Tikkunei Zohar Reader

And they say one to the other in prayer: “Blessed Holy One save us! – from the judgement of animals and beasts of the land, and enter us into the portion of the angels, who are ‘the holy beings’∞ḥayot ha-qodesh, who call one to another and say: (Is. 6:3)... Holy, holy, holy...” – this is [holy] when the Name of the blessed Holy One is sanctified, by his hand, and his portion will be in Him.

And furthermore:... and you will slaughter with ‘this’ (zeh)... (1 Sam. 14:34) this is: ALePh DaLeT NUN YOD, with which the blessed Holy One judges (dan) all damages, and judges upon anyone who kills his fellow, and upon all those who steal.

And furthermore: the precept of (Is. 3:14)... the spoil of the poor is in your houses – this is the Shekhinah, for one who ‘steals prayer’, – which is charity for the Righteous-One, ‘the ḥaiy (life-force) of the worlds’, comprising 18∞ḥaiy blessings – is as if he stole His life, which is the Shekhinah, of whom it is stated: (Ecc. 9:9) See life with the woman you love.

And so also, one who detracts from the delight of the Sabbath, it is as if he stole His Shekhinah – who is the Sabbath, the only daughter, and this causes Her to be stolen from Him in exile. It is this that is written: (Is. 50:1)... and in your sins, your mother was sent away.

And ‘repentance’, what is it? (Lev. 5:23)... and he shall return

the stolen article which he stole – he should return the Shekhinah to Her place,... or the funds which he had withheld – this is the blessed Holy One, Who has become separated from Her.

For the Shekhinah is called: ‘a positive precept’ from the right-hand side, and ‘a negative precept’ from the left-hand side, and She is called ‘Torah’ – from the aspect of the Middle Pillar, and anyone who steals or unjustly withholds funds in the Torah, whether in a positive or negative precept, is as if he had stolen the Shekhinah, away from the arms of the blessed Holy One.

And similarly, from the aspect of Yesod – the life-force of the worlds – She is called ‘the covenant of circumcision’. One who steals of the covenant, and produces seed from it for an alien domain, is as if he had taken out an object from the private domain, to the public domain, and caused the Shekhinah to go out from Her place, which is the Land of Israel – the private domain – and has exiled Her between the nations of the world – who are the public domain.

And the main thing is to raise everything in ‘thought’☉Ḥokhmah, which is YOD QE VAV QE (=45).

And in Gevurah: Samael is there, who is the evil inclination, and whoever has overcome his inclination, is as if he has caused the prevailing of Gevurah over Samael, in judgement towards his children, and because of this, the Masters of the Mishnah have said:cxxiiMishnah Avot 4:1 ‘Who is mighty (gibor)? One who conquers his inclination!’

What is ‘one who conquers’? As it says: (Gen. 1:28)... and conquer it... – that it should be conquered under his hand, like a dog, which is tamed and bound beneath a person’s hands.

And furthermore: it is a precept (mitzvah) to be occupied in Torah – day and night. It is this that is written: (Josh. 1:8)... and you shall meditate upon it day and night... And can a person be occupied in Torah, all day and night for all his days? And yet: ‘The blessed Holy One does not come to overburden His creations!’cxxiiiBT’Avodah Zarah 3a But anyone who recites the Shm’a every day, morning and evening, it is as if he had thereby fulfilled:... and you shall meditate upon it day and night.cxxivSee BT Menaḥot 99b

Of All the precepts: there are those of them that are suspended from the fruit of the tree, those of them from the branches, those of them from the roots, those of them from the tree trunk. And because of this, the Torah is called (Prov. 3:18) A tree of life... cxxvBT Berakhot 32b – and of anyone who eats of it: (Gen. 3:22)... and he shall eat of it and live forever.

And there is a tree below, whose branches and roots and body and fruit, are all ‘the poison of death’ – and this is Samael. Whoever transgresses upon the Torah, is watered from that tree and is sustained by it, and about that it is stated: (Gen. 2:17)... for on the day that you eat of it you will surely die – and from its aspect, it is a ‘life of anguish’.

And furthermore: the Shekhinah is the precept of ‘establishing a king’. It is this that is written: (Deut. 17:15) You will surely appoint for yourself a king... And, as it were, all the while that the Shekhinah is not in Her place, there is no King, and because the Shekhinah is the kingdom (malkhut) over a person, it is stated of it the precept: You will surely appoint for yourself a king... so that Israel will be, through Her, all of them, the ‘children of kings’.

For there is no king without a kingdom, for in exile: (Prov. 30:23)... the maidservant shall inherit her mistress.

