Posts Tagged ‘Shabbat’

Daily Zohar #399 – What does ‘the land of Milk and Honey’ mean?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

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Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -399.

Tikkun 21 – 140

Malchut is like the moon. It doesn’t have light of its own and has two sides, the side that receives and reflects the light and the dark side.

When we pray, our meditation should be with the consciousness to draw the light and to share it with the whole world.
Israelites are also the aspect of the moon. They are scattered all over the world and for their tikkun process they should be like a solar energy cell. Draw the light and channel it to their community and the rest of the world.

Jewish people are just a tag name to people that were born to Jewish parents. Israelites are all the people with souls that are connected to the Torah. You may find non Israelite souls among Jewish people and many times fold Israelite souls among the nations of the world.

If you are not Jewish and attracted to this knowledge then you definitely have an Israelite soul. Now that you aware of it you have the responsibilities that the Torah put on us. You cannot be saved by putting money in the basket. Your actions count.

Our meditation to draw the light should be from where the light comes to the world. This source is above the Temple Mount in Jerusalem that is in the Holy land. This land was described as ארץ זבת חלב ודבש, the land that “drips Milk and Honey”. The last letters of the last three words make the word שבת.

What’s the meaning of Shabbat?

Shabbat is the seventh day when we draw the light for the week. Shabbat is Malchut and the queen שבת מלכתא that reveal the light and provide beneficent to all. The Holy Land is the aspect of Shabbat and the source of light for the whole world.

Going against the Holy Land and what it represents is like attacking the power source of the world. The greater the hurt and pain inflicted on the Holy Land and those that channel the light to the world, the more it negatively affects the world and it brings darkness, limitation and destruction everywhere.

The world’s interest is to support Israel to benefit from the light that comes from there. Israel can never and will never be destroyed. There are and will be struggles to hold the land but it will never ‘change ownership’.

Every empire that tried to control the land lost its powers and soon after their temporary hold of the Land they turn to be just pages in the history books.

Why Milk and Honey?

A farmer will not kill the cow that provides milk and sustenance for his family. He also won’t destroy the bee hive after harvesting the honey. The whole world wants the spiritual ‘Milk and Honey’ that comes from this land. On the same consciousness level, the whole world knows how important Jerusalem and the Holy Land are.

The Milk and Honey are products that have the energy of sharing and continuation. It comes from living creatures that are able to keep producing after they share their energy.

Same with Israelites, their souls are like candles that can share light without diminishing their own. Their connection to the source is unbreakable.

The state of Israel always contributed to the world in the field of science and technologies in all aspects of life. It is the Milk and Honey products that provide advancements and continuation of energy in the world. The rest of the world is good in providing all the material stuff. The Israelites’ mind is closer to the light and can see better.

Going against Israel is like going against the spiritual system. No one in the history of the world could destroy Israel and no one will ever will.

The planet Saturn, שבתאי is called in the Zohar with its rearranged letters, אי שבת, meaning no Shabbat. In Astrology, its energy represents limitation, restriction, work and the Tikkun process. It is the opposite of the rest of Shabbat and easy connection to the light.

After the Final Redemption we will experience a continuous state of Shabbat. The light will be available without earning it. It is described by the sages as days of continuous Shabbat.

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Daily Zohar #338 – One plus one equal One

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -338.

Tikkun 21- 79

Genesis 1:5 first part of the verse say “וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם, וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה”
“and God called the Light, Day and for the darkness he called Night”

When judgment transforms into mercy it is considered as the moment of creation. The lights come to their proper vessel.

The Light is the day, right column whereas Night is darkness, left column, and vessel without light.

Rabbi Brandwein in his commentary explains that Adam sinned when he mated with Eve on Friday just before the time of Shabbat. Their connection drew light into the vessel that wasn’t ready for it. If they were to wait six more hours then they could’ve enjoyed the full revelation of the light.

The Zohar says that in the final redemption, when light comes to the vessel, judgments will be transformed into mercy because the light will fill their intended vessels.

