Zohar
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Zohar, Vayishlach 7:6
Much evil therefore results; since, as the upholders of the Torah become weaker, strength is thereby gained by him who has no legs to stand upon.
Zohar, Bamidbar 6:4
The reason for this, as has been explained, is that She may be between north and south, in an attitude of nuptial union, with the north supporting Her beneath Her head and the south embracing Her. So says Scripture: “Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me”. There is a dictum: “Whoever recites the Psalm Praise of David (Ps. CXLV) thrice daily may be assured that he is destined for the world to come”.1T. B. Berakoth, 4b. This is because thereby we symbolize daily the union that is effected between north and south.
Zohar, Beshalach 7:9
Therefore the Israelites had to be silent, for had they caused an awakening from below, it was not the attribute of Mercy that they would have awakened, and so judgement would have been executed on the Egyptians without mercy, and the heavenly design would have been frustrated.’
Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:14
the reason this is written in the plural is because it refers to the Neshamah and the body, which together amend the Nefesh, the Neshamah by awakening the body, and the body by its good deeds. With all of this, the Neshamah continues to attack the serpent in order to break it, so that it will surrender and be enslaved under the influence of repentance. Therefore, it is written, "And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem" (Gen. 12:6), because Shechem is the dwelling place of the Shechinah. And that is because the power of the serpent has already been completely broken by the Neshamah. (End of Sitrei Torah)...
Zohar, Miketz 1:7
AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END. What does the term “end” signify? Said R’ Simeon: ‘It signifies the region wherein there is no remembering, which is identical with the end of the left. Why did it emerge at that moment? Because Joseph said: “But have me in thy remembrance when it shall be well with thee” (Gen. 40, 14). It was hardly becoming for Joseph the righteous to beg to be remembered by the chief butler; but he was led to do so by his dream, which he thought betokened remembrance. In this, however, he was mistaken, since all depended on God,
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:132
Friends, I am aware that on this point you may well object that in that case the second husband’s death was not in accordance with Divine judgement. It is not so, however. It is all decided by fair trial, whether the one spirit should prevail over the other or be at peace with it; but he who marries a widow is like unto one who ventures to brave the ocean during a storm without a rudder and without sails, and knows not whether he will cross safely or sink into the depths.
Zohar, Vayigash 7:10
When this one moves towards her, many are those who stand and wait to be refreshed and to participate in the blessings from above, as Scripture says: “The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God” (Ps. 104, 2). But the Community of Israel rises in a recondite manner and receives dainties from her spouse in manner due. As to all those that stand round, they remain apart, as it says: “Then there was no man with him”, and as it also says before: “and he cried: Cause every man to go out from me”. Afterwards, however, when she has received dainties from her spouse, all the others are given drink and food, as it says: “They give drink to every beast of the field, the wild asses quench their thirst” (Ibid. 104, 11).’
Zohar, Beshalach 14:2
R. Isaac said: ‘No one ever hardened his heart against the Lord to the same degree as Pharaoh.’ Said R. Jose: ‘What of Sihon and Og? Were they not equally hardened?’ R. Isaac answered, that whereas they hardened their hearts against Israel, Pharaoh turned against the Lord Himself, although every day he witnessed His wonderful works.
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:202
King David said: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” (Ps. 51, 5). The significance of this is as follows. It is possible to commit sins which are offences both against God and man; also one can commit sins which are offences against man but not against the Holy One; but there are also sins which are committed against the Holy One only. David’s sin was of this last kind.
Zohar, Shemot 12:7
But Assyria “oppressed them for nothing”: they dragged them to the other end of the earth and took their country away from them.” Now if Egypt was punished, notwithstanding the kindness with which she treated Israel, especially at first, it can certainly be expected that Assyria and Edom, and, in fact, all the nations who have maltreated Israel, will receive their punishment from the Holy One, when He will manifest the glory of His Name to them, as it is written, “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will be known among many nations” (Ezek. 38, 23).
Zohar, Emor 2:3
After the soul has left the body and the body remains without breath, it is forbidden to keep it unburied.1v. T. B. Moed Katon, 28a; Baba Kama, 82b. For a dead body which is left unburied for twenty-four hours causes a weakness in the limbs of the Chariot and prevents God’s design from being fulfilled; for perhaps God decreed that he should undergo a transmigration at once on the day that he died, which would be better for him, but as long as the body is not buried the soul cannot go into the presence of the Holy One nor be transferred into another body. For a soul cannot enter a second body till the first is buried, just as it is not fitting for a man to take a second wife before the first is buried.
