from the sie of the right, he has mastery over the\nfemale\n\"Many mytiads are brought forth at every hour, but they\nare not called souls until they are settled in a body, and this\nison ater thirty-three dys,\n\nUNCLEAN SEVEN DAYS. Because for\nddo not go in to abide with her; for seven.\nseeks for it place in the body, and only on\nthe eighth day does it settle there so that body and soul may\nappear before the Matrona and unite with Her.\n\n'AND Sie SHALL CONTINUE IN THE BLOGD OF HER\nPURIFYING THREE AND THIRTY DAYS. Theseare to allow.\nthe sprit to settle in the body. 'The three extra days are the\nfirst three after the circumeision, during which the child\nin pain and the spisit cannot sette down in the body.\n\n'Site SHALL TovEM No HALLOWED THING. Every day\nthe Community of Israel takes from the household of the\nKing food forthe spirits of men and feeds (44a) them in holi-\nress save for these, the spirits of which have nor yet settled\n\ng4o-q4] kr Tazmza\" (Levrricus) 7\nin the bodies. But after thirty-three days She tends them like\nall other human beings, because their spirits are united with\ntheir bodies as in all other men. In the case of « female\ndouble the number of days is eequited, because, as stated\nabove, the side of the left is predominant, and therefore it\ntakes twice as long in the case of a female for the spirit to\n\nbe united with the body.\"\nR, Judah adduced here the verse: \"Tere is nome holy 29\nthe Lord, for there is none beside thes, neither is there any\n\nrock ike our God!\" (x Sam, 2). \"Are tere then other holy\ntones oF ather rockt besides the Lord? Yer, there are hoy\n'ones above as tin written: \"The demand is by the ward of\nthe holy ones (Dan. 1¥, 14), and Israel are holy below, but\nnone are holy like the Lond, because \"there is none beside\nthee\", cha i, Goo's holiness isnot like their holiness, for\nHe does not requite their holiness, but they could not be\nholy without Him. Also, \"there ie no rock (zu) lke our\nGod\". of, as we may anlate, \"no fashioner lke our\nGoa\", as explained elsewhere; forthe Holy One, blessed\nbe He, shapes a form within a form, and finishes it and\nbreathes into it the breath of life and brings it out into\nthe open.\"\n\nHiya and R. Aha were sting one night with R. Abba.\n\"They rose at midnight to study the Torah, and when they\nwent outside they saw a star strike another star three times\nand put out its ight. 'They then heard two voices from\ndiferent directions, one from the north above and one [448]\nIelow, which prochimed: \"Go now in ty your places, now\nthe hollow ofthe aby is closed and the Holy One, blessed\nbbe He, goes into the Garden to have yous communion\nWith the righteous there\". The voice then died away, and\nRR. Aha and R. Abba turned their heads and said: 'Verily\n'isis the hour when the Community of Tsracl arises 10\nJoin the Holy King. Verily the Commusiy of Israel meets\nthe Holy One, blesed be He, only with song and praise\nuntil morning, and the King twines round her a thread of\nsgrice, and not round her alone but roundall who aecompany\nher, Let us go and join her.' So they all st down.\n\n'R. Aha then discourse on the vers: \"And the Lord God\n\n8 He ZOHAN Y [ea-4se\nssid, It i not good that the man should be alone\", ete,\n(Gen. 11,18). He said: Was man then alone ? Is it not written,\n\"male and female he created them\", and we have learnt\nthat man as ereated \"with two faces\" ? What it means,\nhowever, is that the male did not concern himself with the\nfemale and had no support from her; she was at his side and\nthey were like one from the back. Therefore God sawed him\nin two and separated the female from him and brought her\nto the man, so that they should be face to face. And when\nthe was gathered in to man, then God blessed them, like\nthe reader of the service who blesses the bride with seven\nblessings, Therefore he who unites with the wife of another\nimpairs the (divine) union, for the union of the Community\nof Israel is withthe Holy One, blessed be He, alone, whether\nitis time with him of mercy or of judgement. He who joins\n'with the wife of another is like one who denies the Holy\nOne, blessed be He, and the Community of Israel, and\ntherefore he does not obtain forgiveness by repentance until\nhe departs from the world, until he enters repentant into\nthe other world to receive his punishment.\" R, Eleazar suid:\n'He who denies the Community of larac ix not received at\n1 penitent until he bas been punished in Gehinnom; all the\nmore so if he denies both the Community of Israel and the\nHoly One, blessed be He, and all the more so if he caused\nGod the trouble of forming a bastard in the wife of another:\n. Hiya said: 'Ir is written, \"Whoso robbeth his father and\nbhi mother\", ete. (Prov. xxvii, 24). The \"father\" here' he\nssid, is the Holy One, blessed be He, snd the \"mother\" is\nthe Community of Israel; and we have learnt, Whoever\nenjoys anything of this world without a blessing is like one\n'who robs the Holy One and the Community of Israel. So\nhhe who has enjoyment of his wife without a blessing is like\n'one who robs the Holy One and the Community of Israel,\nbecause their union is consummated by seven blessings\nee\nbecause he impairs the celestial form and arrangeme!\nthe more 0, then, one who covets the wife of another to\ncleave to her.' [454]\n\nR. Abba then disoursed on the verse: \"And he said,\n\n'over Jacob? Because the\nsum had rien and his strength was eippled. «For when\n'the light appears, all the emissaries of punishment are\nrestrained, and then the Community of Iseael communes\nwith the Holy One, blessed be He, and that hour isa time\nof grace forall, and the King holds out to her and all who are\n'with her his ecepte ofthe thread of grace so that they may\nbe wholly united to the holy King. Observe this. When the\nHoly One, blessed be He, is in the company of the Com=\n'unity of Israel, if she frst makes approaches to him and\ndraws him towards her inthe strength of her lve and desire,\nthen she is replenished from the side of the right and multi-\ntudes from the side ofthe right are found in all words. But\nifthe Holy One, blessed be He, isthe first to make advances\nland she (456] only rouses herself afterwards, then all is on\nthe side of the female and many multitudes arise on the\nside ofthe left in all worlds, Hence it is writen: \"When a\n'Woman conceives seed and bears a male\", ete, che lower\n'world being on the model of the upper, and in all things 2\n'man should concentrate his thoughts above on the Holy\n'One, blesed be He, that grace may abound in the world.\n'Happy are the righteous who know how to concentrate theit\nthoughes on the holy King; of them ic is writen: \"Ye who\nleave unto the Lord your God are all alive this day\"\n(Deut tv, 4)\n\nRISING OK A SCAM OR ABRIGHT SPOT, ETC.R, Judah here\ncited the verse: \"Look not upon me because I am swarthy,\nIbecause the sun hath scorched me\", et. (5.8.1, 6).'When the\n'Moon was hiddenin theexteand she aw the yarningoof Iarael\nfor her she said, \"Look not on me\", meaning,\"\nsce me, because Tam in darkness—for one thing because the\nsun has withdrawn his ight fom me, and for another because\n\"the sons of my mother were incensed against me\" (Id),\n'these being the emissaries of the side of severity. \"They\n\n* Here ftom in the et cern rections onthe conic of Jacob and\nthe ng whi Reve appeted in vobvance ewer\n\n10 tute 20K Y lasb-4be\nmade me keeper of the vineyards that is of other nations,\nwhereas \"my own vineyard\"—Isracl—Icannee Keep.\nFormerly { kept my own vineyard and through i the others\nwore also kept; row Ihave to keep the others that my own\nmay be kept among them.' As R Hiya and R. Jose were\n'once going along, they came to 2 field where there was a\nbalsam tree on the right, Said R. Jose: 'A pall of smoke\nmust come before our eyes; it is forbidden us to look upon\nany glad sight since the day when the Temple was destroyed.\"\nHe then expounded the yerse: \"The earth is the Lord's\nand the fulness thereof, the world and they that dell herein\"\n(Ps, xxrv, 1). \"This \"earth\", he said 'is the holy earth\nWhich is called \"the land of the living', while \"the world\"\nrefers to other lands\" R. Hiya said: \"The \"earth\" is as\n'ssid; the \"fulness thereof\" isthe wuls ofthe rightenus; the\n\"world\" is this earth, and \"they that dell therein are\nmankind.\" Said R. Jose: 'If so, what do you make of the\nnext verse: \"For he hath founded it upon the sas and\n'tablished it upon the waters\" ? He replied: 'Asuredly\nthat \"land of the living\" is established upon the seas and\nrivers which iue from that supernal River that proceeds\nfrom Eden.\"\n\nAs they were going along they came across a man standing\nunder a tree whose face was full ofthe marks of blows. They\nnoticed [fa] that his face was all red from the blows. Said\nR. Hiya to him: 'Who are you ? He replied: 'Lama Jew.'\nSaid R. Jose: \"He must be a sinner, a8 otherwise his face\n'would not have all those marks, and these are not what are\nCalled \"chastiservents of love\" Said R. Hiya: 'Arsuredly\nthat isso, for the \"chastisements of love\" are hidden from\nview. So with the plague of leprosy, of those marks which\nare visible to all itis writen, \"And the priest shall ce and\ndeclare him unckan\", for asuredly those come fom the\nside of uncleanness and 'are not chastisements of Jove. In\nthe same way, he who reproves hie neighbour in love should\nnot let other ten hearin order that he may not be ashamed\nand if he reproves him publicly he does not show true\nfriendship. So God, in reproving a man, acts vith him\nlovingly, At first He siites him inwaedly. If he repent,\n\n46a-468] xr TAaRIAY (tevETicus) n\n'well and good, but if not, he sites him under his garments,\nand this is ealled \"chastisement of love\". IF he still does nat\nrepent, God smites him on his face where all san see, 50\nthat they may know that he i sinner and not beloved of\nhhis Master' 'The man thereupon said to them: 'You are in\n4 conspiracy against me: of a autety you are of those who\nfrequent the bouse of R. Simeon ben Yobai, who have no\nfear of anyone, If my sons were to come up, they would\npunish you for speaking thus loudly.' They said: \"The Law\nfeaches Us to do s0, a5 1 says, \"Wisdom erieth in the chiet\nplaces of concourse\", ete. (Prov. 4, 1). If we were to be\n\"afraid to speak words of the Torah before thee, we should\nbbe ashamed before God.' The man thereupon ited up his\n'hands and wept. Meanwhile hissons came up. The youngest\n'one said: \"The support of heaven is here. King Solomon\n'old: \"AIL havo Tacen in the diye of ry vanity\" (Keel. vs,\n43). In the days of King Solomon the moon was ful, and\nSolomon was the wisest of men and he saw all: he saw AI\"\nattached t0 the Moon and illuminating her like the sun.\n[Now when the righteous are numerous in the world, this\nAIM\" does not depart from the Sun, and receives all\nanointing and joy from above 10 unite with the Moon, for\n'whowe sake it isthusenriched. But when sinners ar numerous\nin the world, and the Moon is darkened, the \"Righteous\n'One persheth in his righteousness, that i, he ss allthis\nas he cannot unite with the Moon. 'Then, too, all the side\nfof the left is aroused, and the prosperity of sinners is\nieokonads LAL benGs i tien fond tyson Wicked\n{an who probngeth fis ife sm his evidaing\". Also we may'\ninterpret the vords, there is righteous man that persheth\nfn his righteousness\", to mean that when sinners multiply\nand judgemen:impends, the righteous man i seized for theie\ntng, ike my father, who has been punished for the sins of\nthe townafotk who are all law-breakers, because he did not\n\nide them or try t0 atop them, taking av his guide the vers,\n'Quarrel not with evildoers, be not zealous against them\nthat work unrighteousness' Hix father said: 'In truth\nGod has punished me for this, because I had the power to\n'prevent them and I did not do s0, and I did not reprove\n\nrs 'THE ZOMAKY [46\nthem either openly or secretly.' His other son then cited the\nverse: \"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the\nground\", ete. (Gen. tt, 7)- 'Man was formed with two\n{nelinations, the good and the evil, one corresponding to\nWater and the other to Fire. The werd \"man\" (adam)\nindicates a combination of male and female. 'The dust from\nwhich he was formed was that of the Holy Land, of the\n'Sanetuary. \"He breathed in his nostils the breath of life\":\nthis is the holy soul which derives from the life above.\n\"And the man became a living soul\": he was provided with\nholy soul from the supernal thing\" which the\n'earth brought forth. Now, a8 long as that bly soul is attached\ntoa man, he ie beloved of his Master, he is guarded on all\nsides, he is marked out for good above and below, and the\nholy divine presence rests upon him. But if he perverts his\nways the divine presence leaves him, the super-soul does not\nto him, and from the side of the evil serpent a spirit\narises which can abide only in a place whence the heaven!\nholiness has departed, and so a man becomes defiled and bi\nflesh, his facial appearance and his whole being, is distorted.\n'Observe that because this \"living soul\" is holy, therefor\nwhen the holy land absorbs it, it is called \"Super-soul\"\"\n(nshamah); itis this which ascends and speaks before the\nholy King and enters without let or hindrance in all gates,\nand therefore it is called \"speaking spirit\". Hence the\n\"Torah proclaims, \"Keep thy tongue frem evil\", ete. (Pa,\nxxtty, 14), because if a man's\nwords, those words mount aloft and all proclaim \"keep\naway from the evil word of so-and-eo, leave the path clear\nfor the mighty serpent\". 'Then the holy soul leaves hin and\nnot able to speak: itis im shame and distress, and is not\ngiven a place as before. Hence itis written, \"Whoso keepeth\nhis mouth and his wegue keepeth his suul from troubles\"\n(Prov. xx, 23). For that soul which was vocal is reduced to\nsilence on account of the evil word. Then the serpent gets\nready, andl when that evil word finds its way to him, then.\n'many spirite bestir themselves, and one spirit comes down,\nfrom that side and fines the man who uttered the evil word,\n* e Taum Ono ac\n\n8b-q7l] KI TARRIN! (Leviticus) 3\nand lights upon him and defiles him, and he becomes leprous.\nAnd just as a man is punithed for uttering an evil word, $0\nhes punished for not uttering a good word when he had the\n'opportunity, because he harms that speaking spivit which\nwas prepared to speak both above and below in holiness.\nAl the moreso if the people walkin crooked ways and he\nable to speak to therm and reprove them and does not do so.\n80 David said: \"I eld my peace from good and my trouble\nwas stired\" (Ps, xxx, 3), alluding to his leprosy\" [47a]\nR. Hiys and R. Jose then came and kissed him, and they\nkept together the whote of chat journey.\n\nWHEN A PLAGUE OF LiPZosY 15 0N A MAN ESHALL HE\nsRouGHT UNTO THE PnizsT. R. Jose sid: \"The Come\n'anions have studied all the varices of this plague, and the\npriestused toknow which werechastisementsafioveand which\nWwereasign that a man was rejected and spurnedby bie Master;\nfor the plague lights upon mankind according wo their works\nTes wrtten: \"Incline not my heart to any evl thing, to be\n\ned in deeds of wickedness\" (Ps, cxtt, 4)' Suid R.\n'Does God then lead men astray into the ways of sin\n\nIs\nand evildoing ? If so, how can the Torah say, \"Uf thou\nIhearkenest, if thou dost not hearken\"\" ? We sheuld, however,\n\nttansate: \"Do not incline, O my heart, to an evil thing\n{rord), for an evil word brings the plage of leprosy upon\nthe worl\". \"The Companions hive pointed out that the\n[Aram translation of leprory (ire) means \"shutting up\nand indicates shutting up oth above and below, Ina similar\ntense it ie written \"He fath defied the sarcuary of the\nLard\" (Num. 30s, 20)\" Said R. Eleazar: 'He defies i\nbecause the Divine Preerce departs from thence and the\nmighty serpent takes up his abode there and ests filth there\nnd cates defilement, and all because of mens sins\"\n\nAND 1F A MAN'S HAIR RE FALLEN OFF HIS HEAD. R.\nHiya cited here the verse: \"Then saw that wisdom exclleth\nfolly as light excelleth darkness\" (Eccl. 1113) (478] 'Where',\nhh said, is the great wisdom in this remark of king Solomon ?\nDoes set anyone, even one who fs no wisdom himself,\n\n4 sue ronan ¥ (erie\nnow that wisdom is superior to fly alight darkness,\n\ntherefore, does Sloman ay, Then Isa\"? The\n\nthat what i mean that therein\nto wlalom foe fly lef Cor tare\nSere lly, wider anita word would not Derecogsized,\nWerbve arnt hatte incumbent on a man when he letras\nied to lean slitle fly ale ence there is eerain\nTent to wadom fro its thee i to ight rem darn\nWe ave loess has apie ta the supers Wisdom,\nToeR, Simeon si As The sper Wid de\n\nbbbepieeriresrorcuon ete ae\nfol tac aes forme pice sd nt feet woul\ntive ne superorty or excellence, and the prof of wiadom\nwould not be distrib, Soon arth f there were no flly\nthere would be no wisdom, Therefore did Rab Hamnuna the\nElder when be intrctel the Companions inthe secrets\nof wear, sao ive then m dlciure fall of fall tat\nadem might banc therefrom, Therefore ict wrens\nare precios then wien oc tan Ronen ek\nfolly (Eee m1)\" R. Joe ssid \"Ths means that ile\n{oly reyas ahd plays he amour of dra ad the\ntlory of heaven mare than anything ee. So the benefit of\nHinson et from ie contrs with darkness, and sindarly\n'hie sony known avd forts contrast with Black\nI Tene midst tthe ume with et aod Liters 2a\ndoce not know what sweet x unl he een ter [4]\n\n\"We ave learn: ani the Sree has eur aes\n\ntio, gbe, ent ik--od the highest of then aa\nSuid Re Judas Bars int writen, \"When aman da)\nshal bring fom you an aferiog\" (Le. 1.2), and who si\nthat requires t bring an offering? Init nota siaper? Re\nJase rplod: \"The oflering isthe tainstay of the wel,\nppc ent ae egy te eect er el\nrho Sng tore ? rely hs ean whois aled Adon?\nEaid R. Judah: 'fo, what of the verse \"When a tan\n(adn) ba othe skin of his flesh and ic beome in the\nShin of fis fesh the plage of leprosy\"? He replied: \"This\nOne God desires to eal more than all others td therefore\nit\n\n'written concer\n\nhim, \"he shall be brought unto the\n\nkr taznra' (Leviticus) 45\nisthe duty of anyone who sees him to bring him\n'to the priest, in order that the holy image may not ret\nthus\" Said R. Judah: \"Bue itis written, \"Now Moses the\n'man (jih)!\"s why is he not called \"adn!\" ?\" He replied:\n\"Because he was the \"servant of the king\", and therefore he\nis called ish in relation to the supernal Adim. But,' he suid,\nit written, \"The Lord is a man (ish) of wat\"\n1 \"The secret of the Lord is to them that fear\nJudah too am one of them, yet I have nat\n'been privileged to hear this,\" Said the other: \"Go to R. Abba,\nfor [learnt it from him only on condition that I should not\ntell' So he went to R, Abba, and found him discoursing\nand saying: \"When is there said to be completeness above ?\n'When the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on his throne. For\nis written: \"And upon the likeness of the throne was\nthe likeness as the appearance of a man (adam) upon it\nabove\" (Ezek, 1, 26); the term \"adam indicates wholeness\nand completeness\" Said R. Judah: \"Ged be blessed that\nThave found you discoursing thus. Tell me:is it not written,\n\"The Lord is a man (dh) of war\" ?\" Said R. Abba: 'Your\n'question is 2 good one, and the answer is this. At the Red\nSea there was not yet full consuramation, and therefore God\nas called ssh; but in the vision of Ezekiel there was full\n'consummation, and therefore God was eilled adam,'***The\nlaw of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and\nsilver (Ps. ex1x, 72)\" exclaimed R. Judah. \"But, he con-\ntinued, 'it is also writen, \"O Tord, thou preservest man\n(eden) and beast\" (Ps. xxv, 7) Should not the term ih\nbe used here ?\" He si snalogous tothe express\n\"From the cedar which is in Lebanon to the hyssop that\n'pringeth out of the wall\" (1 Kings v, 13); itis the way of\nthe Scripture in such cases t0 mention the two extremes.'\n\"Bug he went vo, it not written: \"And there was no man\n(adam) t0 till the ground\" (Gen, u, 3)? He answered\n'Everything in the world was only made for the sake of\n'man, and all things were kept back until he that was called\nAdam should appear, since his form was after the divine\nprototype, and when he was created all yas complete.\nTR. Jose said: \"Phe Hayoth which Bzchel saw all had the\n\n6 'Tue z0nARY [s8e-49e\nten: \"And the\nfeecofaneagle andthe facet on ® (0) He\nreplied: 'Alt had th face of man, but inthis face itl was\nseen the resemblance of an eagle ec\"\n\nRE, Tsaae sid; 'Observe, that whoever is under the control\nof adam' is called \"ish\", because the complete form of\n'Raum was only reached from another previous form. For\niuhas been taught in the profound mysteries ofthe Book of\nConcealed Wisdors that when man was created in the holy\nsuperna form there came down with him two spit from\n{wo sides, one from the right and one from the lft, which\n'between them formed the complete man. 'The one from the\nfight was called the holy neshamah, as it says: \"And he\nbreathed in bis nostrils the nezkomal of life\" (Gen. 1,7),\nwhile the other was called \"living soul! (nefedh hayah\n'When man sinned there were formed from this spirit of the\nJef erature whote body was not compote, and these are\ncalled \"the plagues ofthe wns of men and they hear certain\nthings on high which they communicate to those below.\nNow it has been taught: From the Lamp of Darkness!\njnsued three hundeed and twenty-five sparks raced cut and\nTinked together fram the side of Geburah, and when these\nentered the Body it was alle Th Said R. Judah: \"Way 30 ?\nIsaac could not answer. So they went and asked R. Simeon,\nwo replied: 'Beezse the lower judgements are atached to\nthe hair of this ong, he is called \"Stern Judgement\", but\nWhen the hair is removed he becomes mitigated and the\nlover judgements are not held in readiness, Therefore he is\ncalled clean, as having emerged from the side of unclemnnes,\nand here too itis written: \"And if the hair of ik be fallen\noff his head, he is ald, he i clean.\" Silly among men,\nif one is from the side of judgement and is Hable to puish-\n'ment, he is not purified until his hai is removed. So the\nLLevites who eame from this side were not purified uni their\nIni was removed: and they required the Priests who came\nfrom the side of Lavingkindnes to assist them, just at above\nwhen that [sh desires tobe more exhilarated [49a] the sapernal\n\n* Aesaing the snthrpomorphicamtolien\n\n49e4o!] xt raznra' (LeviTicus) 7\nLovingkindnesssdsplayedin im, and hebecomesmitgated,\nand this Ish becomes merged in Adam,\n\n'AND IF 18 HAIH BE FALLEN OFF FROM THE FRONT PART\n(OF Mis MEAD. This front partis what is elled \"the face\n'of wrath\", and all [angels] who depend from that \"face\"\nare bold, stern and cruel, But when the \"hair\" is removed\nfrom the side of that \"face\", all these are removed and\nrendered powerless, For, as we have learnt, all those who\ndepend from the \"hair of the head\" are superior to the\n'others and not bold-faced like them. Hence the fces of the\nInter are red ike fre from the fashing of the Lamp of\nDarkness.\" Rabbi Isaac sid: \"This plague i ealled\"\"reddish-\nwhite\" (Lev. mu, 42); it is stil @ plague if the white is\nvisible and the red' has not disappeared. When, however,\nthe whole has bacome white, mercy is present and judgement\nce\n\nlcparts.\n'Rabbi Abba said: 'Sometimes the Female is sullied by\nthe sins of men and sometimes the Male, and the priest\n|knew from which side the punishment came, and he also\nknew the sacrifices which ought to be brough, as it is\nwriten: \"The sacrifices of Elam (i. sacrifice to avert\npunishment) area contrite spirit\" (Ps 1, 18) (496] R. Jose\n'quoted the verse: \"O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall\nall flesh come\" (Ps. txv, 2). \"This means, atthe time when\nthe body is in pain from sickness and blows, and therefore\nie sys Vall lest\" and not all spirit, Similarly iis writen:\n\"If there be a plague of leprosy in a man, he shall be brought\n'unto the priest' the \"priest\" referring to the Holy One,\nblessed be He, since on Him depends all purification an«\nholiness.\" R, Issac aid: 'We have learat as follows. \"Plague!\n'means ster judgement impending over the world.\" Leprosy'\n'means the shutting out from the world ofthe supernal light\nand goodness, \"When it shall be in a man': this is he that\nis called man', \"He shall be brought unto the priest\":\nthis isthe earthly priest, who is qualified to open what has\nbeen shut up and to kindle the lights, that blessings may\n'through him be spread above and below, and the plague be\nremoved and the light of mercy rest upon all\"\n\n18 THE ZOHAR ¥, [496-500\n\nR. Abba said: 'I am struck by the way in which men\nneglect the honour of their Master. It is writen concerning\nTorael: \"I have separated you from the peoples to be mine\"\"\n(Lev. xx, 26), and again, \"Ye shall sanctify yourselves and\nbe hay, for 1 the Lord am holy\" (Id. 7). IF they depart\nfrom God, where is their holiness, seeing that their thoughts\n\nturned from Him ? And Scripture cries to them saying\n\nBe tot a8 the horse or as the mule which have no under-\nstanding\" (Ps. 20x, 9). In what are human beings distin-\n'guished from the horse and the mule ? By sanctification and\nfelfperfection. Hence the marital intercourse of human\nbeings should be at fixed times, that they may concentrate\ntheir thoughts on cleaving to the Holy One, bleswed be He.\n'As has been pointed out, at midnight God enters the Garden\nof Eden to have communion with the righteous, and the\nCommunity of Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He,\nand that is a propitious time to cleave to Hien. But as forthe\n'Comiranions who study the 'Torah, the time of their inter-\n'course is at the time of another intercourse, from Sabhath\n'to Sabbath! for that isthe time when all above and below\nare biessed. But if men abandon Him and act like beasts,\nWhere are those holy souls which they derive from above ?\nKing Solomon also cries aloud: \"Alo without knowledge the\n'soul isnot good\" (Prov. xtx 2), for they draw upon them\nselves a soul that is not good from the \"other side\". He\n'who is inflamed with the evil inclination and turns not his\nthoughts to God draws upon himself @ soul which isnot\n'good. Therefore evil diseases light upon men and their\nappearance testifies that God hes rejected them and will not\nhaeed them until they (soa amend their ways, Similarly it ix\n'written: \"When ye be come into the land of Canaan «.. and\nTputa plague of leprosy in z house ofthe land of your posses\nsion\", ete. (Lev, x1¥, 34): Gad loved Taras] and bough them\ninto the Holy Land to place His divine presence among therm\nand t make His abode with them, so that Israel should be\nholy above all other peoples, Now, when the wormen brought\narticles for the Tabernacle they wsed to specify what part\n'each was for: \"thi is for the holy place, this forthe curtain\",\n\ntT\n\ngoa-sob] KI TAZRIA' (LEVITICUS) 19\nand so forth, and each thing went to its place in holiness.\n\n'worship, or the \"ether si\n'name in connection with that ding, an unclean apiritreate\nupon it. Now the Canaanites were idoites, and whenever\nthey erected a building they used to utter certain idolatrous\nformule, and a spirit of uncleanness rested on the building.\nBut when the Isralites entered the land, God desired to\npurify them and sanctify the land and prepare a place for\nHis divine presence, and so through that plague of leprosy\nthey used to pull dawn buildings which had been erected\nin uncleanness. Now if they hed done so merely that they\nright find hidden treasures, they would have replaced the\nstones afterwards; but the text says, \"and they shall take\nfot the stones . and he shall ake other mortar\" in order\nthat the unclean spirit may pass away and the holiness\nreturn and the Shekinah abide in Israel, 'Therefore, when\nman begins to se up a building he should declare that he\nis building for the service of God. 'Then the support of\nheaven is with him, and God assigns holiness to him and\n'bids peace be with him. Otherwise he invites into his house\nthe \"other side\"—all the more 30 if his inclination is to\nthe \"other side\", for then, indeed, an unclean spicit will\nrest on the house, and that man will not leave this world\n'until he has been punished in that house, and whoever\nstwells in it may come fo hurt, ft is asked, How is one to\nknow such 2 house? itis one in which the man who built\nhas come to harm, be or his family, whether through sickness\ntr loss of money, he and two others after him. Better a man\n'should fly tothe mountains or live in a rd hut than dwell,\nthere, Therefore Gad had pity on Israel, who knew nothing\n'ofall those houses. He said: \"You do not know, but I know\n'them, and I wil inicate them with the plague. 'There isa\nplague in the howe; here is a greater plague which will\ndrive it out.\" Hence \"he shall break down the house, the\n'stones thereof and the timber thereof\". We may ask, since\nthe uncleanness fas gone, why should he break doven the\nhouse ? 'The reason is that as long as the house stands [508]\nit belongs to the \"other side\", and it may return, If that is\n\n20 THE 2OHAR Y [39h\nthe case in the Holy Land, how much more so in other\n\nR. Eleazar: 'Especially since that evil spirit\ncalls his companions there, and even a hawk's talons could\nfot scratch out the uncleanness from there. Therefore the\nSeripuure says, \"Woe unto him shat buildeth his house by\n\nJone was once going into a house, and as he was erosing\nthe threshold he heard a voice ay: 'All now gather, hee\nis one of our adversaries. Let us do him some hurt before\nthe goes eut again.\" Another voice said: 'We cannot do him\nanything unlews he Takes up his abode here.\" R. Jose drew\nback in great fear, saying: 'Assuedly, he who transpreses\nthe words of the Companions endangers his\n\nHiya to him: But idolaters and other people\nhouses and come tono hurt? He replied; \"They come from\nthe same side as those spirits, but he that fea sn ean be\nhue by them. And even those other if they\n\nwill ot come out in peace\" Said RH\nwritten, \"Their houses are safe from fear\" (Job xxt, 9)?\nHe replied 't may be that they have taken them over from\nother, and that they were built riginally in righteousness!\n\nTWEN NE THAT OWNETH THE HOUSE SHALL cont\nAND TELL THE PaiesT, THERE SEEMETH TO METO RE\nAS IT WERE A PLAGUE IN THE MOUSE. The meaning of\nthis verse is as follows. When this plague (of leprosy) enters,\nanother (of uncleanness) is revealed, and they attack one\nanother. Hence it says, \"there seemeth (li. is seen) to me.\n\"Then the one that was concealed becomes visible and the\n'one that was visible becomes hidden, and then reappears in\nthe form of the leprosy, and this is what the owner tell\"\nthe priest, who takes the hint, 'Then the priest comes, and\nthe stones and wood are removed, and then the rest ave\nblessed. Therefore it says, \"\"Thou shalt build goodly houses\nand divel therein' (Deut. vit, 12); these are good, but the\nothers were not good. 'But', said R. Judah, 'if that is 0,\n'what are we to make of the verse, \"Houses full of all good\nthings which thou flledst not\" (Deut. v1, 11) ? How could\nthey be full of good if an unclean spirit rested on them?\n\nsob-ste] wt TAzntAT (Leviricus) a\nR. Eleazar 'i means, with money, with silver, with\n'gold, and 20 forth: just as itis said elsewhere, \"for the good.\nofall the land of Egypt is yours\", although all the houses\nof Egypt were full of magic and inate.\" R. Simean said:\n'All this wae indeed for the purpore of sancifying the land\nand removiag from it the unclean spt, and when the house\n'was destroyed he used to find in it money for building\nanother, and so they were not distressed by the loss of the\nhnouse, and besides, they dwelt there thenceforth in holiness.\"\n\nAND WHEW A MAN O# A WOMAN HATH IN THE SEIN\nOF THEIR FLESH bRIGHTsrOTS. R. Jose said: \"The\n\"bright spot\" is surrounded with many regulations a3\ncomplicated as the wickerwork of a basket, all depending on.\nthe thade of colour.' R. Isaac said; 'Some authorities have\nformulated three hundred rules regarding the bright spor,\nand [learnt them all from my father. One black hair renders\n'unclean, being like one witness; two render clean, being\nlike wo witnesses\" R. Hidkiah was once studying with\nR, Simeon. He said: 'Te is written, \"a reddish-white plague\".\n'Thisis a plague, because the white doesnot retain its purity.\"\n[R. Simeon said: \"Happy are lavael in that God desired to\n'purify them, so that they ahould not come up for sentence\nfore Him. For like always goes to ike red to red and white\nte; right to right and lef to left. OF Esau itis written,\n\"and he came forth ruddy\", and therefore his own kind\n'ests upon him. (51a) Tt is true, David is also called \"ruddy\"\n(1 Sam. xvi, 12), but whereas Esau's redness eame from the\n\"dross of gold\", David's came from the brightness of gold.\n'Observe that if theres first redness and then it turns whitish,\nthis isa sign of the commencement of purifying. If white\n'appears first, and then it reddens, this isa sign that unclean\n'ess is commencing. 'The priest knew all these colours, and\nif the colour of cleanness appeared, he used to shut up the\n'man to see if another colour would appear, and if not, he\n'would declare him clean.'\n'As R. Isaac and R, Judah were once walking together, the\nlatter remarked: 'It is written: \"Elisha said to Gehasi, The\npy Midrah Rabab fcr\n\n2 'He zomAnV {sa\nJeprooy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed\nforever\" (2 Kings ¥, 27). Now, ithe sinned, why should his\ndescendants be stricken ? . Isaac replied: 'Elisha saw more\nthan most prophets. He saw that Gehazi would never have\nirtuour offspring, and therefore he cursed all of them.\nMoreover, he said to hin, 1 served Elijah faithfully, and\ntherefore obtained two portions, but you, villain, have\ncompromised me by swearing falsely and being covetous.\n'You have transgressed the whole of the Law, and therefore\ndleserve to die in this world and the next, but because you\nhave served me, your death shall only be in this world and\nshot the next!\n\nRR, Jose asked: Why should there be leprosy on wool and\nflax ¥ R. Isac replied: \"I rests on all things and has sway\ncover all, It is written, \"She seeketh wool and flax\", and\ntherefore the sway of this plague which comes from this\nsame superal place extends overall, over these two articles,\n'woo! an flax.\"\n\nRi, Iraae was once going to his father's home when he\nsaw a man turing aside from the road with a load on bis\nshoulders, He said to him: 'What is that bundle you hive\nfon your shoulders but the man seve him no answer,\nhie followed him till he saw him enter a cave. He went\nafter him and saw a cloud of smoke aseend from benesth\nthe ground, while the man went into hole and he lost sight\nof him. R,Tsaac then let the exve in great fear. As he vas\nsiting there, R. Judah and R. Hiakiah passed by. He went\n'upto them and told them what had happened. Said R. Judah:\n\"Thank God for delivering you. 'That cave is where the\nlepers of Sarunia are, and all the inhabitants of that town ate\n'magicians and go into the desert to get black snakes ten\nyears old or more, and through not being careful of them\nthey become leprous, and all their magic arts ae in that cave.\"\n'They then left the spot. On their way they eame across 2\n'man who had with him a sick chid tied to an ass, They ashed\nhim why the boy was tied. He replied: ' live in a town of\nthe Arameans, and my son here used to learn the Torah\nevery day, and when he came home used to go over what\nthe had lournt. 'Three years T lived in the same house and\n\nsie-si)] i TAzRIA (LEVITICUS) 3\n'observed nothing wrong, but now one day when my son\n'went into the house to repeat his lesson an evil spirit passed\nbefore him and distorted his eyes and his mouth and his\nhhands, so that he is not able to speak. So Tam going to the\n'ave ofthe lepers of Serunis to see i they can show me how\nto cure hi.\" R. Judah said to him: [518] 'Do you know of\nany other person having come to hana in that house before ?\"\nHe replied: 'I know that a long time ago a man did come to\nhharm there, but people suid chat it was just an illness, while\n'others said tha it was the evi spittof the house. Since then\n'many people have been in the howe without sufering any\nhharm.' 'They said: \"This proves the truth of what the\n'Companions said. Woe to those wh distegard their words.\"\nSaid R. Judah: 'Ie is written, \"Woe to him that buildeth\n'house without righteousness\" (Jer. xxtt, 13), because\n'wherever there is righteousness all evil spirits fy fom before\nit, Yet withal, whichever comes first wo the place takes\npossession of it? Said R, Hizkish: 'If so, the holy Name is\n'merely on level with the unclean spirit?\" He replied: 'Not\n40. If the holy spitt is there fist, vo evil spirits can appear\n'there, much less approach, But if the evil sprit is theze first,\nthe holy Name doesnot rex upon i Now Whe the plague of\nTeprosy ears, one had to purify the place and drive out the\n'unclean spirit, and afterwards the house was taken down\nand built up again in holiness with the mention of the\nhholy Name; and still other mortar had to be used and the\nfoundation was removed two handbreadths. Nowadays,\nhowever, that he plague docs not appear, there. being\nthus no one able to drive out the eyil spirit, what is the\nremedy ? 'The hest thing ix to remave from the house, but\nif this cannot be done, it should be rebuilt with fresh wood.\n'and stones, and a Title away from the previous spot, with\nthe mention ofthe holy Name. R, Isaac said to him: \"Why\n'should one take all this trouble in these days, since it is\nwwitten: \"That which is erooked cannot be made straight\"\n(cel. 1, 15)? Since the destruction of the 'Temple there is\nho remedy; hence a man should be very careful.\n'aid: 'Let us go along with this man-and see\" Said\nR. Isaac: We may not. If we ere going (0 a great and\n\n4 'THe ZOARY [s1b-s20\nGodl-fearing man, like Naaran to Elisha, we could accompany\nhr, But as be e going to such abandoned and godless people\n'we must not' \"But, said R. Judah, we have learnt that for\nhealing sickness anything may be used save the wood of an\nAtherah 7 We replied: \"This too is idolatry.' So they went\n'on their way. The man then entered the eave with his son,\nland let him there while he went out to tether his ass. Mean~\nwhile a cloud of smoke eame out and struck the boy on the\nhead and killed him. When the father west in, he found him\ndead, s0 he took hirn and his ass, and on the next day came\nup with R. Isaac and R. Judah and R. Hinkiah, With many\ntears he related to them what had happeved. Said IK. Danes\n'Did I not tell you many times that it was forbidden to\nenter there De ath rgheout who yak inthe wy\n'of truth in this world and in the next.' R. Eleazar said: 'In\nall his actions a man should have in mind the holy Name\n'and declare that all in forthe service of God, 30 that the\n\"other side\" should not rest on him, for this is ever ying\nin wait for man, 'Therefore it was that the warp and the\n'woof used to become undean [52a] and the \"other side\"\nrested on them,'\n\n'R, Eleazar was once going to ee his father-in-law accom\npanied by Abba, He said: 'Let us disarse on the Torah\n'as we go' R, Eleazar then took as his text the verse: \"Say,\n1 pray thee, thow art my sister\" (Gen, x1, 13). \"This, he\nsaid, 'is very strange. Can we believe that a. God-fating\nrman like Abram should speak thin to hia wife in order that\nhhe might be well treated? \"The truth is however, that Abram\nrelied on the merit of his wife, and not on his own merit,\nto procure for him the money of the beathen, for a man\n'obtains money through the merit of his wife, as itis written:\n\"House and riches are an inheritance fom fathers, but a\nprudent wife is from the Lord (Prov, am, 14). Further,\nhhe saw an ange going before her; who said to him: \"Fear not,\nAbram, God sent me to procure for her the money of the\nheathen and to protect her from all harm\" Hence Abram\ndid not fear fr his wife but for himself, since he saw the angel\nWith her but nat with himself. Therefore be said toher: \"Say,\n\n\"Deut\n\nsz] Kr TaeKIA' (LEVITICUS) 35\n1 pray thee, that thou art my sister, that he (the angel) may\n40 good to me in this world, and that my soul may live in\nthe next world for thy sake, if thou departes not from the\nright way, for otherwise death aveaits me in this worl.\"\n'R. Abba dacoursed on the verse: \"As in the day of thy\ncoming forth from the land of Egypt will T show unto him\nmarvellous things\" (Mle. wit, 15). He sid: \"God will one\nday iverance to his tons as in the days when He\nsent to deliver Tsracl and inflicted plagues on Exypt for\ntheir sake, What is the difference between this deliverance\nand that of Egypt? 'The deliverance in Egypt was fromm one\nking and one eountry' here it will be fre all the kings of\nthe earth. Then God will be glorified in all the world, and\nall shall now His dominion, as itis written: \"The Lord shall\nbbe king over the whole earth\" (Zech. xv, 9). And they stall\nbring Tsral a an offering to the Holy One, blessed be He,\nas itis written, \"And they shall bring all your brethren\",\nfe. (Isa. 2x, 30). Then the patearche shall rejoice to 4\nthe deliverance of their sons, and so it is writes\nthe days of thy going forth fom Egypt I shall show him\nwonders\n\n26 [s2b-s3e\n\nMEZORA'\nLeviticus x1¥, 1-39, 33\n\nAxp tHE Loxp sroxe unto Mosts savine, Tuts\nSHALL DE THE LAW OF THE LEVER. R. Abba cited here\nthe verse: \"Be ye afraid of the sword, for wrath bringeth\n'the punishments of the sword, that ye tay know there is 3\nJudgement\" (Job x1x, 29), 'Observe,' he said, 'that through\n'the evil tongue of the serpent death came upon the world.\n'The evil tongue is called a sharp sword\" (Ps. Lvi, s), and\ntherefore it says, \"Be ye afraid of the sword\", to wit, of the\nevil tongue. Why ? \"For wrathful are the punishments of\nthe sword\", to wit the aword of the Lord, \"that ye may\nknow there isa judgement\", for he that hath a sword ia his\n'tongue is punished with the sword; hence it says, \"this is\nthe law of the leper\" [539]\n\nR. Eleazar said: 'When man is on the point of leaving\nthis world, his soul sufers many chastsements along with\nhis body before they separate. Nor does the soul actually\nleave him until the Shekinah shows hersilf to him, and then\n'the soul goes out in joy and love to meet the Shekinah. If\nhe fs righteous, he claves and attaches himself to her. But\nifnot, then the Shekiah departs, and the soul is left be\n'mourning for its seperation from the body, like a eat which\nis driven away from the fre, Afterwards both are punished\nby the hand of Dumah, The body is punished in the grave\nand the soul in the fire of Gehinnom for the appointed\nperiod. When this is completed she rises from Gehinnore\npurified of her guilt lke iron purified in the fire, and she is\n'carried up to the lowe: Garden of Eden, where she is cleansed\nin the waters of Paratise and perfumed with its spices, and\nthere she remains tll the time comes for her to depart from\nthe abode of the rightcous, 'Then she is carried up tage\nafter stage until she is brought near like a sacrifice to the\naltar. Hence it is written, \"This shall be the law of the leper\n'onthe day of his cleansing: he shall be brought tothe priest\",\ntowit, to the angelic Priest above. This is the fate of a soul\n\n30-538] rzona' (Leviticus) a7\n'which hs not been defiled overmuch in this world, and which\n'can yet be healed in this way; but otherwise, 'that which is\n\n1, Isaac cited the verse: \"The sun also ariseth and the\n'sun goeth down\" (Ecel.t, ).'When.a man's sal (neshamah'\nhe sad, 'is with him in this world, then it may be ssid of\n'him that 'the sun rseth andthe sun goeth down\". And when.\n'man departs from this world in a frame of repentance then\n\"he hasteth to his place where he\n\nrepent, God grants parden for all sins save for the ev\ntongue, as itis written: \"This shall be the law of the leper\",\nthe word meporah (lepe) being interpreted as msi shem ra\"\n(Glanderer)\" R, Hiya said: 'Whoever spreads false reports,\nAll his limbs become defiled and he is meet fer shutting up,\nbecause his evil speech rises aloft and calls down an unclean\nspirit on him. So it says: \"How is the faithful city become\nan harlot\" (Ie. 1,21). Becuse Jerusalem uttered evi speech,\nGod departed from her and a apirit of murderers abode in\nher. Ifthat was the fate of Jerusalem the holy city, how much,\nmore 0 must it be that of ordinary men Hence it says,\n'This shall be the law ofthe leper\".\" R. Judah said: 'Zoth\n(this) indced shalt confrost him to punish hin for his evit\nspeech.\n\n'ON THE DAY OF IIS CLEANSING MESHALL BE BROUGHT\n'TO THE PRresT. This shows that the prayer of an evil\nspeaker does not ascend to the Almighty, but if he repents,\nthen \"Yon the day of his cleansing he thall be brought to\nthe Priest\n\n'THEN THE PRIEST SHALL COMMAND TO TARE FOR\nHIM THAT 15 TO BE CLEANSED TWO LIVING CLEAN\n'inns, exc, When R. Isc and R, Jose were once studying\nswith R.Simcon, they said to him: 'We know the symbolism\nOf the cedar tee the shoots of which are tansplanted in\nLebanon, as has been expounded. But what is the point\nof the hyasop ? He replied: 'eis written here, \"two living\nclean birds and cedar wood and scarlet [536] and hyssop\".\nCLT. Fein, sb; Shab, op. *The Sein,\n\n8 'THE ZOHARY 536\n\"Living\" is a reference to two of the \"living ereatur\n(Hayodl) that Ezekiel saw, denoting the place from whi\nthe true prophets draw inspiration, \"Cedar wood\" we have\nexplained, \"Scarlet\" indicates the place of Severity, which\nin associated with him at first. \"Hyssop\" is the lester Vaw\nWhich gives sustenance to the Community of Ismael. All\nthese again rest upon him because he has been purified.