The Zohar - the zohar

Section

1. "And these are the generations of Yitzchak"
Rabbi Chiya leads us to an understanding of the relationship between The Creator and the Torah. We learn how the world is maintained by Torah study, and why it is man's supreme duty to continue this study. Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yehuda explain the significance of the forms of blessing from Avraham to Yitzchak to Ya'akov, in whom all that has come before is manifested. We learn that true servants of The Creator are not only those from Yisrael, but anyone anywhere who studies the Torah.
The Relevance of this Passage
"The study of Torah" does not refer to a cerebral, academic approach to thousands of words on parchment. Through the eyes of the Kabbalists, the Torah is understood as the medium through which the energy of The Creator is expressed in our physical dimension of existence. The sinewy parchment, the coal black ink, and the primordial letters are all intricate components of a divine communication instrument serving one express purpose: to help willing students uproot all their character flaws, in order to attain similarity of nature and thus, closeness to the Light of The Creator. That said, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov signify the Right, Left, and Central Column forces--that is, the desire to share, the desire to receive, and the free will to choose between and balance the two.
Ya'akov also corresponds to the Sfirah of Yesod, the gateway through which all the Light of the supernal realms enters our world. Essentially, the purpose of this passage is to ignite the primordial Light of the Torah. As we meditate upon the words, the emitted Light refines our imperfections. The strength of the patriarchs, and especially The Central Column Force of Ya'akov, enhances our ability to resist and triumph over our reactive, self-indulgent drives. Finally, the Light accumulated through our interaction with the Zohar shines universally, helping to awaken the world to the internal truths of the Torah and all that the Light of The Creator can offer us.


1. "And these are the generations of Yitzchak..." (Beresheet 25:19). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with the verse: "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem? Who can declare all His praise?" (Tehilim 106:2). Come and behold: when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to create the world, He did so according to the Torah. And every act that the Holy One, blessed be He, used to create the world was done according to the Torah. This is the meaning of: "then I was by him, as a nursling: and I was daily his delight" (Mishlei 8:30). Do not pronounce it as "a nursling," (Heb. amon) but rather 'a craftsman' (Heb. oman), BECAUSE IT WAS A TOOL FOR HIS CRAFT.
2. When He wanted to create man, the Torah said to him: 'If man is created, he will sin, and you will punish him. Would not Your handwork then be in vain? After all, he will not be able to endure the punishment.' The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: 'I created repentance before I created the world. IF HE WILL SIN, HE WILL BE ABLE TO REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN.' When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world and created Adam, He said to it: 'World, world, you and your nature are based solely upon the Torah, and for that reason I created man in you, to be occupied with the study of the Torah. And if he does not STUDY THE TORAH, I will return you to chaos. Everything is for man.' This is the meaning of the verse: "I have made the earth, and created man upon it" (Yeshayah 45:12). The Torah proclaims to men to be occupied with and endeavor in the study of the Torah, but no one lends an ear.
3. Come and behold: whoever studies the Torah sustains the world and properly sustains every act in the world. There is no part within man that does not have a counterpart creature in the world. Just as the body of man is composed of levels of parts that act together to form a unified body, so is the world. All the creatures in the world are hierarchical parts that act on and react with each other, so they will actually be as one body. Everything, WHETHER IT BE MAN OR THE WORLD, resembles the Torah, because the Torah is made of different parts and sections that support each other. When they are all correct, they will become as one body. When David looked at this work, he said: "Hashem, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all: the earth is full of Your creatures" (Tehilim 104:24).
4. The Torah contains supernal, sealed mysteries, that man cannot grasp; it contains all supernal matters--those revealed and those not revealed. BECAUSE OF THEIR DEPTH, THEY ARE REVEALED TO THE SCHOLAR, BUT DISAPPEAR IMMEDIATELY ONLY TO BE REVEALED IN THE NEXT INSTANT AND DISAPPEAR AGAIN. AND SO IT CONTINUES FOR THOSE WHO STUDY THEM. The Torah contains all the matters above IN THE SUPERNAL WORLDS and below. Everything in this world and everything in the world to come is in the Torah, but there is no one to observe and understand them. Thus, it is written, "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem? Who can declare all His praise?" (Tehilim 106:2).
5. Come and behold: when Solomon unsuccessfully tried to understand the words and subtleties of the Torah, he said: "I said, 'I will be wise'; but it was far from me" (Kohelet 7:23). David said: "Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Torah" (Tehilim 119:18). Come and behold: it is written of Solomon that he "spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his poems were a 1,005" (I Melachim 5:12). This is because there were 5,000 interpretations of each proverb he told. If this is true of the words of Solomon, who was flesh and blood, how many proverbs, chants, praises, mysteries, and wise thoughts are contained in the words of the Torah, as spoken by the Holy One, blessed be He? Therefore, it is written: "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem."