Zohar, Vayera 3:1
The sages discussed the time when the great Rabbi Eliezer became ill. The day was Shabbat Eve, and Rabbi Eliezer made his son, Horkenoos, sit to his right. He then revealed great and deep secrets to him. But his mind was not ready to hear him, because he thought that his father's mind was not sufficiently clear. Only after he saw that his father's mind was completely clear did he receive 189 sublime secrets from him.
Zohar, Bereshit 19:2
as if to say, “How could God create worlds to destroy them? It were better not to create them.” Similarly it is said of the heavens, “the heavens have vanished like smoke” (Is. 51, 6). But in fact we have here an indication of what is meant by the expression “destroyed them” showing that God does not really destroy the works of His hands.
Zohar, Shemot 13:42
Then he also rose and spake thus: ‘It is written, “O Lord our God, other lords beside thee dominated us, apart from thee do we make mention of thy Name” (Isa. 26, 16). This verse, apart from other interpretations, contains a profound doctrine of faith. Tetragrammaton Elohenu (Lord our God) is the source and beginning of supreme mysteries indeed; it is the sphere whence emanate all the burning lights, and where the whole mystery of Faith is centred: this Name dominates all.
Zohar, Chukat 4:9
9. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). "A red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish..." It is forbidden to plow during the Shabbat with an ox and plow, as it says, "the plowers plowed upon my back" (Tehilim 129:3), and the lower Shechinah, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is a red cow from the aspect of Gevurah. She is without defect from the aspect of Chesed, which is a level of Abraham, of whom it says, "walk before Me, and be perfect (Heb. tamim)" (Beresheet 17:1). "...In which there is no blemish..." She is from the aspect of the Central Column, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT UNITES HER LEFT AND RIGHT. The verse continues, "and upon which never came a yoke," which is from the aspect of the higher Shechinah, which is liberty, MEANING BINAH at the location where she dominates, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS COMPRISED OF EVERYTHING MENTIONED ABOVE. "And the stranger that comes near SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH." There is no authority for the Other Side to rule, not for Satan, not for the Destroyer, and not for the Angel of Death, all of which are from the side of Gehenom. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).
Zohar, Introduction 12:11
because of the twofold peace here below, one for Jacob and one for Joseph, as it is written, “Peace, Peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near” (Is. 57, 19): “to him that is far of” refers to Jacob, “and to him that is near” refers to Joseph. “To him that is far” is parallel to “From afar the Lord appeared unto me” (Jer. 31, 3), as well as to “And his sister stood afar off’ (Exod. 2, 4); “and to him that is near” is parallel to “new gods who came up since a near time” (Deut. 32, 17). “From afar” signifies the supernal point which is situated in His palace,
Zohar, Terumah 16:15
And how far are they comprehended? “In them hath he set a tent for the sun” (Ibid.), because the holy sun1‘Tifereth. is as a tabernacle of all those supreme grades, and is as a light which has taken into itself all the hidden lights and the whole current of their extension, whereby Faith is manifested in the whole world.
Zohar, Pekudei 4:12
AS WAS RENDERED ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF MOSES. This refers to the testimony, not to the Tabernacle, and we should render “which was entrusted to the mouth of Moses”. For after the departure from this world of the patriarchs and all the heads of the tribes, to wit, the sons of Jacob, during Israel’s sufferings in exile, the knowledge of the mystery of that supernal Divine Name was forgotten by them, the Name bound up with the testimony, the Name composed of those two letters which are the basis of heaven and earth, of high and low, and of all corners of the universe.
