Daily Zohar # 4683 – Acharei Mot – The gift of the Aleph

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Acharei Mot
Continued from previous DZ
#302
Come and see, it is written: “וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.” “And this is the Torah which Moses placed before the children of Israel” (Deuteronomy 4:44). He placed the Torah before the children of Israel, but not before the other nations. For this reason, it is said: “דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל” “Speak to the children of Israel” and “וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תֹּאמַר” “to the children of Israel you shall say.” Similarly, all [the commandments] are directed only to Israel. The ancestors of the world, (הלל ושמאי) Hillel and Shammai, may they rest in peace, followed this principle when they spoke to אונקלוס Onkelos and did not teach him any Torah until he had undergone circumcision.

Notes:
The Torah, a divine gift, was bestowed exclusively upon Israel, a testament to their unique relationship with the divine. This exclusivity is reinforced by the recurring biblical command to ‘speak to the children of Israel,’ a clear indication that the divine instructions and teachings are meant solely for the Jewish people.
The mention of Hillel and Shammai, two great sages, and their interaction with Onkelos, who was a convert to Judaism, highlights the importance of circumcision (Brit Milah) as a prerequisite for engaging with the Torah. Onkelos, a non-Jew who sought to learn Torah, was not taught any Torah by Hillel and Shammai until he had undergone circumcision, symbolizing his formal entry into the covenant with YHVH. Only after he became part of the covenant through Brit Milah was he considered worthy of receiving the teachings of the Torah.

#303
Come and see, the very first thing that is taught to children from the Torah is the Aleph-Bet. This is something that the people of the world cannot grasp with their understanding or even conceive in their minds, let alone express with their mouths. Even the highest angels and those far beyond them cannot comprehend it because these letters are the hidden secrets of the Holy Name.
The 14,050,000 worlds all depend on the tiny point of the Aleph, which is the upper point of the letter Yud (י) within the Aleph (א is constructed from Yod, Vav, and Yod). These letters, the Aleph-Bet, are not just symbols, but the very foundation of all worlds. The 72 Holy Names are inscribed in these letters, upon which they are sustained. The higher and lower levels, the heavens and the earth, and the King’s Holy Throne are all suspended from one side to the other — from the upper point to the lower point of the Aleph’s extension. They are the foundation of all worlds and the support of both the upper and lower levels, in the secret of Chokhmah.

Notes:
This passage teaches that the Hebrew letters, particularly the Aleph, contain the secrets of creation and divine wisdom within them. They form the foundation of all existence, both seen and unseen, and are integral to the structure and sustenance of Malchut. Even teaching these letters to children taps into this profound and hidden reality. The Zohar illustrates that even the most basic aspects of the Torah—like learning the alphabet—are deeply connected to the higher levels and hold the secrets of creation within them.

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