Tikkunei Zohar Reader

And because of this, when a person causes YQV”Q to descend, through the recitation of the Shm’a, he needs to cause It to descend through ADNY, which is in his mouth. And because of this: (Ps. 51:17) ADNY! Open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For there are three prayers on the Sabbath, and the fourth is ‘the additional prayer’: the evening prayer: ‘You have sanctified...’ciiiLiturgical, Sabbath Eve Service – and this is the Lower Shekhinah, which is from the left side, for the Levites are there, of whom it is stated: “And you shall sanctify the Levites...”

The morning prayer: ‘Moses shall rejoice in the giving of his portion...’civLiturgical, Sabbath Morning Service – and this is the ‘soul of all life’,cvLiturgical, Sabbath Morning Service which is Higher Mother. About Her it is stated: (Ps. 68:14) ‘If’ (im) you lie down between the ‘borders’... Do not read im (if), but eim (mother), about Whom it is stated (Gen. 28:11) vayish-KaV (and-he-lay, =22), – in the place where the 22∞K-V letters of the Torah are, there She lies down.

Worthy is that mouth of Torah, for at that hour She is lying-down there.

The third prayer: ‘You are One and Your Name is One’cviLiturgical, Sabbath Afternoon Service – this is YQV”Q, the Middle Pillar that unites both-of-them.

And these prayers are: ‘extra soul’ (neshamah), and ‘extra spirit’∞ru-aḥ, and ‘extra animating-soul’ (nephesh). ‘Extra animating-soul’ is on Sabbath eve: ‘You have sanctified’.cviiLiturgical, Sabbath Eve Service ‘Extra soul’ is the ‘soul of all life’cviiiLiturgical, Sabbath Morning Service – of which it is stated: ‘Moses will rejoice in the giving of his portion’.cixibid. ‘Extra spirit’ is ‘You are One, and Your Name is One’.cxLiturgical, Sabbath Afternoon Service

Worthy is he who opens his mouth in three prayers, to receive

The ‘additional service’ (musaph) – this is the Righteous-One (Yesod), that includes all prayers. And it is in the additional prayer that they say: ‘A Crown (keter) they give to you Y”Y ELoQeYNU...’cxiLiturgical, Sabbath Additional Service (Spanish rite)

And the ‘crown’ is Higher Keter, Y”Y ELoQeYNU is Father and Mother, (Is. 6:3) Holy, holy, holy... – the three Patriarchs, Y”Y of Hosts – the covenant of circumcision, and the two ‘thighs of truth’☉Netzaḥ-Hod,... the Earth is full of His glory – this is the Shekhinah.

Worthy are the lips that are gates of the chamber, to receive through them these prayers, and because of this: (Ps. 51:17) ADNY! Open my lips...

(Ps. 118:19) Open for me the gates of righteousness... For when a person opens his mouth in prayer, through His Shekhinah, then immediately: (Is. 58:9) Then (az) you shall call and Y”Y will answer... – ‘He and His court of judgement’. A-Z (then, =8) – eight letters which are YQV”Q EQY”Q – Father and Mother, And Y”Y will answer... immediately! – He and His court of judgement: YQV”Q ADNY.

When They these Holy Names are in Father and in Mother, to the right and the left, each one is a Name unto itself. Yet when They are in Higher Keter, they are in complete unity, like this: Y-A-Q-Q-V-Y-Q-Q. In Ḥesed and Gevurah, They are YQV”Q EQY”Q: branches separating to right and to left. In the Middle Pillar (Tipheret), they are, both-of-them, in complete unity. And likewise, there are branches separating in Netzaḥ and Hod: YQV”Q to the right, EQY”Q to the left. In ‘the Righteous-One’∞tzadiq (Yesod) they unite.

Behold, here is ‘the mystery of the Tree’, whose branches spread out from above, and are unified in its roots below – and this is the Tree of Life.

