Vaetchanan chapter 1 verse 1
Vaetchanan: Verse 1
וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְיָ’ בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֺר. אֲדֺנָ”י יֱדֺוִ”ד אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת עַבְדְּךָ וְגוֹ.’ ר’ יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל יְיָ.’ ת”ח, כַּמָּה הוּא חֵילָא תַּקִּיפָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכַמָּה הוּא עִלָּאָה עַל כֺּלָּא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא דָּחִיל מֵעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. וְלָא דָּחִיל מֵעִרְעוּרִין בִּישִׁין דְּעָלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד בְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, וְאָכִיל מִנֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא.
“And I besought Hashem at that time, saying, Adonai Elohim, You began to show Your servant” (Devarim 3:23-24). Rabbi Yosi opened with, “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to Hashem” (Yeshayah 38:2). Come and see how powerful is the force of the Torah and how superior it is to anything else. For whoever is occupied with the Torah does not fear the higher or lower beings, nor fear evil incidents in the work, because he is attached to the Tree of Life, and eats from it daily.
It is very true that those who read Gods word constantly and especially reads it out loud have less to fear evil beings. Again remembering John 1:1-14 that Jesus is the Torah in the flesh and he that eats his body has life forever.
Vaetchanan: Verse 37
תָּאנָא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה בְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא, ג’ חֲלָלִין דְּאַתְוָון רְשִׁימִין, אִתְגַּלְּיָין בָּהּ בְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין. וְתָנֵינָן, ג’ מוֹחֵי אִינּוּן, דִּסְתִּימוּ בְּאִינּוּן חַלָלִין. וּמִשֵּׁירוּתָא דְּמוֹחָא עִלָּאָה סְתִימָאָה דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִתְמְשִׁיךְ בְּהַהוּא ז”א, אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ ד’ מוֹחֵי. וְאִלֵּין ד’ מוֹחִין, מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין וּמִתְפָּשְּׁטִין בְּכָל גּוּפָא וְאִינּוּן ד’ רִיהֲטֵי, דְּאַרְבַּע בָּתֵּי דִּתְפִילִין, דְּאָנַח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
We learned from a supernal mystery in the Concealed Book that there are three cavities of engraved letters, seen in the skull of Zeir Anpin. And we learned that there are three parts of the brain (Mochin), which are hidden in these cavities. From the top of the highest concealed brain of Atika Kadisha that flows into the Mochin of that Zeir Anpin, there are four Mochin. These four Mochin expand throughout the body. These are the four paragraphs in the four compartments of the Tefilin, which the Holy One, blessed be He, puts on.
First here let me point out that the word used for skull is גוּלְגַּלְתָּא “gulgalta” Aramaic for Golgatha where Jesus was crucified. It is the skull of the Zeir Anpin a secret word for the Messiah.
This begins talking about the Sifra Ditzeni’uta סִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא which is an obscure book and is also mentioned abstractly in the Bible in the prophet Michah and has a section in the Zohar in parashah Trumah.
Here is Mikhah 6:8
הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָה־יְהֹוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֚וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ
(He has) Told you humankind what is good and what the Lord seeks (yearns) from you,that to do justice and loving-kindness and walk modestly (discreetly)with your God.
The word for modesty which is also seen as discreetness or to imply quietness is humility is the word hatznei’a הַצְנֵ֥עַ which is where the Aramaic yielding Tzeni’uta. And it is also mentioned in the Talmud also in BT Kedushim 71:a-12
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, שֵׁם בֶּן שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אוֹתִיּוֹת הָיוּ מוֹסְרִין אוֹתוֹ לְכׇל אָדָם, מִשֶּׁרַבּוּ הַפָּרִיצִים – הָיוּ מוֹסְרִים אוֹתוֹ “לִצְנוּעִים” שֶׁבַּכְּהוּנָּה, “וְהַצְּנוּעִים” שֶׁבַּכְּהוּנָּה מַבְלִיעִים אוֹתוֹ בִּנְעִימַת אֲחֵיהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים. תַּנְיָא אָמַר רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן: פַּעַם אַחַת עָלִיתִי אַחַר אֲחִי אִמִּי לַדּוּכָן, וְהִטֵּיתִי אָזְנִי אֵצֶל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וְשָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁהִבְלִיעַ שֵׁם בִּנְעִימַת אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים.
The Sages taught: Initially, the Sages would transmit the twelve-letter name of God to any person. When the uninhibited ones who used the name disrespectfully increased, they would transmit it only to discreet members of the priesthood, and the discreet members of the priesthood would pronounce the name during the PriestlyBenediction. They would conceal it by saying it during the sweet melody of their priestly brothers, so that it would not become publicly known. It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Tarfon, who was himself a priest, said: On one occasion I ascended after my mother’s brother to the platform to give the Priestly Benediction, and I inclined my ear near the High Priest, and I heard him conceal the name during the sweet melody of his priestly brothers.
In the English “discreet is where the word shows up in Babylonian Aramaic ,I put the words “quote” marks in text above.There may have been an ancient forgotten book called something like Sifra di-Tsni’uta.The Zohar re-codifies many ancient mystical texts like: Idra Raba, Idra Zuta, Safra de Tzniuta, Raza de Razin, Tosefta, Raya Mi’emna, Ashmatot, Sitrey Torah, and much of this is part of the Merkavah mysticism and Heikhalot literature.
So let us look at the Zohar’s Sifra DiTzeni’uta
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 1
מַאן צְנִיעוּתָא דְּסִפְרָא. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, חֲמִשָׁה פִּרְקִין אִינּוּן דְּכְלִילָן בְּהֵיכָל רַב, וּמַלְיָין כָּל אַרְעָא. אָמַר ר’ יְהוּדָה, אִי כְּלִילָן הָנֵי, מִכֻּלְּהוּ עֲדִיפֵי. אָמַר ר’ שִׁמְעוֹן, הָכִי הוּא, לְמַאן דְּעָאל וְנָפַק, וּלְמָאן דְּלָא עָאל וְנָפַק לָאו הָכִי.
What is the Concealed Book? Rabbi Shimon said: There are five chapters, contained in a great chamber, which fill the entire earth. Rabbi Yehuda said: If these include that they are the best. Rabbi Shimon said: This is true for one who has entered and came out , but it is not so for one who did not enter and emerge.
They call it the Book of Concealment but it really means modesty or discretion and they say it has 5 chapters.Was this like things like the Book of Yasher or the Book of giants a lost ancient text it appears that Michah abstractly allude’s to it.
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 2
מַתְלָא, לְבַר נָשׁ דַּהֲוָה דִּיוּרֵיהּ בֵּינֵי טוּרִין, וְלָא יָדַע בְּדִּיוּרֵי מָתָא. זָרַע חִטִּין. וְאָכִיל חִטֵּי בְּגוּפַיְיהוּ. יוֹמָא חַד עָאל לְמָתָא, אַקְרִיבוּ לֵיהּ נַהֲמָא טָבָא. אֲמַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּנָא לָמָּה. אֲמַרוּ נַהֲמָא הוּא לְמֵיכַל. אָכַל וְטָעַם לְחָדָא לְחִכֵּיהּ. אֲמַר וּמִמָּה אִתְעָבֵיד דָּא. אֲמַרוּ מֵחִטִין. לְבָתַר אַקְרִיבוּ לֵיהּ גְּרִיצִין דְּלִישִׁין בְּמִשְׁחָא. טָעַם מִנַּיְיהוּ, אֲמַר וְאִלֵּין מִמַּה אִתְעֲבִידוּ. אֲמַרוּ מֵחִטִין. לְבָתַר אַקְרִיבוּ לֵיהּ טְרִיקֵי מַלְכִין, דְּלִישִׁין בְּדּוּבְשָׁא וּמִשְׁחָא. אֲמַר וְאִלֵּין מִמַּה אִתְעָבֵידוּ. אֲמַרוּ מֵחִטִין. אֲמַר וַדַּאי אֲנָא מָארֵי דְּכָל אִלֵּין, דַּאֲנָא אָכִיל עִקָּרָא דְּכָל אִלֵּין דְּאִיהוּ חִטָּה. בְּגִין הַהוּא דַּעְתָּא מֵעִדוּנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יָדַע וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנֵּיהּ. כַּךְ, מַאן דְּנָקִיט כְּלָלָא, וְלָא יָדַע בְּכֻלְּהוּ עִדוּנִין דִּמְהַנְיָין, דְּנַפְקִין מֵהַהוּא כְּלָלָא.
This is likened to a man who lived in the mountains and was not acquainted with the city inhabitants. He sowed wheat, and then he ate the wheat just as it was. One day, he came to the city, where he was served with good bread. That person said, ‘What is this?’ They answered him, ‘This is bread to be eaten.’ He ate and it was delicious to his palate. He said, ‘What is this made from?’ They said, ‘It is made from wheat. Afterwards, they served him cookies mixed with oil. He tasted them. He asked, ‘And what are these made from?’ They answered, ‘From wheat.’ Afterwards, they offered him food fit for kings kneaded with oil and honey. He said, ‘What are these made from?’ They told him, ‘From wheat’. He said, ‘I certainly have all these, because I eat the essence of all these, which is wheat.’ Because of this opinion, he did not learn how to make all these delicacies and he did not know of the delights of the world – thus, they were lost to him. It is also so with one who grasps the generality of wisdom, but does not know the delights and delicacies that derive from that generality.