And at the time when the messiah will come, it is stated: (Esth. 1:19)... and her kingdom the king will give, to her companion who is better than her... She is His Kingdom, She is the Throne, She is His Crown.

This is compared to a king, who has a special vessel, and which is beloved by him, sometimes he places it as a crown upon his head – this is ‘phylacteries (tephilin) of the head’ – sometimes he binds it upon his finger – this is ‘phylacteries of the hand’ – sometimes he places it beneath him, and it is called his ‘throne’, and sometimes he makes from it a garment.

But now, when She is distant from the King, it is stated of the King: (Is. 50:3) I shall clothe the heavens with darkness... and the Shekhinah says: (Song. 1:6) Do not look at me for I am blackened.

And people who are stupid look only at the garment, while others look at the body. And in exile everyone is stupid, yet the wise enlightened-one looks at the inside.

And when redemption comes, He divests Himself of ‘the garments of darkness’, and throws them upon the nations of the world, it is this that is written: (Ex. 10:22–3)... and it was darkness∞ḥoshekh, gloom etc...... and for all the Children of Israel, there was light in their habitation.

For at that time, when He becomes enclothed in these garments, it is stated of Him: (Deut. 32:20) And He said: ‘I shall conceal My face from them...’

After He is divested of them: (Ex. 14:31) And the people feared Y”Y, and all the children show point to Him with a finger, it is this that is written: (Ex. 15:2)... this is my God and I will make Him a habitation, and in exile: (Ps. 18:12) He made darkness his concealment... and because of this, Daniel said: (Dan. 2:22)... He knows what is in darkness and light resides with Him.

And at that time, when He is in the darkness, He is enclothed in ‘chaos (tohu) and void (bohu)’, and in ‘darkness∞ḥoshekh and abyss (tehom)’. It is, as it were, as if the letters are in separation, and not united there in exile.

And after He emerges from them these covers: (Zech. 14:9) And Y”Y will be for King over all the earth, on that day Y”Y will be one and His Name one.

At that time, all the heavenly beings will be aroused in melody: (Ez. 1:11)... and their wings are separated from above... to receive Him with joy, and all of them will be running and returning, with melody and mission towards Him. It is this that is written: (Ez. 1:14) And the angelic-beasts run and return, like the appearance of the flash – to bring tidings to Israel.

And at that time: (Ps. 148:7) Praise Y”Y from the earth, great serpents and all the abysses... etc. All of them, above and below, – whatever has been created – down to the smallest gnat, they all praise Him: (Is. 11:9) And the earth shall be full of the knowing of Ha-Shem like waters covering the sea.

At that time, the verse will be fulfilled: (Tzeph. 3:9) For then I shall transform the nations to a pure speech, for all of them to call in the Name of Y”Y etc.

At that time: the house of the Shekhinah will be built – which is ‘the House of Election’ – by the hand of the blessed Holy One, of which it is stated: (Zech. 2:9) And I will be for it, says Y”Y, a wall of fire round about...

“And I shall build” – they are the good stones from which it is built.cxxviSee BT Baba Batra 75a It is this that is written: (Gen. 30:3)... and I shall be built, even I, from her – holy plantings. It is this that is written: (Is. 60:21)... the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, to be glorified.

And the building of the Temple, will be built from silver and gold and precious stones, and it will be woven from every depiction of the work of creation, and upon it will shine Jerusalem of high-high above, woven of all the various colours of light.

And the mystery of the matter: (Ps. 122:3) The built Jerusalem, as a city that has been joined together, which illuminates upon it the lower.

At that time, it will be fulfilled of Israel: (Is. 60:20) Your sun will set no more, and your moon will no longer be gathered... etc., and the ‘Song of Songs’ will be aroused in the world, and He will kindle a light upon olive and candle, for Israel are the wick, the Torah is the oil, the Shekhinah is the candle, it is this that is written: (Job 29:3) In the shining of His candle upon my head...

At that time, it is stated of the Shekhinah: (Deut. 25:9)... and she will remove his shoe – the shoe of the blessed Holy One, to fulfil with it:... (Ex. 3:5) remove your shoe... and He is united with His Shekhinah, Who is called ‘removal’∞ḥalitzah, and He is (Deut. 25:10)... the ‘removed∞ḥalutz of the shoe’.

And then they will not need to be joined by way of levirate marriage, for ever, of which it is stated: (Ruth 4:7) And this used to be the manner in Israel... etc... and a man would remove his shoe and give it to his fellow... What is: his shoe (na)’alo? It is an appellation (kinui), that of which it is stated: (Song. 4:12) A locked (na)’ul garden...