The Tree of the knowledge of good – in which there is no evil – is from below to above, like this: ADNY is the Lower Shekhinah, YQV”Q is the Middle Pillar: and they are in the two thighs☉Netzaḥ-Hod – branches separating to right and left. And so it is with the two arms, which are branches that separate to right and to left, in the Righteous-One they are in complete unity: Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y. And this is the mystery of ḥashmal – ḥeyvan (angels) of esha (fire) me-male-lan (speaking).

‘All who bend the knee, bend the knee at ‘Blessed’...’cxiiBT Berakhot 12a – which is Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y. ‘And all who stand-upright, stand-upright in the Name...’cxiiiibid. in the two Names, and this is YQV”Q EQY”Q.

And with Them does He praise the Shekhinah in Song of Songs, from below to above. It is this that is written: (Song. 7:2–6) How beautiful are your steps in shoes, O daughter of the noble one, the curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a craftsman. Your navel is a moon-shaped dish... your two breasts... your neck... your head... Behold, here is from below to above.

And She praises the blessed Holy One from above to below: (Song. 5:11–15) His head is fine gold... his eyes... his cheeks... his lips... his hands... his thighs... Worthy is he who elevates prayer in each-and-every place, [Var. in each-and-every limb] with this ritual.

Come see: YQV”Q ADNY is the blessed Holy One and His Shekhinah, in the two thighs: YQV”Q to the right, ADNY to the left. And They are the ‘looking glass that illuminates’, and the ‘looking glass that does not illuminate’. In the Righteous-One, They are both one: Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y.

And so it is in the two arms: YQV”Q to the right, ADNY to the left, in the Middle Pillar Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y (=91), both-of-Them in complete unity, in the mystery of AMeN (=91).

And because of this: ‘Greater is the one who answers ‘Amen’ than the one who blesses’cxivBT Berakhot 53b – this is from below to above.

From above to below: YQV”Q EQY”Q – both-of-Them are one in Higher Keter, like this: Y-A-Q-Q-V-Y-Q-Q.

In Ḥokhmah and Binah: YQV”Q EQY”Q. In the two arms: YQV”Q EQY”Q. In the Middle Pillar, both-of-Them are as one. In Netzaḥ and Hod: YQV”Q EQY”Q – This one to the right, and This one to the left. In the Righteous-One, both-of-Them are in unity as one.

And similarly, in Malkhut, both-of-Them are in singular unity, like this: YQV”Q ADNY, and in it are joined YQV”Q EQY”Q. And because of this, it is: (Josh. 14:15)... the city of ‘four’... – the joining of four Names, which are in the four scroll portions,∞tephilin of the phylacteries (tephilin) of the hand, and in the four ‘housings’ of the phylacteries of the head.

And when a prophet would ascend upon High, and knock at the gate, if he had ascended with the Shekhinah, He would open for him immediately, and would say to him: (Ez. 2:1) Son of man! Stand upon your feet and I shall speak with you...

For you have borne the Shekhinah in standing prayer. Stand upon your feet of which it is stated: (Ez. 1:7) And their feet... as the hoof of a calf (’egel)... Circular (’igul) – like vowel-points, which are the ‘conductors of the letters,’ and from the aspect of the letters, they are square. It is this that is written: (Ez. 1:17) When they went, they went upon their four sides...

And furthermore:... upon their four sides... – these are

the four ‘Sanctifications’ (Qedushah), that a person says each day.

And furthermore: (Ez. 2:1)... Stand upon your feet!... – in the first blessings.

(Esth. 5:6)... and what is your request? Up to half the kingdom... – in the intermediate blessings.

... and it shall be done – in the final blessings, for it is there that a person is like a servant, who receives a reward from his master and then departs.

These then exit, for the King has granted their request, then others are knocking at the door, the ‘masters of the covenant of circumcision’, who are saying: (Ps. 51:17) ADNY! Open my lips...

Worthy are Israel, for they are the feet of the Shekhinah, Who stands upon them in prayer, in the ‘standing’ prayer. For She is most surely upon them, a prayer uttered standing, and she stands upon them in exile.