\"\n\nTR. Judah and R, Isaac were once travelling together.\n'They stopped ar s certain feld to pray, and then went on\nR. Judah then commenced a discourse on the Torah, taking\nfor his text: \"She is-a tree of life to them that lay hold of\n'aer and happy is every one that reaineth her\" (Prov. ttt, 18).\n\"The \"tree of life\" is the Torah, which is great and mighty\n'nce, It is called Torah (lit, showing) because it shows and.\nreveals that which was hidden and unknown; and all life\nfrom above is comprised in it and issues from it, He that\n\"takes hold\" of the Torah takes hold of all, above and below.\n\"They that retain hee\" are those who put the profit of mer-\nchandise into the purses of students of the Torah; such\nbecome worthy of having progeny of faithful prophet. Such,\ntoo, retain\" her from the beginning, which is Wislom, 0\nthe \"end of the body\", and become pillats ofthe faith\"\n\nTR. Tszac discoursed on the vere: \"And he called unto\nMoses, and the Lord spake unto him out of the tent of\nmeeting, saying\" (Lev. 1, 1). 'Who was it that called ? The\nOne who abides in the sanctuary. Moses was greater than\nAaron, for Moses was the guest of the King, and Aaron was.\nthe guest of the Matrona. Just as a king might appoint for\nhis queen a companion to attend to her and her house, and\n\n330-54] gona' (ueviricus) 29\nfell to him to purify all those who came before the Queen,\n0 that there should be none (544) unclean among those\nwho entered the sanctuary. Heice itis writen: \"And he\nshall take for him that isto be cleansed two birds, ete\"\n\nR, Judah cited the verse: \"He that siteth in the heavens\nshall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision\" (Ps. 1, 4).\n\"The word \"laugh\", he said, has reference to Isaac, who came\nfrom the side of wine, which fis smiles and then rages and\nSalle So God ie patient with the wicked: if they turn to. Him,\nit is well, but if not, He destroys them from the future\n'world and they have no share init.\"\n\nRR, Hiya discoursed on the verse: \"Behold a day of the\n'Lord cometh when thy spoil shall be divided inthe midst of\nthee\" (Zech. xiv, 1), \"This day he sid, *has been fixed\nfrom the creation of the world for punishing the wicked and\nfor God to take vengeance on those that afflict Dal, 'That\nday ever comes and stands before God, and calls upon Him\ntw exceute judgement on the heathen.' R, Isac aid: \"God\nhas two Days; one that stays with Him and one that comes\n'before Him, and with these He makes war on all, And when\nthat Day comes to make war, it unites with another Day,\nand they join srms and make war on high and low, us\n'written: \"For there is day to the Lord of Hoss upon all\nthat is proud and haughty and upon all that is lifted up, and\nit shall be brought low\" (Is. i, 12)\" R. Simenn drew a\n'similar lesson from the verse: \"And if a woman have an\nissue of her blood many days\", ete, (Lev, x¥, 25)! \"The\n\"blood\" i that referred The sword of the\nLord i filled with blood'\n\n{this ie. the Sheinah shall Aaron come', ete. (Lev. 301 3)-\nMoses, however, was invited asa jest by the King himself,\nand afterwards \"the Lotd spoke t9 him'. All Aarn's dis-\nproved\n(witseh) Abraham\" (Gen. xxi, 1), oF, a8 we may alo trans\nTate, \"He raised his banner alot throughout the world\" [for\nthe term miso (he proved) implies the lifting of an ensign, aa\nitis written: \"Lift up an ensign (nea) over the peoples\"\n(is. xt, 10). 'The test continues: \"The Lord teeth the\n\n8 THE ZONAR It [2400-1405\nrighteous\" (Ps, x1, 5), For what reason ? Said R. Simeon:\n'Hecause when God finds delight in the righteous, He brings\nupon them sufferings, ait is written: \"Yer it pleased the Lord\n'oceush him by disease\" (I, tin, 20), as explained elsewhere.\nGod finds delight in the soul but not in the body, as the soul\nresembles the supernal soul, whereas the body is not worthy\nto bellied o the superna essences, although the image ofthe\nbody is part ofthe supernal syrbaliam, [1408] Observe that\n'when God takes delight in the oul of a man, He afflicts the\nbody in order that the soul may gan fll freedom. For so long.\nas the soul is together with the body it cannot exercise its full\npowers, but only when the body is broken and crushed,\nAgain, \"He eri , $0 as to make them firm\nlike \"a tried stone\", the \"coatly corner-stone\" ment\n\nthe prophet (Is, xx¥ atthe wicked and him that\nJoveth violence kis soul hateth.\" So we would naturally teans-\nlate; but this is hardly admissible, and itis more probable\nthatthe yersealludes to that grade whence ll soulsderivetheit\nsaxistence, and tells us that \"thar grade hateth the soul of the\nwicked man\", not wanting it atall, neither inthis world nor\nin the world to came. When God created Adam He gave him\n1 precept for his well-being ané endowed him with wisdom\nthrough which he rose to the higher grades of contem-\nlation. Hut when Adam turned his thoughts to the lower\nworld, he let himself be enticed by the evil tempter and clu\n\nto him, s0 that all that he had observed of the glory of his\nMaster vanished from his mind. After him Noah at frst was\n4 man righteous and devout; but afterwards he also went\nownveards, and seeing the wine—wine a day old, not yet\nrefined \"he drank of the wine, and was drusken, and he\nvas uncovered within his tent\" (Gen. 1x, 21), 'Then came\nAbraham, who contemplated the wisdom and glory of his\nMaster. In his time \"there was a famine in the land: and\nAbram went down into Egypt tosojourn there\" (Ibid\nbc subsequently he \"went up out of Egypt, he and\nanid all that he had, and Lot with him, anto the South\" (Cbid.\n'iit, 1). That i, he ascended again to his own former grade,\nsa that he came out unscathed a6 he went in. 'Then came\nIsaac, of whom itis written: \"And there was a famine in the\n\n1406-1410] roL'pons 9\nland, beside the first famine, etc.\" He went into Gerar and\nafterwards ascended again from thence unscathed, Thus God\nBreve the rghcoin ode to lif them in hisworld and\nin the world to come.\n\nAND THE MEN OF THE PLACE ASKED HIM OF HIS WIFE}\nAND WE SAID: Ste ts my stsTAR, Like Abraham before\nhim, he referred with these words t the Shekinah, which was\n'with him as well as with Rebekab his wife; fo like Abraham\nhe carried out the injunction: \"Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art\n'my sister\" (Prov. vit, 4). They were further entiled to call\n/hersister in virtue ofthe verve, \"My sister, my love, my dove,\n'my undefiled' (8.8, v, 2), fori efor this thatthe righteour\ncleave to God,\n\nAnp rr CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD BEEN THERE A\nLONG TIME... WITH RERFRAN HIG WiFR. The par-\nticle eth (with) indicates that it was the Shekinah that was\nwith Rebekah, In any case it isnot to be supposed that Abi=\nmelech saw Isaac having intercourse with his wife in the\ndaytime, for this vould be contrary to the dictum: \"Israel\nare holy and they abstain from cohabitation inthe daytime.\"\nBut the truth is that Abimelech was an astrologes, and the\n'window through which he looked was nothing but the planet-\nAry constellation. (The word \"window\" is similarly used in\nthe passage: \"Through the window she Tooked forth, and\npeered, the mother of Sisera\" (Jud. v, 28).] Abimelech by\nthis means discovered that, contrary to Isaac's assertion,\nRebekah was his wife. So ABIMELECH CALLED Isaac,\nano aim, tre. R. Jose aaids 'Abimelech would have be\"\n'haved toward Isaac as he behaved toward Abraham, we\nnnot that God had reproved him in the previous case. Note\nthat when Abraham said, \"Surely the fear of God is not in\nthis place\" (Gen. xx, 11), his reason for thinking = was that\nthe people lacked faith, and had they possessed faith, he\n'would have had no need to act as he did' [r41a] R. Eleazar\n'said: \"The Shekinah does not abide outside the Holy Land,\n'and thats what Abram meantby saying that \"the Fear of God\nthat this was not the place where\n\n50 THE ZOHAR It ow\n'the Shekinah could find abode. Tsaas, however, held fast to\n'the true faith under the inspiration ofthe Shekinah, which he\nsaw residing, as it were, within his wife.\"\n\nAx AMIMELECH CHARGED ALL THE PEOPLE, SAYING\nHs rat Toucuern THis MAN on Mis Wire stALL\nSURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Observe how long a sspite\nGod gave 1 this weked people forthe sik ofthe kindness\ntit Abimelech showed to Israels first ancestors. I vas on\nthis account that Isael could not touch them «ll many\ngenerations had elapeed. Abimelech thus did well to show\nKindness to Abraham in saying to him: \"Behold my lind is\nbefore thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee\" (Gen. x1 13)\nJudah sid: Woe tothe wicked who when they do-akind-\nnes never do it perfectly. Ephton, fr instance, frst sid to\nAbraham: \"Nay, my lord, te itd I give thee and\nthe cave that is therin, I pve tthe, ete.\" (Cen, 2x, 11).\nBut later on he said: \"A piece of land worth four hundzed\nshel et\" (Zid 13); and then we read: \"And Abraham\nwwehed to Ephron the silver «current money withthe\nmerchant\" (id. 16), Similarly here, at first Abimelech said:\n\"ie that oucheth this man, ete\", but later on he said \"Go\nfrom us, for thou art much mightier than we\" (Gen, xx¥1,\n16)\" R. Bleazar said to R. Judah: 'Abimeech's kindoese 10\nhin consisted in isnot taking anything from hin anvdsend=\nJing him away with ll his possessions intact, and then going\nafter him to make a covenant with hin\"\n\nAxo Isaac icc AGAIN THE WeLLA, BTC. R. Blea\n2ar said: 'In digging these wells Trac acted fituinaly, for\nhe discerned from his knowledge of the mysteries of Wisdom\nthat in this way he could attach himself more firmly to\n\nfaith, Abraham likewise made a poist of digging a well of\n'wate. Jacob found the well already prepared for him, and he\nsat dovin by it, 'Thus they all looked for a well and strove\nHhmugh i¢ to preserve their faith pare and undiminished,\n'And nowadays Isral hold fast to the well through the syrn-\nbolisn ofthe precepts of the Torah, as when each day every\nIsnelite performs the precept of the fringes in which he\n\n1410-1428] row'bors st\nceavelops hinself, and ofthe phylacteries which he puts on his\nhead and on his arm. All these have a deep symbolism, since\nGods foundin the man who crowns himself with the phyae-\nteries and envelops himself inthe fringes. Hence, whoever\ndoes not envelop himself in the latter, nor eown himsclE\nwith the forme each day to invigorate himself in faith, makes\nitappear as though faith does not dwell within him, and fear\not his Master has departed from him, and so his prayer f not\nast should te. Hence our ancestor stengthened themselves\n{nthe true faith in digging the well, symbolic of the supernal\n'well, whichis the abode ofthe mystery of perfect faith.\"\n\nAnb nu mrstoveD FROM THENCE, AND BIGGED AN-\n'orien wett, R. Hiya discoursed on the vere: And the\nLand wall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy sol in bright\nress, and make strong thy bower (Is. uvit, 11), \"The true\nievers', he said, 'have derived strength from this verse,\n'where promise is made to them of the world to come, for the\n'word \"continually\" includes both this world and the world\nto come. Aguin, the term \"continually\", which seems super-\n'uous, i an allusion to the continual burnt-offring whichis\noffered at dusk, and is held firm underneath the arm of I\nand is symbolic of the world to come, 'The term \"guiding\" is\nsimilarly used by David in the verte: \"He guideth me in\nstraight paths for his name's sake\" (Ps, xxi, 3).\"And satafy\nthy soul in brightness; this isthe clear mirror\" from the\ncontemplation of which all soals obtain delight and benefit\n\"And make strong thy bones\": these words do not seem to\nhharmonise with what has gone before, which we have iter-\npreted of the souls of the righteous ascending on high. We\ninterpret them, therefore, to allude tothe resurrection of the\ndead, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will reconstitute\nthe bones and restore the body to its former site. The zoul\nwill then derive stronger illumination from the \"clear mir-\nror, s0 as toillumine the body to the fll extentof which\nCapable, Hence: \"And thou shalt be like a wateced garden\n(fs. vi, 11), that i ike the celestial garden whose supernal\nwaters never fil, but low on for ever and ever; {r416] \"and\nTike a spring of water, whose waters fail not\" (i), alluding\n\n3 sue zomAK IE fou\nto the river that issues from Eden and flowson forall eternity.\n(Observe that the \"wellof living waters isa symbol within &\nsymbol for guiding faith, There is the well which isthe very\nSone ofthe waters, and there isthe well which fed by that\nsousce af water. There re thus two grades, which are, how\nfever, relly one with to aspects, mae and female, in Biting\n'union. \"The well and the isue of waters are one, designated\nby the name of \"well, it being t nce the supernal never-\ncensng fountain and the wel that is illed by t-And whoever\n'gazes at that well gazesat the true object of faith, This s the\nsymbol which the patriarchs transmitted in digging the well,\nin uch a way as 0 indicate that the source and the well are\nindissohible, AND SE CALLED Its NaME REOROTH (lit\nstrets, broad places). By this he inated that his deseen-\ndans would one day tend that well in the fiting manner\n{through the mytial potency of eferings and burnt-oflenings\n(like Adam, when God \"ipit him into the garden of Een\nto dss it and keep i\" (Gen, i, 15), to wit, by atferings\nand buent-offerings), so that its springs should flow forth on\nevery side, © Senpture says: \"Let thy springs be di\npened abroad, and courses of water in the street (rehabath)\"\n(Prov. v) 16). Hence Here the name af Rehoboth (sree,\nbroud place)\"\n\nTE Simeon here diseoursed on the verse: Wispost eRreTst\nALOUD IN THLE STHEET, SHEUETERETHJERVOICEIN THE\noan Laces (Prov, 20) \"This verse' he sai, 'contains\na deep mystical teaching 'The term holhoth (it wisdom)\nimplies the superioe Wisdom anv the lesser Wisdom which\nincluded in the superior Wisdom and abides therein, 'The\nsuperior Wisdom isan essence most recondite and concealed,\nunkown and uneveted, a8 Seripture says: \"Man knowsth\nnot the price thereof, ee.\" Job axvin, 19); and when it exe\npands into x source of light, its iMlumination is that of the\n'word to come, and that world is ereated by it for so we have\nlearned, thatthe world to come was created by the\nthere Wisdom remained hidden, the two being one.\nGod as crowned, it was through the mystery oft\n'word as already sai, There was joy at th lumination, but\nallwasinsilence without asound being hearlabeoad, Wisdom\n\n14th} you'nors 3\nthen willed it 19 expand further, so that from that space\nthere issued fice and water and air, as already said, from\nWhich there sprang up a voice which issued forth abroad and\nwas heard, as already suid. From that point onvcards all is\n'exterior (Fug), whereas inthe interior the wice is silent and\nnot heard abroad, Onee, however, the secret force has become\naudible, it is called \"without\" (fu). Hence itis incumbent on\n'man to be zealous in searching after wisdom \"in the wide\nplaces (bu-rehoboth). 'This refero to the femament, which\nContains all the luminous stars, and which constitutes the\nfountain of perennial waters, referred to in the verse: \"And a\nriver went forth from Eien to wate the garden\" (Gen. 11, 10)\n'And there \"she uttereth her voice\", both the superior and the\nlower Wisdom, which in truth are one, Solomon alluded to\nthis in saying: \"Prepare thy work without\" (ba-hus), and\n'make it ready for thee in the field\" (Prov. xxty, 27), where\nthe word \"without\" is wed a in the verse \"Wisdom erieth\n'out without, indicating the point from which man ean com=\n'mence to inquire and investigate, a4\n\nnow of the days past . .. and from one end of heaven unto\nanother\" (Deut.tv, 32). The \"field\" again is the \"feld which\nthe Lord hath blessed\" (Gen. xxv, 27). When a man has\npenetrated into the mystery of Wisdom and perfected himself\ntherein, then Solomon tells him to \"build bis house\" (Prov\n3x1¥, 27), ie. to cultivate his soul in his body, so as to attain\nperfection. Hence, when Issac digged and prepared the well\nin peace he called it Rehoboth (wide places) and all was done\nfn the right manner. Happy the rightcous by whose works\nthe Holy One sustains the world, asi says: \"For the upright\nshall inhabit the land\" (Prov. 1,21), where the term yishhena\n(they wil inhabit) may be read yashkine (they shall cause to\nbe inhabited),\"\n\nAwp 1 case To PASS, THLAT WHEN TeAAC Was OLD,\nAND NS eves Wene DIM. R, Simeon std: \"Tei written!\n'Anal God called the light day, and the darkness he called night\n(Gen.1, 5) hia verse has already been expeunded, but there\nis yet more to be learnt from it. For all the works of the\n'Almighty are manifestations of truth and contain deep lessons;\n\nst 'Tue xoWAR tt [4b-1q30\nand all the words of the 'Torah asist ith and are deeply\nSymbolical. Observe now that Tsaae wa not 0 fortunate\n5 Abraham, whose eyes were not blinded nor dimmed.\nHerein is profound lesson touching faith, as has already\nbeen explaied elsewhere. By \"the light\" here is. meant\nAbraharn, wi isthe light of the day and whove light keeps\nfon expanding [14aa) and growing stronger like that of the\nday. Hence iis written: \"And Abraham was old, advancing\nin'daye (Gen, 331, 1), hati, in illumination, and as he\ngrew older his light continued to expard, so that he was\n\"ahining more and more unto the perfec day\" (Prov. 1V, 18).\n(On the other hand, \"the darkness\" ea desription of Isaac,\n'who represents darkness and night, and hence when he was\n'ld his eyes were dim, so tha he could not see. He had to\n'become enveloped in darkness in order to become atached to\nhis own proper grade.\" R. Bleacar his son ame and kissed his\nhand. He sid: 'So far understand. Abraham was bathed\nin light from the side of his grade; whereas Isaac became\n'wrapt in darkness from the side of his ga. But why is it\n'written of Jacob: \"And the eyes of Israel were heavy for\n10)? R, Simeon in answer said: 'Ie is\n\nwritten here \"they were heavy\", but not \"they were dim'\nand further, tis not written \"for hi od age\", but \"for old\nage, reerrieg tothe old age of Isaac, and implying that his\nyes were heavy asa result ofthe side of Isaac, but ail they\n'were only so heavy as to prevent him seeing properly, but not\ndim Whereas Tnae's even were altogether dimmed,\nsettled upon him and night took hold of hin,\n\nthe called night.\"\n\nAw ue cattep ESAU, HIS ELDER sn, who was de-\nrived from his own side of severe judgement, AND HE $10:\nBenoun Now, I aa oun, I KNOW NOT THE DAY OF\n\n'man chose strength is inthe, etc (Ps, LXXXW, 6).\n'man', he sai, 'who holds fast to the Holy One and places his\nstrength in Him. Like whom, for instance ? Shall we say, lke\nHananiah, Mishael and Azariah, when they boldly sid to the\n\n1424] TOL'DoTH 38\n'Ring of Babylon: \"Uchold, our God wham we serve is able\nto deliver us from the burning fey furnace; and he will\ndeliver us out of thine hand\" (Dan. at, 17) ? Not sn; for if\n'God had not stood by them to deliver them, His name would\n'ot have been acclaimed holy as they declared it to be. But\nthey themselves realized their mistake, and so they eorrected\nthemselves and suid: \"But if not, be i known unto thee,\nKing, ete.\" (Jbid. 18), that is, whether our God deliver us oF\nnot, be itknown unto thee that we will not serve ty gods, ete.\n'Tradition tells us that Ezekiel said something to them which\n'opened their eves, namely, that God would not stand hy them\nif they expected reward. It was then that they began all over\nagain, saying: \"But if not, be it known unto thee, © King,\nete.\" A man, therefore, should not confidently affirms \"God\nwill deliver me or will do for me this or that\"; but he should\nendeavour to fulfil the precepts of the Law and to wal in the\nppath of truth, and cher put his full crust in Him that He will\nhelp him thereto, For assuredly whenever a man sets out to\npurify himself he is helped thereto from on high. A' man\nshould thus put his tra in God and not anywhere else,\n\"Hence the expression \"hose strength isin thee\". 'The next\nwords, \"in whose heart are paths\", indicate that a man\nshould parge his heart of al strange thoughts, 30 as to make\nie ike a path that Jeads straight to the destin\n\n'According to another interpretation, the word \"strength\nalludes to the Torah, of which we read: \"The Lord gives\nstrength unto his people\" Ps, ary, 11). Tis thus hee indi-\n'ated that a man should study the Torah in single-hearted\n'devotion to the Almighty, and whoever labours in the Torah\nfrom worldly motives had better not have been born, 'The\nword mesiloth also may be translated not \"highways\" but\n\"extolling\" (cf the verse \"Extol (solu) hitn that rideth upon\nthe skies\" (Ps, Levit, 5), I thas alludes to the men who\nJahours in the 'Torah with the object of extolling God. and\n'making Him the only objet of devotion inthe world. Observe\nthat Jacob performed all his actions forthe sake of God, and\ntherefore God was always with him and did not ever 1\n\nHis Presence from him. We know this from the fat that\nalthough Jacob was not present when Isaac called Esau his\n\n6 THE ZORAR IE focered\nsom, the Shekinah told Rebekah, who in her turn told Jacob.\"\nR Jose said: 'Observe that had Esau, God forbid, been\nblessed there and then, Jacob would never have been able\nto assert himself; but all was directed hy Providence, and\neverything fll into its right place.\"\n\nAxp Resexan Loven Jacos, and so she sent for him\nand ssid to him: BeHouD, HEARD THY FATHER SPEAR\nunto Esau THY aRorsen, savixe . . . Now\nTHEREFORE, MY SON, HEAMKEN TO MY VOICE, ETC. It\n'vas then the eve of Passover, a time when the evil tempter\nhad to be removed, s0 as wo restore to power the moon, 10\nsymbolize the true object [1428] of faith. Rebeka therefore\nprepared two dishes. R. Judah ssid: 'Herein were fore-\nshadowed the two he-goate which the children of Jacob were\nin the future to offer, one for the Lord and the other for\n'Azazel on the Day of Atonement. We see thus Rebekah offer~\ning \"two kids of the goats\", one for the supernal grade and\nthe other with the object of subdluing the grade of Esau, s0 25\nto deprive him of any power over Jacob, Hence \"two kids of\n, both of which Isaac tasted and ate of. Similarly,\nshe\n'word \"brought\" intimates that the wine was fetched from a\ndistant region, namely, from the region of Esau, R. Eleazar\nsaid: \"There isan allusion here to that wine in which is all\nkind of eshibration, since Isaac and his side required to be\n\nEsau, ere. These were the garments of which Esau had\ndespoiled Nimrod. 'They were precious garments. which,\n\nime came into the hands of\n\n'originally belinging to Adams,\n'Nimrod, eho used them as his hunting dress, for so Scrip-\ntre says: \"He was a mighty hunter before the Lord\" (Gen.\n\n1,9). Then Esau went out into the field and made war against\nNimrod, and slew him and possessed himself of those gar-\nments, ae it hinted in the passage: \"And Eeau came in from\nthe field, and he was faint\" (Ibid. xx¥, 29), that i, fom Kill-\ning, a in the passage, \"Yor my soul fainteth before the\n\n1438) rou'porn 7\nsmurderere\" (Jer. ¥, 31) Now, Esau kept those garments in\nRebekah's apartment, from whence he would fetch them\nwhenever he went a-hunting. On that day, however, he went\n'out into the field without them, and thus he stayed there\nJonger than usual. Now when Esau put on those garments no\naroma whatever was emited from them, but when Jacob put\n'them on they were restored to thetr ight place, anda sweet\nodour was diffused from them. For Jacob inherited the\nbeauty of Adam; hence those garments found in him their\nrightful owner and ths gave off their proper aroma, Said\nJose: \"Can it really beso, that Jacob's beat equalled that\nof Adam, scing that according fo tration, the fleshy part\nof Adamsheel outshonethe orb of thesun ? Would yos, then,\nsay the sme of Jacob? Said R, Bleazar in reply: 'Assredly\n'Adarn's beauty was a8 tation says, ht only at fst be\nhe sinned, when no creature could cadure to gaze at his\nbeauty: afer he sinned, nowever, his beauty was dimonished\nand his height was reduced to 4 hundred eubits, Observe\nfurther thet Adam's beasty is a symbol with which te true\nith is clesely bound up, 'This is hinted atin the pass\n\"And lt the graciousness of the Lord out God be upon us\n(Ps. xc, 17), a8 Well asin the expresion, \"to behold the\nsraciousness of the Lord\" (Ibid. xavtt, 4). And. Jacob\nassuredly participated of that beauty. 'The Whole, then, is\n'deeply symbolic\n\nAno we smenuny rit 91\nBLESSED 11M. Observe that itis not written \"the raiment\",\nhut \"his iment\". 'This is explained by the text \"Who\n'coverest thyself with light ax with a garment\" (Ps. c1v, 2).\n'The word his\" may alo be understood to indicate that it\nwas only when Jacob put them on that the guements emitted\ntheic sweet odour; and it was only the sweet odour difused\nbby them that made Isaacbless him, for only then did he feel\nthat there was before him one deserving of the blessings,\nsince othenvise all these divine aromas would noe have\naccompanied him. Henes the sequence of the verse: Asp\nWE SMELLED THE SMELL OF 115 RAIMENT, AND NLESSED\nMIM, AND SAID? SEE THE SMELL OF MY SON IS AS THE\n\nry] 'THe ZOHAR [142-1430\nSMELL oF THE F1¥LD WanicH THE Lowp MATH mLESsED.\n\"The subject of the word \"said is, according to some, the\nStekinah, according to others, Isaac himself. \"The field\nwhich the Lord huth blessed\" alludes to the \"field of apple\n'ees, the field which the patriarchs cherish and cultivate.\n\nS0 Gon oly THEE OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN, AND OF\n{TE FAT PLACES OF THE FARTH, AND PLENTY OF CORN\n'axp Wine. R. Abba said: 'We may bring into connection\nWith thi passige the verse: \"A song of Ascents In my dis-\n{ress Ialled unto the Lord and he answered me\" (Ps: Xx, 1)\nMany songs and bymnns did David uster before the Almighty\nforthe purpose of perfecting his grade and making himself a\nname, as Seripture says\n(11 Samm. vit, 13), But this song. David recited when be con-\ntemplated this inedent of Jacob.\" K, Klewzar said\nJocab who uttered this psa atthe moment when\nfaid to him: \"Come near, {pray thes, that I may'\niy son, whether thou be my very soa Esau of not\"\n{1430] moment of great distress for Jacob, as he fared that\nhis father would recognize him. We read, however: \"And he\ndiscerned him ot, because his hands rere hairy, a8 in\n'other Essu's hands; so he blessed him.\" it was then that\nJecob said: \"In my distress I called unto the Lord, and he\nanswered me. O Latd, deliver my sou from lying lips from a\ndeceitful tongue\" (Ps Cxx, 1-2). 'The \"ing lips in refer~\nence to the grade of Esau, which is socalled because when the\night curses into the world it was by means of\nheaness, Observe that when Isaac said to\nEau: \"and go out into the field, and take me venisan\", he\nadded, I will bless thee before the Lord\" (Gen, xxv, 7).\nNow, had Isaac said-simply, \"\nould have been no harm: Hut when he uttered the words\n\"before the Lord\", the 'Throne of Glory of the Almighty\nshook and trembled, saying: \"Will the serpent now be re=\nleased from his cures and Jacoh become subject to them\nAAC that_ moment the angel. Michael, accompanied by the\nShekinah, appeared before Jacob. Isaac felt all this, and he\nko saw the Garden of Biden beside Jacob, and so he blessed\n\n1434) ToLnorn 0\nhim in the presence of the angel, But when Esau entered there\nentered with him the Gehinnom, and thus we read: \"And\nIeaac trembled very envecdingly\", as until that tine he had\nnot thought that Esau was ofthat side. \"And I have blessed\nhhim'\"—he then said—yea, he shall be blessed\". Jacob thus\n'equipped himself with wisdom and cunning, s0 that the\nblessings reverted to himself who was the image of Adam,\n'and were snatched from that serpent of the lying lips\" who\nacted and spoke deceitflly in order to lead astray the world\nand bring curses on it. Hence Jacob came with eraft and mis\nled his father with the object of bringing blessings upon the\n'world, and to recover from the serpent what hitherto he had\n'withheld from the world, It was measure for measure, as ex\npressed in the verse: \"Yea, he loved cursing, and it came\n'unto hin; and he delighted not in blessing, and iti far from\nhim\" (Ps. et, 17). Concerning him itis written: \"Cursed art\nthou from among all eat, and from among all beasts of the\nfield\" (Gen. tm, 14). He remains in that curse for evermore,\nand Jacob came and took away from hitn the blessings; from\nthe very days of Adam Jacob was destined to snatch from the\nserpent all hase blessings, leaving him still immersed in the\ncurses witheat the possibility of emerging from ther. David\nalso said concerning him: \"What shall be gisen unto thee,\n'nd what shall be done mare unto thee, thou. deceitful\ntongue ?\" (Ps: exx, 3). That isto say, of what benefit was it to\n'the serpent that he brought curses upon the world ?\n\nand his wife and brought evil upon them and upon the\n'world, until Jacob came and took away from him all the\nblessings. \"Sharp arrows of the mighty\" (Ibid. 4) isan allu-\nsion fo Esau, who nursed his hzred toward Jacob on account\n\n'of these blesings, as we read>\"'And Esau hated Jacob he-\ncause of the blessing, etc.\" So Gon Give THRE OF THE\nDEW OF HEAVEN, AND OF THE FAT PLACES OF THE\n'EARTH, that is to say, blessings from above ard from below\nin conjunction. AND PLENTY OF CORN AND WINE, in\n'consonance with the texts yet have I not seen the righteous\nforsaken, nos hi seed begging bread\" (Ps, xaxen, 25). This,\n\n60 Me xonaR tt [1431436\nas wehave laid down, was utered by the Prince ofthe world;\nhence \"plenty of corn and wine\". Ler PEOPLES SERVE\n\"rHsk: alluding to the time when King Solomon reigned in\nJeniselers, a itis serittsns \"Anil all Uhe kings of the earth\nttc. . - . And they brought every man his present\" (1t Chr.\n18, 23-24). AND NATIONS NOW DoWN TO THEE, alludes\ntw the time when the Messiah sill appear, conceming whom\nitis written; \"Yea, all kings shall prostrate themselves before\n'him' (Ps. xn, 11)- R. Judah said: \"The whole applies to the\nadvent ofthe Messiah, of whom itis also written: \"all nations\nshall serve him\" (Ibid) Be (heveh) Lonp ovER THY\nBRETHREN. The irregular form heceh (be), instead of heyeh\n'or tikyeh, has a deep mystical signification, being composed,\nas itis of the three letters which are the basis of faith: Hé at\nthe fist, Vau in the centre, then Hé following, Hence: \"Be\n(heveh) lord aver thy brethren\", namely, to rule over them\nand subdue them at the time of King David. R. Jose said:\n\"These blessings apply tothetime ofthe advent of the Messiah,\nsince on account of Israel ansgressing the precepts of the\n\"Torah Esau was able to take advantage of the blessing given,\nto him, \"thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck\" (Gen,\nXVI, fo)\" R, Jose said 'All these [1436] blessings were from\nthe side of Jacob's portion, so that Jucob only received what\nwas his own, Isaae desired to transfer them to Esa, but Gad\n'brought it to pass that Jacob eame into his own. Observe the\nparalidism, When the serpent brought curses upon the world\nGod said to Adam: \"Because thou hast hearkened unto the\n'of thy wife . . . cursed isthe ground for thy sake, etc.\"\n(Gen, tt, 27), meaning thatit should not bring forth fruit or\nany vegetation in proper measure. Corresponding to this\ncurse we have here the blessing, \"of the fat of the earth\".\nAgain, there itis written: \"In toil thou shalt eat it (Ibi\nhere contes the corrective, \"ofthe dew of heave\nsays: \"Thorns also and thisles shal it bring forth unto thee'\n(Ibid, 18) ind plenty of corn and wine\". 'There we\nhave \"In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread\" (Tbid.\nto}—here, \"Let peoples serve, and nations bow dawn to\nthee\" tilling the earth and cultivating the fel,\n\n\"And aliens shall be your plowmen and your vine-\n\n438] rou'porn 6\n(Is. txt, 5), Jacob thus turned each curse into a blessing, and\n\\What he took was his own, God brought allthis about so that\nJacob should remain attached wo hisown place and portion, and\n'that Esau should remain attached to hes place and portion'\nR. Hizkiah questioned this exposition, saying: 'Do we nat\nfind that later on Esau received a similar blessing as regards\nthe fat places of the earth and the dew of heaven, as we read:\n'Behold, of the fat places of the earth shall be thy dwelling,\n\"and of the dew of heaven from above\" ?* Said R. Simeon in\n» being from entirely\nwritten: \"So God give\nthee\", whereas as regards Esau i is written merely: \"OF the\nfat places of the earth shall be, etc.\";a5 regards Jacob itis\n'ofthe dew of heaven and of the fat places of the\n\"but as regards Esau, \"of the fat places\" and then \"of\nthe dew of heaven\", The difference between the two goes\nvery deep. For the \"dew of heaven\" promised to Jacob is the\n'sipernal diw chat flows from the Ancient nf Days, and is\ntherefore called \"dew of heaven\", namely, of the upper\nhheaven, dew that flows through the grade of heaven, to fall on\nthe \"eld of eomieerated apples\". Also, the earth mentioned\nin Jacob's blessing alludes to the supernal \"earth of the\nTiving\". Jacob thus inherited the fruit of the supernal earth\nand the supernal heaven. Esau, on the other hand, was given\nhis blessings on earth here below and in heaven here below.\nJacob obtained a portion in the highes realm, but Esau only\nin the lowest, Further, Jacob was givea a portion both above\nand below, but Esau only here below. And although he was\npromised, \"Andit shall come to pass when thou shalt break\nFoose that thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck\" (Gen.\nXxxvit, 40), this was only to be here below, but regarding the\nupper world i is written: \"For the portion of the Lond is his\npeople, Jacob the lot of his inheritance\" (Deut. xxi, 9)\n'Observe that as soon as Jacob and Esau commenced to\naval themselves oftheir blessings, the former possessed him\n'If of his portion on high, and the later of his portion here\nbelow. R. Jose theson of R. Simeon, the son of Laqunia, once\n'aid to R. Eleazar: \"Have you ever heard from your father\n'hove it comes about that the blessings given by Isaac to Jacob\n\n6 cue zonAR 11 [rgyb-rg4e\nive not been fulfilled, while those given to Esau have all\nben fulfilled in their entirety # R. Eleazar replied: 'All the\nblessings are to be fulfilled, ineluding. other blessings with,\nwhich God blessed Jacob. For the time being, hawever\nJacob took his portion above and Esau here below. But ia\ntertime, when the Messiah will arise, Jacob will tke both,\nabove and below and Esau will love all, being let with no\nportion of inheritance or Hemembrance whatever, 80 Serip-\nture says: \"And the house of Jacob shall be a fice, and the\nhouse of Joseph a lame, and the house of Esau for stubble,\n'etc.\" (Obad. 1, 18), 60 that Esau will perish entirely, whilst\nJacob will inherit both worlds, this world and the world to\n'ome, OF that time itis Further writen: \"And saviours shall\nfeome upon Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the\n\nkingdom shall be the Lord's\" ({hid., 21), that is t0 say, the\nJkngdom which Esau has taken in this world shall revert to\nGod. For although God rules both above and below, yet for\nthe time being He has given to all the peoples each a portion\nandan\n\nheritance in thin world: but at that time He will take\nninion from all of them, so that all will be His, as it\n\"And the kingdom shall be the Lord's\". It will be\nthe Lord's alone, as itis further written, \"And the Lord shall\nbb king over all the earth; in that day shall the Lord be One,\nand his name One\" (Zech, xiv, 9)\"\n\nAn 1 CAME TO PASS AS JACOB WAS SCARCELY GONE\nfour, ete. R, Simeon said: \"The double form yazo yaza\n(lit. going out, went out) indicates that (1444) the Shekinah\n'went out with him, For it had entered along with Jacob, and\nJd been with him when he received his blessings and had\ncinfirmed them. And when Jacob went out the Shekinah\n'went out with him, and hence the twofold expression yaz0\need, implying a simultaneous going out of two\" AND\nEsa ts suoTHeR CAME IN FroM itis HUNTING. Tt\n\nswasiceally \"his\ncried ut to Taaae:\n\nan evil eye\" (Prov. sx, 6). AND KALE MADESAVOURY\nFOOD, ... — LET My VATIUER ARISE, He spoke in a ough\n\nand overbearing manner,\n\n'no sign of politeness, Observe\n\n1442] rou'vor 63\nthe difference between Jacob and Esau, Jacob spoke to his\nfather gently and modeotly, soit aay \"He came to bia father\nand said: My father.\" He was careful not to startle him, and\nsaid in atone of enteaty: \"Arise, I pray the, sit and eat of\n'my venison.\" But Esau said: \"Let my father arse\", a3\nthough he were not addressing him personally. Also, when\nEsau entered the Gehinnom accompanied him, so that Isaac\nshook with fap, as i says: \"And ase tretbled, greatly,\nexceedingly.\"The word \"exceedingly is added wo show that\nno such fear and teror had ever assailed Tsaae since the day\nthe was born; and not even when he lay bound on the altar\nwith the knife flashing before his eyes was he so affrighted as\nWhen he saw Esau enter and the Gehinnom enter with him.\nHe then sail: Berne THow cast, ax T HAVE\nBLESSED IM. 8A, AND HE SHALL Be BLESSED,\nbecause esa that the Shekinah had confirmed his blessings.\nAccording (o another explanation, Isc said: \"And T have\nblessed him' and a heavenly woice answered: \"Vea, and he\nstall be Blessed.\" Isaac indeed, wanted to eure Jacob, but\nthe Holy One said t him: \"0 Isaac, thou wik thereby be\ncursing thse since thou has already pronounced over him\n'the words, 'Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed\n'he everyone that blesseth thee. Observe that all, bath above\nand below, canfrmed these blessings, and even he who was\nthe portion that fll to the let of Esau consented to those\nblessings, an, moreover, actually himself blested Jacob, 36\nitis written: \"And he sid: Let me go forthe day break\n\n'And he said will ot let thee go, except thou bless me!\n(Gen, xsi 27). 'The angel ad \"Let me go because Jacob\nseized bold ef hies. You may wonder how could a man of\nflesh and blo take hold of an angel, whois pure sie,\n\nia writen: \"Who makest spi thy messengers, the fami\nfire thy minixers\" (Ps cv, 4) But the truth is that when the\nangels, the messcagers of the Holy One, descend to earth,\n{hey make themselves corpoed, and put ona bodily vesture\nlike to the deniaens of this world. For itis fiting not to\ndeviate from the eustom ofthe place where one happens to\nte, as has already been explained, We find it thas writen of\n'Moser when he ascended on high: \"And he was there with\n\nUniversity ©\nMcFa'\nTulsa, O a\n\n6 rue z0uAW 1 [4ganage\nthe Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat\nbread, nor drink water\" (Ex. 2881, 38), in order not to\ndeviate from the ester ofthe place to which he wert. Simi-\nlary we tead, as an eximple of the behaviour of angels on\ndescending here below: \"And he slood by them under the\ntwee, and they did eat\" (Gen. xvit, 8). So here, Jacob could\nhhave wrestled with the angel after the later had assumed\nbodily vesture after the manner of a being of this word, 'The\n'eason, too, why Jacob had to wrestle with him the whole of\nshat night was eense oe Beings posses dominion oly in\n'thenight,andso, correspondingly, Eau dominatesonly during\nthe exile, which is none other than night. During the night,\ntherefore, the ange! held fatto Jacob and wrested with him;\nbut as soon as day broke his strength waned, and he could no\n'ore prevail 0 that Jacob got the upper hand, since Jacob's\ndomination ie in the daytime. (Hlece itis writen: \"The\nburden of Dumah. One calleth unto me out of Sei: Watch=\n'man, what of the night ? Watchman, what of the sight 2\"\n(i. x41, 11), For the domination of Esau, who is identical\nWith Seir, is ony inthe night.) The angel, therefore, feeling\nhi trength ebb asthe day broke, sid; \"Let me go, for the\nday breaketh.\" Jacab's answer, \"I will ot let thee go, except\nthow hast blessed me\", [1448] is peculiar, since we should\nhave expected \"eseept thou eit bless me\". By using the past\n, however, Jacob as much as said \"eveepe thou acknow-\nsige those blessings with which my father blessed me, and\n'wilt not contend against me on account of them\". The angel,\nvrrare (ld, thereupon said: Thy name shale called no\ntore Jacob, but Isa; for thou hast striven with God and\n'with men, and hast prevailed\" (Gen. xt, 29). By the name\nsel he meant to mply: \"We must needs be subservient to\nthe, since thou att erowned with thy might above i a sue\npernal grade.\" \"Israel shall be thy name\"; assuredly so, for\n\"ou hast striven with Elohim\". By this name he apparently\nreferred to himself, but he eealy had a deeper meaning, vi\n\"Chou hast strives t0 associate thyelf with God in «close\nusion, a symbolised by the junction of the sun\nmoon.\" Hence he dil not say \"thou hast prevailed aver God!\n\"ith God\", i. to unite closely with God\n\n1448) rou'vorn 65\nR, Simeon here discoursed onthe verse: When a man'rroays\nlease the Lord, he maketh ever his enemies to be at peace ith\n'him (Brow. 74,7). \"How greay', e said, is tincuinbenc on\nrman to direct his path toward the Holy One, blessed be He,\n'50 281 abserve the precepts af the Torah, For, according to\n'our doctrine, two heavenly messengers are sentto accompany\n'man in his path through life, one onthe right and one on the\nleft; and they are also witnesses to all his acta They are\ncalled, the one, \"good. prompter\" *\nShould a man be minded to purify himself and\nto observe diligently the precepts of the Torah,\nprompter whois associated with him will\n'prompter, who will then make his peace with him and become\nhis servant. Contrariwis, should a man get outto defile him\nself, the evil prompter will overpower the good prompter:\nand so we are agreed, 'Thus when a man sets out to purify\nhimself andhis good prompter prevails, then God makeseven\nhs enetnies to be at peace with him, that isto say, the evil\npprompter submits himself to the good prompter. OF this\nSolomon suid: \"Better is he that is lightly eteemed, and\nhath a servant\" (Prov, x, 9), the servant i\nprompter. Hence inasmuch 38 Jacob put his\nAlmighty, and all 8 Were for His sake, God \"made\n'even his enemies to be at peace with bin, to wit, Sarmue,\nWho is the power and stength of Esauj and, he having made\n'peace with Jacob and consensed to the Blessings, Esau also\nonaented to them. For until Jacob was at peace with the\nhicfain of Eau, Ean wan not peace with Jacob. For i all\ntases power below depends on the corresponding power\nabove:\n\nAny Issac TREMULED YERY ERCEEDINGLY, AND\nWuo THEx (eplo) 18 He. . .? The term pho\n(it. hore) ean allusion ta the Shekinal that was peesent\n'when Isaac blessed Jacob. Issac thus as much as said: \"Who\nis he that stood here and confirmed the blessings I conferred\n'upon him ? YEA, AND ILE SHALL BE BLESSED, seeing that\n'God approved ofthese blessings.\" R. Judah said: For having\ncaused his father thus to tremble, Jacob was punished by\n\n66 'THe ZOHAK tT Leaghgsa\n'bing thrown into similar tremor when his sans showed him\nJoseph's coat and said, \"This have we found\" (Gen. xxxvt,\n32)\" (Note tht the word elo used by Isaac here is also used\n'e heraidthe punishment of Jacob through the los of Josep,\n'ho chen sn a eek Kis brethran, eid \"Where (ep) ane\nthey feeding the flock?\" (hid. 16); and this although Ged\napproved of the blessings) AND ISAAC TREMMLED.&\nGkeaT reeMHLING, The term \"great\" is echoed by the\nPhrase \"and thi great fre\" (Deut xvi, 16), thus ntimating\nthat the Gehinnom entered along with Esau. Veny ©\nCeEDUNLY ('ad mead): the term me'od, on an analogy\nthe same term in the clause, \"and behold, it was very (me'od)\ngood!\" (Gen. 31), alludes to the angel of death; hence the\nexclamation: \"Who then is he. [14ga\n\nWuex Esau HEAND THE WoRDE OF HIS FATHER,\nrete, R. Hiya exeltimed: 'How much has Israel suffered an\naccount of those tears which Esau shed before his father, in\nhis desireto be blessed by him, ou of the great regard he had\nfor his faher's words \" Has OND NoT RIGHTLY CALLED\nist JAcon? The form of the expression, instead of the\ncontempt with. which\nNATH SUPPLANTED Mi THESE TWO TIMES. 'The word\n\"ese\" (ce) implies that the supplanting was of the sime\n'haracter on both occasions since the word bedhorath (my\nbirthright) consists ofthe same leiers as birkhati (ry bles\ning). The word ze hasa similar force in the sentence: \"Surely\nwwe had now (se, lit. this) returned a second time\" (Gen.\nXt, 10) where the letters of the word shacmu (we had re\nturned) can he transponed to form Bodbne (we are put to\nshame), ax much as to say: \"if we delay longer, we shall bath\nreturn and he ashamed\". Job mide use of a similar word\nplay when he said: \"And thow holdest me fo thine enemy\"\n(eed) Gob sri, 24), 88 mu as to says \"Thou hast turned\nabout Zyvb (Job) into ayeb (enemy) Similarly here, Esau\nsuid: \"He first took my birthright behorari), and now he\nturned the same about into my blsing (reba), which he\nTas also tke feom me\n\n1454) rou! vorHt\nDeMOLo, L wave sane nist Hy LonD\nTHEN SHALL 1 DO FOR THEE, MY SON? By, the word\n'pho (then it. here) he implied th there was noone thereto\nApprove of a blessing for him, (saac thus blessed him vith\n'worldly good he surveyed hin grade and aid, \"And by shy\n'sword shalt thou live, as muchas to say: \"This is just\n'suits yu, 1 shed blood and co make war.\" Tt was f\nreason, R. Eleazar explains, that he first aid to him: \"And\nwhat then shall Ido for thee 2, seeing that I behold in thee\nharshness, the sword and blood, hut in thy brother the way of\npeace, Then he added \"my son\", as if to say, \"my 0m thou\nSurely srt, and transit to thee allthis\", Hence, ny 719\nSWORD SHALT THOU LIVE AND THOU sWALT SERVE THY\nnorte. 