Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

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the zohar [1:7a] rose and tried to goad the donkeys, but they would not move. They They to goad them, but they would not move. Frightened, they left the donkeys tried El'azaropened, saying, ``How immense is Your goodness that You have Rabbi away for those in awe of You! ...(Psalms 31:20). How great is the hidden supernal goodness the blessed Holy One intends to lavish upon precious, the supremely righteous, dreading sin, engaging in TorahÐ humanityÐfor they enter that world! The verse does not read Your goodness, but rather when immense goodness. Who is that? The memory of Your immense goodness they Your 305 ImmenseÐthe immense and mighty tree, 306 for there is another, explained. 307 but this one is immense, penetrating the vault of heaven. Your smallertree, Yesod, the divine male who transmits denoting the flow of emanation from the sefirot to Shekhinah. The cited verse upper fitting because Yesod is also known as is ``the world that is coming.'' This ha-ba), is often understood as referring to concept hereafter and is usually translated as the world to come.'' From another point ``the view, however, ``the world that is coming'' of already exists, occupying another di- See Tanḥuma, Vayiqra 8: ``The mension. call it ha-olam ha-ba not because it does wise exist now, but forus today in this world not is still to come.'' Cf. Maimonides, Mis- it Torah, Hilkhot Teshuvah 8:8; and Guttmannhneh Philosophies of Judaism, 37: ```The to come' does not succeed `this world in time, but exists from eternity as a world' outside and above time, to which the reality ascends.'' soul Kabbalah ``the world that is coming'' In refers to Binah, the continuous source often emanation. See Zohar 3:290b (IZ ): ``the of that is coming, constantly coming, world neverceasing.'' Bahir 106 (160); Asherben David, Cf. Shelosh Esreh Middot, in Kabbalah 2 Peirush 293; Moses de LeoÂ n, Sheqel ha- (1997): 26 (30); idem, Sod Eser Sefirot, 375; Qodesh, 1:83a, 92a. Zohar Vitality of the Worlds Yesod, who 303. the flow of emanation to Shekhinah channels the worlds below. On this title, see and note 176. above, house of Israel Shekhinah, also 304. as Assembly of Israel. See above, known 230. note P F 305. is a name forShekhinah. or``how,'' immense and mighty tree Tifer'et, 306. of the cosmic tree. See Daniel 4:8. trunk another, smaller tree Shekhinah. 307. Zohar 2:99b; 3:170a; Tishby, Wisdom of See Zohar, 2:696. the behind. Still today that spot is called Donkeys' Site. 301 (Psalms 145:7)Ðjoy of life flowing from the world that is coming 302 express Vitality of the Worlds, 303 to who is the memory of Your immense goodnessÐ goodness for the house of Israel ...(Isaiah 63:7). 304 immense How immense is Your goodness. Here is engraved a mystery of ``Further, all mysteries intimated here. P F (Mah), How, as has been wisdom, 44 memory... H M Z (Zekher), connected 301. Rabbi El'azarwith H M Z (zakhar), ``male,'' by ``good.'' world that is coming T BPN K\BE 302. (Alma de-atei), the Aramaic equivalent of (ha-olam the rabbinic Hebrew F ONGT CF B Earlier (above, page XX30) Rabbi (Mah), How, as has been explained F (mah), ``what'' El'azarhad explained that P
light created on the first day. 308 That you have hidden away for goodnessÐthe in awe of You, forHe concealed it forthe righteous in that world. 309 those ``That You made (Psalms 31:20) 310 Ðthe upperGarden of Eden, 311 The place You have made to dwell in, O YHVH (Exodus 15:17). This is written: You made for those who take refuge in You. In the presence of human that lower Garden of Eden, where all the righteous abide in spirit beingsÐthe in a splendid garment resembling the image of this world. 312 This is clothed in the presence of, human beingsÐin the image of human beings of (neged), world. 