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Overview
This eighth volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition consists of commentary on the end of Leviticus and the beginning of Numbers. Its most remarkable section is Idra Rabba—a dramatic narrative, in which Rabbi Shim'on and his Companions gather to explore the deepest secrets of God's nature. There is a sense of emergency here, because due to human misconduct, the world is vulnerable to divine wrath. The mystical heroes seek to restore the balance in the upper worlds—aiming to stimulate a radiant flow from God's aspect of Compassion, which can soothe the irascible divine aspect and thereby save the world. The quest is perilous, and through its intensity three of the Companions tragically perish.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780804787260 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Stanford University Press |
| Publication date: | 03/19/2014 |
| Series: | The Zohar: Pritzker Edition , #8 |
| Edition description: | New Edition |
| Pages: | 608 |
| Sales rank: | 600,754 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.00(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.70(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The ZOHAR
By Daniel C. Matt
Stanford University Press
Copyright © 2014 Zohar Education Project, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8047-8726-0
CHAPTER 1
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
Parashat Qedoshim
"HOLY" (LEVITICUS 19:1–20:27)
Rabbi El'azar opened, "Be not like a horse, like a mule, without sense ... (Psalms 32:9). How often does Torah arouse human beings, how often does she raise her voice in every direction to awaken them! Yet they all sleep, with slumber in their sockets, neither observing nor caring. With what countenance will they rise on the day of supreme judgment when the supernal King demands requital for the humiliation of Torah—when she cried out to them and they did not turn their faces to her? For they are all totally defective, not knowing faith of the supernal King. Woe to them, woe to their souls! For Torah admonishes them, saying, 'Whoever is a fool, let him turn aside here; [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (hasar lev), he who lacks sense'—she says to him (Proverbs 9:4)."
What is hasar lev, he who lacks heart? Rabbi El'azar said, "Lacking faith, for one who has no faith surely lacks heart; and one who does not engage in Torah has no faith and is totally defective.
"[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (Ve-amerah), And she says, to him—the verse should read [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] {omerah), I will soy, to him, as is written: Omerah, I will say, to God, my Rock (Psalms 42:10). Why Ve-amerah, And she says, to him? Well, to include and add Torah above, who calls him 'he who lacks heart, defective in faith.'
"For we have learned as follows: If anyone does not engage in Torah, it is forbidden to approach him or do business with him, all the more so to travel with him, for he lacks faith. Thus we have learned: Whoever walks on the way, unaccompanied by words of Torah, forfeits his soul—all the more so, one who joins on the way with someone who values neither the honor of his Lord nor his own, being careless of his soul."
Rabbi Yehudah said, "How can one who is careless of his soul draw a worthy soul to his son?"
Rabbi El'azar said, "I am astonished at this, and surely the matter has already been discussed. Thus it is written Be not like a horse, like a mute, without sense.
"Happy are the righteous, who engage in Torah, know the ways of the blessed Holy One, and sanctify themselves with holiness of the King, becoming completely holy! Thereby, they draw a holy spirit from above, and all their children are truly virtuous and called 'children of the King,' 'holy children.'
"Woe to the wicked, who are all impudent, and their deeds impudent! Thereby, their children inherit an impudent soul from the side of impurity, as is written: Becoming impure through them (Leviticus 11:43)—if one comes to defile himself, he is denied.
"Be not like a horse, like a mule—who are more lustful than all.
"Without sense—for people should not delve into this way. Consequently, here is written without [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (havin), sense, and there is written The dogs are greedy for souls; they never know satiety—that is, those called greedy for souls appear. Why? Because they are incapable [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (havin), of understanding (Isaiah 56:11).
"They are shepherds (ibid.). What is meant by [8ob] they are shepherds? Well, they lead and conduct a person to Hell.
"They never know satiety—as is said: The leech has two daughters—'Give!' 'Give!' (Proverbs 30:15). Since they are Give! Give!, they never know satiety.
"Each of them has turned his own way, every last one for his own gain (Isaiah 56:11)—for they are scouts of Hell.
"What inflicts all this upon them? That they did not sanctify themselves in coupling as they should have. Thus it is written You shall be holy, for I, YHVH, am holy (Leviticus 19:2). The blessed Holy One said, 'Of all nations of the earth, I desired to cleave only to Israel,' as is written: You, cleaving to YHVH your God, [are alive every one of you today!] (Deuteronomy 4:4)—you, and not other nations. Thus it is written for I, YHVH, am holy—'I am holy, therefore you shall be holy.'"
Rabbi Yitshak opened, "Alas for the land of whirring wings, beyond the rivers of Nubia! (Isaiah 18:1). Now, just because it is a land of whirring wings, should reproach loom there?"
Well, Rabbi Yitshak said, "When the blessed Holy One unveiled the world and sought to reveal the deep from within the hidden and light from within darkness, they were intermingled—for out of darkness issued light, and out of the hidden was revealed the deep, one issuing from the other. Out of good issues evil, out of Compassion issues Judgment. All is interwoven—the good impulse and the evil impulse, right and left, Israel and the other nations, white and black, all suspended in oneness."
