Daily Zohar # 5258 – Beresheet – Why the first souls lived hundreds of years
Daily Zohar 5258
Hebrew translation:
478. בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, (בִּישִׁיבָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמְרוּ) בְּשַׁגַּם זֶה מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁהוּא מֵאִיר לַלְּבָנָה, וּמִכֹּחַ זֶה עוֹמְדִים בְּנֵי אָדָם בָּעוֹלָם יָמִים (זְמַנִּים) רַבִּים. וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה – רֶמֶז לְמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁעַל יָדוֹ נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה. וְאָז מוֹרִיק [זוֹרֵק] חַיִּים לִבְנֵי אָדָם מֵאוֹתוֹ עֵץ הַחַיִּים. וְכָךְ הָיָה. אִלְמָלֵא שֶׁחָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. זֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות לב) חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחוֹת. חֵרוּת מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת. שֶׁהֲרֵי עֵץ הַחַיִּים הָיָה מוֹשֵׁךְ לְמַטָּה.
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Zohar Beresheet
Continued from previous DZ
#477
“וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם…” “And YHVH said, My spirit shall not abide in man…” (Genesis 6:3). Rabbi Elazar said, At that time, that is, before the Flood, the river that is drawn and goes out from Eden, that is Binah, brought out an upper spirit (souls) from the Tree of Life, which is Zeir Anpin, and poured it into the tree, that is, into the Nukva. From them the spirits of life were drawn into human beings, and they lived many days because of this.
The meaning: the sefirot of Binah are in the secret of hundreds. And because the spirits of life were drawn from Binah, human beings then lived in the secret of hundreds, and the days of the years of their life were seven hundred years, corresponding to the seven lower sefirot of Binah. And if in strengths, eight hundred years, and also nine hundred years. And therefore they lived many days.
Until their evil rose onto the heavens and they stood at the opening, that is, “sin crouches at the opening” (as above in section 461). Then the upper spirit, that is from Binah, withdrew from the tree, that is from the Nukva, at the time that souls fly to human beings. That is, the upper spirit from Binah withdrew from the Nukva, and only the spirit of Zeir Anpin remained in her, and souls fly only from the side of Zeir Anpin and his Nukva. And this is what is written, “My spirit shall not abide” — from Binah — “in man forever,” that is, to give My spirit to the world at the time that souls fly from Zeir Anpin and Nukva to human beings. And therefore, since Binah does not give souls to the world, and now there are souls only from Zeir Anpin, whose sefirot are in the secret of tens, therefore the days of the years of our life are only “שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה” “seventy years” (Psalms 90:10), corresponding to the seven lower sefirot of Zeir Anpin, and if in strengths eighty years, that is in the hold of the three upper ones, until a hundred years, which is “as a passing thing and gone from the world.”
Notes:
Before the Flood, life-spirit flowed from Binah through Zeir Anpin into the Nukva, so people lived hundreds of years. When their evil rose, Binah’s spirit withdrew, and souls came only from Zeir Anpin. Life was then measured in tens: seventy or eighty years.
#478
“בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר” “for that he also is flesh” (Genesis 6:3). Rabbi Elazar said, “בְּשַׁגַּם” (Beshegam) is Moses, for it equals 345, like “Moshe.” For he shines to the moon, and by this power human beings live in the world for many days. The meaning: the inner Daat of Zeir Anpin is called Moses, and he draws the light of Binah to the Nukva, whose sefirot are in the secret of hundreds. And therefore people lived many days, as above in the early discussion.
“And his days shall be a hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3) is a hint to Moses, who lived one hundred and twenty years, through whom the Torah was given. Then, at the time of the Giving of the Torah, he poured life into human beings from that Tree of Life that goes out from Eden, clothed in him, which is the secret of Binah. And so it was. And if Israel had not sinned, it would have always been so, that is, they would have received life from the Tree of Life and would not have died. And this is what it says: “חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת” (“engraved upon the tablets,” Exodus 32:16), showing freedom from the Angel of Death, for the Tree of Life was drawn below, from which there is eternal life.
Notes:
“Beshegam” hints to Moses, the inner Daat of Zeir Anpin, who draws Binah’s light to the Nukva. At the Giving of the Torah, this flow returned, and the tablets were “freedom” from the Angel of Death. Had Israel not sinned, they would have received eternal life from the Tree of Life.
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