And why does She stand over them? Because they cause YQVQ to descend towards Her, upon which it is stated:cxvBT Berakhot 12a ‘All who straighten-up (zoqeph), straighten-up at the Name’, for through It the Name is a person required to erect the Shekhinah.

And those who do not erect Her with the Name YQV”Q, in their prayer, or in [Var. their] Torah precepts, She screams about them: (Lam. 1:14) Y”Y has placed me, in the hands of those against whom I cannot rise-up.

For Her support is with two arms – which are Ḥesed and Gevurah. And her standing is with two thighs – which are Netzaḥ and Hod.

And Her straightening-up is with the body – which is the Middle Pillar (Tipheret) – YQVQ is its Name. And thus: ‘all who straighten-up, straighten-up at the Name’. And Her unity is with the Righteous-One.

And because of those through whom She cannot stand-up in prayer, and through whom She has no support, nor standing erect through them in the exile, She is made depressed by them.

And the mystery of the matter: (Prov. 10:1) The son of a wise man gladdens a father, and the son of a fool is the despair of his mother. And because of this: (Gen. 6:6)... and He was sad at heart... [and why... at heart...? If this is a foolish man, he is the despair of his mother ]

And why does all this affect his mother and not his father? But this is ‘a higher mystery’.

Positive precepts are from the right-hand side, for Hokhmah is there – as the Masters of the Mishnah have established:cxviBT Baba Batra 25b ‘One who wishes to become wise should head southwards...’

And negative precepts are from the left-hand side, for Higher Mother (Binah) is there, of them: (Dan. 9:19) ADNY hear! ADNY forgive! ADNY listen! Act without delay... – on the Day of Atonement.

And when they do not return in repentance, those who transgress negative precepts, which are from the left-hand side, it is stated of them: (Prov. 10:1)... and the son of a fool is the despair of his mother... Because Mother is there, to the left, And the heart is to the left, [and the mystery of the matter] and therefore: (Gen. 6:6)... and he was sad at heart.

Worthy are Israel, who are the feet of the Shekhinah, to rise-up with Her, whether in comfort or in trouble.

on ‘the Day of Judgement’, which is New Year (Rosh) Ha-Shanah, She stands with them for judgement, for they stand Her up with their prayers, for upon them it is written: (Prov. 6:22) In your walking it will guide you, in your lying-down it will watch over you, and in your waking-up it is your conversation...

For in every place that Israel causes to stand – in each-and-every precept – the Shekhinah, She stands for their sake in every oppression and trouble: whether on the way, whether in settlement, whether on the sea. And this is: in your walking – in the desert – it will guide you. It is this that is written: (Ps. 85:14) Righteousness shall go before him and shall place his steps along the way.... in your lying-down... – in settlement – it will watch over you... (Prov. 6:22)... and in your waking-up – to sail [Var. to go] on the sea – it is your conversation.

And furthermore:... in your walking... – in this worldcxviiiBT Sotah 21a –... it will guide you.... in your lying-down... – in the grave –... it will watch over you...... and in your waking-up... – at the resurrection of the dead – it is your conversation.

These then exit, and behold others are knocking at the entrance. And these are the ‘masters of the feet’, from the aspect of the feet of the blessed Holy One, of which it is stated: (Zech. 14:4) And his feet shall stand on that day... And about them it is stated: (Ex. 12:37)... about six hundred thousand pairs of legs, of men, apart from children.

These then exit, and behold others are entering, from the aspect of those of whom it is stated: (Ez. 1:7) And their legs were a straight leg... ‘Circular’ legs are a straight leg... And there are other legs, which are square, of the Ophanim, of whom it is stated: (Ez. 1:17) Upon their four sides in their going they went... For of them: (Ez. 1:14) And the ḥayot were rushing forward and back, like the appearance of the flash (bezeq)... And those ‘circular legs’ are like vowel-points – for the letters, which are ‘square legs’.