'This has not yet been fulfilled, seing that Esau\nhas till now not yet served Jacob, since Jacob did not desire\natthe time, and, indeed, himself many times elled im \"my\n'maste. The reason is that Jucob gazed into the. distant\nfuture nd therefore deferred the fullment of the blessings\nto the end of days, a already said.\n\n[AW R. Hiya and R. Jose were once walking together, they\nnoticed R. Jesse the Elder coming up behind ther. So they\n'at down and yaited for him unt Re came up to ther. As\n'00m ashe joined them they sid, \"Nove we aba journey with\nsgorlspeed.\"Asthey proceeded, K Hiya said:* \"eis time todo\nforthe Loed\" (Ps. exis, 126)' R. Jose thereupon began to\ndiscourse on the verse: She openth her mouth with widon,\n'andthe ls of kindness her tongue (Prov. x3%1, 26) \"The\n'word 'wisdom', he said, 'signifies the Beth of the word\n'erashith (i. the Beginning), a already explained elsewhere,\n'The Beh x closed tn on one side and open nthe her. {ria\nclosed in on one side as symbolic of that which is written:\n\"And thou shalt ee ry back' (Ex, ext, 23), and open on\nthe ther side so a8 to ilumine the higher worlds. (Its azo\n'open on one side in order to recive fromm the higher worlds,\nlike hall in which guests gather ) For that reason itis placed\nat the beginning of the Torah, and was later on filled in.\n'Again, \"She openeth her mouth with wisdom\", for x0 the\nthor booths rendered in te Chae version, eke\nInetha (ith wisdom). \"And the law of Kindness (ese) ison\n\n6 'rue zoMAR 11 [uggen4sb\nher tongue\", ein hersubsequent utterances 25 iti written:\n\"And God said: Let there he light, and there waslight.\" The\n'mouth' again i an alsin tothe He of the Divine Name,\nwhich contains the Whole, which fs both unrevealed and te-\n'ale, and comprises both the higher and the lower emana-\ntions, being emblematic of both. \"She openeth her mouth\n'with wisdom\", inasmuch a though heref hidden and abso-\nTutely unknowable, a8 t say, \"And ita hid fro the eyes of\nall Hsing, and kept close from the fowls of the ai\" (Job\n'xxil, 21), Yet when she begins to expand by means of the\nWisdom to hich she is tached and in which she resides,\nshe puts forth a Voice which s the \"law of kindness (hesed).\n(Or again, the °mouth'\" can be taken as alluding t the fina\nHé ofthe Divine Name, whieh isthe Word that emanates\nfrom Wisdom, while the \"law of kindness her tongue\"\nsignifies the Voice which is above the Word, controlling it\nand siding it, [1458] since speech cannot be formed without\n'oie as has heen agreed.\"\n\nRi. Hiya then followed with a discourse on the verse: J\nscidum diel ith prudence, and find cut knoecedge of devices\n(Prov. int, 12)\" Wisdom\" here', he sid, 'alludes to the\nCommunity of Israel; \"prudence\" sgnies Jab, the pric\ndent nan; and \"knowledge of devies\" alludes to Tsaa, who\n'used devices for the purpose of blessing Esau. Hut since\n\nfom allied ite with Jacob, who was possessed of prus\nlence it was he who ves blested by bis father, ao that all\nand are fulfilled in him and in\n\nSome have been fulfilled in\nthis work, and the rest wil be fulfilled on the advent of the\n'Messith, when Israel willbe one nation on eath and one\npeople of the Holy One, bested be He. So Serprure says:\n\"And Iwill make them ome\nAnd they will exercite deminion both on high and ete\nbelow, as itis writen: \"And, behold, there came with the\nclouds of heaven one like unto a son of man\" (Das. Vit, 13)\nalluding tothe Messiah, concerning whom i ao writen:\n\"And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set\n'up a Kingdom, ete.\" (Ibid. 1,44). Hence Jacob desired that\n\n1438) ToL'DoTH. 6\n'the blessings should be reserved for that future time, and did\n'not take them up immediately.'\n\nR. Jesse then followed with a discourse on the verse: Bu\nfear not thou, O Jacob my servant, nether be dismayed, O\n'Israel, ete, (Jet. X4V1, 27). 'When Jacob, he sid, 'ose to\nleave his father, he became aware that he would not be able\nto avail himself ofthe blessings till a longtime had elapsed,\n-and he was greatly dismayed A voice then went forth and\n'said: \"But fear not thou, O Jacob . .. for Lam with thee\"\n(Uhid. 27-28), i.e. will not forsake thes in this world. \"For,\nlo, Twill save thee from afar\" (Ibid), ie, at the time for\nWhich thou hast reserved those blessings \"and thy sed from\nthe land of their captivity\" (bid), that is to say: \"Although\n'Esau has already taken possession of his blessing and so will\nenslave thy children, I will free them from his hands, and\nthen thy children will be masters over them.\" \"And Jacob\nswill return' (Zhi), is he will return tohis blessings, \"and he\nwill be quiet and at ease\" (Tid) from the kingdoms of Baby\nlonia, Media, Greece, and Edom, which have enslaved Isral,\nand none ahall make him afraid (Ibid), for ever and ever.\"\n\n\"The three then proceeded on their way, when R. Jose re\nsmatked: \"Truly all that God does in the world i an emblem\nfof the divine Wisdom and is done with the object of mani-\nfesting Wisdom tthe sons of men, so that they should learn\nfrom those worksthe mysteries of Wiséom, and al is accom-\nplished according to plan. Further, all the works of God are\nthe ways of the Torah, for the ways of the Torah are the ways,\nof the Holy One, blessed be He, and no single word is con-\ntained in it but is an indication of ever so many ways and\n\nJJohanan evolve three hundred legal decisions, through es0-\nteric allusions, from the verse: \"And his wife's name was\n'Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-\nahah\" (Gen, 3x1, 39)—decisions which he revealed only to\nTR. Eleazar ? This shows that each incident recorded in the\n'Torah contains a multitude of deep significations, and each\n'word is itself an expression of wisdom and the doctrine of\nthen, are all sacred, revealing\n'wondrous thing, as we read: \"Open thou mine eyes, that I\n\nP site zouaw 1. [eysb-14be\n'ay behold wondrous things out of thy law'* (Ps xx, 18).\nHere is a proof. When the seepent had subverted Adam and\nbis wifeand infested her with purity, he world fell thereby\nin state of defilement, and was lad under a curse, and death\nought intot- So the ward had to be punished through\nhim until the tre of ife came and made atonement for man\nand prevented the serpent from ever again having dominion\niver the sed of Juco, For each time the Israelites ofered up\n_vhe-sat the seerent wa subdued and ed eapive, aaleeady\n'aid Tence Jacob brought his father two esgoats (iim),\nfone to subdue Es, who was hay (u'r), and the other to\nsutadue the grade to which Esau was beholden and to which\nhe adhered, as han been said alreay. Ana its through this\nthat the ward wl be preserved until a weman wil appear\nafter the pattern of Eve and a man after the pattern of Adam,\nwho wil ereumvent and outemanasuvre (246d) the evi ser-\npent and him who vides on him, as explained elewhere.\"\n\n1, Jose Further discourse as fllbws: And Eso rus a eur\nsing unter and Jacob ea a poet ma, cling intents\n(Gen, xv, 27). \"in which way' was he \"perfect\"? Tn cha he\n'eas dwelling in es, that he eld fast othe two sides,\nto that of Abraham and dh of Tac I dealing with Ean he\nsavanced from the side of Isaac, a already sad, ad in the\n'pint ofthe passage: \"With the mercifl thou dost show thy\nselfmerciful..- and withthe erooked thou dost show thyself\nfutile\" (Ps. avi, 26-27) But when he came to zeceive the\nblessings, he came with help from on high, and with sspport\nfrom bath Abraham and Isaac and thusall was prescribed by\nwisdom, ab already sud above. For Jacob conquered the ser-\npent with prudence and craft, but chiely by means of the\nhe-goat; and although the serpent and Samac are the same,\nyet he also conquered Samael by another method, as de\nscribed inthe pasage, saying' \"andthere wresleda man with\nhim until the bresking ofthe day. And when he saw that he\nprevailed not agunst him (Gen, x38H, 35-20), Observe Bow\nreat Jacoh's merit must have heen, For as his adversary was\nintent on destoying him completly, and that night was the\nge when the moon yas created, it was doubly unpropitions\nfor Jacob, who remained behind al alone. For we have been\n\n1466) you'vorn 7\n'aught that a man should not go out alone i the night tine:\n'how much les then inthe nghtwhen the lights were reated,\nsince the avon ip defective, and on such «night she ev\nDent is specially powerful, Samael thus came and atached\nhim, in order to destroy him utteay. Jacob, however, had\nstrong support on all sides, on the side of Isaac and on the\n'side of Abraham, both of whom constituted the strength of\nJacob, When Samael attacked Jacob's right he saw there\n'Abraham equipped withthe strength of day, being ofthe side\nof the Right, the same being Mercy (Les), When he\ntacked islet he sw there Tsaae with the strength of stern\njudgement. When he atacked infront, he found Jacob strong\nOn ether side by reason of thoe surrounding him, and thus\nwwe read: \"Aed when he saw that he prevailed not aginst\nhim, he touched the hollow of his thigh\" (Gen, xx, 26),\nthat's, a part that is outside ofthe trunk and one ofits p=\npons. Hence, \"the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strains\n{Ubid.), When day. appeared and night departed, Jacob's\nstrength ineresed and Same!' waned, so that the later aid\n'Let me go, for the moment ofthe recital uf the morning\nhymn had arrved\" and i was therefore necesay for him 0\ndepart, He thus confirmed Jacob's blessings and added 0\nthem one blessing more, as it says: \"And he blessed him\nthere\" (bid 30)\n\nany were the blessings which Jacob received a different\nimes, First he obtained blessings frm his father, through\nthe exercise of craft; then a blessing fom the Shekinah tthe\n\n(Elohim) blesed Jacob\"; another blessing he received from\nthat angel, the chieftain of Esau\n\nhhim when he set out for Pads\nAlmighty bless thee...\" (Gea. xxvitt, 3). When Jacob save\nHimself equipped with all these blessings, he deliberated\nwithin himself, saying, \"Of which of these blessings shall 1\n_vail myself now 2\" He decided to make use fr the time being\n'ft least of tem, which was the lst; for although i tse it\n'was pawerful, yet Jacob thought that it was not so strong in\n'promises of dominion in this world as the others. Jacob hence\n\n\"the forth it af the wes:\n\nn Tite ZoMAR IE [igha-1468\n'aid: \"Let me take this blessing to use forthe time being, and\nthe others I will reserve against the time when Land my\ndescendants after ie wl bein need of them —the ine that\n4s, when ll the nations will asemble to exterminate my off\nspring from the world\" 'To Jacob may be applied the words\nof the Scripture: \"All nations eampass me about, verily, in\nthe name of the Lord I will eut them of. They compass me\nabout, yea, they compass me about... . 'They compass me\nabout like bees, ete (Px exvin, 10-12) Here we have three\ntimes the words \"compass me about\", corresponding to the\n'three remaining benedictions: his father's frst blessing, then\nGedl's blessing, and thirdly the blessing of the angel. Jacob\n'sid: \"Those blessings will be needed at that time for use\nagainst all those kings and nations: I shall therefore reserve\n'ther for that time, but now to cope with Esau this blessing\nWill suffice me.\" He yas ikea king who bad at hie disposal a\n'numerous and powerfal army with skilled leaders, able and\n'realy to engage in warfare with the mest powerful [1465]\njersary. Being once informed that a highway robber was\ninfesting the country, he merely said, \"Let my gate-keepers\nsetout to deal with hin.\" \"OF all thy legions,\" he was asked,\n'ust thow no athers wo send but these gateckecpers ?\"\"To\ncope withtherobber these willsuiice,\" he answered,\" where-\nasall my legions and military leaders Ihave to keep in reserve\nfor the time when 1 will need them to meet my powerful\nadversaries.\" Similarly Jacob said: \"Kor dealing with Esau\nthese blessings will sutfice me, but the others [will keep i\nreserve against the time when my children will need them to\nWithstand all those monarchs and rulers ofthe earth.\" When\nthat time will come all those blessings will hecome operative,\nand the world will be established ona firm foundation, From\nthat day onward that kingdom will gain the ascendaney over\nallother kingdoms, andit will endure forever, asit is written'\n\"Teshall break in picees and consume all these kingdoms, but\nin shal stand for ever\" (Dan. 11,44). This is \"the stone that\n'as cut out of the mountain without hari, ete\" (Ibid, 43).\nThe same stone is alladed to in the words; \"From thenee,\nfrom the Shepherd, the stone of Israel\" (Gen. xLtx, 24) \"This\nstone is the Community of Israel, alluded to in the verse:\n\n1408] vou'porit a\n\"And this stone, which I have set up fora pillar, ete.\" (Gen.\n22). R. Hiya cited the following verses in regard to\nJacob's blessings: \"A remnant shall rer even the rem\nnant ef Jacob\" (Is. 31).\"Thisina reference', he std, \"to the\nremainder of the blessings. tis further writen: \"And the\nremnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples (ie.\nall the peoples, and not Esau alone), as dew fom the Lord, a8\nshowers upon the grass\" (Micah v, 6)\" R. Yesa said: 'It is\n'ertten: \"A som honoureth his father, and = servant is\nmaster\" (Mal. 6), Such son was Esau, for there was not @\n'man in the world who showed s0 much honour to his father\nas he dd, and this it was that procured him dominion inthis\nworld, The \"servant honouring his master\" ia typified by\nEliezer the servant of Abraham, as already explained else-\n\\where. 80, to, the tears which Esau shed made Israel subject\nto him, until the time when they will etura unto the Holy\nOne with weeping and with tears, as it ys, \"They shall\n'came with weeping, ete\" (Jer. xxxi, 9). And then will be\nfulfilled the prophecy: \"And savioure shall come up on\n'Moust Zion, to judge the Mount of Esau, and the kingdom\nshall be the Lord's\" (Ob. 4, 22), Blessed be the Lord for\n\n[146b-1476\n\nGen. xxv, 1o-xxe, 5\n\nAsp Jaco wer our ruom Buun-aneps AND WENT\n'rowanb Hawax, R. Hiya drew a parallel between this\nstatement and the verse: The sun ariseth, and the sun gocth\ndoen, ard haseth to his plac where he arieth (cles. 8)\n\"The sun arising' he said 'is parallel to Jacub when in Ber-\nsheba; and \"the sun going dows\" to Jacob om his way to\n'we ead, he taried thee all ight, because\n'and ab the sun hasteth to his pice [474]\n'where he anseth,s0 Jacob \"ay down in tat ple to seep\nObserve that although the sun imines all quarters ofthe\n'world, yet he travels onlin two directions, as we read: \"He\nsocth toward the South, and tumeth about unto the Nosh\"\nle. 6) ane being the right and the othe the lft Evety\nday, too, he emerges fom the East, turns tothe South, thento\nthe North, then toward the Western side, and finally is\ngathered unto the West. As the sun emerges from the Kast, s0\nJacob went out from Beersheba, and ae the ni turne toward\n'the Wes, 0 Jacob went toward Haran.\" R, Simeon suid that\nJaca ent forth from the ambi ofthe Land of frac, and\nhe \"went into\" another sphere; ass implied in the sentence,\n\"and he went toward Haran\" (lt. strange, alien). R. Hiya\nsaid: 'When the sun goes down to the West, the West is\ncalled the place ofthe sun and his throne, the place in which\nhe abides, and to which be gathers in all his radiance, \"This\naccords with the Rabbinic dieturn that God puts on phyli\nteres, tats, He takes up all he superna eroins to wit the\n'mmblem of the supernal Father and the emblem of the\npernal Mother (these being the plylatery worn on the hea),\ndnd theo He takes up the Right ad the Left, thereby carving\nthe whole R. Hleazar said; \"The \"Beauty of Israel\" takesup\nthe whole and when the Commanity of Israeli drawn t-\nvward the world on high, i also caries the whole, the male\n'orld ofthe Holy One a well asthe female world [1476] of\n{he Tely One for junta all the lights eat fom the one,\n\n47b-uySa vavare ws\n0 the other carries the whole, one world being # represen\ntation of the other. Hence Beer-sheba (lit. well of seven)\nsignifies the Jubilee year, b'er (well) symbolisinga Sabbatical\nyear; and the sun shines only from the Jubilee year, Hence\n\"Jacob went out from Beer-skeba and went unto Haran\",\nthat isioward the West, whichis identical with the Sabbatical\nyear! R. Simeon said: 'Beer-sheba symbolises the Sabbatical\n'year, and Haran the year of 'arlah, inasmuch as he issued from\n'the sphere of holiness into analien sphere, since he was ecing\nfrom his brother, a8 alread\nat Bethel, which is sill\n\nAND He LIOHTED UPON tHE RLACE, R. Hiya said: \"This\n'isthe place mentioned in the verse, \"and he hasteth to his\nplace\" (Eccl. t, 5). AND TARNIED THERE ALL NIGHT,\nECAUSE THE SUN CAME, i. came to ilhumine it, as it sa\n\"he hasteth to his place where he shines\". AND ie TOOK\nOF THE STONES OF THE PLACE, This isan allusion tothe\ntwelve precious and wondrous stones of the upper layer. of\nwhich tis written, \"Take you... twelve stones\" Josh. 1,3),\nand urderneath which there are thousands and myriads of\nfhewn stones, Hence it anya \"af the stones\", and not simply\nthe stones\". AND FUT THEM UNDER HIS HEAD (lt,\nheads), The plural form shows that we should refer the \"hi\nnot to Jacob but tothe place, and understand the \"heads\" to\nbe the four cardinal points of the world: he arranged the\nstones three to the {148a] North, three to the West, three to\nthe Soath, and three to the East, and that place or spot was\nabove them so that it should be established on them. 'The\nafter he LAY DOWN IN THAT PLACE TO SLEEP, for now\nthatthe couch was properly aranged, he, namely the sur, lay\nand he lay doven in that plate ©\nSleep\" are parallel to the test: \"the sn ariseth and the sun\nWhit R. Tsaae was one day siting ac the entrance of the\ncave of Apikutha, a man passed by with his two sons. Said\n'one of them tothe other: \"The sun is most powerful when it\n'sin the South, and were itnot fr the wind which tempers the\nhea, the world could not exist\" Said the younger beosher:\n\n6 que zonan tt (1480-1486\nIf not for Jacob, the world could not subsist. For when the\nunity of God is proclaimed by his sons with the verse, \"Fear,\nIsrael, the Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deut. vi, 4),\n'which is an expression of perfect and absolute oneness, then\nJacob their father joins them, and takes possession of his\nhouse, where he abides in clese association with his fathers, 30\nthat male and female become united. Said R. Isaac to him=\nself: 'I wil join them and listen to what they haveto say.\" He\naccordingly went along with them, he man then commenced\nto discourse on the verse: Arte, O Lord, unto thy resting place,\n'thou md the ark of thy sromgth (Ps. cast, 8) \"David, he\nsaid, 'when he uttered these words, was lke'a man-saying 10a\nking, \"Let your Highness arise and proceed to his abode of\nrest\" Moses also addressed God similarly when be said:\nrise, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered\" (Num.\nx, 35) 'The difference between the two is this. Moses spoke\nTike a man giving orders in his own household, and so, a it\nwere, bade the ord to make war against Hisenemies; whereas\nDavid solicited Him to retire to His place of rest, and i\naccordance with the rules of etiquette included in his invi-\ntation both the King and His Consort. Hence he si\n(Gl Lecds bats thy eahieg pines tovelanal boc of toy\nstrength', so as not to separate them. From David's conduct\nfon this oceasion \\te learn that anyone who invites a king\nshould strive to entertain him in some novel 1488] fasion, so\nas to atford him special pleasure, If for instance, its the\nking's wont to be entertained by ordinary clowns and jesters,\n'he should provide for him specially refined and courtly enter-\ntainers. Thus, when David invited the King and Elis Consort,\nhe replaced the customary entertainers of the King with a\nhigher order. So he said: \"Let thy pricsts be clothed with\nrighteousness, and let thy stints sing songs!\" (Ps. Cxxxi\n'Now the Levites were the regular musicians of the King, but\nDavid. having extended an invitation to Him, deviated from\nthe normal practice and provided priests und saints to enter-\ntain Fim, God said to himn:\"*David, I do not wish to burden\nthee overmuch.\" Said David in reply: \"O my Master, when\nThowartin Thy palace, Thou doest according to Thy will, ut\nnow that have invited 'Thee, it is for me to arrange matters,\n\n1486] vaverr \"\nand itis my wil 0 bring before Thee these although it is nat\ntheir usual task,\" From here we learn again that in his own\nhhouse a man may arrange thingy as he pleases, but when ine\nvited out he mus! be at the command of his host and conform\n\nthy servant David's sake turn not avay the face of thine\nanointed\" (Id 10) a6 muuch ast say: \"Let not the arrange\n'ments I have made be anoulled.\" God said to him: \"David,\neven my vessels I will not make use of, but will use thine\nInstead\" Nor did God str from there until He had bestowed\n'upon hin a muuitude of gifts, as it writen: \"The Lord\n'swore unto Davi in truth; he will noe turn back from it of\nthe feut of thy body will Tse upon thy throne\" (bid. 1)!\nRR. sac went up to the man and kised him, saying: \"I was\n\n\"worth my while to come hither if only to hear this\n\"The elder son ofthe man then dscoursed thus: And Jacob\nscent out from Beersheba, and tent unto Haran. 'Jaco, be\n'sd, 'acted in conformity with the vese: \"Therefore shall\n'man leave his father and his mother, and shall leave unto his\nwife\" (Gen. 1,24) Or agai, his ation may be regarded as\nsymbolical of alter time when lara eft the Sanctuary and\n'were driven intoexile among the natins, as described in the\nnd gone is from the daughter of Zion all her splen-\n\ndour\" (Lam. 4, 6), as well asin the passage, \"Judah is gone\n\n{nto eale because of afliton\" (Zhi. 3). The younger son\nthen began to dicourse thus: And he ighted upon the plac,\nand tarred there all night, ete. \"Even + hing, he said, 'when\nIhe desires ovis his consort, should oax he and use words\ndfendearment, and noe weather asa mere chattel; and though\nhe should have « golden couch with embroidered coverings\nina grand palace and she prepares forhim bed on a floor\n'stones with a straw matress incumbent an hit Leave\nhis oven couch and lie down on hers, 10 a8 to give her sate\nfaction, and so that thei hearts may he united, ssithout any\ncenstrant- We lan this lesson fom this text, which tells us\nthat when Jacob went unto her, he \"took from the stones of\nthe place... and lay down in that place to slep\", showing\nthat he loved even the stones of that place.\"\n\n'THE ZOuAR IT [486-149\n1. tsaae wept for joy and sid 'Secing that such pearls are\nin your possesion, hot ean T help falloing you?\nsid shims \"You must leave us, a we have to\n{W celebrate the wedding of eis my son\". Tue then sak:\ntthe eds yo way! Cpl He ten ent\nthe expo\nthey treed ote wl sel ey toot\nGodt has heen affirmed by us, Moreover, these expositions\ncame from the mouths ofthe descendants of R. Zadok the\ninvald. He as called invalid because he fasted forty\n'years, praying tht Jena should not be desired\nlife-tine. He used wo discover within each word ofthe Torah\n'pofand lessons, from which he deduced the proper rules\nfor the conduct of life? Suid R. Isa: \"Not many days\nelapsed hefore I again met that man, accompanied by his\n\nrecognising me, he sid ¥\nfrom inviting you to the marriage of my son for three\nreasons: first, beeause I cid not know you, and, since the\n\nstyle of an insitation must accord with the rank ofthe recip\nient, was afraid lest you might happen to bea great man and.\nshould unwittingly offend your dignity ; secondly, I thought\n'ou might be im a hurry, and so 1 did not wish to incon-\nvenience you; and thirdly, I did not wish to put you to shame\ninthe presence ofthe company af guests, a8\n'us thit whoever sits at table\ngives them presents and its.\" 1\ncredit for your good intentions. is\n'name, and he said: \"Zadok the Little.\" On that occasion 1\nlearnt from him thirteen profound lessons in the 'Torah, and\nfrom his son { learnt three, one concerning, prophecy. ane\nconeerninyy dreams, and one concerning the difference be~\n'wveen prophecy and dreanss, He said that prophecy is of the\nmale world, whereas dreams are of the female world, and\nfrom the one tothe other is descent of six grades. Prophecy\nis from both the right side and the lefe side, but dreams are\nonly from the left side. Dream branches out into. many.\nsrades in reaching here below; hence dreams are universally\n\n1490-1498} vavere »\nie throughout oe 'world, each man seeing the kind of\nream that answers to his ovr yrade Prophec), on the other\nhand, is confined to ts on region. [1498]\n\nAND ite DREAMED. It may be asked, how came Jacob, the\nholy man, the perfection of the Patrarchs, to have a vision\n'only ina dream, and that in such a hoy spot? he reason ix\n'that Jacob at that time was not yet married, and that Isaae\nra still alive, I true that we find him subsequently saying:\n\"and Tsay ina dream\" (Gen, x4, 1), ata time when he\nseas aleeady marred. But that wa ds othe inferiority of the\nplace, as well as tothe fact that Isaac was stil alive. So when\nhhe-came into the Holy Land with all the tribes, with \"the\nfoundation of thehouse,the mother of the children rejoicing\",\n'we read, \"and God spake unto Isracl in the visions of the\nnight (Gen. xis, 2)—not dream\", but \"visions\", which\nare of another and higher grade. Dreams are\nthrough the medium of Gabriel, who is the sit\ninspiration; but a vision eomes throagh the grade of the\n'Hayyah that tules in the night, 'Truc, it says in one place,\n\"Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision' (Dan.\n'it, 10). The reason theres that a dream is more precise than\n«vision, and may explain what is obscure in 2 visi, and\ntherefore Gabriel was sent 10 explain to Daniel what was ob-\ncure in his vision. A \"vision\" (mareh—vision, of mieror) i\n430 called because itis like a mirror, in which al images are\nreflected, (Thus we read: \"And Lappeared...a6 El Shaddai\"\n(Ex, vt, 2), this grade being like a mirror which showed\nanother form, since all supernal fortns are reflected in it.)\n\nAND BEHOLD A LADDER Ser UP oN THE EARTH. This\nladder signifies the grade on which the other grades rest, to\nWit, the \"Foundation of the world\". ASD THE ror oF IF\nREACHED TO HEAVEN, 50 as to be atached to it. For this\nsprade is the conclusion of the Body standing between the\nupper and the lover world in the sume way asthe sign of the\ncovenant is situated at the end of the trunk of the body, be-\n'tween the thighs AND BEHOLD, THE ANGELS OF Gop\nASCENDING AND DESCENDING ON (1; thisalludes to the\n\nBe Tue 20HAR It [eggb-tsea\n(Chietains who have charge ofall the nations, and who ascend\nand eescend on that ladder When Israel are sinful, the ladder\nis lowered and the Chieftains ascend by i; but when faral\nare righteous, dhe ladder fsremoved an all the Chieftains ae\nlefblow and ate deprivedof thei dominion. Jacob thus aw\nin this dream the domination of Esau and the damnation of\nthe other nations Accordingto another explanation theangels\nascended and descended onthe top ofthe ladderfor when the\n{op vax detached, the ladder was lowered and the Chiefains\nascended, but when t wasatached again, the ladder was lifted\nand they remained below, Buti comes tothe wie hing\n\nTt says of Soloman that\" In Gibeon the Lard appeared to\nhim in dream by night\" (1 Kings mt, 6). (130) Here we\nhave \"appearing\" and \"dream\" combined, to show that\nthere was there a mingling of two grades, a higher and a\nlower, the reason being that Solomon had not then yet\nattained his full development. But when he had perfected\nhimualf ci writen of hits, \"And God gave Salomon ise\ndlom\" (bid, ¥, 9), alo\" And Solomon's wisdom excelled,\nete.\" (Ibid. 10}; for the moon then reached its fullness and\nthe 'Temple was built, and thus Solomon saw wisdom eye t0\neye and had no need of dreams. After he sinned, however, he\nteas beholden again to deeims as before. Hence it says that\n\nxé appeared unto him twice\" (Ubi. xi, o)—wvie, that i,\n\nin dreams, for communications through wisdom he had every\nday. Moreover, the dream-medivm of Solomon excelled that\nofall other men inasmuch a it was a mingling of grade with\nrade of vision with vision. In his later days, however, dark-\nness fell upon him on account of his sins, and the moon\n\nned because he observed not the holy covenant and\nimsef up to strange women. his was the eoadition God\nsade with David saying: \"If thy chikren keep my covenant\n\n\"their children also for ever shal sit upon the throne\"\n(Ps. exw, 12), where the expression \"for ever\" is of the\n'ame import as the phrase \"asthe days ofthe heaven above\nthe earth\" (Deut, x1, 21). And since Solomon did not Reep\nthe covenant properly, the moon bean to sane, nd son the\nend he was beholden again to dreams; and likewise Jacob was\nbeholden to dreams, as explained before\n\n1509) vavere a\nAwn uEH0LD, THE Lox stoop (stab) UPON IF, EFC.\nHere Jacob discerned the essential unity ofthe object of fait\n\"This implied in the term nitsab (fray knit), which implies\n'that Jacl saw all rades stationed as ante on that adder 3038\nto be knit into one whole. And inasmuch as that ladder s\n'situated between two sides, God ssid to him: 1 AM THE\nLonp, tie Gop oF ADRAMAM THY FATHER, AND THE\nGop OF Isaac, these two being respectively of the '0\nses, one of the right and the othe othe left. According\nanother explanation, the Lord was standing over hin, to wi,\n'ver Jacoby 20 ato form the Divine Chariot, with the Com:\n\nof Teac, embodied in Jaca, asthe uniting linkin the\nmidst between the ight andthe lef. That Jacob ws in the\n'midst i proved by the fact that the text her calls Abraharh\n\"thy father\", buco Isaac thus showing that Jaob was next\nto Abraham; and hence the text naturally continues: THe\nLAND WHEREON THOU Lixst, showing that the whole\nFormed one sacred Chariot Here Jacl aa that he ws to he\nthe crown of the patriarchs. 'The words \"the God of thy\nfather Abraham and the God of Isac\" show that Jacob was\nattached to either side and holding fast to both of them. Hut\n'as Jong ashe was not married this fat is not dislowed inthe\n'ea, save to those who can read between the lines. After he\n'marti and begat children, however, it was openly stated, x\nitis writen: \"And he erected there a altar, and the God of\nIsrael called him BU (godlike). From here we learn that who=\never is incomplete below remains incomplete on high Jacob\n'was an exception, yet he too before marriage was not per-\nfected openly or rather, he only foresaw that he eventually\nwould be perfected, I is true, God had already said to him,\n\"And, behold, Tam with thee, and will keep thee whither-\nsoever thou goes\" This, however, oaly implies that God's\n'ate and protection were always with him in the hour of need,\nin this world; but as regards the higher world, he was not\nsure of itil he had perfected himsel\n\nAn JAcou AWAKENED OUT OF HIS SLEEP, AND IE\nSAtp: SURELY THE LORD 16 IN THIS PLACE, AND L\nKNEW IT Nor. How, we may ask, could he have known?\n\nbe THE ZOHAN IT [1500-1508\n'The truth is, however, that he meant mueh the same as Saul\nwhen he said: \"and I have not entreated the Presence of the\nLord\" (1 Sam, sit 32), What Jacob eeally said was: \"And 1\nhave not known Anokhi (I, je. the Shekinab)'\";as much as to\nsay: \"Behold allthis revelation has been vouchsafed to me\nwhilst yet I have not reached the stage of a knowledge of\nAnohhi (1) and sf entering under the wings ofthe Shekinab,\nto a8 t attain perfection\". Similarly, Rebekah said: \"IF it be\n50, what boots me nuh (I) ?\" (Gen, xxv, 22), because she\nsaw every day the splendour of the Shekinah, [1508] but when\nshe felt the pains of approaching childbirth, \"she went to\n'nyuire of the Lord\" (bid), chats, she procected from the\nShekinah grade to another grade, identical with the Lord\nUehovah), Hence Jacob said: \"Have I seen all this without\nAnowing Anobki?\", because he was single, and had not yet\ncome under the wings of the Shekinah, Strsightway\n\nnb ie was ArmaLD, axD stp: HOW FULL OF AWE\nis THIS PLAcK, The word \"pluce\" here has a twofold sig-\nnificance. It refers in the frst instance to the place mentioned\nhy Jacob in the preceding verse; but it also refers to the mark,\n'ef the holy covenant which abeuld not be left inoperative\n(These two signifcations, however, are only two as\n'one and the sime idea.) Jacob then said; 'Tis\nOTHER THAN THLE MOUSE OF Gon, implying:\not to remain ile; its covenant is not meant to exist in iso-\nbation. Te is in sooth 3 godly abode, to be uted for the peo\nnotion of fecundity and for resiving blessing from all the\nbodily organs, For indeed this is TRE GATE OF HEAVER,\n'rin other words, the gate of the Body, the gate assuredly\nthrough which pass the blessings downwards, so that it 1s\nsttached both om high and below: an high, a¢ being the gate\n'of heaven, and below, as being sone other than the house of\nGod.\" Hence \"he was afraid, and said: How full of awe is\nthis place !\" But mankind (it may be added) pay no regard to\nits preciousness,x0-a thereby to hecome perfect on high and\nhere bela.\"\n\n'The father of the youth went up to him and kissed him,\nRi. Isaac said: \"When I heard hits speak thus, I wept and said\n\n1c] vayege 8\nBlessed be the Merciful One yeho has not allowed divine\n'Wisdom to perish from the world. I followed them until we\n'entered the next town, a distance of three parasangs, Hardly\nhhad they arrived in the town when the man had his son\nafimeed. [said to him: \"You act upon your own words.\"\nTalo repeated the remark of R. Simeon, that all ehese verses\nare allegorical and have & profound significanes. When 1\nrepeated all this inthe presence of R. Simeon, he remarked to\n'methat I should not think that allthis exposition was merely\nthe youth's oven idea: it contains recandite thoughts which\n'beat the seal of divine Wisdom.\"\n\nAsp Jacon vowen 4 vow, savin: Ir Gop wit\nBE WITH ate, Ec Said R. Judah> 'After receiving all\nthese promises, how could Jacob still say, \"Uf God will be\n'with me, ete\"? What Jacob meant, however, was this: \"Some\ndreams are true-and dome not, saif this dream should eome\ntrue, and God will really be with me-as T have dream, then\n\"the Lord shall beto me for God!\" that is, I shall draw bless=\nings fom the well-pring of the universal stream towards the\nregion called Elohim.' For Israel being i the centre take first\nff the original well-spring, and after the bounty reaches therm\nthey pass it on tovard that region. Hence we muy render:\nand the Lord shall be toward me, first, and afterwards the\n'whole will be drawn toward Elokin': ue. in the sime way a8\nEle will fulfil for me all these good promises, s0 will I\n'draw toveard Hl feorn my region all shose blessings and wi\n\n'make Him the all-comprehensive uniting foree. When will\nthat be ? \"When come hack 10 my father's house in peace\"\n\n'when I shall be stiled in my own grade, inthe grale of peace\n4 a8 to make perfeet my father's house, then \"will the Lord\nbelaward me, toward Elohim (Goi)\"\" According to another\n'explanation, Jacoh meant: \"I desire to come fuck to my\nfather's house in peace, because there isthe Holy Land, and\nthere will become perfected, andl the Lord shall be my God.\nIn that place wil I duly rise ftom this grade 10 anosher grade,\nfand there T Will engage myself in Mis worship.\" RL Hiya\n'adduced here the verse: The tale of inigities ix ton hea'\n\n'for me; our transgressions tho wilt pardon them (Ps. XW, 4).\n\n84 THE 20NAR Ht [isob-1510\nThe two halves ofthe verse', he sad, 'donot seem to fit one\nancther. 'The truth is, however, that David first prayed for\nimal and then for mankind ix genera, a though to =4y,\nknow my ovn sins, but there are a great number of sinners\ninthe world whose sins are much more grievous than mine;\nthie being s0, both mine [1514] and their, all our trans-\nigeessions, thou wilt pardon them.\" For when sinners become\n'numerous in. the world, they go up to the place where the\nrecirds are kept, a iti written, \"thete isa sitting in judge-\nment and the books are open\" (Dan. vit, 10). 'That book\nstond, as it were, aver the head of David, and hence he said,\nThe tale of iniquities is too heavy for me,and therefore\", he\n'went on, \"our transgressions thou wilt pardon them\". Jacob,\nbeing in a similar condition, fel distrustful, not of God, but\nof himself, and he feared lest his sins should prevent him\nfrom returning in peace and deprive him of God's provie\ncare. THEN SHALL THE LoRD a MY Gop? ie.\nreturn in peace, I shall not eare even if the attribute\nne merey becomes justice towards me, inasmuch a§ T\nwill worship Him continually.\" R. Aha said that Jacob's words\namounted to saying: 'Now T have no need of severity, but\nwhen Till return to my father's house, 1 myself\n'with that attribute alo\" Said R. Jose: \"That is not s0, but\n'what Jacob practically said was: Now I require the attribute\nOf divine justice to guard me (against my enemies) until T\nreturn in peace to my father's house, but then L will combine\nmercy with justice, and bind all attributes in a firm nity.\"\n\nAnp-Tuissroxe, Witten I HAVE SETUP FOWA PILLAR,\nSUALL BE Go's Horse: seeing that allwill be then wnited\ninto one, and this stone will be blessed from the right and\nfrom the left, from on high and from below, for the reason\nthat I will give the tenth of everything. We should have ex\npected here, instead of Blokin, the name Jehneah, as in the\ntest: \"to prepare chambers in the house of the Lard (Je-\nJhocah)\" (Mt Chr. xxx, 20), also: \"Let us 9 unto the house of\nthe Lord (Jehurah)\" (Ps. cxsih 1). But in truth, the name\nElohim here points to the tribunal which represents the attri-\nbute of justice on its two superna sides, on the side of the\n\ntst0-1518) vavere 85\nTubilee year, known as Living God (Elohim layin), and on\nthe side of Isaac, expressed simply by the term \"God\"\n(Blok. R, Eleazar aid: \"The Jubilee Year, although i dee\npenses judgement, is yet altogether pervaded with merey and\ni the source of universal joy and gladness. But \"the house of\nGod (Elokim)\" represents rigorous judgement only, on the\nide ofthe left, either for good, in consonance withthe text,\n'is eft hand be under my head\" (S. 8.16), 0 for evil, a8\nivsays, \"Out of the Nor the evil shall rea forth upon all\nthe inhabitants ofthe land\" (Jer. 1,14). Well then may it be\ncalled \"the house of God (Elokim)\".\" R. Sirseon said: \"The\nhouse of God (Elahin)\" signifies the same 2 \"the city ofthe\nreat king\" (Ps. xivut, 3). Verily the superal world is not\noly \"King but \"Great King and hat whats met\nHiya and R. Hiskih were once sitting underneath a\ntree in the field of Ono. R. Hiya fell nto a slumber and be-\nheld Elijah. He said to him: \"The whole feld is iunined\n'with our presence.\" Elnh answered: Tam come to tell you\nthat Jerusalem is about t be lad waste together with al the\ntowns of the ses, forthe reason that Jerusalem isthe em-\nbouitent of jodgement, and is preserved by judgement, and\n'now judgement demands its destruction; and Samael has\nalready been given power over it and over its mighty ones,\nhave therefore come tadvise the sages thereof so that they\n'may try to obtain for Jerusalem some years of grace.\nJong as knowledge of the 'Torah is found thecet\nspared, the Torah being the tre of ife by which alive. Rut\nwhen the atady of the Torah ceases below, the tree of life\ndisappears from the worid, Hence s0 long a8 the sages cling\nto the Torah, Samael has no power over them, as Seripture\nsays: \"The voice isthe voice of Jacob, but the hands are the\nhands of Esau\" (Gen. xxv, 22). The voce is the Torah,\nwhich is termed the voice of Jacob, and so long as that voice\nPests lo ve ctevanis alee conianics and preva (o0Er\nthe hinds of Esau). Heace the study of the Torah should\nsever cease.\" R. Hiya [1518] then avoke, ard they went and\ntold the sages, Said. Jesse: 'We all know this, and soi is\nwritten; \"Escept the Lord keep the city, the watchman,\n\n% rae zonal [rgb-asae\nvvaketh in vain! (Ps exert 1), a8 much as to say: \"Isis those\nisho labour in the Torah who preserve the Holy City, and\n\nfot the wartlors and men of mighe™.!\n\nAND iE LOOKED, AND BEHOLD A WELL IN THE FIELD,\nrrre. R. Judah diacoursed on the verse: A pial (mismor=\nsong, hymn) of Dacid echen he fled from Absalom his son\n(Ps. 1, 1). \"The companions', he said, \"have been perplexed\nhy the title \"sone\" given to this psalm. When his own son\nrose up against him, David should rather have uttered a\nlamentation, snes a litle hurt from one's kn is wore than a\nsgreat hurt from astranger. The truth, however, x that David\nwas apprehensive lest the punishment for his sons might be\nremitted to the nest world, and 20 when he found that it waa\nbeing exacted from him in this word he rejoiced. Further, he\n'was comforted by the fact that many, superior to himself, had\nhad to flee alone, lke Jacobs, who \"fled into the fel of Ara\n(Hos. x1, r3),allalone, and Moses, who fled from the face of\nPharaoh (Ex. 1, 15), also alone; whereas he was accom\npanied by all the nobility and the valiant men of theland and\nthe chiefs of Israel, who stood on his right hand and on his\nleft co guard him on all sidex. Seeing himoelf thos fevoures,\nDavid broke out into song.' R, Judah further remarked: \"The\nfugitives mentioned above in the course oftheir wanderings\nall came across that well. Why not David also ?'The reason is\n'hat it was at thar time at enmity with him, wheres i wel-\ntomed Jacob and Moses and was eager to' approach them,\nand as soon as it saw them its waters rose to meet them,\n'woman rejoicing to greet her husband. Why, it may be asked,\n'was not Elijah when he fled also met by the well ?'The reason\nis that Elijah i beneath the well and not above it, as Moses\nand Jacob were, and hence he is an-angel who executes\nmessages. So when it sayé that \"Jacob looked, and behold, 2\nvel in the field, there is here an inner meaning, to wit, that\nhe discerned the Supernal well which corresponds to the well\nbelow. 'This ts bome out by the nett words: 'THREE FLOCKS\nOF sey LYING THERE my IT. Since they were only\n[1520] three, why is it writen, \"And thither were all the\nlocks gathered\" ? Hut in truth the three allude to the South,\n\n1520-1526) vavere 87\nthe Bast and the North, the South on one side the North on\nthe other, and the East between them, al thre stinding by\n'that well holding fast to it and filling ft. Why all this ? Fon\nOUT OF THAT WELL THEY WATERED THE FLOCKS, the\nallusion being the same asin the text\nallthe ayy of tel\" (sr\nlea matostapsop alice rece tate\n\" (Exel. 4 7), AND THEY ROLLED THE STONE FROM\nTHE WELL's MOUTH: {e,they dispelled fromitthe rigidity\n'of hard judgement, which congeals it as it were into stone,\nfrom which water cannot flow. For when those rversarse, the\nSouth, which is on the right, gathers stength and prevents\nthe North from solidifying the water. Fora large river, witha\nareat volume of water, does no: become frozen and congealed\n50 soon a8 4 small river with asmall Volume of wate, Hence\n'when those vers arrive, the South, which isthe right, pus\nforth its strength and the waters thaw and are loosened, 0 a8\nto flow onward and give drink tothe flocks, ast\nwater the Hayyoth of the field\" (Ps,\nthe stone back upon the well's mouth in is plce\". because\nthe world has need ofits judgement 90 as thereby to punish\nthe guilty.\n'Observe that Jacob, when he st by the well and sav the\nwater rising up toward him, knew that there he would meet\nid so it was, as Scripture says: WHILE\nKING WITH THEM, RACHEL CAME\nWITH HeR FATHER'S sugEP, AND IT CAME TO Pass\nWues Jacon saw Race, ETc. It was the sume with\n\"Moses, who, when he sat down by the well, as son as he saw\nthe water rising toward him knew that there he would meet\nhis destined wifes and so indeed it turned ont, as we read\n\"And the shepherds came and drove them away, etc.'\n(Ex. 14, 17), with the resule that there he met with Zip-\nporah. (rsab] I was the wel that served as medium to both\nof them Observe that in this ection the term \"well\" (érer)\nis mentioned seven times, which indiates the identification\nof this well with \"Beer-Shebe\" (the well of seven), In the\nnarrative of Moses, on the other hand, the wellis mentioned\n\n48 ane zouAN UT [sab\nonly onee, when i says, \"and he sat down by the well (id.\nThe reason is that Moues completely separated himself\nfrom his house here below, wheress Jacob did not separate\nhimself at all Moses adhered to one, the one of which we\nread: \"My dove, my undefiled, is but one, she isthe only one\nof her mother\" (8, S, vi, 9). Moses thus was master of the\nhouse and ascended on high; hence of imi s writen: \"and\nlhe sat upon (al) the well\", whereas of Jacob ie i+ merely\n'written, \"and he saw, and behold a ell in the Bel\".\n\n{The following is an alternative exposition of this section.\nAx Jacom Went OUT FuoM BEEK-SHEBA, AND WENT\nTOWARD Hanan, R. Abba discoursed on the verse: Happy\nare they that hep justice, that perform acts of charity\n(gedakal) at all nes (Ps, cvt, 3). appy are Israel' he said,\n'to whom the Holy One, blesed be He, gave the Law of\ntruth so that they should exert themselves in its study day and.