Tikkunei Zohar Reader

And, my son, all the while that those husks are not removed from the rainbow, the bow is not in its luminous colours.

And let this be a sign in your hand: until you see the rainbow in its luminous colours, do not expect the ‘feet of the messiah’. And as soon as it shines with luminous colours, then immediately: (Gen. 9:16)... and I shall see it to remember the eternal covenant...

And then immediately is revealed, he of whom it is stated: (Ex. 3:12) And this is the sign to you that I have sent you – to fulfil through this: (Mic. 7:15) Like the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I shall show him wonders.

At that time, is revealed: MoSHeH (Moses) is an acronym of: (Ecc. 1:9) Mah (What) that Shehayah (which-was) Hu (he-is) that will be...

These then exit, others are knocking at the entrance, and are saying: (Ps. 51:17) “ADNY! Open my lips...” and they are ‘masters of the stature’.

From the aspect of Higher Mother, the Shekhinah is called ‘beten’ (abdomen). It is this that is written: (Job 38:29) From the womb (beten) of ‘whom’∞MiY (Binah), did the ice emerge? – (Ez. 1:22)... like the awesome ice...

Her body is the Middle Pillar. Of the abdomen it is written: (Song. 7:3)... your belly is a pile of wheat... Your navel is a moon-shaped dish, the pouring did not lack... etc.

Your navel – this is Zion, which is the navel of the world,cxxviiBT Sanhedrin 37a the point from which the world was founded (hushtat),cxxviiiBT Yoma 54b into the four directions which are: east and west, north and south.

And corresponding to them: the head to the east, the body to the west, arms to the south, legs to the north.

The sign of the covenant is a central point, like the navel –... a moon-shaped dish.

This is the ‘point’ of the moon, like this: כּ Khaf and it is reishyt (beginning) – the point in the letter בּ Beiyt.

A heavenly echo it most certainly is – the ‘totality of vowel-points and letters’.

And it is open towards the righteous, and the pious and the wise – the masters of the Torah.

And it is open towards the prophets, and towards the guardians of the covenant, and all those who suspend from the sephirot, which are the Holy Name of the blessed Holy One.

And it is closed from the other side towards the wicked, for when they come to gaze at it, it turns its face to be behind them like this:

And because of Jacob, whose image is engraved there, in the moon, it is stated of him: (Num. 23:21) He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, and has not seen perversity in Israel, Y”Y his God is with him, and the King’s trumpet-blast (teru)’ah is in him.

And about those of the seed of Jacob it is stated: (Deut. 33:28) And Israel dwelt securely, alone is the abode of Jacob... It is stated here badad (alone), and it is stated there, in another place: (Deut. 32:12) Y”Y alone (badad) shall lead him, and there is no foreign god with him.

This will be in the days of King Messiah, when there shall be no refuse in Israel, rather: Y”Y alone shall lead him...

And who is the refuse? They are future converts. And because of this, the Masters of the Mishnah have established:cxxixBT’Avodah Zarah 3b ‘converts are not accepted in the messianic age’.

And at that time, the moon will be divested of those dark husks, and will be renewed with beautiful clothes. And this is ‘the renewal of the moon’. It is this that is written: (Gen. 38:14) And she removed her widow’s garments from upon her... And it is stated of Her: (Ps. 103:5)... your youth shall be restored like an eagle.

And as soon as She is renewed, then immediately, the scripture about prophecy in Israel will be fulfilled: (Ez. 36:27) And My spirit I shall place in your midst... etc. (Ez. 36:26) And I shall place in you a new heart, and a new spirit I shall place within you... etc. (Joel 3:1)... and your sons and daughters will prophesy...

And when these are knocking at the entrance, and saying: (Ps. 51:17) “ADNY! Open my lips...” – the gate of the chamber is opened to them, with many woven lights, lights of all the colours of the world.