This verse here is a common Kabbalistic proverb I have read before in other books.I think the lesson here is that the essence of life is Torah like the wheat of this proverb and also Jesus who is the Torah in flesh.And it also says that everying is the essence of it’s source ,so nothing coming from an evil source ever has a good result.This example is important by saying that the wheat is Torah the word of God and that which is not of the word of God is of a evil source!
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 14
פִרְקָא תִּנְיָינָא. דִּיקְנָא מְהֵימָנוּתָא. דִּיקְנָא לָא אַדְכַּר בְּגִין דְּהִיא יַקִירוּתָא דְּכֺלָּא מֵאֻדְנִין נַפְקַת, בְּסָחֲרָנָהָא דְּבֺּסִיטָא, סָלִיק וְנָחִית חוּטָא חִוְורָא. בִּתְלֵיסָר מִתְפְּרַשׁ.
Second Chapter. In it is explained the Beard of Faith. The beard is not mentioned , because it is most precious and it comes out from the ears . It encircles the shape of the face, as a white strand going up and down around the face. It is explained in thirteen.
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 18
בְּזִמְנָא דְּמָטָא תִּשְׁרֵי, יַרְחָא שְׁבִיעָאָה, מִשְׁתַּכְחֵי אִלֵּין תְּלֵיסַר בְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה וּמִתְפַּתְּחֵי תְּלֵיסַר תַּרְעֵי דְּרַחֲמֵי, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דִּרְשׁוּ יְיָ’ בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ כְּתִּיב.
When Tishrei arrives, which is the seventh month, these thirteen FEATURES are in the upper world, and the thirteen Gates of Mercy open there. Concerning that time, “Seek Hashem while He may be found” (Yeshayah 55:6).
If this book was from the Biblical era it is post Babylonian exile because of mentioning the month of Tishrei which is a name that existed only post Babylon contact.Prior to the Babylonian captivity, the names of only four months are referred to in the Tanakh (Old Testament): Aviv (first month), Ziv (second month), Eitanim (seventh month), and Bul (eighth month). All of these are believed to be Canaanite names.The other months simply were numbered but not named.So Tishrei would have been called Eitanim אֵתָנִים or just seventh month Chodesh sh’vi’i.
Now in chapter 3
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 46
אִי אִתְבְּסָמוּ דִּינִין, בָּעָא עַתִּיקָא. אָתָא חִוְיָא עַל נוּקְבָּא, וְקִינָא דְּזוּהֲמָא אִתְתָּקַן בְּגַוָוהּ, לְמֶעְבַּד מָדוֹרָא בִּישָׁא. דִּכְתִּיב וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת קַיִן. קִינָּא דְּמָדּוֹרָא דְּרוּחִין בִּישִׁין וְעִלְעוּלִין וְקַטְפוּרִין.
Atika wanted to see if the Judgments (of the Nukva) were mollified. The serpent came upon. A nest of filth was formed in her, and became the dwelling place of evil, for it is written, “And she conceived, and bore Cain” (Beresheet 4:1) a nest (Heb. ken) and dwelling place of storms, demons and evil spirits.
Atika means ancient and a word for God.
I skipped to chapter 5 and we have more throne vision language.
Safra Det’zniuta: Verse 59
יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַקֺּדֶשׁ וּבֵין קֺדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, עַתִּיקָא לִזְעֵירָא, אִתְפְּרַשׁ, וְאִתְדְּבַק. לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מַמָּשׁ פּוּמָא מְמַלֵּל רַבְרְבָן.
“Let there be a firmament in the water” (Beresheet 1:6) to divide between the Holy, and the Holy of Holies, between Atik , and Zeir Anpin. It is divided yet clings by the mouth that speaks great things.
It looks post Babylonian exile but still seems ancient because of the Beresheet (Genesis) references.So this is a quick overview of the Sifra Ditzeni’uta or Book of Modesty or discretion.
Now we are back in Vaetchanon in chapter 17 verse 111
Vaetchanan: Verse 111
פָּתַח ר’ אַבָּא וְאָמַר, שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם. שִׁיר דָּא לָא כְּתִיב מַאן אָמָרוֹ. אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים, רוּחַ הַקֺּדֶשׁ אַמָרוֹ עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם, הַיּוֹשֵׁב מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי.
Rabbi Aba opened with, “A song of ascent. To You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens” (Tehilim 123:1). It is not written who recited this song. But wherever the place is undisclosed, it is the Holy Spirit, that said it about Yisrael in exile. “You who dwell (Heb. hayoshvi)” should have used the more common form ‘hayoshev.’ Why does it use “hayoshvi”?
Vaetchanan: Verse 112
אֶלָּא אוֹקִימְנָא, מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְצַלָּאָה צְלוֹתֵיהּ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בָּעֵי לְמִבָּעֵי מֵעֲמִיקְתָא דְּכֺלָּא, לְאַרְקָא בִּרְכָאן לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יְיָ.’ וְהַאי יוֹ”ד יַתִּיר, עֲמִיקְתָא דְּכֺלָּא הִיא, וּבְהַאי בָּעֵי לְמִבָּעֵי בָּעוּתֵיהּ, לְאַרְקָא בִּרְכָאן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, לְאַתְּזְנָא מִנֵּיהּ כֺּלָּא, וְע”ד הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מַמָּשׁ, דְּכַד אִינּוּן בִּרְכָאן נְגִידוּ וְאִתְמְשָׁכוּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר עוּמְקָא דְּכֺלָּא, וְאִתְיַשְּׁבָן בַּאֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, כְּדֵין בִּרְכָאן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי.
We have explained that whoever wishes to say his prayer before the Holy King should ask the deepest, , to bestow blessings downwards, as it is written, “A song of ascent. Out of the depths I have cried to You, Hashem” (Tehilim 130:1). That extra Yud is the deepest of all, and is the one from which he should request to pour blessings to that place called heaven, so that everything will be sustained by it. Hence it is written, “who dwell in the heavens,” , since when the blessings pour and come out of that deepest place, and settle in the place called heaven, , there are blessings in the higher and lower.
This here is talking about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit dwelt in Israel until the exile and after that only those who are prophets have its indwelling.Which then was offered to all after Shavuot (pentacost) per Acts 2.
Vaetchanan: Verse 121
וּדְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִקְרֵי בְּאֵר מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים, דָּא רְשׁוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, מְהֵימְנוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְאִקְרֵי בְּאֵר מַבּוּעֵי דְּמַיִין צְלִילָן, נָפְקִין וְנַזְלִין מִנָהּ, כד”א וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן. וְנוֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶךָ. וּכְתִיב מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים. סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִקְרֵי בּוֹרוֹת נִשְׁבָּרִים. אֲשֶׁר לֺֹא יָכִילוּ הַמָּיִם.
That of Yisrael, is called a well, “the fountain of living waters.” This is the holy domain of the holy Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT that is called a well of springs of clear water that comes out and pours from it, as it is written, “and streams from Lebanon” (Shir Hashirim 4:15), AND ALSO, “running waters out of your own well” (Mishlei 5:15), and, “a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters” (Shir Hashirim 4:15). The Other Side is called, “broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Yirmeyah 2:13).
Vaetchanan: Verse 122
ת”ח, נַהֲרָא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אַשְׁקֵי לְכָל גִּינְתָּא, וְרַוֵּי לְכָל אֲתָר וַאֲתָר, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, עַד דְּמָלֵּי לְהַהוּא אֲתָר בְּגִנְתָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים. וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְּזָנוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, כד”א וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד.
Come and see, the river that flows and comes out, waters the whole garden, and waters each and every place, as we explained, until it fills the place of the garden that is called a well of living water, whence the higher and lower are nourished, as it is written, “and from thence it was parted…” (Beresheet 2:10).
This again is about the restoration of Eden and of the Yesod of Malkhut (foundation of the Kingdom) is Jesus because he is the cornerstone of the Kingdom of God.
Ephesians 2:20
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Matthew 21
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.(Also quoting Psalm 118 here)
Here in chapter 23 verse 150 we talk about the yeitzer hara which means evil inclination or in a Christian world view the sinful nature.
Vaetchanan: Verse 150
ת”ח, יֵצֶר הָרָע לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתֵי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בב”נ, הוּא כְּפַרְזְלָא, עַד דְּעָאלִין לֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא. בָּתַר דְּיִתְחַמֵּם אִתְהַדָּר כֺּלָּא כְּנוּרָא.
Come and see what the Evil Inclination is like. When it comes to join man, it is like iron before it is put into the fire. After it is heated the whole of it again becomes like fire.