Zohar, Ki Teitzei 2:3
According to another explanation, "If a man find a girl that is a virgin" refers to Yisrael, as written, "When Yisrael was a child, then I loved him" (Hosea 11:1), {they are called Na'ar} lad from the aspect of Metatron, [Their sould are from the world of Beriyah, and Metatron is found there]. The 'man' is none other than the Holy One, blessed be He, as written, "Hashem is a man of war" (Exodus 15:3). "If a man find a girl that is a virgin," namely the virgin of Yisrael, of whom it says, "The virgin of Yisrael is fallen; she shall no more rise" (Amos 5:2). "Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness" (Hosea 2:16). Then He opened for them fifty gates of freedom, which are the fifty gates of mercy of the side of their father Abraham, [Abraham is commonly associated with Chesed/Lovingkindess in the literature]. This is what is meant by, "shall give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver," silver being of the level of Chesed, the levek of Abraham.
Zohar, Vayakhel 10:13
R. Jose then followed with a discourse on the text: And let every wise-hearted man among you come and make, etc. ‘This passage’, he said, ‘has already been expounded. When God said to Moses, “Get you wise men and men of discernment” (Deut. 1, 13), the latter searched the whole of Israel but did not find men of discernment; it is thus written, “So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and full of knowledge” (Ibid. 1, 15), without mentioning men of discernment. Assuredly the man of discernment (naban) is of a higher degree than the wise man (hakham).
Zohar, Lech Lecha 13:10
For the Shekinah did not leave Sarai all that night. When Pharaoh tried to approach her, the angel came and smote him. Whenever Sarai said “smite”, he smote, and meanwhile Abram firmly trusted in God that He would allow no harm to come to Sarai, as it is written, “the righteous are bold as a lion” (Prov. 28, 1). This is one of the trials which Abram endured without complaining against God.
Zohar, Balak 8:3
When R. Simeon came, he asked him. He said: ‘This question has been answered as follows. “God came from Sinai” to reveal Himself to the Israelites. “He shone forth from Seir”, that is, from the refusal of the children of Esau to receive the Law; from this Israel derived additional light and love. So, too, with Mount Paran, from the refusal of the children of Ishmael.
Zohar, Emor 1:1
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS THE SONS OF AARON AND SAY UNTO THEM, THERE SHALL NONE DEFILE HIMSELF FOR THE DEAD AMONG HIS PEOPLE. R. Jose said: ‘What is the connection of this with the verse that immediately precedes, “A man also or a woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard shall be put to death” (Lev. 20, 27)? It is this: that having admonished the Israelites to sanctify themselves, the Scripture now admonishes the priests to sanctify themselves specially. Later, too, it admonishes the Levites (Num. 18, 21 et seq.), so that all should become holy and pure.
Zohar, Toldot 10:4
For that dish, by selling Jacob his birthright, Esau became a slave. Instantly, Jacob knew that for the one goat that the children of Yisrael sacrificed on Yom Kippur to his level he becomes a slave to his descendants and will not accuse them. And because of the level of wisdom of Esau, Jacob dealt wisely with Esau everywhere, so that Esau was unable to rule and was submissive. Jacob was not defiled by him, but ruled over him.
Zohar, Vaera 1:4
the desire of the former being to crown that sphere with glory, with the outpouring of blessings and wells of sweet water; whilst the longing of the other is to receive from Ad these same blessings and illuminations.
Zohar, Lech Lecha 15:7
He was not like Adam, who, when he descended to a certain grade, was enticed by the serpent and brought death upon the world; nor was he like Noah, who, when he descended to a certain grade, was enticed and “drank of the wine and became drunk and was uncovered in the midst of his tent” (Gen. 9, 21).
Zohar, Lech Lecha 10:19
All this happens if (the soul) merited to amend the body in this world and overcome the power of that cursed being, (the Evil Inclination, which is Lot) until it is separated from it. As it is written, "And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle (the soul) and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle, (the Evil Inclination)" (Gen. 13:7). Because in this world, on each and every day, those camps and rulers from the side of the soul are in strife with the camps and rulers from the side of the body, and they fight with each other while all the parts of the body are trapped in agony between them, between the soul and the serpent, between those forces that fight each other every day.
Zohar, Vayakhel 6:7
On the sixth day He created Adam and stipulated with him that a woman should descend from him who should sustain Elijah, as it is written, “Behold I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee” (Ibid. 17, 9). Similarly, in regard to every unique phenomenon that has happened in the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, had predestined it from the time when the world was created. And so here the meaning of “And the Lord said to the fish” is that He had commanded it at the creation of the world.