And when these-ones enter the chamber, the Shekhinah instructs merit upon them, and She says:

‘Master of the Universe! Behold, these ‘masters of the stature’, who bow in prayer to You, four times: two in the first three blessings, and two in the last three blessings, corresponding to Your four letters of the Name, and they straighten-up four ‘straightenings’, in them, for My four letters which are ADNY, to elevate the four which are

And one needs to bow in all of them with the 18∞ḥaiy vertebrae of the spine, which correspond to the eighteen blessings,cxxxVayiqra Rabbah 1:8 which are incorporated into the life-force∞ḥaiy (=18) of the worlds.

And this is what the Masters of the Mishnah enacted:cxxxiBT Berakhot 28b ‘until all the vertebrae of the spine are loosened’.

And the spine is a palm-shoot (lulav).cxxxiiVayiqra Rabbah 30:14 If its leaves become spread, it is invalid.cxxxiiiMishnah Sukkah 3:1

In similar fashion, one must not interrupt the eighteen blessings of prayer, which correspond to the 18 ‘shakings’ of the lulav. As the Masters of the Mishnah have established:cxxxivBT Berakhot 30b ‘even if a snake is wound about his ankle, he should not interrupt’.

Because it is ‘the life-force of worlds’∞ḥaiy’almin (Yesod), which unites between YQV”Q and ADNY, like this: Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y, which amounts to the numeric-value of the word AMeN (=91). And therefore, even if a snake is wound about his ankle, he should not interrupt, when he bows at ‘Blessed’ (barukh). And that which is stated:cxxxvBT Berakhot 33a ‘but he should interrupt for a scorpion’, is because they have established:cxxxviBT Yoma 85b ‘ (Lev. 18:5)... and live in them... and not that he should die in them.’

Joseph, because he merited to the level of ‘the Righteous-One’,☉Yesod the ‘life-force∞ḥaiy (=18) of the worlds’, through which one is required to worship with all the sephirot – towards the Shekhinah – he merited this dream. It is this that is written: (Gen. 37:9)... and behold, the sun and the moon... etc.

And a prophet who ascends to this level, the sun and moon and stars and constellations, all confer prophecy to his soul, and the spirit of prophecy, to prophesy, from all of them.

And this is the meaning of... bowing down to me. (ibid.) Because from all of them does prophecy descend to him, and from all of them is his soul comprised, and that is the reward of these ‘masters of the stature’.

These then exit, and others are knocking at the entrance – and they are ‘masters of the arms’ – and they are saying: (Ps. 51:17) “ADNY! Open my lips...”

Immediately, the guardians of the gates enter and say: ‘Master of the Universe! Behold, the ‘masters of the arms’ are knocking at the entrance.’

A voice emerges and says: ‘These are the ‘masters of the arms’, – with the binding of the phylacteries (tephilin), – and with ‘the wrapping of precept’, of which it is stated: (Gen. 9:23)... and they placed it upon the shoulder of both-of-them... Like Shem and Japheth, of whom it is stated: (ibid) And Shem and Japeth took the cloak... etc.... and the’ervah (obscenity) of their father they did not see...

Sexual-obscenity (’ervah) is from the aspect of Noah’s son Ḥam (hot), and this is the evil inclination, which ‘heats’ the body towards obscenity [Var. transgression (’aveirah) ], and reveals obscenities in the world, for it is from the aspect of the primordial snake, of which it is stated: (Gen. 3:14)... cursed are you of all beasts... And because he Ḥam is from its the snake’s side, (Gen. 9:25) he Noah said:... cursed is Canaan... etc.

And furthermore: these are ‘the masters of gifts’, who perform acts of kindness – towards the Shekhinah, Who is poor – which are: (Deut. 15:11)... you shall surely open... (Deut. 15:10) You shall surely give... (Deut. 15:14)... you shall surely bestow... etc. – there are ten. And the companions have indeed established them, those who are the Masters of the Mishnah.cxxxviiiBT Baba Metzi’a 31b

And they are the ‘hands of the benefactors’, from the aspect of the Patriarchs, of whom it is stated: (Ps. 47:10) The nobles of the peoples... etc.

Hands open in generosity towards the poor, for they are ‘the Righteous-One’,∞tzadiq (Yesod) and ‘righteousness’∞tzedeq (Malkhut), with which acts of kindness are bestowed in exile, through the Torah, which is given from the right and from the left.