\n\na8 whoever exerts imc ia the study of the Torah\nschiewes complete freedom, even from death, which can no\nmore prevail over him, as already explained elsewhere. For\nwhoever exerts himself in the study of the 'Torah and lays\nhold oft, lays hold ofthe tree of life; and whoever relaxes his\nhold of the tree off, behold the tre of death overshadows\nhim and takes hold of him, So Scripture says: \"IF thow re=\nlagest in the day of adversity, thy siengt is narrow indeed\"\n(Pros. xxv, 10), signifying that whoever relaxes inthe study'\nof the Torah, in the day of adv: strength (Koah=\nKolf= the strength of Kolf) is narrow indeed, to wit, the\nstrenggh of Koff that continually follows on the right of the\n'man that walks inthe ways ofthe Torah, and forms his con-\nstant guard, so that the evil power is prevented from ap-\nproaching him and ie powerless to aceuee him. Rut of him\n'who turns aside ftom the ways of the Torah and relaxes his\nhold off, itis said: \"narrow indeed ia the strength of Kalt\",\nas the evil power, represented by the left, obtsins do-\nrninion vee that man and thrvste aside that Koll, £0\nthat he has no room to mave. According to another inter-\npretation, the term \"say\" (narrow) signifies here adver-\nsary\"; for when aman holds fast tothe ways of the Torah he\n\n1s2b-1534] vareer 8»\nis beloved beth on high and below, ands the favourite ofthe\nHoly One, bleed he He, ae we real: \"And the Lord loved\n'him' (11 Sam. x11, 24); but when 4 man turns aside from the:\nsways ofthe Torah, then ser fico, that the srength of\nKoll becomes his enemy, ad makes the ev one obtain\ndominion ver him soto acute him in thie world and the\n'ward 10 come. For the evil one, who is the same asthe ex\ntempter, dominates dhe world rom many sides, and exeries\nreat power therein; he ix indeed the very tame mighty\nSerpent hroagh whom Adam fell ito ain, and who entices\n'mankind to draw hitm unto themselves until he draws out\n\nsouls. Now hin power over the body and when he\n'obtains that power over the body, the soul departs because\n'the body has become defied, To obtain that dominion over\nthe bod, however, the evil ne must receive authorisation,\n\nactivin of the eo\nFor, az alrealy explained,\n\nleftend identical\nwith the \"end of all sh Lis called \"the end ofall flesh,\nFut aot \"the end of all spit\". Each is an \"end\" in the\nrystial sense, but one presides over flesh, the other over\nSpt, the ner being the inner one, the Former the outer one;\ntne being right, the other lef, one being holy the other de-\nfiled, as alrealy explained elsewhere, Now observe a deep and\nhholy'mystery of faith, the symbolism ofthe male principle\nand the female principle ofthe universe. In the former are\n'comprised all holinesses and objects of faith, and allie, all\nFreed, all goodness, all illunnations [13a] emerge from\nthence; al blessings, all benevolent dews al races and kind-\nnestes-all these are generated from that side, which is elled\nthe South, Contrarivise, from the side of the North there\nissue a varievy of grades, extending downwards, to the world\n'below, Thine the rexiom of the dross of god, which comes\n{rom the side of impurity and loathsomenessand which forms\nalink between the upper and nether regions; and theres the\nTine where the male and female principles join, forming\n\n©\n\n\" 'rie roman tt bse\ntogether the rider on the serpent, and symbolised by Azazel\n[Now from thence there spread many grades which dominate\nthe word, all of them presenting sides of defilement and\nacting as chieftains and prefects in the world, Observe that\naan, when he emerged into the world, was red all over like a\nrove, and was hairy after the patter ofa goat (a), and from\nsuch a being came forth chieftains and prefects fully armed,\nwho dominate the world, 'This has already been explained\nleewhere. Observe now the verse previously eted: \"Happy\nare they that heep justice\", to wi they who hep the faith of\nthe Holy One, blessed be He, since God is justice, so that a\n'man should be on is guard not to turn aside but t keep to\nthe way of justice, as God is justice and all His waysare justice.\n\"The vere proceeds: \"that exerdise charity (sedakah) at al\ntimes\", \"The words \"at all times\" eannot be taken quite\nliterally, ut refer to those who endeavour to follow the ways\n'of the Torah and dispense charity to those who are in need of\nit, For when charity is given to the poor, its effect is felt both\n'om high and here below. For that charity ascends on high and\nreaches wo the region of Jacob, who is the superna chariot,\nand causes blessings to flow toward that region from the very\nfountainof fountains: and from that charity he causes blessings\nto flow in abundance toall the over beings and to all char\n\nand host. All these ae blessed and increase in illumination,\nas is hefiting, fr they all are comprehended within the term\n\"time\" (th), This, then, isthe meaning ofthe words \"that\ndo charity in the whole of time\". Observe that as long as\nIsrael were in the Holy Land they drew the blessings frum\nfn high wo below, but after they went forth from the Holy\n'Land they came under a strange power and blessings were\nwithheld from the world. Jacob was at firs under sacred\njurisdiction, but when he departed from the land he entered\ninto a strange jurisdiction. And before he came under a\nstrange jorisdiction the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared\n'unto hin in a dream, and he saw wonderful things, and holy\nangels accompanied him until he sat down by the well and\nwhen he sat by the well the waters thereof rose toward hin,\nas portent that he would there meet his wife, and the same\nthing happened «0 Muses, 'The inward sigaifeance of the\n\n1530-153) vavege a\nmatter is that the well, feu rose when it saw its affinity, to\n\nform with him a uni\n\nAND Jaco WENT OW MIs JOURNEY, AND CAME 10\nTHE LAND OF THE CHILDKEX OF THK RAET (Gon. 2x08,\n1), R. Abba said; 'Since Laban dwelt in. Haran, why did\nJacob go further on ? 'That Laan dwelt in Haran we know\nfrom the verses: \"And Jacob ssid unto them: My brethren,\nwhence are ye ¥ And they said: Of Haran are we. And he\nsaid: Know ye Laban the son of Nahor ? And they said: We\nknow him\" (Phd, 4-5), 'The truth, however, is that Jacob said\ntohimsclf:\"I wish tenterintocommunion withtheShekinah,\nor in other words, I desire to marry, Now, when the servant\n'was sent to take a wie for my father, he found a well of vater\nthrough which he met my father's destined wife Nut, behold,\ninthis place have found neither spring, nor well; nor any\n'water a all\" Straightway he proceeded further, and came to\nthe land ofthe children ofthe East\", where he found a wel,\nas already said, and where he encoutered his wife Said\nR, Eleazar: \"That place was asuredly Haran, but the well\n'was in an outlying fed, and that is why it says that \"Rachel\n(hid, 13) R. Bleasar funther re-\nie Jacob had to find his wife by the well, why\ndid he not mect there Leah, who was to be the mother of so\nmany tribes ?'The answer is that it was not the will of God\nthat Leah should be espoused to Jacob openly, and infact he\n'married her without his knowledge, as itis written: \"And it\ncame to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah\" (bid.\n23). It was also in order to rivet his eye and heart on the\nbeauty of Rachel, so that he should establish his prinsipal\nabode with her. [1536] How did Jacob know that she was\nRachel ? We must suppose thatthe shepherds tld hin a8 it\nis written, \"and, behold, Rachel his daughter came with the\nsheep (Uhid. 6)\n\nAw jie ss1D: TL WILt SERVE THEE SEVEN YFARS FOR\nRacurL THY Yous DavenTEK. Why should Jacob\nhave mentioned seven years rather than ten months or one\nyear ? For one thing, Jacob did not want people to say that he\n\n9 'THE 20uAn 11 sss\nlusted after Rachel's beauty. Also he knew that the wisdom of\nthe moon requires a septennate; and all the seen supernal\nyears hovered over Jacob before he married Rachel, so tha\nhin suociation with her shoul accomplah ite true purpose.\n\nFor Jacob, before his marig2, fist made his wn all those\n'years 30 that when at last he camse to her he should be a i\ntrere the heaven to her earth, Hence it says: AND THEY\nShEsED UNTO HIM AUT A-FEW DAYS. 'The inner mean=\ninggo the word ahadim (few, it united) i that al thote seven\nYears resembled in his ejex those superior years that\nbound together so ato form a complete whole and an ine\nsepanble unity. 'The yere continues: FOR THF LOVE ME\nAD FOR MER, that is, his desire to reproduce the superal\npatter, R. Abba said: \"Jacob assuredly served seven years in\n'der to join himself to the Sabbatical Year.\" Eleaza said\n\"Observe thatthe Jubilee Year, wherever mentioned, syaie\nholies that which is undisclosed (to the human mind),\n'whereas the Sabbatical Year symbolises the disclosed, So\n'when Jacob had served theft seven yearsa voice went forth\n\n5 fom one world to the other\n. ev, 48) The one world the upper world, which\nis veiled, the category ofthe Jubilee Vear. From thence isthe\nstarting point; for those which ae veiled and undisclosed are\nfrom the category of the Jubilee Year.\" Hence they were\nHidden from Jacob, who dhus mistakenly thought that his\ndown seven years wete From the Sabbatical septeanate, 'helt\ninwardness was hidden from him in order that he should\nmake a beginning from the highest world, from the Jubilee\ncycle which is undivcloed. And aftr the years symbolic of\nthe Jubilee eyele, which is undisclosed, had passed, he served\nthe years of the Sabbatical septennate which ate disclosed,\nHe was thus erowned with the two worlds and laid hold of\nboth of them,\n\n'Observe that Leah bore six sons and one daughter. That\nwas in the order of things, since six world-direetions were\nstationed above her, and the ax aons and one daughver\nformed a symbol of the grades. Rachel bare two righteous\n'ones, and this was also in erdr, since the Sabbatical epten-\nrate is placed perpetually hetween to Righteous Ones, a it\n\n1538] vavERE 3\nis writens \"he righteous ones shall inherit the land\"\n(Ps. xxv, 26), one Righteous One on high and one below.\nFrom the one on high there i a flowing out of upper waters,\nland from the one below there is a reiprocal welling up af\nwater from the female pri\n\nuated between two female principles, so the female\nprinciple below is situated between two Righteous Ones.\n'Hence Joseph and Benjamin represent the two Righteous\n'Ones. Joseph merited to he the (symbol of the) Righteous\n'One on high in virtue of his having Kept under guard the sign\ncof the holy covenant. Benjamin was the Righteous One below,\n'that the Sabbatical septennate vas crowned bewweea\nRighteous Ones, to wit, Joseph the righteous and Benjamin,\nthe righteous,\n\nTt may be asked, was Henjamin indeed a righteous man ?\n'Yes, he was in that he never in his life transgressed in regard\nto the sign of the holy covenant. Its true, however, that he\n'was never exposed to a temptation like that of Joseph, Ifs0,\n'why was he called righteous ? 'The reson is that during the\nwhole time of Jacob's mourning for the los of Joseph he\nabstained from conjugal intercourse. But, it may be ssid,\nwhen Joseph wascarried off, was not Benjamin a mere child >\n'What, then, isthe point of saving\nual intercourse 2\"The an\njugal intercourse even after he was marred. But again we\nmay ask, how is this to be squared with the tradition that\nJoseph, when he came down to Egypt, asked himm whether he\nhhad a wife and children, and he answered, \"Yes, and they are\nAll named in memory of my brother, twit, Bela and Becher,\nand Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, ete.\" (Gen, x91, 21). How,\nthen, can it be sai that he abstained fom conjugal relations ?\n\"The teuth, however, is that Benjamin had no children at that\ntime, but he had begotten them already when the brethren\nwent (finally) to Egypt. Benjamin, then, assuredly observed\nconjugal abstinence all the time his father mourned. for\nJoseph, saying: \"Behold, my brother Joseph constituted the\nign-of-the-holy-covenant of my father, that sign being the\n\noF 'THe ZOHAN It [rssb-1540\ntend of the bodily trunk, Now that he is lost I fave to guard\n{54a the place of my bree\". One may sil object that at\nthe me when Joseph ws lost Benjamin had not yet proved\nhimelf righteous, and he didnot, in fac, do ao uti the Hime\n'when he withstood temptation. But the truth i that Jacob\n{knew that Joseph would guard that place, and the others ob-\n'ined that knowledge from Jacob, Tt was for that reason that\nhae prolonged his stay with Laban until his body, as it were,\n'was made cornplete, the completion being constituted by the\nsign of the holy covenant. Hence itis written: \"And it came\nto pase when Rachel had borne Joseph, ete.\" (id. xs, 25),\nJacob having said to Laban in so many words, \"Now that my\n'body has been: made complete [am desirous of going.\" In\nthis way Benjamin knew that his brother was righteous, and.\nthe trod in his footsteps. And after Joseph had been found he\n'etutned home, had conjugal intercourse, and begat children,\nGod thus deelared him righteous here below and Joseph\nrighteous above.\n\n'Tevas thus nthe order of things that Kachel bore wo Sons\nand Leah six sons and a daughter; and the firs seven years\n'were thus veiled from Jacob as they represented the Jubilee\ncycle; and whilst in interton serving the Sabbatical seven\nsean, which are ofthe disclosed realm, Jacobi realty served\nthe Jubilee eycle which belongs to the undiscloed realm, So\n'Scripture says: \"And Jaccb served seven years for Rachel\",\nthe term scven years being unqualified, implying that he\nserved for Rachel seven yeatsof the supernal onder, and he\nthus laid hold of both worlds, From here we lesen that only\nthroogh the disclosed can aman reach the undisclosed. Fits\nasked, how can the fist seven years correspond t the Jubilee\ncycle, seeing that in regard to the latter itis writen, \"seven\ntimes seven years\" (ev. xt¥, 8), and here thereare no seven,\n\nwe the anawer is tha the seven tives ae represented in\nthe seven days of festivity with which Jacob celebrated his\nmarriage with Leah, 'The number was thus made complete,\nsince each day may be regarded as sevenfold, in harmony\nwiththe verse, \"Seven times a day do I praise thee, because\nof thy rightcous ordinances\" (Ps, ext, 164), and the seven\nyears were thus to be multiplied by the seven days. But, it\n\n54a] vavese 95\nmay be said, Jacob should have first served the Sabbatical\n'seplennate and anached himself tothe grad of the Sabbatical\nyeat.The answers that since in intention he dd serve them,\nthe effect was the sue a9 i he ad served then fn reality\nIR. Abba then came up to R. Eleasar and kissed itn, saying:\n\"Blessed be the Merciful One for the exposition ofthis verse\n'Concerning such a peivilege, i i written: \"The Loed was\npleased for his righteousness sak, to make the 'Torah great\nand glorious (Ie xu, 21) R Eleaar sad furher:\" What\nhas been said about Leah having. borne six sons and one\ndaughter and Rachel having bone two sons is asuredly cor:\nrect; but how do the sons of the concubines fit into the\nscheme They constitute, ast wer, the four joints, the 0-\nfalled hinder pars, alluded to in the statement: \"and all thet\nhinder pars were inward\" (1 Kings vt, a5). For the right\narm contains three joints, the middle one of which is the\nlangest and projects backwards, being as it were outside the\n'boy. Theres simile join inthe Te arm, aswell inthe\nsight thigh and in the left thigh; and. when the whole is\n\nod, all of them look insard, in fulfilment of\nall ther hinder parts wore inward\". Nov al\nthe othe joints are inthe line ofthe boty, but these protude\noutside the arms and the thighs, Corespondingly, the sons of\nthe handmaids, athough they are within the number, yet are\nnot ofthe stme ran as the sons of Rackel and Leah, and thus\nFemain outside, According wo another explanation, these fout\nare the joints by which all the others ate moved.' R. Abba\nremarked: 'So asuredly itis, and thus the whole is properly\neonstructed\n\nAsp tHe Lon saw THAT LEAH Was HATED. R, Elea\n'ft is writen: \"Who sets aright the foundation\n(Cagereth, lit. barten woman) ofthe house, a joyful mother of\nchildren. Halleluah\" (Ps. exit, 9). \"The foundation of the\nhouse\" isan allusion to Rachel, whereas by \"a joyful mother\nof children\" is meant Leth, According to another explana-\n'ion, the \"Youndition of the house\" is an allusion to the\n'Sabbatical year, which constitutes the basis ofthis world; and\n\n'a joyful mother of children\" signifies the Jubilee year, on\n\n6 'rite ZouAR tt [es4o-ss4h\n'which depend the joy and gadiessof ll the works; and this\n'ersecomprchends them all na sacred symbolism, and hence\nthe conclding word, \"Hallejah, We an now understand\nswhy it says here that \"Leah was hated. This seems strange,\ninview of the fat that children ofa hated woman are of alow\ntype, whereas all Leas children were of high type. But the\ntrath is thatthe Jubilee i «veiled world nothing of which\n[i548] is disclosed to human intelligence; hence Jacob was\nsthllysnayeare of Now the lower worl in ntl, and\nis the starting point for the ascending grades. Just as the\nSuperoal Windom is «starting point of the whol, so is the\nlower world alo a manifestation of Wisdom, and starting\npaint ofthe whole. This world, therefor, is named \"Thou\n{aah}, being symbole of the Sabbatical yar, and isitellc\nfle, whereas the upper world, symbote of the Jubilee, is\nfamed He (hu'=he, eit), a it wholly veiled from human\nUnderstanding. Hence there isan inner significance in the\n'words \"and he lay with her that (ha) night\". Hence, too, it\njs writen: \"And the Leviteaball serve hu (him) (Nut.\n$v, 2,sbas to dra blessings for everyone fom it, tamely\nfram the uppee world, which remains forever veiled. Jacob,\nFowever, hl no min tw attach himself the undisclosed,\ntut only 0 the disclosed, in harmony sith the reeondlite\nmeaning of the vere, \"and he ahall deave to his wife\n(Gen. 1,25). Als, frm the words: \"And the Lord sa that\nLeah was hated\" we may lear that 8 man isnot naturally\ntempted by his mother, and that hence he may' remain alone\never without any seniple,\n\n'sake of Jacob that the world be-\ncame firmly established. (For though we have sad elsewhere\nthat it was forthe she of Abraham, the trth is that i was\nfor the sake of Jacob that Abrahams was fol established, at\nitis written: \"Thue sith the Lard, concerning the house of\nJaco who redeemed Abraham\" (Is. xx, 23).) For at frst\nGed built up worlds and destroyed them, and only when\nJacob came did the words take thei inal form, and were not\nin demolished a heretofore, Sa Scripture says: \"But now\nthus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that\nformed thee, O rae (Is, sta, 1}. Ital i alg called\n\n154b-1550] VavEE 7\n\"son\" to God, as it fs writen: \"Torael is my son, my first-\nborn', also, \"Let my sun go that he may serve me\" (Ex. 1%,\n{23-23}, There ig also the sane allusion i the verse: \"What\nhhis name, and what is his son's name, if thow knowest\n(Prov, xxX, 4).\n\nAND SHE CALLED HIS SAME REUBEN (lit, x€6) 2 son),\nShe did not give him amore specifi name, because he was to\nforma group with the other two, Simeon and Levi. The name\nLevi, being akin to the term lyoth (joining) (1 Kings Vt, 30),\nsignifies the perfect combination of them into one scheme.\nRR. Judah said that the same idea is implied in the phrase:\n\"The excellency of dignity, and the excelency of power\"\n(Gen, x.tx, 3), which isrendered in the Chald\n\n'Bishright, priesthood. and kingdom', Kingdom belo\n\n'of power (Gebural). Hence the\n\n(Sen), simply. Abba said that the birth of\n'that triad, 2s implied in the name Reuben, was the goal\n'towards which Leah strove, as indicated in er utterance:\n\"Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because\nhave borne him three sons\" (Gen. xttx, 34), that is, three\nJoined together as one. Observe now that the Heavenly.\n\"Thhrune consist of our three patriarchs, to whom King D:\nwas subsequently joined, making together a tetrad, symbol\n'of the Divine Tetragrammaton. Correspondingly se have\nReuben, Simeon, and Levi, to whom later on there was joined\nJudah, Who inherited the kingship, Hence the significance\n'of the pacrage: This time will I praise the Lord. Th\nshe called his name Judah, And she left off beatin\nreason being that now all the four sippors of the Heavenly\n\"Throne were completed. (Why did she say: \"this time will L\npraie the Lord in regard to this son and not i regard to\nany of the others ?The tuth i that we leern from here that\nas lng (t55a) a8 the Community of Ise isin exile the\nDivine Name remains incomplete.) Observe that with the\nbirth of three sons the Heavenly 'Theone was not yet made\ncomplete until Judah was born; hence only then Leah said,\nThs time wil I praise the Lord\", and nt in regard to any\nofthe other sons; and hence again the term vatha'anod (and\n\n8 THe zomaR 1 Lusse-issb\nshe left of, it, stood, implying that the Heavenly 'Throne\nstood then fir on its supports. (This term also indicates that\n'pt that point there is unity, but below tha is the world of\nSeparation.) As for the two ober sons born subsequently\nWith the same characteristics, these were united with the\nDehers, constituting together unity symbolic of the six\nthrections of the world\n(Observe further that all the yeelve the oto\nparts of the Community of lari inthis world, to give full\nRrength to the supernal light, enveloped in blackness, and\nrestore the root principle of the Whole to its place. Ail the\nworlds are buileon the same para; and throagh this rela-\ntion the lower 'nord was completed on the pattern of the\nupper world By the birth of Issichar and Zebulun there was\nmaid complete the number ss, symbalic of the six directions\nofthe world. 'Then again the four sans ofthe handmaids were\nthem, they being, asi were, the Four joints\ned wth them, a area explained\n\"nd their hinder parts were\nvt alton they were the sons\nYet they belongetinwird. Re Hskiah said: 'We have armed\nthat what the lower world produces belongs to the eategory\naf separation, ait is written \"and from thence it was parted\"\n(Gent, 1) Ifs, what about Joseph and Berjamin ? How\ntan Sou ay that they belonged wo the anme world ay the\nsthers, since they didnot issue from the upper world, and\nwhat the lower world brings fois for the lover world and\ntot for the upper work: and, io, they are separated from\nthe others, since it has been lid down that whatever the\nlower world produces belongs tthe eategory of separation\nK. Abba came up and kissed him and sd \"Thin sa eal\nAifcuty, since is true thatthe upper world ketomes per-\nFeeted by the twelve which propery belong ti, Buti ean\nfe solved esotercally as follows. At every moment the\nRighteous One bh leaves and enter the lower word, Hence\nJers built up in the place, wile he rot ie above. 'Chun he\nalways present in the lower word (1558) Tis written: \"And\nit-care to pass a her sol (nia) win departing, for she\nied\" (Gen. xxxy, 18), Now the Righteous One ie both in and.\n\n1538] vavege 5\ncout ofthis lower word. When he enter it he des oa eym-\nbolised by Joseph the rightew\ndors a0 as eymbolsed by Henjamin. Fence it saysin eonnee-\ntion withthe birth of Renjamin:\n\nsoul\" alludes to the Righteous One that was departing, to\n\"wit, Benjamin, She called him Ben-oni (son of my sorrow),\n'inking that what she bore belonged to the lower worl dhe\nworld of separation, thus leaving only eleven as belonging to\nthe upper world. tis father, however, called his Benjamin\n(en of the right hand) (bid), implying that he ascended on\nhigh to the upper world; for when Joseph disappeared Ben-\nJamin took his place. 'Thus did the Righteous One both enter\nthe lower world and leave it, Hence Joseph ané Benjamin\nandallthe others completed the numberof twelve, who formed.\n'unity after the supernal pattern\"\n\n'Tats vioue wine I praise re Lon. R. Simeon ade\nduced here the were: \"Twill price the Lord with my whole\nheart (lead), withthe counel ofthe upright, and with the\ncongregation\" (Ps. cxt, 2). \"The intensified form lebab\n(heart is used here, he sid, wo show that David desired to\npraise the Lord with his whole being, including both bis good\nrompter(yetzer-tb) and his vil promptcr (yetzr-a) of in\nSte terms, the right side and the left sie, the heart (eb),\nbeing syeuboie of South and North By the phrase \"with the\ncouncil of the upright\" David implied the other directions,\n'making up the six directions of the world, after the superna\npater; \"the congregation\" is a reference to the realm of\nJudah, the term 'alah congregation) being skin to the term\n\"eduth (estimony) inthe passage, \"and my testimony\n(ee-edoth) that Ishall teach them\" (Ps. exxxt, 13), a8 well\n48 0 the vocable 'od (yet) in the passage, \"but Judah yet\n(Cot) euleth with God, ete\" Hos.2it 1)- On the other hand,\nfa the vere: \"L will praise thee with my whole hear (li),\ntoward Elohin sl Taig praie uit te\" (0d. cot\n\nDavid addeessed himself to one single realm, designated\nElohim, singing praises othe grate associated wilh the right\n\n109 THe zouaK tt [assb-1560\nside, Observe that Judah embraced all sides, having taken\nhold of the South as well as of the East; himself issuing from\npin the North, he took hold of\nuings Were to the right, and attached\nhimself tothe bods. Hence Leah's words: \"This time T will\npraise the Lord. The words, \"And ahe stood still not to hear\nany more\" imply that there was now a firm standing, that all\n'was now in order, since the Heavenly 'Throne was now (with\nthe birth of Judah) made complete\"\n\nRR, Simeon was once walking in the country when he met\nR. Abba and R Hiya and R. Jove: When he sae them he sxid>\n'We aught to have here some new expositions of the TTorah,\nSo the three of them sat down fora time, When he was about\ntogo,cach one of them in turn discoursed on a Seriptural text.\nIR, Abba took the verse: And the Lord said unto Abram, after\n'that Lot had separated from him: Lift up noe thine eyes, ete,\n(Gen, x111, 4). \"Did Abrakam then', he asked, 'inherit only\nso much of land as was within his range of vision and no-more\n\"a mere three, four, or, at most five parasangs ?This would\ncontridit the next verse saying? \"forall the land which thou\nseeat to thee Twill pive it\" (Zid. 15). But the truth is that in\nsurveying the four directions of the world he saw the whole\nland, since the four directions embrace the whole world.\nFurthermore, God raised him high above the Land of Israel\n[560] and made him see hove itis bound up with the four\n'cardiral points, Abram this looked over the whole of the\nland. In a similar way, whoever sees R. Simeon sees the whole\nworld, sees the delight of the upper world ané the lower\n'world' R. Hiya followed with the text: \"The land whereon\nthou les, to thee will I giveit, and to thy seed\" (Gen. xxvin,\n13). 'Did God, then', he asked, 'promise him no more than,\nthat spot, a mere four o five cubits ? The truth, however, is\nthat God at that moment folded up the whole ofthe land of\nIsrael within those four cubits, 30 that that spot comprised\nthe whole land. Now, ifthe whole land ean be socencentrated,\nhhow much more tly may it be said that R. Simeon, who is\nthe light of the world, is of equal worth with the whole\nworld!\" R. Jose then took the passage: \"This time will T\npraisethe Lord,\" Wasitnot, heasked, 'equally incumbent on\n\n1360-1564] vavere 101\nher to praise God forthe birth of er other sons? But the\ntruth s that Jud, in virtue of being the fourth son, was the\n'completion of the Heavenly 'Throne. Judah alone is thus the\nmainstay of the Heavenly 'Throne and is ita ervest supe\nport. For this very reason, moreover, vas he called Judah\n(HYD!) a word which contains the Divine Name withthe\naudition ofthe leter Daleth (out), panting tothe four supe\nports ofthe Heavenly 'Throne. With how mich greater force\nan this be said of R, Simeon, wh ilumines the whole world\n'with height ofthe Torah, and who kndles the ght of many\nlamps\n\nVEST, AND FOUND MANDRAKES IN THE FHHLD. R,Tsaae\nAiscoursed on the verse: Hote manifold are thy works, O Lord!\nTn wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy\n'creatures (Ps. ct, 24). 'Who', he sid, 'ean eount the works\naf the Amaya a here eos upon bos and\n\n'upon legos of beings, each dering from the other,\nSE es in tien eee re!\nauses sparks toy off in all directions, so God broughe into\nbeing simultaneously manifold species and hosts, each difer-\ning from the other, without number. The world was brought\nino being by a word and a breath together, as iis writen\n\"By the word ofthe Lord were the heavens made and all\nthe host of them by the breath of his mouth' (PS. xx, 6)\nOne is inoperative without the other, but from their com:\nbined aetion there came into being hosts upon hosts and\nlegions upon legions, and all simultaneously. Now when God\n'was about to create the world, He produced a secret spark\nfom which there ised and radiated all the lights which are\ndisclosed, Fist there spread from it those lights which con-\nstute the upper worl, 'Then it continued its radiation, and\nthe Arifier made it into ight without brightness, and thus\nHe made the lover world. And by eason ofits being light,\ntout without illumination, it feels itll attracted towards\n[+368] the upper world, Nov itis tha light without illu-\n'mination which through its auachmest to the upper world\nbrought into being all those legions ard hosts of existences,\n\noz 'THE ZOHAR It [1360-157\nall the multitudicous species, of which itis wrtter, \"How\nmanifold are thy works, ete.\" And whatever is on earth has\n'ta counterpart onbigh, there being no ubject, however small,\n'in this world hut what subordinate to ts counterpart above\nwhich has charge over it; and so whenever the thing below\nbests itself, thereisasimultaneousstimulationofitscounter~\npart above, as the 1wo realms form one interconnected whole.\n'This may be illustrated from the verse: Give ate, L PRAY\nTHEE, OF THY SON'S MANDRAKES. It yas not the man-\ndrakes that made Rachel bear children, but God used them\nas an instrumeat for procuring the birth ofa child, Issachar,\n'who should hold fast to the 'Torah more than all the other\ntribes. For Rachel at frst held fast ro Jacob and did not let\nhim go to Leah a i is written: \"Is i a siall matter that\nthou hast taken away my husband?\" But afterwards Rachel\nsaid: \"Therefore he shall ie with thee to-night for thy son's\nmandrakes.\" 'Thus the mandrakes were responsible for the\nbirth of Issichar, through whom the fragrance of the Torah\n'ascended to the presence of the Almighty, in harmony with\nthe words: \"The mandeakes give forth fragrance\" (8, S. vil\n1g)-and thus its further written: AN ate LAY WITH HER\n\"TA (Hu) si80117, where the term hu (he) points anauredly\nto Him of the supernal world, which, as already' exphined, is\nbiddden absolutely. For the Torah came forth fom the upper\n'world, whichis everywhere pointed by the vocable hu (He),\nindicating realmundiselosed, Now Issachar took hold of the\nTorah, which is called the tree of life, meaning life of the\n\"upper world, which is called hu (he)and not attak (thou). Tis\ndlear that it was not the mandrales that opened Rachel's\nwomb, seeing thar itis written \"and God heatkened to her,\nand opened her worh'\"—God, and no other. For although\nthe mandrakes ate endowed with certain power above, yet\nthat power cannot influence the-birth of children, inasmuch\n4 children depend on fate (maz=e) and nothing else. Hove-\n'ver, the mandrakes also ate a help to [2574] women who are\nSlow in child-bearing but not barren, the latter beng under\nthe influence of massa.'\n\nAsp Lea west our To steer uta, AND gntp: 'THoL\n\n1574] vaveEE 103\nMUST COMELN UNTO aE, FT, This language appears on\nthe surface to be immodest, but really it isa prof of Leah's\n'modeaty that she maid nothing in the presence of her aister,\nthat went out to meet Jacob, and there tld him in low tone\nthat, though he properly belonged to Rachel yet I HAVE\nSURELY MIRED THEE, and have obtained permission f\nRachel; and in order that he might not become confused in\nthe sight of Rachel, she spoke 10 him outside and not in the\nhhouse. Moreover, ane door of Leah' tent faced on the road,\ntnd she brought him in by that door before be could enter\ninto the tent of Rachel, so that she should not say anything\ninthe presence of Rachel, which would have been immodest,\nShe further reflected that should Jacob once enter Rachel's\ntent, it would ot he right for her to make hie leave it she\ntherefore intercepted him outside. Leah wert wo all this\ntrouble because the Holy Spirit sired within her, and she\n'knew that allthose holy tribes would issue from her; and she\nthus hastened the hour of union in her loving devotion to\nGod, and under the same inspiration she called them by\nframes with deep symbolical meanings.\n\n'ASR. Hiaand R. Jose were once walking onthe road, the\nlatter aid Bvety time we walk together and discuss matters\npertaining to the Torah, God performs for us miracles, and\now that we have along road before us let us occupy ourselves,\ninthe Torahand so God will oin us.\" R, Hiya then opened\n'with the verse: Jn the first month, un the fourtecath day ofthe\n'month at ecen,e shall eat unleavened bread (Es\nLnleavened brea. he said, \"is called in another place\"\n'of aflction'\" (Deut. xv, 3), an expression on which the com=\nppanions have commented 26 follows, When Israel were in\nEgypt they were under an alien power, arid when God desired\nto bring them near unto Himself, He assigned them the\nregion ofthe bread of \"uni affiction), the tern 'oni admitting\nAlso of the reading \"ani (poor, and thus poinvingg to King\n'David, who ssid of himsll: \"for Lam poor ('am) and needy\"\n(Ps, exes, 1), Now this bread ofafiction is led magsak\n(unleavened tread), symbolic of the female principle, which,\nWithout the male principle i, sto speak, in poserty. 'Thus\nIsrael were fist heought near the grade symbolised by maz\n\n104 'THe oHAR Ht (es7a-i57\nBur afterwards God caused ther to enter other grades, until\nthe male principle joined the female principle, and so mazzak\nreceived the addition ofthe letter wa, symbolic ofthe male\nprinciple, and became converted into. méztwh (command,\nrecep). So. Scripture says: \"For thi commande\n(Deut. xxx, 7): frst mazzah (anleavened bread), then miseah\n(ommandment)\"\n\n'Whilst they were going along they heard a voice saying:\n\"Ye tet-dwellers who take a eraoked path, turn to the high\nround and do not descend by the path lading downwards\nRR. Jone said: \"This peoves that God ia guarding our way\n\"They then wok the mountain path and ascended a hill hat\nssa inated betveen huge rocks, saying to themselves: Since\n'God desires us to take this road, we are sure to see Something\nof note, of experience some miracle' They went on and sat\ndwn by-a cleft in the rock, and were amazed to see a man\nsuddenly emerge from it.'Who are thou ? std R. Jose. 'T\ntelong to the denizens of Arge.' he answered, 'Are there\nhuman beings there? they asked, \"Yes,\" he answered, \"nd\nthey' sow and reap. Some of them are of a strange appearance,\ndifferent from my own; and the reason Taseended 10 you isto\nJeaen from you the name of the earth wherein ye dal?\ncart', X Jose replied, \"is called ees, namely, the erg (ind)\nfifo whichis written: \"As fr the earth ers), outa it\ncometh bread! (Job xxvty, 3) implying that only out ofthis\narth cometh bread, but not ont of any ather, oF if i does\ncome itis not bread of any ofthe seven kinds.' 'The man\nthereujon returned to his plas, leaving them astonished,\n\"They ssid: \"Assured, God wishes to recall something Your\nrminds through this incident.\" R. Hiva then said: \"Assured\nfo. Now in regard to the vere yo have just ited, I remember\nthat my grandfather pointed out to-me an exellent idea in\nconnection with the unleavened bread, namely, that Gd fst\ngave Isat that bread from the land of life and afterwards He\ngave them bread from heaven; and 90 we have aimed. He\nfurther ssid that a [1574] man born into this world knows\nnothing until he tastes bread, and only then i there an\nawakening in him of intelligence and power of discernment,\nIn the sme way, when Israel lek Egypt they were devod of\n\n1576-1584) vavere 105\nall knowledge until God made them taste bread ofthat arth\ncalled ces, of which it says: \"As for the earth (eres, bread\ncometh of it.\" 'Then Israel began to know and to recognise\nGod. God, however, desired that they should know also of\nthat plie which is the fitting counterpart of this earth, but\nthey were not able t do so unl they tasted bread from that\nplace, to wit, heaven, as it says: \"I will eause to rain bread\nfrom heaven for you\" (Ex. x¥, 4). Ie was only then that they\nattained toa knowiedge anda vision ofthat realm.' R. Josecame\n'up to R. Hiya and kissed him, saying: 'Assuredly this was\nthe rection of which God desired to remind us, We learn,\nthen, thatthe preliminary to Israels knowledge was bread.\"\n'They then arose and proceeded on their way. Whilst walking\nthey noticed two Damascene plums, a mate and a female,\nwhich led R. Jose to remark: \"There is no species which is\nnot divided into male and female. Further, whatever being\nexists on dry land has its counterpart in the sea.'\n\nR, Jose discoursed on the verse: AND JACOB CAME FIOM,\nTite FiFLD 1x THE EVENING, AND LEAM WENT OUT TO\nMEET iat, 'Acconding to tration,\" he said, 'she knew of\nhis coming through the braying ofan ass, and hence Seipture\nsays: \"isachar iv an aus large-baned\" (Gen. xix, 14), where\nthe word gurem (large-boned) can also be read garam (he\ncaused) signifying thatthe ass was a cause of his birth. Leah\nsaid to herself; I assuredly know that should Jacob once enter\nRachel's tent I shall not be able co et him out again, Iwill\ntherefore await him here so that he may enter my tent, FOR\nTMAVE SURELY HIRED THEE WITH MY SON'S wAN=\nbrakes. She mentioned the mandrakes to Jacob, because\nthe thought this would predispose him in her favour, on\n\ntheir eficacy far childbirth Jacob, however, knew\nthat it did not depend on the mandrakes but on heaven. By\nthe words \"for I have surely hited thee\", Leah may have\nreferred to the Torah, which Jacob embodied. Or she may\nhhave meant literally his own self, as much as to say' (158) \"I\nhave hiced thee so that T may bear thy very ima\nthere we learn that whoever st rently the Torah\nhrrits the world to come and theinhertance of Jacob,\n'namic Isachar may be divided ito the two words ye\n\n106 THe zoWAR It ste\n(chore isa reward), found in the verse: \"there ina reward to\nthy work\" Ger. xxx 16) and again: \"There is (je) an\ninheritance for the that love me, and fil ll hei rea\nsire\" (Prov: wits)?\n\nBraver 1 WAVE noRNe HIM six sons. RL Hiskiah\nsaid: \"The six sons prefigured the upward and downwaed\nand the four dictions of space, and the purpose of prolong-\n{ng the word ehad (in reciting the Shema) is toacclaim God as\nKing on high and below and in the four directions of the\n'world, and so truly one.\" R.tfizkiah further said:*A distine-\ntion ie to be drawn between \"mountains of separation\"\n11, 17) and \"mountains of spices\" (Ibid, vil, 14). The\nlatter re typified by the six sons of Leah, who included within\nthemselves the other sic sons, thus constituting allthe twelve,\nwith Leah presiding, as it were, over them, in fulfilment of\nthe passage: \"the mother ofthe children is joyful. Praise ye\nthe Lord\" (Ps, cxin, 9). Its therefore written \"thou shalt\n'not take the dam with the young\" (Deut. xxi, 6), for the\nreason that she represents the undisclosed world,\nthoushalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou\nmayest take unto thyself\" (6d. 7), inasmuch as she symbo-\nlises the world that is absolutely concealed, while \"the young.\n'thou mayest take unto thysel in harmony with the verse:\n\"*For ask now of the days past et, and from the one end of\nheaven unto the other\" (Ibid, 1, 32), Now, all these are\ncalled \"mountains of pices\", whereas all which isunderneath\nis called \"the mountains of separation\", in allusion to the\npawsage: \"and feom thence it was parted and became four\nheads? (Gen. 1t, 10)\" R. Jesse said: \"The sans of the hand-\nmaids represented the four joims which were necessary for\nthe perfecting ofthe whole,' R. Elerzar remarked: 'It was fot\nthat reason that these joints project s espite te fat\nthat they are all organic pars ofthe body, which otherwise is\nperfectly straight; and thus all the tribes ascend aa testi-\nmony on ripture says: \"Whither the tribes went\n'up; even the tribes of the Lord, as a testimony unio Israel, 0\ngive thanks unto the name of the Lord\" (Ps. exxit, 4)\nR. Eleazar further cited the verse:\n\n1584] vavere wey\nJoser, ere. With the bith of Joseph, Jacob sa that the\n'adversary of Esau had appeared, and he therefore made ready\nto depart: Observe further that Jeph gave anit were, ity to\nJacob, correspending to the Zaddikin whom the Rody ends,\n'and 90 he merited in particular to be called rightem\n'when Jacob say that the Body was rade complete,\nconceived the desire to depart, the completion of the body\nbeing the sign ofthe covenant. But forall that it was Benjamin\n'who completed the numberof the twelve tribes. Why, the\nsmay be asked, did Jacob, knowing that the number of the\n'ribes as not yt Fal, not wat forthe bith of Benga\ncomplete the number ? 'The reason i that Jacob was guided\nby a further consideration. \"Ite cleat, he said, \"tht if the\nnumber of the tribes will be completed here, then divine\nwill ret upon them in the appropriate manner;\nsnot desirable that they should attain per=\nfection, but ony in the Holy Land.\" The proof tht all the\ntwelve tribes together elect the full realisation ofthe lower\n'world i to be seen i the fat that immediately Benjamin was\nborn Rachel died, and this lowee world fell nto its proper\nplac, and attained through them perfect reabsation. Hence\nBenjamin had tbe born in the Hol Land and not elewhere,\nSo Serres: \"Anda forme when Lumera Pad,\n[Rachel died unto mein the lind of Canaan' (Gen,\n'Rachel thus died there, and her place was filled by\nsword, hich astumed ts rightful place ina completed House\nBut as long ax Rachel was alive the lower world could not be\nmade perfected through them. Iitisasked why Leah did not\ndieat the same time, the answer is that the House was i the\nlover world, avd from it all were to be browghe to full sl\nrealisation, but it was not in the upper world. This was the\nreason that Leah didnot die at that time. Moreover, all hat\n'concerned Leahis kept under a vel, ss she typified the upper\n'worl, which is veiled and undisclosed; and this is another\nreason why Leah's death isnot divulged like that of Rachel,\nWis in accordance, to, with this diference between the\nUpper and the oer sori that Leak was buried away from\n'ght in the eave of Machpelah; wheteas Rachel was buried\n\n108 'rate Z0KKR IT\n\nhy the open road. Hence iis\nworlds, the disclosed and the undisclosed, though the whole\nOriginates fromm the upper world; [1388] and when we offer\nblessings to Gol wee invariably associate Him with the two\nWorlds in such words as: \"Blesed be the Lord, the God of\nIsrael, from one worl! even unto the other werld\" (Ps, ev1,\n48). Ibis for this reason that the upper world is named Hu\n(Hie), whereas the lower world is named ttak (Thou), be\n'auseitisblessed from the upper worldthroughthe Righteous\nOne, 'Thus Scripture sys: Hlessed be the Lord out of Zion,\nwho duwelleth is Jerusalem, etc\" (Ps, cxxxv, 21): assuredly\nitis out of Zion that He is blessed. Observe that we similarly\nfind the divine Name repeated twice in: \"The Lord, the\n\nEX. ANY, 6), alluding tothe\n'wo worlds, the hidden and the revealed; and this explains the\ntonal pause between the 10, Bat for all that, the one world\nand the other form together an absolute unity.\"\n\nAND IT CAME TO PASS, WiKEN RACHEL RAD BORNE\nJosren, re. R, Judah said: 'Jacob, as a straightforward\n'man, did not wish to leave save by the permission of Laban,\nIn the end, it is true, he did depart without asking Laban's\npermission, but this was because he feared that Laban would\nfot Iet him go, and in consequence the last af the twelve\ntribes would be horn in am alien land, Hence, when Ie sa\nthatthe time had come for Benjamin to he born, he fled, as it\nis written: So Hk FLED WITH ALL THAT HK MAD, For\n25 soon as Benjamin was born, the Shekinah attached herself\nto the company of the tribes and made her home with them.\nAnd Jacob, theough his knowledge of the mystic symbolism,\nYeas aware that a1 s00n asthe twelve tubes should be complete\nthe Shekinah would make them her adornment and attach\nherself to them, and that Rachel would die and the Shekinah\nwould take possesion of the House. Our tradition tells us\nthatthe lower world was assigned to Jacob inthe same way as\ni was later to. Mone, but this eaald not le sceomplished\nuntil there were the full twelve tribes in the House to whom\nthe Shekinah eould attach herself, It was then that Rachel was\nremoved, and the Shekinah took up her abode in the House\n\n2580] vavene 109\n'with all the tribes, and become the foundation of the House,\nAssuredly, \"He sets in her place the foundation of the House\"\"\n(Ps, exttt, 9). Jacob thus said: \"The time has now arrived for\nthe number of the onl triber abe competed so that the\nupper wold willbe due to descend nto the House to become\ntached t0 them and tht poor woman (Racil) wil be\n'hs otto make room for, Should she die ee, [shall\npave be dha ts ace ray, Moreen he lo or the nd\ntnhere es iting ha the House hould be rade complete,\"\nHence AND t esate 70 nase, eve,\" R Sine, on hear~\ningall this expostion, sid \"Ateredly all Jotahs expo:\nsions are exellent, but this excel them al, Jaco ght\nindeed have departed at one, bt he delayed until Rachel\ntr pregnant ih Bejan, Then be Hed witht aking\nPersson, soa oto inger there ay more and that hie\n'tion with al the tnbes night be elected in the Ging place\n\nBR. Abbe said: We read of Mons tht \"be went and\ntired to Jethro his fatherinclw et.\" (Ex. 18). Now\nMotes, who wat the shepherd of Jets flock and lived with\nHim Jct with Laban, when be wibed to ge away fat\nlaine his permission; why, then, didnot Jar, being 40\nUpright a man, obsinpermiain rom Laban ble leving\nthar? The uth a traiton teaches ux, that co feared\ntes Laban might emplay sll sore of devices to make kim\nfeaiig inte anger tbe ha due as Rr, Bowes oy\nhe bad nthg of the Kind to Fear fron Jeti. aban es\nSrugician, and inal his dealings vith Jacob used magical ata\nHc Jacob did nots o remain there any longer ine God\nFal sid to his \"Return sto the and of thy ater, x.