And then, every now and then, you stumble across a passage that makes those connections sing.
Let's dive into a fascinating idea tucked away in the Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar, specifically Tikkun 116. The Tikkunei Zohar, a later addition to the Zohar itself, is all about repairing and perfecting the world – Tikkun Olam. This particular passage plays with the idea of "sending away," and how that concept echoes throughout the Torah.
The text begins with the verse, "You will surely send away..." (Deuteronomy 22:7). Now, on the surface, this verse is about a mitzvah, a commandment: if you find a bird's nest, you must send away the mother bird before taking the young. Seems straightforward, right? But the Tikkunei Zohar doesn't stop there. It sees connections, deeper layers of meaning.
It immediately links this verse to two other instances of "sending away." First, Noah releasing the dove from the ark (Genesis 8:8). "And he sent the dove away from him..." And then, Jacob leaving his father Isaac's presence (Genesis 27:30): "...and it was, as he surely went out—yatzo yatza..." Notice the repetition? The Tikkunei Zohar highlights that repetition, the yatzo yatza, and draws a parallel to "You will surely send away—shale-aḥte-shalaḥ..."
So what's the connection? What does it all mean?
The Tikkunei Zohar goes on to say that these two instances of "expulsion" (ge-rishin) or "wanderings" represent "two arms." These "arms" are connected to the command to send away the mother bird, while keeping the children. "You will surely send away the mother, and the children you will take for yourself..."
Here's where it gets a little… esoteric. The text states that the "children" are connected to "the six parts, that are in the two arms." And then, a bit cryptically, that "the Hei remains Dalet, without Vav." (Hei ה, Dalet ד, Vav ו are letters of the Hebrew alphabet).
What does this mean? Well, the Kabbalah often uses letters and numbers as symbolic representations of deeper spiritual realities. The letters Hei, Dalet, and Vav are letters in God's name and are said to represent certain aspects of the Divine. This is where things get really complex, and interpretations vary. However, what seems to be happening here is the Tikkunei Zohar is showing us a hidden relationship between our actions in this world (like performing the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird) and the structure of the Divine realm. It is through the performance of the mitzvot that we can influence the Sefirot, the divine emanations.
The image of "sending away" becomes a metaphor for a deeper spiritual process. It suggests that sometimes, to nurture and protect the new, we must release the old. Sometimes, to progress, to move forward, we have to let go of something familiar.
Think about it: Noah sent away the dove to find land, a new beginning. Jacob left his father's house to build his own future. And we are commanded to send away the mother bird to, in a way, allow the cycle of life to continue.
The Tikkunei Zohar invites us to see these seemingly disparate stories as interconnected threads in a grand tapestry. It reminds us that even the simplest mitzvot can have profound implications, that everything is connected, and that even in "sending away," there is a potential for growth, renewal, and ultimately, Tikkun.