Tikkunei Zohar Reader

And about them the two arguments it is stated: (Deut. 17:8)... words of arguments in your gates... And when both-of-them are arguing for its sake, with the blessed Holy One, then the blessed Holy One shouts towards Israel below: If he would grasp My stronghold, he will make peace for Me, (Is. 27:5) peace shall he make for Me – two of ‘peace’ – corresponding to two arguments.

And more difficult for Her than anything, is the separation of the blessed Holy One from Her, and this is the meaning of: ‘a dispute for the sake of heaven’.

And yet when She falls, She falls to His feet, it is this that is written: (Ruth 3:7) and she uncovered his feet and lay down, and She falls before Him, in ‘the falling of the face’, because of the Righteous-One, who is ‘the life-force of the worlds’, – ‘the poor-one’ in exile.

And when the Righteous-One is outside his proper place, it is stated of him: (Ps. 2:12) Desire ‘outside’ (bar) lest he become angry... And when the Shekhinah is outside Her place, She is called braiyta.

of the Sabbath, which is ‘added’ to the poor-one, who is the Righteous-One, – the day of Sabbath, surely. For he has nothing of his own except an ‘extra soul’, which is added to him because of the Shekhinah, – it is called ‘additional’ (musaph) of the Sabbath.

And at that time, She is called ‘addition’ (tosephta). From the aspect of the Sabbath Day, many additions descend with Her to the scholars, which are these additions called ‘extra souls’. It is this that is written:xxLiturgical: Sabbath Morning Service, Nishmat prayer ‘the soul of all life’ – shall bless Your Name, Y”Y ELoQeYNU etc.’

And these [are they] that are added to the holy people on the Sabbath eve, are inherited by scholars on weekdays, and with them is the mundane made holy, and these are the ‘additions’ (tosaphot), which descend from the ‘Additional’ (tosephta), for surely the Shekhinah is a construct, of the body of the blessed Holy One.

She is braiyta, when it is stated of Her: (Ruth 3:7) and she uncovered his feet.

And She is tosephta, from the aspect of ‘the life-force of the worlds’, which is the additional (musaph) of the Sabbath.

And She is Mishnah, from the aspect of the body, the ‘second’ (mishneh) of the Torah, certainly.

And She is ‘a challenge’ (hatqaphah), from the aspect of the right arm of the King. It is this that is written: (Ex. 15:6) Your right-arm Y”Y is adorned with power – with power∞ko-aḥ in Aramaic translation is ‘with might’ (tuqpha).

As ‘a necessity’ (hatzrakhah) – She is from the left side, and with the left arm He takes hold of Her, and with the right arm he affixes Her, and says: (Is. 52:2) Rise! Sit O Jerusalem...

And furthermore, from the right side She is the might of a person, and from the left side it gives to them their needs, in a desert land.

As ‘a question’ (she-eilah) – She is in the mouth of the King, it is this that is written: (Deut. 32:7)... ask your father, and the ‘answer’ (tyuvta) to him, it is this that is written:... and he shall tell you...

And through it does a person ‘ask according to the subject, and respond in accordance with the law’.xxiMishnah Avot 5:7

‘That which is heard’ (shama)’atta of tradition – it is in the heart, for thought is there.

‘Inconclusive’ (teiyqu) – is when the King withdraws from Her. It is this that is written: (Ps. 39:3) I was struck dumb, I was silent from the good – and in it is silent prayer. And when She is teyqu (inconclusive), it is stated of Her: (Prov. 1:28) Then shall they call me, and I will not answer.

When YQV”Q resides in Her discussion, She is called ‘narrative’ (hagadah). At that time: (Is. 58:9) Then shall you call, and Y”Y will answer.

She is called ‘perspective’ (shitah), when there is no difficult question or dispute, it is this that is written: (Is. 40:4) Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked way shall be a straight plane.

She is called ‘final decision’ (psaq) in several ways. There are people who strive in the Oral Torah for its own sake, and they are ‘craftsmen’ in relation to Her. There are those who hew (pasqinn) stones in Her, like mountains and mighty rocks, and after they hew them, they ‘fix’ them up, with many pheruqinn∞breaks (answers), and upon them is stated: (Deut. 27:6) with complete stones you shall build it, and they make many buildings with them, for the King and the Queen, that They may dwell among them.

And there are ‘rendered decisions’ (psaqot), which are garments for the Queen, and they ‘cut’ them to many sides, after which they fix them up with many ‘sectional answers’ (pheruqinn), so that the Queen shall appear adorned with them before the King. At that time: (Gen. 9:16)... and I shall see it to remember the eternal covenant... And these are the priestly garments, which are four garments of white, and four garments of gold.