It is this that is written: (Ps. 42:9) By day, Y”Y shall command His kindness, and at night His song is with me... these are the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, which are granted from both-of-them, it is this that is written: (Deut. 33:2)... from His right hand, a fiery law for them...

Immediately: (Ez. 1:8) And the hands of a man... – which are Ḥesed and Gevurah – would emerge from ‘the man’ (adam) who is ‘the Middle Pillar’ (Tipheret), to receive their gift, and they give it to the King.

For those who do not perform acts of kindness, towards His Shekhinah in exile, and are miserly towards Her, their gift is handed to ‘the dog’.

And the gift of the Shekhinah must be made for Her sake, from that which he loves.

As the Masters of the Mishnah have established:cxlSee BT Berakhot 61b (Deut. 6:5) And you shall love Y”Y... etc. – with that which is beloved to you.

At that time, many ḥayot (angelic-beasts) open their hands, of which is stated: (Ez. 1:8) And human hands beneath their wings... They give a gift to the soul of that person, of many good presents, of many levels of prophecy.

And above all of them, the Shekhinah gives presents to him, of which it is stated:cxliLiturgical, from the ‘Standing’ Prayer of Sabbath Morning ‘Moses shall rejoice in the granting of his portion’. Because: (Ecc. 3:13)... it is the gift of ELQYM.

And He also of Whom it is stated: (Ps. 145:16) You open your hand... etc. He gives many presents to him, as well as sustenance to his soul and to his body.

And all who enter, when they exit from the house of the King, they give three steps backwards,cxliiSee BT Yoma 53a–b so as not to turn their shoulders towards the blessed Holy One.

For there is no more cherished gift (dorona) before the blessed Holy One, than the gift of the Shekhinah.

Worthy are those arms that raise Her towards Him, with phylacteries on their hands and upon their heads!

Worthy are those feet and body and hands, and each-and-every limb, by whose means the gift ascends to the blessed Holy One!

For there is no more cherished gift before the blessed Holy One, than the gift of the Shekhinah.

Worthy is that limb, which performs a precept (mitzvah) for the blessed Holy One, because for its sake, the blessed Holy One descends to dwell in each of his limbs. And upon this person they announce on high: ‘Give honour to the image of the King!’cxliiiMidrash Tanḥuma, Mishpatim Ch.19

[here is missing and it is found in Tiqqunim of Zohar Ḥadash 25c]

At the beginning of the will (hurme-nu) of the King, ‘a lamp of darkness’, not white and not red, and not green and not black at all.

This one ascends into the air, and this one goes to the north, and this one to the south, it is this that is written: (Ecc. 1:6) It goes to the south, and around about to the north... Two others go round and around towards east and west, for they are all points like the waves of the sea, this one rising and this one descending.

And they are like the white thread of the eye, which surrounds the eye, and like the thread of green and black and red and blue.

These ‘revolutions’ all surround that point, and it is the measure of all of them. It is in four, and amounts to ten, and the mystery of the matter: YQVQ YOD QE VAV QE. These are four ‘colours’ which ascend through ten.

And they are all fiery flames, and about them it is stated: (Deut. 4:24) For Ha-Shem your God is a devouring fire...

They are seven from these ten, and they correspond to the seven firmaments. And they are seven sephirot. And between each and every one – 500 years.cxlivSee BT Pesaḥim 94b

And so is the breadth of each-and-every firmament, 500 years, such that it all adds up to a ‘specific measure’, – which is one point – to a specific amount.

There are nine points to every side, which are included in the point of its central empty space∞ḥalal. And because of it is stated: (Ex. 31:14)... its profaners∞meḥale-leha shall surely die... etc.

Arose that elder and said to him: ‘Rabbi! Rabbi! I adjure you with this higher hidden point, descending [Var. ḥot ] here to reveal the hidden mystery! And I am not doing this to adjure you for my own honour, but for the honour of the Shekhinah, to show the glory of this treasured, hidden point, of which it is stated: (Job 28:21) And it is unapparent to the eyes of all life... And upon it is stated: A path the vulture knows not... etc. (Job 28:7)

Meanwhile, behold Rabbi ascended high into the air, to take permission from that point which is hidden there.