Vaetchanan: Verse 151
רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, יֵצֶר הָרָע כַּד אָתֵי לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בֵּיהּ לְב”נ, דָּמֵי לְב”נ דְּקָרִיב לְפִתְחָא, וְחָמֵי דְּלָא אִית מַאן דְּמָחֵי בִּידֵיהּ. עָאל לְבֵיתָא, וְאִתְעָבֵיד לֵיהּ אֺרֵחַ. חָמָא דְּלָא אִית מַאן דִּמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, וְיֵיזִיל לֵיהּ לְאָרְחֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּעָיֵּיל לְבֵיתָא, וְלָא אִית דְּיִמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ, אִתְמְנָא עָלֵיהּ וְאִתְעָבֵיד מָארֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא עַד דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכָל בֵּיתָא קָאֵים בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ.
Rabbi Chiya said, When the Evil Inclination comes to join man, it is like a man who approaches the gate and sees there is no one AT HOME to detain him. It enters the house and becomes a guest, seeing there is no one to prevent it to send it on its way. Once it entered the house and no one prevents it, it is in charge over the house and becomes the landlord, so that the whole house is at its disposal.
It is true that the body is a tabernacle and and if evil desires begin to take over they take over completely and become the landlord. This part in Genesis is where the concept of the evil inclination had its beginning in Genesis 6:5
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that “every inclination” of the thoughts of the human heart was only “evil” all the time.Hence Yeitzer hara or evil inclination.
Now in verse 187 we have interesting end times prediction here.
Vaetchanan: Verse 187
וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּסוֹף יוֹמַיָּיא, לְאָהַדְרָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְאַכְנְשָׁא לוֹן מִגָּלוּתָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן סוֹף יוֹמַיָּיא הַהוּא דְּהִיא אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. בְּהַאי אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, יִשְׂרָאֵל סַבְלוּ גָּלוּתָא. הה”ד, בַּצַּר לְךָ וּמְצָאוּךָ כֺּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, וּכְתִיב וְקָרָאת אֶתְכֶם הָרָעָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים דַּיְיקָא, וְדָא הִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. וְעִם אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים דָּא, קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשָׁא בְּגָלוּתָא. וּבְדָא יַעְבִּיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נוּקְמִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדִירָא, הה”ד אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דָּא הִיא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לְאָתָבָא לָהּ לְאַתְרָהָא, הה”ד וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית יְיָ’ וְגוֹ’ וְדָא הוּא יוֹם.
The Holy One, blessed be He, at the end of days, will return Yisrael to the Holy Land and gather them from exile. The end of days is that which is the last of the days. During the end of days Yisrael suffer exile. This is what is meant by, “When you are in distress, and all these things are come upon you, in the latter days” (Devarim 4:30), and, “and evil will befall you in the latter days (lit. ‘the end of days’)” (Devarim 31:29). The “latter days” is precise, because it is the Congregation of Yisrael, which is in exile. Together with this end of days they receive punishment in exile. With it the Holy One, blessed be He, will wreak vengeances for Yisrael constantly, as it is written, “what this people shall do to your people in the latter days” (Bemidbar 24:14). Wherever ,’ it refers to her. And the Holy One, blessed be He, will return her to her place. This is the meaning of, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of Hashem’s house shall be established” (Yeshayah 2:2). This is that which is.
Now to verse 189
Vaetchanan: Verse 189
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, מַאן דְּחָמֵי לֵיהּ, וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּלָא חָמֵי לֵיהּ. וַוי לְמַאן דְּיִזְדָּמַן כַּד יִתְבַּע אַרְיָא רַבְרְבָא, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא לְנוּקְבֵיהּ. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיִזְדַּוְּוגֻן כַּחֲדָא, עַל הַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב, אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֺֹא יִירָא וְגוֹ.’
Happy is the portion of he who sees him, and happy is the portion of he who sees him not. Woe to him who shall be present when the great lion will demand to mate with his female, and more so when they will mate together. Of that hour it is written, “The lion has roared, who will not fear…” (Amos 3:8).
More Bride of Christ language and a both Old and New Testament association with the Messiah and the lion.And we know Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Yehudah (Judah).
Now in parashah Ekev chapter 2 verse 30
Ekev: Verse 30
וּבְמוֹץ וְתֶבֶן דְּחִטָּה, עָלֵיהּ אוּקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, אִילָן שֶׁאָכַל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן חִטָּה הֲוָה. קָרִיב ח”ט, דְּאִיהוּ מוֹץ וְתֶבֶן, לְאָת ה.’ וְאִסְתְּלִיק מִנֵּיהּ י,’ דְּאִיהוּ עִשׂוּר דִּילָהּ. וּבג”ד כַּד אִיהוּ בְּמוֹץ וְתֶבֶן, דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵל עָרְלָה וּפְרִיעָה, פָטוּר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר. וְלֵית רְשׁוּ לְאָת י,’ לְחַבְּרָא בְּאָת ה,’ דְּאִינּוּן אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה. וּבְגִין דָּא, כָּל הַבּוֹצֵעַ צָרִיךְ לְדַקְדֵּק בָּהּ. וְצָרִיךְ לְמִבְצַע מֵאֲתָר דְּבִשׁוּלוֹ יָפֶה, בְּגִין דְּבִשׁוּל אִיהוּ גֶּמֶר פְּרִי, וְדָא ו.’
Our sages referred to the chaff and straw of the wheat, when they said that the tree of which Adam ate was wheat. For by eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he drew near Chet and Tet, chaff and straw, to the letter Hei. The Yud was gone from it, its tithing. Therefore, when it is in straw and chaff – which correspond to the removal of the foreskin and the uncovering of the male organ, it does not require tithing. For the letter Yud has no permission to join the letter Hei, constituting a man and a woman. Therefore, whoever breaks the bread must be precise pronouncing Hei and must break the bread where it is nicely baked, because the proper ripening is the completion of the fruit. That is the meaning of the Vav.
This from Matthew 3:12
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Now here in Ekev chapter 3 verse 50
Ekev: Verse 50
שְׁתִיתָאָה, לְמֶהֱוֵי עַל פָּתוֹרָא דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, דְּהָכִי אוֹקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, ג’ שֶׁאָכְלוּ עַל שֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד וְלָא אָמְרוּ עָלָיו דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וְכוּ.’ וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, בְּגִין דְּהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ שֻׁלְחָן בַּצָּפוֹן, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְיְיהִיבַת מִימִינָא. לְחַבְּרָא יְמִינָא דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי, בִּשְׂמָאלָא דְּאִיהוּ דִּינָא. דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי יְיָ’ מִימִינָא, פָּתוֹרָא אֲדֺנָי מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְצָרִיךְ לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן. דִּבְגִין דְּפָתוֹרָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא, אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן דְּמַתְנִיתִין, קָשִׁין מְזוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, צָרִיךְ ת”ח לְזַמְּנָא עִמֵּיהּ, לְמַאן דְּיִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּפִתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא.
The sixth is to have words of Torah at one’s table, because that is how the sages of the Mishnah decreed about ‘three who ate on the same table yet have not spoken on it words of Torah…’ The secret meaning is that they have decreed that the table should be to the north and that the Torah was given from the right.In order to join the right, which is Mercy, with the left, which is Judgment. The Torah is Yud Hei Vav Hei, from the right, and the table is Adonai, which is from the left, one needs to join them. Since that table is at the left side, the sages of the Mishnah have explained that a person’s sustenance is as difficult to obtain as the splitting of the Red Sea. Therefore, one needs to invite him a Torah scholar, who will study Torah.
What is interesting here pertains to the dating of the Zohar and what is significant is that the Mishnah (the codification of the oral Torah) is called oral Torah and not Mishnah in the Aramaic text. Which could indicate that this and other parts of the Zohar may have dated to the time of the Zohar’s supposed author Shimon bar Yochai who died 15 years before the Mishnah was written down, although he had a great impact on it. I doubt all the Zohar was written in the early to mid second century CE but some may have. I am starting to believe that the Zohar was not written by one person but a compilation of smaller texts (the Zohar has 23 books within it) written by varying authors.
The early dating of the Zohar is the second century with Shimon bar Yochai as the author.The late date is Moses De Leon as the author (or he said he found it in a cave) in the late 13th century CE. However modern historians believe De Leon wrote it himself.However the mixture of differing dialects of Aramaic are consistent with multiple authors over many centuries and maybe Moses De Leon compiled many texts together and called it the Zohar or book of radience. The Zohar at times seems to know things that a second century author could not have known (like the vowel system) and in other times does not know things De Leon would have had to had known (like the oral Torah becoming the Mishnah). Some devotees of the Zohar say bar Yochai was a prophet and knew the future however the multiple author theory makes most sense to me. For one if Shimon bar Yochai was a man of visions he would have known the Mishnah obviously.
