Zohar, Beshalach 3:12

AND MOSES TOOK THE BONES OF JOSEPH WITH HLM. Why did Moses do this rather than anyone else? Because Joseph was the leader in the descent into exile. Moreover, this was a sign of redemption to him, for Joseph “had strictly sworn the children of Israel” concerning it, the meaning of which has already been explained in another connection.

Zohar, Noach 14:16

And for this reason Israel entreats Heaven to grant a plenitude of rain, so as to accord the nations their share of blessings, that they may be fully occupied therewith, and not meddle in the festivity of Israel, who imbibe the superior blessings. Concerning this day it is written, “My beloved is mine and I am his” (S. S. 2, 16), and there is no third one with us.

Zohar, Terumah 16:1

And when the Sabbath day itself lightens, a spirit of tranquil joy ascends through all worlds. This is the significance of the Psalm (recited on Sabbath morning): ‘“The heavens tell the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. ” ‘What is meant by “Heaven”? That heaven in which the Supernal Name is made visible (shama-yim- heaven; shem-Name).

Zohar, Vayakhel 12:4

Then the fiery mass of the star attracts within itself the white colour. Then it ascends on high and plunges again in the midst of that colour, occupying its interior. The same is repeated with the whole gamut of colours, all of which it thrusts outside, concentrating itself more and, more in the middle until it approaches that hidden point to derive light therefrom.

Zohar, Vayikra 1:1

R. Eleazar began here with the verse, “Ask thee a sign1The Hebrew word is oth, which in Talmudic Hebrew commonly means “letter”. of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isa. 7, 11). He said: ‘We have compared the former with the latter generations, and found that the former were conversant with a higher wisdom by which they knew how to combine the letters that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and even the sinners of Israel knew a deep wisdom contained in the letters and the difference between higher and lower letters, and how to do things with them in this world.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:216

Among the injunctions which David on his death-bed laid upon Solomon, two were of special importance: one concerning Joab and one concerning Shimei. Of Joab he said: “Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruia did to me” (I Kings 2, 5). The words “thou knowest” indicate that even Solomon ought not really to have known this, but since others knew of it David told him also.

Zohar, Terumah 12:8

Then the Shekinah, the Bride, is conducted to the Palace of the King, Her Bridegroom, for now He stands complete in all His supernal goodness and can supply Her with all that She needs.

Zohar, Miketz 5:26

And it was in virtue of having kept the purity of the covenant that Joseph was privileged to be crowned in his right place and merited the upper kingdom and the lower kingdom. Hence, to preserve the purity of the covenant is like observing the whole of the holy Torah, since the covenant is on a par with the whole Torah.

Zohar, Yitro 8:9

Such a man is even-tempered, self-controlled, even when he is angered, and quickly appeased.

Zohar, Beshalach 12:14

When did the Holy One requite him? In the battle of Sisera, when He rooted out all those chariots and delivered them unto the Matrona, as it is written, in the Song of Deborah: “The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon” (Jud. 5, 21). And in the future all of them shall be delivered up,as it says: “Who is this that cometh from Edom…?” (Isa. 63, 1). And this indeed is the significance of the words: “And he went behind them”-that the Shekinah will uproot them all at the end of days.’

Zohar, Lech Lecha 5:7

The reason, as we have seen, is that Abraham was able to test all the upper powers that rule the world in all the quarters of the inhabited section, and did actually test them and find out which of the guiding powers among the stars and constellations had sway over which, and he weighed successfully all the inhabited parts of the globe. But when he came to this place he was met with a baffling obscurity which he could not penetrate.

Zohar, Introduction 7:1

BERESHITH (In the beginning). Said R. Yudai: ‘What is the meaning of Bereshith? It means “with Wisdom”, the Wisdom on which the world is based, and through this it introduces us to deep and recondite mysteries. In it, too, is the inscription of six chief supernal directions, out of which there issues the totality of existence. From the same there go forth six sources of rivers which flow into the Great Sea. This is implied in the word Bereshith, which can be analysed into BaRa-SHiTH (He created six). And who created them? The Mysterious Unknown.’

Zohar, Toldot 4:8

Israel anticipate him and counter him with similar ruses and devices so as to prevent him from working his evil will; just as Jacob, who was endowed with the true faith, in all his actions towards Esau had no aim but to prevent the serpent from defiling the Sanctuary or even approaching it, and so achieving dominion over the world. There was however, no need either for Abraham or for Isaac to use such tortuous ways, seeing that Esau, who was of the side of the serpent, had not yet appeared in the world. But Jacob, being the master of the household, had to counter the serpent, and to give him no chance to tarnish the Sanctuary of Jacob. Hence Jacob had need of such shifts more than any other person. Israel, therefore, was chosen as the portion of the heritage of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “For the portion of the Lord is his people, Jacob the lot of his inheritance” (Deut. 32, 9).

