Zohar - Parshas Shelach Lecha - The Heart of the Body Corresponds to the Heart of the World

ZOHAR PARSHAS SHELACH LECHA

MATOK MIDVASH

Daf 161a

The heart of the body corresponds to the heart of the world

And now may the strength of my Lord be made great, Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Yosi say, “Happy are they – the Jewish people – more than the nations of the world, that the Holy One Blessed be He chose them from all the nations, and joined His Name with them, that He is called “Elokai Yisrael” – the G-d of Israel – and it is written “My first born child Israel.” And he glorifies Himself in them, as it is written, “Israel, that in you I take pride.” (And it is mentioned here these 3 praises of the Jewish people [choosing them, joining His name with them and glorifying Himself in them], parallel the three levels of the soul that G-d gave to them i.e. the Nefesh – [lower animal soul,] the Ruach – [the spirit], and the Neshama, [the highest level of the revealed levels of the soul.]) This world was created only for Israel in order that they would occupy themselves in Torah, since the Jewish people are connected together with the written Torah and with the oral Torah (which is the secret of Zu”N.) And the Jewish people below in this world – as their soul is clothed in a physical body – they are the existence of the entire world, and the existence of all the other nations, for all of them exist through the strength of the Torah and service of the Jewish people that serve the Holy One Blessed be He. When do they cause the existence of the entire world? At the time they do the will of their Master, for then they draw down abundance to the lower worlds and lower beings (by means of causing Ma”N [the lower waters] to ascend through their service to the Holy One Blessed be He.”

Come and see, when the Holy One Blessed be He created man in the world, He established him in a similar fashion to Above, meaning in the image of G-d, and he includes [in himself] the image of all the created beings. And He gave him his strength and his power in the middle of his body. There lies the heart which is the source of power and nourishment to the entire body. And he established the limbs of the body around the heart, and the heart resides in the middle of the body. And all the limbs are nourished from the heart which is the power and strength of all the limbs. And all the limbs depend upon it. And this heart is joined and united in the higher mind that resides above.

(The Zohar now divides the various sections of these encompassing layers – meaning that a smaller level of holiness surrounds a level of holiness greater than it.)

The following [as in the main body of the Zohar text] follows mostly the version of Zohar according to the Gr”A – the Gaon of Vilna, Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer.

Similarly when the Holy One Blessed be He created the world (first encompassment) He arranged the ocean that surrounds the entire dwelling place of the world, (second encompassment) and the dwelling area of all the 70 nations he surrounded around Jerusalem, (third encompassment) and Jerusalem resides and is found in the middle of the entire dwelling area, (fourth encompassment) and it surrounds the Temple Mount, (fifth encompassment) and the Temple Mount surrounds the courtyards. And we have learned that only the kings of the house of David were allowed to sit in the courtyard, (sixth encompassment) and these courtyards surround the Lishkat HaGazit [the office of Hewn Stone], that it is there that the great Sanhedrin sit, (seventh encompassment) And the Lishkat HaGazit surrounds the Ulam [the entrance hall leading to the inner sanctuary], (eighth encompassment) and the Ulam surrounds the Heichal [the inner sanctuary,] (ninth encompassment) and the Heichal surrounds the house of the Holy of Holies, (tenth encompassment) and there the Shechina [the Indwelling Divine Presence] rests, and there is to be found the Kaporet [the covering of the Ark] and the Keruvim [the angel-like figures above the Kaporet] and the Ark.

And here in the Holy of Holies is the heart of the entire world for from there descends the abundance from above, and from there it spreads to the rest of the world. Therefore, from here all the places of the dwelling space – which is the example of the limbs of the body of the world are nourished. And this heart which is the secret of the Shechina is nourished from the mind in the head which is the secret of the supernal Beit HaMikdash [the Temple], meaning Malchut of Atzilut. And they unite with each other. This is what is written, (Shemot 15:17) “The foundation of Your dwelling-place, you G-d have made.” And Rashi explains, the sanctuary below corresponds directly and is opposite to the throne Above – which you have made.

NOTES TO SIGNS USED IN FORMATTING:

Bold print: Original Zohar

Ordinary text: Matok Midvash

[Square brackets]: ELIYAHU ben PINCHAS

(Round brackets): Either the source being quoted e.g. Proverbs etc., or alternatively used to quote the kabbalistic language as discussed in Matok Midvash. The Matok Midvash formats the Nigleh side of things in an ordinary print, and the Nistar terminology in Rashi script. I’ve therefore put the Rashi script – the Nistar terminology in round brackets.

Hayom Yom - Sivan 10 - Lights and Matches!