Ekev: Verse 68
שִׁנְאָן, כְּלָלָא דְּכֻּלְהוּ צִיוּרֵי, שׁוֹ”ר, נֶשֶׁ”ר, אַרְיֵ”ה, ן’ דָא אִיהוּ אָדָם. פְּשִׁיטוּ דְּאִתְּכְלִיל כְּחָדָא, בְּרָזָא דְכַר וְנוּקְבָא. וְכֻּלְהוּ אַלְפִין וְרִבְבָן, כֻּלְהוּ נָפְקִין מֵהַנֵּי רָזָא שִׁנְאָן. מֵהַנֵּי דְיוּקְנִין מִתְּפַּרְשָׁן כָּל חַד וְחַד בְּסִטְרַיְיהוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּחַזֵי לוֹן.
Shin’an contains all the shapes of shor (Eng. ‘ox), aryeh (Eng. ‘lion’), nesher (Eng. ‘eagle’), and final Nun is Adam (Eng. ‘man’), which is the expansion of the meaning of male and female that are included together. All the thousands and tens of thousands come out of these that are in the secret of shin’an, and from these shapes, each parts to its aspect as befits it.
From this type of language which is classic Merkavah visions it appears this part of the Zohar ,parashah Ekev in the Deuteronomy book of the Bible seems to be older than other parts.
Here in Shoftim chapter 1 verse 1
Shoftim: Verse 1
(רעיא מהימנא) שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךְ אֲשֶׁר יְיָ’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתֵן לְךָ וְגוֹ.’ בְּפִקּוּדָא דָּא, מָנֵי שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים. וְעוֹד כִּי אֱלֹהִים שׁוֹפֵט, כִּי: מ,’ מִנֵּיהּ יוֹ”ד דְּחוּשְׁבָּנֵיהּ כ,’ בָּתַר הָכָא, אֱלֹהִים שׁוֹפֵט, זֶה יַשְׁפִּיל ה”ה, וְזֶה יָרִים דָּא וָ”ו.
Ra’aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). “Judges and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which Hashem your Elohim, gives you, throughout your tribes” (Devarim 16:18). In this precept, He commanded regarding judges and officers. Moreover, “but (Heb. ki, Caf Yud) Elohim is the Judge” (Tehilim 75:8). The numerical value of ‘ki’ is forty if you take into account that Yud in its full spelling equals twenty and Caf is twenty for a total of forty. After that, “Elohim is the Judge: He puts one up,” Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI does “and sets up another” (Ibid.), THAT IS, Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI.
This is talking about the word for God Elohim being the judge aspect of God whereas YHVH is usually viewed as the mercy aspect of God.
Here in Shoftim chapter 4 verse 19
Shoftim: Verse 19
פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לַעֲשׂוֹת לְעֵד זוֹמֵם כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאָחִיו. תְּרֵין סַהֲדֵי שִׁקְרָא דְּאִינּוּן סָמָאֵל וְנַחַשׁ, אִי יֵיתוּן לְאַסְהֲדָא סָהֲדוּתָא דְּשֶׁקֶר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּטָעוּ בֵּין ו’ לְז’ דְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון זוּ. וְהַאי אִיהוּ עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ.
The following precept is to do to a witness convicted of false testimony as he thought to do to his brother. If the two false witnesses, Samael and the serpent, come to give false testimony against Yisrael that they confused between Vav and Zayin, which are the letters of ‘zu (Zayin Vav).’ This is the meaning of, “This people which (Heb. zu) I have formed for Myself; they shall relate My praise” (Yeshayah 43:21)
This here deals with two things one being antisemitism against Israel and the Jews as well as the fact that Satan is a liar in general.Also reminds us against gossip and talking about people behind their back whether what we say is or is not true.
Now in parashah Ki Tetze chapter 1 verse 11
Ki Tetze: Verse 11
וּבְגִין דָּא, לָא כָּל ש”ר שָׁקוּל. מְרַגְּלִים דְּאַפִּיקוּ שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִיתוּ. מַאן דְּאַפִּיק שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל שְׁכִינְתָּא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּלַקְיָין בְּנִשְׁמָתְהוֹן. דְּאִלֵּין דְּאַפִּיקוּ שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל אַרְעָא, לָקוּ בְּגוּפַיְיהוּ, וּמִיתַת גַּרְמַיְיהוּ מִיתוּ. אֲבָל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק שׁוּם בִּישׁ עַל שְׁכִינְתָּא, נִשְׁמְתָא דִּלְהוֹן לָקְאָהּ. וְהַאי לְמַאן דְּיָדַע רָזָא דָּא, וְעֵינוֹי פַּתְחִין. אֲבָל מַאן דְּעֵינוֹי סְתִימִין, לֵית לֵיהּ עוֹנְשָׁא כָּל כַּךְ.
For that reason not every an evil name is the same. The spies who defamed the land of Yisrael died. Those who speak ill of the Shechinah are most certainly struck in their souls, for those who spoke ill about the land were struck bodily and committed suicide. But whoever defames the Shechinah, his soul is stricken. This applies to whoever knows this secret, and whose eyes are open. But a person whose eyes are shut is not punished as severely.
In these Gospel passages
Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:8-10 it says the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.It is so ingteresting how Jewish mystical though bears out the New Testament so well.Like I said before in this book that if you knock on the door of truth enough you get some.
Now in chapter 2 verse 26
Ki Tetze: Verse 26
קוּם רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, דְּוַדַּאי מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בַּהֲלָכָה שֶׁלֺֹא לִשְׁמָהּ, וְרָוַוח הֲלָכָה, וַדַּאי בִּתְפִישָׂה אִיהִי לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְעִם כָּל דָּא אוֹקְמוּהָ, לְעוֹלָם יַעֲסוֹק אָדָם בַּתּוֹרָה אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁלֺֹא לִשְׁמָהּ, שֶׁמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלֺֹא לִשְׁמָהּ בָּא לִשְׁמָהּ. וְהַאי הֲלָכָה מִסִּטְרָא דְּנַעַר טוֹב, דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְּטוֹב וָרָע, דְּאִיהוּ אִיסוּר וְהֶיתֵּר, טוּמְאָה וְטָהֲרָה, כָּשֵׁר וּפָסוּל. וְעַל שֵׁם נַעַר, אִתְקְרִיאַת אִיהִי נַעֲרָה. דְּעָתִיד לְקַיֵּים בָּהּ, וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה, דְּאִינּוּן אִיסוּר טָמֵא וּפָסוּל, סָמָאֵל וּמַשִּׁרְיָיתֵיהּ.
Rise, Faithful Shepherd, for surely whoever studies Halachah, not for its own sake, and understands the Halachah, surely it is seized by him. Yet it has been explained that man should always study Torah even if not for its own sake, so that from studying not for its own sake it shall become for its own sake. And this Halachah is from the aspect of the good lad, who separated from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which comprises the forbidden and the permissible, the unclean and the clean, the fit and the unfit. After the lad is called a girl, by whom it will be fulfilled, “that the wicked might be shaken out of it” (Iyov 38:13), who are the forbidden, the unclean and unfit, Samael and his legions.
This is talking about Halakhah and you ask what is Halakhah ,the word comes from the word halakh meaning to walk so Halakhah means path or walkway. It also means Jewish law which is determined by Rabbinical rulings based on the Torah and Talmud. The Torah and Talmud make abstract law or what defines the law but Halakhah deals in specifics and details and also modern issues that the Talmudic and obviously Torah era would not have known.
Ki Tetze: Verse 31
מַה דַּהֲוָה אִיהוּ שֵׁד, אִתְהַדָּר מַלְאָךְ דִּידֵיהּ מְטַטְרוֹן, וְאִתְהַדָּר שַׁדַּי דְּהָכִי סָלִיק בִּמְטַטְרוֹן, בְּחוּשְׁבַּן שַׁדַּי. וּמִיַּד יִתְקְיָּים בֵּיהּ, וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה לֺֹא יוּכַל לְשַׁלְּחָהּ כָּל יָמָיו. וְאִי לָא חָזַר בְּתִיוּבְתָּא, אִיהִי לְגַבֵּיהּ מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדָא בְּחוֹבִין דְּעַבְדַּת, וְיִתְקְיָּים בֵּיהּ הָאִשָּׁה וִילָדֶיהָ תִּהְיֶה לַאדוֹנֶיהָ. וְאִתְּמַר בְּהַהוּא שֵׁד בַּעַל חוֹבֵיהּ, וְהוּא יֵצֵא בְּגַפּוֹ. וְהַאי שֵׁד, אִיהוּ כְּמַטֶּה דְּמֺשֶׁה, דְּאִתְהַפָּךְ מִמַּטֶּה לְנָחָשׁ, וּמִנָחָשׁ לְמַטֶּה, הָכִי הַאי שֵׁד, אִתְהַפָּךְ מִשֵׁד לְמַלְאָךְ, וּמִמַלְאָךְ לְשֵׁד, כְּפוּם עוֹבָדוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ.
