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Preface to the Book of Zohar 1

Preface to the Book of Zohar

Preface to the Book of Zohar................................................................................................1

i. The profoundness of the wisdom in the holy Book of Zohar is enclosed and caged

behind a thousand locks, and our human tongue too poor to provide us with sufficient,reliable expressions to interpret one thing in this book to its end. lso, the

interpretation that ! have made is but a ladder to help the examiner rise to the height

of things and examine the words of the book itself. "ence, ! have found it necessary

to prepare the reader, to give him a way and an inlet in reliable definitions, concerning

how one should contemplate and study the book...........................................................#

ii. t the outset, you must know that all that is said in The Book of Zohar, and even

in its legends, is denominations of the ten $efirot, called %"B &%eter, "ochma, Bina',

"(T &"esed, (evura, Tifferet', )"*+ &)etah, "od, *esod, +alchut', and their

combinations. -ust as the spoken language, consisting of the twentytwo letters with

their various permutations, are entirely ade/uate for uncovering the essence of any

ob0ect or learning, so too are the concepts and permutations of the ten $efirot

sufficient to disclose the entire wisdom contained in the book of "eaven....................#

iii. irst limitation2 our categories exist in the conducts of knowledge called,

3+atter4, 3orm 5lothed in +atter4, 3bstract orm4, and 36ssence4. !t is the same

in the ten $efirot as ! shall explain below. 7ne must be aware that The Book of Zohar

does not engage at all in the 6ssence and the bstract orm in the ten $efirot, but only

in the +atter in them, or in the orm in them, while clothed in +atter.........................#

iv. $econd limitation2 The comprehensive (odly reality, concerning the creation of

the souls and the conducts of their existence are discerned by us in three

discernments2..................................................................................................................#

i. Third limitation2 There are three aspects in each of the worlds, B*.......................#

i. *ou already know that the ten $efirot are called "ochma, Bina, Tifferet, +alchut

and their root, called %eter. &They are ten because Tifferet alone consists of six

$efirot, called "esed, (evura, Tifferet, )etah, "od, and *esod. 8emember that in all

the places where we are used to saying ten $efirot which are "B T+'.........................9

ii. The Zohar compared these ten $efirot, "BT+, to four colors2................................9

iii. !n addition to the above, there is a very important intimation in this parable of the

four colors. The :pper ;ights are called $efer &lit. book', as it is written &$efer

*etira, 5hapter 1, +ishnah 1', 3nd "e created "is world in three books2 book,

an author, and a tale. The writing also says, 3and they appeared as the book ofheaven4 &!saiah,


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Preface to the Book of Zohar A

vii. %now that the fourth manner, being the essence of the person in itself, without

the matter, is completely inconceivable for us. This is because our five senses and our

imagination do not offer us anything more than the revelation of the actions of the

essence, but not of the essence itself..............................................................................@

viii. ?e do have full perception in the first category, which is +atter, meaning these

manifestations of operations that manifest from each essence. This is because they/uite sufficiently explain to us the essence that dwells in the substance, in such a way

that we do not suffer at all from the lack of attainment in the essence itself...............1

ix. The second category, which is the orm clothed in +atter, is a satisfactory and

clear attainment too. This is because we ac/uire it through practical and real

experiments that we find in the comportment of any matter. ll our higher, reliable

perception stems from this discernment.......................................................................1

x. CCThe third category is the bstract orm. !t means that the form has been

revealed clothed in some matter once, after which our imagination can abstract it from

any matter altogether. $uch as that are the virtues and the good attributes that appear

in moral books, where we speak of properties of truth and falsehood, anger andstrength etc. when they are devoid of any matter. ?e ascribe them merit or demerit

even when they are abstract..........................................................................................1

xi. )ow you have thoroughly studied these four categories, +atter, orm in +atter,

bstract orm, and 6ssence, in tangible things, where it has been clarified that we

have no perception whatsoever in the fourth category, being the essence. lso, the

third category is a concept that might mislead. 7nly the first category, which is the