And behold he then descended in a pillar of fire, which is the breath of the mouth, in which angelic-beasts∞ḥayot run to-and-fro. It is this that is written: (Ez. 1:14)... and the ḥayot ‘running and returning’... etc.

And he said: Be-reishyT (Gen. 1:1) – BaT (daughter) is there.

Be-REiShYT (In-the-beginning) – the word BaT (daughter) is contained there! And this ‘daughter’ is the point concealed in the ‘air’ (AVYR). About her it is stated: (Ps. 17:8) Guard me as the pupil of the eye (bat)’ayin... She is most certainly ‘hidden in the light’ (AUR), and through Her is made AVYR (air).

And the mystery of the matter: ‘The Tree of Life was five hundred years long,’cxlvBereishyt Rabbah 15:6, Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:21 – and between each one is five hundred years, and the thickness of each one is five hundred years,cxlviSee BT Pesaḥim 94b for all of them add up on ‘the scale’, of five, five to every side.

And the mystery of the matter: (Ex. 26: 26–27) And you shall make poles of acacia wood, five for the planks of one side of the Tabernacle...... and five poles for the planks of the other side of the Tabernacle...... and five poles for the planks of the side of the Tabernacle for the ‘rear-parts’ to the west.... for the rear-parts – these are ‘the thighs of truth’☉Netzaḥ-Hod,... to the west (yamah) – what is ‘to the west?’ – this is the Higher Shekhinah, that of which is stated: (Ez. 1:22) And the image upon the heads of the ḥayah, a firmament...

And this is what they the sages established:cxlviiBT Ḥagigah 15a ‘There is nothing between the higher waters and the lower waters, but a hair's breadth.’ And of this hair it is stated:cxlviiiBT Berakhot 48b, Yoma 38b, Mo’ed Qatan 28a ‘No kingdom touches upon its fellow, even by a hair’s breadth’. And with it: ‘the blessed Holy One is exact with the righteous, even as a thread of hair’.cxlixSee BT Yevamot 121b and Baba Qamma 50a And this thread is the thread that encompasses the sign of the covenant of circumcision. And the covenant is a ‘hair-strand’.

Woe to those who separate the sign of the covenant, ‘between waters and waters’, and prevent seed from it, for he returns the world to chaos and void. And the mystery of the matter: (Is. 45:18)... not for chaos did He create it, for dwelling did He form it... specifically.

The ‘higher waters’ are the Written Torah, the lower waters are the Oral Torah. The ‘hair’ which is between both-of-them – this is Yesod, which is ‘the mystery of the Torah’, and it is the foundation and essential principle of both-of-them.

And on the Sabbath, so as not to be as one ‘who shuts the door in the face of borrowers’ – about whom it is stated:clBT Beiytzah 15b ‘Borrow on Me and I will repay’ – it is open for those who are ‘the extra souls’. And of those who do not ‘lend’ to it, and do not add to Sabbath and festivals, it is closed for them. And thus: ‘all who add, they add to him’,cliBT Beiytzah 16a and this is the addition of ‘the extra soul’, and it is the addition of ‘a spirit of holiness’. And all who detract from the Sabbath – they deprive him of that extra soul, and he remains poor. And if he is wise, his wisdom is removed from him, and if he is wealthy in money, it his wealth is removed from him, and he is left as a dry, poor man. Just as he

prevents, from above, the extra soul, which is ‘the soul of all life’, and the Sabbath day remains poor and the Shekhinah dry, so blessings are withheld from him – and it is ‘measure for measure’.

He is the ruler of the seven firmaments. The Righteous-One (Yesod) is the firmament, which separates between the waters, between the higher sea which is Higher Mother (Binah), and the lower sea which is Lower Mother (Malkhut).

And about that it is stated:cliv ‘There is nothing between the higher waters and the lower waters, except a hair’s breadth’, as the Masters of the Mishnah have established. And this hair-strand is the Righteous-One. And not for nothing did the earlier-sages establish:clv ‘The blessed Holy One is exacting with the righteous, even as a thread of hair’.