It has been taught: Rabbi Yitshak said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah, "The entire world appears as a single clustered garland interlaced; and when the world is tried, it is judged with mingled Judgment. Otherwise the world could not endure even one moment. We have already established this matter: For when Your judgments reach the earth, inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).
"It has been taught: When Judgment looms over the world, and Righteousness is crowned with its judgments, many winged ones are aroused, facing masters of harsh Judgment, to gain dominion over the world. They spread wings from one side to the other, to sweep over the world; then wings stir, spreading, absorbing harsh Judgment, and they roam through the world, empowered to inflict harm. Then it is written: Alas for the land of whirring wings...."
Rabbi Yehudah said, "I see inhabitants of the world being shameless, except for the truly virtuous. So, as it were, all transpires like this. 'If one comes to purify himself, they assist him; if one comes to defile himself ...,' as we have established, for it is written becoming impure through them (Leviticus n:43)."
Rabbi Yose was walking on the way and he encountered Rabbi Hiyya, who said to him, "As you know, the Companions have established what is written of Eli: Therefore I have sworn against the house of Eli, that the sin of the house of Eli will not be purged by sacrifice and offering forever (1 Samuel 3:14)—by sacrifice and offering it cannot be purged, but by words of Torah it can. Why? Because words of Torah transcend all offerings of the world, as we have established, for it is written This is the Torah for the ascent offering, for the grain offering, [for the purification offering, for the guilt offering, for the ordination offering, and for the sacrifice of well-being] (Leviticus 7:37)—Torah is equivalent to all offerings of the world."
He replied, "Certainly so! For even if punishment is decreed upon someone from above, if he has engaged in Torah, this is better for him than all offerings and sacrifices of the world, and that punishment is torn up. Because he studies [Torah] for her own sake, the blessed Holy One is reconciled with him.
"Come and see: A person is never purified except by words of Torah. Consequently, words of Torah are not susceptible to impurity, since she is capable of purifying the impure. Healing inheres in Torah, as is written: It will be healing for your flesh (Proverbs 3:8). Purity, as is written: The awe of YHVH is pure, enduring forever (Psalms 19:10). What is meant by enduring forever? Enduring always in that purity, never departing."
He said to him, "It is written the awe of YHVH, not Torah!"
He replied, "Certainly so! For Torah derives from the side of Gevurah, and purity issues from there—as is written: The beginning of wisdom is awe of YHVH (Psalms 111:10), and it is written The awe of YHVH is pure.
"It is called holiness: For I, YHVH, am holy (Leviticus 19:2)—and this is Torah, which is the supernal holy Name. Therefore, [81a] one who engages in her is purified and then sanctified, as is written: You will be holy (ibid.)—it is not written Be holy, but rather You will be, surely!"
He said to him, "So it is—and from here, as is written: As for you, you will become for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), and it is written These are the words ... (ibid.).
"It has been taught: Holiness of Torah is a holiness transcending all others, and holiness of supernal concealed Wisdom surpasses all."
He said to him, "There is no Torah without Wisdom, and no Wisdom without Torah; all occupies a single rung, and all is one. Yet Torah inheres in supernal Wisdom, subsisting there, her roots implanted on all sides."
As they were going along, they found a man in a remote village dump, riding on a horse, and he released his hand toward the branch of a tree.
Rabbi Yose said, "This accords with what is written: You shall hallow yourselves and become holy (Leviticus 11:44)—if a person sanctifies himself below, he is sanctified from above, as is written: You shall be holy, for I, YHVH, am holy ... (Leviticus i9:2)."
Rabbi Abba teaches, "This portion is the entirety of Torah and the signet ring's seal of truth. In this portion sublime mysteries of Torah have been innovated—and Ten Utterances, decrees, punishments, and supernal commandments. When the Companions reached this portion, they would rejoice."
Rabbi Abba said, "Why are the portion of sexual licentiousness and the portion of Qedoshim adjacent to one another? Well, it has been taught as follows: Whoever is vigilant toward such licentiousness has surely been generated in holiness—all the more so, if he sanctifies himself with the holiness of his Lord. The Companions have already educed the proper time of everyone's conjugal duty, for a person to become sanctified.
"Come and see: One who desires to sanctify himself according to the will of his Lord should perform conjugal union only from midnight on, or at midnight; for at that hour the blessed Holy One appears in the Garden of Eden, and supernal holiness is aroused, so that is the time to sanctify oneself.
"This is for other people. As for disciples of the wise, who know the ways of Torah—midnight is their time to rise and study Torah, coupling with Assembly of Israel to praise the Holy King. And on Sabbath eve, when complete favor prevails, then is their coupling—to bring forth the fervor of the blessed Holy One and Assembly of Israel, as is written: You are children of YHVH your God (Deuteronomy 14:1). These are called holy, as is written: You shall be holy, for I, YHVH your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:2)."