6. Come and behold: it is written, "Now these are the generations of Yishmael" (Beresheet 25:12), and they are twelve princes. Then it is written: "And these are the generations of Yitzchak" (Ibid. 19). Is it possible that because it is written that Yishmael sired twelve princes and Yitzchak sired two, he (Yishmael) is more RIGHTEOUS THAN YITZCHAK? It is therefore written: "Who can utter the mighty (Heb. gvurot) acts of Hashem." This refers to Yitzchak--AS YITZCHAK IS GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN--for Yitzchak sired Ya'akov, who alone is more important than all of them, for he fathered the twelve tribes, and sustained the upper and the lower, while Yitzchak supported the higher in supernal holiness and Yishmael only below. Therefore the verse, "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem," REFERS TO YITZCHAK, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. The words, "declare all His praises," refers to Ya'akov, BECAUSE YA'AKOV, REPRESENTING EXISTENCE BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW, CONTAINS ALL HIS PRAISES. When the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, connects with the moon, NUKVA, many stars shine from them. THEY ARE THE TWELVE TRIBES OF YAH, LIKENED TO THE STARS IN YOSEF'S DREAM.
7. "And these are the generations of Yitzchak, Avraham's son." Rabbi Yosi asks: What has changed? It did not say, "Avraham's son" previously. For although it is written, "Elohim blessed his son Yitzchak," (Beresheet 25:11) Avraham is now dead; THAT IS, HE BLESSED AND RAISED THE LEVEL OF YITZCHAK, WHICH IS GVURAH, AFTER THE DEATH OF AVRAHAM. THUS, the image of Avraham was upon Yitzchak and stayed with him--WHICH MEANS THAT THE QUALITY OF AVRAHAM, WHICH IS CHESED, REMAINED WITHIN YITZCHAK--so that whoever saw Yitzchak said: "...this is surely Avraham," and pronounced that Avraham begat Yitzchak--WHO WAS INCLUDED IN AND CLOTHED WITH THE QUALITY OF AVRAHAM, WHICH IS CHESED. THEREFORE, THE SCRIPTURE HERE SPECIFICALLY READS, "AVRAHAM'S SON," AS WELL AS, "AVRAHAM BEGOT YITZCHAK."
8. Rabbi Yitzchak rose one night to study Torah, while Rabbi Yehuda, who was in the city of Caesarea, also rose at the same hour TO STUDY TORAH. Rabbi Yehuda said: I will walk to Rabbi Yitzchak and study Torah together with him. He went with his son, Chizkiyah, who was then a boy. When he approached the door, he heard Rabbi Yitzchak say, "And it came to pass after the death of Avraham, that Elohim blessed his son Yitzchak; and Yitzchak dwelt by Be'er Lachai Ro'i" (Beresheet 25:11). HE THEN ASKS A DIFFICULT QUESTION: In this verse, the beginning does not fit the end and the end does not fit the beginning; IT BEGINS WITH THE DEATH OF AVRAHAM AND ENDS WITH THE BLESSING OF YITZCHAK, AND THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THESE EVENTS. HE THEN POSED ANOTHER DIFFICULT QUESTION: Why this change? Why should the Holy One, blessed be He, bless Yitzchak AND NOT AVRAHAM? HE ANSWERS: Since Avraham did not bless Yitzchak, HASHEM BLESSED HIM AFTER HE DIED. THIS IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE VERSE: "AND IT CAME TO PASS..." HE ASKS: Why did Avraham not bless him? AND HE REPLIED: So that Esav, HIS SON, would not be blessed with him--THAT IS, SO THAT ESAV WOULD NOT DRAW DOWN THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT AS IS HIS UNHOLY WONT. Therefore these blessings passed to the Holy One, blessed be He, AND THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, BLESSED YITZCHAK. Of the verse, "and Yitzchak dwelt at Be'er Lachai Ro'i," HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "Lachai Ro'I," AND ANSWERS that he was united with the Shechinah, as the Aramaic translation reads, "the well where the angel of the covenant was seen." THIS IS THE WELL, NAMELY, THE SHECHINAH, UPON WHICH THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT, YESOD, WAS SEEN. Therefore He blessed him. BY THIS WE MAY UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION OF THE THREE PARTS OF THIS VERSE: "AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF AVRAHAM," WHO DID NOT BLESS YITZCHAK, "THAT ELOHIM BLESSED HIS SON YITZCHAK." WHY DID HE BLESS HIM? BECAUSE "YITZCHAK DWELT AT BE'ER LACHAI RO'I," FOR HE JOINED THE SHECHINAH.