Zohar, Vayeshev 5:13
Observe now what is written further: “And the servant took ten camels.” The “servant” we have already identified; “ten camels” represent the ten grades over which the servant exercises dominion, and which are after the supernal pattern; “of the camels of his master”, to wit, an exact pattern of the superior degrees, as already said;
Zohar, Bereshit 18:4
Sometimes he is her husband (according to the secret of) the letter Vav (in that it alludes to Yesod), the Righteousness that includes six parts of the two legs, (Netzach and Hod). Then she descends toward him (according to the secret) of the two legs. But at other times, he is her husband (according to) the letter Vav (which alludes to Tiferet), which includes six parts of the two arms - (the beginning, middle and end of Chesed and Gevurah). Then it ascends to the two arms. At other times, he is her husband between Aba and Ima. (He is then called) the son of Yud-Hei, and she should be elevated there to him. At other times, (her husband is Keter with) the letter Vav inserted between the two letters Yud, thus: א Aleph. Then she should be elevated to him. When she ascends (to Keter), it is written of her, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner" (Tehilim 118:22).
Zohar, Yitro 7:8
The man whose eyes are white and blue, with only a spot of black in them, can be trusted with secrets and makes good use of them. If he makes a good beginning in anything he goes on prospering. His enemies cannot prevail against him, they can do him no evil, and eventually they are entirely subdued by him. He is under the sign of the letter Kaph when it is included in the letter Samech.
Zohar, Noach 7:7
But here, when the generation of the Flood did not repent of their sins, it is written, “And God saw the earth, and behold it was corrupt”, like a faithless wife who hides her face from before her husband. But when mankind committed sin upon sin openly and flagrantly, then the earth became brazen-faced like an abandoned female without any sense of shame, as it is said on another occasion, “And the earth was defiled under its inhabitants” (Is. 24, 5). Hence this is the connection here: “God saw that the earth was corrupted”, why? “Because all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth”.’
Zohar, Shemot 13:44
Yea, “apart from thee (beka) do we make mention of thy name”. The name “by thee” BeKa (=22) symbolizes the Holy Name comprising twenty-two letters, and this is the name by which the Community of Israel is always blessed, as, for instance, “to whom thou swarest by thine own self’ (beka, Ex. 22, 16); “in thee (beka) shall Israel be blessed” (Gen. 48, 20); “for in thee (beka) I can run through the troops” (Ps. 18, 16). At the period when there is perfection, peace, and harmony, the two names are not separated one from another, and it is forbidden to separate them even in thought and imagination; but now in exile we do separate them, the Matrona from Her Spouse, as She (Shekinah) lies in dust (in exile with Israel).
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:176
In the future (Messianic Age) “the flocks shall yet pass under one who counts” (Jer. 33, 16). We know not who he shall be; but since at that time all will be in union without separation, there will be one.”reckoner”.
Zohar, Vayakhel 12:3
After this the fiery mass draws out from within itself a variety of colours. The first is a green colour. When that colour appears, the fiery mass raises itself and plunges into the midst of the green colour, occupying the inner part of it.
Zohar, Nasso 4:5
Proper repentance is only effected by a surrender of one’s soul, so that she is taken away in a state of repentance.
Zohar, Vayakhel 11:23
From thence the prayer mounts to the third heaven, the chief of which is Gedariah, who has under him numerous officers and chiefs. He ministers three times a day in the presence of a ray of light that is constantly shooting up and down in that heaven without ever being still.
Zohar, Beshalach 12:2
as it says, “to the place whence the rivers go, there they return to go” (Eccl. 1, 7), once more to the sea. The name of this grade is Zaddik.’
Zohar, Bamidbar 1:8
Their forces were thus enumerated and noted, excepting some who did not enter into the count. Therefore it is written that “the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting the two corresponding one to the Torah and the other to the Tabernacle.
Zohar, Balak 6:29
One day the Companions were sitting arguing with one another-R. Eleazar and R. Abba, and R. Hiya and R. Jose, and the other Companions. They said: ‘It is written, “Vex not Moab neither contend with him”, etc., Moab and Ammon being spared because of Ruth and Naama, who were destined to issue from them. Now,’ they asked, ‘seeing that Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was from Midian, and Jethro and his sons, who were most virtuous, came from Midian, and Moses lived in Midian, was not Midian in fairness even more deserving to be spared than Moab and Ammon?’