That lock is opened with a key, because: (Gen. 4:7)... sin crouches at the opening∞petaḥ... That sin will be removed, and the gate will be opened. It is this that is written: (Ps. 118:20) This is the gate of Y”Y... And they will see Shekhinah there, of whom it is stated: And this∞zot (Malkhut), (Ruth 4:7) used to be (le-phanim) the manner in Israel...

Another word: (ibid.) And this used to be the manner in Israel, regarding redemption and regarding exchange... regarding redemption – this is the Higher Shekhinah, higher Hei, and regarding exchange – this is the Lower Shekhinah,

And because of this: there are, below, exchanges of the letters – of YQV”Q with ADNY – but in the world to come, there is no exchange, as the Masters of the Mishnah have established:cxxviiBT Qiddushin 71a ‘Not as I am written, am I read’.

And in this world, It is written YHV”H and pronounced ADNY, and in the world to come, It is written YHV”H and is pronounced YHV”H.

And furthermore: (Ruth 4:7)... a man would remove his shoe..., this is the body, which is a wife – his vessel – and this is MeTaTRON,... and shall give it to his fellow... – for sometimes the Middle Pillar is found in him in Metatron, and sometimes the Righteous-One, and sometimes the Higher Shekhinah. She is ‘the testimony’ (te)’udah of it, and sometimes the Lower Shekhinah, She is an ‘exchange’ (te-murah) of it.

On the Day of Atonements – which is the world to come – YQV”Q is not pronounced as ADNY – which is judgment (din), and which is ‘shoe’ (na)’al – the shutting (ne-)’ilah of the door. But it does not close the door, rather it is open to receive penitents.

And because of this: the Day of Atonements prohibits the wearing (ne)’ilah of shoes, for there is no ‘union’ on it that day, for the blessed Holy One and the Shekhinah, for sometimes She, Shekhinah, remains while the blessed Holy One withdraws, and sometimes the blessed Holy One remains, while Shekhinah withdraws.

And because of this, the time of conjugality (’onah) for scholars is on the Sabbath,cxxviiiBT Ketubot 62b for of weekdays, when Metatron rules, it is stated: (Ez. 46:1)... it will be closed, for the six working days... – during it the week the gate is closed, and on the Sabbath day, it is opened. The gate is opened, and the Shekhinah emerges from it, to be united with Her Husband.

And at that time, She is called ‘the full cup (kos)’. It is this that is written: (Deut. 33:23)... and full of the blessing of Ha-Shem, possessing (yarashah) the sea and the south. For on the days of the week, She is called ‘dry land’ (yabashah), in Metatron. It is this that is written: (Gen. 1:9) And ELQYM said: ‘Let the waters be gathered, from beneath the heavens to one place, and let the dry land be visible...’

O Aaron the Priest! Rise from your slumber! Behold your zot∞‘this’ of which it is stated: (Lev. 16:3) With ‘this’ (zot) shall Aaron come to the holy.

Rise O Faithful Shepherd! Rise to protect your ‘zot’∞‘this’, of which it is stated: (Deut. 4:44) And ‘this’ (zot) is the Torah, which Moses set... For many masters of battle warfare, are coming to fight for Her.

Rise O Prophets of Truth! For your ‘zot’∞‘this’ is with us, of Whom you were prophesying! Of Her it is stated: (Jer. 9:22–3) Let not the wise one praise himself of his wisdom, and let not the mighty one praise himself of his might etc.... except in ‘this’ (zot). ‘ (Lam. 3:21) This’ (zot) I shall reply to my heart, therefore, I have hope for Him.

Rise O Patriarchs, Masters of the Covenant! For ‘this’ (zot) the covenant (Jer. 31:32) of yours is still among us, of which it is stated: (Lev. 26:44) And even with ‘this’ (zot), when they are in the land of their enemies... etc. And because of Her, the blessed Holy One has said: (Lev. 26:42) And I shall remember the covenant of Jacob...

Rise O King Solomon (Shlomoh), you who are Her perfection (shlam).

Young one (na)’ar! Young one! You who are the Master of the keys of the treasuries of the King, in which are all the weapons of battle of the King. Rise, open the chamber! (Ps. 51:17) ADNY! Open my lips, and my mouth shall declare – the praises of the Higher King. For it is His [higher] chamber, take permission and open the chamber, for the sake of the glory of the Shekhinah!’

of which it is stated:cxxxvMishnah Avot 5:1 ‘With ten utterances was the world created’.