Daily Zohar # 4650 – Acharei Mot – Poor and wise man
Daily Zohar 4650
Hebrew translation:
227. וּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן (וְ)חָכָם, זֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב נְקִי כַפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב. מִסְכֵּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות א) וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה. מִתְעַטֵּר בַּעֲטָרוֹת חֲזָקוֹת, בְּעַטְרוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, בַּעֲטָרוֹת שֶׁל מִצְווֹת תּוֹרַת הַמֶּלֶךְ. וְחָכָם, שֶׁזּוֹכֶה בָּהּ בַּחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת. וְחָכָם, שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר חָכָם מִכֻּלָּם לְעַיֵּן בַּעֲבוֹדַת רִבּוֹנוֹ כְּדֵי לִזְכּוֹת בָּהּ וּלְהִכָּנֵס אֵלֶיהָ. זֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ. וּמִלַּט, כְּמוֹ (שמואל-א כ) אִמָּלְטָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת אֶחָי, אִמָּלְטָה נָּא שָׁמָּה. אַף כָּאן, וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ.
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Zohar Acharei Mot
Continued from previous DZ
#226
“And a great king came against it (the small city)”: This refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who comes to unite with Malchut and dwell within it. “And encircled it,” as it is written,
Zecharia 2:9
“וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָּהּ נְאֻם יְהוָה חוֹמַת אֵשׁ סָבִיב וּלְכָבוֹד אֶהְיֶה בְתוֹכָהּ.”
“For I,’ says YHVH, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'”
He built great strongholds around her—these are the protective walls so that the “חיצונים” (external forces, Klipot) cannot extract nourishment from her. These walls are great, strong, beautiful, and holy. She is called the Holy City, and all the glory of the King is placed within her. Therefore, she alone is encompassed by all the crowns of the King, the Mochin of Zeir Anpin. All the crowns of the King are adorned within her, as it is said, “אֵשֶׁת חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ” “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband,” (Proverbs 12:4) because the light of Chokmah is revealed during unification with Malchut because the light of Chokmah is revealed only in Malchut. Therefore, it is written, “And the people in it are few,” meaning not everyone merits to attain her.
#227
Ecclesiastes 9:15
“וּמָצָא בָהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן חָכָם וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאָדָם לֹא זָכַר אֶת הָאִישׁ הַמִּסְכֵּן הַהוּא.”
“Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.”
This refers to what is written,
Psalm 24:4
“נְקִי כַפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָשָׂא לַשָּׁוְא נַפְשִׁי וְלֹא נִשְׁבַּע לְמִרְמָה.”
“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.”
“clean of hands and pure of heart.” He is called “מִסְכֵּן” “poor,” as it is written,
“וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת לְפַרְעֹה” “and he built cities (מִסְכְּנוֹת, same root as ‘poor’ מסכן) for Pharaoh,” (Exodus 1:11) which means that he is crowned with powerful crowns, with the crowns of the Torah and the Mitzvot of the King. He is called “חכם” “wise” because he has attained this wisdom (Chokmah), as Malchut is called the “lower Chokmah,” since it is the place where wisdom is revealed, as mentioned earlier. Furthermore, he is called “wise” because he is wiser than anyone else in discerning the service of his Master, to merit and enter it. It is said,
“וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ” “and he saved the city by his wisdom.” The term “מִלַּט” “saved” here is like in “אִמָּלְטָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת אֶחָי” “I shall escape now and see my brothers, (1 Samuel 20:29)” and “let me escape now there,” meaning it is a term of salvation. Here, too, “and he saved the city by his wisdom,” means that through his discernment, he saves it from being used by the external forces to drain its energy.
Notes:
“poor and wise man” is depicted as having the capability to “save the city,” which in this context means protecting Malchut from the negative side, or klipot. His connection to Chokmah acts as a safeguard, ensuring that the sanctity of Malchut is preserved and not exploited by impure forces. This underscores the importance of spiritual wisdom and discernment in maintaining the purity and holiness presence of Hashem in the world.
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