The Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, a companion to the Zohar, delves into the deeper meanings of the Torah. In one particular passage, it explores the verse "As Y”Y lives! Lie down until the morning..." It might seem simple on the surface, but the Kabbalists see layers of hidden meaning.
The key, they say, is in the word "lives" – ḥaiy in Hebrew. Ḥaiy isn't just about biological existence. It's connected to the eighteen blessings of the Amidah, the central prayer in Jewish services. Eighteen! That connection is more than just a coincidence. The number eighteen itself, when represented by Hebrew letters, spells out the word ḥaiy.
So, what's the significance of linking "life" to these eighteen blessings? The Tikkunei Zohar suggests that redemption itself depends on these prayers. It posits that through the eighteen blessings, the Yesod—the 'life-force of the worlds'—is revealed. Yesod, often translated as "foundation," is a Sefirah, one of the ten emanations through which God reveals Himself and continuously creates both the physical realm and the chain of higher metaphysical realms.
Imagine prayer not as a rote recital, but as a "streaming-light in the heart and in the eyes." A direct conduit to the divine, a way to tap into that life-force.
This idea is further emphasized by a verse from Chronicles: "...and my eyes, and my heart will be, there, all the days." This verse isn’t just a statement of presence; it's a description of a constant, unwavering connection. A connection fueled by prayer, specifically the eighteen blessings, constantly drawing from the divine life-force.
It’s a powerful image, isn't it? Prayer as a source of light, as a vital force, as the very foundation upon which redemption rests. Perhaps the next time we recite the Amidah, we can remember this teaching from the Tikkunei Zohar. To be more present. To feel that streaming light. And to recognize that we are, in that moment, actively participating in the unfolding of redemption.