9. In the meantime, Rabbi Yehuda knocked on the door, entered, and joined him. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Now the Shechinah is with us. Rabbi Yehuda said that this explanation concerning "Be'er Lachai Ro'i" is good, but there is more to be understood from the words. ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND YOUR INTERPRETATION FROM THE WORDS THEMSELVES. He began with the verse: "a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Levanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:15). This verse was already explained: "a fountain of gardens" is Avraham; "a well of living waters" is Yitzchak; and "streams from the Levanon" is Ya'akov. HE EXPLAINED THAT "a well of living waters" is Yitzchak, as it is written: "and Yitzchak dwelt at Be'er Lachai Ro'i" (lit. 'a well of living and seeing'). What is 'a well'? It is the Shechinah, while 'living' is he who is the Life of the Worlds, namely, the Righteous--YESOD who is the Life of the Worlds--and they are not to be separated. He lives in both worlds-he lives above, in the higher world, NAMELY BINAH, and he lives in the lower world, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The lower world lives and shines from his strength.
10. Come and behold: the moon, NUKVA, shines only when she sees the sun, ZEIR ANPIN. When she sees him, she shines. Therefore this is called 'Be'er Lachai Ro'i,' for assuredly then she shines and stands filled with living water, "Lachai Ro'i," 'living and seeing', so as to be filled and illuminated by that which lives, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, AS MENTIONED.
11. Come and behold: it is written, "And Bnayahu the son of Yehoyada, the son of a valiant (lit. 'living') man" (II Shmuel 23:20). This means that he was righteous and illuminated his generation as the living one above, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, illuminates the world, NUKVA. Thus, the well, WHICH IS NUKVA, constantly looks to the living one, WHO IS YESOD, in order to be illuminated. "And Yitzchak dwelt by Be'er Lachai Ro'i." It is written, "When he took Rivkah," FOR THE WELL IS THE SECRET OF RIVKAH, NAMELY THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, and as he united with her, IT REPRESENTED the joining of darkness and night, as it is written: "his left hand is under my head" (Shir Hashirim 2:6) Come and behold: Yitzchak was in Kiryat Arba after Avraham died. HE ASKS: What about the verse that reads, "And Yitzchak dwelt by Be'er Lachai Ro'i?" THE RESPONSE IS THAT THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE HIS ABODE, BUT RATHER THE NAME OF THE NUKVA with which he joined and was united in that well, to stir up love, as we said.
12. Rabbi Yitzchak began the discussion with the verse: "The sun also rises and the sun goes down and hastens to its place where it rises again" (Kohelet 1:5). "The sun also rises," refers to the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, which shines on the moon, THE NUKVA. For when the sun is seen by her, she shines, AND THE SUN illuminates and shines from the supreme place that is above it, WHICH IS BINAH, from where IT RECEIVES HIS ILLUMINATION, AND it always rises. "And the sun goes down," means that when it comes to mate with the moon, NUKVA, it "goes towards the south," (Ibid. 6) which is the Right COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, and there reposes its strength. THIS MEANS THAT ITS MAIN ILLUMINATION IS IN THE RIGHT, WHICH IS CHASSADIM, because its strength is in the right. As a result, all the strength of a man's body is in the right side, from which stems the strength of the body. Later IT READS, "and veers to the north," and shines upon this side, NAMELY, THE SOUTH, and shines upon that side, NAMELY, THE NORTH. "Round and round goes the wind" (Ibid.). HE ASKS: Why is it first written, "sun," and now IT IS CALLED "wind." HE RESPONDED THAT all is one secret, BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN IS THE INNER MEANING OF THE LIGHT OF THE WIND, AND IS CALLED 'SUN'. And all this happens--"ROUND AND ROUND GOES THE WIND"--so that the moon will illuminate by its light and the two will join.
13. Come and behold: when Avraham came into the world, he embraced the moon and brought her near. When Yitzchak came, he took her and held her and drew her lovingly, as it is written: "his left hand is under my head" (Shir Hashirim 2:6). When Ya'akov came, he united the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, with the moon, THE NUKVA, and THE NUKVA shone. So Ya'akov became whole in every aspect, and the moon shone, and was perfected by the twelve tribes.
14. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "Behold, bless Hashem, all you servants of Hashem..." (Tehilim 134:1). This verse was explained, yet come and behold: it is written, "Behold, bless Hashem." Who are those worthy of blessing the Holy One, blessed be He? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "all you servants of Hashem." Although anyone from Yisrael is worthy of blessing the Holy One, blessed be He, NEVERTHELESS, who gives the blessings for the sake of the supernal and lower beings? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "all you servants of Hashem," yet not everyone. Whose blessing is considered a blessing? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, THOSE "who stand by night in the house of Hashem" (Ibid.); those who wake up at midnight to study Torah. These are those "who stand by night in the house of Hashem." ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, THEY MUST BE BOTH THE SERVANTS OF HASHEM AND ALSO RISE AT MIDNIGHT. For then the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to delight with the righteous in the Garden of Eden. And we are here awakened by the words of the Torah. Let us discuss Yitzchak, for we are on his level.