In the second part of verse 1:5 we read “וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם אֶחָד”
“And there was evening and there was morning, One day”

When the left and the right join in unity, there is oneness אֶחָד, which represent the love of the Creator expressed with the unity.

Adam and Eve were supposed to make the first proper connection and enjoy the light forever.

Since they failed we need to work, bring the light and create continuation in the world.

Men and women come together for intimate connection to draw and transfer light; the meditation should be of continuing the light that was available to Adam and Eve on the first Friday night, which is Shabbat, of creation.

The act of sex is treated almost like a sin in most cultures. It is done briefly on a physical level like avoiding the sin.

The unification of man and woman is the process of drawing light to create life. Without it, life will cease to exist on earth. It connects us to the first sin and to the first precept.
Life and light begin with this act. It is the responsibility of a man to bring light to the vessel when the vessel is ready or desire it and be part of the correction of the world.

Exodus 21:10 “אִם-אַחֶרֶת, יִקַּח-לוֹ–שְׁאֵרָהּ כְּסוּתָהּ וְעֹנָתָהּ, לֹא יִגְרָע”
“If he takes to himself another wife, he must not deprive her food, her clothing, and her conjugal rights”

The woman’s meditation should start as Binah, being above the man, Zeir Anpin, to initiate and ‘push’ the desire in him to draw the supernal light to Malchut.

When the desire is aroused in the man, the woman transforms herself from H הּ Binah to הּ H Malchut, from spreading light of Binah to receiving it as Malchut.

In the process of creation of the worlds, Malchut was elevated to Binah to receive the light and on the way down back to Malchut, the light built the channel of Zeir Anpin. Malchut received the same shape of Binah but without the light.

After Malchut is down, the man, Zeir Anpin, should activate and build the desire of the vessel to receive the light that was originally with her in Binah. The whole body of the vessel should be completely involved to draw the maximum light. The man as a conduit of the light should not focus only on channeling the light, but also to fill the vessel with it. When the vessel is well prepared then the light can come down from Binah to fill it without any lacks. Lacks can turn into judgments.

At the peak point of the connection, the light is transferred and it creates vibrations in the vessel.

The man should let the light flow until his channel completes the transfer and retracts by itself. The man and woman stay close to each other until the waters are calm again.

To achieve a higher level connection of light and vessel, the focus should be on the meditation. The physical pleasure then becomes more intense because it all starts higher on the spiritual level.

The experiences of oneness אֶחָד, should be maintained after the connection as long as possible.

Genesis 2:24 “עַל-כֵּן, יַעֲזָב-אִישׁ, אֶת-אָבִיו, וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ; וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד”
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”

The unity and oneness of man and woman, right and left, light and vessel bring balance and manifest in blessings.

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Daily Zohar #316 – Slavery, Yoke

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -316.

Tikkun 21 – 57

Psalms 132:17 “שָׁם אַצְמִיחַ קֶרֶן לְדָוִד; עָרַכְתִּי נֵר, לִמְשִׁיחִי” “There I will shoot up a horn to David, I prepared a candle to my Messaiah”

Deuteronomy 33:17 “ בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ, וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו”
“… and his horns are of the wild ox…”

The cantillation of “Karnei Para” , meaning cow/ox horns is in the aspect of the two Messiahs, Mashiach Ben Yosef and Ben David for Yod and Vav of the YHVH name and the two Holy Temples for the two H of the YHVH.

The Red Heffer

Numbers 19:2 “פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין-בָּהּ מוּם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עָלָה עָלֶיהָ, עֹל”

“…Red heifer, faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.”

The light of Chokmah in the left column when appears with light of Chessed, is called fire and its color is red.

