Daily Zohar # 4642 – Acharei Mot – As the deer longs for streams of water

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Acharei Mot
Continued from previous DZ
#207
What are “שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי” (delights)? This is the Torah, for the Torah is called delights, as it is written, 
Proverbs 8:30
“וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים יוֹם יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל עֵת.”
“Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,”
We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to delight in the Garden of Eden. What does it mean to “delight”? It means to rejoice in them. We have learned: Blessed are the righteous, of whom it is written, “אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְהוָה” “Then you shall delight yourself in YHVH. (Isaiah 58:14)” This is so they may enjoy the drink from the stream, which is Binah, as it is written, 
Isaiah 58:11
“וְנָחֲךָ יְהוָה תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו.”
“YHVH will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
It is as if the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in them, from the very drink of that stream which the Tzadikim enjoy. Therefore, He comes to rejoice with the righteous. And whoever engages in Torah merits delight with the Tzadikim from that drink of the stream, which is Binah.

#208
We have learned: “כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם” “As the deer pants for streams of water,(Psalm 42:2)” this refers to Congregation of Israel, which is Malchut. As it is written, 
Psalm 22:20
“וְאַתָּה יְהוָה אַל תִּרְחָק אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה.”
“But You, O YHVH, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!”
“My strength” refers to Malchut. “Pants for streams of water” means certainly to be nourished from the drink of the spring of the stream, which is Binah, through the Tzaddik, who is Yessod. “תַּעֲרֹג” “Pants” is as it says, “לַעֲרוּגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם” (same root ערג) “to the aromatic bed of spices. (Songs 6:2)” So too, “my soul pants for You, O God” refers to the desire to receive sustenance from You in this world and the World to Come.

Notes:
This section of the Zohar connects the verse “As the deer pants for streams of water” to the Congregation of Israel (the assembly of Israel, symbolizing the Shechinah or Malchut). Just as a deer longs for the refreshing streams, the Shechinah longs to be nourished by the flow of Light, which is represented by the stream of Binah. The Tzaddik, symbolized by Yessod, acts as a channel for this nourishment. This flow of Light sustains not only in this world but also extends into the World to Come.

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