KabbalaOnline.org Shelach 5783 The Holy Zohar Insights on the Torah Reading

 KabbalaOnline.org Shelach 5783 The Holy Zohar Insights on the Torah Reading

Please Note: The bold text is the direct translation of the classic text source.
The regular text is the explanation of the editor/translator

 

Transcendent Nothingness

Moses sent spies to determine what supernal spiritual level the Land of Israel is on.

 Intermediate

From the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; translation & commentary by Moshe Miller

Moses sends spies into the Land with instructions to report about its inhabitants and their cities and the nature of the land. They were also told to bring back some of the fruits. This selection from the Zohar examines the mystical meaning of the question posed to the spies: "Are there trees or not?"

…And how is the Land? Is it fertile or is it lean? Are there trees or not? Strengthen yourselves and take from the fruit of the Land. (Num. 13:19-20)

Rabbi Shimon[bar Yochai] taught: Moses give them a wise hint regarding what to inquire about first, as it is written "Is G‑d among us or not?" (Ex. 17:7)

This is also recounted in an earlier verse, when the people complained that they had no water and Moses extracted water from a rock at Massah and Meribah. Both verses use the expression "im ayin", meaning "or not". In the earlier verse, the question was not whether G‑d was with them or not - after all, "Do I not fill the Heavens and the earth?" (Jeremiah 23:24), or, as the Zohar itself states, "There is no place devoid of Him". (Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 57) Rather, the question was what level of G‑dliness was with them at that point. Was it the level indicated by the name Havayah or was it the level called " Ayin"?

Each of the names of G‑d found in the Torah refers to a specific type of activity, as in G‑d's response to Moses: "You wish to know My Name? According to My deeds I am called." (Shemot Rabba 3:6) The name Havayah alludes to G‑d's creation of the world, from the word "mehaveh", meaning "bring into being". (Note that some commentaries derive the name Havayah from "haya", "hoveh", "v'yih'yeh"- signifying past, present and future simultaneously, referring to the transcendence of G‑d. However, in our context the former meaning is intended, as will become clear from the text.) The word " ayin" (meaning transcendent nothingness), however, refers to a level so lofty that it transcends any names.

He [Moses] was telling them: Determine whether this Land is bound to the name Havayah or to Ayin.

Technically, he was telling them to determine whether the Land is bound to the sefira of tiferet (Havayah) or to keter (Ayin). 1 How were they to determine this?

He told them that if they saw that the fruits of the Land are like those of other lands, then "it has trees" - referring to the Tree of Life [which is tiferet.2] but not beyond that.

Note that we translated the phrase "im yesh bah etz im ayin" as "are there trees (in the plural) or not". A more correct translation would be "is there a tree (in the singular) or not? Accordingly, we can understand that it refers to the Tree of Life.

But if you see that the fruits of the Land are unusually larger than anywhere else, then you will know that it is nourished by a primordial holy level, from which its unusual qualities are drawn. This is how you will know if the Land has a Tree [of tiferet] or not[Ayin, the transcendent nothingness of keter]…. This is why he told them to take fruits….

[Zohar III, p. 159a; translation and commentary by Moshe Miller]

 

 

Footnotes

1.See Pardes, Arachei HaKinuyim s.v ayin; Eitz Chaim, sha'ar 76 ch. 2.

2.See Pardes, Arachei HaKinuyim s.v etz

 

From the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; translation & commentary by Moshe Miller

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, also know by the acronym "Rashbi," lived in the Holy Land in the 2nd century C.E. A disciple of Rabbi Akiva, Rashbi played a key role in the transmission of Torah, both as an important Talmudic sage and as author of the Zohar, the most fundamental work of Kabbalah. He was buried in Meron, Israel, west of Safed.

Moshe Miller (1955-2022) was born in South Africa and received his yeshivah education in Israel and America. He was a prolific author and translator, with some twenty books to his name on a wide variety of topics, including an authoritative, annotated translation of the Zohar. He developed a coaching-type approach to dealing with life's issues based on Chassidism and Kabbalah—a tool for dealing with normal issues that everyone faces as well as issues psychologists usually address, often ineffectively. He also gave free live classes over the Internet.

The Zohar is a basic work of Kabbalah authored by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his students (2nd century CE). English translation of annotated selections by Rabbi Moshe Miller (Morristown, N.J.: Fiftieth Gate Publications, 2000) includes a detailed introduction covering the history and basic concepts of Kabbalah. Volume 1 (36 pp.) covers the first half of the first of the original’s three volumes.