The Red heifer is from the left side, Gevurah. The right column, Chessed, Abraham, is complete good, תמים as it is said in Genesis 17:1 “הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי, וֶהְיֵה תָמִים”. “…Walk before me, and be complete good”

Flawless, אין בה מוׁם is the central column. Jacob represents the central column and was called, Genesis 25:27 “וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם” “and Jacob was a flawless man”

אשר לא עלה עליה עול, “without yoke”, means “did not experience slavery”. The attributes of the red Heifer gives it the cleansing power from death.

The Zohar says that Shechina is revealed on Shabbat because we are not dealing with our ‘slavery’, which is the work of the weekdays.

The Seventh day is our rest from slavery and that is what let us connect to the Shechina and the cleansing power of that light.

More about the red heifer in my commentary to Parashat Chukat:
http://RabbiShimon.com/?p=492 http://RabbiShimon.com/?p=492

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Daily Zohar #270 – Seventh heaven recharge

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -270.

Tikkun 21 – 11

The energy that sustains the world comes from Binah, which is the supernal sea. It flows and fills the seven seas that are the aspect of the seven Sefirot of Zeir Anpin. Every level of the seven has its own 10 Sefirot. From Malchut of Zeir Anpin, it channels the water to our level.

As it is said in Deuteronomy 33:19 “כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ, וּשְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי חוֹל.”

“For they shall suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
The expression of energy in this world comes through seven levels. The days of the week follow that flow and the seventh day is Shabbat. It is the time when Malchut is elevated to Binah through seven heavens (לבנת הספיר), for a weekly ‘recharge’.

King David, who is the aspect of Malchut, lived exactly 70 years because it is the cycle of the energy in Malchut. Even though he was a strong man, King David had to die to ‘return’ his light to the source.
We know that he was supposed to die at birth but Adam gave him 70 years out of his 1000. Why 70 and not 80 or 60? Adam knew how the system works.

The Zohar says that the sea will go back to its original ‘strength’, which is the state of pure light after 70 years.

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Daily Zohar #231 – And a river comes out of Eden to water the garden…

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -231.

Tikkun 19-11

The Vav of the name YHVH is the conduit of the supernal light to the lower levels. It is the River that comes out of Eden. Genesis 2:10 “and a river comes out of Eden to water the garden…” Eden and the spring are Chokmah and Binah. The river is the Vav connecting from Binah to the Torah with 53 portions. 53 = גן = Garden, which is the outlet of the Energy to the world. With every reading of the Shabbat portion the world enjoys a fresh new energy that sustains it until the next Shabbat. If God forbid, there won’t be a reading on Shabbat, the world would fall into darkness and cease to exists.

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Daily Zohar #226 – The gate is about to open soon

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -226.

Tikkun 19 – 6

Our individual and the generational Tikkun is counted during the six millennia toward the revelation of the light of the Final redemption. We are in the year 5770 close to the end of the sixth millennia since creation. It is the time of ‘Friday Night’ and the gate is soon to be opened forever as intended on the first day, before the sin.

The sages tell us that the time of Mashiach will be like a day that is all Shabbat.

The dew in the verse refers to the name YHVH without the H of Malchut in its expanded (spelled out) form יוד הא ואו with numerical value 39, same as dew טל.

The same dew is for the resurrection of the dead which is the upper light of YHV that will bring the life force that awaits us from the day of creation.

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Daily Zohar #225 – My sister, my wife, my dove, my flawless one

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -225.

Tikkun 19 – 5

When we prepare for Shabbat and elevate it with our consciousness and actions, we are opt to receive more from its light.

Song of Songs 5:2 “פִּתְחִי-לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי–שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי נִמְלָא-טָל, קְוֻצּוֹתַי רְסִיסֵי לָיְלָה.”
“…Open for me, my sister, my wife, my dove, my flawless one my head is filled with dew, my hair with the drops of the night”

The Zohar quotes this verse to show the desire of Zeir Anpin to connect to Malchut and deliver the light.

