Introduction to the Book of Zohar (PDF) - Kabbalah Media Archive

I N T RO D U C T I O N T O T H E B O O K O F Z O H A R
Furthermore, the Zohar says that before the body rots entirely, the soul cannot
ascend to its place in Heaven, while there are still remnants of it. That is
until all intentions “for one’s own sake” disappear; the soul will not be
resurrected and merged with the Creator in the similarity of properties.
Even more bewildering is what our sages said of the dead bodies that
are destined to rise with their flaws, so that they will not be mistaken
for others.
Although we say that the bodies, desires, death, and resurrection
refer to intentions, one still finds it extremely difficult to perceive it correctly.
There arises a question: Why should we go through it all? Mortification
of our intentions seems clear enough. Transformation of the
intention “for one’s own sake” into the intention “for the sake of the
Creator” is clear too. The problem is different: unless the bodies remain
in their flaws, we will not be able to make them similar to the Creator.
The Creator will then cure their flaws. We ought to understand why it
is important to Him that they will not be mistaken for other bodies…
Someone should know if the body is different or not; only after
that will the Creator correct and revives it. When we reach the stage
called “resurrection of the dead bodies” (our dead desires), we clearly
understand that this is our body and nothing has changed in it except
one thing: the realization that we rid ourselves from our past intentions
and now we wish to obtain the intention for the sake of the Creator. As
it is said, the Creator then cures their flaws.
We ought to understand why it is so important to the Creator that
they will not be mistaken for other bodies that he would recreate their
flaws and then cure them.
Besides the resurrection of the body, there should be a realization
of flaws. When they are dead and we have none of them left in us, we
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