\"\n(Gen. xxxt, 3). Jacob thus did not wish to stay and transgress:\nthe command of Bs Master\n\nTA futher icons onthe verse: For dhe Leaders\nofthe sons of Korah upon Alamath song (Pe 10, 1)\nis vere he ety properly considered, wil be fund\nwo contin ey yea allooo, Ad, td, all the\nPeeves Sr aeelercnt tates\n{eng and byrne sung anew and all the ange and hyena\nSung by David and his astoestes contain deep allusions of\ntriedom, Now Gadhas mind the lever world afterthe pattern\n\nne THE ZONAR IT [1585-1590\nof the upper world, and all the arrangements laid down\nby David and Solomon and by all the true prophets were\n[1590] after the supernal pattern. Observe that in the same\n-manner as thete are watches of the night on earth, so are there\nin heaven relays of angels who sing praises to their Masterand\nintone hymns continually; they all stand ranged in rows,\nfacing each other, and producing one harmony af song and\npraise. 'Thus the' companicns have interpreted the phrase\n'upon Alamoth. A song\". The term \"Alamoth\", according\ntothem, has'a meaning similar to its homonyms in the verse\n'There are theeescore queers, ad fourscore coneabines, and\nmaidens (alamoth) without number\" (S. S. vt 8), whilst the\nphrase \"without number\" finds its echo jn the passage: \"Is\nthere any number in his armies ?\" (Job xxv, 3). Hence\n\"maidens without number\" all standing in rows upon rows,\nfacing each other, to sing hymns and praises to their Master,\nese are called \"the maidens of song\" because there are\nother maidens who do not chant hymns like these. 'There are\nthree erders (of singers) arrayed on each one ofthe four\nof the world, and each order again is subdivided into three\n'sub-orders. 'The firt order on the East contains thus three\norders each with three sub-orders, amounting altogether to\nfine, each of sthich comprises thousands and tens of thou\n'ands of angels. All these nine orders are guided by a signal\nof engraved letters to which they constantly look up. The\nsame procedure is followed by de test of the orders, all of\n'whomare similarly guided ty engraved letters, Furthermore,\nthey ate arrayed ina series of ranks one abave the ther, all of\nthem chanting praises in unison; and when those letters soar\nhigh ia the air the chief of them gives the command and a\nmelodious ehanting is raivel. \"Then one letter flies up from\nthe lower world, rising and descending, until two letters fly\ndown to meet it; they then jon together into a group of three,\nling tothe letters YHV which are the three letters\n\"Phe two superna letters\nwhich rise aloft are intertwined the one within the other,\nexpressing the union of merey and severity. Hence they are\ntwo, and ate of the upper world, symbolising the male pri\nciple. On the other hand, the ane that ascended from below\n\n1599-1595] vavEe: m\nand joined them syrmbolises the female principle, and thus is\n'embraced by the two, in the same way a8 the female ix em-\nbraced by two arms, the right and the left so that a unity is\n'both male and female. For when the world\n'was created it was the supernal eters that brought into being\nall the works of the lower word, literally after their owe\npatter. Hence, whoever has a knowledge of them and is\nobservant of them is beloved both on high and below.'\nR, Simeon said: 'All these lerters consist of male and female\nrmenging together into one union, symbolial of the upper\nwaters and the lower waters, which aloform ane union. \"Thi\nthe type of perfect unity. Henee, whoever has a knowledge\nof them and is observant of them, happy is his portion in thi\nworld and in the world to come; as therein is contained the\nroot principle of true and perfect unity. Now, the three orders\n'on each side at in perfect unison, being tuly symbolical of\nthe supemal order. The second order on the South consis\nalso of three orders each with three sub-orders, forming &\n{oral of nine, as said above, As for the leters, they are dis-\ntributed on all the sides, so as to become united later, inas-\n'muich as there are letters of the female principle and letters of\n'the male principle, the two classes of which come together to\nform a unity symbolical of the mystery of the complete\ndivine Name. 'The third order on the North also comprises\nthree orders cach with three sub-orders, amounting to nine,\n\"The total numberof orders on all threesides thus amounts to\ntwenty-seven, [1596] corresponding to the twenty-seven\nlevers, inclusive af the five final letters. These twenty-seven,\nlesters distributed over the three sides consist of nine letters,\nofthe female principle which join and become united with the\n'other eighteen leticrs as has been explained, all being carried\nfut in proper order. Observe that after the pattern of the\nsupernal Ieters there are other letters here below, the uppet\nletters being large ones and the lower letters small ones,\n'but both of the same pattern. And they both contain the\n'mystery f the male principle andthe femate principle, which\ntogether form a perfect unity.\"\n\nAxo Gop (Elokin) nemenmeneD Racust. The name\n\nns site 200AR TT fer\ntoh ie used ere becae Rachel was sill dependent upon\na \"heky star\", and therfore also the tern remembering\nabhor) is wie here. OF Sarah, however, i 6 writen that\nthe Lard visited (pagad) her\" (Gen. aX, 2), Hecate she\ndid ot depend ont hcky star, and 30 in her exe all ores\n'were combined. The reaon why in her case the erm vit\ning pc) sed, is that remembering\" had already pre=\nered, and the ey to chitin had already been handed\nfver, an it were, 10 the lower-world force, God having\n{leslred:\" ut my covenant will establish with Fue, whom\nSera fall bear uiny thes ets mes (ada 3)\nSine, then, Ise had been \"remembered\" inthe higher\nper, he now was noticed within the sphere ofthe femae\nPrinciple under the proces of visiting\", x0 a to elect a\nUnity of both fores.R. Ha here diacoursed on the verte!\n\"And iter Tac hed groaning ofr chlex of erie,\n'chon the Egyptians hep inbondage; and Thc remembered my\nEosreel (Eevee epremeten Teareeeeneg er\nhere' he sid, eeause it was proces aking pace on igh,\nabove the sary course (massa), and in vrte ofthe male\nprinape, coming ontop ofthe process of\n\npertesin exile here below, in virtue ofthe\nIna similar sense tis writen: \"And God remembered\nRachel, which fs meaning mile to that ofthe pasage:\n\"and I remembered my covenant\" Now, if we sty thatthe\nterm \"isting\" is used only of the female principle (he\nShebinah, we are met witha dificult inthe tees have\nsurly vinted you\", For hnw could the Shekinah speak thus,\nfecing that she was here n eile, ann fat ow ou she\nAppenr to Moses stall? But in truth these idee sige\nance inthis passage. Fors the sun, although is entre isin\nheaven, yet spreads hi power and might throughout the\narth so thatthe whole earth Fl f his glory, s0, 38 long a8\nthe Temple was in existence, the whole ear, to wit the\nHoly Land, was fll of God's glory; but now tht Teac\nexile, the Shekini 'on high, but still her might surrounds\nIssa so as to shield them, even when they are in a strange\nland, For the Shekinah ie both here below and on high. The\nShekinah on high abies inthe twelve holy chariots and the\n\n1598-1604] vaveee 43\n'twelve supernal Hayyoth; the lower Shekinah is among the\ntelve holy tribes, and thus the upper Shekinah and the\nlower Shekinah are intertwined, and both operate together\nand simultaneously. Now, when tse ix in exile, the upper\nShekinah is not complete because the lower Shekinah is ot\n'complete, and that i what is meant hy the Shekinah beingin\nexile when Isral isin exile. Iislike aking who has lost a son,\nand who asa sign of his mourning turns aver his couch and\nspreads thistlesand thorns on its underside and then lays him\nself down on it, Similarly when Israel went into exile and the\n'Temple was dentruyed, God took thorns and thistle and put\nthem underneath Him, as it were, as it is writen: \"And the\nangel ofthe Lord appeared unto him in aflame of fire out of\nthe midst of a thorn-bush'\" (Ex. 1,2), the reason being that\nIsrael was in exile. It was now \"visting\",\n\nbering fd taken place already, a8 say\nbered my covenant.\" Fits, then,\n\n\"completing the previous \"rememberin\n'vith Sarah it says: \"And the Lord visited Sarah.\" But here\nin the case of Rachel, since she had not yet been \"remen=\nbred! before, it does not say \"visited but \"remembered\",\n'aterm concerned with luck or fate (mazzal)\n\nR, Judah and R, Hizkiah were once going from Cappadocia\nto Lydia, the former riding whilst the latter was on foot.\nR, Judah dismounted and said: \"From now onward let us\noccupy ourselves with expositions of the 'Torah, in harmon\nwith the injunction: \"Ascribe ye greatness unto our Go\"\n(Deut, 21x11, 3)' Said R. Hiokiah: 'Ie is a pity we are not\nthree, as then one could have expounded while the other two\nchimed jn.' R. Judah rejoined: \"This only applies to the\nrecital of benedictions, one mentioning the name of the Holy\n'One, blessed be He, and the other to responding, in har-\n'mony with the verse: \"When I proclaim the name of the\nLord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God\" (Ibid:); but in\nregard tothe Torah, even to may sit together and praise the\nAlmighty for the great boon of the 'Torab.\" R. Hiekiah then\nasked: Why are three required forthe recital of benedictions2\"\nHis companion replied: \"I have just explained, but in truth\n\nm4 THE ZOHAR IE [1600\nthere isa mystic vietue in the number three for pronouncing\nthe praises of the Almighty, ax in this way the blessings are\n'established through a supertal symbolism.' Whilst they were\n'proveeling on their way, FL Judah said: 'We have learned\nthat there isa remembering for good and a remembering for\nceil; a visiting for good anda il. Bs\n'remembering for good are: \"Rut\nber the covenant of their ancestors\" (Le\nGod remembered Noah\" (Geo. v1\n'ered his covenant\" (Ex. 11, 24). An example of remembering\nfor evil in: So he remembered that thoy were but flesh\"*\n(Ps, tevin, 39). Visiting for good we find in: \"T have surely\nvisited you\" (Ex. 11, 16); visiting for evil we find in, \"Then\nwill [ sisi thei transgression with the rod, and their iniquity\nwith strokes\" (Ps. txxxtx, 33). In all these verses there are\nrmysticreferences, All those remembrances and vistations for\ngood refer to grades ofthe trae object of faith embracing male\nand female, the one under remembrance, the esher under\nvisiting, both being for good. Contrariwise, the remembrance\nand vistation for evil refer tothe other side (stra ahra), with\nallusioas to strange gods, and similarly embracing male and\nfemale in one union: the one (male) under remembrance, the\nother (female) under visitation, both unceasingly intent on\nevil. 'There are thus two parallel and opposing influences.\nFrom the one there flows allthe inspiration of true Faith and.\nall superna sanctifications; irom the other flows whatever is\nvil all kinds of death and a sorts and conditions of mischief\nin the world R. Hizkiah said: 'Assuredly itis so. Happy is\nfhe whese portion is firmly established on the good side, and\nwho does notineline himselfto the other side, but delivered\nfrom them.' Said R. Judah:'Assuredly it isso, and happy is\nhhe who is able to escape that side, and happy are those\nrighteous who are able to wage war against that side\"\n1. Hizkiah asked: 'How 2\" R. Judah, in reply, began to dis-\n'course on the verse: For by wie guidance thou shale make thy\nwar, et. (Prov. xx1¥, 6). \"This war, he said, 'allades to the\n'war axzinst the evil side, which man must combat and over-\ncome, 18 a8 to be delivered from it. [t was in this way that\nJacob dealt with Esau, ssho was on the other side, so a5 to\n\n1604-1608] vaveee ns\n'outwit him by craft, as was necesary in order to keep the\n\"upper hand of him from the beginningto the end, as befitted,\n'Moreover, the beginning and the end fitted into one another,\nthe beginning being \"my birthright\" (beRhorath), while the\nend concerned \"my blessing\" (brklodhi), so that the two\nvictories were embodied in two vocables of similar sound,\nHappy thus is he who escapes them and obtains mastery over\nthem. Observe, again, that remembrance and visitation for\ngood go togetherin the true faith, and happy is he who strives\nafter true faith in accordance with that which is written:\n\"Phy shall walk after the Lord, whe shall roa\nso.\" (Hos. Xi, (0)\" Said R. Hirkiah; \"Assured!\nObserve that when a man prays, he should not say: \"0 re\nmember me and visit me\", since remembrance and visitation\nean be for evil a well as for [1608] good, and the evil forees,\nready to take the word out of the mouth of the suppiani,\n'and thus to make remembrance of the sin of that man and\nboring puinishment on him. Unless, indeed. he be a pert\nrighteous man, so that when search is rade for his sins he w\nbe unaffected. It was so with Nehemiah when he sai\n\"Remember me; © my God, for goed\" (Nehem. xith 2\nAgain, when a man prays, itis best that he should merge\nhhimself in the general mass of the community. We may take\n'example from the Shunammitess and her answer to Elisha,\nIt happened to be the day of the New-Year on which the\nheavenly Court sits in judgement over the world, and God is\ncal King of Judgement, when Elks apo co her, and\nher: \"Woukdst thou be spoken for to the\n1), But she answered: \"I dvsell amon,\nas much as to says \"I have 00\ndesire to be marked out on high, but only to be counted\n'mong the multitude, and not to stand out apart from ther.\"\ntis thus requiste for a man to mingle himself among the\nmass and not to isolate himself, so tha no special notice may\nbbe taken of his sins, as already explained.\"\n\nJudah discoursed on the verse: Have the gates of death\nteen revealed to thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow\n(of death ? (Job, xewtt, 17). 'God', he said, 'addressed these\n'words to Job when He sa him perplexed by the problem of\n\n136 tute zostan 11 [nbs\ndivine justice. Job had said: \"Though be slay me, yet will T\ntrast in hr (lh) (hid. xt, 19) \"The word las writen with\ntn aleph, meaning \"not, and i read with a a, meaning\n\"in Him' God said in reply to him: \"Am T the one that\nill the wont of men ? Have the gates ofJeath ben revealed\nto thee? And seest thou the gates ofthe shadows of death ?\n'There ae exer so many gates open on that side over which\ndeath ret, hidden avay from the sons of men, who know\nthem not.\" There ate here mentioned both \"death\" and \"the\nstad of death, 'These area pie the one being the angel\nfof deat, the other his rider! who also ix hie protecting\nShadow and strength, the two being linked together and\nforming but one being All the grades tat issue from them\nan ae attached to them form their \"eats\", Coreaponding\n{o the gates on high, of which iti writen\nheads, O ye gates, ec\" (Pa. xxv, 7), and\nrivers and trooks flowing through the x dieeiony of the\n'word, there are thee gates of death and the shadow of death\nEmansting fom the other side, forming certain grades that\nrule over the world, 'The \"gates of death and the \"yates of\nthe shadow of death\" are female and male combined into one.\nHence, i anewerto Job's comin; \"As the cloud i coe\nsurmed and vaniseth away, s0 he that goeth down to the\ngrave shal ome up no more\" Job vit, 8 and x0 forth, God\nSid to hims\"Are those gates revealed unto thee ax being al\nmy power and destined one diy tobe destroyed from off\nieee Ht aall swallow up death For\nvee? (le ay, 8)\n\nAxp Gon (Blohim) reMemorneD RaciteL, axp Gop\n(Elokin) WHARKENED UNTO HER AXD OPENED WEN\nWoum. The name Elohim (God) is mestioned here twice,\n'once to represent the male world and tke other the female\nworld, the tno haying been necessary, since the birth of chil-\ndren depends on fate (mazzal). Now when Rachel was moved\ntoname heron Joseph, saying, \" The Lordadd to me nother\nsen\", Jacob knew that st was she that Was destined to con\nplete the number of the tribes, whilst she herself would not\nThe grade Gara\n\ns6ob-s610] VAYEZE 7\n'survive; hence he desired immediately to leave, but he could\n'not carry out his wish, When, however, Benjamin was about\nto be born, Jacob fled and departed thence, so that the House\nshould not be made complete and the world of holiness\n'become bound up with itin a strange land. So Seripture says:\n\"And the Lord said un'o Jacob: Return unto the land of thy\nfathers, and to thy kindred; and 1 will be with thee\"! (Gen.\nxxx, 3) God, in effect, said to him: \"Until naw Rachel wa\n\n'with thee, being the bass ofthe House; henceforward I vill\nbbe with thee and will earry on the House with thee inits com\nplement of the twelve tribes\". 'The same idea is implied in\nthe verse: \"'And as for me, when I came from Paddan,\nRachel died unto me 'aa, it-ypon me\") (Gen. xiv, 7). By.\n'the word 'alai (on me) Jacob meant to say, \"it was on account\nfof me and through me that she was thrust out and another\n'one came and took over the house so as to inhabit it with me\",\n\nAND We satb: Arvounr (nagehah) ste THE WAGES,\n'ano [WILL Give 17, R. Isaac said: \"The term saguebah\n(appoint, akin to negebch female) signifies tha the wicked\nLaban said to himself \"I see that Jacob has an eye only for\nfemales, (s614] forthe ake of whom he will serve me.\" He\ntherefore sad in effect; \"Behold, a female shall be thy wage\nas before; tell me on what female thou hast cast thine eyes,\nand 1 will give her to thee in return for thy service.\" AND\nJacon saiv: Tuow suatt Nov o1ve Me avouT.\nJacob practically suid: Far be it fom me! For all my acts\nVarn ealous fr the glory ofthe Holy King, and hence th\nshalt not give me aught. as my mind is not set on that, but\nthou wilt do this thing for me, et.\"\n\nAn te REMOVED THAT DAY THE ME-GoATS, R. Bleazar\n'quoted here the verse: Lord, who shall sojourn in thy taber-\n\nacl... He that weatkeh in perfection, and worketh nightecus-\n'ness, and speaketh truth in kis heart (Ps, XV, 1-2). \"He that\n'walketh in perfection\", he suid, \"refer\n\nster he had circumcised himself, was\n'worketh righteousness\" refers 10 Tsaa\nteuth\" refers to Jacob, who indeed attached himself to the\n\n18 'rue zouan 11 [ora\ntruth, Ithat sso, why then did he at towards Laban inthis\nway 2 The reason i that Jacab wanted tose ifthe hour was\n'propitious for hm, fori ix permissible fora man totes his\nIck before returning to his land, If he finds fortune favour-\nale, well and good; but i not, let hin not air before his ick\nisin again, Tia written: So SHALL st¥ NIGHTEOU:\n\nWITNESS AGAINST ME. HEREAFTER, ETC., for he did not\nattempt to obtain from Laban anything for nothing, but he\nfcted throughout honestly and wprightly, and, moreover, he\n'sked Laban for perminsion to depart, Hence Laban hinselh\nhid: [nav oasrnveo THesioNs, ax Tit LoxD mari\nBLESSED ME FOR THY SAKE. For Laban tested Jacob by\nall manner of divinatons, and found that he brought itm\nick trough Jacob he obtained each montha hundred sheep\nsnd a hundred lambs and a hundred he-goats more than his\nflock was wont to produce' R, Abia said: Jacob brought him\niva thousand sheep and a thousand lambs and a thouand\nhhe-guats extra every month, \"This is proved by the verse:\nFow 1 WAS LITTLE WHICH THOU HADST REFORE T\nCAME, AND IT HATH INCREASID ABUNDANTLY: AND THE\nLonD HATH BLESSED THEE Fon MtY SAKE. For a bles\ning from on high never resulta in leas than thousand of each\nkind: So that there was a surplus of a thousand in Laban's\ncoves, andthe sume i his lambs, and in his goat, until he\nacquired geeat wealth, and all through Jacob. But when\nJacob came for his recompense, he only abtained ten ofeach\nkind, ned even this he considered great ches. What a anal,\npart then did he take for himself of ll that he contributed for\nthe benefit of Laban, and even that he had ta frce from him,\nav it ere, by means of the rods which he placed against the\nflock. Observe how Jacob in hi simplicity did everything\nposible to satisfy: Laban, and while bringing him al this\n'realth he only asked for the spotted and speckled, But for\nall that Laban eonsented to this, he would not in the end let\nhim ave them, but he took ten of each kind and sent them to\nhim thiough his sons, saying: \"Take these, and. whatever\nthey wil bear of the sort you said shall be yours.\" Tei thus\nwritten \"\"And your father hath deceived me\" (Gen. 4x, 7),\nsandals, \"and thou hast changed my wages ten times\" (Ib,\n\ns61a-1618) vavere ng\n42), theterin moni (time, akin to minim\nten of each kind. So whatever agreement Laban made\nJacob, he went back on his word and took from him every=\n'thing, until God had compassion on him, 20 that he wrested\nwhat wae his own from him by fore, ae it were,\" R, Elurar\n'remarked that ll these verses contain deep lessons, based on\nwhat we have learned from tradition, to wit, that some blss-\nings from above are obtained by action, some by speech, and\nothers by devotion. So that whoever wishes to draw down to\nhimself blessings muse exercise prayer, which consists of\nspeech and devotion; yet there are blessings that cannot be\nobtained by prayer, but only by action,\n\n'Observe that Jacob, the staple man, acted throughout with\nwisdom. AND HE SET THE RoDS—we read—WHLCH ME\nTens 18 THE WATERING TROVOUS. 'This was all done\nwith esaterc wisdom so a8 to deaw benediction from the\nicf well-spring that eaters all the supernal grades which\n'were his lot and portion. 'The rods were symbolic of the\ngrades embodying judgement, which he had \"peeled, that\nfa, the seventy of which he had mollifed. \"In the gute\"\n(rehatin) Buds ts echo inthe paage; \"The hing is bound to\nthe gutters (rehati)\" (8, S. vl, §) (1618) indicating that\nthe supernal King fs ied and bound to those superaal aque-\nducts whence flow benedictions for all, \"Flowing in the\n'watering troughs\"; to wit, inthe rivers and broaks that ow\n'on until they reach their final reservar. Agai\nflocks came to drink\" is parallel withthe verse: \"They give\ndrink toevery animal ofthe field, the wild ases quench their\nthir Ps. civ. 11), both alhiding to the reservoir, the gather=\ning place of all the waters whereto all resort to drink. \"And\nthey were heated\" (ceyehamnal), When thenorh wind blows,\nthe waters become frozen, they stop flowing, so that no one\n'comes te drink of them. This ste time when judgementim-\npends over the world, and the cold of the North freezes the\nwaters. But when the south wind arises the waters became\nwarmer, and, the ice being melted, flow on their way, and all\ncome 16 drink of them; for the southern warmth having\naused the waters to that, al come to drink with relish the\n\n129 THE Z0HAR 1 [rerb-1630\nsvaters after they have been freed from the icy grip of the\nNorth. 'Thue all that Jacob did contained 3 deep eymbolic\npurpose. Further it is written:\n\nANb JAcon Took Hons OF Pursit PorLAK, ETC. R,\nElearar discoursed here on the verse: For the Lord hath choten\n'Tocob unto himself and Israel fr his oon treasure (Ps. ORV, 4)-\nFrom the actual words of the original', he suid, \"we could\not tell whether i was the Lord who chose Jacob or vice-\nversa, That the former is meant we know from the parallel\nserse which says: \"For the portion of the Lord isis people,\nJacob the lot of his inheritance\" (Deut. xxxi, 9). Neverthe-\nless, itis also true that Jacob on his part, too, has chosen his\nheritage and his portion, and, rising above all intermediate\nrrauls, has taken for his lot \"rods of fresh poplar\" libel =\nwhite), symbolic o the white grade of the Right side, and \"of\nthe almond and ofthe plane-tree\", symbolic ofthe red grade\nof the Left side; \"and peeled with streaks in them\", signi\nfying that he remived severity from the Left, and linked the\nLeft with the Right, while he entered between and laid hold\n'of both of them together, so that there resulted ore united\nblend of two colours, but at the sare time \"making the white\nappear\", ue. predominate over the red. Why allthis 'So as to\ndraw to the grad which was his own portion blessings from\nthe universal well-spring, and to place that grade, which is\nthe third, \"in the putters in the vatering-troughs\", as has\nbeen already expluined. Now from these operations of Wise\ndom blessings flow to the lower world, and all worlds are\n'watered and beatified, as it says: \"In the morning he devour-\n'0.1%, 27), and after that: Vand at even he\ndivideth the spol\" (Jid.), so that the blessings pass [162g] to\nall the lower worlds. Jacob, t00, took his partion of those\nblessings that rested upon him in this world, inasmuch as he\n's the portion and lot of the Holy One, blessed be He.'\nR, Jesse the Younger wasa frequent Visitor atthe schoo! of\nI Sitneon. Kefesring one day to the verse:\ntupon the head of the righteous\" (Prov. x, 6), he asked: \"Why\njoes it say \"upon the head of the righteous\", and not simply\nR. Simeon in answer said \"This is\n\n620-162h] vavege mat\n'an allusion to the Holy Crown, as has been explained else-\nwhere. Or again, the \"head of che rightenus can he an\nallusion to Jacob, who received the blessings and transmitted\nthem to the Righteous One, from whom they were diffused.\ntoall sides, s tha all worlds were blessed. We have, however,\naffirmed that \"Righteous\" isthe name given tothe place of\nthe covenant whence there ive fountains abrosd, and just as\nthe aperture of « wine cask Uhough which the wine is drawn\nis called the top or head ofthe cask, soi this spot ealled \"the\nhhead of righteous\", when it wells forth ;\nFurthermore, whoever succeeds in keeping unsullied the\nsign of the holy covenant, and observes the precepts of the\n\"Torah, is called righteous, and isso called from the crown of\nhis head tothe sole of his foot; and when blessings flow into\nthe world they rest upon his head, from whence they are\ndiffused throughout the world, through the medium of the\nholy and worthy sons whom he brings up.' R. Jesse further\ncited the verve, J have Been young and now am od; yet have E\ntot sce the righteous fortahen (Pe. x33, 23) \"These words'\nhhe said, 'according to our teaching, were uttered by the\nChieftain of the world, who concentrated in them more\nwisdom than most people would think.\" R. Simeon said to\nhim: \"My son, that is quite tru, as it deals with the subject,\nof holy union, Its laudation of this unity, in which day is\nnever found without night, for night is ever found in day,\n[Now the Righteous One hold fast co the upper world and\nalso to the lower world. As forthe words \"nor his seed beg\nking bread', the meaning is thit when the seed fows forward,\nhhe does not court the Female since she abides with him and.\n'never pats from him, and hence is ever ina state of readiness\n{or him, For the seed does no flow save when the Female is\npresent, [1626] and their mutual desires are blended into one\nindiasoluble eestasy. Hence he has no need toask for consent.\"\nR, Jesse remarked: \"This surely is not the cae during the\ntime of exile' R. Simeon rejoined:\n\nsince it is weitten \"his seed\" but not he himsel\n'outpouring of the blessings only occurs when there is close\nunion of the female with the male, It may be asked then, does\nthe assertion, \"and T have not seen a righteous forsaken\"\n\nma THE ZONAR tt [2638\napply to the time of exile ? The truth js that the Righteous,\n(One is always closely hound tothe upper worl and xo Far is\nnever abandoned. 'Thus at one time, that is, at the time of\nexile, the Righteous One is not forsaken from the side of the\n'upper world, to which he holds fast, whilst at another time\nhie is not forsaken from the two sides, holding fast to both,\nthe upper and the lower worlis, so that in fact he is never\nforsaken.\"\n\n\"This Zaddilis also called \"the firmament of the heaven'\n(Gen. 1, 17), Fer there are two similar frmaments, one at the\nbeginning and one-at the end of the series of eight. The top\ntone isthe eighth firmament, the one in which there are set all\nthe lesser and the greater star. Tt i the undisclosed upper\nfirmament which upholds the totality of things and from\n'ihich all existence flows. This s the eighth firmament count-\ning from below. and is thus the top one and thestarting-point\nfrom which all things receive their existence. Correspondingly\n\ni from above, in which.\n\nspe. Thia Berament\nSupports the whole and forms the end of the whole: Thus the\ntop firmament snd the end firmament are of thesamie pattern,\nforming together the river that flows on peresially so that\nthe end is already enclosed in the beginning. Hence it says:\n\"And God set them in the firmament of heaven.\" For what\npurpose #''To give light upon the earth.\" 'There is, however,\na difference between the two firmament for while dhe upper\nne sustains and nourishes the upper world in which it is set\nand all those upper sides, the lower firmament sustains and\nrnurtures the lower world and all hose lower ses. It may be\nasked, what ix meant here by the \"upper world\", seeing that\nthe upper eighth firmament, which is hidden 'and undis-\ncoverable, is itself the upper world and ie go elled ? But the\ntruth is that while i itself forms the upper world proper, all\n'thse that emanate from it are also designated by that names\nthe same with those that emanate from the lower world,\nignated hy i name, Yer all of ther form.\n\nne ity) Bled be He for exer ar ever {Tia writen The\ntrees of the Lord have their fil, the cedars of Lekanom which he\nhath planted, Wherein the birds make their nets; as for the\n\nvavege 133\nstark (hasidal, the ir tres are her hose (Pa 1, 16-17). The\nalksion of Lebanon has been explained alreads elsewhere.\n'Tye birds also are the two refereed to in many places [1634]\nasthose from which there emerge hosts of ther birds. They\nthemselves, however, ae superior, as emanating from Leban-\n'on, which is in the supeenal realm, They are hinted atin the\nwords \"Laban hid nwo daughters\". The 'fir-rees\" are the\n'si supernal sons, symbolic of the ax directions ofthe world,\nasalready explained elsewhere, In them \"the stork has made\nher house\". Why is it called bere hy the feminine form\n'esida (stork, tilled with mercy) ?\"The truth is that this\nupper world is realy ofthe female principle, but we usually\ngive ita masculine name (Reed) inasmuch asin ts unfolding\n{tis the source whence all beneficence ancl all light come\nforth, And thus, a it is hasdah, there springs fom it hesed\n(mercy), which isthe primordial light referred toin the state=\nment: \"And God said, Let there be light\" (Gen, 1,3). It is\nthas that region of which it says: \"firtrees are her house\",\n'where the word beoshim (trees) may be read berashin (at\nthe heads, or head), signifying that there is another world\n(Geburah) which has its habitation below and constitutes the\nCourt of Justice of this world It isto this that we can refer\nsuch expressions as: \"And it repented the Lord . . . and it\nsieved him at his heart\" (Ubi, 6), or \"the fierce anger of\ntte Lord\", for in the realms abyve there resides only fight\nspreading life all around, Hence the dictum: \"there is no\ngrief in the presence of God\". Hence, too, it is written:\n\"Serve the Lord with gladness} come hefore his presence\nwith singing\" (Ps. c, 2), the word \"Lord alluding to the\n'upper world, and the word presence\" to the lower world.\nHippy are Israel in this world and in the world to eome. So\nScripture says: \"Happy art thou, O Tsrae, who is ike unto\nthee 2A people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and\nthat is the sword of thy exclleney lee.\" (Deut xxxt, 29),\n\nAsin We sey Tit mops Wien Me PEELED 1 THEE GUT\nTuus, Ere. Said R, Bleazar; \"There are sinners who either\nnplect altogether the words of the Torah, or if they do cast\naan eye on them, think them mere folishness. But in truth the\n\n134 'THE ZONAR 11 L630\nfoolishness is in their own minds, since all the words of the\n'Torah are sublime and precious, and of every word it is\nwritten \"She is more precious than rubies; and all the things\n'thou canst desire are not to be compared with her\" (Prov.\nint, 13). Woe to all these foolish and senseless people, when\nthe Holy One, blessed be He, will demand an account from\nthem for theinsule done wo the Torab and they will be pan-\nished for having rebelled agsint their Master. So Serie\n\nnan empty thing, empiness is from you\nthat all the things one cn desire re not to\nher, Hove ean they say thatthe Torah i an\nempy thing secing that Solomon said: \"f thou art vie, how\nfart wise for thyself\" (Prov. 1, 1), implying that whoever\n'becomes wise in the 'Torah benefits himself thereby ? 'Thus:\nthe Torah iafiled with ll riches and noone can add thereto\nGrice' ler! Scie lied sind, caisiase Nal ee\n5\" (Ibid), since the worth of the Torah wil bein no wise\ndiminished thereby, and the scoring wil ony recon the\nhead ofthe scorer sotto ease him to perish in thi world\nand inthe world to come, Observe now. When the superal\nletter are joined together and attach themselves tothat grade\nwhich thet fal the auperal hoy rade, anit becomes\nFilled from them and enriched with blesings from the upper\n'word this same grade isin readiness to \"waterall the flocks\"\n$ccording to thei quirements each one beng watered both\niil julesteek ond ey. Mong Jost dase tats\nevening prayer and so restore the light ofthe moon and water\nher and enrich her with blesings on all ides Hence it\nvwrten, \"Asd he aet the rods, ete\" These rods signify\n'everity and force, which ase fom the upernal Geburh\ndei to pt himself right with that rade, \"set\ntat he remaved all the iluences of severity\nand fore symbolised hy the rods, and \"placed them inthe\nutters, to wit, those four gutters! that stand wnderneath\n\"the well, which the princes digged\" (Num. xt, 18), the\nrll which van filed from shoe mupermal vers and foun:\ntains; for wen water comes forth out ofthat sacred. wel,\n\"eth fut Hath Esk\n\n630-1636] vavere 135\nthese four receive the whole of i, they being called gutters\n(rehatim=swift runner) for that reason, and to that source\n[263] they all come to drink, taking of those implements of\nseverity and force what is fitting for each, So it says:\nagainst the flocks\". Farther it is written, \"and they con-\nire Ue re) a whe ey stared\n'with power to punia, they become heated thereby, and then\nthey set out to roam te and fo in the world and closely in-\nspect the ways of men, whether for good or for evi Further\n'we read: \"And the flocks became heated at the sight of the\nrods\", inasmuch as these rods become hot and take charge of\nthe judgements to be reted out tothe world, and the sons of\n'men receive their punishments through them, as we read\n\"The sentence is by the decree of the angels, and the decision\nby the word of the holy ones\" (Dan. 1¥, 14)\"\n\n'R. Hiya discoursed onthe verse: My soul cleavethanto thee;\n'thy right hand holeth me fst (Ds. xis, 9). \"King Davie he\n'sid, 'could speak thus because his soul ever clave to God,\nand he had no care for worldly matters, and therefore God\nsupported him and never let him go; and so it is with every\nrman who cleaves to Ged. Or again, David may have meant\nthese words as a prayer that his grade should be erowned in\nthe superna realm, for when that grade clings to the supernal\narades to ascend after them, then the right hand of God lay\nhold of it, raises i, and unites it to itself, as we read: \"And\nthy right hand would hold me\" (Ps. cxxxtx, 10), als;\nhie right hand should embrace me\" (6. 3): Hence\nDavid's words: \"Thy right hand holdeth me fast\" OF him\nwho does hold fast to the Holy One, blessed be He, iis writ\nten: \"His left hand should be under my head, and his right\nhand should embrace me\" (Ihid.), an expression indicative\n'of perfect attachtnent and union.\"\n\nWhen the water pours into those gutter, they arefilled on\nall our sides, so that all the flocks can be watered each from\nits proper side. Now when Jacob essayed to perfect his rade,\nhhe chose for himself the right side which befitted im, and\nallowed the leftside which did not bei him to pare from him,\nas itis written: \"and he put his own droves apart, and put\nthem not unto Laban's Hocks\". \"Apart, that is by himself,\n\n135 ite coma LL [1636-1640\nsso that he should not avail himself of alien idols of the other\n. Happy the portion of Israel of whom itis written: \"For\nthou are holy people unto the Loed thy God, and the 1\nhath chosen thee, etc\" (Deut. atv, 2). Now Jacob was the\ncrown of the patsiarchs and their epitome, summing them all\n'up within himself, an he therefore set xbout to restore the\nTight of the moon, as well as to institute the evening prayer;\nani ll this work was well becoming him, as thereby he per-\nfected all those sides of holiness which belonged to his side,\nand separated his portion from the portion of the other\nions. The former are the superna sides, sanctified with the\nssupernal sanctites, whilst the latter are utterly defiled and\nunclean. So that Jacob, a5 already explained, \"put his 6wn\nAdroves apart\"; that is, he prepared himself for the adoption\nof faith which should keep him apart, sit is written: \"and\n'the Lord hth chosen thee to be his owa treasure out of all,\npeoples\" (Deut, xv, 2); and put them not unto Laban's\nthats, he did not place his portion and Jot with them,\nJacob thus, being the perfection of the patriarchs, established\nthe true faith, and separated his own portion and lot from\nthat of ther peoples. To such an action could be applied the\nsworde: \"Tut ye that did cleave unto the Ls\nalive every one of you this day\" (Ibid. 1v, 4)\n\"Hippy is the portion of Israel, who are exalted above the\niddatrous nations, in virtue of their grade being above on\nhigh, whereas the gride of the idolatrous people is down,\nblw, The former are of the side of holiness, the latter ofthe\nside of uncleanness; they are on the right, the others on the\nTe, But when the Temple was destroyed, then it could be\nsaid, \"He hath drawn back his right hand\" (Lam. tt, 3),\nwherefore alu itis writen: \"Save me with thy right hand\nand answer me\" (Ps, x, 7); and the left side has since been\ngathering force and unelesnness, and will continue to do s0\n'until God shall rebuild the 'Temple and establish the world\n'onts right foundation, and the night order shall be restored,\nani the side of unelecnness shall pass out of the world as it\nys: and I will cause the unclean spirt to pass out of the\nand\" (Zech. x1, 2), [164a] also: \"He will swallow up death\nfor ever\" (Is, 2x¥, 8). God will then remain alone, as it is\n\n1644] VavEsE 17\n'written: \"And the idols shall utterly pass avay\" ( 8),\nalso: \"and the Lord alone shall be exated in that day\"\n(Cid 17), He alone, the, willbe left auf e written: \"And\nthere was no strange God with him!\" (Deut. xxxtt, 13), the\n'unclean host being thes extirpated from the world, so that\nboth in the upper world and in the lower world there will be\nno other left save God alone, with Isacl, the holy people,\n\nmmhipping Him. For Israel will then be designated holy, as\nitis writen: \"And it hall come fo pass, tht he that i left in\nZion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called\nholy, even every one that is written unto lfe in Jerusalem\"\n(stv, 3). There will thus be one and only one King on high\nand below, and one and only one people to worship Him, as\nit is written: \"And who s ike thy people Israel, a nation one\nin the earth « « .2\" (1 Chron, xv\n\nSaid R. Jesse: 'Behold, the Shekinah is near us. Let us there\nfore engage in an exposition of the 'Torah since whoso oceu~\npies himself with the Torah draws Her nearer to himself\"\nR, Isaac then began a discourse on the verse: The Lord\nHewth and Bed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of my\nsaleation (Po, xvtt,47).°Thia verse, he aid\n'meaning, We know that God is elled \"the living on\nthis verse indicates that the perfectly righteous man also is\ncalled \"living one\", so that there is 2 righteous living one on\nhigh, and correspondingly a righteous liring one here on\nctth. On high it is God who ie called \"living one and here\n= righteous man who is called \"living one', ae ft\n\"And Benaah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a\n(Sam. xu, 20). He was socalled because he\nwas ¢ righteous man, and the righteous man is called \"living\nfone\". The words \"bleseed by my Rock\" have the same\nreference, since the Living One and the Blessed One are\never parted, and when united are called \"well of living.\n'watessy the one flows in, and the other is filled therewith,\n\"Anil exalted be the God of my salvation\" this indicates the\nsupemal world, which is high and exalted overall, inasmuch\n* Acai tthe A\n\n138 He zonan 11 [640\na8 from it everything springs, even all the outpouring by\nwhich the well is filed, receiving therefrom blessings to\nspread light anny all the dwellers of the lower work. And\n'when the whole i filled properly, then \"exalted will be the\neck of salvation\".\" R- Jesse then discoursed on the verse:\nHewithdraceth not his yes fom the rghtnus; but ith kings\nLupo the throne he stieth them forever, and they are exalted\nGib conv, 7). 'When', he said, 'the domination of the\nWwisked ceauet and they perish from the world, then the\nFighteous obtain do 'He preserveth not the\nlifeof the wicked, burt giveth tothe poor tei right\" (Ibid 6),\n'The word, \"He withdraweth not fom the righteous his eye\"\nae parallel to the text, \"The eyes ofthe Lord are toward the\nFighteous\" (Ps xxiv, 16). \"But with kings upon the throne\"\nthese are the kings whoare,asit were nied to thie thrones,\nnd whom He etteth forever sn that thes remain iramovably\n'sublished. \"And they are exaked\", to wit, to rule over the\nWorld so that the throne remains firmly established on its\nsupports Or, again, it may mean that they tute the throne\nan acti up on high so that ie should become united to is\nproper place and there should thus be a complete unity.\n'Whilst they were proceeding on their way they caught\nsight of a man coming towards them, wih a child riding on\nhis shoulders. Sad R Issac: \"This man is without doubt a\nJudean, and he wants to give people a chance to do a good\nfaction.\" Said R. Jese: 'Let us be the fist to take advantage\nnity\" When he came upto them, R. Jesse asked\nto ie the talon pot set on the path ? The man\n28 t0 afford people an opportunity of doing a\npious action; for have two sons who were taken captive by\nbrigand who pased through my native own, and now Tam\n«onthe road in order toafford people the opportunity of doing\na good action, The two thereupon availed themselves ofthe\novzason anid ave ins fod to et, The Judean then begat a\ndiscourse om the verse) My food whichis resented unto me for\nam offering made by fe, of a meeetsacowr unto me, shall ye\nserve to offer nto mein due season (Sum, Xx, 2). \"The\noffering brought unto the Holy One, bested be He, every\n\n642-1648) vaveee, 129\nday,' he suid, 'was forthe purpose of feeding the world and\n'providing sustenance both for the upper world and the lower\n'wot inasmuch asthe upper world moves in response to the\nower world, with the result that every oneis supplied accord\ning to his due. The words, \"My food which is presented to\nsme as an offering\", ae paralleled by the verse, \"I have eaten\n'my honeycomb with my honey: I have deunk my wine with\niy milk\" (8. S. ¥, 1); and \"'made by fire\" by the wor\n\"Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved\"\n(Ibid.). Now, if God assigns food above in order that there\nfrom food may be dispensed below, with how much more\n'reason must he who ofers food forthe preservation of a soul\nbbe rewarded, in that God will bless him and direct to him\nsustenance from on high, so thatthe worl will receive bless\nings for his sake!\" R, Isaac remarked: 'Assuredly this i the\ninner meaning of the verse\" R. Jesse said: \"This incident\nassuredly bears out the admonition ofthe Suges that no man\n'should ever treat slightingly another man, for this man has\n'occationed us a double privilege.\n\n\"The stranger then continued his discourse on the above\n'ere, but in the name of [1648] R. Eleaar. \"The accusative\nparticle \"eth\" here\" he atid, 'alludes vo the Community of\nIsrael; the \"offering\" isa connecting link (between high and\ntow}; \"my food\" is an allusion to the food that descends\nfrom on high in response to the stirring here below; \"as a\nfire offering\" includes all the other hosts which receive their\nnecessary sustenance each one in proper messure: \"of a\n'sweet savour unto me\" signifies the uniting of the whole in\ntne bond of unity and good will so as to form an emblem of\nthe upper world; \"shall ye observe to offer unto-me in due\n'season' alludes tothe time when Abraham bestirred himself\n10 do the will of God, regarding wl written: \"And\nAbraham rose early inthe morning' (Gen. xxt, 3), and also\ntw the time when Isaac was bound on the altar, which was at\ncvertide.' Said R. Jesse: In that case, we should rather have\n'expected the plural \"seasons.\" 'The Judean in reply said:\n\"Ac the time of the sactific, fire and water are intermingled\nind become one, and hence it says \"season\" and not\n'seatons\". The expresion \"ye shall observe to offer unto\n\n130 'THR ZOMAR 11 [2646\n'me i used in connection with this offering only, the reason.\nbeing that this offering ascends to the highest grade in an\nintermingling of the Right and We Left, symbolied. by\naham and Isaac' Said R. Jewe: If only to hear this\n'was worth our while coming here. Happy are Israel in this\nld and in the world to comet In regard to this itis written:\n\"Thy people ae all righteous, they shall inherit the land for\n'ever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,\nwherein T glory\" (Tet, 23)\"\n\nNow LABAN WAS GONE To SHEAR 115 sitEEP, ETC,\nR. Jose said: \"The teraphim were idols, so called out of con-\ntempt, the name being akin to the word toreph (obscenity\n\n'The proof that they were idols is found in Laban's questios\n\"Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods ?\" as well asin Jacob's\nwords: \"With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, ete.