Our work fills our spiritual vessel with the light in the level of Zeir Anpin and on Shabbat it has the opportunity to connect to Malchut and transfer the light. We need to be ready with purity and rest to be able to receive that light at a higher state. The stronger the connection, the more blessings this light can bring in.

The unification of Zeir Anpin and Malchut is done on the holy level of Binah. Binah is a female aspect and it represents the desire of the Creator to bring the light to Malchut. A man and a woman’s connection on Friday night opens the gate for the light of Binah to fill the unification with blessings.

The verse above describes the light knocking on the door of his beloved one using 4 terms of endearment “אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי” . The first letter of each ארית sums up to 611, which is the same as Torah תורה, which is Zeir Anpin. This is to tell us that all connection should be following the guide of the Torah.

Friday night is also the best time for the father (as Zeir Anpin) to bless his children.

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Daily Zohar #224 – Don’t close the gate, Adam

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -224.

Tikkun 19 – 4

The two aspects of the Torah, which are the Oral and the Written are represented by the 53 Torah portions that are read on Shabbat.

The inner courtyard of the Holy Temple represents the written Torah and the outer yard is the oral Torah. The gate between them is opened only on Shabbat.

The 53 comes from Song of Songs 4:12 “גַּן נָעוּל, אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה; גַּל נָעוּל, מַעְיָן חָתוּם” “A garden is shut up, my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. “. Garden = גַּן= 53.

The gate to the Garden is locked during the six days and on Shabbat it is opened.

God created the world in a 6 day process and on the seventh day he opens the supernal gate to provide energy to his creation. The opening of the gate on the first Shabbat was supposed to stay open forever. Because of the Sin, the gate closed to separate between the Tree of Life that is inside the Garden (inner courtyard with the Holy of Holies) and the tree of Knowledge Good and Bad outside the gate (outer courtyard).

Genesis 3:24 “He drove out Adam…. and put the flaming sword to keep the way to the Tree of Life.”

Adam’s sin corrupted the balance in the Garden of Eden and created separation between the upper and lower.

This is the explanation to Song of Song 4:12 “a fountain is sealed”.

Since “the sin” we need to work to earn the Light. On Shabbat we receive the Light that we earned for the work we did during the past week. The light of Shabbat is given based on the individual spiritual vessel created that week. Our sages said “Whoever does the work before Shabbat, eats on Shabbat”. “מי שטרח בערב שבת, יאכל בשבת”

Shabbat is the resting day because it is all about receiving the light. Don’t close the gate to your light.

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Daily Zohar #192 – Silence is Wisdom

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -192.

Tikkun 18 Continue

On Shabbat we receive 3 additional levels of the soul to support the Nefesh, Ruach and Neshama.

When we open our lips on Shabbat it affects the level of Binah.

We are connected on a higher level so it is important to keep our words with the understanding that whatever we say can affect the coming week. Anger and business talk disconnect us from the light of Shabbat.

To have and enjoy it we need to be with the light of Binah, which is the cause and the energy for the whole week.

The less we talk on Shabbat, the better it is for the soul and for the manifestation process for the coming week.
The sages said; “סְיָג לַחָכְמָה, שְׁתִיקָה” “to reach Chokmah (Wisdom), Silence”

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Daily Zohar #191 – Face the east gate

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -191.

Tikkun 18 Continue

On Shabbat, Malchut is elevated to Binah and we have the opening to the upper three Sefirot.
All prayers and connections can reach to a higher level.

Ezekiel 46:1 “…The gate of the inner court that faces east will be close six working days but on Shabbat day it will be open and on the day of the new moon it will be opened”

The Holy Temple had represented all spiritual dimensions. The East side has the energy of Chessed and it is close to the Inner court, which is Chokmah Binah and the Holy of Holies connected to Keter.

Only on Shabbat there can be a flow from the upper three Sefirot to the lower seven.
Also on the first day of the moon when there is a renewal of the month then a new energy appears from the upper levels.

The connection requires connecting with the Hebrew letters and especially the Torah reading and reciting the Shema Yisrael prayer.

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