Daily Zohar # 5051 – Vaera – Confused fish

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Vaera
Continued from previous DZ
#166
And here, the rivers of Egypt raise sorcerers, who are strong fish, bound in ten levels of sorcery, as it is written: “קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ וּמְכַשֵּׁף וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר וְשֹׁאֵל אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי וְדֹרֵשׁ אֶל הַמֵּתִים”, “a diviner of divinations, a cloud-reader, an augur, an enchanter, a sorcerer, a charmer of charms, one who asks a ghost, a familiar spirit, and one who seeks the dead” (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Kosém (קֹסֵם, magician, singular form) is one, kesamim (קְסָמִים magics, plural) are two, behold three. And with the other seven, they are ten. Behold ten kinds of the wisdom of sorcery.
Notes:
Egypt’s rivers raise bound, strong sorcerers in ten impure levels (קֹסֵם קְסָמִים etc.), reflecting sorcery’s power.
#167
And at that time of the Exodus from Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His finger and stirred those streams and rivers of the Egyptians, which are the upper levels from which the Egyptians nourished. And the fish that were the source of their wisdom were prevented from bestowing wisdom upon them. One turned to blood, and one, that the fish — that is, the frogs — raised their voice to draw the spirit of wisdom, without benefit, and the spirit of those wisdoms did not come upon them.
Notes:
The first plague (blood) was described as God stirring the upper spiritual sources of Egypt (rivers, sorcery levels). Their “fish” (wisdom emissaries) failed: one became blood (impure), the other croaked uselessly as frogs, unable to draw wisdom. This disrupted Egypt’s impure Chokhmah, contrasting Israel’s holy light.
#168
Swarms (“עָרֹב”, arov) is also like this, for it confused the kinds of their wisdom levels, and they could not attain them. And not only that, but even those wisdom levels of theirs that were already in the land, they corrupted them in the land, that is, they became harmful, and corrupted their way.
“עָרֹב”,  what is arov? And he answers: It is confusion (ערבוביא) as it is said: “וּבֶגֶד כִּלְאַיִם”, “and a garment of mixed kinds” (Leviticus 19:19), whose meaning is a mixture of wool and linen. As it is written: “שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם”, “Your field you shall not sow with mixed kinds” (Leviticus 19:19), whose meaning is to sow many kinds together. So too arov here means confusion (ערבוביא).
Notes:
The plague of swarms (עָרֹב, Exodus 8:17) confused Egypt’s wisdom levels, preventing attainment, and corrupted existing ones into harmful forces. Arov derives from mixture/confusion, like forbidden כִּלְאַיִם (mixed seeds/garments), symbolizing impurity disrupting Egypt’s sorcery (Chokhmah from left/impure sources).

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