What used to be a demon, turns around to be its angel Metatron and turned Shadai, because the numerical value of Metatron is that of Shadai. Immediately there is fulfilled in it, “and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days” (Devarim 22:19). But if he does not repent, is enslaved in him through the iniquities he committed and it shall be fulfilled in him, “the wife and her children shall be her master’s” (Shemot 21:4), ,and it says of the demon which is its debtor, “and he shall go out by himself” (Ibid.). That demon is like Moses’ staff that turns from a staff into a snake and from a snake into a staff. So does this demon turn from a demon into an angel and from an angel into a demon, according to man’s deeds.
This is more throne room vision language on how Enoch turned into an angel called Metatron and sat on God’s throne and was called “the lesser Lord God”. Which many take as a vision of the day when the Son of God will rule all of Heaven and earth.I’m not sure what the beginning about a demon turning into an angel is about.Visions of the divine palace of Heikhal which is what Heikhalot literature is about should never be taken literally but it proves that even before Jesus came in flesh most Jews believed in a second power in heaven.That is why it is called in Judaism the “two powers heresy” and it is known in history they do not outlaw that which is not practiced commonly.
Here is Talmud (Babylonian) Sanhedrin 38a-13
The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 8:7): Adam the first man was created on Shabbat eve at the close of the six days of Creation. And for what reason was this so? So that the heretics will not be able to say that the Holy One, Blessed be He, had a partner, i.e., Adam, in the acts of Creation. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve so that if a person becomes haughty, God can say to him: The mosquito preceded you in the acts of Creation, as you were created last. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve in order that he enter into the mitzva of observing Shabbat immediately.
Here in BT tractate Chagigah 15a-5
§ The Gemara stated earlier that Aḥer chopped down the saplings,becoming a heretic. With regard to him, the verse states: “Do not let your mouth bring your flesh into guilt” (Ecclesiastes 5:5). The Gemara poses a question: What was it that led him to heresy? He saw the angel Mitatron, who was granted permission to sit and write the merits of Israel. He said: There is a tradition that in the world above there is no sitting; no competition; no turning one’s back before Him, i.e., all face the Divine Presence; and no lethargy. Seeing that someone other than God was seated above, he said: Perhaps, the Gemara here interjects, Heaven forbid, there are two authorities, and there is another source of power in control of the world in addition to God. Such thoughts led Aḥer to heresy.
So this section of the Talmud addresses the “Two Powers heresy” Merkavah mysticism and Heikhalot literature and other throne vision things and all Maaseh Merkavah in general. Although most Rabbinical writings informally suggest these things were made hertical in the second century CE the Gemara did not address until a few centuries later. The Mishnah never explicitly mentioned the two powers heresy but addressed it abstractly enough that the Gemara (Talmud) ruled on it. I am not Mishnah wise enough to find those verses but I found the Ma’aseh Merkavah restrictions in the Mishnah below.
Here is Mishnah Chagigah 2.1 Throne room or chariot visions are not outlawed but restricted severely
one may not expound the topic of forbidden sexual relations before three or more individuals; nor may one expound the act of Creation and the secrets of the beginning of the world before two or more individuals; nor may one expound by oneself the Design of the Divine Chariot, a mystical teaching with regard to the ways God conducts the world, unless he is wise and understands most matters on his own. The mishna continues in the same vein: Whoever looks at four matters, it would have been better for him had he never entered the world: Anyone who reflects upon what is above the firmament and what is below the earth, what was before Creation, and what will be after the end of the world. And anyone who has no concern for the honor of his Maker, who inquires into and deals with matters not permitted to him, deserves to have never come to the world.
And of course it is not that every person who had a vision of heaven should be taken literally or even seriously but people were clearly seeing a form of Jesus in pre-incarnate form. And here is Colossians 1:15-16 the ultimate Heikhalot vision!
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
So it begins to make sense then in Enoch’s Throne vision that without knowing that Yeshua/Jesus was the Messiah and God incarnate and after the resurrection he ascended to the right hand of God as Mark 16:19 and Hebrews 1:3 both say.
So in an ancient tradition Enoch had a vision of something of great splendor greater than he could articulate sitting next to the Lord himself being called Adonai katan or the lesser Lord.I believe the vision was real but abstract and incomplete and where the name Metatron came from I do not know.It could have been what was seen had to be seen through a filter because it was to holy for human ears.
Let us now look at the Tofsefta which like the Mishnah was a codification of some oral traditions.Here is in Chagigah 2:2 there is the famous vision of pardeiz or paradise.
Four entered the orchard: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher (i.e., Elisha ben Avuya), and Rabbi Akiva. One looked and died. One looked and was harmed. One looked and cut down the trees. And one went up in peace and went down in peace. Ben Azzai looked and died. Scripture says about him (Ps. 116:15): “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints”. Ben Zoma looked and was harmed. Scripture says abouthim (Prov. 25:16): “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee” and the continuation. [Cont. of the verse: “Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.”] Elisha looked and cut down the trees. Scripture says about him (Ecc. 5:5): “Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt” etc. Rabbi Akiva went up in peace and went down in peace. Scripture says about him (Song of Songs 1:4): “Draw me, we will run after thee” etc. They gave a parable: What is this similar to? To the orchard of a king and there is an observation deck built above it. It is upon [the man] to look so long as he does not move [his eyes] from it*. Another parable was given. What is this similar to? To [a street] that passes between two paths, one of fire, and one of snow. If he leans one way, he will be burnt [by the fire]. If he leans the other way, he will be burnt by the snow. A man must walk in the middle and not lean to or fro. A story of Rabbi Yehoshua [who was walking in the street and Ben Zoma came opposite him], he reached him and did not greet him. He said to him [from where and to where] Ben Zoma? He said to him: I was watching the creation, and there is not between the upper waters and the lower waters even a handbreadth. As it is written (Gen. 1:2) “and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.” And it says (Deut. 32:11): “As a vulture that stirreth up her nest,” etc. Just as the vulture flies over the nest, touching and not touching, so too there is not even a handbreadth between the upper waters and lower waters. Rabbi Yehoshua said to his students: Ben Zoma is already outside. In a few days, Ben Zoma passed away.
The lesson in the next verse down is that those who speculate on the Heavens,the underword,the past and future it would be better that they were not born in the first place. I would be curious if it is more that some who beheld the Throne as non legit prophets saw some real things simply by meditating on truth enough. Sort of where a true Throne encounter was watered down with tales of Metatron a fictional angel however the vision of the Father and Son on two Thrones was real.True Biblical prophets like Ezekiel, Isaiah and Paul and John of Revelation had authorized visions of the Throne room but were also not full revelations because the Throne is to Holy to ever be beheld. So you have a difference in Holy Spirit inspired prophets who were given a true patial glimpse of the Lord’s glory. So you have those who had through there own ability to have visions get some truth when they meditate on the Holy Heikhal (Palace) but it has filters and so when reading about these things you must weed out the nonsense and don’t throw the baby out with the bath water and disregard it altogether.
Back to the Zohar in Ki tetze chapter 5 verse 39
Ki Tetze: Verse 39
וְאִלֵּין שְׁפָחוֹת נָכְרִיּוֹת, מִסִּטְרָא דְּסַם הַמָּוֶת, נוּקְבָּא דְּסָמָאֵל. דְּשִׁפְחָה הֲוַת לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. נוּקְבָּא וְסָמָאֵל אֵל אַחֵר, עֶבֶד הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְבָתַר דַּעֲבִידוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ אֱלוֹהוּת, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָתִיד לְאַעְבָּר לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא, וּלְמִמְחֵי לוֹן.
These foreign maidservants are from the aspect of the poison of death. They are the female aspect of Samael, where the maidservant became the Matron. Samael and his female, who is another El, were servants to the Holy One, blessed be He, but later made themselves into deities. And the Holy One, blessed be He, will remove them out of the world and wipe them away.
This is substantiated by the fact the the Canaanite god “El” had a wife named Asherah. Asherah may go back to a Sumerian goddess Ashratum although that is not proven.
Here Ki Tetze chapter 12 verse 62
Ki Tetze: Verse 62
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּנוּקְבָּא פְּתִיחָא, כָּל מַאן דַּהֲוָה נָפִיל תַּמָּן, לָא הֲוָה סְלִיק. וּמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד נָפַל תַּמָּן עִם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף. דְּחָד אִיהוּ עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר. וְחַד אִיהוּ, בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ, דָּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף. וְהַאי אִיהוּ כִּי יִכְרֶה אִישׁ בּוֹר וְלֺֹא יְכַסֶּנּוּ וְנָפַל שָׁמָּה שׁוֹר אוֹ חֲמוֹר. וּבג”ד אִקְרֵי מָשִׁיחַ בַּר נַפְלֵי. וְאִיהִי נַפְלַת בַּתְרַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְּמַר עָלָהּ, נָפְלָה לֺֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאַנְתְּ הוּא בַּעַל הַבּוֹר יְשַׁלֵּם כֶּסֶף יָשִׁיב לִבְעָלָיו. וְהַמֵּת יִהְיֶה לּוֹ, דָּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף, דְּעָתִיד לְאִתְקָטְלָא.