 

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KabbalaOnline.org is a project of Ascent of Safed www.ascentofsafed.com ascent@ascentofsafed.com A Living Library of Torah Sefaria is home to 3,000 years of Jewish texts. We are a non-profit organization offering free access to texts, translations, and commentaries so that everyone can participate in the ongoing process of studying, interpreting, and creating Torah. Learn More › Click: Your Gift. Your Impact. *** It is my Prayer and hope that Beit Yisrael International (Ephraim) shall find the right, relation with The Re-established Jewish Sanhedrin……    That Beit Yisrael International (Ephraim) may become as an organization the forerunners of The Righteous of the nations who like to become united with the Jews (Yehuda). As is the teaching of Isa 11:9 – 16 They do no evil nor destroy in all My set-apart mountain, for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Adonai as the waters cover the sea. Rashi: knowledge of the Lord: [lit.] to know the Lord. 10 And on that day, there shall be a Root of Yishai, standing as a banner to the people. Unto Him the nations shall seek, and His rest shall be esteem. Rashi: as a banner for peoples: that peoples should raise a banner to gather to him. 11 And it shall be in that day that Adonai sets His hand again a second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Ashshur and from Mitsrayim, from Pathros and from Kush, from Ěylam and from Shin‛ar, from Ḥamath and from the islands of the sea. Rashi: a second time: Just as he acquired them from Egypt, when their redemption was absolute, without subjugation, but the redemption preceding the building of the Second Temple is not counted, since they were subjugated to Cyrus. and from the islands of the sea: the islands of the Kittim, the Romans, the descendants of Esau. 12 And He shall raise a banner for the nations, and gather the outcasts of Yisra’ěl, and assemble the dispersed of Yehuḏa from the four corners of the earth. Rashi And he shall raise a banner: Perka, perche in O.F. [i.e., the verse is literally referring to the pole upon which the banner is attached.] And it shall be for a sign to gather to him and to bring the exiles of Israel to Him as a present. 13 And the envy of Ephrayim shall turn aside, and the adversaries of Yehuḏa be cut off. Ephrayim shall not envy Yehuḏa, and Yehuḏa not trouble Ephrayim. Rashi: Ephraim shall not envy Judah: The Messiah, the son of David, and the Messiah, the son of Joseph, shall not envy each other. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; together they plunder the people of the east, their hand stretching forth on Eḏom and Mo’aḇ, and the children of Ammon shall be subject to them. Rashi: And they shall fly of one accord against the Philistines in the west: Heb. בְכָתֵף. Israel will fly and run of one accord against the Philistines who are in the west of Eretz Israel and conquer their land. [כָּתֵף, lit. a shoulder, is used in this case to denote unity. The word שֶׁכֶם, also lit. a shoulder, is used in a similar sense.] Comp. (Hoshea 6:9) “They murder on the way in unison (שֶׁכְמָה) ”; (Zeph. 3:9) “One accord (שְׁכֶם אֶחָד).” And so did Jonathan rendered it: And they shall join in one accord to smite the Philistines who are in the west. and the children of Ammon shall obey them: As the Targum states: Will hearken to them. They will accept their commandments over them. 15 And Adonai shall put under the ban the tongue of the Sea of Mitsrayim, and He shall wave His hand over the River with the might of His Spirit, and shall strike it in the seven streams, and shall cause men to tread it in sandals. Rashi: And… shall dry up: [lit. shall cut off] to dry it, so that the exiles of Israel will pass through it from Egypt. over the river: The Euphrates River, for the exiles from Assyria to cross. with the strength of His wind: Heb. בַּעְיָם. This is hapax legomenon in Scripture, and according to the context it can be interpreted as “with the strength of His wind.” into seven streams: into seven segments, for the aforementioned seven exiles: from Assyria and from Egypt, etc. Those from the islands of the sea are not from that side. and He shall lead: the exiles within it. with shoes: on dry land. 16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, those left from Ashshur, as it was for Yisra’ěl in the day when he came up from the land of Mitsrayim. Rashi: And there shall be a highway: in the midst of the water for the remnant of His people.   