+atter, and the second category, which is the orm 5lothed in +atter, they alone are

given to us in clear and sufficient attainment by the :pper (overnance.....................11

xii. long with it the second category is clarified. %now that 0ust as we have clarified

the four manners in the first category only in the world Beria, so are they in thegeneral four worlds B*. The three colors, red, green, and black, in the three

worlds B*, are considered the substance, or the essence. The white color, which is

considered the world tilut, is the form clothed in the matter, meaning in the three

colors called B*........................................................................................................1A

xiii. s the four categories in the general B* were explained, so it is in each and

every world, even in the smallest item of some world, both at the top of the world

tilut, and at the bottom of the world ssiya, because there is "B T+ in it. *ou find

that $efirat "ochma is considered 3a form4, and Bina and T+ are considered the

3matter4 in which the form clothes, meaning the first and second categories that the

Zohar engages in..........................................................................................................1A

xiv. )ow we shall explain the third limitation. The Zohar engages in the $efirot in

each and every world, being the (odliness that shines in that world, as well as in

every item of the $D$ &$till, Degetative, nimate and $peaking', being the

creatures in that world. "owever, the primary aim of the Zohar pertains solely to the

speaking in that world..................................................................................................1

xxv. "is ;ife pertains to the ;ight that clothed in the white, which is the above

%elim. This ;ight is understood to us only with respect to the souls that receive from

tilut, and not in the (odliness in and of itself. This is because H"eE means when the

three worlds B* rise to tilut with the souls of people, at which time the ;ight that

they receive there is considered the ;ight of "ochma &lit. ?isdom', called the ;ight

of "aya.........................................................................................................................1>


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Preface to the Book of Zohar =

xxvi. The Zohar describes the %elim "B T+ in tilut as growing or lessening by

the actions of people. lso, we find &Zohar, Ba', 3?ill give anger and strength to the

5reator,4 meaning in (odliness itself. This is not to be taken literally, as there cannot

be any changes in (odliness whatsoever, as it is written, 3! the ;ord change not.4....1@

xxvii. *ou might compare it to a candle. !f you light a thousand candles from it, or if

you light none, you will not find any changes induced in the candle itself resultingfrom it. !t is also like dam ha 8ishon &lit. The irst +an'2 if he had progeny of many

thousands offspring, or if he had none at all, it would not induce any change at all on

dam ha 8ishon himself..............................................................................................1@

xxviii. Thus, why did the authors of the Zohar have to describe all those changes in

the world tilut itselfI They should have spoken explicitly only with respect to the

receivers in B*, and not speak so elaborately of tilut, forcing us to provide

answers.........................................................................................................................1@

xxix. ;et it not surprise you, for such a conduct you find in our corporeal perception

too. Take our sense of sight for example2 we see a great world before us, and all its

wondrous filling. But in fact, we do not see all that except in our own interior. !n otherwords, there is a sort of a photographic machine in our hindbrain that portrays

everything that appears to us, and nothing outside of us..............................................A

xxx. These matters are at the core of the world, and ! am very worried that the

examiner will err in perceiving them, it is worth my while to trouble further and bring

the golden words of the Zohar itself in these matters, and interpret them to the best of

my ability2 3$hould one ask, H!t is written in the Torah, Hfor ye saw no manner of

form.E Thus, how do we depict names and $efirot in "imIE !t will answer that person,

H! saw this form as in the words, Hand the similitude of the ;ord doth he beholdEE4

&Parashat Ba, item A1G'................................................................................................A

xxxi. There seems to be a contradiction in their words2 first they said that the formsextend to the receivers only from $efirat +alchut, and here he says that the forms

extend to the receivers from Beria down. The thing is that indeed, the form and the

similitude extend only from Behina Jalet, which is +alchut. rom her the %elim

extend to the place of the receivers, and nothing of the first nine $efirot, which are

%eter, "ochma, Bina, and Tifferet...............................................................................A1

xxxii. !t continues there2 3fter it made that form of the chariot of the :pper dam,

it descended and clothed there, and it is named in it in the form of the four letters

"aDa*a", meaning the 6ser $efirot %"B T+. This is because the tip of the *od is

%eter, *od is "ochma, "ey is Bina, Dav is Tifferet, and the last "ey is +alchut.

