Daily Zohar # 1609 – Ki Tetze – Own the good

Daily Zohar 1609

Daily Zohar 1609

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Ki Tetze

Proverb 12:21
“לֹא-יְאֻנֶּה לַצַּדִּיק כָּל-אָוֶן; וּרְשָׁעִים, מָלְאוּ רָע”
“No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with evil”

The Zohar explains that no harm would come to a Tzadik and his righteous wife. We learned that from the story of Abraham and Sarah in Egypt (See previous DZ). The Zohar asks “who is the righteous that experience hardship?” and explains that this righteous one is from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Bad.

Ecclesiastes 7:20
“כִּי אָדָם, אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ–אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה-טּוֹב, וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא”
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

The influence of the negative side is strong on the righteous and the fights against it always involve a sin.

The righteous wants to be close to God, like a son wants to be close to his father. The father wants to bring the best in his son and all the experiences he puts on his way are part of the cleansing and growing pain of the soul.

The question of why “צדיק ורע לו רשע וטוב לו”, “righteous people experience bad and wicked experience good” rises in discussions about the story of Job. He experienced all kinds of hardships to purify his soul. Moses gives us some explanation in his last words to the nation. He tells them to remember that the sufferings they may experience come from God to support their Tikkun process: Deuteronomy 8:5
“וְיָדַעְתָּ, עִם-לְבָבֶךָ: כִּי, כַּאֲשֶׁר יְיַסֵּר אִישׁ אֶת-בְּנוֹ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מְיַסְּרֶךָּ”
“Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, YHVH your God disciplines you.”

The Zohar gives another amazing explanation to “צדיק ורע לו רשע וטוב לו”, “righteous experience bad and wicked experience good”.

This statement can be read as righteous owns the bad and wicked owns the good. The deeper meaning is that the righteous can control the bad side of the Tree of Knowledge Good and Bad and make it all good. A wicked uses the bad to control the good side and makes it all bad.

When a righteous person controls the bad side, he would see only the good in people and everything else. King David helps us make the right choice with the following verses.

Psalms 73:27
“כִּי-הִנֵּה רְחֵקֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ; הִצְמַתָּה, כָּל-זוֹנֶה מִמֶּךָּ.”
“For behold, those who are far from you will be lost; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.”
73:28 “וַאֲנִי, קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים– לִי-טוֹב:
שַׁתִּי, בַּאדֹנָי יְהוִה מַחְסִי; לְסַפֵּר, כָּל-מַלְאֲכוֹתֶיךָ.”

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made YHVH GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

Come closer, closer, and closer to the shelter that is YHVH and feel the good of the Tree.

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