Zohar, Vayakhel 4:9

Observe this. When the hour arrives at which it pleases the Holy One, blessed be He, to unify the Supernal Chariot,1Al. “to combine the Supernal Chariot with the Lower Chariot”. a voice issues from that divine supernal region called Heaven to assemble all the saints beneath and all the holy chiefs and supernal legions, so that they should all be in readiness together. Thus Scripture says, “And Moses assembled”, “Moses” being an allusion to Heaven; while the words “all the congregation of the children of Israel” allude to the twelve supernal holy legions.

Zohar, Vayakhel 11:1

R. Jose further discoursed on the verse: “And He said unto me: Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49, 3). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that there is an outer and bodily worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, and an inner and spiritual worship which is the true and genuine worship.

Zohar, Miketz 9:21

There is, it is true, a tradition that King David never saw a happy dream, from which we should conclude that he was shown false things in his dreams. The truth is, however, that David was all his life engaged in making war, in shedding blood, and hence all his dreams were of misfortune, of destruction and ruin, of blood and shedding of blood, and not of peace.

Zohar, Bamidbar 7:1

R. Eleazar then asked his father, R. Simeon, for a mnemonic suggestive of this method of effecting unification. In reply his father mentioned the manner in which the priest goes round the altar, regarding which the Mishnah-Code says: “And [the priest] came to the south-eastern, then to the north-eastern, the north-western, and the south-western horn”.1Mishnah Zebahim 5, 3. R. Eleazar then asked: ‘How could one come to the south before taking upon oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven?’

Zohar, Yitro 15:5

Moses himself, who used this expression, could not say “our” God, because, according to our dictum, “he who lives outside the Land of Israel is, as it were, without God.” So he said to the children of Israel, who were going to settle in the Holy Land and to receive the Shekinah there, “thy God”, but he could not well say “our God”, since he was not to enter himself into the Holy Land.’

Zohar, Pinchas 16:4

But the souls of heathens are like the burning of stubble, which gives no flame, and therefore they keep still like wood burning without a flame.’ Said R. Jose: ‘That is a good explanation; happy am I to have heard this.’

Zohar, Vayera 6:15

R. Simeon said that it was in order to confirm Abraham in his special grade, which is symbolised by water, that he set out to keep the world pure by means of water. The same symbolic meaning underlies the words uttered by him when he invited the angels to partake of food, to wit, “Let a little water be fetched”, he wishing thereby to confirm himself in the degree symbol sed by water.

Zohar, Shmini 6:4

R. Abba said: ‘Wine, oil and water issue from the same place. Water and oil, which are on the right, are taken by the priests, especially oil, which is joy first and last, as it is written: “Like the goodly oil upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard” (Ps. 133, 2). Wine, which is on the left, is inherited by the Levites, that they may raise their voices in song and not be silent, for wine is never silent, but oil is always noiseless.

Zohar, Emor 5:4

Because “for his sister a virgin that is near unto him, which hath had no husband”, to wit, for the Community of Israel who does not belong to the portion of Esau, for her He may be defiled, to wit, in those garments of vengeance with which He will stain himself among all those hosts.’

Zohar, Vayishlach 4:11

R. Simeon said: ‘It is written of Balaam, “and he went shefi (to a bare height)” (Num. 23, 3). The word shefi signifies “alone”, and it is also akin to the term shefifon, in the phrase “shefifon (a horned snake) in the path”. So Balaam went alone, like a snake that goes alone and lurks in by-paths and lanes, with the object of attracting to himself the unclean spirit. For he who walks alone at certain periods, and in certain places, even in a town, attracts to himself the unclean spirit.

Zohar, Noach 13:5

R. Hiya said: ‘The world was in a state of poverty and misery from the time Adam transgressed the command of the Almighty until Noah came and offered up a sacrifice, when its prosperity returned.’ R. Jose said: ‘The world was not properly settled, nor was the earth purged from the defilement of the serpent, until Israel stood before Mount Sinai, where they laid fast hold of the Tree of Life, and so established the world firmly.

Zohar, Shemot 13:24

Then a voice will burst forth from the branches of the trees of Paradise: “Arise, O ye saints from above, and stand ye before the Messiah! For the time has come for the Hind to be united with her Spouse, and he must avenge her on the world and raise her from the dust”.