\" For\nLaban was a great sorcerer who practised all kinds of magical\naris, and it was by such means that he learnt all that he\n'wished to know.' I. Hiya said that the powers of the idol\nwere derived from wizardry; R. Jose, from divination\nR. Judah said: \"They were derived from a close observance\nofthe times and mements for striking and for holding off. At\n'one moment the craftsman would use his hand to beatit into\nshape, and another he would relax, Hence the term teraphim,\nakin to herephi (cela) (11 Sam. xxv, 16). For when the crafts-\n'man vas making it, the man who knew the proper seconds\nhhours stood over him, saying now \"strike\", and now\n'stay\". There ix no other work which requires to he timed in\nthis way. Now, this magic idol was continually uttering evil\ncounsel, and prompting to mischief. Rachel thus feared lest\nit should counsel her father to do mischief to Jacobs, and by\nreason of her contempt forthe idol she placed it underneath,\nher, so that it was not able to speak: for whenever it was con=\nsuited they used to sweep and elean up before it. The tera-\nphim were a male and a female image, and a number of\n'ceremonies had to be performed before them before they\n'would speak. Hence Laban delayed three days before pur\n'suing, as he was unaware of Jacob's fight, as it says: AND UT\n\n164-1654] vavere 4\n'rurp.\" R. Judah further said: 'Laban prepared himssf in\ntwo ways: he equipped himself with all his magical arts and.\nlao with ordinary weapone in order vo destroy Jacob, as it\n'written: \"An Aramean was going to destroy my' father\"\n(Deut. xxv §). So when God saw that he intended to desteoy\nJacob, He warned him, saying: TaKE nee TO THYSELF\n\nERGOOD OR BAD.\n'This is borne out by Laban's words: Ir 18 18 THE POWER\nOF MY HAND TO DO YOU HURT, to wit, through his\n'magical arts Observe that Laban covered in one day a dis\ntance that tok Jacob seven days, and alli erder to destroy\nhh utterly frst because he had fled, and secondly for the\nloss of the teraphim, Now, as regards Rachel slehough her\npurpose was to wean her father from idolatry, yet she was\npulished by not surviving t bring up Benjamin or even to\nfivewith him single hour; and allon account ofthe pain she\ncaused her father, notwithstanding her geod intention\"\nIR, Isaac aid: 'Al this ceproof which Jacob administered to\nLaban served to. make him acknowledge the Holy One,\nblessed be He, a8 is proved from Laban's words: Siz, Goo\nIs WITNESS BETWIXT MUAND THLE, Bat observe that it\nis further written: THe Gon oF Avnasiast, Axo THE\nGoo oF Naton... jupoe seTwixt vs. This indi-\nates that, sinner as he was, he reverted to his former\nidolatous worship, for after invoking the God of Abraham,\nhe immedistey added \"the God of Nahor\", [1654] AND\nJacow SWORE NY THE FEAR OF WIS FATHER IsAAc.\nWihy by \"the fear of feaac\" and not by the God of Abraham ?\nBecause he did not wish to trouble, as it were, the right-hand\ngrade for the sake of Laban; furthermore, itis not right for a\n'man to swear, even a teue oath, by the most high realm.\nR, Jose said: \"Truly, Jacob's oath was most appropriate to\nthe oceasion, For he said to himself: \"Behold, he has invoked\nthe God! of Abraham, but left out the name of my father: et\n'me therefore make up the defciency.\" Hence he swore by the\n\"fear of hie father Isaac'. Another explanation is that Jacob\ndesired to tring the grade of severity on to his side to assist.\nhim against Laban.\"\n\n132 'We ZOHAK 11 [650-1656\nAwo JAcon WENT on 15 WAY, AND THE ANGELS OF\nGon mir mim. R. Abba discoursed on the verse: Male and\nfemale created he them, ee, (Ge. , 2). How ine\n\n'upon us' he sad, 'to study intently the words ofthe\nWoe to those whose heart is obdurste and whose eyes are\nblinded! Behold, the 'Torah io calling unto\n\n\"Whoo is thoughtless, let him turnin hithe\nlacketh understanding, she saith to him: Come, ea, of my\nbread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled\" (Prov,\n1%, 4-3). But there is no one to pay avention to het. Observe\nthat this verse contains sublime mysteries, thas an inner and\nan outer meaning. Thus, one meaning is that the sun and\n'moon are closely united as is implied in the passage: \"The\n'sun and the moon standstill in her habitation\" (Hab. 1,11);\ntnd another ia that Adam and Eve were created a8 united\npair; and since they were coupled together, God blessed\nthem. For blessing doesnot reside save ina spot where there\nare male and female. Observe that when Jacob set out on his\nJourney to Haran he was all by himself, not yet having mar-\ntied, What does Scripture say of that occasion ? \"And he\nlighted upon (cayifga'=entreated) the place, ets.\" (Gen.\n'sxV1, 11) and he was only promised deliverance ina dream.\nBat now that he was wartied and vas comsing with all the\ntribes, heavenly legions entreated and supplicated him, as it\n'were, for we read: \"And the angels of God met (eayifge'n\ncentreated) bien.\" Whereis before it was he who entreated the\n\"place, now it was they who entreated hina, for the reason\nthat it Was forthe sake of Jacob and the tribes tha they were\n'watered frm the great oa. Moreover, whereas before he saw\n'them only ina dream of the night, now he saw withopen eyes\nand in full daylight, a it is writen: AD JAcon $a1D\nWHEN HE saw THEM: THis 18 Goo's caME, ETC. [1658]\nHow, it may be asked, did he recognise them ? The answer is\nthat they were the same angels whom he had seen in his\ndream. Hence he called them Mehanaim (two camps),\nindicating the camp which had appeared to him on high and\nthe camp which appeared now below. Why did they appear\nunto him te entreat him? Because the Shekinah accompanied\nhim in order to bear aleng his houschold, and she was also\n\n1638) vaveze 133\nawaiting the birth of Benjamin so as to make her home with\nJecob as pre-ordained. Its in allusion to this that Scripture\n'ays: \"And Jacob shall again be quiet and at eave, and none\nstall make himafraid (Jer. xxx, 10). Blessed be the Lord for\nevermore. Amen and Amen!\"\n\n[650-1660\n\nGen, oat, 4-28x01, 43\n\nAnd Jacom sent wussenonns (lit. angeb), ere. Re\nJudah discoursed on the tex: For he wil give hisangels charge\naver the, to ep the inal thy 2a (Ps, xc, 81), \"According\nto the companions\" he sid, 'the moment a chld is bor into\nthe world, the evl promprer straight,\n\nsays, \"sin eoucheth atthe door\" (Gen. 1,7) the term\nbeing a designation of the evil prompter, who was aso called\nsin by King David in the verse: \"and my sin is ever before\nime\" (Ps. Li, 5). He isso called because he makes man every:\nday 10 sin befote his Master, never leaving him from the\nday of his birth til the end of his life. But the good prompter\nfirst comes to man only on the day that he begins to purify\nhimself, to wit, when he reaches the age of thirteen years,\nFrom that time the youth finds himself attended by two\ncompanions, one on his right and the other on his left, the\nformer being the good prompter, the later the cv prompter.\n\"These are two veritable angels appointed to keep man com=\npany continually. Now when a man tries to be virtuous, the\nevil prompter bows to him, the right gains dominion over the\nleft, and the two together join hands to guard the man in all\n\nangels\n\n'R Eleazar applied this verse to Jacob when God assigned\n'to him companies of angeleas an escort hecause he eame with\nthefull number of tribes, forming with them godly company,\nHence it says: \"And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of\n'God met him\" (Ge. xxx, 2), a8 already exphined, Here,\ntherefore, when he was delivered from the hands of Laban\nand dissociated himself from himn, the Shekinah joined him,\nand sacred camps came to encircle him, so that [1660]\n\"Jacab said when be saw them, ete.\" (Ibid. 3) It was from\nthese angels that he sent a mission to Esau, as itsays: \"And\nJacob sent angels\" (malabim).' R. Isaac said: Why, in one\n\n166) vavisiiuatt 135\nplace in the Psalms docs it say \"The ange! of the Lord en=\ncampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth\nthem\" (Ps. xxx, 8), inthe singular, and in another place,\n\"Por he will give hin angels change over thee\" (id. xe, +\njn the plural? 'The reason is that the term \"angels\" is\nreference to angels proper, whereas inthe verse: \"The angel\n'of the Lord encampeth', the reference is to the Shekinab, a\ninthe verse: \"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto hin\nJima lame of fire out ofthe midst of a bush\" (Ex. 1,2). \"This\n\"the angel of the Lord encampeth round about those who\nfear him\" to deiver them; and when the Shekinah abides\nWithin aman, ever so many holy lepions rally round him.\nDavid uttered this verse when he escaped from Achisb the\nking of Gath, because the Shekinah encompassed him and\ndelivered him from Achish and his pevple, and all those who\nassed him. It written in the same connection: \"And he\nfeigned himself mad (vayitholel) in their hands\" (t Sar.\n1x, 14). The term eayithale! here, in place of the more usual\n'eayishtagea, cortains an allusion tothe kindred term used\nformerly by David when he said: \"For I was envious of the\n'madmen (holelin)\" (Ps, uxett, 3). God thus said in effect 0\nDavid: \"As thos livest, since thou enviest madmen, thos\nthyself wile yet be driven to play the madman'; and soit\n'eae to pass when he was brought before Achish and bis life\n'was in danger: ke then \"feigned himself mad (oayitholel)\ntheir hand\", that is, he behaved like one of those madmen\n(holetin) whom he had once envied; nd only then did the\n'Shekinah come t hit rescue. How, it may be asked, could\nthis be, seeing thatthe Shekinah abides only in her own heri=\ntage, the Holy Land # The answer is that from there only she\nbestows blessings, but for purposes of protection she is 0\nbe found elsewhere alsa, So here, when Jacob departed from\nLaban, all the holy legions surrounded him, so that he was\nnot left by him\"\n\nA. Hiskiah asked \"If that was s, how came Jacob, a stated\nlater, to be \"left atone\" (Gen. xxxtt 25)?\" Said R, Judah in\nreply: 'Because he exposed himself deliberately to danger,\nand therefore the angels deserted him, It yas to this that he\nalluded when he said: \"I am not worthy of all the mercies\n\n136 'THe ZOWAR It [1660\nand ofall the truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant\"\n(ibid. 11) R. Isaac said that the reason why they departed.\n'was to leave him alone with the chieftain of Esau, who came\ndown to him with divine permission; and they meanwhile\n'went off to chant the hymns for which the hour was then due\nand to sing the praises of the Holy One, blesied be He, and\nafterwards they returned to Jacob. \"Now T am become two\n'campa\": to wit the camp of the Shekinal and hia own hax\nhold, so that he was complete on all sides, basing his portion\n'both with the white and with the red. R. Eleszar said: \"The\nsages have stated that on that night and at that hour the\npower of Esau was in the ascendant, and therefore Jacob was\nleft alone, o, from another aspect, the sun was left alone, the\nlight of the moon having been obscured. Nevertheless, the\n'guardianship of Providence did not leave him entirely, so that\nhis antagonist prevailed not against him, as it says: \"And\n'when he saw that he prevailed aot against him ..\". He looked\nto Jacob's right, and there his gaze met Abrakam; he turned\nto his left, and there he sae Teaae; he looked st Jacob's body,\nand he saw that it was a fusion of the two sides, and so he\ntouched the hollow of his thigh, which isa pillar adjoining.\nthe body but is outside the body\" In this way, then, the angel\nencompassed Jacob on all sides to deliver hirn; and when the\nShekinah came down to abide with him, there joined him.\n'multcudinous hosts and legions; and it was of those angels\nthat he sent a party to Esau.\"\n\nAx Jacon sent aNcets. Said R. Abba: What induced\nJacob to make advances towards Esau ? Would he not have\n\"done better ta leave him alone ? The truth i that Jacob\n\nto himself: \"Cam well aware that Esau has great respect for\nhis father and would never. cause him any vexation, and so T\n'know that T have no ground to fear him so long as my father\nin alive. Let me, therefore, effect a reconciliation with him\n'whilst my father is alive.\" Siraightway, then, Jacob \"sent\nangels before him\".' R. Sitnenn opened a discourse on the\nverse: Better ithe that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant,\nthan he that playeth the man oj rank, and lackith bread (Prov,\n\n1668] vavtonuan 137\n1X1, g) \"This vere', he sai, peaks of the [1666] vil promp-\nter, who lays plots and uneeasiggly brings up accusations\nagainst aman. Hepuffs up a man's heart, encouraging him to\narrogance and conceit, and induces him to twil his hair and\ncarry his head high, until he obtains an ascendancy over him\nand drags him down to Gehinnom. Better, therefore, is one\nwho is \"lightly exeemed\" and who does not follow the evil\nprompter, but remains humble in heart and spirit and subi\nhimself ro the will f the Holy One, blessed be He, 'The evil\nprompter is bowed down before such a one, and s0 far is he\neum obtaining the mastery over the man that itis the man\nwho obtains the mastery over him, ax it says, \"but thou\nrayest rule over him\" (Gen. 1¥, 7). Such a man is better\n'than he who \"pyeth the man of rank\", who has a igh\n'opinion of himsel,twirls his hair and is Full of conceit, as,\nalready mentioned above, but \"hcketh bread\", (0 wit, the\n'rue faith, which is referred to as \"the bread Of his God!\"\n(Law. xx, 22) (Ibid. 6). Again, \"he who is lightly esteemed\"\nfs exemplified in Jacob, who humbled himself before Esau so\n'that the latter should in time become his servant, in fulfilment\nof the blesing: \"Let people serve thee, and nations bow\ndown to thee, ete\" (Gen. xvi, 29). For Jacob's time had\nnot yet arived, ashe deferred it tothe future, and in the im-\nradiate present be \"esteemed himself lightly\". But in the\nproper time \"he that playeth the mnan of rank\" will become\nthe servant to him that lacketh bread\", to the man who was\nallotted \"plenty of corn and wine\" (Ibid, 28). Jacob knew\nthat it was forthe time being necessary for him to humble\nhimself before Esau, and 0 made himself as one who\n\"esteemed himself lightly\". And, moreaver, he displayed\ntherein more craft and subtlety than in all his other dealings\n'with Esau; and had Esau realised this, he would rather have\ntaken his own life than come to such a paws. Jacob thus acted\nthroughout with wisdom, and to him can be applied the\n'words of Hannah; \"They that stive with the Lord shall be\nbroken in pieces. and he will give strength unto his king,\nte\" (1 Sam, 11, 10)\n\nAvo We comMANDED THEM, sAvING: THUS SHALL\nx\n\n138 'THE 20HAR IE [1668\nYe SAY NTO My Lono Esau: Tuus sArTH THY sex\nvast Jacos: I HAVE sojoURNED WITH LAMAN, AND\nstaven UNTIL Now. He began by representing himself as\nBeau's servant, in order that the latter's thoughts might be\ndiverted from the blessings which he had received from his\nfather, and the enjoyment of which he was postponing for a\nfuture time, as already said. R. Judah said: 'What was Jacob's\nobject in saying to Esau, \"T have-sojourned with Laban\" ?\nWhat had this to do with his message to Esau 2 The reason\nwas that Laban the Aramean was famous throughout the\nworld as 4 master magician and sorcerer whose spell no man\n'could escape. He was, in fat, the father of Beor, who was the\nfather of Balaam, mentioned in Seripture as \"Balam the son\n'of Beor, the soothsayer\" (Josh, xitt, 23), But forall Laban's\nskill and pre-eminence in sorcery and magic, he could not\nprevail over Jacob, though he employed all his at to destroy\nhim, as it says: \"An Armean designed to destroy my\nfather\" (Dent.\n\nthat Laban vas the\n'magiéans, and that no one whom he wished to destroy could\n'eseape from him, and that it was from hira that Balaam learnt\nall his kill Balan, of whom it is written: \"for I know that\nhhe whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou cursest\nis cuned\" (Num. xx, 6). Thus Laban and his magic were\ntaniversally feared, Hence Jacob's frst intimation to Esau\nWas, \"T have sojourned with Laban'; and lest Esau should\n'think that it was merely a month, or, at most, year, headded:\n\"and f stayed until now\"—a space of twenty years. And lest\n'sau should think that he had achieved nothing of conse-\n'quence, be added: \"And I have oxen and asses, these being\nthe symbols of two grades of severity that are never combined\ntogether save to bring suffering on the world, (This is the\n'underiying reason of the precepts \"Thou shalt net plow with\n\nflocks, and men-servants, and maid-servants, these being,\nsymbolic of the lower crowns whom God slew in Egypt, in\n\nthe form of \"the first-born of cattle, the first born of the\ncaptive\" (Ex. xt, 29), and \"the first-born of the maid=\nservant\" (Ibid. x, 5). Straightway Esau was seized with fear\n\n1666-1670) vavientant 439\nand went forthto meet him, Indeed he wasas much afraid of\nJacob ax Jacob was afraid of him, Jacob as ike a traveler\n'who hears that robbers are lying in wait for him on the rowd.\n'Meeting another man, he asks him to whom he belongs, and\nhe replies: \"I ama member of such and such a band of reb-\nbers\", \"Get thee hence,\" exclaims the wayfarer, \"for [have\nabout mea snake who kills anyone that approaches me.\" The\n'man then returns to the chief ofthe brigands and warns him,\n'saying: \"A man is coming along this way who kas about hi\na snake which bites anyane who approaches him [1674] and\nkills him.\" Hearing this, the chief of the brigands says: \"I\nhad better go out to meet that man and make peace with\nhim.\" When the wayfarer sees him coming he exclaims:\n\"Woe is me, he i\n\nand prostrate himself before him, whereupon the brigand\nregains hisselEassurance, thinking! \"I he had with him such\na dangerous stake as he said, he would not have bowed 50\nmuch to me. But since he does bow so much before me, I will\nfot kill him\" In the same way Jacob sent word to Es14,\nsaying: \"I have sojourned with Laban and sayed until now\",\nas much as to say: have stayed with him twenty years and.\nThave brought with me a deadly snake who slays people with\nhis bite.\" Esau, on hearing this suid: \"Woe is me, who can\nstand up heforehim 2\" for he was afraid that Jacob would il\nhim with his mouth, He therefore went forth to meet him and\n'to make peace with him. But Jacob, we read as soon as he\nsaw him, \"was greatly afraid and distressed\", and when he\napproached him he commenced bowing and Kneeling before\nhim, ait sy and bowed hil othe ground even\n\nhe came near to\n\nbinscll \"Had be really beens wellequipped ashe eid be\n'would not have bowed before me\", and he again began to\ncarry himself haughtiy.\n\n'tis written in reyard to Balaam: \"And God came ato\nBalsam at night\" (Num. xxtt, 20). Similarly in regard to\nLaban it is writen: \"And God came to Laban the Aramean\nina dream of the night, and said unto him:'Take heed to thy\nself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad\" (Gen,\nsexx, 24). Instead of the words \"that thou speak not\", we\n\n0 THE ZOMAK IT [e670\nshould have expected here \"that thou do-no evil to Jacob\"\n[Wut the truth i that Laban in his pursuit after Jacob did not\nintend to contend apainat him with armed force, as he was\nwell awate that Jacob and his sons were more than + match\nfor him, but he designed to kill him with the power of his\nmouth, Hence: \"that thou speak not\", and not \"that thou do\nnot', Tes also writen: \"It is in the power of my hand to do\n'you hurt\" (Gen. xxx, 29), Laban knew this from the warning,\ngiven him, as he himself continued: \"But the God of your\nfather spoke to me, ete.\" (Fd). And this i the very testi\n'ony which God commanded the Israelites to proaounee, as\nitis written: \"And thou shalt testifyand say before the Lord\nthy God: An Aramean intended to destroy my father, ete.\"\n(Deut, xv, §), Of Balaam it is further written: \"and be went\nrot as at other times, to meet enchantments\" (Num. sx, 1),\n'cing his-wore, since he was an adopt in divinationa\nLaban also said: \"I have observed th signs\" (Gen. xxx, 29),\nthat is 10 say, be tested Jacob's fertune by means. of his\ndlvinations, and when he set out to destroy him he also\ntended to accomplish his end by the same power of magic and\nscrcery, but God did not permit him, And it was in sllusion\nto this that Balsam hia grandson said: \"For there i\nnt with Jacob, neither is there any divination with\n(Num. xan, 25), as much a to say: \"Who can pre-\n'ail against them, seing that when my grandfather sought to\ndestroy their ancestor by means of enchantments and sore\n'zries, he did not aueceed, as he was not permitted t curse\nhim?\" Laban, indeed, employed against Jacob all the ten\nkinds of magic and divination of the flashing of the under-\n'world erovns, but could do him no hart, atin writen: \"and\nhhe changed my wages ten times, but God suffered him not to\nIhurt me\" (Gen. xxx, 7), where the term monim (mes is akin\nto the terin minim, sigaifying \"kinds\". 'These ten kinds of\nWitchcraft are alluded to in the verse saying: \"There shall\nrot be found anvong you\nSeothsayer, of an enchanter, ora sorcerer, ora charmer, of\nfone that consulteth a ghost oF a fasiliar spirit, or a necro-\nsmancer\" (Deut. xvt, 10-11). R. Joe said \"Divination and\ncechantment are 0 different ars of the same potency.\n\non against Isral,asit says:\nons in their hand\" (Num, xxtt, 7). Laban, on the\nother hand, used enchantments against Jacob, bur neither of\nthem succeeded. Hence Baliam said: \"For there is no en-\n'chantment with Jacob, neither is there any di\nIsrael\" (oid, ett, 23), the frst half of the verse all\n\nagainst ther, seeing thatall tedivinations andsorceriesresid-\n'ng in our crowns derive thei potency from the flashing of\nthe supernal sovereignty, which ie attached to them, a3 it is\n'written: \"The Lord his God i with them, and the shout\nfor the King is among them (bid. 22) R. Judah said\nbe it from us to imagine that Balaam knew aught of the\n'superna sanctity, [167] seing that God didnot choose any\nPeople oF tongue to make ase of His glory save His holy\n'hildeen, to whom he said: \"sanctify yourselves therefore,\nand be ye holy (Lev. at, 44) Only those whore themaelves\nholy are permitted to make use of holy things; and itis only\nIsrael who are holy, a8 itis weitten: \"For thou art holy\npeople\" (Deut. xis, 2), that, thou alone at holy, but no\nther poop. Contrarivie,thore who ars impure are brought\nino contact with impurity and became more impure, and of\nsuch it is written: \"he is unelean; he shall del alone;\ncout the carp shall hia doling be\" (Lev. xt, 46) fo\npurity call unto impurity, ai says\n\n43) where the text a\n\n: 'Was it becoming for a holy man like Jacob\nto admit that he had contarvinated himself with Laban and\nhis enchantments ? Was this anything to his eedit #* R. Jose\ntw him: 'Although R. Judah has given an explanation,\nagree with you that we should seek another, For we find «\n'Somewhat sitnilar difficulty in Jacob's words: \"Iam Esau thy\nfirst-born' (Gen. xxvit, 19), where also we may ask: \"Was,\nit becoming for a righteous man like Jacob to assume the\nfname of the impure Esau 2\" 1 will answer both these diffi-\nculties, Thece isa tonal pause after the word\n\n4 THE ZOHAR IL\nin this passage, s0 that what Jacob\n(who tam, but) Esau (is thy fiest-bor\nelsewhere, Similarly here Jacob meant to say: \"Do not pay\nany regard tothe blessing which my father gave, nor imagine\nhus been fulfilled in me. For he blessed me saying, 'be\nford over thy brethren', whereas of 2 truth 'lam thy servant\nJacob, to my lord Esau' Again, he blessed me with 'plenty\n'of corn and wine', but I have no stock ofthese, but 'oxen, and\nases and flocks' and am only a shepherd in the field. Ofthe\nblessing 'of the dew of heaven, and of the fat places ofthe\n'arth', rothing has been fulilled in me, seeing that 'T have\nsojourned with Laban', being merely a sojournes, without 30\nruich asa house that I can call my oven, let alone the fatness\nof the earth.\" The whole of Jacob's message was thus ealcu-\nlated to divert Esau's regard from those blessings, so that he\nshould rot quarrel with him over them.' R. Abba said: 'It is\nwriten of Jacob that he was \"a perfect man, dwelling in\ntents\" (Gen 2x¥, 27). The designation \"perfect man\" was.\nsven him because he resided inthe two supernal Tabernacles\nand embodied in himself both this side and that side, and\nthus was made complete, His language must not be construed\ninto an admision that he had contaminated hiraself with the\nenchantments of Laban, and, withall due respect to R, Jucah,\nhis heart was pure and full of thankfulness for the kindness\nand the truth that God had shown him, Thus Jacob's message\nto Fsau amounted to say ryone knows what kind of\naman Laban is, and that no one ean escape him. Yet I stayed\nwith him twenty years, and though he contended with me\nand sought to destroy me, yet God delivered me from.\nhand.\" Jacob's purpose in all his words was to prevent Esau\nthat the blessings had been fulfilled, and 20\n1 grudge against himself, Regarding such con\nduct Seripture say the ways of the Lord are right,\nct.\" (Has. xt, 10), also: Thoushalt be whole-hearted vith\nthe Lord thy God\" (Deut. xvi 13)\"\n\nASD THE ANGELS nETUKNED TO Jacon, SAYING: We\nCAME TO THY HNOTHER EsAU, AND MOREOVER HE\nCoster TO MEET THF, AND FOUR HUNDRED MEN\n\na6 7b-1684) Vavisunan 143\nWii sa. The word \"Esau\" after \"thy beother\" seems\nto be superfluous, since Jacob had no other brothers. I 838,\nhhowever, «hint 0 Jacob not to think that Esau had retraced\nhis steps and entered on the path of rectitude, bur that hewas\nstill the same wicked Esau a9 of old. And moreover \"he\ncometh to meet thee\", and that not by himself, but having\n\"four hundred men with him'. Why all these details ? Be-\n'cause God always delights in theprayer ofthe righteous, and\nHe erowns Himself, as it were, with their supplications. So\n'we affirm that the angel in charge of the prayers of Israel,\nSandalphon by name, takes up ll those prayers and weaves\n'out of them a crown for the Living One of the worlds. Allthe\nmore, then, must we believe thatthe prayers of the righteous,\n\n'which God takes delight are made into a crown for Him,\nSeeing that Jacob had with hima legions of holy angel, it may\nbbe asked why he was afraid. The truth is that the righteous\nrely noton their merits but on thei prayers and supplicatons\nto their Master, R. Simeon suid: \"The prayer of a congre-\nsation ascends to the Almighty, and He is erowned therewith,\nbbeeause it comprises many hucsand directions, wherefore it\nismadeintoa crown tobe placedon the head ofthe Righteous\n'One, the Living One ofthe world: wherea the prayer of an\ninividoal is not many-sided and presents only one hue, and,\nIhence is not so complete and acceptable as the prayer of «\ncongregation, Jacob was many-sided, and therefore God.\ncraved for his prayer, and hence itis written: \"Then Jecob\nwas greatly afraid and was distressed\" R. Judah cited here\nthe verse: \"Happy i the man tht feareth aay; but he that\nhhardeneth his heart shall fll into evil\" (Proy. sxvn, 14).\n[1684] \"Happy is the people of Israel', he said, 'in whom the\nHoly One, blessed be He, finds delight, and to whom He has\ngiven the Torah of truth that thereby they may merit life\n'ternal, For whoso labours in the Torah is vouchsafed fom\nheaven the bes if and is taken up into the life ofthe wold\nto.come, as itis written: \"for that isthy life and the length\nof thy days\" (Deut. x4%, 20); abo, \"and through this thing\n'yeshall prolong your days\" (Ubi. 24x, 47), implying life in\nthis world and in the world wo came.' R, Eleazar said: Who-\nfever labours in the Torah for its own sake vill aot die\n\n44 'rie Zowan it [1680\nthrough the agency ofthe evil prompter (the same being the\nserpent and the angel of death), inasmuch ashe holds fatto\nthe tree of life and relaxeth not. For this reason the bodies of\nthe righteous who have laboured in the 'Torah remain n=\ndefied after death, since the spirit of deflement does not\nhover over them. How eameit, then, that Jacob, who was the\ntree of Me itself, as it were, was afraid of Esau, who surely\n'ould net prevail against him ? Had he not, too, the promise:\n\"And, behold, Lam with thee\" (Gen, xxvit, 15)? And had\nhe not further protection in the escort of the host of holy\nangels, of whom it says, \"and the angels of God met him\"\n(Ud. soon, 2)?\"The reason, however, of his fear was that he\ndid not wish o rely ona miracle, ap he didnot consider him\nself deserving that a miracle should be wrought on his betalf.\n\"The cause of his self-mistrust vas that he had not rendered\nfilial service to his father and mother ashe should have done,\nand that he had not devoted himself to the Torah, and,\nfurther, that he had married two sisters, Bu, in truth, a man\nshould always goin fear and offer up prayer to the Almighty,\nas it suys: \"Happy is the man that feareth alway\",\n\n\"Te was the prayers offered up by the patriarchs that sus-\nined the world, and by them are upheld all who dwell there-\ninj and the merits of the patriarchs will never be forgotten,\ninasmuch as they form the support of the upper and the\nlower reams; and Jacob's suppert is firmer than that of all\nthe others. Hence itis that when the children of Jacob are\n'oppressed, God looks at che image of Jacob and i filled with,\npity for the world, This is hinted in the passage: \"Then will\nremember my covenant with Jacob\" (Lev. ), where\nthe name Jacob is spelt plene with a ea, whichis itself the\n\n3b. To look at Jacob was like looking at the\n\n\"According to tradition, the beauty of Jacob\nwas equal to that of Adam, the fist man.' R. Jose said; have.\nhheard it said that he who sees in his dream Jacob robed in his,\nmantle enjoys length of life.' R. Smeon said: 'We have learnt\nthat no life-portion was originally assigned to David, hut\n'Adam geve him seventy yeas of his own; and so David lined\nseventy years, 'Adam lived a thousand. years fess\nseventy; thus the first thousund years included the lives of\n\n680-1685) VAvISHLAH 145,\n'both Adam the frst man and King David. 'The Scripture', he\nsaid, 'alludes to this in the verse, \"He asked life of thee, thou.\nsavest it him; even length of days for ever and ever (Ps.\n2X, 5). For when God created the Garden of Eden and placed\ninit the soul of King David, He saw that it possessed no fife=\n[portion ofits own, and cast about fr a remedy. So when He\ncreated Adam the first man, He said, \"Here, indeed, is the\nremedy\"; and so it was that from Adam were derived the\nseventy years that David lived. Further, each of the patriarchs\nconceded him some years of his own life, that is to say,\n'Abraham and Jacob and Joseph, but not Isac, because King\n'David belonged tothe same side as himself Abraham allowed\nhhim fie years of the hundred and eighty years which he was\nproperly entitled to live, s0 that he lived only a hundred and\nseventy-five year, five years less than his due, Jacob was also,\ndue te live in this world as many years as Abraham, but he\nlived [1688] only a hundred and forty-seven years. Thus,\n\"Abraham and Jacob between them conceded to David thirty-\nthree years. 'Then Joseph should have lived a hundred and\nforty-seven years like Jacob, bis father, but he fell shart of\nthat number by thirty-seven years. 'These, with the other\nthiry-three, completed the seventy year allotted to David,\nwhich were thus transferred to him out of the lives of the\npatriarchs. The reason why Tsaie did not transfer to him any.\n'yearalie the others was that he was himself wraptin darkness,\n'and David came from the side of darkness, and he whois in\ndarkness possesses no light whatever, nor any life: itis for\nthat reason that David possessed no life at all of his own. But\nthose others, being possessed of light, could afford light to\nKing David, who was beholden to them for light and for life,\nsince of the darkside he had nolife at all, Hence Isaac didnot\n'come into the reckoning: Why, it may be asked, was Joseph's\ncontribution greater than those ofthe other two together ? Tt\n'was because Joseph was reckoned the equivalent of the other\ntwo, since he was called \"the righteous\", and he was better\nable than the others to illumine the moon, and hence he con\n'ceded to King David a geeater share of life than all the others.\n\n\"To protect himself against Esau, Jacob resorted to prayer\nand did not rely upon his merit, since he desired to keep this\n\n46 'THe Zonan 11 [268\nin reserve for the benefit of his descendants in the future, and\nrot to use it up now against Esau. Hence he now offered up\nbis prayer tothe Almighty, and did not rely upon his merits,\nnor ask for deliverance for their sake. Hence we read: AND\nfie sai: Le ESAU COME TO THE ONE. CAMP, AND SMITE\n\n(eM 1s LEFT SHALL ESCAPE, It\n\n1\"- Now the Shekinsh never departed,\nfiom the tent of Leah nor irom the tent of Rachel. Jaco' knew\ntherefore, that they were under the protection of the Alz\nrighty, and so he put the handenaids and their children for\n'most, saying to himself: \"If Esau slays them, well, he will\nshy them, but ax regards the others I have no fear, since the\n'Shekinah is with them.\" Hence it says: Twex THE CAME.\nWHICH 1s LUFT SHALL scare, Having taken this step,\nhie next resorted to prayer; up it in written: And Jacob said,\n© Gon oF my rariten Ankanam, anv GoD oF at¥\nvaruer Tsaac, O Lonp, wiio SArnsT UNTO. ME:\nRETURN UNTO THY COUNTRY, AND TO THY KINDRED,\nAxD T WILL Do TitEE Goon.\" R. Jose discoursed on the\nverse: A. prayer of the poor, chen he fainteth (ya'atof) and\nfpoureth out his complaint before the Lord (Ps. ct, 1). He\n\n'4a has been laid down in many place, this psaim was eom-\npoed by King David when he contemplated the plight of the\noor man, and that was when he fled from his father-inctaw.\nTewas then that he composed a \"prayer of the poor\", as much\n'sto say: \"Behold, this is the prayera poor man offers up to\nthe Almighty, and one which should ascend in advance of all\ncaer prayers.\" 'The phrase, \"a prayer of the poor\", rds is\nparallel in the expression: \"A prayer of Moses, the man of\nGod\" (tbid. xc, 1), the one alluding tothe phylactery of the\nhead, the other to that of the arm, the two being inseparable\nand of equal importance, The reason why the prayer of the\npoor is admitted first into the presence of the Almighty is\nFoicated in the vene:\"\"For he bath not despised nor abhorred\nthe lowliness ofthe poor, tc\" (Ibid. xxtt, 25). Acconding to\naacherexpsion the term payer i a alin 1\nMoses; \"ofthe poor to David; \"when he fuinteth\" (ya! atof-=\nicove) co he monn Whe ions ea\n\n1685-1694) Vavisitan 147\nconcealed from it. Observe tat the prayer of other people is\njusta prayec but the prayer of« poor nan breaks through all\nharriers and storms it way to the presence of the Almighty\n'So Scripture says: \"And it shall come to pass when he c\ntunto me, that Twill hear; for I am gracious (Ex. xx\nalso: \"I wil surely hear their ery\" (Ibid. 22). David con-\ninues: \"and poureth out his complaint before the Lord\",\nike one whe protests against she judgements ofthe Almighty\"\nRR. Eleazar suid: \"The prayer of the righteous is an object\nJoy for the Community of Israel, [1698] who weave out of\ncrown by which toadorn themselves before the Holy One,\nblessed be He, Hence God holds it in special affection; He\nlongs, as it were, forthe prayer ofthe righteous, when they\nrein strats, because they know how to appease their Master.'\n\nNote the words of Jacob's prayer: 0 Gop or my\nFATHEN ABRAHAM, AND Gob OF dty FATHER ISAAC,\n© Lonp, wno saipst oxto me: Reruex. Various\nstrands are here fitly interwoven. \"O God of my father\nAbraham\" symbolises the Right; \"God of my father Isaac\"\naymbolises the Left; while by the words \"Who saidst unto\nme\" Jacob interwove himself between the two.\n\nLaat Nor Wortity oF aLt Tix stenerEs. The connec-\ntion of those words with what precedes is as follows. Jacob\nsd in effect: \"Thou hast promised me to deat well with me,\nbur [know thatallhy promises are conditional: Now, behold,\n1 possess no merits, so that fam not worthy ofall the mercies\nand of al the truth which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant;\nAnd all that Thou hast done for me until thi day \"Thou hast\ndlone not forsake of my merits but for Thine own ake. For be-\nhold, when rst eroseed the Jordan, fleeing from Esa, Las\nallalone, but Thou hast shown unto me mercy and truth, in\nthat Thave sow erosed with wo companies.\" Up othis point\nJacob was reiting the praise of the Almighty; he then pro-\n'seeded to pray for his requirements. From Jacob all men can\ntake example, when offering prayer, ist to recite the praises\nof their Master, and only then to present thee petition. So\nJacob, after prising the Lard, continued: \"Deliver me, I\npray thee, from the hand of my brother, ffom the hand of\n\n148 're zomAR 11 [r690-169\nEsau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother\nwith the children.\"\" Here, too, a lesson that in praying a\nrman should state in precise terms what he requires. 'Thus\nJacob commenced: \"Deliver me, I pray thee,\" and since it\n'might le eaid that he had alrvady been delivered from the\nhand of Laban, he added \"from the hand of my beothee\";\nand since, again, the term covers all relatives, he\nadded \"from the hand of Esau\" and yet again, lest it should\nbe urged that he had no need of such 2 delivery, he ean-\ntinued: \"for 1 fear him, lest he come and smite me, the\n'mother with the children\"; all this in order that there should\nbe no possibility of misunderstanding.\n\nAwp THOU saipst: I Witt suRELY Do THER GOOD,\n'arc. We find King David closing a prayer with the words?\nLet the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hear\nbbe acceptable before thee\" (Ps. xx, 15), the former of these\nclauses referring to what he had actually said explicitly, and\nthe latter to his inner thoughts which he had only half ex-\npressed, This division of prayer into clearly expressed ind\nhualf-expressed desires corresponds to a distinction in the\ndivine grades, the clearly expressed prayer being addremed\nto the lower grade, the meditation of the heart to the higher\nand inner grade. Jacob divided his prayer similarly; frst he\nstoted what he desired distinctly, then he left his thought only\n\nthe words alluding to the promise made to\n\n'cannot be numbered for multitude\", \"There washerean under-\nlying thought which wat best let unexpressed. This division\nwas necessary, as explained, s0 a8 to make the unification\ncomplete, Happy are the righteous who know how to express\nfittingly the praises of their Master, asa preliminary to their\nprayer. Of them itis written: \"And he said unto me:\"Thouart\n'my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified\" (Is. xL1X,3)-\n\nAND Jacow Was LEFT ALONE, ETC, R, Hiya discoursed\n'om the verses There shall no evil befall the, neither shall ny\n'plague come nigh thy tent (Ps. xc, 10). 'When God', he sid,\n'created the world, He made on each day [1696] the work\n\n1698] VavSMLAn 149\nappropriate for that day. This has already been explained,\n[Now on the fourth day the lights were created; but the moon,\n'was ereated without light, since she diminished herself. This\nis implied in the phrase \"Let there be lights\", wherein the\nterm meoroth (lights) is written defectively (less the leter\n'eau, asi were me'eroth (curses); for asa result ofthe mom's\ndiminution, occasion was granted to all spirits and demons\nand hurricanes and devils to exercise say, so that all unclean,\nspirits rise up and traverse the world secking whom to\nseduce; they haunt ruined places, thick forests and deserts.\n\"These areall from the side ofthe unclean spirit, which, ashas\nbeen said, issues from the erooted serpent, who is, indeed,\nthe veritable unclean spirit, and whose mission is to seduce\nrman afte him, Hence itis thatthe evi prompter has sway in\nthe word, following men about and employing all manner of\n'uses and seductions to turn them aside from the paths ofthe\nHoly One, blessed be He, And inthe same way a he seduced.\n'damn and thereby brought death into the world, 80 docs he\never seduce men and cause them to defile themselves; and\n'whoever allows himself tobe defiled draws upon himself the\nunclean spirit and clings unto him, and numerous unclean\ninfluences are at hand to dofie him, 00 that he remaina pol-\nJuted in this world and in the world to come. Contrarivise,\nshould a man strive to purify himself, the unclean spirit\nfoiled and can no longer domiatehitn, Thus itis writ\n\"No evil shall befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh\nthy tent.' R. Jose said: \"Evil\" here alludes to Lilith (nght-\ndemon), and \"the plague\" to the other demons, as has been\nexplained elsewhere. R. Eleazarsaid: 'Tt has been taught that\n'man should not go out alone at night, and especially when\nthe time ofthe creation of the moon recurs and it is without\ninthe same as\nat large, Now, the term \"evil\" here is an\nallusion to the evil serpent, while \"the plague\" alludes to him\n'who Fides on the serpent, 30 that evil and plague work to-\ngether. It is true, we have also been taught that the term\n\"plague\" signifies \"the plagues ofthe sons of man\", which\nissued from Adam. For during all those years that Adam kept\n'way from hia wife, unclean sptts came and conceived feom\n\n'iit OMAR MT [r696-1700\nhim, and bore offspring, which are called \"plagues of the off=\nspring of Adam\"; and it has been afirmed that when a man\nissleping and isnot in control of himself, he isassailed by an\ntinckan spirit and sometimes by a number of unclean female\n'spirits who draw him untothemselves, conceive from him and.\ngive birth to spirits and demons, 'These sometimes appear in\nthe form of human beings, save that they have ne hair on their\nheads Tis therefore incumbent on a man to be on his guard\nagainst them and not to let himself be contaminated by them,\nbbuto follow the paths ofthe Torah. For there iso man falls\nasleep on his bed in the night-time but he has a foretate of\nSeath, in that is soul (neskamal) departs from him and since\nhis body i left without the holy soul, an unclea\nand hovers upon itand it becomes defiled, It has already been\nsaid elsewhere that 3 man should not pass his hands over his\neyes when he wakes in the morning on account ofthe unclean\nspire hovering over his hands, Now, although Jacob, was\nbeloved by the Almighty, yet when he was lft alone a strange\nspiric immediately. came and joined battle with him.\" R.\nicon said: Te is written of Balsam, \"and he went shefi (to\na bare height)\" (Num, xxtt, 3). The word shfi signifies\n\"alone\", and it is also akin tothe term sheffon, inthe phrase\n\"shefifon (x horned snake) in the path\". So Balaam went alone,\nTike a-snake that goes alone and lurks in by-paths and lanes,\nswith the object of attracting to himself the unclean spirit. For\nthe who walks alone at eenain periods, and in eectain places,\neven in a town, attracts to himself the unclean spirit, Hence\nra one should ever go ona lonely road, even in city, but\n'only where people are abeut, nor should a man go out in the\nnight-time, when people ae no longer about, Its fora similar\nreason that itis written; \"his body shall not remain all night\n'upon the tree\" (Deut. xxi 23), [1704] 90 as not to leave the\ndead body, which is alone, without the spirit, ebave ground\nin the night. 'The wicked Balaam, however, for that very\nreasen went alone like the serpent, as already explained.\"\n\nAxo THERE WRESTLED (caye'oneg) A MAN WITH 111M,\nRK, Joshus the son of Levi said: 'From the word beke'geya (in\nhie wrestling) we learn that they raised a dust with their fet\n\n700) VAvESHLAN 151\nwhich reached the Throne of Glory, a8 this word finds »\nparallel in the phrase 'the dust 'abag) of his fet\" (Nahum\n1, 3). The angel here mentioned was Samael, the chieftain of\nEsau, and it was ight that hie dust should rise tothe Throne\nof Glory which i the seat of judgement.' R. Simeon ea\n\"This dust ('abag) was not ordinary dust, but ashes, the resi\n'due offre. Ie difers from dust proper in that itis sterile and\n\"unproductive, whereas dust ('afar is that from which all uit\n'and vegetation spring and is common tthe lower and higher\nexistences.' R. Judah remarked: 'If se, how can we explain\n'the passage: \"He raseth up the poor out ofthe dust\" (15\n11,8) ? R. Simeon replied: \"The dust possesses noting ofits\n'oven, hence itis from the dust that the poor tan has to be\n'alsed who assesses nothing of his own either. At the same\ntime the dust isthe source of all fruifulness and ofall the\nproduce of the world, and from it have been formed all things\ninthe world, sits written: \"all are ofthe dust and all retura\ntodust\" (Eee. 1,20), including, according to tradition, even\nthe solar sphere. But the dust called abag i forever barren,\nand hence, as the term raye'obey (\"and he wrestled\", ot\n\"raised the dust\") implies, the man came up, riding, a8 it\n'were, upon that dust, in ordce to contest Jacob's right.\"\n\nUstin THe pasani\n'ment when his domi\n\n16 OF THE DAY; this being the mo-\n\nppsed aay and vanished. 'The\n\nsame will happen inthe tate vo come For the present exile\n\nis ike the night, and in that night the barren dust rules over\n\nTorael, who are prostrate to the dust; and so i willbe unt the\n\nlight willappear and the day will breake:then Tsral will obtain\n\nbe given the kingdom, as they are the\n\n\"And. the\n\nKingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms\n\nunder the whole heaven, shall be given tothe people ef the\n\nkingdom an everlasting king:\n\ndors, and all dominions shall serve and obey them\" (Dan\nvm 27).\n\nANp ub sa1o: Let Me Go, ron THe Day DaFAKETH\nAso uesatp: LWiL Nor Ler THEE GO, EXCEPT THOU\n\n12 Tne ZouAR tt [1700-1706\nsnus m&. