"He who tills a field is a king"

Synopsis

There is a hidden meaning in the mention of Sarah's exact life span in the Torah, for such details are given for no other woman - nor does any other woman have a portion of the scriptures devoted to her name, as Sarah does. The Zohar points out and explains the symbols employed in passages concerning Sarah, and it examines the meaning of various statements that cannot be unlocked without the key of Kabbalah. We learn that, like Abraham, Sarah in no way clung to negative inclinations, and thus earned supernal life for herself, her husband, and later, her son.

Relevance

Man, on his own, does not possess the inner power necessary to eradicate the dark side of his nature. Scriptural giants like Abraham and Sarah, however, are generators of sufficient spiritual force to overcome the Evil Inclination. Their existence in this physical realm and their presence in the Torah serve as a wellspring of this energy, from which all generations can draw. Sarah's grace and godliness, together with the energy of supernal life, reach us through the medium of the Aramaic words comprising this passage.

Daughter Death Death and the Afterlife Deborah (Prophetess) Judah Miriam Rachel Rebecca Shua Torah Women

13. וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה. מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא שָׂרָה, דִּכְתִיב מִיתָתָה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִכָּל נְשֵׁי דְעַלְמָא, דְּלָא כְתִיב הָכֵי מִיתַתְהוֹן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אֲמַר רַבִּי חִיָיא, וְלָאו, וְהָכְתִיב וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָתָה. וּכְּתִיב וַתָּמָת שָׁם מִרְיָם וגו'. וּכְתִיב, וַתָּמָת דְּבוֹרָה מֵינֶקֶת רִבְקָה. וּכְתִיב וַתָּמָת בַּת שׁוּעַ אֵשֶׁת יְהוּדָה.

Grades Hundred Mochin Seven Women Year

14. Rabbi Yosi responded, But it is not written of them as it is written of Sarah, of whom it is said, "And Sarah's life was a hundred and twenty-seven years old, these were the years of Sarah's life" (Beresheet 23:1). No other woman's days and years were specified as they were for Sarah. Furthermore, none of them has a portion of the scriptures devoted to them, as does Sarah. There is an esoteric reason for this. IN THE SCRIPTURES, SARAH'S DAYS AND YEARS ARE SPECIFIED, but the secret is that the days and years of all men depend on this grade. THIS MEANS THAT THE MOCHIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LIFE SPAN OF SARAH, IS ALLUDED TO IN THE NUMBER "127 YEARS." FROM THIS, THE LIFE SPAN OF MAN IS ALSO DRAWN.

14. אֲמַר ר' יוֹסֵי, בְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא כְתִיב, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב בְּשָׂרָה, דְּאִתְּמָר, וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה. דְּהָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ, לָא אִתְמָנוּן יוֹמִין וּשְׁנִין, כְּמוֹ לְשָׂרָה. בְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא כְתִיב פָּרְשָׁתָא חָדָא בִּלְחוֹדָהָא, כְּמוֹ לְשָׂרָה. אֶלָּא, רָזָא אִיהוּ, בְּגִין הַהוּא דַרְגָּא, דְּכָל יוֹמִין וּשְׁנִין דְּבַּר נָשׁ, בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין.

Field Nukva Soul, The Zeir Anpin

15. He opened with the verse, "Moreover, land has an advantage for everyone, he who tills a field is a king" (Kohelet 5:8). "Moreover, land has an advantage" IS THE NUKVA "for everyone." Certainly, THIS IS THE SECRET OF YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED "All" (Heb. kol). Because FROM YESOD emanate spirits and souls and goods to the world. Of the verse, "He who tills a field is a king," IT IS ASKED, Who is the king? He is the Holy One, blessed be He, who "tills a field" when it is properly cultivated. The King is the supernal King, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, who is joined to the field when it is tilled. IT IS ASKED, What is the field? This is a field which Hashem has blessed, NAMELY THE NUKVA, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "Like the smell of a field which Hashem has blessed" (Beresheet 27:27). For when it is tilled and cultivated properly, the supernal King, ZEIR ANPIN, unites with it.

15. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל הִיא מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד. וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל הִיא וַדַּאי, דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן נָפְקִין רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין, וְתוֹעַלְתָּא לְעַלְמָא. מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד, מַאן מֶלֶךְ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד, כַּד אִיהוּ אִתְתַּקַּן כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת. וּמֶלֶךְ, דָּא מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה, דְּאִתְחַבַּר לְשָׂדֶה, כַּד אִיהוּ נֶעֱבָד. מַאן שָׂדֶה, דָּא שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ ה'. דִּכְתִיב כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ ה'. דְּכַד אִיהוּ נֶעֱבַד וְאִתְתַּקַּן, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ, כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת, כְּדֵין מֶלֶךְ עִלָּאָה אִתְחַבַּר עִמֵּיהּ.

Field Fruit House Marriage Shechinah Soul, The

16. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אֲמַר, מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד. כַּמָּה גַוְונֵי, רָזִין עִלָּאִין הָכָא. מֶלֶךְ: דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא בְּבֵיתָא, לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בָהּ, אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְנְסֵיב בַּר נָשׁ, וְאִזְדַּוַּוג בְּאִנְתְּתֵיהּ, לְאוֹלָדָא וּלְמֶעְבַּד אִיבִּין, וְאִיהִי אֲפֵיקַת נִשְׁמָתִין, לְאַשְׁרָאָה בָהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד, וְלָא לְאָחֳרָא.