And there are ‘rendered decisions’ from those masters of shields, who come to the house of study, who hew and cut them with their tongues, which are like spears and swords. And they are mounted riders, and fierce, like warriors of war on the sea and on dry-land, which are the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

Worthy they are, if the King is among them! For He is the Middle Pillar – comprising two Torahs, which are the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, which were given from the right and from the left, with which they are victorious in war.

Woe to those who enter to wage battle, armed with two Torahs but without ‘the King’, for upon them it is stated: (Ps. 19:4) None say and there are no words, their voice is not heard.

All the craftsmen are found occupied in the Oral Torah – and She is inside. It is this that is written: (Ps. 45:14) All the glory of the king’s daughter is within.

She is the ‘going’ (halakhah) of the King, when She goes towards Him with two thighs, which are ‘the two pillars of truth’, and when She ascends in the body, in the two arms of the King, She is called ‘acceptance’ (qabalah).

When She kisses Him on His mouth, She is called the Oral Torah. At that time, when She ascends to the mouth of the King, then it is fulfilled of the Faithful Shepherd Moses: (Num. 12:8) Mouth to mouth I will speak with him...

When She stands upon Her feet in the final exile, She is called ‘the law to Moses from Sinai’.xxiiBT Sukkah 5b And when She resides in the arms

of the King, She is called ‘the tradition (qabalah) of Moses from Sinai’.

And when She resides in the mouth of the King, then immediately: (Num. 12:8) Mouth to mouth I shall speak with him...

And when She who is the law of Moses is distant, the Shekhinah is: (Mic. 6:2) an argument (ryv) to Y”Y – below. And when She is in His arms – ‘reception’ (qabalah).

She is ‘an argument’ – above. And because of this: Hear, O mountains, the argument of Y”Y (ibid.) – these are the three Patriarchs. What is their argument? It is the Shekhinah.

And through a switching of the letters, RYV (argument) becomes RaBiY (Rabbi), which is a Rabbi from the Land of Israel, and with him the Shekhinah is ‘an argument’.

It is this that is written: (Gen. 1:10) And ELQYM called the dry land earth’, to make vegetation and fruits, which are the Holy Land of Israel below. It is this that is written: (Gen. 1:11) And ELQYM said: let the earth sprout vegetation...

And the Middle Pillar, when it ascends to Father and Mother, to bring-down sustenance from there, its ‘sound’ voice rises over all those rivers and springs. And when its voice descends, it descends over all those rivers and springs of the Torah. It is this that is written: (Ps. 93:3) The rivers have raised, Y”Y, the rivers have raised their voice...

After it is filled from its own aspect, and from the aspect of the Middle Pillar, it is stated of the Shekhinah:... and she filled her pitcher and went up.

“And She lowered her pitcher from upon her shoulder...” ‘Every bending of the knee is at “Blessed”’.... and she filled her pitcher and went up. ‘Every straightening-up is at the Name’.xxiiiBT Berakhot 12a

She ascends certainly! – from exile, towards Her husband.

She says towards the Righteous-One: (Gen. 24:18) And she said: ‘drink, my lord... (Gen. 24:46)... and also your camels (ge-malekha) I shall quench... which are: (Is. 28:9)... those weaned (ge-mulei) of milk...

Another word: (Ps. 93:3)... the rivers have raised their voice... This is the two times daily that Israel unify the blessed Holy One, and raise, through it in its unification a ‘voice’, evening and morning, and afternoon, which are right and left. In both-of-them they raise a ‘voice’, which is the Middle Pillar.

Towards whom do they raise it? Towards Higher Mother. For it is 25∞Kh-H on the right, and 25 on the left, evening and morning, and they are ‘the fifty gates of Binah’.

They call to Him with them, that He may descend, towards the Righteous-One (tzadiq) and righteousness (tzedeq), For He is ‘24’ (DaKh) – in the right thigh, and She is: (Gen. 24:15) her pitcher (KhaD) upon her shoulder – in the left thigh, which are the two pillars of truth.

And because of this: (Ps. 93:3)... the rivers shall raise their smashing-force (dokh-yam) – composed of dokh (smash, =24) and yam (sea, =50). And He is DaKh through the 24∞KhaD letters, of ‘Blessed is the Name of His Kingdom’s glory forever’xxivLiturgical formula: the Shm’a prayer – of the evening service, and He is DaKh through the 24 letters – of the morning service.

And the mystery of the matter: (Is. 54:12) And I shall make your windows of jasper (kodkod). And it is ‘her pitcher’ (kad) in both-of-them, (Ps. 74:21) And let not the oppressed-one (dakh) return ashamed. And the voice of that ‘dakh’ (oppressed) should not be heard, but the rivers should ‘raise’ it. It is not written they raised (nas-u) but, rather, they shall raise (yis-u) because of: (see Num. 7:9) upon the shoulder they shall carry (yisa-u).

At that time: (Gen. 24:16)... and she filled her pitcher and went up. (Gen. 24:18) And she said: ‘Drink, my lord... (Gen. 24:46)... and also to your camels I will give drink’...