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Who isthe thet\nlooketh forth as the den fair asthe moon, clear asthe sun, ter\nIie at am army sith banners? (S. &, vt 10). \"This verse he\nsid, 'refers to Israel, at the time when the Holy One, blessed\n'be He, will raise them up and bring them out of captivity. At\nthat time he wil ist open for them a tiny aperture of ligh,\nthen another somewhat larger, and so on until He will throw\nopen for them the supernal gates which face on all the four\n'quarters of the world. And, indeed, this process i followed\nbby God in all that He does for Israel and the righteous among\nthem. For we know that when a man has been longs\n\ndarkness it is necessary, on bringing him into the light, first\nto make for him an opening as small as the eye of a needle,\nand then one alittle larger, and so on gradually until he can\nendure the full light, Itis the same with Israel, as we read:\n\"By Uitele and little 1 will drive them oat from before thee,\numl thou be increased, ete.\" (Ex. xxtt, 30). So, too, a sick\n'ran who is recovering cannot be given 3 full dit all at once,\ntbat only gradually. But with Esau it was not 20. His light\ncameat a bound, butt will gradually be withdrawn from hi\n'until Israel will come into their own and destroy him com =\npletely from this world and froma the world to come, Because\nhhe plunged into the light all at once, therefore he will be\nutterly and completely exterminated. Israel's light, on the\nther hand, will come lite by litle, ueel they will become\n'stung. God will illumine them forever. All then will ak:\n\"Who is she that Jooketh forth like the dawn', this being a\nreference to the first iny streak ofthe dawn, then \"far a the\nmoon', the light of the moon being stronger than that of the\ndaven, and then \"clear as the sun\", that\n\npressive ofthe ight in its full strength For, jst as when the\n'davon emerges frm the darkness its light at fst faint, but\nsradually brightens tl full daylight is reached, so when Ged\n'vil bestr Timsef to shine upon the Community of Tara,\nHe will fst shed on ther a streak of ight like that of the days\nbreak which iol black, then increas it to make it fai es\nthe moon\", then \"cla as the sun\", unt it wil be \"tremet=\ndous as an army with banners\", a already explained.\" [1708]\n\ns7ob-171a] VAYISHLAR 53\n'Nov in connection with Jacob itis not written: \"for day-\nbreak has come (ba, hut \"for davbreak has gone wp( \"alah\"\nFor-at the moment when daybreak arrived, the Chieftain\n'summoned all his stregth and struck out at Jacob in order\n'thereby to impart pawer to Esau; but as soon asthe blackness\n'of the dawn passed the light eame on and Jacob's power n=\nceressed; for his time had then arrived to come into the light,\nasitis written: \"And the sun rose upon him ashe passed over\netic\" In the next words, AND He LIMPED UPON HIS\n\"Titi, there is hint that after Lara! in exile have endured\n'many sufferings and pains, when daylight rises upon them\nand they attain to rest and ease they will a their memory go\nthrough again their past sufferings and affictions and will\nwonder how they could have endured them. So Jacob,\n'Whe sun had risen upon him\" was \"imping upon hie thigh\n'vexing himself for what had befallen But when the blackness\nof the easly dawn passed he made a prea effort and grasped\nhis opponent, whose strength atthe same tie gave out, his\ndominion being only daring the night, whereas Jacob' has\nascendancy in the daytime, Hence he said: Let te Go,\nFOW THe DAY BREAKETH, 60 that, as height have added,\nTam now in thy power\".\n\n, Hi ssid: \"Had Jacob's strength nor filed hin a that\nspot (the sinew that shrank) he would have prevailed against\nthe angel 20 completely that Esau's power would then have\n'been broken both on bigh and below.\" R. Simeon remarked\n\n'As the appearance of the bow\n'that inthe eld in the day of rin, s0-nas the appearance\n'of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the\nlikeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it I fell\n'upon my faee, ete.\" (Ex. 1, 28) This verse ilustrates the\n'iference hetween the other prophets and Moses, of whom it\n{swritten, \"And there bath not arisen a prophet since in Israel\nlike unity Mosea\" (Deut. xxiv, to). For Moses gazed into the\nclear mirror of prophecy, whereas all the other prophets\nIooked into a hazy minor. [17a] Moses received the divine\n'message standing and with ll his senses impaired, and he\ncomprehended it fully, sit is written: \"even manifestly, and\n'notin dark speeches\" (Num. xi, 8); whereas other prophets\n\n154 'Tue 20mAR It tre\nfell on their faces in a state of exhaustion and did not obtain a\nperfectly clear message, All those prophets thus failed to\nrealise fully what God had in store for Esau in the future, with\nthe exception of the prophet Obadiah, who, being himaelf a\nproselyte, originating from the side of Esau, was able to\nreceive full message with regard to Esau, he reason why\nall the prophets except Moses were thus weak was that \"he\ntouched the hollow of Jacobs thigh through the sinew of the\nthigh-vein\"—the sinew that draws tothe thigh all its energy;\nthe energy of the thigh was thus broken, and Jacob remained\nimping upon his thigh\", and hence the rest ofthe prophets,\nthe exception of Moses, could not retain their faculties\nuring a vision and grasp it filly. Nove just athe prophets\nwere thus wetkened, #0 when scholars are not encouraged\nand no one gives them pecuriary support the Torah is for-\nsgotten from one generation to another and its strength is\nweakened, those who toil init having no support, and the\nsinful kingdom increases in power with each day. Much evil\n'therefore resus; since, 9 the upholders ofthe Torah become\nweaker, strength is thereby gained by him who has no legs to\nstand upon. For when God said to the serpent, \"upon thy\nbelly shale thou go\" (Gen. 1, 14), the serpeat had his sup\nPorts and legs cut off so that he was left with nothing to stand\n'on, But when lrael neglect to support the Torah, they thereby\nprovide him vith supports ard legs on which to stand firm\nand upright.\n\nMany were the stratagems and cunning deviees to which\nthe serpent-rider resorted on that night against Jacob, For he\n'well knew that \"the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands\nare the hands of Feau\" (Gen. sxe, 22), s0 that whenever the\nvoice of Jacob s interrupted, the hands of Esau are reinforced.\nHe therefore cst about on allsides for means of interrupting,\nhis voice, but he found him strong on all sides, his arms\nstrong on both sides and firmly upheld between them, and\nthe Torah firmly entrenched therein. Seeing, therefore, that\nhie could not prevail against lim, he \"touched the hollow of\nhis thigh'. Foc he knew that when the supports of the Torah\nare broken, the Torah itself is shaken; hence he thought that\nin this way he should reap the benefit of what thie father had\n\nayre-171b) vaytsutan 155\nssid, namely: \"And it shall come to pass when thou shalt\nbreak loose, that thou shalt ohake hin yoke from thy neck'\n(Ibid, 40). His whole purpose in contending with Jacob was\nto break the force of the 'Torah, and when he sav that he\ncould not strike atthe Torah itself, he weakened the power of\nits upholders; for without upholders of the Torah there will\nbb: no voice of Jacob\", and the hands of Esav will operate.\nJacob, on seeing this, as s00n as day broke, seized hold of him\n1d didnot let him go, so that he blessed him and confirmed\n'whim those blessings, and said to him: \"Thy rame shall be\ncalled no more Jacob (¥a'ageb=supplanter), but Israel\n(Vera princehood and strength), s0 that na one can pre=\n'ail against thee.\" Nove, from thit serpent ise numerous\nhosts which disperse themselves on every side to prowl about\n'the world, Ieisincumbent, therefore, upon us to preserve in a\n'complete state the sinew of the thigh-Vein, for although the\nserpenterider touched i,t retained its vitality, and we require\nits strength to establish ourselves in the world and to make\nsod the words: \"For thou hast striven with God and with\nmen, and hast prevailed.\" Wher the adversary sces that that\npartis not broken or consumed, his own strengthand courage\nisbroken [1716] and he ean no more do any harm to the sons\n'of Jacob. Tes for that reason that we ae forbiiden to give\nthat part (ofan animal) to anyone to eat and may not benefit\nff it in any way, R. Jesse the elder connected the word\nvouched\" in tha clause with the same word in the verse:\n\"He that toucheth the dead, even any man's dead body, et.\"\n(Sum, xix, 11), Just asin the ater case', he sid, 'there i\ndefilement, 0 here defilement is implied, that part of the\nbody being an object of deflement, so that we may not put it\ntwany use whatever.' Blessed be the Merciful One who gave\nthe 'forsh to Isnel, whereby t merit this world and the\nworld to come, as it is written: \"Length of days is in\nher right hand; in her left hand are riches and honour\"\n(Prov, ttt, 16).\n\nAND IE HIMSELF PASSED OVER BEFORE THEM, axD\nBOWAD HIMSELF TO THE GROUND SEVEN TIMES, UNTIL\nHe CAME NEAK TO MIs BROTHER, Said R. Eleazar:\n\n196 'THE ZOHAR tT fb\nwritten, \"For thou shale bow down to no other god, for the\nLard sshose names Jealous, rs jealous God\" (EX xt, 14).\n'Now; Jacu a the consummation ofthe patriarch, who wes\nselected as the choicest portion of the Almighty, and was\n'brought specially near to Him and was perfected above and\nbelo. Hove came it chen that auch a an should bow down\ntothe wicked Esau, who was of theside of another god, so that\n'owing downto him was the sime as bowing down to another\nsed ?The proverb, its true ays, \"When a fox isin honour,\nbow dovin to him. Ths, however, coud not apply to Esau\nwho was like another god, belonging t that side and that\nportion to. whom Jacob seould in no way bow down. A\nSimilar difficulty aries with the verse: \"And thus ye shall\nSay: AIL hal | (lehay, lito the living one) and peace be both\nunto thee and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all\nthat thou hast\" (1 Sam. ax¥, 6}. Nov, inasmuch as, according\nto our teaching, i ie Forbidden to give the first greeting to 4\nwicked man, how could David have test such 2 message fo\nNabal? There, however, the explanation is that David in\nreality addressed his words to God, as is implied in the ex-\npression ekay (to the Living One) alkhough Nabal misunder-\niwc theon wo adiremed to hitnel. Searly, when we ead?\n\"And Unrael bowed himself upon the bed's head\" (Gen,\nxvi, 31), we are not to suppose that he bowed down in\n'worship tos son, bu that his obeinanice was directed towards\nthe spot where the Shekinah rested, So inthis passage, the\nwords: \"and he himself passed over before them\" refer 0\nthe celestial Shekinah who went before Jacob in order to\nalfiord him the promised protection from on high. When\nJacob became aware ofthis he thought incumbent on him\ntomake obeisance towards the Holy One, blessed be He, who\nwing, asit wer, in front of him, andso \"he howed hime?\ntothe ground seven times, until he came cart his brother\n\nMark that i is not written, \"and he bowed down to Esau\ntut simply \"he bowed dawn\", implying that he did 0\nfrcause he saw the Holy One, llesed be He, going before\nhim, not that he-made obeisance by wa of worship to any\n'ne ee. Everything as thus in order. Happy are the right=\n'nus all of whose ations are forthe glory of their Master,\n\natb-1724) VAYISHLAH 157\nand with the object that they themselves should turn neither\ntothe right nor to the left\"\n\nAxo EsaU RAN TO MeuT 11M, AND EMBRACED 1116,\nAND FELL ON HIS ECK AND KISSED HIM; AND THEE\nwet. The word zavaro (his neck) is used here instead of the\nmore usual zavorav; while dots are placed ove the letters of\nthe word eayishogolu (and he kissed him). Said. Toaa:\n'Many are the methods by which the Seripture conveys\n'econdte allusions, yt witha common purpose. Iis writen:\n\"But the wicked are tke the troubled se; frit cannot ret,\nand its waters east up mire and diet (Is. yi, 20). This verse\n'may be applied to Esau, all of whose actions were wicked and\n\ninte in an allusion to Jerusalem, which i indeed the neck of\nthe universe, and the singular form sacar is used instead of\n'the regula dual form aatorao as a hint that the seed of Esay\n'wauld one day fall upon andl destoy one of the two Temples.\nAin, the dots above the word vayishayeha (and he Kissed\nthi} indicate that he Lissed him reluctantly. The verse: but\nthe kisses ofan enemg are importunate\" (Prov. xxv, 6) has\nbeen applied by our teachers to Balam, who, although he\nblessed Israc, did itagainst his wills but Esau providesanother\nistration,' Jove sad: eis written: \"For thou hast smitten\nallmy enemies upon the check, thou hast broken the weth\nthe wicked\" (Ps 1,8), and there isa tadion which reads\nheteshirbaboha (thou hast lengthened) instead of shibartha\n(Chow hast broken), to indicate that Fsau's teeth were sud\nenly lengthened to prevent him from biting.' We read\nfunher: Ann ruey werr; both the one and the other\nwith good cause, (2723) as the companions have expounded,\nFor Esau waso evilly disposed to [acob that even at that very\ntime he was planning hove to afflict him and being aecusations\nagainst him inthe distant future. Hence they wept: Jacob for\nfear lest he might not escape fom bis brother's onslaught,\nand Esau to think thats father was sill alive, so that he was\nunable to do any harm to Jacob.' R. Abba said: 'Assuredly\n\n18 'THe ZOMAW IT [rae\nEsau's wrath was allayed at the moment he beheld Jacob,\nsince his chieftain hud confirmed Jacob's claims, and there-\nfore it would have been vain for Esau to vent his wrath, For\nall the affairs of this world depend on what is done above,\nand whatever is agreed upon above is acepted below, and mo\npower can he exercised below until power is granted above,\n\"Thus one world depends always on the other.\"\n\nLer wy Lown, 1 PRAY THER, PASS OVEE BEFORE 11s\nSERVANT; AND I WILL JOURNEY ON GENTLY, ETC,\nR Eleazar said: \"This hears out what wesaid before, namely,\nthat Jacob did not vith as yet to avail himself uf the firt\nblessings that he received from his father, not one of whieh\nhud so far been fulfilled, since he reserved them for the end\nfof days when his drscendante should need them in their\nsteuggle against the nations of the world, Hence, when Esaa\nsaid: \"Let us take our journey, and let us go\" that is, \"Tet us\nshare together this world and rule it in partnership\", Jacob\nreplied: \"Let my lord, 1 pray thee, pass over before his\nservant\", as much as to say: \"Have thou first thy dominion\n'ofthis world, and I wil journey on gently, and reserve myself\nfor the world to come and for the latter days that How on\nently - . . 'until Feome unto my lord unto Sele, je. L will\n'endure subjection to thee until my time will eome to rule\n'over the mount of Esau, as itis written: 'And saviours sball\n\n'came up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and\nthe kingdom shall he the Lord's!\" (Obs. 1,24)\"\nAxp JAacom jourNeven To Succorm, axn ouvir\n\nMIM A MOUSE, AND MADE BOOTHS FOR HIS CATTLE\nTHENEFORE THE NAME OF THE PLACE 15 CALLED Suc-\ncorn. R, Hiya discoursed on the vene: Except the Lord\ntld the house, et. except the Lord keep the city, ete. (Ps\n'CAA, 1). He said: When God resolved to ereate the world,\nHe produced out of the primordial lamp of scintillation a\nnucleus that flashed forth from the midst of darkness and\nremained on high while the darkness went below It flashed\nalong through a hundred paths and ways, some narrow and\n\nwpa-17al] YavisutaM 159\nsome broad, until the House of the world! was made. 'This\nHouse forins the centre of the universe, and it has many doors\nani vestibules onallits sides, sacred and exalted abodes where\nthe celestial birds build their nests, each according tots kind.\nFrom the midst of it rises a large tree, with mighty branches\nand abundance of fruit providing food for all, which rears\nitself to the clouds of heaven and is los to view between three\nrocks, from which it again emerges, xo that it i both above\naan below them. From this tree the house is watered. In this\nhouse are stored many precious and undiscovered treasures,\n\"Thus was the house built and completed. That tree is visible\nin the day-time but is hidden at night, whereas the house\nbecomes manifest in the night and is hidden by day. As soon\nas darkness sets in ard all the doors on all sides are closed,\ninnumerable spirits fly about, desiring to know what is in it\n'They pass between the birds, bringing ther credentials, they\nflit about and see many things, until the darkness by whick\nthe house is enveloped is aroused and sends forth a fame\nand strikes with mighty hammers, causing the doors to be\n'opened, and splitting the rocks; then the flame goes up and\ndown and strikes the world with blows that resound above\nand below, Then a [1726] herald ascends, attaches himself to\nthe ether, and makes proclamation. Thatether emerges from\nthe pillar of cloud of the inner altar, and spreads itself out\ninto the four quarter of the world. A thousand thousand\nstand at the left side and a myriad of myriads stand at the\nright side, And the herald stands: his place and makes loud\nproclamation. Then innumerable are thove who chant hymns\nand make obeisance; and two doors open, one on the South\nand one on the North. The house then is lifted up and\nfasened between the to sides, whilst hymns are chanted and\nsongs of praise ascend, Then some enter silently whilst the\nIhouse is lit up on every side with six lights, bri\nexplendent, and from thenes flow out six rivers of baloam\nfrom which all the \"animals of the field\" are watered, as it\nsays: \"They give drink to every animal of the field, the wild\nasses quench their thirst ete.\" (Ps.cty, 11) They thus continue\n\n\"sho ofthe Word ee ee to Be meat ort emanation',\nvier a0 ing eet penetra the clone\n\n160 'THe oman tt [736\nsinging. praises until daybreak. At daybreak, the stars, the\n'onatelaions and their hosts all commence to chant songs\nOf praise and hymns, as we read: \"When the morning stars\nsang together, and all the sms of God shouted for joy\"\n(Gob sxxvit, 1). Now observe the words: \"Exeept the Lord\nbuild the hows they labour in vain that build it.\" 'This i a\nreference tthe Most High King who constantly builds the\nhouse and perfects it, but ely when acceptable worship\nascends from below in due form. 'Then again the words\n\"Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but\n\n'ain refer tothe time when the darkness of the night sets\nand armed companies roan to and fro in the world, and\nthe doors are shut, and the city is guarded on all sides so that\n\ntnd. the unclean may not come nea\n\nFor henceforth there shall no more come unto\nthee the uncircumeised and the unclean\" (Is. ttt 1), since\nGod will one day remove them from the world, Who, then,\n\nthe uncircumeised and whois the unclean ? They are both\n36 the sate that seduced Adam and is wife w fellow Kim\nand to bring death into the world. He, too, will continue to\ndefile this house until such time as the Holy One, blessed be\nHe, will cause him to vanish from the world. Hence: \"Except\nthe Lord keep the ety, ete.\"\n\n\"Observe tht Jacob \"journeyed to Suecoth', whereas Esau\n\"returned that day on his way unto Seir\", ich one taking\nthe road toward his own side, Esau betook himself toward the\nside of Sir, tnt is, toward the \"strange woman', the strange\nod, which are both designated by the name Seir; whereas\nJacob journeyed to Succoth (lit, tabernacles), «name indi\n\n'of the true faith. \"And built him a honte\", co wit, the\nuse of Jacob.\" Said R. Eleazar: 'Here isan indication that\nJacob institued evening prayer. We read further: \"and he\n'made booths (uecoth) for his cattle; these were other taber-\nracles which he made for guarding them, but the former\nsuccath were bis awn portion'\n\nAxp Jacon came rrneecr shalom): perfect in ©\nrespeet; the sime allusion is contained in the word:\n'Shalem (lit. in perfection) alse he set his tabernacle\n\nayab-1734] vavismtant x61\n1axvr, 3). For faith became his conatant companion when he\n'tained perfection, when he was crowned in the spot appro=\nriate to him and then alo tht Tabernacle was crowned\n'long with him who was the perfection of the patriarchs,\nicing completed by hissons. He was thus perfect onal sides:\nrefect on high, perfect below, perfect in heaven and perfect\nén earth, Perfect on high in thathe was the consummation of\nthe patriarchs, the glory of Tse, perfect below, through\nis oly sons; perfet in heaven and perfec on cath, so that\n\"in perfection abo he set his tabernacle.\n\nAxp Divan rae paveiri oF Lean wet ovr.\n'Th comspentdes eave remarbed that tte xix avasicy of\nsrades and sides on high, cach oe diferen rem the other,\nEerpent fal ser, one kind endeavouring to jain dominion\n'er the other ard to devour prey, each according tits kind.\nFrom the side of the unclean sprit ever so many grades\nbranch out and al of them fic in wait to bring accusations\nagainst each othe, Hence Tow mal 8 plow\nwrth an x and an ass together\" (Deut, x, 1) inasmuch as,\nhay hs ae ee eth bing ote at\nTankind, Observe further that the great desire ofthe unclean\npede ito find mati of chrgeaguina th holy sides, Ts,\nEco Jacob wae hay man, they al ly in wit for him and\nontended with im, First the serpent bit his when he\ntouched the hollow of his thigh, and now the aus bit him.\n'Then it was Jacob imself who opposed the serpent, now it\nvas Simeon and Levi, who belonged tothe side (1734) of\nstern judgement, who stood pagans the aa snd prevailed\nter him and completely subdue him, a8 we eas \"And they\nfee Hamor (it as) and Sheckem his son with the ee of\n'he sword.\" Now Simeon, who vas under the zaiacal ign of\n1 (Tauris), set upon the an 3 a to peeve he vo from\npining, a8 then the litter would have set upon bm, All came\ntw contend with Jacob, who, however, was dlvered from\nthem and afterrar obtxined dominion over them. Then\n'me the one wha is designated ax, and made hime peefest,\nmong the asses, that i, among those who wer ofthe side\nof the ass. For Joseph was designated ox, and of the Egyptian\n\n162 'THe ZonAR tT bi73a\nWhose fh is as the flesh of asses\n\n'utterly broke ther force. He also removed the ox from them,\nas it fs written: \"And Moses took the bones of Joseph with\nhho\" (Ex. x11, 19). Observe that when Simeon assailed the\n'as (Hamor) on the frst occasion he frst made them see blood.\n—the blood of eireumcision—and after that \"they slew all the\nmales\". God dealt in the same way through the hand of the\nLevite, Moses, with those other asses, the Egyptians. He first\n'howedthem blood and afterwards \"the Lord slew llth frst-\n'born inthe land of Egypt\" (Zbid. x1, 29). In connection wt\n\nHamorit is writen: \"They took their flocks and their herds\nand their connection with those other ames it\nis written:\n\n'jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment\"\n(Ibid. 35), also: \"And a mixed multitude went up also with\nthem?and flocks and herds, ven very much cattle\" (id. 38),\nInthe same way, t00, s Simeon withstood this one ass, Levi\n\\withstond that company of asses. They all conspired ageinst\nJacob the holy man and essayed to bite him, but he together\n\n'sons stood up against them and subdued them. But\nEsau is biting him and his children, who will stand\n\nup against him ? Jacob and Joseph, one\n\n'other on the other side. So Seripture say\n\nof Jacob shall be a fre and the house of Joseph aflame, and\n\nthe house of Esau for stubble, ete.\" (Oba. 1,18).\n\nAsp tury jounsnysDs AxD A rannon oF Gop was\nAND THEY DID NOT PURSUE AFTER THE So¥S OF JACOB,\nRR, Jose said: \"They all eame together, but when they com=\n'menced to gird on their arms a terror seized them and they\nleft them alone. Hence \"they did not pursue after the sons\n'of Jacob\"\n\nPur AWAY THE STHANGE cops, ETC, These were the\nsilver and gold vessels that they had taken from Sheckem,\n\n1730-1736] VaYEEHUAH 163\nand on which were engraved images of their gods. R. Judah\nsaid: Their idols themselves were made of silver and gold,\nand Jacob hid them therein order that his children should not\n'make use of the side of idolatry, asa man is forbidden to have\nany benefit whatsoever from i\n\nAsR, Judah and R. Hizkish were once walking together\n'on the road, the latter suid: \"iis writen: \"And he took the\ncrown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof\n'was atalent of gold, and init were precious stones; andit was\nset on David's head' (it Sam. att, 30). Now, we have been\ntaught that \"Mileom the abomination of the Ammonit\n(eKings xt, 5) isthe same as Malcam in this verse, How, then,\n'as this crown permitted to be set on David's head? And\nfurther, why is it called \"abominati\nare referred to as \"gods ofthe peoples\"\nthe like?\" R. Judah replied: \"Indeed, other idols are also\ncalled abominations, a3 we read: \"And ye have seen their\naborsinable things and their idols\" (Deut. xxix, 16), As\nregards the identification of Malcam with Milcom, this\ncertainly correct; nevertheless David was able to use the\ncrown of Maleam because Ini the Gittit, before he keeame\n'aproselyte, broke it, that is to say, he disfigured the:\nwhich was on it, and yo madeits use permissible,! andit was\nseton David's head. Theidol of the Arvmonites asa serpent\n'graven deep on that erown, and for that reason it was alled\nabomination.\" R. Isaac said that the order \"put away the\nstrange gods\" referred to the ether women who brought with\n'them.on their personsall their ornaments. Henceit is written:\nAND THEY GAVE UNTO JACOB ALL THE FOREIGN GoDs,\n{0 wit, of those women, AND JAcon nip Tite (173b] 50,\nthat is people should not derive any benefit whatever from\nthe sil of idolatry.\n\n'Observe the complete devotion of Jacob to the Almighty,\nas shown by his words: AND LET US ARISE, AND GOUF TO\nBersi-Et, aNp TWILL MAKE TRERE AX ALTAR UNTO\nGov, wito ANSWERED ME ts THE DAY OF MY DISTRESS,\nAND WAS WITH MEIN THE WaY Witte I WENT, From\n\n+ ssseding tothe Rabbinical mle: \"An Wdolater can render Si: do\nval od vd\n\n16 ie zoman tt 38\ntheselat words elem that incumbent on man rie\n{God an ro give Hin thanks for any src or any Kndnesx\nthar He has show him. Observe tat ist Jacob ahd: \"tar\nte and po up to Beth\", ths asocting Bis chilten\nais eit hese Fl ce re bahay\nTot\" will ke\", The reason wa that his tak delved\nSpon kim slog ice was be who hed peed throug all\nthon tibulatons fom these when e el fom his rsh,\nteres his sons were not born uni afer Hene edi ot\nSeuss them wit ish Te Elesar side 'From te we\nTear tha he to whom a miracle ie vouched must Niel\noffer han jin she wh hasan meal should sy ase,\nido ot ha ht exten nating\n\nAND Me BUILT THERE AN auTaR, ETC. There is no\nmentionhereof bation or offering. The reason is that Jacob's\nintention was only to complete the grade which required\nto wit, to join the lower grade, referred to byt\nto the upper, referred to by the word \"Lord'\nHence he only built an altar and did not offer drink-offerings\nfor bumt-offerings. AND CALLED Tite PLACE EL-BrTH=\nEL: aname analogous to the Most High Name, inasmuch a8\nwhen there is a plenitude of ght, then \"like mother, like\nhe two becoming one. BECAUSE THERE GoD\nWere) REVEALED ONTO 1tIM: the word Elohim\n(God) bere is an allusion to the seventy who are always\nattendant on the Shekinah, there being seventy thrones\nthe Shekinah, Hence: \"there God was revealed unto\nindicating the same place of which it i written: \"And\nthe Loed stood beside hie\" (Gen. xett, 13)\n\nAxp Gob WENT UP FROM RIM IN THE PLACE WHERE\nHe sroxe wrrst wim. R. Simeon said; 'From here we\nlearn that Jacob formed the Holy Chariot together with the\n'other patriarchs; further, that Jacob constitutes the supernal\nHoly Chariot which will restore the full ight of the moon,\nthat he forms a Chariot by himself, as implied in the\nment: \"And God went up from him\", It is written\n'what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them,\n\nrrsb-r740) vavesnnan 165\nas the Lord our God is whensoever we call upon him ?\"\"\n(Deut. 1¥, 7). How dear', he exclaimed, 'must Israel be to\nthe Almighty, seeing that there is no nation or language\namong all the dol-worshippes that has god to hearken unto\nthem whereas the Holy One, blessed be He, i ready 10\nTeccie the prayers and suppications of Inve i thee hour\n'of need, to hearken to thetr prayer forthe sake of their\nrode?\n\nAxp Gop sar: THY NAME SHALL ME CALLED NO\nMone Jacos, BUT IsaAEL SHALL BE THY NAME; AND\n(bic) CALLED iis NaME IsRAEL, \"The subject of \"and\n'iled isthe Shekinah, a in the expression: \"\"And (he) called\nUnto Moses\": whereas the name \"God\" earlier in the sen-\ntence refers tothe higher grade. The name Israel wae yiven\nhim in viet of his having ackieved perfection, and so by this\n'name he was raised to higher grade and was made perfect in\nthat name. As R, Eleazar and R. Jose were once walking on\nthe rd, the ater said to R. Eleszar:'Axsuredly it sas you\n'aid, that Jacob was the consummation of the patriarchs and\nthat he was attached to all the sides and so his name was\ntailed Tsral. But how comes i that God afterwards again\ncalled him many times by the name of Jacob, and that he is\n'commonly called Jacob just as before 7 R, Eleazar replied:\n\"That ia a good question. To find an answer, consider the\nvers: \"The Lord will go forth as a mighty one, he wil stir\nup jealousy like a warrior\" (Is. xun, 13). Why say as a\n'mighty one, seing that He is a mighty one: and why say\nlike a warrior, seeing that He isa warsior ? But the uth is\nthat us we have learned, the same Jehveu (Lord) Is every\n'where expresive of the attribute of merey. Now, assuredly,\n[1740] God is named Jehovah (Lord), asi is writen: \"I am\nthe Lord Jehovah (Ibid, 8) Yet we see that at times His\n'ames called Elohim (God), which is everywhere expressive\nof judgement. The explanation is that when the eighteous are\nfurnerous among mankind, He is called by the name of\nJeleah (Lord), the name which implies mercy, but when\ninners abound, He is caled by the name af Elahin (God).\nSimilirly with Jacob, When hei not among enemies, or in\n\n166 \"Tue ZOHAR (74a\nstrange land, his name is Iracl, but when he is among ene-\nmies or in a strange land hie is called Jacob.\" R, Jose reoine\n\"This doesnot quite solve the dificulty, seing that i\nwritten: \"thy name shall no more he called Jacob\", and yet\nall the tine we do eal him Jacob as for your remark that he\n'sony called Jacob whenamong enemies or ina strange land,\nAdo we not ind it wrtten:\"\"And Jacob dwelt in the land of his\nfather's sojourning in the land of Canaan\" (Gen. x9xvt 1),\n'which was ot a strange land? R, Eleazar replied\nthe names \"Lard\" and \"God\"\n'the names Jacob and Ise\nfor the words \"thy name shall no more be called Jacob\", that\nsignifies merely that Jacob should not be his fixed name\nSaid R Jose: \"If that ssa, how pt that the name of Abrabamn\nbecame fixed after God haa said: \"Neither shall thy name\nbe called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham\"\n\n'written: \"but thy name shall be (eehayah), that is, abways,\n'whereas here it is written: \"but Israel shall be (yiyeH) thy\n'name, that is, at Jeast on one oceasion, if not oftener, When,\nhowever, his posterity were crowned with priests and Levites,\nand were raised to high degrees, he was invested with the\n\nname of Israel in perpetuity\n\nWhilst they were walking, R. Jose suid to R, Eleszar: 'It\nhas been said that with Rachel's death the house was trans-\n{ferred to Her who required to be adorned with twelve tribes.\n'Nevertheless, why should Rachel have died rns\nthe birth of Benjamin ? R. Eleazar in reply said:\n'order that the Shekinah should be duly crowned and take her\nplace in the house as \"s joyful mother of children\", With\nBenjamin, the Shekinah was equipped with the full twelve\ntribes, and with him the kingdom of heaven began to be made\n'manifest on earth. Now the beginning of any manifestation is\nbrought about with strin, and involves a doom of death\nbefore it can become established. Here, when the Shekinah\n'was about to assume her rightful place and to take over the\nhhouse, the doom fell upon Rachel. Similarly, when the king-\ndom was about to be made manifest on earth, it commenced\n'with a judgement, and the kingdom was-not established in its\n\n740-1748] vavisitan 167\nplace until a doom had fallen upon Saul, in accordance with,\nhis deserts; and only then was it established. It s-a general\nrule that beginnings are rough, whereas the subsequent\n'course is smooth. 'Thus, on New Year's day (Rosh-hashana)\n'the year opens with severity, asthe whole world passes under\nJudgement, each individual accordiag to his deeds, but soon\nafter comes relief and forgiveness and atonement. The reason\nis that the beginning is from the left side, and ao it brings\nhharsh judgements, until the right side is aroused and ease\nfollows. In time to come God wil frst treat the idolatrous\nnations gently and indulgently, bur afterwards with severity\nand stern judgement. So Seripture says: \"The Lord will go\nforth as a mighty onc, he will stir up jealousy asa warrior; he\nwill ery, yea, he will shout aloud, he wil prove himself mighty\nagainst his enemies\" (Is. xi), 13); which interpreted means\nthat first He will manifest Himself as Jehoeah (the Lord) in\nHisattibute of mercy, then asa mighty one, but notin Hisfull\nright, then asa wareior, but notin His full war panoply, and\nfinally, His whole might wil become manifest against them\n'order to exterminate ther, so that \"he will ey, yea, he wil\n'shout aloud, he will prove himself mighty against his ene-\nfics.\" Again, itis written: \"Then shall the Lord go forth,\nand fight againat those nations, as when he fighteth in the day\n'of battle\" (Zech, xiv, 3). Also: \"Who is this that cometh\nfrom Edom with crimson garmests from Bozrah ? ete.\"\n(is. cx, 2)\"\n\n[AND 17 CAME TO FASS, AB MER SOUL WAS IN DEPART\nING—FOR SHE DIED —THAT SHE CALLED His NAME BEN-\nONt; avr Wis Fatuer caLien stim Bexyamix. R,\nJudah discoursed on the verse: The Lord is good, a stronghold\ninthe day' of trouble; amd he keoweth them that fae refuge in\nhim (Nahum 1, 7). \"Happy', he said, 'is the man who finds\nhis suength th the Holy One, bleed be He, since: His\nstcength is invincible, \"The Lord is indeed \"good to all\"\n(Ps. caty, 9), \"a stronghold\", wherein is salvation, a8 we\nread: \"He isa stronghold of [1748] salvation\" (Fbid. xxv, 8)\n\n\"inthe day of trouble\", to wit in theday of Iraet's oppression\nat the hand of other nations, Now of him who relaxes his hold\n\n168 'tue zone ab\nof the Holy One, blewed be He, it fs written: \"If thou art\nfaint in the day of adversity, thy strength is stritened\"\n(Prov. xurv, 10), and the only way of holding firmly to God is\ntohold firmly tothe Torah; for whosoever holds firmly tthe\n'Torah holds firmly to the tre of life, and, awit were, adde\nstrength tothe community of Israel, But if he relaxes hishold\n'of the Torah, then, as it were, he presses hard the Shekinah,\n'which is the strength of the world. Again, when a man re-\nlases his hold of the 'Torah and walks in the wrong path, ever\n'so many enemics are ready at hand to acts his accusersin the\nday of rouble, nay, even his own soul, which i his power and\nstrengeh, turns against him, and becomes his enemy, so that\nmay be said of him *\n\nfollows the guidance of the 'Terah and walks in the stright\npath, many are the advocates that rise up 0 say a good\n'word for him, 'Thus we read: \"If there be for him an angel,\nan intercessor, one among a thousand, to youch for man's\nuprighiness; then he it gracious unto him, and sath: Deliver\nhim from the pit, Ihave found a ransom\" (Job xxxtt, 23,24).\n\"These verses', continued R. Abba, 'present a difficulty. Is\nsnot everything revealed before God,\n\nan angel to point out to Him the good or bad thi\n1 man, so that only when a man has defenders on his side to\nrecall his merits before Him, and no accusers, then He is\ngracious unto him, and saith: \"Deliver him from going down,\ninto the pit, Ihave found a ransom? But the language of the\nteat, ifproperly considered, contains the answer. For it would\nhave sufficed tosay:\"\"Ifthere befor him an angel\"; who, then,\nis the \"intercessor, one among a thousand\" ? Iti one of the\nangels appointed to follow man on his left side, There are a\nthousand such, as it says, \"A thousand may fall at thy side,\nand ten thousand a thy right hand\" (Ps Now \"one\namong thousand' isa designation ofthe evil prompter, who\n4s the outstanding figure of the thousand on the left, singe he\nis the one who ascends on high and obtains authorisation,\nHence, if man walks in the way of truth and the evil promp=\nter becomes his servant, according to the words, \"Better is he\n\n1746-1754) VAYISHLAML 169,\nthat i lightly esteemed, and hath a servant (Prov. 1, 0),\nthen he ascends on high and becomes the man's advocate,\npleading his merits before God, whereupon God says!\n\"Deliver him from going down into the pit.\" Nevertheles,\nthe evil prompter does not return empty-handed, aince\nanother man is delivered into his power, one whose sins he\nhhas already set forth, and this one isa ransom for the other\n'man, This is what i meant by the words: \"I (God) have\nfound a compensation\" (for thee, the accuser), According to\nnother interpretation, the ransom consists in the merits of\nthe man, through which he is freed fom the pit and from\n'death It is therefore incumbent on a man to walk in the path\n'of tit so thatthe accuser should be turned into his defender\n'A similar procedure is employed by Israel on the Day of\n'Atonement, when they tendera he-geat to the evil prompter\nand so engage his attention uatil he ascends and gives testi\nese a ese eae\nthine adversary be hungry, give him bread 1 eat,\neile beasts ie aa\nrefering to the evil prompter. 'The words\ngood, stronghold in the day ef trouble\" apply to Jacob when.\nEsau came forward to accuse him, and the words: \"and he\n'knoweth them that put their trust in him\"\" were exemplified\nwhen the trouble of Dinah befell him. Observe that the\naccuser attacks 2 man only in time of danger; and so it was on\naccount of Jacob having delayed to full his vows which he\nhhad made to God thatthe aceuser eame forward against him,\n[175 selecting the moment when Rachels life was in danger.\neho,\" he sald, \"Jacob has made vows and has not\nthem he has wealth and children end is shore of nothing, yet\nhe hat not paid his vow that he made before Thee; and Thou\nhhast not punished him.\" Then straightway \"Rachel tavailed\nand she had hard labour\", the term \"ard\" indicating that a\nsevere doom was issued on high at the instigation of the\nangel of death'\n\n[Awp Racitet pimp. We have seen that Jacob, at the time\n'Ena came up to him, put the handinaids and their children\nforemost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and\n\n170 'Tue ZOHAN 1 [eye\nJoseph hindermost. Why did he put Rachel hindermost ?\nTecause he feared that the wicked Esau might observe her\nhheauty and assail him on sccount of her, Iti written further:\n\"Then the handmaide came near, they and theie children,\nand they bowed down, And Leah also and her children came\nneat, and bowed down', the females before the males. But in\nregard to Rachel itis written? \"and after came Joseph near\nand Rachel\", tha is, Joseph in front of his mother, #0 a8 to\nrotet her. And here Rachel was punished atthe hand of the\nevil prompter, who availed himself of the moment of danger\nand brought sceusationszpainst her; and Jacob was punished\nfor aot having paid his von. Jacob felt thi blow more acutely\nthan all the other sufferings that befell hin. 'That her death\nwas due to him we learn from his words: \"Rachel died upon\nme\" (Gen, XLvt, 7), oF, a8 we may translate, \"on account of\n'me, je, through my not having paid my vows, R. Jose said:\n'Tet written: \"the curse that is causeless shall come home'\n(Prov, xxvt, 2) This signifies that the curse of a righteous\n'man, even if pronounced under a misapprehension, once\n'uttered is eaught up by the ©\n'moment of danger. Nov Jacob sa\nsoever thou finest thy gos he shall not ive\" (Gen. xxx, 32);\nand although he was unaware that it was Rachel who had\nstolen them, the Satan (adversary) who perpetually dogs the\nfootsteps of the sons of men, seized on that uterance. Hence\nWe are taught that a man siould \"ever open his mouth for\nthe Satan\", inasmuch as the later is sure to take hold of his\n'utterance and use it to bring accusations on high and below;\nall the more so if i is the utterance of a righteous man or &\nsage, These, then, were the true causes of Rachel's death.\"\n\nAND 1 CAME TO PASS, AS EK SOUL DEPARTED—FOR\nfive pep. R. Abba said 'What need is there t state thet\nshedied, after itsays that her soul departed ? The object is to\nmae it clear that her soul did not return again to her body,\nas sometimes happens with some people. 'Thus we read:\n\"And his spirit returned unto him\"; also: \"And their heart\ndeparte\n\n1750-1756) Vavtsntan mn\n'xvi, 17). Butwhen Rache!'s soul pased out, it did not return,\nand 50 she died.\"\n\nAND SHIH CALLED 115 NAME BEN-O¥t (the son of my\n'sorrow, in reference tothe doom thit was pronounced agsinst\nthee; but Jacob turned him round and attached him to the\night (Benyamin-the son of the right hand), as the West (of\n'which Benjamin was symbolic) needed to be bound up with\nthe right. Thus although he was Ben-oni (the zon of sort),\nderived from the side of chastisement, yet was he also Ben\nGorin (che aonf the tight), ee the mother was bound op Wi\nthe right and was buried by the toad, as explained elsen ere,\nRachel's death and burialplace ate recorded, but\n\ndeath nor the burialplace of Leah is recorded\nalthough the matriarchs have a jowt symbolism, which has\nbeen explained elsewhere,\n\nAxp Jaconser up a rintan crow nee cHace, R. Jose\nsaid: \"He did this in order that her burial-place should never\nbeforgotten until the day when Gosishall raise the dead tolife.\n'This is borne out by the phrase: \"unto this day\", which\n'means until that great day.' R. Judah said: 'It means, untit\nthe day when the Shekinah will return with the exiles of\nIsrael to that spot, as itis written: \"And there is hope for thy\nfuture, saith the Lord; and thy children shall return to their\n'own border\" Jer. xxx, 17) This isthe oath which God sware\nunto her; and Israel are destined, when they retuen from\nexile, to stop at Rachel's grave and weep there as she wept\n'over Isrue's exile. It is thus written: \"They shall come with\n'weeping, and with su ns will I lead them\" (Ibid.\nalso: \"for thy work shall be rewarded\" (Ibid. 16). And at\nthat [175] time Rachel who lies on the way' will rejoice with\nTaracl and with the Shekinah, 'The Companions have thus\nexpounded allthis,\n\nAnp iT cmt 70 Pass, Waite IeuAEL DWELT IN THAT\nLAND, THAT REUBEN WENT AND LAY WITH BILWAn\nHis FATHER'S CONCUBINE; AND ISRAEL HEARD OF IT.\nNow THE suns of Jacos Wete TWrLve, R. Elezar\n\n'ite gouaR 11 lish\nThe term del eh) incates that Leah and Rachel\nby that tie and the house had been taken over by\nthe new misten (the Shek). In apite af the words ofthe\ntext, weare not tomuppone that Reuben rally lay with Bilkal,\n\"The teuth ip that during the lives of Leah and Rachel the\nShekinah hovered over them; and now that they had died\nthe $\nthere her abode, nary, in the tent of Bil\nhave been found there had not Jacob formed a new union of\nmale and female. But Reuben, in his pleasure at seeing\nihah filling his mother's place, came and disarranged the\n'ouch; and because the Shekinah rested on it ti writen,\n\"And he lay with Bihah\".' R. Jesse sad that Reuben li\nhimself down to sleep on that ouch, thus showing disrespect\nto the Shekinah, Hence Reuben was not excluded from the\nof the tribes; and so Scripture relates thatthe aoms of\nJacob sere twelve\", commencing with Reuben, Jacobs fst\nShoe, thus putting him atthe head of the tribes.\n\nR. Judah discoursed on the verse: Fur the ways ofthe Lord\narc right and the jst d alk in them; but transgresors stumble\n'therm (ito. x0¥, 10) \"All the ways of God he suid, are\nHet and tre, but mankind know not and regard not what\nis that keeps them alive. Hence \"the jos: do walk in them!\nbecause they know the ways of God, and they devote them.\nselies to the Torah; for whoever devotes himself to the\n\"Torah knows those ways and follows them without turning\neither tothe right or the left. \"Bur transgressors do stumble\ntherein\", to Wit, the sinners, since they labour not in the\n\"Torah nor regard the ways ofthe Almighty, and know not\nwhich way they are walking. And since they ate thoughtlest\nand do not study the Torah, they stumble in thei ways in this\n'werd and in the world to come, Now the soul of one who has\nlaboured in the std ofthe Torah, when t leaves this world,\nascends by the ways and paths ofthe Torah—ways and paths\nfariiar to them. They who know the ways and paths ofthe\n\"Torah inthis world fallow them in the other world when they\nleave this world. Bur those who do not study the Torah in this\nweld and know not ts ways and paths, when they leave this\n'world know not how to follow those waysand paths, and henee\n\na73b-1760) Vayrenuan 3\nstumble therein, 'They thus follow other ways which are not\nthe ways ofthe Torah, and are visited with many chastise-\n'ments. OF him who devotes himself tothe Torah, on the other\nhand, itis written: \"When thou lest down, it shall watch over\nthee; and when thou avaest, it shall alk with thee\" (Prov,\nVi 22). \"When thou lest down\", to wit in the grave, the\n\"Torah shall watch over thee against the judgement of the\n\ncother world; \"and when thou awakest\", that is, when the\nHoly One, blessed be He, will awake the spirits and soula m0\nasto bring the dead to life again, it shall talk with thee, the\n'Terah will speak in defence of the body, so that those bods\n\nwhieh laboured to keep the Torah as required will ise up.