Baal HaSulam's Introduction to Zohar Reader

Now you can understand that earlier generations were at an infinitely greater level than later ones. For that is the principle of all the Partzufim of the worlds and the souls. The purer something is, the earlier it is selected for the Partzuf. Hence, the vessels of ḤaBad were selected first from the world and from the souls. That is why the souls in the first two thousand years were at an infinitely higher level. Yet, they were still unable to receive the level of perfect light, because the lower levels in the world and within themselves, ḤaGaT NaHYM, were not completed.

Later, during the second two thousand years, when the vessels of ḤaGaT and all the souls were selected from the world, the souls were in fact still very pure, for the vessels of ḤaGaT are at a lofty level, close to that of ḤaBaD (see the introduction to the Zohar, p. 6, s.v. uma). Still, the lights in the world were still covered, due to the lack of vessels from the chest down, both in terms of the world and the souls.

In our generation, the essences of the souls are at the lowest level of all. They could not be selected for sanctity until today. Yet, they still perfect the Partzuf of the world and the aspect of vessels of the souls, and only they can complete this task. Now that the vessels of NaHY are perfected, all the vessels possess a head, middle, and end in the Partzuf. Hence, entire levels of lights flow to the head, middle, and end, to the extent that they are worthy, i.e., perfect NaRaN, as discussed. Only with the perfection of these lower vessels can the upper lights be revealed, not before.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: What is different about the earlier generations, for whom miracles occurred, and what is different about us, for whom miracles do not occur? If it is because of Torah study, in the years of Rav Yehuda, all of their learning was confined to the order of Nezikin, while we learn all six orders! Moreover, when Rav Yehuda would reach in tractate Uktzin [which discusses the extent to which the stems of various fruits and vegetables are considered an integral part of the produce in terms of becoming ritually impure, the halakha that a woman who pickles vegetables in a pot (and some say when he would reach the halakha that olives pickled with their leaves are pure, because after pickling, it is no longer possible to lift it by its leaves, so they are no longer considered part of the fruit), he would find it difficult to understand.] He would say: We see the disputes between Rav and Shmuel here. Yet we, in contrast, learn thirteen versions of Uktzin.

But, with regard to miracles, after declaring a fast to pray for a drought to end, when Rav Yehuda would remove one of his shoes, the rain would immediately fall, whereas we torment ourselves and cry out and no one notices us. Abaye said to Rav Pappa: The previous generations were wholly dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name, while we are not as dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name.

According to both the gemara’s question and answer, the earlier sages were greater than the later ones. Still, as far as Torah and wisdom are concerned, Rav Pappa and Abaye were more important than the earlier Sages. Thus, it is explicit that the earlier generations are of greater importance in terms of the essence of their souls, because purer things come into the world earlier. Still, greater Torah knowledge comes into the world in later generations, for the reasons discussed above. Since the general level [of the cosmos] grows in perfection over time, the more perfect lights flow through them [the later sages], even though in their essence, they are inferior.

Do not raise the following challenge: If so, why may we not disagree with earlier scholars regarding the revealed Torah? The answer is that the opposite [pattern] is true of perfecting the practical aspects of the mitzvot. There, the earlier sages were more perfect than the later ones. That is because the practical aspects [of mitzvot] flow from the holy vessels of the Sefirot, while the secrets of Torah and the reasons for the commandments flow from the lights of the Sefirot.

As you know, there is an inverse relationship between the vessels and the lights. Regarding the vessels, the greater ones develop first (see above, chapter 62). Hence, the earlier sages were more perfect than the later ones regarding the practical. But the opposite is true regarding the lights, where the lower ones develop first. Hence, the lower ones are more perfect than the earlier ones. Understand this well.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL Know that everything contains an internal and external aspect. Within the larger world, Israel and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered the internal aspect of the world, while the other nations are considered the external aspect of the world. Even within Israel itself, there is an internal aspect, the perfect servants of God, and the external aspect, those who do not dedicate themselves to service of God.

The same is true with the other nations: Their internal aspect is the righteous among the nations, while the external aspect is the vulgar and damaging people and the like. Even among those Jews who serve God, there are those who are internal, in that they are worthy of understanding the internal soul of the Torah and its secrets, and those who are external, who are only involved in the practical aspects of Torah.

