The text asks a pretty direct question: "Who can wage battle in the place where you are?" Think about that for a moment. It's not just about physical battle, but about any kind of opposition against the divine presence. And then it hits you: the Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei_Zohar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="source-link">Tikkunei Zohar continues, "With the small stone that you have thrown, the heavens are quaking without end, and angels without limit.”
A small stone! It sounds insignificant, right? But this small stone, this seemingly minor act, has cosmic repercussions. It sets the heavens trembling and sends waves through the angelic realm. According to this passage, even the smallest action, when aligned with the divine, can unleash tremendous power.
Imagine being in the presence of such force. The text describes the Masters of the Academy, overwhelmed by what they witnessed. "All of them were quaking, and they fell in ‘the falling of the face’, from their original place." This "falling of the face" signifies a total surrender, a recognition of their own limitations in the face of the infinite.
They realized something profound: "And if so much with this small stone, how much more so could one not fight against you, with the sword." This isn't just any sword. It’s described with a quote from Psalms 149:6: "The praises of EL in their throat, and a double-edged sword in their hand." This sword, the text explains, is the recitation of the Sh'ma.
The Sh'ma, Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad—"Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4)—is a central Jewish prayer. It’s a declaration of faith, a statement of unity. But here, in the Tikkunei Zohar, it’s a weapon. It's "your sword, which you prepared for yourself… and with which you killed the Egyptian."
This refers to Moses striking down the Egyptian taskmaster in Exodus 2:12. The text then makes a fascinating connection, saying "And he turned this way koh and that khoh… and he smote the Egyptian… koh ‘this way’ and khoh add up to fifty letters, with which they unite the blessed Holy One twice, with (Deut. 6:4) Hear O Israel Y”Y ELoQeYNU Y”Y One, in which there are 25 letters, twice, and they amount to the fifty gates of Binah."
Okay, let's break that down. The Hebrew words koh and khoh are used to represent “this way” and “that way.” The gematria, or numerical value, of these words add up to 50. The text connects that number to the 25 letters of the Sh'ma, repeated twice. And that number, 50, corresponds to the "fifty gates of Binah."
Binah, meaning "understanding," is the third of the ten Sephirot, the emanations of God in Kabbalistic thought. It’s associated with the letter Chet (ח), the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and represents a crucial step in comprehending divine wisdom. So, the act of reciting the Sh'ma, of declaring God’s oneness, unlocks these gates of understanding. It allows us to connect with the divine on a deeper level.
What does it all mean? The Tikkunei Zohar is telling us that even a small stone, a simple prayer, a moment of focused intention, can unleash tremendous power. It can shake the heavens and open pathways to divine understanding. It reminds us that we all have the capacity to wield this power, to connect with the infinite, and to make a real difference in the world. So, what “small stone” will you throw today?