And a prophet who is from their aspect, there his spirit would ascend, and from there he would hear all that he was to hear. It is this that is written: (Ez. 2:1) And He said to me: ‘Son of man! Stand upon your feet and I shall speak with you.

And furthermore: (Ez. 2:2) And there came into me a spirit∞ru-aḥ, when He spoke to me, and it stood me upon my feet, and I heard it speaking to me... (Ez. 3:12) And a wind∞ru-aḥ lifted me and I heard behind me... etc. Because these levels are from the aspect of the Shekhinah – of which it is stated: (Ex. 33:23)... and you shall see My back parts∞aḥoraiy... – he said: (Ez. 3:12)... and I heard behind me∞aḥaraiy...

What is (Ez. 3:12)... the sound of a great noise (ra)’ash...? For there is noise, and there is noise. There is a noise of which it is said: (1 King. 19:11)... Y”Y is not in the noise... for the blessed Holy One does not come there. And there is a noise that in which He does come there.

But ra’ash (noise) switched in letters is ’eres (bed). As it is stated: (Ps. 41:4)... Y”Y shall sustain him, upon the bed (’eres) of languishing... And this is: (ibid.)... his entire laying-down, You have transformed in his sickness... For ra’ash has been transformed to ’eres. And what is ’eres? It is ’eser (ten) through the switching of letters. And this is the Shekhinah, Who is ‘the totality of the ten sephirot’, for about Her it is stated:cxixBT Megillah 23b ‘There is no sanctity with less than ten’.

For She resides at the head of a sick person,cxxBT Shabbat 12a and because of Her: Y”Y shall sustain him... And with what?... upon the bed (’eres) of our sickness – upon His Shekhinah specifically.

And if the Shekhinah is not there, then a tempest is there, which storms a person’s body, of which it is written: (Jon. 1:4)... and the ship was about to break up... – which is ‘the body’ of the ship.

When the Shekhinah is not supporting it, a tempest overturns it and breaks it. And whenever the Shekhinah supports it, then a voice emerges immediately: (Ez. 2:1) Son of Man! Stand upon your feet... And he rises from his illness, and goes out from judgement, – complete in his body, complete in his money.

These then exit, and then others are knocking at the entrance and are saying: “ (Ps. 51:17) ADNY! Open my lips...” And these are they that support the Shekhinah, with many feet of the appointed times of pilgrimage and festivals. And when they enter, the blessed Holy One praises Her through them: (Song. 7:2) How beautiful are your steps (phe-)’amayikh in sandals, O daughter of the noble one...

For these are they of whom it is stated: (Ex. 23:17) Three occasions (pe-)’amym in the year, each of your males shall appear...

[And we expound:cxxiSee Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:4; Yalqut Shim’oni Bemidbar Ch.29, Remez 782 phe’-amayikh (your-steps) from pe’-amim (occasions). And... shoes (ne-)’alayim – these are the ‘shutting in’ (ne-)’ilah of the Passover, and the ‘shutting in’ of the Festival of Assembly (’Atzeret), and ‘the shutting in’ of the Festival of Tabernacles.

... the curves of your thighs... (Song. 7:2) – these are]

[Var. And we expound... your shoes... from... feet... The blessed Holy One said: ‘How beautiful you are in these ne-’alayim (shoes)’, Which are the ne-’ilah (closing) of Passover, And the closing of the Festival of Assembly, And the closing of the Festival of Tabernacles.

of the Middle Pillar. She is: (Deut. 4:16)... a picture of ‘anything’∞kol (Yesod)... And thus: (Hos. 12:11)... by the hand of the prophets will I be imagined...