Zohar, Bechukotai 8:2
So God sought to abide with Israel, and He therefore took his most desirable possession and sent it down to Israel, saying: Here is my pledge to you that I shall never leave you. And although the Holy One, blessed be He, has departed from us, He has left his pledge in our hands, and we keep that treasure of His, so that if He wants His pledge He must come and abide with us.
Zohar, Miketz 3:1
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED; AND HE SENT AND CALLED FOR ALL THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, AND ALL THE WISE MEN THEREOF. The word vatipo’em (and was troubled, akin to the word pa’am, time) indicates that the spirit kept on appearing to Pharaoh and leaving him, not staying with him long enough at any one time to enlighten him.
Zohar, Balak 6:20
He then began to discourse on the verse: “The angel which hath redeemed me from all evil bless the lads” (Gen. 48, 16). ‘These words’, he said, ‘were uttered by Jacob in the spirit of holiness, and therefore they must contain some mystery of wisdom.”Angel” is here one of the names of the Shekinah, applied to her when she is a messenger from on high and receives radiance from the supernal mirror, for then she is blessed by the Father and Mother, who say to her: Daughter, go, mind thy house, attend to thy house; go and feed them, go to the lower world where thy household wait for sustenance from thee; here is all which they require. Then she is “angel”.
Zohar, Vayishlach 1:17
Better, therefore, is one who is “lightly esteemed” and who does not follow the evil prompter, but remains humble in heart and spirit and submits himself to the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. The evil prompter is bowed down before such a one, and so far is he from obtaining the mastery over the man that it is the man who obtains the mastery over him, as it says, “but thou mayest rule over him” (Gen. 4, 7).
Zohar, Bereshit 17:16
"Give me children, or else I die" (Beresheet 30:1). The Shechinah is an offering for the Holy One, blessed be He, which He receives with both the right and the left arm, and with the body. So when (prayer) ascends to (Zeir Anpin), she should be joined with him with all ten Sefirot, because there can be no holiness with fewer than ten people, which is his own holiness. Therefore, when a person wishes his prayer to ascend, he should raise it with all its movement (the notes and vowels). (If the Serpent plans on disrupting the prayer), one should prepare a slingshot against it, and the secret behind the issue lies in Zarka, Makaf, Shofar Holech, Segolta.
Zohar, Bereshit 12:10
The reason why Jacob’s thigh was weak was because the side of impurity touched it and deprived it of its strength; and it remained weak till the time of Samuel. Hence Samuel spoke of the Nezah of Israel; and hence, too, he spoke always with severity.
Zohar, Toldot 5:2
The instant they shake the dust from their bodily frames, they will have enduring frames, as it is written, "Shake yourself from the dust; arise, and sit down, Jerusalem" (Isaiah 52:2). They will endure and rise from beneath the ground to receive their souls in the land of Yisrael. At that time, the Holy One, blessed be He, will pour upon them all the kinds of fragrances that are in the Garden of Eden, as it is written, "The mandrakes give a fragrance."
Zohar, Terumah 9:11
To counteract the fear of the accuser and slanderer of souls we conclude the Hashkibenu prayer (“Cause us, O Lord, to lie down in peace”) with the words: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who guardest Thy people Israel for ever. Amen”. To counteract the fear of the many devils and accusers which are present in the night and have power to injure anyone who leaves his house at that time, we say: “Guard our going out and our coming in unto life and unto peace.”
Zohar, Nasso 13:4
The angel of the Lord of hosts on high is Michael the great prince who issues from the celestial Grace (hesed) and is the celestial High-priest. So the High-priest on earth is called “angel of the Lord of hosts” by reason that he belongs to the side of Grace. He has attained that degree through fear of God. Scripture thus says: “And the grace of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting (lit. world to world) upon them that fear him”.
Zohar, Vayera 6:21
Note that Abraham, in offering his invitation to the angels, said, “and recline yourselves under the tree”: this was for the purpose of testing them, in the same way as he tested by the same tree any wayfarer who came. By the word “tree”, he also referred to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the tree of life for all, as though to say, “recline yourselves under His shade, and not under the shelter of strange gods”.