Zohar, Vayakhel 8:5

Of the written Law the writing is made, as it were, into a Palace of the central point, wherein the Law is concealed.

Zohar, Vayakhel 10:9

Moreover, it is important that the King and the Matrona should be united both above and below, and be crowned with a crown wrought of the souls above and the souls below;

Zohar, Pekudei 6:2

Furthermore, as the Israelites had found delight at first in their voluntary offerings, so were they delighted in the accounts being rendered; and thus their delight helped to the confirming of the work. Now, it is written “these” and not “and these”, this signifying that this account eclipsed all previous accounts rendered in the world, and was destined to outlive them, being the one by which the Tabernacle was sustained.’

Zohar, Bereshit 15:1

R. Simeon then proceeded, taking as his text: See now that I, I am he, and Elohim is not with me, etc. (Deut. 32, 39). He said: ‘Friends, here are some profound mysteries which I desire to reveal to you now that permission has been given to utter them. Who is it that says, “See now that I, I am he”? This is the Cause which is above all those on high, that which is called the Cause of causes. It is above those other causes, since none of those causes does anything till it obtains permission from that which is above it, as we pointed out above in respect to the expression, “Let us make man”.’

Zohar, Lech Lecha 5:4

He noted that from that point the whole world was planted out, and he once more tested and weighed and found that the upper power in charge of it was one which could not be gauged, that it was recondite and hidden, and not like the (powers in charge of) the outlying parts of the inhabited world.

Zohar, Noach 1:6

This ark is the Ark of the Covenant, and Noah with the ark below corresponded to a similar union above. The word “covenant” is used in connection with Noah, as it is written, “And I will establish my covenant with thee”, and before the covenant was established with him he did not enter the ark, as it is written, “And I will establish my covenant with thee and thou shalt come into the ark.” Thus his ark represented the Ark of the Covenant,

Zohar, Terumah 12:7

Then one of the leaders of the celestial array-he whose name is Boel (God is in him)- stands forth, and in his hands are four keys which he obtained one from each of the four corners of the earth. One key has upon it the sign of the letter Yod engraved; the second the letter He‘; and the third the letter Van; and these three keys he lays beneath the boughs of the Tree of Life. Then these three become one. Then the fourth and last key, which bears upon it the second letter He’, joins the three which have become one. And all the angelic hosts enter by means of those keys into the Garden of Eden, where with one voice they proclaim the Divine unity at the selfsame moment as it is proclaimed here below.

Zohar, Vayikra 3:7

R. Aha applied the verse to the time when the Shekinah entered the Tabernacle, blessing and joy being then universally diffused, and Israel being perfected and joined to the Holy One, blessed be He, on earth, as it is written, “and they shall make me a sanctuary and I shall dwell among them” (Ex. 25, 8).1The first 24 lines of the Hebgrew text do not appear in the translation as explained in the Translator’s note on Page 2a.

Zohar, Bereshit 4:4

Tohu is a place which has no colour and no form, and the esoteric principle of “form” does not apply to it. It seems for a moment to have a form, but when looked at again it has no form. Everything has a “vestment” except this.

Zohar, Toldot 3:1

R. Judah followed with a discourse on the text: AND ISAAC ENTREATED THE LORD FOR HIS WIFE. ‘The term “entreated” (vaye’tar)’, he said, ‘implies prayer accompanied by offerings, on an analogy with a kindred term in the passage, “So the Lord was entreated for the land” (II Sam. 24, 25), where also the prayer was accompanied by offerings. It is written here first, “And Isaac entreated”, and then “And the Lord let himself be entreated”, indicating that a celestial fire descended to meet the fire ascending from below.

Zohar, Vaetchanan 8:20

“Our God” is the deep source of the streams and founts that flow forth to all. “The Lord” again is the body of the Tree, the completion of the roots. “One” is the Community of Israel. All form one whole linked together without division.’ R. Isaac learnt: ‘The holy supernal chariot consists of the four compartments of the phylacteries which are put on by Vau, as already explained. There is another holy chariot of four other compartments united into one which are put on by the second He’, as already stated.’

Zohar, Chukat 2:3

The truth is that this was enjoined originally by the Torah, and because the ancients were pious and virtuous this thing was revealed to them, but when sinners multiplied the thing was done in a different way, in order to conceal matters which have a high mystic significance.

Zohar, Beshalach 3:9

R. Jose objected that at the Red Sea Moses said to the Israelites, “the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day ye shall see them again no more” (Ex. XIV, I 3), and yet according to R. Isaac’s interpretation they saw the “mixed multitude” every day. To this R. Judah answered that the “mixed multitude” were not Egyptians, but members of other peoples living in Egypt. Moreover, they had all been circumcised, and therefore would not in any case be called Egyptians.