And when the gulf is open, whoever falls there does not come up. And Messiah, the son of David, fell there together with Messiah, the son of Joseph, of whom one is, “humble, and riding upon an donkey” (Zecharyah 9:9) and the other is, “The firstling of his herd” (Devarim 33:17), who is Messiah, the son of Joseph. This is the meaning of, “if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an donkey fall into it” (Shemot 21:33). For that reason the Messiah is called ‘the one who fell,’ and She, fell with them, and of Her it says, “The virgin of Yisrael is fallen; she shall no more rise” (Amos 5:2). And you, are “the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money to the owner of them; and the dead (beast) shall be his” (Shemot 21:34). The dead refers to Messiah, the son of Joseph that will be killed.
This is very Messianic and it’s true the Messiah ben Yoseif riding on a donkey could have come from Zechariah. So look at the language. Just read this and need I explain at all and the Aramaic word for virgin here is belulat בְּתוּלַת so they can’t wiggle out and say it really means a maiden or young woman. People have argued that Isaiah does not talk of a virgin birth because the word used in Isaiah most literally does translate as young woman. However if you read earlier chapters the Zohar deals with this.
Here now in verse 77
Ki Tetze: Verse 77
דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וּשְׁמָא דְּמָשִׁיחַ, אִתְקְרִיאוּ בְּשֵׁם יֱדֺוִ”ד. וְדָא אַרְבַּע אַנְפֵּי אָדָם, וְאִינּוּן דְּשִׁבְטָא דְּלֵוִי, אִינּוּן נַפְקָן מֵחֵיוָן דְּאִינּוּן שְׁאַר שְׁבָטִין, וְעָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא דְּאָדָם, דְּאִינּוּן אַרְבַּע אַנְפִּין דִּילֵיהּ. וּמֺשֶׁה אִיהוּ אָדָם בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא אָדָם קַדְמָאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא. מַה שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה שֵּׁם בְּנוֹ. וּבְגִין דָּא, כַּהֲנַיָיא וְלֵיוָאֵי, מְזוֹנֵיהוֹן עַל יְדָא דְּמַלְכָּא אָכִיל בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ, וּשְׁאַר חַיָּילִין דְּמַלְכָּא, כָּל חַד יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל בְּבֵית מוֹשָׁב דִּילֵיהּ. וְרַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא אִיהוּ כִּבְרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, קָרִיב לְמַלְכָּא יַתִיר מֵאִלֵּין דְּאַכְלִין לְפָתוֹרֵיהּ, דְּלֵית מַאן דְּקָרִיב לְמַלְכָּא מִכָּל בְּנֵי מַלְכוּתָא , כִּבְרֵיהּ.
Since the Temple and Messiah’s name come from the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei, the four faces of man and belong to the tribe of Levi, since they came out of the living creatures of the rest of the tribes, and entered the portion of man’s face, being his four faces. And Moses is man of the likeness of Adam above. “What is his name “and what is his son’s name” (Mishlei 30:4). Because of that, the priests and Levites are fed by the King and eat at His table, and the rest of the King’s armies each give them food in their abode. The Faithful Shepherd is like the King’s son, who is closer to the King than those who eat at His table, for none is closer to the King among all His people than His son.
So the Messiah’s name comes from the Hebrew letters יהוה the tetragrammaton or the Lord’s name in Hebrew (YHVH).
Jesus is a Greek derivative I think from Isous or something like that which came from the Hebrew Yeshua ישוע or can be pronounced in some Aramaic dialects as Yeishu or Ishu or the more formal Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua) but they all mean YHVH will rescue (or is salvation but salvation came from the Greek satzo meaning healing so the Hebrew means more “will rescue”)
The word “shua” means to cry out in desperation like you fell and broke your leg in woods and no one knows where you are.So Yeshua means YHVH will rescue.The name Isaiah comes from the Hebrew Yeshayahu which also means the Lord will rescue or save ,maybe different Hebrew subdialects maybe.
If you are wondering on how Yeshua, Yeishu and Ishu all make sense. Aramaic does not tolerate a guttural and the “a” or patach vowel at the end of Yeshua is under an ayin which is a guttural letter so the a is silent so you have Yeishu and being a two and not three syllable word you have the stronger ei vowel in the beginning.Other Aramaic dialects especially western Syriac do not have a y sound so yod is pronounced as a “i” so hence “ishu”.
You may have heard from people in the Hebrew roots movement who say you must pray to Jesus or be saved by certain Hebrew names. This is not true,you pray to Jesus in any language you speak or prefer to speak. Every language has a different name for Jesus or Yeshua, for instance in German it is Jesu and in Russian its Иисус pronounced Iisus. As long as it is the New Testament name of Jesus in the language of your New Testament any name is fine to pray or be saved. Or praying to his likely real life name of Yeshua is fine also, God judges the heart. There is not a secret name for Jesus they are all fine. One person once told me I had to pray only to Yahashua and I explained that translates to “the existing one saves himself” a total nonsense name.
Here we are in Vayelech chapter 8 verse 43
Vayelech: Verse 43
תָּאנָא, חַיָּיבֵי דְּגֵיהִנָּם, כֻּלְּהוּ סַלְקֵי בִּמְדוֹרִין יְדִיעָן, וְכַמָּה פִּתְחִין אִית לֵיהּ לַגֵיהִנָּם, וְכֻלְּהוּ פִּתְחִין לָקֳבֵל פִּתְחִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפְקֵי לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא דְּקַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשַׁיְיהוּ, אִינּוּן פַּתְחֵי פְּתִיחִין, וְשַׁוְּיָין לוֹן לְבַר. וְכֻלְּהוּ פִּתְחִין בִּשְׁמָהָן אִקְרוּן, לָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן דְּפִתְחִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְכָל פִּתְחָא וּפִתְחָא, אִקְרֵי שְׁמָא, לָקֳבְלֵי הַהוּא פִּתְחָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן פִּתְחִין לָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן פִּתְחִין, אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין דג”ע.
We learned that the wicked in Gehenom all go up through certain compartments and that there are many openings to Gehenom. All the openings correspond to the openings in the Garden of Eden. When the wicked are taken out after receiving their punishments, they open the gates and put them outside. All the gates bear names corresponding to those in the Garden of Eden, and each and every gate (in Eden) is called by a name corresponding to the gate in Gehenom. The gates in the Garden of Eden are known, gate for gate.
Now verse 45
Vayelech: Verse 45
וְתָאנָא, מַאן דְּנָחִית לַאֲבַדּוֹן דְּאִקְרֵי תַּחְתִּית, לָא סָלִיק לְעָלְמִין. וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי גֶּבֶר דְּאִשְׁתְּצֵי וְאִתְאֲבִיד מִכֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. וְתָאנָא, לְהַהוּא אֲתָר נַחְתִּין לְהַנְהוּ גַּבְרֵי דִּמְבַזֵּי לְאָתָבָא אָמֵן, וְעַל אָמֵן סַגִּיאִין דְּאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּלָא חָשִׁיב לְהוּ, דַּיְינִין לֵיהּ בַּגֵיהִנָּם, וְנַחְתִּין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא מָדוֹרָא תַּתָּאָה, דְּלֵית בָּהּ פִּתְחָא, וְאִתְאֲבִיד וְלָא סָלִיק מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. וע”ד כְּתִיב, כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לָא יַעֲלֶה. וְלָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב מִבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל שִׁוַּעְתִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ וְגוֹ.’ וּכְתִיב מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל. אֶלָּא הָכָא שְׁאוֹל, הָתָם תַּחְתִּית. וְאוֹקִימְנָא הָא דְּאַהְדָּר בֵּיהּ, הָא דְּלָא אַהְדָּר בֵּיהּ.
And we learned that whoever descends to Avadon, that is called bottom, never rises. That is called a man who was destroyed and lost to all worlds. And we learned that to that place are lowered those men who despised saying Amen. Such a man is punished in Gehenom for the many Amen’s that were lost to him, that he did not consider, and he is lowered to the lowest compartment, which has no opening, and he is lost and never rises from there. Hence it is written, “As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol shall come up no more” (Iyov 7:9). HE STATES, But no; it is written, “out of the belly of Sheol I cried and You did hear…” (Yonah 2:3). It is also written, “He brings down to Sheol and brings up” (I Shmuel 2:6). But this is Sheol and there is the bottom . We explained that this refers to one who repented and there to one who did not.
Job 26:6
“The realm of the dead(sh’ol) is naked before God;
Destruction (avadon) lies uncovered”
Proverbs 27:20
“Death and Destruction(avadon) are never satisfied,
and neither are human eyes”
Here is Revelation 9
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (avadon in Hebrew grammar) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
Above in Revelation Avadon who is phrased as the Greek Apollyon is not so much a place but a demon of destruction.The name avadon comes from the Hebrew word avad אבד meaning lost. Does this mean Avadon is the Prince of the damned no one has ever known the identity of the master of the underworld and of course it is not likely wise to speculate.This why is why the Bible offers little in demonology as not to atract unhealthy interest.