Rabbi Abba opened, "Who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth? (2 Samuel 7:23). Come and see: Among all nations of the world, the blessed Holy One desired only Israel, making them one nation, calling them by His name: Ehad, One. He adorned them with many crowns, with many commandments, by which a person is adorned, corresponding to the pattern above, becoming 'one,' complete.
"When a person is adorned with them and sanctified by them, he becomes complete and is called one—for he is called one only when he is complete, and whoever is defective is not called one. Thus the blessed Holy One is called one, in total perfection, in perfection of the Patriarchs, in perfection of Assembly of Israel. Consequently, Israel below is called one. When a person grasps and puts on tefillin, and wraps himself in a covering of mitsvah, he is adorned with holy crowns, corresponding to the pattern above, and is called one.
"Accordingly, let the One come and engage with one—the blessed Holy One, who is One, will engage with one; for the King engages only with what befits Him. Thus it is written He is with one, and who can turn Him back? (Job 23:13)—the blessed Holy One dwells and appears only with one. If a person is arrayed in supernal holiness, becoming 'one,' then He dwells with one, and nowhere else. When is a person called one? When he is sanctified by supernal holiness.
"Come and see: When [81b] a person appears in a single coupling, male and female, intending to be sanctified fittingly, then he is complete and called one, without defect. Therefore, a man should delight with his wife at that time, inviting her to share a single desire, so that they both focus as one on that event. When they both occupy this state, all is one, in soul and body. In soul—cleaving to one another in single desire. In body—as we have learned: A human being is like someone divided in half, and when male and female join, they become one body. So they are one soul and one body, a human being called one. Then the blessed Holy One dwells with one, generating a holy spirit into that one. These are called children of the blessed Holy One, as we have said. Therefore, You shall be holy, for I [YHVH your God] am holy (Leviticus 19:2).
"Happy are Israel, for He established this matter nowhere else but in His very being, as is written: for I, YHVH, am holy—to cleave to Him, to no other. Thus, You shall be holy, for I, YHVH your God, am holy."
Every man shall revere his mother and his father, and My Sabbaths you shall keep (Leviticus 19:3). We have learned that this portion is the entirety of Torah. Scripture likens reverence for father and mother to the Sabbath. Well, Rabbi Yose said, "All is one. Whoever reveres the former keeps the latter.
"Every man shall revere his mother and his father—regarding reverence, Scripture placed his mother before his father. Why? This has already been established: since one's mother has less power than his father in this regard, Scripture gave precedence to revering her."
Rabbi Yitshak said, "What is written before? You shall be holy (Leviticus 19:2). If a man comes to be sanctified with his wife as one, who deserves greater praise for that sanctification? You must say, the female. Therefore, Every man shall revere his mother and his father."
Rabbi Yehudah said, "Every man shall revere his mother and his father—similarly, on the day that YHVH Elohim made earth and heaven (Genesis 2:4), and elsewhere Scripture places heaven before earth, demonstrating that both of them were formed as one. Here, too, Scripture places mother before father, while elsewhere placing father before mother, to demonstrate that both of them engaged as one in forming him.
"And My Sabbaths you shall keep—one is equivalent to the other, all evenly balanced. It is written: You shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you (Exodus 31:14), and it is written Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it (ibid. 20:8). Well, one for Father and one for Mother.
"Here is written Every man shall revere his mother and his father, and My Sabbaths you shall keep, and there is written My Sabbaths you shall keep, and My sanctuary you shall revere (Leviticus 19:30). What is meant by My sanctuary? [82a] Literally.
"Alternatively, [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (miqdashi), My sanctuary—those [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (di-mqaddeshei), who sanctify, themselves at that time. Similarly, Begin [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (mi-miqdashi), with My sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6)—do not read mi-miqdashi, with My sanctuary, but rather [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (mi-mequddashai), with My sanctified ones. Just as there, miqdashi, My sanctuary; mequddashai, My sanctified ones—so here, mequddashai, My sanctified ones, namely father and mother."
Every man shall revere his mother and his father. Rabbi Shim'on said, "It is written You, cleaving to YHVH your God, [are alive every one of you today!] (Deuteronomy 4:4). Happy are Israel, for they cleave to the blessed Holy One—they and not other nations inhabiting the world. Because they cleave to the blessed Holy One, all cleave to one another.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The ZOHAR by Daniel C. Matt. Copyright © 2014 Zohar Education Project, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Stanford University Press.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Diagram of the Ten Sefirot, ix,Preface DANIEL C. MATT, xi,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Qedoshim (Leviticus 19:1–20:27), 1,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21:1–24:23), 54,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Be-Har (Leviticus 25:1–26:2), 206,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Be-Huqqotai (Leviticus 26:3–27:34), 223,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Be-Midbar (Numbers 1:1–4:20), 250,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21–7:89), 285,
Commentary on Naso, 285,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Idra Rabba, 318,
Commentary on Niaso, continued, 460,
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Parashat Be-Ha'alotekha (Numbers 8:1–12:16), 490,
Abbreviations, 549,
Transliteration of Hebrew and Aramaic, 553,
Glossary, 555,
Bibliography, 561,
Index of Sources, 577,