LIGHTS AND MATCHES

"The Alter Rebbe once answered someone who entered for Yechidus (lit: Unity or Oneness - a private meeting between Rebbe and Chassid): The Children of Israel are called candles. A candle is composed of a vessel, a wick, oil and a flame. However one must kindle the flame, and then it lights up! The candle in you is good, however there is lacking someone to light it up. By means of strongly stricking the stone of the animal soul, a spark of fire flies out which illuminates the G-dly fire!"

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"The candle of G-d is the soul of man" - teaches the Torah. It is only that sometimes we need someone to light it up!

The Rebbe Rashab taught that we all need to be lamplighters! Much like in the old days, the "lamplighter" would run along the streets literally lighting up each street lamp, so too does each Jew have an obligation to light the dormant spark resting inside the body of another Jew. That spark which is in actuality the soul of a Jew - the essential spark of G-dliness inside each of us.

Sometimes we are fortunate in being blessed that G-d mysteriously sends through a lamplighter to light ourselves. Other times - we are the mysterious lamplighters for others. And yet other times, there may be some obstruction holding back another from actually lighting us up!

When we find ourselves in such a situation, we must simply take the match that another gives us - and light ourselves with it, illuminate ourselves, and get ourselves inspired through the encouragement of another. Of course, simply being ready to be illuminated is the easiest option. All one needs is to stand ready to be lit up (and perhaps simply ask the lamplighter to light us)!! But when this fails - because for some reason we are not "taking to the flame presenting itself", we need to at least be prepared to accept the match that the lamplighter gives to us - and light ourselves up!

Hayom Yom - Sivan 9 - Purify the Air with Your Mishna Learning

HAYOM YOM

SIVAN 9

PURIFY YOUR AIR - FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS!

"The world is in need of purified air. Purifying the air can only take place through the letters of the Torah. The letters of the Torah are a general protection and a protection for the individual. The division of the 6 Orders of the Mishna (off by heart) is - "And in your going on the way." One who learns and recites a Mishna or two wherever they may be, in whatever place one may be - illuminates the connection of the Jewish people with the Holy One Blessed be He. The word Mishna "משנה" has the same letters as the word "נשמה" Neshama - soul. It is very difficult to find the words to express the enourmous benefit, with the help of G-d, in general protection and individual protection that the regular repetition of Mishnayot brings, with the help of G-d, and there are no words to express the tremendous pleasure that they cause to the Creator of the world, blessed be He."

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While we may think that the air we breath is equal wherever we are, the teaching for today shares with us that the purity of air is created by the very words we say. When we speak words of purity - and especially words of Torah - and especially words of Mishna study, we literally purify the air around us.

How easy it is to think that we are all able to simply live by breathing the free air around us. yet there are many people unable to do this. Such people walk around with oxygen tanks and tubes running through their nostrils allowing them to breath PURE AIR!

Perhaps it may be that such people are even allergic to the bad air around them and require a pure oxygen that satiates their bodies (and souls!) Yet, with just a little effort on our part, we can all take part in purifying the air around us. (Who knows what effect this may have even on the Ozone layer?!)

This is achieved with kind words being said, words of holy Torah being spoken - and where one is able to, to literally recite Mishnayos off by heart - no matter where one is. Thereby one is able to fulfill the teaching of Torah we recite at least twice a day "... and in your going on the way". We are to learn Torah when we get up in the morning, when we go to sleep, wherever we are, and even when we are moving about all day (as passengers in a car or on a bus!) Through this, we create an environment around us filled with absolute purity.

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DID YOU KNOW?!

Did you know that the Oral Law is known as ShaS?

ShaS stands for Shisha Sedarim. The Six Orders of the Law. This is so because there are six sections of law to master:

1. Zeraim - Laws of Agriculture (and the laws for blessings)
2. Moed - Laws of the Sabbath and Festivals
3. Nashim - Laws Pertaining to Marriage and Divorce
4. Nezikin - Laws Pertaining to Damages
5. Kodashim - Laws Pertaining to the Temple, and Dietary laws
6. Taharot - Laws Pertaining to Purity and Impurity

While there are 6 orders in total, each order is broken up into numerous tractates, each tractate into numerous chapters, and each chapter into numerous Mishanyot.

Did you know that there are 525 chapters in the total system of the Oral Law?

By learning just TWO CHAPTERS a day - one can complete the entire Oral Law (in Mishna) in LESS THAN ONE YEAR!

For more information see:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/Mishnah.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishna

Scroll to the bottom of the page of the bottom link for a list of further links for more information in learning Mishna in accordance with a proper structured program.

The Internet provides numerous sites that teach each Mishna - both in writing and in audio - allowing you to maximise your learning even if you find it difficult to find someone in person to learn from (which of course is always the best!)