Daily Zohar # 2218 – Re’eh – The eye of God

Daily Zohar 1595

Daily Zohar 1595

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Hebrew translation:

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Deuteronomy 14:2
“כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; וּבְךָ בָּחַר יְהוָה, לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה, מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה”
“For you are a people holy to YHVH your God, and YHVH has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Israel is a holy nation and enjoys the protection of God. The verse defines us as ‘chosen’ people and ‘special possession’, ‘סְגֻלָּה’. This word is pronounced “Segulah” and has the numerical value of 98, which is the same as for the word ‘צח’, meaning ‘Pure’. The Israelites have the ability to be pure and connect higher than the other nations of the world. Rav Berg explained that ‘Segulah’ refers to the vowel Segol that has three dots to represent the three columns of the Tree of Life.

The Zohar section above is from the portion of Vayishlach where the Zohar quotes a verse above from the portion of Re’eh. The Israelites are considered as Holy people chosen by God. The Zohar speaks here about the protection we had from the evil eye of Balaam and the magic of Balak. Read more in the commentaries to Balak (https://dailyzohar.com/daily-zohar-1552/ through DZ 1556).

We studied that Balaam was invited by Balak to curse the Israelites with his evil eye but he could not do so because the camp of Israel was arranged like an eye around the Holy Tabernacle that was in the exact middle. Because of the presence of God Balaam could not look into camp and cause negativity.

Deuteronomy 26:15
“הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבָרֵךְ אֶת-עַמְּךָ אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָנוּ–כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ, אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ”
“’Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.’”
God’s habitat is Chokmah and Binah, represented by the letter Yod, that is also the aspect of the eye of God. God ‘looks’ on us from above and provides us with blessings and protection that we need.
If we read the verses that follow this one we can see how it’s all connected and depends on our own connection.

Deuteronomy 26:18
“And YHVH has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession (סְגֻלָּה) , as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments”
Deuteronomy 26:19
“and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to YHVH your God, as he promised.””

Psalms 33:18
“הִנֵּה עֵין יְהוָה, אֶל-יְרֵאָיו; לַמְיַחֲלִים לְחַסְדּוֹ.”
“Behold, the eye of YHVH is on those who fear (see with awe) him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,”
God’s eye is always on those who look to him for protection.

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