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the zohar [1:1b] Once a human being questions and searches, 31 contemplating and questioned. rung after rung to the very last rungÐonce one reaches there: What? knowing do you know? What have you contemplated? Forwhat have you What All is concealed, as before. searched? this mystery it is written: What can I take as a witness to you? ``Concerning can I compare to you? (Lamentations 2:13). When the holy Temple was What a voice cried out: `What can I take as a witness to you? What can I destroyed, to you?' ItakeWhat as a witness to you. Every single day I have called compare against you, since days of old, as is written: I call heaven and earth to witnesses against you this day (Deuteronomy 30:19). 32 I compare you to What, witness as is written: Is this the city that was called perfect crown of beauty, joy world, all the earth? (Lamentations 2:15). I called you Jerusalem built up, a city bound of (Psalms 122:3). Now, What can I liken to you, to console you? (Lamentations, together ibid., 13). 34 Just as you sit desolate, so it is above, as it were. Just as now, holy people do not enteryou in holy array, so I swearto you that I Myself the not enterabove until yourinhabitants enteryou below. 35 This is your will your ruin is vast as the ocean (ibid.). 37 Yet if you say you cannot endure or here, healed, then Who will heal you (ibid.), really! That concealed, high rung in be (Mah), a name for She- last of the ten sefirot, daughterof khinah, See Zohar 2:127a. Binah and She- Binah. comprise the two ends of heaven, khinah and below Tif'eret, who is called above See Bahir 134 (194); and Azriel of expands.'' Peirush ha-Aggadot, 39: ``Thought Gerona, (\ , mitpashshetet) and asce- expands to its source. When it reaches there, it is nds and can ascend no further.'' stopped I call heaven and earth... Earth 32. Shekhinah. symbolizes I compare you to What, precisely! 33. resembles Shekhinah perfectly. Israel What can I liken . . . Again, Israel 34. Shekhinah (What) are compared. and I Myself will not enter... The 35. Holy One promises not to enter the blessed Jerusalem, Shekhinah, until the heavenly Jerusalem is restored. See Tanḥuma, earthly 1: ``There is a Jerusalem above Pequdei with Jerusalem below. Out of His aligned forthe one below, He fashioned anotherabove....He love has sworn that His pre- will not enterthe heavenly Jerusalem sence the earthly Jerusalem is rebuilt.'' until Revelation 21:2; Targum Yonatan, See 122:3; BT Ta'anit 5a; Zohar 1:80b Psalms ), 128b, 183b, 231a; 3:15b, 68b, 147b. (ST this rung Shekhinah. 36. But now that you are here, your ruin 37. vast . . . Now that Israel has fallen to the is state of exile, her ruin is vast as the low anothername forShekhinah, who ocean, end of heaven is called Who. There is another below, called What. 30 ``This distinguishes the two? The first, concealed oneÐcalled WhoÐcan be What precisely! 33 I crowned you with holy crowns, gave you dominion over the 6 I compare this rung to you completely. 36 But now that you are consolation: which all exists will heal you and raise you up. What P F 30. Heaven. and searches G V[VP [ , Umphashpesh. 31. reads here: G [V\P J , u-mitpashshet, `ànd Cr P J[V\ shares Israel's exile.
is End of Heaven above; What is End of Heaven below. Jacob inherited ``Who running from end to end (Exodus 26:28), 38 from first end, Who, to last end, this, forhe stands in the middle. So, Who created these.'' What, Shim'on said, `Èl'azar, my son, cease your words, 39 Rabbi mystery on high, unknown to any human, may be revealed.'' concealed El'azarwas silent. Rabbi Shim'on wept and paused fora moment. Then he said, `Èl'azar, what Rabbi these? 40 If you answer, `Stars and constellations,' they are always visible is 41 and were created by What, as is said: By the word of YHVH the heavens there made (Psalms 33:6). 42 As for things concealed, such would not be referred were as these, forthat word indicates something revealed. This mystery was only to one day when I was at the seashore. Elijah 43 came and asked me, revealed do you know the meaning of Who created these?' I answered, `These are `Rabbi, heavens and theirarray, the work of the blessed Holy One. Human beings the contemplate them and bless Him, as is written: When I behold Your should the work of [2a] Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in heavens, ...YHVH our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth! place, 8:4, 10). (Psalms running from end to end Adescription 38. of the central wooden beam of the in the desert. The Zohar applies Tabernacle description to Tif'eret, the central sefirah, this by Jacob, who spans the sefirot symbolized Binah (Who) toShekhinah (What). See from The phrase could also be translated: millekha. `ùtteryourwords.'' See BT Ḥagigah forme yourverse''; cf. Zohar 1:238b. ``Recite fits the context of ourpassage, but ``Cease'' ambiguity may be intentional, in which the a better rendering would be: ``Complete case words,'' or ``Cut your words.'' your these In the verse from Isaiah 40:26: 40. up your eyes and see: Who created these? Lift that the mystical meaning of Who has Now established, Rabbi Shim'on explores been meaning of these. the they are always visible there So why 41. the verse say, Lift up your eyes and would implying that there is something new see, see? to By the word of YHVH ... The word 42. YHVH symbolizes Shekhinah, who conveys of divine essence. Thus the heavens were the by Her(also known as What), not by made (Who). Binah Zohar 1:119b; 3:191a, 193b. See Elijah According to the Bible (2 43. 11:12), the prophet Elijah did not die Kings normal death but was carried off to heaven a in a chariot of fire. He became asso- with the Messianic age (Malachi ciated and in rabbinic tradition is de- 3:23±24) as ``still existing'' (BT Bava Batra scribed and revealing divine secrets to right- 121b) humans (BT Bava Metsi'a 59b). eous Kabbalah mystical experiences are In as revelations of Elijah. See Scholem, known On the Kabbalah, 19±21; Zohar 1:151a; 231a; ZḤ 59d. In Zohar 3:241b Elijah 3:221a, to Rabbi Shim'on for instruction! turns (ZḤ 63d, 70d, 73c [ShS]) Elijah Elsewhere him to reveal the secrets and encourages (62c), ``My words will be written says you.'' by Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar [1:2a] so that the 7 Zohar 1:148b (ST ). , Pesoq cease your words V YGS KNP L 39. 15a±b: V YGS KN YGSV L , pesoq li pesuqekha,
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: are little children, youngsters, as
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, `Ì
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 and 44: He drew near. But the three he did
Page 45 and 46: light created on the first day. 308
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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