זוהי תפילתי ותקוותי שבית ישראל הבינלאומי (אפרים) ימצא את הקשר הנכון עם הסנהדרין היהודית שהוקמה מחדש... שבית ישראל הבינלאומי (אפרים) יהפוך כארגון למבשרי חסידי האומות שאוהבים להתאחד עם היהודים (יהודה). כמו ההוראה של ט לֹֽא־יָרֵ֥עוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֖יתוּ בְּכָל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֑י כִּֽי־מָֽלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ דֵּעָה֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה כַּמַּ֖יִם לַיָּ֥ם מְכַסִּֽים: רש"י דעה את ה': לדעת את ה': י וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ יִשַׁ֗י אֲשֶׁ֚ר עֹמֵד֙ לְנֵ֣ס עַמִּ֔ים אֵלָ֖יו גּוֹיִ֣ם יִדְרֹ֑שׁוּ וְהָֽיְתָ֥ה מְנֻחָת֖וֹ כָּבֽוֹד: רש"י לנס עמים: להיות עמים מרימים נס להקבץ אליו: יא וְהָיָ֣ה | בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יוֹסִ֨יף אֲדֹנָ֚י | שֵׁנִית֙ יָד֔וֹ לִקְנ֖וֹת אֶת־שְׁאָ֣ר עַמּ֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשָּׁאֵר֩ מֵֽאַשּׁ֨וּר וּמִמִּצְרַ֜יִם וּמִפַּתְר֣וֹס וּמִכּ֗וּשׁ וּמֵֽעֵילָ֚ם וּמִשִּׁנְעָר֙ וּמֵ֣חֲמָ֔ת וּמֵֽאִיֵּ֖י הַיָּֽם: רש"י שנית: כמו שקנאם ממצרים שהיתה גאולתם ברורה מאין שיעבוד אבל גאולת בית שני אינה מן המניין שהרי משועבדים היו לכורש: ומאיי הים: הן איי כתים יונים: יב וְנָשָֹ֤א נֵס֙ לַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְאָסַ֖ף נִדְחֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּנְפֻצ֚וֹת יְהוּדָה֙ יְקַבֵּ֔ץ מֵֽאַרְבַּ֖ע כַּנְפ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ: רש"י שא נס: פירקא בלע"ז והיה לאות לקבוץ אליו ולהביא את גליות ישראל מנחה לו: יג וְסָ֙רָה֙ קִנְאַ֣ת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְצֹֽרְרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹֽא־יְקַנֵּ֣א אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה לֹֽא־יָצֹ֥ר אֶת־אֶפְרָֽיִם: רש"י אפרים לא יקנא את יהודה: משיח בן יוסף ומשיח בן דוד לא יקנאו זה בזה: יד וְעָפ֨וּ בְכָתֵ֚ף פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ יָ֔מָּה יַחְדָּ֖ו יָבֹ֣זּוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־קֶ֑דֶם אֱד֚וֹם וּמוֹאָב֙ מִשְׁל֣וֹחַ יָדָ֔ם וּבְנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן מִשְׁמַעְתָּֽם: רש"י ועפו בכתף פלשתים ימה: יעופו וירוצו ישראל שכם אחד על הפלשתים אשר הם במערבה של ארץ ישראל ויכבש את ארצם כמו דרך ירצחו שכמה (הושע ו׳:ט׳) שכם אחד (צפניה ג) וכן ת"י ויתחברון כתף חד למימחי פלישתאי די במערבא: ובני עמון משמעתם: כתרגומו ישתמעון להון, מקבלין מצותם עליהם: טו וְהֶֽחֱרִ֣ים יְהֹוָ֗ה אֵת לְשׁ֣וֹן יָם־מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהֵנִ֥יף יָד֛וֹ עַל־הַנָּהָ֖ר בַּעְיָ֣ם רוּח֑וֹ וְהִכָּ֙הוּ֙ לְשִׁבְעָ֣ה נְחָלִ֔ים וְהִדְרִ֖יךְ בַּנְּעָלִֽים: רש"י והחרים: ליבשו כדי שיעברו בו גליות ישראל ממצרים: על הנהר: נהר פרת לעבור בו גליות אשור: בעים רוחו: אין לו דמיון במקרא ולפי הענין יפתר בחוזק רוחו: לשבעה נחלים: לשבע גזרים לעבור בו שבע גליות האמורות למעלה מאשור וממצרים וגו', ומאיי הים אינו מאותו צד: והדריך: בתוכו את הגליות: בנעלים: ביבשה: טז וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה מְסִלָּ֔ה לִשְׁאָ֣ר עַמּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשָּׁאֵ֖ר מֵֽאַשּׁ֑וּר כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֚ר הָֽיְתָה֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּי֥וֹם עֲלֹת֖וֹ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:  רש"י והיתה מסילה: בתוך המים לשאר עמו: Ariel your Representee,  Representee of Ephraim and adviser (not a rabbi but friendly adviser) for Bet Yisrael international on the Har HaBayit and to all the Israeli people. I am born in Holland and became on a later age a Ba’al Teshuva: Originally, the term referred to a Jew who transgressed the halacha (Jewish law) knowingly or unknowingly and completed a process of introspection to "return" to the full observance of Elohim's mitzvot. Read my story. אריאל הנציג שלך, נציג אפרים ויועץ (לא רב אלא יועץ ידידותי) של בית ישראל הבינלאומי בהר הבית ולכל עם ישראל. נולדתי בהולנד והפכתי בגיל מאוחר יותר לבעל תשובה: במקור, המונח התייחס ליהודי שעבר על ההלכה ביודעין או שלא ביודעין והשלים תהליך של התבוננות פנימית כדי "לחזור" לקיום המצוות המלא. של מצוות אלוהים. לקרוא