Now we get into the last parashah in the Zohar although the Zohar consists of 23 different books but is arranged in the same parashat as the annual weekly Torah reading cycle.
Here is Ha’azinu chapter 3 verse 9
Ha’azinu: Verse 9
רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר וְגוֹ.’ זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל עַמִּין עכו”ם, דְּהָא כָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין אִתְיְהִיבוּ לְרַבְרְבָן מְמָנָן, בְּשֻׁלְטָנוּתָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּלָא יָהַב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא לְמַלְאָכָא, וְלָא לְשָׁלִיטָא אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא הוּא אָחִיד לוֹן לְחוּלָקֵיהּ, הה”ד כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ’ עַמּוֹ. וּכְתִיב, כִּי יַעֲקֺב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ. כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר, מַה תַּפּוּחַ מִתְפָּרְשָׁא בִּגְוָונוֹי, עַל כָּל שְׁאַר אִילָנֵי חַקְלָא, כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתְפְּרַשׁ וְאִתְרְשִׁים עַל כָּל חֵילִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, בג”כ יְיָ’ צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ, אוֹת הוּא בְּכָל חֵילָא דִּלְעֵילָּא.
Rabbi Yitzchak opened with, “Like the apple tree…” (Shir Hashirim 2:3). Happy is the portion of Yisrael more than all the idolatrous nations, because all the other nations were handed to appointed ministers to control them. As for holy Yisrael, happy is their portion in this world and in the World to Come that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them neither to an angel nor to another ruler, but took them for His own portion. This is the meaning of, “For Hashem’s portion is His people” (Devarim 32:9), and, “For Hashem has chosen Jacob to Himself” (Tehilim 135:4). “Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood:” just as the apple tree is different in color from all the other trees in the field, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, separated and marked above all higher and lower legions. Hence His name is Hashem Tzva’ot, WHICH MEANS He is a sign (Heb. ot) throughout the celestial army (Heb. tzava).
As we dealt with ealier this is more Deuteronomy 32:8 language and how God disinherited and separated the Nations after the Tower of Babel.And the Psalm 82 predicts the restoration of the Nations to which Jesus fulfills that prophecy.
Now we are in the Book of the Idra zuta or the small assembly or literally threshing floor.
Ha’azinu: Verse 23
(האדרא זוטא קדישא) תָּאנָא בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דר”ש בָּעָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִן עָלְמָא, וַהֲוָה מְסַדֵּר מִלּוֹי, אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ חַבְרַיָיא לְבֵי ר”ש, וַהֲווֹ קַמֵּיהּ ר’ אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וְר’ אַבָּא, וּשְׁאָר חַבְרַיָיא, וַהֲוָה מַלְיָא בֵּיתָא. זָקִיף עֵינוֹי ר”ש, וְחָמָא דְּאִתְמְלֵּי בֵּיתָא. בָּכָה ר”ש וְאָמַר, בְּזִמְנָא אַחֲרָא כַּד הֲוֵינָא בְּבֵי מַרְעֵי, הֲוָה רִבִּי פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר קַמָּאי, וְעַד דְּבָרִירְנָא דּוּכְתָאי אוֹרִיכוּ לִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא. וְכַד תַּבְנָא, אַסְחַר אֶשָּׁא מִקַּמָּאי, וּמֵעָלְמִין לָא אִתְפְּסָק, וְלָא הֲוָה עָאל בַּר נָשׁ, אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתָא. וְהַשְּׁתָא חֲמֵינָא דְּאִתְפְּסַק, וְהָא אִתְמְלֵי בֵּיתָא.
We learned that on the day Rabbi Shimon wanted to depart from the world, and was putting his affairs in order, the friends gathered in the house of Rabbi Shimon. Before him were Rabbi Elazar, his son, and Rabbi Aba and other friends, and the house was full. Rabbi Shimon lifted up his eyes and saw that the house had become full. Rabbi Shimon wept and said, Another time when I was ill, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair was before me, and they waited for me until I inquired about my place. When I returned, a fire circled me, which never stopped. No one entered MY HOUSE except by permission. Now I see stopped, and behold the house is full.
This is the legend of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai geting ready to die. This is the Rabbi that tradition says wrote the Zohar although mainstream history does not agree.These are more visions of paradise.
Ha’azinu: Verse 24
עַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי, פָּתַח עֵינוֹי ר”ש, וְחָמָא מַה דְּחָמָא, וְאַסְחַר אֶשָּׁא בְּבֵיתָא, נַפְקוּ כּוּלְהוּ, וְאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, וְרִבִּי אַבָּא. וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא יָתְבוּ אַבְּרָאי. אר”ש לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, פּוּק חֲזֵי, אִי הָכָא רִבִּי יִצְחָק, דַּאֲנָא מְעָרַבְנָא לֵיהּ, אֵימָא לֵיהּ דִּיסַדֵּר מִלּוֹי, וְיֵתִיב לְגַבָּאי, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ.
While they were sitting, Rabbi Shimon opened his eyes and saw what he saw, and fire encircled the house. Everybody left, and only Rabbi Elazar his son and Rabbi Aba remained, while the rest of the friends stayed outside. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar his son, Go out and see if Rabbi Yitzchak is here, because I was a guarantor for him. Tell him to settle his affairs and sit by me. Happy is his portion.
Ha’azinu: Verse 26
אר”ש, הָא הַשְׁתָּא שַׁעֲתָא דִּרְעוּתָא הוּא, וַאֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְמֵיעַל בְּלֺֹא כִּסּוּפָא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְהָא מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין דְּלָא גָּלְיָאן עַד הַשְׁתָּא, בָּעֵינָא לְגַלָּאָה קַמֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּלָא יֵימְרוּן דְּהָא בִּגְרִיעוּתָא אִסְתָּלַקְנָא מֵעָלְמָא. וְעַד כְּעַן טְמִירִן הֲווֹ בְּלִבָּאִי, לְמֵיעַל בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
Rabbi Shimon said, Now it is time of goodwill, and I want to come without shame into the World to Come. Here are holy matters that I have not revealed until now. I wish to reveal them before the Shechinah so it shall not be said that I have gone from this world in want – until now they have been hidden in my heart, so I can enter through them into the World to Come.
So Rabbi Yochai is making his final peace with and I will not speculate on whether he was saved.For two reasons ,1,only God knows who is truly saved but also Yochai may have lived to soon after the death of Jesus and we do not know what exact year a person had to know the Messiah Jesus to be saved.By the later second century Judaism and Christianity formally parted ways so by this time people were accepting or rejecting Messiah by choice.But Shimon bar Yochai died right on that borderline.
Ha’azinu: Verse 29
אר”ש, כַּמָה שַׁנְיָא שַׁעֲתָא דָּא מֵאִדָּרָא. דִּבְאִדָּרָא אִזְדְּמַן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּרְתִיכוֹי. וְהַשְׁתָּא, הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הָכָא, וְאָתֵי עִם אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, מַה דְּלָא אִעְרָעוּ בְּאִדָּרָא. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא יַתִּיר מִיקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב בִּירָבְעָם, דַּהֲוָה מְקַטֵר וּמַפְלַח לע”ז, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרִיךְ לֵיהּ. וְכֵיוָן דְּאוֹשִׁיט יְדֵיהּ לָקֳבְלֵי דְּעִדּוֹ נְבִיאָה, אִתְיְיבַּשׁ יְדֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַתִּיבַשׁ יָדוֹ וְגוֹ.’ וְעַל דְּפָלַח לע”ז לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא עַל דְּאוֹשִׁיט יְדֵיהּ לְעִדּוֹ נְבִיאָה. וְהַשְׁתָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרָא דִּילָן, וְכֻלְּהוּ אָתָאן עִמֵּיהּ.
Rabbi Shimon said, How different is this time from the Idra Raba in the parashah of Naso, since in the Idra the Holy One, blessed be He, came with His Chariots. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, coming with the righteous that are in the Garden of Eden, which has not happened at the Idra. And the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in the honor of the righteous more than His own honor, as it is written about Jeroboam that he used to make offerings and worship idols, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, waited for him . But once he stretched his hands against Ido the prophet, his hand dried up, as it is written, “And his hand…dried up” (I Melachim 13:4). It is not mentioned because he worshipped idols, but because he put out his hand against Ido the prophet. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in our honor as all came with Him.
Here we have the three heads of the of the Atika Kadisha עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא or the ancient Holy one ,the same idea as the Ancient of Days described in Daniel.Here in Ha’azinu 9:37
Ha’azinu: Verse 37
תְּלַת רֵישִׁין אִתְגַלְּפָן, דָּא, לְגוֹ מִן דָּא. וְדָא, לְעֵילָּא מִן דָּא. רֵישָׁא חֲדָא, חָכְמְתָא סְתִימָאָה, דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָיא, וְלָאו מִתְפַּתְּחָא. וְחָכְמְתָא דָּא סְתִימָאָה, רֵישָׁא לְכָל רֵישֵׁיהּ, דִּשְׁאַר חָכְמוֹת. רֵישָׁא עִלָּאָה, עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין. רֵישָׁא דְּכָל רֵישָׁא, רֵישָׁא דְּלָאו רֵישָׁא. וְלֺֹא יָדַע, וְלָא אִתְיְדַע, מַה דַּהֲוֵי בְּרֵישָׁא דָּא, דְּלָא אִתְדְּבַק בְּחָכְמְתָא, וְלָא בְּסוּכְלְתָנוּ. וְעַל הַאי אִקְרֵי, בְּרַח לְךָ אֶל מְקוֹמֶךָ. וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב.
