Upon what the world exists

Synopsis

The Zohar discusses our ignorance concerning the pillars that sustain our world, the unseen spiritual forces that give rise to all existence. The Zohar then focuses on another concept concerning the power of midnight. Great importance is attached to spiritual study and work during the hours from midnight to sunrise, when the Light of the Creator is intensified in our physical realm.

Relevance

The increased spiritual power released into the cosmos during the hours between midnight and dawn is made available to us by the scanning the Aramaic words and studying the wisdom that comprise this portion.

Creation Dwellings Earth Female Waters (Mayin Nukvin) Fire Freezing Heaven Heavens Job Mayin Nukvin (Female Waters) Nukva Pillar Torah Water Waters Zeir Anpin

4. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion by saying, "How lovely are Your dwelling places, Hashem Tzva'ot" (Tehilim 84:2)1. How important it is for people to observe the works of the Holy One, blessed be He! All people do not observe and are not aware of what keeps the world in existence. Nor are they aware of what keeps them in existence! THESE TWO SUBJECTS ARE EXPLAINED HERE TO US. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He made the heaven from fire and water. At first, these elements mingled together without freezing. Only later, by means of the Supernal Spirit, did they freeze and solidify. Then, THE HEAVENS, WHICH ARE ZEIR ANPIN, planted the world, THE NUKVA, to be established upon supports, THE THREE COLUMNS OF THE NUKVA. And the supports stand only by the help of the Spirit, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN BETWEEN THEM. When that Spirit is gone, the supports are loosened and they quake, and the world is shaken. This is the meaning of, "Who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble" (Iyov 9:6). And everything is established upon Torah, for when the people of Yisrael are busy with Torah, THEY ELEVATE MAYIN NUKVIN (LIT. 'FEMALE WATERS') TO ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA, AND DRAW THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS TORAH. Then the world is established, and the pillars, THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, and the supports, THE THREE COLUMNS OF THE NUKVA, are perfectly situated in their places.

4. ר' יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, מַה יְּדִידוּת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ ה' צְבָאוֹת. כַּמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּהָא כָּל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, לָא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי עַל מַה קָּאֵים עָלְמָא. וְאִינוּן עַל מַה קָּיְימִין. דְּכַד בְּרָא קוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, עֲבַד שְׁמַיָא, מֵאֵשׁ וּמִמַּיִם מִתְעָרְבִין כַּחֲדָא, וְלָא הֲווֹ גַּלְדֵי. וּלְבָתַר אַגְלִידוּ, וְקָיְימוּ בְּרוּחָא עִלָּאָה. וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁתִיל עָלְמָא, לְקָיְימָא עַל סָמְכִין. וְאִינוּן סָמְכִין, לָא קָיְימִין, אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא רוּחָא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחָא אִסְתַּלַּק, כָּלְהוֹ מְרַפְפִין וְזָעִין, וְעָלְמָא אִרְתַּת. הה"ד הַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ מִמְקוֹמָהּ וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ יִתְפַּלָּצוּן. וְכֹלָּא קָאֵים עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא, וְאִינוּן קָיְימִין, וְסָמְכִין קָיְימִין בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ, בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים.

Eden Garden of Eden Midnight Praise Righteous

5. תָּא חֲזֵי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְאִתְעַר פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, וְקוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָאל לְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא עִם צַדִּיקַיָא. כָּלְהוֹ אִילָנִין דִּבְגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן, מְזַמְּרָן וּמְשַׁבְּחָן קַמֵּיהּ. דִּכְתִיב, אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיָּעַר מִלִּפְנֵי ה' וגו'.

Corners Ears Eyes Heart Righteous Soul, The Torah Voice

6. A crier comes forth and loudly calls, "You mighty, holy men! I seek ? him among you who has allowed the spirit to enter, and allowed his ears to hear, who has eyes open to see and who has a heart that is open to know! ON HEARING THE CRIER, THE RIGHTEOUS AWAKEN FROM THEIR SLEEP, DELVE INTO THE STUDY OF TORAH, AND DRAW THE CENTRAL COLUMN. When the spirit, which is the source of all spirits, arouses the sweetness of the soul, a voice comes from there, which is the source of all voices, and disperses all forces to the four corners of the world.

6. וְכָרוֹזָא קָארֵי בְחָיִל, וַאֲמַר, לְכוֹן אָמְרִין קַדִּישִׁין עֶלְיוֹנִין, מָאן מִנְכוֹן, דְּעָיֵיל רוּחָא בְּאוּדְנוֹי, לְמִשְׁמָע. וְעֵינוֹי פְּקִחִין לְמֶחֱמֵי. וְלִבֵּיהּ פָּתוּחַ לְמִנְדַע. בְּשַׁעֲתָא, דְּרוּחָא דְכָל רוּחִין, אָרִים בְּסִימוּ דְנִשְׁמָתָא, וּמִתַּמָּן, נָפֵיק קָלָא דְּקָלַיָא, חֵילִין אִתְבַּדַּר לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא.