These are the 248∞RaMaḤ words, of the four sections of ‘the Unity,’xxvMidrash Tanḥuma, Qedoshim Ch.6 of the recitation of the Shm’a. For through all of them there are 248 limbs, that are included in the covenant – which is the Righteous-One (Yesod), they are all watered by the Shekhinah, – Who is KhaD (pitcher) YaM (sea).

The 24∞KhaD books of Scripture are surely a ‘pitcher’ (khad, =24), that is filled from the higher sea of the Torah, which is comprised of the fifty letters of the Unity, which are the 25 and 25∞Kho-H va-Kho-H letters, through which they Israel unify the blessed Holy One twice daily.

The voice of Y”Y upon the waters (Ps. 29:3–4) – this is Ḥesed, and it is A-V-G-Y-T-Tz, from where emerges the water of the Torah. The voice of Y”Y in power – this is QRA STN and this is Gevurah, The voice of Y”Y in majesty – this is NGDYKhSh – and this is Tipheret – (Ps. 89:37)... His throne is like the sun ‘before me’ (negdi).

And with that it was said to Moses: (Ex. 34:10)... before (neged) your people I shall do wonders...

(Ps. 29:5–9) The voice of Y”Y breaks cedars – this is BTR TzTG – and this is Netzaḥ. The voice of Y”Y hews flames of fire – this is ḤQV TN’A – and this is Hod. The voice of Y”Y will terrify the desert – this is YGL PZQ – which is Yesod – Mount Sinai. The voice of Y”Y frightens hinds (ayalot) – this is ShQU TzYT – and this is Malkhut, about whom it is stated: (Ps. 22:1) For the conductor: on the hind of the dawn.

And upon it is stated: (Ps. 93:3) The rivers have risen Y”Y. And what are they? (Ps. 48:3)... the sides of the north... – which raise Her, towards YQV”Q, Who is Her Husband. And when they raise Her towards Him, that point is called (ibid.)... the city of a great king.

At that time, when that point ascends with two thighs☉Netzaḥ-Hod, two arms receive Her, which are two ‘higher rivers’☉Ḥesed-Gevurah, and they raise Her in the Middle Pillar.

And this is: the rivers have raised their voice (Ps. 93:3) – the two thighs escort Her towards Her husband, and these two arms receive Her as She ascends towards Her Husband. And therefore, it is stated of the two ‘rivers’: The rivers have raised (nas-u) Y”Y... And of the two secondary rivers: The rivers shall raise (yis-u)...

And for Her sake the lower waters are cryingxxviBereishyt Rabbah 5:4 – because they are ‘the gates of tears’. And upon them it is stated:xxviiBT Berakhot 32b ‘the gates of tears are never locked’. And because She is their tear, She is their depth assuredly.

And the Righteous-One in relation to Her is dokh (poor-one) -yam (sea). And thus have they established: (Ps. 74:21) Let not the poor (dakh) return ashamed...

And of it: (Ps. 39:13)... to my tear do not be silent... And about Her it is stated: (Ex. 3:9)... the cry of the Children of Israel has come to Me...

And the mystery of the matter: (Ex. 32:18) It is not the sound of a cry of strength – this is she-varim, and nor the sound of a cry of weakness – this is te-qi’ah, rather, the sound of ‘crying-out’ (’anot)... – this is te-ru’ah, which rises in answering, one after the other, like te-ru’ah.

And because of this: (Ps. 89:16) Happy is the nation, those who know the te-ru’ah. Even though the Shekhinah is answered, from right and from left, there is no ‘responding’ (’inuya) like the response of to Her husband.

Another word: (Ex. 32:18)... the sound of ‘distress’ (’anot) I hear – this is the ‘responding’ (’inuya) of I hear, for She cries out every day above – She and Her children – and they call to Him twice, evening and morning: (Deut. 6:4) Hear O Israel...

And every person who has distress (’inui) over the Shekhinah – Who is ‘the poor-one’ (’anya) in exile, distant from Her husband – and calls to Him every day: Hear O Israel, so that He may descend towards Her, certainly, about him it is stated:... the sound of distress (’anot) I hear (Ex. 32:18), – the sound of distress (’inuya) of this ‘poor-one’ (’anya) – I hear.

Shield (tzinah) – this is the Lower Shekhinah, encompassing – this is the Higher Shekhinah, His truth – this is the Middle Pillar.’

Arose he and said: ‘Tannaim! Tannaim! May the Mishnah be your help, that you do not change from mercy to judgement.

Halakhah∞‘going’ goes to your right, with which to overcome your enemies, qabalah∞‘acceptance’ will accept your prayers, braiyta∞‘external’ will extract you and your children from exile, and from the enslavement and judgement of that one who is appointed over the exile, – over your children.’