This is so that they would attain "im through "is attributes, meaning the $efirot, in

every single attribute in "im........................................................................................AA

xxxiii. 6xplanation of the matters2 rom Beria on, meaning from Bina, after it had

been associated with +idat ha Jin, which is +alchut, the similitudes and the forms

extend to the receivers, which are the souls. *et, not at in her own place, but only in

the place of the receivers..............................................................................................AA

xxxiv. !t should not be hard for you with the four letters "aDa*a" and the tip of the

*od, which are five %elim, as we have mentioned. This is because the %elim are

always called letters, and they are the meaning of the $efirot %"B T+.....................AA

xxxv. "e named "imself 6lokim, $hadai Tvaot, and 6kie, so that every single

attribute in "im would be known. The ten names in the torah that are not to be erased

pertain to the ten $efirot. !t is written in the Zohar &Daikra, item 1#>', 3$efirat %eter

=


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Preface to the Book of Zohar G

is called 6kie, $efirat "ochma is called %o, and $efirat Bina is called "aDa*a"

&punctuated 6lokim', $efirat "esed is called %el, $efirat (evura is called 6lokim, and

$efirat Tifferet is called "aDa*a". The two $efirot )etah and "od are called

Tvaot, $efirat *esod is called 6l "ay, and $efirat +alchut is called dni................AA'. !ndeed, had one learned the forms of truth and falsehood when they are clothed

in matter, they would have been comprehended only with respect to being beneficial

or detrimental to the matter.

!n other words, after the many ordeals that the world has been through, having seen

the multitude of ruin and damage that deceitful people have caused with their

deceitfulness, and the great benefits that truthful people have brought by keeping

themselves to saying only words of truth, they have come to agree that there is no

more important merit than the attribute of truth, and no such disgrace as the attribute

of falsehood.

!f the idealist had understood that, he would certainly have agreed to the rule of

Torah. "e would find that falsehood that saves 0ust one person from death is far more

important than the entire merit and praise of the abstract attribute of truth.

Thus, there is no certainly at all in those concepts of the third category, which are the

abstract forms, much less with abstract forms that have never been clothed in any

substance. $uch concepts are nothing but a waste of time.

xi. )ow you have thoroughly studied these four categories, +atter,

orm in +atter, bstract orm, and 6ssence, in tangible things, where it has been

clarified that we have no perception whatsoever in the fourth category, being the

essence. lso, the third category is a concept that might mislead. 7nly the first

category, which is the +atter, and the second category, which is the orm 5lothed in

+atter, they alone are given to us in clear and sufficient attainment by the :pper

(overnance.

Through them you can also perceive in the existence of the spiritual ob0ects, meaning

in the :pper ?orldsABYA, since you havenEt a tiny item in them that is not divided

by the four above categories. !f, for example, you take a certain item in the world

Beria, then there areKelimthere, which are of a red color.

The ;ight ofBeriatravels through it to the children ofBeria, and you find that the

KliinBeria, which is the color red, is considered +atter, or an ob0ect, meaning the

first category.

6ven though it is only a color, which is about an incident and a manifestation of an

operation in the ob0ect, yet, we have already said that we have no attainment in the

6ssence itself, only in the manifestation of the operation from the 6ssence. ?e refer

to that manifestation as an 6ssence, or as +atter, or a body, or a Kli&see item 1


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Preface to the Book of Zohar 1A

!t is even more so with the 6ssence of an element of creation, as we have no

perception even in the essence of the corporeal ob0ects, all the more so in the

spiritual ob0ects.

Thus you have four categories before you2 ' The Kli of Beria, which is the red

color, considered the essence, or the substance of creationF B' The clothing of the

(odly ;ight in the Kli of Beria, which is the form in the 6ssenceF 5' The (odly

;ight itself, removed from the essence ofBeriaF J' The essence of the item.