Colors Crowns Directions East North Nukva South Ten Twelve Zeir Anpin

7. One goes up to one side, TO THE RIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE SOUTH. THE SECOND one descends to the other side, TO THE LEFT SIDE OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE NORTH. Another enters in between the two and BECOMES THE CENTRAL COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE EAST. IN OTHER WORDS, ZEIR ANPIN IS PLACED BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS OF BINAH. AND THESE THREE DIRECTIONS, SOUTH, NORTH, AND EAST, ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. Two are crowned AND SHINE by BECOMING three, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET BY THE THIRD, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT RECONCILES THEM. And three enter the one, BECAUSE THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF TIFERET, RECEIVES AND EXPANDS BY ITSELF TO THREE OTHER COLUMNS, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. One, WHICH RECONCILES, NAMELY TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, produced colors. IN OTHER WORDS, FROM HIM EMANATED THE SFIROT OF THE NUKVA THAT ARE CALLED 'COLORS.' Six of themdescended to one side, NAMELY TO THE RIGHT, and another six descended to the other side, NAMELY TO THE LEFT. SO the two sets of six - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD - became twelve SFIROT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE SIX SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN EXPANDED TO THE NUKVA AND BECAME TWELVE SFIROT, WITH SIX TO HER RIGHT AND SIX TO HER LEFT. The twelve SFIROT EXPAND AND become twenty-two SFIROT. THE six OF ZEIR ANPIN DO NOT BECOME TWELVE HERE, BUT are RATHER included within the ten. THIS IS BECAUSE the ten exist as one.

7. חַד סָלִיק, לִסְטַר חָד. חַד נָחִית לְהַהוּא סְטַר. חַד עָיֵיל, בֵּין תְּרֵין. תְּרֵין מִתְעַטְּרָן בִּתְלַת. תְּלַת עָיְילֵי בְּחַד. חַד אַפִּיק גְּוָונִין. שִׁית מִנְהוֹן, לִסְטַר חָד. וְשִׁית מִנְהוֹן, נָחֲתֵי לְהַהוּא סְטַר. שִׁית עָיְילֵי בִּתְרֵיסַר. תְּרֵיסַר מִתְעָרִין בְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין. שִׁית, כְּלִילָן בַּעֲשָׂרָה. עֲשָׂרָה קָאֵים בְּחַד.

Air Angels Body Cloud Dumah (Angel) Eyes Gates Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Job Judgment Light Mochin Righteous Soul, The Torah

8. Woe to those who slumber as sleep covers their eyes sockets - THOSE WHO DO NOT AWAKE FROM THEIR SLEEP TO STUDY TORAH AND DRAW THE CENTRAL COLUMN. THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT COLUMN BLOCKS OFF THE LIGHT NECESSARY FOR THEIR EYESIGHT AND MAKES THEM DROWSY. AS A RESULT, THEY HAVE NO EYES, THAT IS, MOCHIN. THERE IS SLEEP IN THEIR EYE SOCKETS. They do not know and are unable to observe how and in what condition they shall awaken on the Day of Judgment, when they shall be visited upon to settle the account - when the body is defiled and the soul floats on the afternoon air, going up and down, but the gates do not open for it. They are thrown around like the pebbles in the hollow of a sling. Woe to them. Who shall ask about them when they shall not arise to this place of pleasure? In the place where the righteous have pleasure, they shall be missing. They shall be passed on to the angel Dumah, go down TO GEHENOM and not rise. They are described by the words, "As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more" (Iyov 7:9).

8. וַוי לְאִינוּן דְּנַיְימֵי שֵׁינְתָא בְּחוֹרֵיהוֹן, לָא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָאן אֵיךְ יְקוּמוּן בְּדִינָא, דְּחוּשְׁבַּן אִתְפַּקַד, כַּד אִסְתָּאַב גּוּפָא, וְנִשְׁמָתָא שַׁטְיָא, עַל אַנְפֵּי דַּאֲוִירָא דְּטִיהֲרָא, וְסָלְקָא וְנַחֲתָא, וְתַרְעִין לָא מִתְפַּתְּחָן, מִתְגַּלְגְּלָן כְּאַבְנִין בְּגוֹ קוּסְפִיתָא. וַוי לוֹן, מַאן יִתְבַּע לוֹן, דְּלָא יְקוּמוּן בְּעִדּוּנָא דָא, בְּגוֹ דוּכְתֵּי דְּעִנּוּגֵי דְצַדִּיקַיָא, אִתְפַּקְדּוּן דּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ. אִתְמַסְּרוּן בִּידָא דְדוּמָה, נַחֲתֵי וְלָא סַלְקֵי. עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹֹא יַעֲלֶה.

Corners Flame Gabriel (Angel) Garden of Eden Judgment Midnight North Righteous Rooster Torah Voice

9. At that hour (MIDNIGHT), a flame is awakened from the North strikes the four corners of the world, SINCE THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH IS JUDGMENT, EXPANDS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. It descends and touches the cock between its wings, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF GABRIEL. As the flame awakens it, it crows. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE CRIER MENTIONED BEFORE WITH THE WORDS, "A CRIER COMES FORTH AND LOUDLY ANNOUNCES..." But the only ones who awaken to the calling of the cock are the truly righteous, who delve into the study of Torah, DRAWING THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, together with all the righteous in the Garden of Eden, listen attentively to their voice. As it is written, "You who dwell in the gardens, the companions hearken to your voice; cause me to hear it" (Shir Hashirim 8:13).

9. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְעַר שַׁלְהוֹבָא חַד מִסְּטַר צָפוֹן, וּבָטַשׁ בְּאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא, וְנָחֵית וּמָטֵי, בֵּין גַּדְפֵי דְתַרְנְגוֹלָא. וְאִתְעַר הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא בֵּיהּ, וְקָרֵי. וְלֵית מַאן דְּאִתְעַר, בַּר אִינוּן זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט, דְּקָיְימֵי וְאִתְעָרוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּכְדֵין קוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכָל אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָיא, דִּבְגוֹ גִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן, צַיְיתֵי לְקָלֵיהוֹן. כּד"א, הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ הַשְּׁמִיעִנִי.