\n\"These itis who will ke the first to rive up, and of whom its\n'writen: \"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the\narth shall awake, some to everlasting life ete-\" (Dan, xi, 2)\nforthe reason that they occupied themselves with everlasting\nlife, which is the Torah, Further, all the bodies of those who\nhave devoted themselves to the Torah will be preserved, and\nthe Torah will protect them, inasmuch as at that time the\nHoly One, blessed be He, will raise up « wind from all four\n\n'of the world, a wind specially prepared to bring to\nie all those who have laboured in the' Torah 20 that thy\nhould live for ever. It may be asked here, what of the dead\n'ho were revived by the prophet's invocation, \"Come from\nthe four winds, O breath\" (Ez. xxxvn, 9), and who yet did\nnotsurvive, but died asecond time ? Theansweris that at that\nalthough the wind was compounded of all four winds,\nie did not come down to give them permanent life, but only\ntodemonstrate the modein which God will one day bring the\ndead to life, namely, by a wind (176a} formed in this fashion,\n'So that although those who were then resurrected turned\nagain into bones, since their resurtection was only meant as.\nproof to the world that God will one day raise the dead 10\nTif, we may stil belive that at the proper time the righteous\nwill be resurrected foran everlasting life. For the Torah itself\n'willstand by each one of those who have occupied themselves\nin the study of the Torah, recounting his merits before the\nAlmighty.' R. Simeon said: 'All the words of the Torah, and\nallihe doctrine ofthe Torah to which a man devotes his mind\n\n74 sits zoH1an 11 {176\nare ever blore the Almighty, and a that time\n\nthe Torah will recount how the man devoted himself tothe\n'Torah in this world, and thereat ich men il all ie for\nrelating ify an we a lend\nTard are righ and the jon dow\ndo sumblesherein.\"\n\nHiya cited in this conn\n\nton: \"Naw Eli was very old;\nand he heard all that his sons did unto all Irae and how that\n\n'hey lay with the women that did service atthe dooe of the\n'Sam. u, 22). \"Are we to believe, he sad,\n'tha the pests of the Lerd actually did auch s thing ? And\nwhat, in fae, were theie sins as recoeded by the Sceipure ?\n1 \"dealt centempruoasly with the offering of\n\nyan tha \"the custom ofthe priests with\nthe yeople was that, when any man offered sacrifice... Yea,\n'pefore the fat was made te smoke, the priests servant eae,\nand said to the man that sterfced: Give esh wo roast forthe\nNay, but thou shalt give it to me now, and if not,\n\nTil tke iby force\" (ld. 16), In fat, they ony ook those\nportions that belonged tothe press, and it wasonly because\nthey tested lightly the efferings that they were punished,\nYer here Scripture tates that \"they lay with the women that\ndid service at the door ofthe tent of meeting\", Assuredly\nthey could not have committed so grave wan, and that in x0\nsacred place, without the whole of Israel arising and slaying\nthes. 'The tuth is that what they did was te prevent the\n'women from entering and aering their prayers until the\nother sacrifices had ben offered, because their offerings were\nofa kind in which the priests had no portion. Its this ation\nof preventing them from entering the sanctuary which is\ndescribed by the words: \"shey lay with the women, ete.\"\nSimilarly, in the ease of Reuben, we should not dream of\ntaking literally the words \"and he fay with Bubah. What he\ndias to prevent her from performing her conjugal duty t0\nhis father, and this was the abject of his diarranging ia\nfather's couch; and, moreover, he did it in the presence of\nthe Shekinah; forthe Shekinah is always preseat whenever\nmarital intercourse is performed as a religious duty; and\n'whoever obstructs such a performance causes the Shekinah\n\n1760-1766} VavISHLATL 175\nto depart from the world. So Scripture says: \"Because thou\n\\wentest up Co thy father's bed; then profanedst chou that one\nthat went up to my couch\" (Cen, x8, 4). Hence it is written:\n\"that Reuben went and fay with Bihah, his father's eoncu\nbine; and Israel heard of it, Now the sons of Jacob were\ntwelve\"; that 5 to say, they were allincluded in the number,\nand their mers was inno wise abated.'\n\nRR, Eleazar asked: 'Why do we find jn this verse first the\nsame Israel and then the name Jacob ? The reason may be\ngiven as follows, Reuben said to kimself: \"My father was\nFntended to raise twelve uibes and ao mote, yet now he ie\nabout to beget more children, Does he then wish to disqualify\ntus and replace us with others?\" So straightway he dsarranged\nthe couch and prevented the intended intercourse, thereby\n\"lighting, as iewere, the honour of the Shekinah that hovered\n\nouch, Hence it is writen first \"and Jerae heard\",\nsince it was ly that same that he was exalted among the\ntwelve hidden ones which are the twelve pure rivers of bal-\nsam, and then \"and the sons of Jaceb were twelve\", alluding\nto the twelve wibes by whom the Shekinah was adorned and\n'whom the Torsh again enumerated [1768] a befor, implying.\nthat they wereall of them holy, all of them considered by the\nShekinah worthy to behold the sanctity oftheir Master; for\nhad Reuben really committed the act mentioned, he would\n'ot have been included in the number, For all that, he was\npunished by being deprived of the birthright and by its\n'transference to Joseph, as we read: And the sons of Reuten,\nthe first-born of Istael—for he was the first-born; but for-\n'tmuich as he defiled hie father's couch, his biethright was\ngiven unto the sons of Joseph' (t Chron. vi). We see from\n'this how all that God does i planned with profound wisdom,\nand every act of a man leaves its imprint and is preserved\nbefore the Almighty. For on the night when Jacob Went into\n'Leah, all his thoughts were eentred upon Rachel, and fom\nthat intercoune, and from the fist germ, and under that\nintention Leah conceived; and we have affirmed that had not\nJacab been unaware ofthe deception, Reuben would not have\n'entered into the nutnber, Its for that reason that he did not\nreceive a name of special significance, but was simply called\n\n176 THE ZOHAK 1 [1766\nReuben (rewshen--behold, a son). But forall that, the in-\ntended effet was produced, and the birthright reverted to the\n'dest son of Rachel, as originally purposed. 'Thus everything\nme right in the end, forall the works ofthe Almighty are\n'based on truth and right\n\nR. Hiskiah ore day found R. Jose cooking a dish from\nwhich jrease wan dripping on wo the fre, sending up a cloud\nOf smoke. He ssid then to him: \"If the pillars of smoke\nwhich used once to ascend from the top ofthe altar had con~\ntinued to go up lite this smoke, wrath would not havedescend-\n'ed on the world and Israel would not have been eailed from\nthee land.\" R, Jose then opened a discourse on the verse:\nWho is this that cometh out ofthe wildernes lhe pillars of smoke,\nperfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all poreders of the\n'merchant (8.8.1, 6). When Israel', he said, 'were journey-\ning in the wilderness, the Shekinah went in front of them, as\niia writen: \"And the Lord went before them by day\npillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar\n'of fire, to give them light\" (Ex. xi, 22). They on thei side\nfollowed its guidance; wherefore i is written: \"Thus saith\nthe Lord: I remember thee the affection of thy youth, the\nlove of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the\nwilderness, ete\" (Jer 1,2). The Shekinah was accompanied\nbyall the clouds of glory, and when itjourneyed the Israelites\ntook up their march, as it says: \"And. whenever the cloud\n'was taken up from over the tent, then after that the children\nof Tnrael journeyed, ets,\" (Num. 1%, 17). And when the\n'Shekinah ascended, the cloud also ascended on high, 30 that,\nall men looked up and asked: \"Who is this that cometh out\nof the wilderness like pillars of smoke ?\" For the cloud of the\nShekinah looked like smoke because the fre which Abraham\nand his son Isaac kindled chung to it and never left it, and by.\nreason of that fire it ascended both as cloud and smoke; but\nforall that it was \"perfumed, or, as we may alo translate,\nhound up with myrrh and frankincense\", tha i, with the\n'loud of Abraham on the right and with the cloud of Isaac on\n\n1 lft. The words with all powders of the merchant\" allude\nto Jacob, or, according to another explanation, t» Joseph,\nwhose bier aeeampanied the Isralites in the wilderness,\n\n1766-1778] VAyISHLAR 7\nfand the designation robhel (merchant of tale-bearer) is\naiven to him because he brought evil reports of his brethren\nto their father; or, again, because just asthe seller of spices,\nkeeps hisherbs and spices in bundles, so Joseph through one\naction kept the whole of the Torah, since all the precepts of\nthe Torah are bound up with the preservation of the holy\ncovenantin its integrity, The Shekinah was thus leagued with\nAbraham, Ista, and Jacob together with Joseph, inasmuch\n'as the two later are one in essence, each one being the image\nof the other, as indicated in the words: \"These are the off\n'pring of Jacob: Joseph\" (Gen, xxxvit, 2). Now, when the\nIsraelites dwelt in their land and brought offerings, they all\nAdrew themselves nearer to God in manner dve; and when the\nwork of steifce was performed and the smoke of the altar\nascended in a straight column, they knew that it had kindled\n[1774] the lamp which they desired to kindle, and so all faces,\nshone and all lamps were it. But since the destruction of the\n'Temple nota day passes butis visited with wrath and rage,\nanitsays:\"and God hath indignation every day\" (Ps. vil, 12),\nand joy has departed from on high and from below, and Israel\nhhave gone into exile and are subject to other gods, and the\nwords of Seripture have been fulfilled, saying: \"and there\nthou shaleserve other gods\" (Deut. xvit, 6). Why allthis?\n\"Because thou didst not serve the Lord thy God with joyful\n'es, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance\n'ofall things. 'Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy, et. in\nwant of al things\" (oid, xxvii, 47-48), And sit will be\n'until God willariseand redeem them from arsong the nations,\n48 we read. \"then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity,\nand have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather\nthee from all the peoples, whither the Lord thy God hath\nscattered thee, If any of thine that are dispersed be in the\n'uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God\nsath the, ete.\" (Ibid 8, 3-4)\"\n\nNow THESE ARE THE ceNeRaTioNs or Esau—rue\nSame 1s Epoat. The Scripture does not enumerate the sons.\nof Esau until after it has recorded the death of Isaac, whereas\nJacob's sons were emumerated long before. The reason for\n\n178 'Tnx ROmAR 11 bre\ns. Esau had neither portion nor inheri-\ntance nor loti Isaac, but only Jacob and his sons. Jacob and\nhis sone ae therefore the portion ofthe Holy One, blessed be\nHe, and they eter nto the reckoning; but Esau, who was not\nofthe portion of thesde of rue fit, made up hie account, as\nit were, after the death of Iaaac, and his por\n\ntook is course t9 another\n\ndied and Esau retieed to it is written: \"And\nEsau took his wives .. . and went into a land awa from his\nbrother Jacob\", that is, he relinquished to Jacob both the\ncapital and the profit, or, in other words, the bondage of\nEgypt and the land, and he sold his own postion in the cave\nof Machpela and went away from the land an from the true\nfaith, abandoning all completely. Observe, then, how much\nJacob's portion was this enhanced in every respec, in that\neau did not remain with him, but parted from himand went\nasvay Wo hs own pordon and lot, 50 that Jacob was left In\npossession of the heritage of his father and of his ancestors.\nHence: \"and he went into a land away from bis brother\nJacob\", the last phrase indicating that he bad no desire for\nJacob's portion or inheritance or his meed of faith. Happy\n'the portion of Jacob, of whom the Scripture says: \"For\nthe portion of the Lord is his people Jacob the fot of his\ninheritance\" (Ubi. xt, 9).\n\nAsp THESE ARE THE KINGS THAT KEIGNED IN THE\nLAND OF Epos, BEFORE THERE RELONED ANY KING\nOVEN THE CHILDREN OF TaRAEL. R. Jesse disceuraed on\nthe verse: Behold, I make the small among the nation, thow art\ngreatly despised (Ob. 1, 2). 'When God', he said, 'made the\n\n'world, He divided it into seven regions corresponding to the\nseventy Chieftains whom He placed in charge over the seventy\nnations, assigning to each the nation appropriate to him, a8\nwwe read; \"He set the borders of the peoples, according to the\n\n'of the children of Israel\" (Deut, xxxn, 8); and of all\n\nnations noone is 0 muuch despised before Him\nChieftain of Esau. The reason of this is that the sie of Esau\nis the side of defilement; and the side of defilement is\n\na77e-t77l) VAYISHLA 79\ndespicable before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it springs\n\nthee small among the nations; thou art grealy despised'\nit is written: \"upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt\nthou eat all the days of thy life\" (Gen. th, 14), and also:\n'eursed be thou from among all eatle, and from among all\nbeasts of the field\" (Jbid,) Observe that the lower grades\nforma hierarchy, one above the other, and each different from\nthe other, yall linked and interlocked with each other. Sois\nkingdom separate from kingdom, yet is each linked 10 the\nother, All the grades are held, as it were, by one chain of a\ncertain measurement, which in its turn is divided into three\nsmaller chains which reach down and ae tied tothe stars and\nplanets, s0 that each yrade is assigned one [1776] star or\nplanet, 'Those stars in their turn operate under the grades\nabove. Every grade has thus charge ofits own proper region,\nland, when they diverge, a chain is formed by which each\ngrade is bound to its proper sce, The sides of the unclean\nfrades, which are on the left side, diverge all of them into\n'humerous ways and paths and distribute their power 10\nthousands and myriads in the lower world; nd in reference\nto this it a5 said-to Edom: \"Behold, I make thee small\namong the nations; thou art greatly despised.\" Now, in the\ntext, \"And these are the kings that reigned in the land of\nTalim! the words \"in the land' indicate the side of his\ngras, that is, the grade of Esau, since itis written: \"Esau—\n'the same is Edom.\" All these things were this from the side\nfof the unclean spirit; and they were \"before there reigned\nany king over the children of Israel, inasmuchas they embody\nthe grades that stand first a the lower gates. Ft was this that\nJacob had in mind when he said \"Let my lord, pray tl\n\njplos over before his servant' (Gen. xxxmt, 14), since Esau's\ngrades were the first to gain an entrance. 'They thus reigned\nIhefore there wasany'king over Israc, for as yet the time had\nnot arrived for the kingdom of heaven to enter into power\nand to league itself with the children of Isael. When it did,\ni beyan with the leas ofthe tribes, which vas Benjamin, at\nit says: \"There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them,\n\n180 rue zoman tt ft\nte.\" (Ps, txvit, 28), and with him the kingdom began to\nadvance, After that the kingdom came into its own place and\n'was established, never to be removed.'\n\n'R. Hiya diacoursed on the verses: Yet now hear, O Jacob\niy servant, and Irae, whom Fac chosen; thus sith the Lord\nthat made thee axd formed thee from the scomb, echo exill help\nthee: Fear not, O Jacob my sercant, and thou Jeskunun, cham\nT have chosen (Is; xutv, 1-2). 'Observe', he sad, 'how God\n'hax promised Terie in many places to make them worthy of\nthe world to come, as He has not chosen for his portion\nother people or language, but only Israel. It was for thi\n'purpose that He gave them the Torah of truth, by whose\n'means they may live virtuously and learn the ways of the\nHoly One, blessed be He, 20 that they may inherit the Holy\nLand; for whoever is thought worthy of the Holy Land has a\nportion in the world to come. So Scripture says:\"\"Thy people\nalso shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for\never\" (Ibid, 1x, 1). Nov, in the verses above queted three\ngrades are mentioned: first Jacob, then Israel, and finally\nJeshurun. Jacob and Israel have been explained, Jeshurun.\nSuggests the word shur (row, side) and indicates that he has\nhis rank on this side and on the other, 'The thice nates,\nthough representing different grades, are really the sarme.\nJacobs is called \"my servant\" because sometimes he is like a\nservant who has orders from his master and is eager to execute\nhis will, We read elsewhere: \"the Lord that ereated thee,\n© Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel\" (Ibid. x11, 1),\nand in the above verse we read: \"Thus saith the Lord that\nwade thee.\" We have thus herein the terms \"created\",\n\"formed\", and \"made\", which represent different grades,\n'one shove the other, but which allare essentially one. Happy\nthe portion of Israel in whom the Holy One, blessed be He,\nfinds delight above all the nations who worship idols, of\nWhich iis written: \"They are vanity, a work of delusios\nthe time oftheir visitation they shall perish\" (Jer. 15)-\nwill come to pass on the day when God will destroy them\nfrom the world, 9 that He alone will remain as it says: \"And.\nthe Lord alone shall be exalted in that day\" (Is. 1, 11).\"\n\nR. Judah discoursed on the verse: Fear not, thow worm\n\n177b-178a] vavesiLan 181\n\nJacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, sith the Lord, and thy\n\n'Redeemer the Holy One of Lrael (Ibid. xu, 14). Observe', he\n\nsaid, 'that all the Gentiles have been placed\n\nunder the charge of certain tutelary Chieftsing,\n\nstated, and that they all follow thei own gods, ast is written:\nfn the name of its god\n\nto robbery, violence, and fornication, [1782] ind other kinds\nbf wichodnens, and use all their power to injure and de harm\nIrael, on their part have no force or power toovereome them\n\ntheir mouth, like to the worm which has no strength,\nfor power except in its mouth, by which, however, it wears\nthrough everything. Hence Tsrael are called \"worm\". Or\nagain, as the silkworm, that precious creature which produces.\nfrom itself fine thread out of which is woven the costliest\nkingly raiment, leaves behind before it dies a seed out of\nwhich it comes to life as before; so Tsrie, although they.\n'seemingly die, always re-emerge and persist in the world as\nbefore. So Scripture says: \"Behold, as the clay in the potter's\n'hand, 20 are ye in my hand, O house of Israel\" (Jer. xvi, 6),\n'The term homer (clay) signifes in reality the material of glass\nWhich, when broken, can be refounded and made whole as\nbefore. \"Fear not .. men of Israel\nlife, for since the children have engr\n'tree oflfethey will arise from the dust and will be established\nin the world as one united people to worship the Holy One,\nblessed be He, in harmony with the words: \"That they\n'ny call upon the name of the Lord, wo serve him with one\n'consent (Zeph. 11, 9)\n\n'R, Eleszar and R, Isaac were ane day travelling on the road,\ntogether when the time forthe reading of the Shema arrived.\nR. Bleazar paused and recited the Shem i\nAfter he had finished, R. Isaac said him\n\nleave from his Master and offer up his prayer\" R.\nsaid in reply: 'When I left it was not yet time either for the\nreading of the Shemna or for saying prayers. Now that the sun\nthas risen T have said rny prayer. But all the same, before com-\n'mening say journey I did offera prayer to Him and consulted\n\n182 'THE ZOuAR I [1780-1788\nHim, as it were. I, however, did not say this prayer because 1\nhave been occupied in studying the 'Torah since midnight,\nand from the early dawn up to now it was not yet the time for\nprayer, for while the morning is still dark the Wife is con-\nversing with her Husband, being about to retire to her tent,\nwhere her maidens keep her company. Hence no man should\nthen interrupe them afd break in with other words. Now,\nhowever, thatthe sun has risen it is the time for prayer, a\nis writen: \"They shall fear thee with the sunrise\" (Ps.\n'uxt, 5), Which indicates the close connection between fear\n'of God, or devotion, and the light of the sun, which makes it\nincumbent on man not to part them, but to associate them\ntogether.' The two then proceeded on their way, until they\narrived at field, where they at dawn. Raising their eyes, they\n'a a mountain, on the top of which they discerned strange\ncreatures moving about, R. Isaac began to tremble, Said\nTR. Fewrar to him: 'Why are you afaid ? He answered:\n\"Because this mountain looks s0 formidable and on it are\nstrange creatures, which I fear will attack us\" R, Eleazar then\nsaid to him: \"Whoever is afraid of his sins has eause to fear\n\"Those creatures are not ofthe dangerous kind that haunt the\n'mountains? He then began to discourse on the verse: AND\nANE THE CHILDREN OF Zingon: AIAN AND\njrits 15 ANAH WHO FOUND THE YEMIM IN\nTHE WiLDERESS. \"In regard to this verse\" he said, Sts\nagreed thac these yemim are not the same as the Exim men\ntionedt'in the verse: \"The Emin wel therein aforetime\nbut the children of Esau succeeded them\" (Deut. th,\n\"They were an unnatural kind of being which was fist erated\nfom the side of evil spirits and goblins atthe moment when\nthe Sabbath was about ta be sanctified, and they remained\nunsubstanial and bodiles, since neither the sixth day nor\nthe seventh day would own them. [1786] When, however,\nCain was driven from the face of the earth and dvelt in the\nland of Naf, they spread from his side nd became corporeal,\nut not for any length of time. 'They are therefore called\n_yarai (ays), ape in the sane way a yemin here, without &\n3d, in allusion to the fact that they appear occasionally to\n'men as they haunt the mountains, and for one moment in the\n\n1788] VAYISHLAN 183\nday astume bodily shape, but forthwith lose it again, Anah\nfound them and they taught him to bring bastards into the\nworld. For Anah himself was a bastard, the offspring of an\nincestuous intercourse between Zibeon and his own mothers\nand this came about through the side of the unclean spirit\nthat attached itself to him, Those and numerous ether mon\nstrous beings of many varieties are derived fom tut side and\nroam about in the wilderness and ean be seen there, a5 the\n'wilderness iva desolate place and therefore isa suiuble haunt\nfor them. For all tat, whoever walks in the ways ofthe Holy\n'One, blessed be He, and fears Him, has no eause to feat them.\"\n\nSeid R. Eleazar: \"That isso, but of all those whe labour in\n\nthe 'Torah it is writen: \"Phe Lord shall keep thee from all\n'evil; he shall keep thy soul \"The Lord shall guard thy going\n'Out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for evee™\n(Ps. exxt, 7-8).\n\nR. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Hallelujah (praise ye\nthe Lord). 1 will give thanks unto the Lord sith my whole\nheart, in the councll of the upright, and in the congregation.\n(Ps, &xt, 1). King David', he sai, \"daily devoted himself to\nthe worship of the Almighty, and he would rise a midnight\nand sing hymins and songs of praise and thanksgiving, 0 as\nto-esabith his place in the kingdom above. For a soon as\nthe north wind began to blow at midnight he knew that the\n'moment had come when God rose, asit Were, to duport Him=\nself with the righteous in the Garden of Eden; so he arose at\nthat moment and busied himself with songs and thanks-\ngivings until the moming. For, a8 we have affirmed, when\nthe Holy One, blessed be He, appears in the Garden of Eden,\n'He and all the rightevus in the Garden of Eden listen to the\n'oice ofthe suppliant, as we read: \"The companions hearken\nfor thy voiee, case me to hear it\" (8.8. vtt, 3); and, more-\n'over, thread of grace is woven round him during the day, as\nit is written: \"By diy the Lord will command his loving-\nkindness, and in the night his song shall be with me\" (Ps.\nxu, 9), And furthermore, all the words ofthe Torah which\nfone utters in the night ascend and are woven into a garland\n\n184 'THE ZORAK It [1786-1700\nthefore the Almighty. King David therefore devoted himself\nduring the night to the service of his Master. Observe the\nheading Hallelujah (praise ye the Lord), for ve haye learned\nthat of llth titles that David affixed to his sngs and hymns,\n\n1 mowt exellent was Hallelujah, embracing as it does in\nfone single ward the name of God and the eal to praise, the\nrname being Yah, and the prabe coming from the Community\nof Tora, whe thankegivings to the Holy\n'ne, blessed be He,\nfor thee; hold not thy peace, and be not stil, O God\" (Ps\nxxxti, 2), because the Community of Israel continually\narranges and ofers up its thankspivings to Him, Now we read\nfurther: \"I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole\nheat (bab) thats, as already explained, with the good and\nthe evil prompter, whoare always with a man: \"in the council\nof the upright, and in the congregation\" is an allusion to\nIsrael, who are adorned withall grades—prists and Levites,\nthe just and the pious. Te isthe same congregation of which\nwwe read: \"God. standeth. inthe congregation of God\n(Ps. texan, 1), Hence a man should continually offer praise\nto God, sine: He takes delight in songs and hymns, and\n'when a man knows how to offer praise to God in the proper\n'manner, He accepts his prayer and delivers him, as we read\n'Lwillset him on high, because he hath known my name.\nWith Fong fe wit satay Bi, ete\" (bic\n\nR. Jose dicoursed on the verse: Thow art my hiding-place,\nthou wilt preerce me from the adversary' with songs of del\nerance thou wilt compass me about. Selah (Ibid. xx41, 7). Tt\nis God', he sid, 'who isa hiding-place and a shield to the\nrman that walks in the ways of the Torah such a man is\ncovered by the shadow of His wings s0 that no one can do\nhtm mischief \"Thou wilt preserve me from the adversary\";\nthat is, from the adversary on high and from the adversary\nhere below, both of whom areone and the same evil prompter,\n{170¢] who is the opponent above and the opponent below;\nfed if not for the esl prompter, man would have no adver-\nsary in the world, \"With songs of deliverance thou wilt com-\n'pass me aboat\" is an allusion to those songs that possess\nrales of potency to save; with which, therefore, \"Thou wil\n\n798) VAYISHLAN 18s\n'compass me about\" to afford me deliverance when on a\njourney. (This verse is efficacious whether read forwards oF\nbackwards.) Observe that all the songs and bymas that David\nsang contain deep allusions of wisdom, because he composed\n\nR. Eleazar discoursed on the verse: Thow didst thrust sore\n'at me that I might fall; bt the Lord helped me (Ibid. exit, 13).\n'We should have expected', he said * \"they di thrust sore\nin teuth this alludes\n'man, and\ntries to seduce him and lead hirm astray from Gd; the same\nia, indeed, the evil prompter who follows man about, Ii t0\n'thou didst thrust sore\nate\", seeing that he endeavoured by means of all sorts of\nalfictions to tum him aside from God. David thus said:\n\"Thou didst thrust sore at me—to cause me to fall into\nGehinnom—but the Lord helped me—so that 1 was not\ndelivered into thy hand.\" It is, Hence, ineumbent on a man to\n'be om his guard against the evil prompter, so tha he ahall not\nsuch a: man God guards in all\n'his ways, as i i written: Then shalt thou wall in thy way\nsecurely, and thou shalt not dash thy foot\" (Prov. 1\nalso: \"When thou goest thy step shall not be straitened; and\nif thow runnest thou shalt not stumble\" (Zaid. wv, 12); and\n\"But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn,\nthat shineth more and more unto the perfect day\" (Ibid.\n1 18)!\n\n'Said R. Judah: \"Happy are israel whom the Holy One,\nblessed be He, fn this world and in the world 1\n'come, as itis\nthey shall inherit the land for ever\" (Is. ux, 21). Blessed be\nthe Lord, for evermore. Amen and Amen\n\nfrrpe-1798\n\nGen. sexu, xt, 23\n\nAxD JAcop DWELT IN THE LAND OF His FATHER'S\nSOJOURNINGS, IN THE LAND OF Caxaan. R. Hiya dis\ncoursed on the verse: Many are the ils ofthe righteous, but the\nLand delivereth him cut of them all (Ps. xxxtv, 20). \"Many,\nindeed', he said, 'are the adversaries with whom a human,\n'being has to contend from the day that God breathes into\nhim a soul in this world. For a soon as he emetges into the\nTight of day, the evil prompter is at hand in readiness to joi\nhim, scording to our interpretation of the verse:\ncouch at the door\" (Gen. 1, 7). In proof whereof note\nthat the beasts from the day they are born are able to take\ncare ofthemselves, and avoid fireand similar dangers, whereas.\nman, en the other hand, seems to feel at fist a natural\npropensity to throw himself into the fire, the reason being.\nte evil prompter dvells within him and from the begin~\ni ways. So Scripture says: \"Better i a\nishing, who knoweth\n'not how to receive admonition any more\" (Heel, 13). The\n\"child\" here signifies the good prompter, who is <0 called\nbecause hei asit were, a youngster by the side of man, whom.\nhe docs not join till he is at theage of thirteen years, a else-\nwhere affirmed. He is better, then, than \"an old and foolish\nking\", to wit, the evil prompter, who is called king and ruler\nover the sons of men, and who is assuredly old, since, as\nalready said, so soon as a man is born and aces the light of\nday he [1798] attaches himself 10 im and he is foolish, not\nknowing how to receive admonition, since, as Solomon says\n'of him also, \"the fool walketh in darkness\" (Ibid. 11,14).\nTndeed, he comes from the very quarry of darkness, and light\nis for ever a stranger to him.\" R. Simeon said: \"Tt has boen\nlaid down that the \"poor child here isthe good prompter,\nthe sameas he who ssid of himelf: \"I have been young, and\n'now am old\" (Ps. xxxvit, 25). He is called\nthas no possession whatever of his own, and is called \"youth\"\n\n179i vavESHER 187\nfor the reason that he ix constantly renewed in the same way\nasthe moon; also he is wise, since wisdom dvells within him.\nHe is better than the \"old king\", who is the evil prompter, as\nalready said, since from his fist emergence he has never rid\nIhimelf of his impurity, and he is footlah in that alle steps\nare toward the evil ways, and he turns the sons of men from\nthe right path, employing all kinds of pretext to diver them\nfrom the good way to the evil. And he hastens to jon man\non the very day he is born, in order that man may come to\nbelieve in him, and that when the good prompter arrives\nlater he may be loth to believe him and think him a burden.\nSimilarly our teachers have defined a \"cunning wicked man\nto br one who comes first tothe juege and pleads his ease\nbofine his opponent arrives; as Scripture says: \"He that\npleadeth his cause fist seemeth just, et.\" (Prov. xvi, 17).\nIn the same way the evil prompter is cunningly wicked, a5\nwwe read: \"And the serpent vas more cunning, ete.\" (Gen,\n1, 1), and 30 he arrives first to take up his abode with ms\nand make his ease plausible o him, s0 that when his fellow,\nthats, the good prompter,accives, he finds himself obnox-\nfous to man, and is not able to raise his head, as though he\nwere bowed down with a heavy burden, because of that\nccunsingly wicked ane who kas got the start of him. Hence\nthe words of Solomon: \"the poor man's wisdom is despised,\nand his words are:not heard\" (Eecl. tt, 16), because the other\nhas anticipated him, Hence for a judge to receive the plead\nings of on litigant in the absence of the other is ike acknow-\nedging strange gods. But the way of the righteous judge isto\nwait ll \"his neighbour cometh and searcheth him out\"\n(Prov, xvi, 17) Similarly the righteous man in he who docs\n'not put eredlence in the evil prompter, but first waits for the\narrival of the good promptet. For neglecting to do this the\n'sonsof man will sturble in the world to came, The righteous\n'man, on the other hand, endure 'world many trials\nfor not believing in and not ssociting himself with the evil\nprompter, but the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers him\nfrom all is, as it says: \"Many are the ills of the rigiteous,\nbut the Lord delivereth him out of them all\" (Ps, xxxi¥, 20).\nFor God finds delight in such a man and delivers him from\n\n188 'THe ZONAR It [179b-1800\nall ills in this world and in the world to come. Happy is his\nportion See how many ills befell Jacob in his effort not to be\n'drawn to the evil prompter, and to keep himself far from his\nportion; and for this he endured many aflictions and ills\n'without respite.' RU Hiya applied to Jacob the verse: I war\nnot at ease, neither reas I quiet neither had I rest; bat trouble\ncame (Job. it, 26). 'How many ills and sufferings,' he said,\n'one after another come upon the righteous in this world\nthat they may merit the world to come. Jacob as one of\nthem, and could say of himsell, \"I was not at ease\" in the\nhhouse of Laban, from whom 1 could not escape; \"neither\n'was T quiet\" on account of Esiu, through the pain inflicted\n'on me by his Chieftain, and later on through fear of himse\n\"either had 1 rest\" in the afiai of Dinah and Shechem:\n\"but trouble carne\", to wit, the trouble and eonfusion of the\nloos of Joseph, which was the worst ofall, on account of his\nTove for Joseph.\"\n\nAno JAcoD DWELT INTHE LAND OF 115 FATHER'S\nS0JOURNINGS, 18 THE LAND OF CANAAN, [1803] R.\nJose diacoursed ere on the verse: The righteous perdeth,\ndand noma layth it to heart, nd godly men are taken ty,\ntone comidering thatthe righteous is taken etcay fom the ceil\n\"When God, he sai, 'surveys the world\nbehaving and meet for chastisement, He frst\nemoves from it any righteous man that i present in 9\nthat chastsement should he visited on all the others and\nthere should be none to shield them. For 36 long a there it\n4 rightous man in the world chastisement can\na8 we lar from Moses, of whom\nIhe sid that he would destroy them,\nstood fore him in the breach, et.\" (Ps Ce, 33), God thus\nfist removes the righteous from the world, and only then\ncalleets His account, as it were. We thus trnalate the con-\nclusion of the verse: \"the righteous is taken away before\n(imipn) the evil to come\", that is, before the evil is dee to\nbefall. (According to another iterpretation, \"from the evil\n1 come\" isan allusion tothe evil prompter) Observe now\nthat although the gatoh was already de inthe hfestime of\n\n1800) Vayesnes 189\nJacob, yet because he was a righteous man—the perfection\nof the patriarchs—the sentence was postponed; for whilst he\n'was alive punishment could not befall the world, and even\nfamine of Egypt ceased on his arrival. Neither did the\ncxilereally commerce during the life-time of Joseph since he\n'was the image of his father, but as soon as he died the eap-\nsivity began in earnest ait says: \"And Joseph died....come,\nJet us deal wisely with them . . . and they made their lives\nbitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, et.\" (Ex. 1,\n6-14). Similarly, wherever a righteous man exists, God for\nhis sake shields the world, and during his life-time no\n'hastisement falls on the wold; and so we affirm.\n\nAxo Jacon WELT IN Tite LAND oF itts FaTHER's\ns0jouRNtNGS. The term migure (sojournings) ean be ren\ndered \"apprehensions\", being akin to the term magor in the\nphrase magor misabib, a terior on every side\" (Jer. vt, 25),\nand so indicates that Jacob passed all his life in fear and\nanxiety.\n\n'Tittse ARE THE GENERATIONS OF IACOR: JOSEPH. ETC.\nWhen Jacob was brought to rest in Joseph, and so the sun\nwas united with the moon, then there commenced a produc\ntion of offspring, the progenitor being Joseph, For itis that\nperennially flowing stream which fructifes the earth and\nfrom which generations are propagated inthe world. For the\nsun, even when he approaches the moon, cannot cause vege\ntation without the help of that grade which goes under the\nname of Righteous Zaddit). It was, then, Joseph who was the\ngrade of Jacob to bear fruit and bring forth offspring in the\n'world, Hence: \"These are the generations (tl'doth, lit. off-\nspring) of Jacob: Joseph. Or, again, we may take the words\nto signify that whoever looted at Joseph thought he was\nlooking at Jacob, Hence this form of expression is used only\nin connection with Joseph ard not with any other of Jacob's\nsons—itis not written, for instance, \"These are the ofspring\nof Jacob: Reuben\", the reason being that Joseph was the\nceact image of his father.\n\n190 THE ZOHAR 1 [1800-1808\nBetna stveNTERN vans oLD. Ro Abba said: \"This\n'number of seventeen is significant, comeaponding as i docs\nto the seventeen years of joy and honour which Jacob fived\nin Egypt, with all his sons round him and Joseph asking, and\n'which Ged vouchsafed him in return for the years during\nWhich he mourned for Joseph, and dié not see him.\"\n\nR. Hiya discoursed on the text: Therefore hearhen anto me,\n'ye men of understanding: Far be it from God that he should do\nweichedness; and from the Almighty that he should commit\niniquity. For the work [ob] of man el he requite usto him,\n'and cause every man to fd according this ways (Job XXXt¥,\n2012). \"God he oad, \"in creating the world, meant it to be\nbased on justice, and all that is done in the world would be\n'weighed in the scales of justice, were ic not that, to save the\nworld from perishing, God sereened it with merey, which\ntempers pure justice ard prevents it from destroying the\n'world. The world in thus governed in mercy and thereby ix\nable to endure. But, you may ask, is nota man often punished\nbby God underervedly ? The answer is, as hax been afimed,\nthat when suffering befalls a righteous man, itis on account\n'of the love which God bears to him. He erushes his body in\ntorder to give more power to his soul so that He may draw\nhh nearer in love. For i is needful thatthe body should be\n'weak and the soul strong, that so a min may be beloved of\nGod, as the Companions have affirmed, that the Holy: One\ninflicts sufering on the righteous in this world in order that\nthey may merit the world ta come. Hut he who is weak of soul\nand strong of body is hated of God. Its because God has no\npleasure in him that He inflicts no. pain upon him in this\nworld, but permits his lie to flow ameothly along with ease\nand comfort, in that for any virtuous act he may perform he\n'receives his eeward in this world, so that na portion should be\nleft him in the next work, 'This is in accordance with Onke-\nJos' paraphrase of the text: \"And he repayeth them that hate\nhim to their face\" (Deut. vt, 10), which read: \"And he\nrepayeth them that hate hitn in this world.\" 'The righteous\n'man, then, who is eontinually broken in-body is the beloved\nof the Holy One, blessed be He.\n\nNow various difficultie, are\n\nby this statement. Inthe\n\n1808) VavEsite 198\nfirst ples we know that the Shokinah doce net dwell amid\n'sad surroundings, but only where there is cheerfulness. For\n\nis reason Elisha std: \"But now bring me a minstrel, and\n'ame to pass that when the minstrel played, the hand of\nthe Lord eame upon him\" (1 Kings ut, 15), and we learn\nthe same leston from Jacob, from whom the Shekinah de-\nparted during the years that he was grieving for Joseph, but\nto whom it returned as soon as the glad tidings about Joseph\nreached him, when, a5 it says, \"the sprit of Jacob heir father\nrevived\" (Gen, xL¥, 27). That being #0, where, we may ask,\nisthe cheerful spirit in the righteoas man wha is broken in\nbody, seeing that he is tormented by his sufferings ? And\nfarther, do we not know of many righteous men, beloved by.\nthe Almighty, who were never 2 prey to acute suffering oF\nphysical weakness ? Why this discrimination ? Why should\nthese be physical wrerks and the others hale and hearty ? One\n'explanition given is that the later were born of righteous\nparents, whereas the former, although themselves righteous,\n'were not children of righteous parents. But the facts are\nagainst this, since we see many righteous men who are the\nSons of righteous parznts, and who nevertheless ae afflicted\n'with bodily ils and ave lifelong sulferers, But there is a deep\nmystery involved her, inasmuch ay all the ways of God are\nbased on truth and righteousness. In connection with this\nverse I have found in the books of the ancients 2 mystial\ndoctrine, and next to it another mystical doctrine, both being\nin essence one and the same, Tt amounts to the following.\n\"There is a period when the moon is defective, judgement\n'being visited upon her, and the sun being concealed from\nher. Naw its the moon that at all times and seasons releases\nsouls to enter the soas af men—she having previeusly gath-\ncred them for the purpose. Of those souls, then, which she\nreleases during the period that she is under sentence, every\n'ne will always be the victim of degradation and poverty and\nsuffer other chastisements, irrespective of whether he be\nsinful or righteous, Prayer, however, ean avert any sentence\nof punishment.) But those souls which the moon sends forth\n'when she is in the aie of completeness, and the perennially\nflowing stream plays about her, are destined to enjoy\n\n192 THE ZOMAR IE [1808-18\nabundance ofall good things—of riches, children, and bodi\nhealth—and all on account [1814] ofthe allotment (mazzal)\nthat flowed forth and joined itself to that grade in order to be\n'perfected and blessed by it. We see thus that all things are\ndependent on allotment (maszal), according to the dictum:\n\"Children, life, and livelihood do not depend on a man's\n\nHence: all those who are sorely\nte of being teuly righteous suffer\nthrough the mischance oftheir soul; but in compensation the\nHoly One, blessed be He, has compassion on them in the\n'Would to come.\" R. Eleazr aids 'All the acts of the Almighty\nare in accordance with justice, and His purpose is to purify\n\nthat soul from the scum that adheres to it inthis world, soa\n'tw bring it into the world to come, When the body is crushed.\n\nin order that he may gain\nlifeeverlasting. In this regard itis written: \"The Lord teieth\nthe righteous, ete.\" (Pee, 5)\"\n\n'R. Simeon said: \"It is written:\n'unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath\n'a blemish; that he profane not my holy places, beesuse Tam\nthe Lord who sanctify them\" (Lev. xxt, 25), When the\nperennial stream releases human souls, and the Female be-\n'comes pregnant, they all range themselves within the edifice.\n'Now all those that go forth at the period when the moon it\nAefective by reason of the evil serpent, although pure and\nholy, become bruised and defective in whatever place they\neach, and have to undergo pain and suffering. And these are\nthesouls in whom the Holy One finds delight in spite of their\nbeing sad instead of joyful. Exoterically speaking they are a\ncounterpart of somethingabove, the body being impaired and\nthe soul being within after the supernal pattem, each eorre=\nsponding to each, and these are the souls that require to be\nrenewed with the renewal of the moon, and hence itis written\n'concerning them? \"And it shall come to pass, that from one\nnew moon to another, and from ane Sabbath to another, shall\nll Resh come to worship before me\" (Ts. 14V1, 23), the word\n\nlt\" signifying that these souls will be renewed wholly\nwith the renewal of the moon. For they are partners, as it\n\n1810-1815] VavESHER 193\nwere, with the defective moon, for which reason she dwells\nin them always, without leaving them, in allusion to which\nthe Seripture says: \"I dwell .. with hit also tht is of «\ncontrite and humble spirit... tb revive the heart of the\ncontrite ones\" (Is. Lvl, 15), also: \"The Lord is nigh unto\nthem that are of broken heart\" (Ps. xxxiy, 19). These\nverses refer to those who are fellov-sufferers with the moon,\nin her defect, and regarding whom it is fly sid, \"to revive\nthe heart of the contrite ones\", that is, to. make' those who\nparticipated inthe sufferings of the moon also participate in\nthe new life to be bestowed on her inthe future, Such sutier=\nings undergone by them ate called \"sufferings in token of\nlove\". Happy is their portion in this world and in the world\nto come when they will be privileged tobe partners with her,\nin allusion to which iti \"For my brethren and\ncompanions' sakes, ete.\" (Ibid. cxxt, 8)\"\n\nR, Simeon further discoursed on the text: Behold, my\nservant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up an\n'shal be very hgh (Is. ti, 13). 'Happy is the portion of the\nrighteous', he said, 'to whom the Holy One reveals the ways\nof the Torah that they may walk in them. 'This verse con\ntains an exoteie meaning. When God created the world, He\n'made the moo, and made her small, for she possesses no ight\nof her own, but because she accepted her diminution she\nreceives reflected fight from the aun and from the other\nsuperior luminaries. Now, 28 long as the Temple existed,\nIsrael were assiduous in bringing offerings, which together\nwith all the other services performed by the priests, Levtes,\nand TIsraclites had for their object to weave bonds of uni\nand to cause luminaries to radiate But after the Temple was\ndestroyed there was a darkening of the lights, the moon\nfrase fo cessive light from the mie, the latter [x88] havin\n'withdrawn himself from her, so that not x day pases but is\nfull of grievous distress and aflictions. The time, however,\nwill come for the moon to resume her primordial light, and\nin allusion to this itis written: \"Behold, my servant will\nprosper.\" That i to say, there will bea stirring in the upper\nrealms as of one who catches a sweet odour and stands alert.\n'He shall be exalted\", from the side of the most exalted\n\n'of scab, At that time, then, the Holy One will use a stirring,\nfn high with the object ef enabling the moon to shine with\nher full splendour, as we read: \"Moreover the light of the\nmen shal be as the light ofthe sun, and the light of the sun\nshall be sevenfold, as the Tight of the seven days\" (Ibid.\n25%, 26). 'There will thus be added to the moon an exalted\nspirt whereby' all the dead that are in the dust will be\nawaiened. 'This is the evoteric meaning of \"ny servant\",\nvie. the one that has in his band the hey of in Master.\n\n', too, in the verse: \"And Abraham sad unto his servant,\n