Thus the first limitation has been thoroughly explained, which is that there is not

even a single word of the third and fourth categories in the entire Zohar, only from

the first and second manners.

xii. long with it the second category is clarified. %now that 0ust as we

have clarified the four manners in the first category only in the world Beria, so are

they in the general four worldsABYA. The three colors, red, green, and black, in the

three worlds BYA, are considered the substance, or the essence. The white color,

which is considered the worldAtzilut, is the form clothed in the matter, meaning in

the three colors calledBYA.

Ein Sof in itself is the essence, as we have said about the first category, that we have

no perception in the essence, which is the concealed fourth category in all the

ob0ects, even the ob0ects in this world &see item 1A'.

The white color in itself is unclothed in the three colors in BYA, meaning when the

;ight of ?isdom is not clothed in Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut. 8ather, it is an

abstract form. ?e do not engage in it, and the Zohar does not speak of it at all, but

only of the first category, being the three colors BYA, considered substance, namely

the three Sefirot Bina, Tifferet, andMalchut.

They are also of the second manner, which are the luminescence of Atzilut, clothed in

the three colors of BYA, meaning ;ight of ?isdom clothed in Bina, Tifferet, and

Malchut, which are in turn, a form clothed in matter. These are the two that The

Book of Zohar is concerned with in all the places.

"ence, if the reader is not prudent in defining his or her thought, to always learn the

words of the Zohar strictly under the limitation of the two abovementioned

categories, the matter will be immediately and entirely confused for that person, as

he will take the words out of context.

xiii. s the four categories in the generalABYAwere explained, so it is ineach and every world, even in the smallest item of some world, both at the top of the

worldAtzilut, and at the bottom of the world Assiya, because there isHBTMin it.

*ou find that SefiratHochma is considered 3a form4, and Bina and TM are

considered the 3matter4 in which the form clothes, meaning the first and second

categories that the Zohar engages in.

*et, the Zohar does not engage in SefiratHochmawhen stripped ofBinaand TM,

which is a form without matter. !t is even more so with the essence, considered the

Ein Sofin that item.

Thus, we do engage inBina, Tifferet, andMalchut, in every item, even inAtzilut, and

we do not engage inKeterandHochma of every item itself, even inMalchut of theend ofAssiya, when undressed, but only to the extent that they clotheBinaand TM.

1A


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Preface to the Book of Zohar 1', 3Sefirat

Keter is called E&ie, SefiratHochma is called Ko, and SefiratBina is called

Ha)aYaH &punctuatedElo&im', SefiratHesedis calledKel, SefiratGevura is called

Elo&im, and SefiratTifferetis calledHa)aYaH. The two Sefirot Netzah andHodare

called Tzvaot, SefiratYesodis calledEl Hay, and SefiratMalchut is calledAdni.

xxxvi. "ad "is ;ight not expanded on all creations by seemingly clothing

in these holy Sefirot, how would the creations come to know "imI "ow would they

keep the verse, 3the whole earth is full of "is glory4I !n other words, by that it

explains the (odly need to appear to the souls as if all these changes in the Sefirot

are in "im. !t is in order to give the souls room for sufficient consciousness and

attainment in "im, for then the verse, 3the whole earth is full of "is glory4 shall

come true.

xxxvii. *et, woe to one who ascribes any measure to "im, who would say

that there is a measure in "im for "imself, even in these spiritual measures by which

"e appears to the souls. !t is all the more so in the corporeal measures of a humannature, made of dust, and are transitory, and worthless.

s we have said above &item 1=', although it is a (odly will that the souls would see

that the changes that are in them, are in the giver, it should nonetheless be clear to the

souls that there is no change and measurement in "im whatsoever. !t is only a (odly

will that they will imagine so, as it is written, 3and by the ministry of the prophets

have ! used similitudes.4

$hould they go wrong in that, woe to them, for they will be instantaneously lost from

the (odly abundance. !t is even more so with the fools who imagine in "im an

incident of the transitory, worthless flesh and blood incidents. !t is good for the

reader to know it for the rest study the rest of this Zohar, explaining the matter of theten Sefirotand the three worldsBYA, and this is not the place to elaborate further.

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