Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

the zohar [1:1b]
blossoms are the Patriarchs, who entered the divine mind before Creation
``The 18 and entered the world that is coming, 19 where they were treasured away.
there, they emerged secretly and were concealed within prophets of
From 20 When Joseph was born, they were concealed within him. 21 When
truth.
entered the Holy Land, he planted them there. Then they appeared on
Joseph
were revealed there. When are they visible? When the rainbow is re-
earth,
in the world. 22 When the rainbow appears, they are revealed. Then, the
vealed
of pruning has arrived, time to excise the wicked from the world. Why are
time
spared? Because the blossoms have appeared on the earth. Had they not
they
they would not remain in the world, 23 norwould the world endure.
appeared,
sustains the world, enabling the Patriarchs to be revealed? The voice of
Who
engaging in Torah. 24 Forthe sake of those children, the world is saved.
children
Patriarchs, who entered . . . See Bereshit
18.
Rabbah 1:4: ``Six things preceded
. . . The Patriarchs arose in thought
Creation.
were intended] to be created.'' In the
[i.e.,
the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac,
Kabbalah,
Jacob) represent the triad of sefirot:
and
Gevurah, and Tif'eret. Cf.Zohar 1:39b,
Ḥesed,
3:4b. 97a±b;
world that is coming.'' This concept is
``the
understood as referring to the here-
often
and is usually translated as ``the world
after
come.'' From another point of view, how-
to
``the world that is coming'' already existsever,
occupying anotherdimension. See Tan-
Vayiqra 8: ``The wise call it ha-olam
ḥuma,
not because it does not exist now, but
ha-ba
today in this world it is still to come.''
forus
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Te-
Cf.
8:8; and Guttmann, Philosophies of
shuvah
37: ```The world to come' does not
Judaism,
`this world' in time, but exists from
succeed
as a reality outside and above time,
eternity
which the soul ascends.''
to
Kabbalah ``the world that is coming''
In
refers to Binah, the continuous source
often
emanation, who gives birth to the lower
of
SeeZohar 3:290b (IZ ): ``the world that
sefirot.
coming, constantly coming, neverceasing.''
is
Bahir 106 (160); Asherben David,
Cf.
Shelosh Esreh Middot, in Kabbalah 2
Peirush
293; Moses de Leo n, Sheqel ha-
(1997):
26 (30); idem, Sod Eser Sefirot, 375;
Qodesh,
1:83a, 92a.
Zohar
prophets of truth The sefirot of
20.
and Hod, the source of prophecy.
Netsaḥ
Joseph... Joseph symbolizes the se-
21.
of Yesod, the divine phallus, since he
firah
the test of sexual temptation in
withstood
(Genesis 39). The uppertriad of sefirot
Egypt
Gevurah, and Tif'eret) flow into him,
(Ḥesed,
when Yesod enters Shekhinah (``the Holy
and
``earth''), the sefirotic triad is planted
Land,''
and revealed. Though Joseph never
there
to the land of Israel, his bones
returned
See Joshua 24:32.
did.
When the rainbow is revealed . . .
22.
rainbow symbolizes both Yesod and Shekhinah,
The
in whose union Ḥesed, Gevurah, and
are revealed in their respective colors:
Tif'eret
red, and green.
white,
they would not remain . . . The
23.
would not remain.
wicked
voice of children... See BT Shabbat
24.
119b: ``Resh Lakish said in the name of
Yehudah the Prince, `The world endures
Rabbi
only for the sake of the breath of
in the house of study.''' Cf. Zohar
children
3:17b.
1:146b;
Corresponding to them, We will make you wreaths of gold (Song of Songs 1:11).
4
the world that is coming T BPN K\BE
19.
(Alma de-atei), the Aramaic equivalent of the
Hebrew F ONGT CF B (ha-olam ha-ba),
rabbinic