Zohar, Lech Lecha 13:6

God replied: “Abraham I have already tried and tested and found to be wholly stedfast.” Said David: “If so, ‘examine me, O Lord, and prove me, try my reins and my heart’ (Ps. 26, 2).” When he sinned in the matter of Bathsheba, David remembered what he had said, and he exclaimed “‘Thou hast proved mine heart, thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast tried me and hast not found,

Zohar, Vayishlach 3:11

The Scripture’, he said, ‘alludes to this in the verse, “He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him; even length of days for ever and ever” (Ps. 21, 5). For when God created the Garden of Eden and placed in it the soul of King David, He saw that it possessed no life-portion of its own, and cast about for a remedy. So when He created Adam the first man, He said, “Here, indeed, is the remedy”; and so it was that from Adam were derived the seventy years that David lived.

Zohar, Bereshit 11:7

The Hayyoth which are never disclosed are those which are under the two undisclosed letters Yod, He ‘, which rule over Vau, He’, these being the pedestal of the former. The most mysterious and incomprehensible essence rules over all and is mounted upon all. The Hayyoth which disclose themselves are below those which remain undisclosed and derive light from them and follow them.

Zohar, Vayeshev 3:5

Now various difficulties are raised by this statement. In the first place we know that the Shekinah does not dwell amid sad surroundings, but only where there is cheerfulness. For this reason Elisha said: “But now bring me a minstrel, and so it came to pass that when the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him” (II Kings 3, 15), and we learn the same lesson from Jacob, from whom the Shekinah departed during the years that he was grieving for Joseph, but to whom it returned as soon as the glad tidings about Joseph reached him, when, as it says, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen. 45, 27). That being so, where, we may ask, is the cheerful spirit in the righteous man who is broken in body, seeing that he is tormented by his sufferings?

Zohar, Vayera 5:7

But if his desire is to cleave to the other side, and he makes this his whole intent, then he draws to himself from above the other influence. They said, further, that all depends on the kind of speech, action, and intention to which a man habituates himself, for he draws to himself here below from on high that side to which he habitually cleaves.

Zohar, Noach 12:9

For just as God causes the memory of those who do His will to endure on high and here below from generation to generation, so He ordains that the evil memory of the sins of the wicked who have not obeyed Him shall not pass away but remain for all generations, as it is written, “The stain of thine iniquity remains before me” (Jer. 2, 22).’

Zohar, Vayera 18:1

THEN THE LORD CAUSED TO RAIN UPON SODOM AND UPON GOMORRAH, ETC. R. Hiya opened his discourse on this with the verse: Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel, etc. (Is. 13, 9). He said: ‘The words “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh” refer to the lower Court. The term “cometh” has thus the same force as in the passage, “according to her cry which is come upon me”, both implying that the lower power cannot execute judgement until it comes and appears on high and receives authorisation. So, too, in the verse, “the end of all flesh is come before me”.’

Zohar, Vayeshev 1:2

In proof whereof note that the beasts from the day they are born are able to take care of themselves, and avoid fire and similar dangers, whereas man, on the other hand, seems to feel at first a natural propensity to throw himself into the fire, the reason being that the evil prompter dwells within him and from the beginning lures him into evil ways.

Zohar, Terumah 7:12

Then a herald appears and proclaims with a loud voice: “Ye who are above and ye who are below, remove all such as are haughty because of their learning!” For we are taught that man must be humble in this world in regard to his knowledge of the Torah; only in the future world is the pride of learning permitted.

Zohar, Vaera 7:11

He who has the privilege of being a member of the Covenant, inherits the Land, as it says, “I have established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan”.

Zohar, Vaetchanan 15:3

No: what it refers to is the Voice to which he was attached, which is called “himself’, so that one set of curses were uttered from the mouth of the divine Might and the other of that grade to which he attained in virtue of his superiority over the other prophets. Hence, while in all other places he says “Thy God”, here (in the Shema) he says “Our God”.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:165

The grades of Israel took root in the supernal foundation from the beginning: Reuben, Simeon, Levi. But when it comes to Judah it says that Leah, his mother, said: “This time! will praise the lord… and she left off bearing” (Gen. 29, 35); concerning which it is written: “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear” (Isa. LIV, I). For when Judah was born the Feminine was united with the Masculine….1The last 4 lines of the Hebrew text are not translated.

Zohar

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