313 There they stand, then fly through the air, ascending to the this of Heaven in that upperGarden of Eden. 314 They soarand bathe in Academy dew of rivers of pure balsam, 315 then descend and dwell below. Sometimes the light created on the first day 308. the first of the lower seven sefirot, Ḥesed, seven primordial days. In the Torah, the the ``good'' appears for the first time in word verse describing this light: God saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:4). the He concealed it... See BT Ḥagigah 309. ``Rabbi El'azarsaid, `With the light cre- 12a: by the blessed Holy One on the first ated one could gaze and see from one end of day, universe to the other. When the blessed the One foresaw the corrupt deeds of the Holy of the Flood and the generation generation the Dispersion [the generation of the of Babel], He immediately hid it Towerof them, as is written: The light of the from is withheld (Job 38:15). Forwhom wicked He hide it? Forthe righteous in the time did come.''' to Bereshit Rabbah 3:6; 41:3; Shemot See 35:1; Tanḥuma, Shemini 9; Bahir Rabbah (147); Zohar 1:31b±32a, 45b±46a, 47a; 97±98 148b±149a, 220a±b; 3:88a, 173b. 2:127a, That you made The verse con- 310. for those who take refuge in You, in tinues: presence of human beings. Rabbi El'azar the concludes the verse that he began. now upper Garden of Eden Shekhinah, 311. divine presence and dwelling, the culmination the of the emanation that was made. actualizes the various divine Shekhinah qualities. all the righteous abide . . . Righteous 312. souls who have departed this world in the Garden of Eden clothed in an abide body resembling their previous ethereal form. The soul is clothed in this human before descending to earth, retains garment while in the physical body until shortly it death, and then regains it upon before ascending. Zohar 1:38b (Heikh), 81a (ST ), 90b±91a, See 219a, 220a, 227b; 2:96b, 150a, 161b; 131a, 104a±b; Scholem, in Tarbiz 24 3:43a±b, 293±95; idem, Kabbalah, 158±59; (1955): On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead, idem, Tishby, Wisdom of the Zohar, 2:770± 251±73; Cf. Rashi on BT Ḥagigah 12b, s.v. ve-ruḥot 73. both ``in the presence of'' and ``corresponding means to.'' Academy of Heaven . . . Where the 314. of the righteous study Torah with souls God. dew of rivers of pure balsam Thir- 315. rivers of pure balsam await the righteouteen in the world that is coming. See BT 25a; Bereshit Rabbah 62:2. Ta'anit the Zohar, the rivers of balsam are the In flow of emanation from Binah, who fragrant known as ``the world that is coming, is coming, neverceasing'' (Zohar constantly [IZ ]; see 2:127a; 3:181a. 3:290b reference to dew recalls the rabbinic The that God will resurrect the dead with notion Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar [1:7a] as is E DR 45 unshamot. R D E (neged), in the presence of ... 313. in the image of . . . The Hebrew word dew. See BT Shabbat 88b; JT Berakhot 5:2, 9b.
Page 1 and 2: and then there is a rose! Just as a
Page 3 and 4: Shim'on opened, ``The blossoms Rabb
Page 5 and 6: are little children, youngsters, as
Page 7 and 8: is End of Heaven above; What is End
Page 9 and 10: (Mah), What, 56 name throughout the
Page 11 and 12: His great might (Isaiah 40:26). 73
Page 13 and 14: so revealedÐso as not to provide t
Page 15 and 16: M (kaf) descended from the throne o
Page 17 and 18: et). Letters above and letters belo
Page 19 and 20: was not, did not exist. When did th
Page 21 and 22: ``You are not entitled to see him.'
Page 23 and 24: tremble and quake [4b] before Him.
Page 25 and 26: was granted to him. He emerged trem
Page 27 and 28: Torah. Of this is written: I have p
Page 29 and 30: Shim'on said to the Companions, ``I
Page 31 and 32: in the third to be one without divi
Page 33 and 34: is that? The one included by the bl
Page 35 and 36: awe is the point standing in the ce
Page 37 and 38: Abba and Rabbi El'azar gazed at him
Page 39 and 40: and concealed. 266 In the trunk of
Page 41 and 42: was decreed above by the celestial
Page 43: He drew near. But the three he did
Page 47 and 48: eaching the house of Rabbi Yose son
Page 49 and 50: So he was called Habakkuk; it was h

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