Daily Zohar # 4629 – Acharei Mot – Afflictions for one equal blessings
Daily Zohar 4629
Hebrew translation:
177. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִלְמָלֵא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה צִוָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָם יוֹתֵר מִכָּל שְׁאָר הָעַמִּים, יֵדְעוּ שֶׁהֲרֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הִשְׁאִיר אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, וְלֹא גָבָה מֵהֶם אֶחָד מִמֵּאָה. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁלַּקָּדוֹשׁ-בָּרוּךְ-הוּא יֵשׁ כַּמָּה מֶרְכָּבוֹת וְכַמָּה חֲיָלוֹת וְכַמָּה שַׁלִּיטִים מְמֻנִּים שֶׁנִּמְצָאִים בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, כְּשֶׁזִּמֵּן אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הִכְתִּירָם בִּכְתָרִים קְדוֹשִׁים כְּמוֹ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה, הִשְׁרָה אוֹתָם בָּאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּמָּצְאוּ בַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְקָשַׁר אֶת כָּל הָעֶלְיוֹנִים עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל.
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Zohar Acharei Mot
Continued from previous DZ
#176
Rabbi Yehuda said,
Leviticus 16:18
“וְיָצָא אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו וְלָקַח מִדַּם הַפָּר וּמִדַּם הַשָּׂעִיר וְנָתַן עַל קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב.”
“And he shall go out to the altar that is before YHVH, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.”
The verse mentions “the altar” in a general sense, which alludes to the higher altar, which corresponds to the Yessod of Malchut. Just as things are done below, so too are they done above, and everything is connected one to another through the altar, which is the Yessod of Malchut. We have learned that just as on this day (Yom Kippur), the priest below makes atonement in the Temple, so it is above as well. When the priest below performs his service, the priest above, which is the Chessed of Zeir Anpin, also bestows upon Malchut. The service above, which is the flow of Chessed into Malchut, only occurs once the priest’s service below is completed. This is because the holiness of the upper King begins to ascend from below. All the worlds become unified as one before the Holy One, blessed be He.
#177
Rabbi Yehuda said: If Israel knew why the Holy One, blessed be He, appointed afflictions upon them more than on any other nations, they would understand that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them great mercy and did not exact from them even one-hundredth of what they deserved. We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, has many chariots and armies, and numerous appointed rulers are found in His service. When He appointed Israel in this world, He crowned them with holy crowns, similar to those above, and established them in the Holy Land, which corresponds to Malchut, so that they would be found in His service. He connected all the upper levels with Israel.
Notes:
Despite the hardships, Israel has a unique role in the spiritual order of the world. They are crowned with holiness and reside in the Holy Land, aligned with Malchut, the realm representing the Shechina. This connection between Israel and the heavenly realms underscores their importance, where their actions and existence have significant spiritual implications. Their afflictions are thus part of their spiritual journey, intended to refine and elevate them in their service to Hashem.
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