"Happy are you, O land, when your king is a free man"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi says here that this verse refers to Moses when he freed the children of Yisrael from slavery in Egypt. By 'land' he means the earth, Malchut, which is sutained from the heavens, Zeir Anpin. Rabbi Yosi then discusses the destruction of the Holy Temple and the Holy Land, and explains that, when God wants to judge the world, He first has a trial above, and then the verdict is established below. Rabbi Shimon next says that "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end" refers to Jacob, who united Malchut and Zeir Anpin through Rachel and Leah. "And Jacob was a plain man", we learn, means he was whole, and completes supernal Chesed and supernal Gvurah in Binah, and the two Columns in Zeir Anpin. Chochmah, we are told, includes everything. The patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac, include everything, too, and Jacob combines both of them.

Relevance

Our Evil Inclination, the ego, has been the foundation of turmoil, pain, and all unhappiness. The Other Side tells us that we are self-governing, free, and independent, but in truth, we have been enslaved to its will and command. We are under the delusion that we act freely. In reality, we have been held captive by its desires. We are imprisoned by our reactive whims and self-absorbed desires. We are enslaved by our careers, jobs, and shallow relationships. We are incarcerated by our need for other people's acceptance. The ego is a ball and chain that has anchored us to this physical dimension, its material trappings and its inevitable turmoil.

For this reason, fulfillment has always been a rare commodity. Our moments of happiness and true freedom are fleeting. This segment of Zohar unlocks the chains of the Other Side, offering us the greatest freedom a man can attain, freedom from the self. The Zohar's spiritual influences impress us with wisdom to finally recognize life's true and lasting pleasures -- closeness with the Creator, marriage, children, friendship, and the strength to forever resist trading them away for transient pleasures born of self-indulgence. This wisdom, and the ultimate freedom it now provides, flows to us from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

Egypt Moses Passover

904. תָּאנָא אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ. ר' יוֹסִי אוֹקִים לְהַאי קְרָא, בְּמֹשֶׁה, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפִּיק לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם, וַעֲבַד לוֹן בְּנֵי חוֹרִין. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֲכַלְתֶּם אוֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן פֶּסַח הוּא לַיְיָ.'

Sanctuary

905. אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי, וְכִי לָא אֲמֵינָא דְּמִלוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּגוֹ, לְגוֹ הֵיכְלָא קַדִּישָׁא הֲווֹ. וְהַאי דְּאַמְרִיתּוּ כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר הֲוָה, וְלִדְרָשָׁא הוּא דְּאָתָא, אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא, לְעֵילָּא בְּהֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא.

Crowns Earth Heaven Heavens

906. We have studied, "Happy are you, O land, when your king is a free man." What land is this? It means just land, NAMELY MALCHUT, for we have learned that it is written, "He has cast down from heaven to earth (or, land) the beauty of Yisrael" (Eichah 2:1). Behold, this land is a secret among the crowns of the Holy King, NAMELY THE SFIROT, of which is written, "In the day that Hashem Elohim made the earth and the heavens" (Beresheet 2:4). FOR ELOHIM IS BINAH, HEAVEN IS ZEIR ANPIN AND EARTH IS MALCHUT. On this earth. All that is nourished is from that place called 'heavens,' because this earth is sustained only from the holy perfection called 'heavens.'

906. תָּאנָא, אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִים. מַאי אֶרֶץ. אֶרֶץ סְתָם. דְּתַנְיָא, מ"ד הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא הַאי אֶרֶץ, הִיא רָזָא, בְּגוֹ כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָיִם. וְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְכָל מַה דְּיָנִיק וְאִתְּזָן, מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם הוּא, וְלָא אִתְּזָנַת אַרְעָא דָּא, אֶלָּא מִשְּׂלֵימוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם.

Earth Footstool (Earth) Grades Heavens Holy Land (Holy) Temple Temple, The

907. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to destroy His house below, NAMELY THE TEMPLE, and the terrestrial Holy Land, He first removed the celestial Holy Land, WHICH IS MALCHUT, lowered it from that level from which it was nourishing, which is the Holy Heavens, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and destroyed the terrestrial one. This is what is meant by, "He cast down from heavens (to) earth" (Eichah 2:1) first, and afterwards, "And remembered not His footstool" (Ibid.), WHICH IS THE TERRESTRIAL TEMPLE AND THE HOLY LAND CALLED 'HIS FOOTSTOOL.' We have learned that these are the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He. When He wants to judge the world, first He has a trial above and then verdict is carried below, as it is written, "Hashem shall punish the host of the high ones on high" and afterwards, "The kings of the earth upon the earth" (Yeshayah 24:21).

907. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְתַתָּא, אַעְבַּר לְהַאי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְנָחִית לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דַּהֲוָה יַנְקָא מִשָּׁמַיִם קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְבָתַר חָרִיב לְהַאי דִּלְתַתָּא, הה"ד הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְלָא זָכָר הֲדוֹם רַגְלָיו. דְּתַנְיָא, כַּךְ אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד בָּעֵי לְמֵידַן עָלְמָא, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא עָבֵיד דִּינָא לְעֵילָּא, וּלְבָתַר אִתְקָיָּים לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב יִפְקוֹד יְיָ' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְעַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה.

Children Darkness Fear Jacob Morning

908. Rabbi Shimon said, "Happy are you, O land, when your king is a free man" REFERS TO ZEIR ANPIN, who sustains you with abundance without fear of another. From that supernal King all are sustained. "And your princes eat in due season" is as it is written, "In due time Jacob and Yisrael are told what El has performed" (Bemidbar 23:23), FOR THEY ARE THE PRINCES. "Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child" (Kohelet 10:16) is as it is written, "And I will give children to be their princes" (Yeshayah 3:4). Woe is unto the land if it nourishes from the left, WHICH IS CALLED 'CHILD.' "And your princes dine in the morning" (Ibid.), that is, in that darkness OF THE LEFT as long as that which should rule does not illuminate or rule, NAMELY THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT UNITES RIGHT AND LEFT.

908. א"ר שִׁמְעוֹן, אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן חוֹרִין, דְּזָן לָךְ בִּסְגִיאוּת כֹּלָּא, בְּלָא דְּחִילוּ דְּאַחֲרָא, וּמֵהַהוּא מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה אִתְּזַן כֹּלָּא. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ, כד"א כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מָה פָּעַל אֵל, אִי לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר כד"א וְנָתַתִּי נְעָרִים שָׂרֵיהֶם. דְּוַוי לְאַרְעָא כַּד יַנְקָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא. וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵלוּ, בְּהַהוּא קַדְרוּתָא, וְעַד לָא נָהִיר, וְלָא שַׁלְטָא מָה דְּשַׁלְטָא.

Boards Dwellings Jacob Leah Rachel Tents

909. We have learned that Rabbi Shimon said, "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end" (Shemot 26:28). This refers to holy and perfect Jacob, as we have established. It is written, "And Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Beresheet 25:27). It is not written 'tent,' but rather "tents," WHICH MEANS two, for he is attached to this one and that one, NAMELY IN MALCHUT THAT IS ABOVE THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'LEAH' AND IN MALCHUT BELOW THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'RACHEL.' It is also written here, "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end," so that it is attached here and held there, TO LEAH AND RACHEL, MEANING THROUGHOUT THE STATURE OF ZEIR ANPIN FROM END TO END.

909. תָּנָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה, דָּא הוּא יַעֲקֹב קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלֵימָא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים. יוֹשֵׁב אֹהֶל לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא יוֹשֵׁב אוֹהָלִים, תְּרֵי, דְּאָחִיד לְהַאי וְאָחִיד לְהַאי. אַף הָכָא כְּתִיב, וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים, מַבְרִיחַ מִן הַקָּצֶה אֶל הַקָּצֶה, דְּאָחִיד לְהַאי וְאָחִיד לְהַאי.

Aramaic Atika Kadisha

910. What is meant by 'a plain man?' It is translated into Aramaic as 'whole,' for he is whole in everything and completes both aspects, Atika Kadisha and Zeir Anpin. HE IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN WHO MEDIATES AND COMPLETES BOTH COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, THAT ARE IN BINAH THAT IS SOMETIMES CALLED 'ATIKA KADISHA,' AND THE TWO COLUMNS IN ZEIR ANPIN. This is because he completes Supernal Chesed and Supernal Gvurah, NAMELY THE TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, THAT ARE IN BINAH, and he completes the one and the other, BINAH AND ZEIR ANPIN.

Abraham Iron Jacob Judgment Patriarchs

911. Rabbi Shimon said, I see that Chochmah includes everything and Supernal Chesed, THAT IS IN ZEIR ANPIN WHICH IS THE RIGHT COLUMN, emerges from Chochmah. Gvurah, which is strong Judgment, emerges from Binah. Jacob completes both sides, FOR HE MEDIATES BETWEEN CHESED AND GVURAH AND UNITES AND COMPLETES THEM. The Patriarchs, ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, NAMELY, CHESED AND GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, include everything, and Jacob is the combination of the Patriarchs, BECAUSE HE COMBINES BOTH OF THEM.