Tikkunei Zohar Reader

At that time, She is robed in three colours, flaunting Herself before Him with the three colours of Her eyes: white, red and green. At that time, He will say of Her (Song of Songs 6:5): "Turn your eyes away from me, for they overwhelm me!" - they burn me with their flames of your love! [Then Elijah exclaimed:] Sacred Lamp! (Rabbi Shimon), these two eyes are the two precious tablets of Torah, of which it is said (Exodus 31:18): "stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God."

They are written on both sides, coloured with twelve shades on this side and twelve shades on the other. These are the twenty-four sides, and it is written (Exodus 32:15) "they were inscribed on one side (zeh) and the other side (zeh)." Zeh is written twice, [and its numerical value (12) doubled is like] the twenty-four books of the Tanach.

These are the twelve faces and twelve wings of the heavenly beasts, as it is written (Ezekiel 1:8) "Each of the four had the face of a lion on the right" - this is the white of the eye. "Each of the four had the face of an ox on the left" - this is the red of the eye. "Each of them had the face of an eagle" - this is the green of the eye. And it is written, "Each had four faces... and four wings." - this all comes to twenty-four.

And these wings are the eyelids, which are referred to as (Exodus 32:15) "they were inscribed on one side (zeh) and the other side (zeh)." [So too,] about the heavenly beasts it is said (Isaiah 6:3) "One (zeh) would call to the other (zeh), Holy! Holy! Holy! The Lord of Hosts!

His presence fills the earth." Certainly, they are called "zeh and zeh", just like the two sides of the tablets of Torah, inscribed on one side and the other. These are inscribed tablets of stone, and that stone is the Foundation Stone from which the earth is formed. And this is the pupil of the eye, of which it is written (Zechariah 3:9) "A single stone with seven eyes."

These are the seven skins of the eye, of which it is said (Psalms 119:164) "I praise you seven times a day." And this is the Holy Regency, as it is written, (Psalms 118:22) "The stone that the builders rejected will be the chief cornerstone." Who are these 'builders'? They are they masters of the Mishnah who built structures in the world, and the deciders of law (Halachah) who rejected Her in exile. [Therefore,] it is written of Her, "will be the chief cornerstone.

For she is Moses' Halachah from Sinai, received by Moses. Although Her pupil was black, through it and from it will the Holy One light up the world, for He will illuminate Her.

These eyes illuminated by Torah, of which it is written (Psalms 145:15) "The eyes of all look to you expectantly, and you give them food when it is due." Man must, therefore, to delve into them regularly: morning, evening and afternoon, always, the Holy One looking into Her eyes - as it is written (Deuteronomy 11:12) "The eyes of the Lord your God are always looking at her (the land of Israel), from the beginning of the year until its end."

And we connect the words [in the two verses], the daily sacrifice (tamid) and "the eyes of the Lord God always (tamid) looking at her". And the (Tamid) sacrifice was [offered] in the morning and the evening, like the recitation of the Shema prayer. From this we learn that one who recites the Shema in the evening and the morning, it is as if one has fulfilled the commandment of continually studying Torah, day and night, as it is written (Joshua 1:8) "Let not this Book of Torah cease from your lips, but recite it day and night."

The face of the Queen, these are the forty-nine facets of purity (through which the Torah can be interpreted), shining like a rose, white and red, drawing in from the right and from the left. White, from the clarity of humility; Red, from the shame of fear - yar'e boshet (an anagram of Bereshit, "In the beginning"). When [Her face] becomes golden-green, this is the Groom who has risen up to the sun, who is the Supernal Mother.

From these three colours of the face emanate the seventy-two facets (of the divine name), whose numerical value equals that of Hesed (Loving-kindness), and which is comprised of two hundred and sixteen letters, the numerical value of which equals that of Gevurah (Might). This is the mystery [hinted at in the words] (Exodus 34:6) Vaya'avor Ado-nai, "And God passed before", which itself is the mystery of 'Ibbur (Impregnation or intercalation.

Both Vaya'avor and 'Ibbur are comprised of the letters representing 72 and 216). He illuminates the Bride with four faces, as it is written, (Ezekiel 1:6) "Four faces [belonging] to [each] one." The middle column is the Vav [which models the additional month added to] the leap year, comprised of has thirteen months, and alluded to by the initials of Vaho Ani Vaho. Within this Vav is a pregnant woman, the mystery of the impregnation of Yesod (Foundation), containing a drop (of semen) by which impregnation takes place. This is Vav, for without such a drop no impregnation could occur. This is the mind containing wisdom.

Vav is also the nose adorning the face, of which it is written (Genesis 2:7) "The Lord God created (Vayiitzer)", shining white and red. This nose going on the straight path is the nose of truth, for were it not on the true path it would be not be a seal of the King. Therefore, the image of the Queen has the nose straight on her face, where the two nostrils are the two true prophets. The mouth is the daughter of the Queen, and in it is the tongue of erudition (cf. Isaiah 50:4), which is Righteousness, of which is written (Song of Songs 4:3) "Your lips are a thread of scarlet, Your mouth is lovely -" in Torah.

The mouth is the totality of all: it contains sound and speech, which are [the divine letter] Vav and Hei, and it contains breath, which is Hei, and the still, small mouth is Yud. [Therefore, the mouth is] adorned with the divine name, and this is the meaning of "Your lips are a thread of scarlet, Your mouth is lovely."

"Your neck is an ivory tower" (Song of Songs 7:3) - this is Jerusalem, as it is written (4:4) "Like a tower of David is your neck..." - her adornments are the priests, Levites and Israelites; "... built as an armory (talpiot)" - this is the Righteous One who is a hill (tel) towards which everyone faces (ponim), and whose points are the true prophets. For the Shechina is surely Jerusalem, adorned by the three forefathers, bejewelled with the foundations of truth.

Another reading: "Your neck" - this is the Torah, adorned by her 248 commandments; her jewels and amulets are the 365 prohibitions guarding her. When she rises up, wearing these jewels, towards Her groom, how many good scents rise up in Her! Of this it is written (Song of Songs 3:6) "Who is she rising from the desert" - this is Mount Sinai, the neck of the world; "in clouds of myrrh" - this is the Holy One, of whom it is said (4:6) "I will go to the mount of myrrh"; "and frankincense" - this is the holy moon, of whom it said "and to the hills of frankincense"; "from all the powders of merchants" - this is the Righteous, who is everything united in All.

Another reading: "Your neck" - this is the Oral Torah, Halacha from Moses at Sinai; "In clouds of myrrh" - this is [the phrase] "The master said (amar mar)"; "And frankincense (levonah)" - this is the elucidation libbun of Halacha; "From all the powders of merchants," - this is the Righteous, who holds all kinds, who illuminates the Oral Torah, and when

she is adorned in all kinds of jewellery, [she is] as Jerusalem, the neck of the world - the Holy One surrounds her, as it says (Zachariah 2:9) "And I will be - declares the Lord - a wall of fire around it." He embraces her with two arms, as it is written, (Song of Songs 2:6) "His left hand under my head, and his right arm embraced me."