Destruction Earth Fear Field Heaven Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Light Other Side Purification Shechinah War Women Zeir Anpin

17. Another explanation, A king is "a woman who fears Hashem," (same comment as above - mixed genders) as it is written, "A woman who fears Hashem, she shall be praised" (Mishlei 31:30). THIS IS THE SHECHINAH. A tilled field is a strange woman, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, as it is written, "That they may keep you from the strange woman" (Mishlei 7:5). For there are two kinds of field. There is a field in which all blessings and holiness dwell, as it is written, "Like the smell of a field which Hashem has blessed," NAMELY THE SHECHINAH. And there is a field, in which destruction and defilement, extinction, killings and war reside, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE. This king, NAMELY THE SHECHINAH, sometimes tills the second field, THE OTHER SIDE, as it is written, "For three things the earth is disquieted...and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress" (Mishlei 30:21). IN THIS CASE, HEAVEN FORBID, THE FIELD OF THE OTHER SIDE INHERITS THE SHECHINAH, AND THE LIGHT OF THE SHECHINAH is covered and darkened until it is purified and joins ZEIR ANPIN above.

17. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מֶלֶךְ: דָּא אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת ה', כְּדָבָר אֲחֵר אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת ה' הִיא תִתְהַלָּל. לְשָׂדֶה נֶעֱבָד, דָּא אִשָּׁה זָרָה, כְּדָבָר אֲחֵר לִשְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה. בְּגִין דְּאִית שָׂדֶה, וְאִית שָׂדֶה. אִית שָׂדֶה, דְּכָל בִּרְכָאָן וְקִדּוּשִׁין, בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָין, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ ה'. וְאִית שָׂדֶה, דְּכָל חֵירוּב וּמְסָאֲבוּ, וְשֵׁיצָאָה, וְקָטוֹלִין, וּקְרָבִין, בֵּיהּ שָׁרְיָין. וְהַאי מֶלֶךְ, זִמְנִין דְּאִיהוּ נֶעֱבַד לְהַאי שָׂדֶה, דִּכְתִיב, תַּחַת שָׁלֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וגו', תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלֹךְ, וגו', וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ. וְהַאי מֶלֶךְ, אִתְכַּסְּיָא נְהוֹרֵיהּ וְאִתְחַשָּׁךְ עַד דְּאִתְדַּכֵּי, וְאִתְחַבַּר לְעֵילָא.

Field Goats Offering Other Side Shechinah

18. וּבְגִין כָּךְ שָׂעִיר דְּר"ח, בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ הַהוּא שָׂדֶה מִמַּלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְלָא שַׁרְיָין בְּהַאי שָׂדֶה בִּרְכָאָן, מֵהַאי מֶלֶךְ. וְכַד אִיהוּ נֶעֱבַד לְהַאי שָׂדֶה, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, כִּי בַשָּׂדֶה מְצָאָהּ וגו'. כִּי בַּשָּׂדֶה כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר.

Abram Death Death and the Afterlife Egypt Eve Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Noah Other Side Serpent Shells (Klipot) Tents Wine

19. Come and behold: Eve came into the world and clung to the serpent. He injected impurities into her, and she brought death to the world and to her husband. Sarah then came and went down INTO THE PLACE OF THE OTHER SIDE, BUT she rose again without any KLIPOT clinging to her, as it is written, "And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had" (Beresheet 13:1). When Noah came to the world, it is written that "he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and he was uncovered within his tent" (Beresheet 9:21).

19. תָּא חֲזֵי, אָתַת חַוָּה לְעַלְמָא, אִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהַאי חִוְּיָא, וְאַטֵּיל בָהּ זוּהֲמָא. וְגָרְמָא מוֹתָא לְעַלְמָא, וּלְבַעֲלָהּ. אָתַת שָׂרָה, וְנָחֲתַת וְסָלְקַת, וְלָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ, כד"א וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ. אָתָא נֹחַ לְעַלְמָא, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר וַיִּתְגָּל וגו'.

Abraham Eve Other Side Rock Women Year

20. Because Abraham and Sarah did not cling to THE OTHER SIDE, Sarah earned supernal life for herself, her husband, and her son after her. This is the meaning of the verse: "Look at the rock whence you are hewn [ABRAHAM], and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug out [SARAH]" (Yeshayah 51:1). Therefore, it is written, "And Sarah's life was...," for she merited all THE YEARS. It is not so for the rest of the women, FOR IT IS NOT WRITTEN, "And Chavah's life was..." and so on. Sarah clung to life. Therefore, her life was her own.

20. וּבְגִין דְּאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה, לָא אִתְדַּבָּקוּ בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין כָּך שָׂרָה זָכְתָה לְחַיִּין עִלָּאִין, לָהּ, וּלְבַעֲלָהּ, וְלִבְנָהָא בַּתְרָאָה, הה"ד הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חוּצַבְתֶּם וְאֶל מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר נוּקַרְתֶּם. וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה, דְּזָכְתָה בְּהוֹ בְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְלָא כְּתִיב בְּכֻלְּהוּ נַשֵּׁי, וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי חַוָּה, וְכֵן בְּכֹלָּא, הִיא אִתְדַּבְּקַת בַּחַיִּין, וְעַל דָּא דִילָהּ הֲווֹ חַיִּין.