These then exit, and others are knocking at the entrance, and they are saying: (Ps. 51:17) “ADNY! Open my lips...” And they are the masters of ‘the sign’ of circumcision, which is ‘the life-force∞ḥaiy of worlds’, who pray with ḥaiy (life, =18) blessings of prayer, through which they offer an offering to the blessed Holy One, which is considered as corresponding to: (Num. 23:1)... seven bulls and seven rams... and corresponding to (Lev. 5:7)... two turtle-doves or two doves... For from the aspect of this sign did he say to Moses: (Ex. 3:12)... ‘and this’ (ve-zeh, =18) is the sign for you...

There are six zodiacal signs from above to below, from Ḥesed through to Yesod, and six from below to above, from Yesod through to Ḥesed. From the aspect of Malkhut, they are called the seven ‘planets’, from the Shekhinah (Malkhut) to Ḥesed. And according to the specific ‘action’ of that sephirah, so is the sign revealed.

A sign from the aspect of Ḥesed is love. A sign from the aspect of Gevurah is judgement, and it shows the killing of the wicked, and the spilling of blood, and it shows of the righteous: the blood of cattle, to eat with gladness and delight, of the foods of the groom and the bride, and of the spilling of the blood of the sacrifices. It is this that is written: (Ex. 20:24)... and you shall slaughter upon it, your burnt offerings... etc. And upon them it is stated:cxxivMishnah Zevaḥim 5:1 ‘Where is the place of sacrifices? Their slaughter is at the north...’

And it further shows of the righteous, the blood of the covenant of circumcision of which it is stated: (Ez. 16:6)... and I said to you: ‘In your blood, live!’ And I said to you: ‘In your blood, live!’

From the aspect of the Middle Pillar, it is a long, suspended sign: if the deeds of the world deserve merit, then it turns towards benevolence∞ḥesed, and if not, then towards judgement (dyna). And so it is with the three others, just like this.

These then exit, and others are knocking at the entrance, from the aspect of ‘the bow’ (qeshet), which is also a ‘sign of the covenant’, of which it is stated: (Ez. 1:28) Like the appearance of the rainbow, that shall be in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the ‘glow’ (nogah) around, it is the appearance of the image of the glory of Y”Y, and I saw and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking. And why did he fall on his face? Because it is forbidden to gaze at the rainbow.cxxvSee BT Ḥagigah 16a

Rabbi El’azar said: ‘And why, Father, is it forbidden to gaze at the rainbow?’

Rabbi Shim’on said to him: ‘Because, my son, there are ‘husks’, that become enclothed in it, and that are in it, which are: (Ez. 1:4) a tempest wind...... a great cloud, and a sparking fire, and a ‘glow’ (nogah) round about it. And this is what Ezekiel, peace be upon him, saw.

For he said: And I saw, and behold a tempest wind coming from the north... (ibid.) This is the ‘line of chaos’ (tohu), the green husk of a nut, a ‘green line’.cxxviSee ibid. 12a The great cloud is the second, white, husk of a nut, and this is a ‘void’ (bohu). And the sparking fire is the third husk of a nut – and this is ‘darkness’. And a glow round about it... – this is the fourth husk of the nut, which is united with the ‘fruit’∞moḥa. And from the midst of it like the ‘electrum’∞ḥashmal – this is the ‘fruit’∞moḥa of the nut, and this is Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y.

And, my son, until these husks of the nut are destroyed and broken, with the Shophar notes of te-qi’ah and she-varim and te-ru’ah, of which: she-varim: (Ex. 23:24)... you shall surely smash (shaber) their idols... – which are the husks of the nut, and of te-ru’ah: (Ps. 2:9)... break them (tero)’em with a rod of iron... and of te-qi’ah: (Num. 25:4) and hang them (hok)’a before Ha-Shem...

For these caused: (Gen. 32:26)... and he ‘struck’ (teiq)’a the thigh of Jacob, on the sciatic nerve – which is the Righteous-One.

And the Shekhinah has departed from it, and She is in exile, and there cleaves, in Her stead, the [another] husk of the foreskin, which separates between the Righteous-One and the Shekhinah, (Gen. 32:33) Therefore, they shall not

the Children of Israel shall not eat of the sciatic nerve... until this husk is removed from there.