Three heads were imprinted, one inside another, and one over another, One head is concealed Chochmah, which is undisclosed and unopened. This concealed Chochmah is a beginning to every other beginning of other Chochmot.The (second head) is a supernal head, the most obscured Atika Kadisha.The head for every head (third head), a head that is not a head, because no one knows nor is it known what is in this head, because it is attached neither to Chochmah nor to Tevunah. It is thus considered, “Therefore now flee to your place” (Bemidbar 24:11), “and the living creatures ran and returned” (Yechezkel 1:14).
The first head is unknown and concealed but represents wisdom and the second head is obscured by the Atika Kadisha and the third is the highest head and is beyond comprehension . Now does this represent the Trinity?
So the first appears to be hidden wisdom but obtainable wisdom for those that seek it in true motive. To me this means Yeshua/Jesus the Son of God and Messiah. Anyone who seeks him can know him but few seek him but anyone can know him. I think the obscured head is the Holy Spirit because we must know Jesus first before the Sh’khinah or Holy Spirit can indwell us. Then of course the the one beyond comprehension is the Father himself who we know through knowing Jesus and the Holy Spirit but we never fully know in this life.
Ha’azinu: Verse 40
חַד אָרְחָא דְּנָהִיר בְּפַלְגּוּתָא דְּשַׂעְרֵי דְּנַפְקֵי מִמּוֹחָא, הוּא אָרְחָא דִּנְהִירִין בֵּיהּ צַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֺרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נוֹגַהּ וְגוֹ.’ וע”ד כְּתִיב, אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ.’ וּמֵהַאי אָרְחָא מִתְנַהֲרִין כָּל שְׁאַר אָרְחִין, דְּתַּלְיָין בִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין.
One path shines in the division of the hairs that come out of the brain. It is the path where the righteous shine in the World to Come, as it is written, “But the path of just men is like the gleam of sunlight” (Mishlei 4:18), “then shall you delight yourself in Hashem…” (Yeshayah 58:14). From this path shine all other paths that derive from Zeir Anpin.
This above backs up that Jesus is the concealed wisdom because Jesus is the only path to the World to Come (Ha olam Haba).
Ha’azinu: Verse 48
תִּקּוּנָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְתְּקַן בְּתִקּוּנָא חַד, כְּלָלָא דְּכָל תִּקּוּנִין. וְהִיא חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָאָה. כְּלָלָא דְּכָל שְׁאָר, וְהַאי אִקְרֵי עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא. וְהוּא מוֹחָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְהַאי מוֹחָא אִתְפְּשַׁט לְכָל עִיבָר, מִנֵּיהּ אִתְפְּשַׁט עֵדֶן אַחֲרָא. וּמֵהַאי עֵדֶן אִתְגְּלַף.
The establishment of Atika Kadisha is such that it was established as one structure that includes all structures. It is supernal, hidden Chochmah, which incorporates all the rest, and is called supernal, hidden Eden. It is the brain of Atika Kadisha. This brain expands in every direction and from it spreads another Eden. From that Eden is engraved.
So the first head is a obtainable wisdom that most people do not understand but can understand but the third head is never comprehended by the human mind. So this is a reminder to us that if we now God is better and greater than us that there are things about God we can never know or understand.
It may not be so much that esoteric knowledge is fake or false but that in knowing we would be destroyed. In the vision of Eden where the four Rabbi’s entered and looked at the glory and died and one eat the honey and went insane. Elisha ben Abuyah he sinned and cut down trees and his fate is unclear but it does not seem he dies but is corrupted and goes rogue and is considered a heretic, so he lives but dies spiritually. Only Rabbi Akiva returns in peace but Akiva himself does die by Roman hands. This all does show how these visions can deceive people and why the Bible only has a few visions of God’s glory ,not that that the glory is not real but that it would destroy people if to much was revealed. Esoteric knowledge is for the most part real but its knowledge will give our human minds an incomplete understanding. Writings in the Zohar itself were destructive in being a catalyst for the Messianic movement of Shabtai Zevi an admitted false Messiah who’s heresy did untold destruction to many lives who followed him.
It is clear many of this Heikhalot and Merkavah visions have true value because so much of them echo the truth of Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah.However for those with a closed heart for the truth of Jesus they are very deceptive and the glimmer of truth in them only validates the parts that lead people astray.People saw real things but did not have the wisdom to properly understand them and their minds brought them to false conclusions of real visions.Like a small child seeing things that are very adult ,they know what they have seen with the eyes but their minds do not understand.And in the same way children should not see adult matters ,humans should not try behold the heavens because they will see real things but was misinterpret its meaning.
Ha’azinu: Verse 48
תִּקּוּנָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְתְּקַן בְּתִקּוּנָא חַד, כְּלָלָא דְּכָל תִּקּוּנִין. וְהִיא חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָאָה. כְּלָלָא דְּכָל שְׁאָר, וְהַאי אִקְרֵי עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא. וְהוּא מוֹחָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְהַאי מוֹחָא אִתְפְּשַׁט לְכָל עִיבָר, מִנֵּיהּ אִתְפְּשַׁט עֵדֶן אַחֲרָא. וּמֵהַאי עֵדֶן אִתְגְּלַף.
The establishment of Atika Kadisha is such that it was established as one structure that includes all structures. It is supernal, hidden Chochmah, which incorporates all the rest, and is called supernal, hidden Eden. It is the brain of Atika Kadisha. This brain expands in every direction and from it spreads another Eden From that Eden (wisdom) is engraved.
This is about different places in paradise and Paul himself spoke of a third paradise. So pondering somewhat what may be in heaven is not a totally bad thing if you understand the only way Eden is Jesus and not using hidden knowledge to get there.
2 Corinthians 12
12 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
Paul here wisely concedes that of this Heikhalot vision there is some only God knows.
So here we are now in chapter 26 verse 89
Ha’azinu: Verse 89
מַאי יְרוּתָא דָּא. אַחֲסַנְתָּא דַּאֲבוֹי וְאִימֵּיהּ, וּתְרֵין עִטְרִין דַּהֲווֹ גְּנִיזִין בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ, וְאַחֲסִינוּ לְבֵן דָּא. מִסִּטְרָא דַּאֲבוֹי, הֲוָה גָּנִיז בְּגַוֵויהּ חַד עִטְרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי חֶסֶד. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָּא, חַד עִטְרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי גְּבוּרָה. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִין בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, וְאָחִיד לוֹן. וְכַד נַהֲרִין אִלֵּין אָב וָאֵם עָלֵיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן תְּפִילִּין דְּרֵישָׁא. וְכֺלָּא נָטִיל בֵּן דָּא, וְיָרִית כֺּלָּא, וְאִתְפְּשַּׁט בְּכָל גּוּפָא. וְהַאי בֵּן, יָהִיב לִבְרַתָּא. וּבְרַתָּא מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן. ועכ”פ מִכָּאן, בְּרָא יָרִית, וְלָא בְּרַתָּא. בְּרָא יָרִית לַאֲבוּי וּלְאִמֵּיהּ, וְלָא בְּרַתָּא. וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן בְּרַתָּא. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וּמָזוֹן לְכֺלָּא בֵיהּ.
(He asks) What is this inheritance , It is his father and mother’s inheritance, ,and the two crowns hidden therein, which they bequeathed to that son.For from his father’s side a crown called Chesed was hidden within and from his mother’s side a crown called Gvurah. And all are crowned on the head of and He holds to them. When Aba and Ima shine on Him , they are all called the head Tefilin .And this son takes and inherits everything, and it spreads within Him throughout the body. This son, gives to the daughter( malkhut/kingdom) who is fed from Him. In any case from this that the son inherits rather than the daughter; the son inherits His father and mother, not the daughter, and the daughter is nourished by Him, as said , “and on it was food for all” (Daniel 4:18).
This is more secret Bride of Christ language and the Crown (Keter) that Jesus will have forever. I think the Crown of chesed meaning kindness represents the first coming where Jesus died for humanity. And the second crown of gevurah or courage is the second coming where every knee will bow to the final eternal King. The daughter represents the Bride or the Kingdom but the Son of God has the inheritance of the universe forever . This is not to say that the Bride of Christ is a daughter but that God gave the Son the inheritance and the daughter in this language is a reference to the Kingdom and remember I am interpreting the mystical, this is not literal scripture.
So this concludes my analysis of the Seifer Zohar and my mystical meditation on a mystical meditation.
ס
Truth in Mikra 
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