Even within an individual Jew, there is an internal aspect, the Israel aspect of him, which is the secret of the “point in his heart,” and an external aspect, which is like the other nations within him; this is the body itself. Yet, even his aspect of “other nations” is like that of a convert. Since it [the Jewish body] is linked to the internal aspect, it is like a righteous convert, who attaches himself to the people of Israel.

A Jewish person may increase and honor his internal aspect – that is, the Israel part of himself – above the external aspect, the aspect of the other nations. He may focus his efforts and energies on increasing and raising his internal aspect for the betterment of his soul, and he may minimize his efforts to maintain the “other nations” aspect within himself, his bodily needs. That is what the mishna in Avot states: “Make your Torah fixed and your work temporary.” [If he does so,] his actions cause the inner, “Israel” aspect of the world to rise and ascend, while the external, “other nations” aspect of the world will recognize and respect the value of Israel.

God forbid, the opposite could also be the case. An individual Jew can increase and honor his external aspect, the “other nations” aspect within himself, above the “Israel” aspect. As the verse in Deuteronomy states: “The stranger within you,” meaning the aspect of “stranger” that is part of or within you, “will rise higher,” while the internal, Israel aspect will “descend even further” (Deut. 28:43). His own actions cause the external aspect of the whole world, i.e., the nations of the world, to rise, and they will overcome Israel and humiliate them, [bringing them] down to the ground; Israel, the internal aspect of the world, will be lowered.

Do not be surprised that a single person can, through his actions, cause the entire world to ascend or descend. For there is a fixed rule: the macro and the micro are the same, like two drops of water. Anything that occurs at the macro level happens at the micro level. The opposite is also the case. The micro acts upon the entirety of the macro. The macro will not be fully revealed until all of the micro is revealed as well, proportional to the measure and quality of each element in the micro.

“BY STUDYING THIS WORK THEY WILL EXIT THE EXILE WITH MERCY” This explains a statement in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar, at the end of Tikkun 6), that by being involved in studying the Zohar and the wisdom of [kabbalistic] truth, a person can bring about the end of the exile and the complete redemption. On the surface, why should the study of Zohar influence the redemption of Israel from among the other nations?

The answer to that question is now clear. For the Torah also contains an internal and external element, just like the world as a whole. Hence, those who study Torah also have the same two levels. To the extent that a person increases his effort in the internal aspect of Torah and its secrets, that is the extent to which Israel, the internal aspect of the world, ascends above and beyond the external elements, the nations of the world. The other nations will [then] admit and recognize the greatness of Israel, until they fulfill the verse, “They will take of those peoples and bring them into their place, and the House of Israel will possess them on the Lord’s own land, slaves and bondswomen. They will be captors to their captors and rule over those who oppressed them” (Is. 14:2). Similarly, the verse states, “So says the Lord God: Behold, I shall raise My hands to nations, lift My banner toward peoples; they will bring your sons back in the folds of their robes, bearing your daughters upon their shoulders” (Is. 49:22).

Yet, God forbid, the opposite could occur. A Jewish person could demean the internal aspect of Torah and its secrets, which address the structure of our souls and their levels, as well as the role of the intellect and the reasons for mitzvot. Instead, he could focus on the external aspect of Torah, which deals only with the practical. Even if he sporadically focuses on the internal aspect, he gives it little attention, [studying it only] at a time that is neither day nor night and treating it as if it something he does not need.

In that case, he will be a factor in demeaning and lowering the internal aspect of the world, the people of Israel, and he will increase the external aspect of the world, the other nations. He will lower and humiliate the people of Israel and treat Israel as if it were something unnecessary in the world, something the world does not want, God forbid.

Moreover, that person will cause the external aspect of the nations to overcome their own internal aspect. The worst among the other nations, those who cause damage and destroy the world, may become stronger and ascend above the internal aspect, the righteous among the gentiles, leading to all of the destruction and corruption witnessed by our generation (may God protect us). In that sense, the redemption of Israel and its level depends upon the study of the Zohar and the internal aspect of Torah. And the destruction and the descent of Israel occurs due to the abandonment of the internal aspect of Torah and its regard being brought down, until it was made out to be something that no one had any need for (God forbid).

Wake and arise for the sake of the holy Shekhina, for you have an empty heart, devoid of understanding. You cannot acquire her [the Shekhina], even though she is within you…. The secret of the matter is like the verse, “A voice speaks: ‘Call out!’” (Is. 40:6). It means that a voice echoes in every Jew, calling him to pray for the holy Shekhina to arise, for she contains all of the souls of Israel. [The Zohar brings proof from another verse that the word “call” refers to prayer.]

But the Shekhina says, “What shall I call?” meaning, I have not the strength to lift myself up from the dust, since “Life is nothing more than grass.” That means that people become like animals that eat grass; they perform mitzvot unthinkingly, like animals. “While its love [is like] green shoots upon the land.” This means that people do acts of kindness only for themselves.

When they perform mitzvot, they do not have intention to grant satisfaction to their Creator, but only for their own benefit.

Even the best ones, who dedicate their time to involvement in Torah, do so only for their own betterment, without the proper intention to grant satisfaction to their Creator.

At that time, during that generation, there will be “a passing spirit that never returns” (Ps. 78:39). This refers to the spirit of the Messiah, who needs to redeem Israel from all of their troubles, leading to the complete redemption, as the verse states, “Knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth” (Is. 11:9). This spirit has left and abandoned the world; it does not provide light.

Woe unto them who cause the spirit of the Messiah to leave the world, such that it cannot ever return. They turn the Torah into a desert, without any moisture of intellect and knowledge. They limit themselves to the practical aspects of Torah, making no effort to understand the wisdom of Kabbala, to comprehend and understand the secrets of the Torah and the reasons for the commandments.

Woe unto them, for their actions cause the world to be poor, to be destroyed by sword; [they cause] corruption, theft, death, and destruction.

The explanation of the above passage in Tikkunei Zohar follows from what we stated above. Since all those involved in Torah denigrate their own internal aspect and the internal aspect of Torah, abandoning the [internal aspect of Torah] as if it is something that no one in the world wants and involving themselves in it only at a time that is neither night nor day, they are like a blind person feeling his way around a wall. In this way, they increase their own external aspect, meaning they benefit their bodies, as well as the external aspect of Torah, which they prefer to the internal aspect. This causes all of the external aspects of world to be strengthened, at the expense of the internal aspects, each category following its essence.

[Under these circumstances,] the external element within the people of Israel –the ignorant Jews – become stronger and overwhelm the internal element in Israel, the great Torah scholars. Similarly, the external aspect of the other nations – their destructive sides – become stronger and overwhelm the internal elements, the righteous among the gentiles. And similarly, the external elements of the entire world – the nations of the world – become stronger and overwhelm the people of Israel, who are the internal aspect of the world.

In a generation such as this one, all of the destructive elements among the nations lift their heads, and they desire primarily to destroy and kill the people of Israel, as the Sages said: “Calamity befalls the world only due to the Jewish people” (Yevamot 63a). As the Tikkunei Zohar explains above, [those calamities] include poverty, sword, theft, death, and mass murder in the entire world.

Due to our many sins, we have witnessed everything described in that passage in Tikkunei Zohar. The divine attribute of justice has attacked our best, as the Sages state: “[Calamity befalls the world only when wicked people are in the world], but the [calamity] begins only with the righteous first.” All of the glory of the people of Israel in Poland and Lithuania has been reduced to a handful of refugees in the Holy Land.

We, those who remain, must now repair the horribly distorted situation. Each and every one who remains must commit his entire being to increasing [the study] of the internal aspect of Torah and granting it its rightful place. For that is more important than the external aspect of Torah. Each and every one of us will be worthy of increasing the level of his own internal aspect, i.e., his Jewish aspect, his soul’s needs. Those will become greater than his external aspect, the aspect of the “other nations,” the needs of the body.

All of this energy will spread to all of Israel, to the point that even the unlearned will recognize and understand the greatness of the Torah sages, and they will listen to them and follow them. Similarly, the internal aspect of the other nations – the righteous among the gentiles – will become stronger and overcome the external aspect, the destructive forces. Similarly, the internal aspect of the world – Israel – will become stronger and greater than the external aspect of the world, the other nations.