Daily Zohar # 4724 – Vayishlach – Ox and Donkey, the secret

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Vayishlach
Continued from previous DZ
#147
When the Snake bit him, he himself stood against the Snake. Now, when the donkey bit him, Shimon and Levi, who come from the aspect of severe judgment, stood against the donkey and dominated it from all sides, forcing it into submission. As it is written: “וְאֵת חֲמוֹר וְאֵת שְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ הָרְגוּ לְפִי חָרֶב”—”And they killed Hamor (lit. Donkey) and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword” (Genesis 34:26). And Shimon, whose zodiac sign was an ox, representing Gevurah and the left side of holiness, came upon Hamor (donkey), which represents the right side of the klipah, and subdued it to prevent the ox and donkey of impurity from joining together. Thus, Shimon stood as his adversary and not Jacob.
Notes:
This passage delves into the allegory of Shimon and Levi’s actions against Shechem and Hamor, connecting their roles to spiritual forces. The Snake (נחש) represents an earlier challenge in which Jacob himself faced the Snake directly. However, the donkey (חמור), symbolizing a different form of impurity linked to the kippah, required a different confrontation.
Shimon, associated with the zodiac sign of the ox (שור), represents the left side, the force of Gevurah in holiness. He countered Hamor (חמור), representing the klipah’s right side, signifying corrupted Chessed. Their battle ensured that opposing forces of impurity—ox, and donkey—would not unite, maintaining the separation necessary for spiritual sanctity. Shimon and Levi acted to subdue this impurity rather than Jacob himself.
#148
All of them came to oppose Jacob, but he was saved from them, and later, he ruled over them. After this, the ox, which is Joseph, came and prevailed over the donkeys, which are the Egyptians whom he ruled over, as they all stemmed from the klipah of the donkey. It explains: Joseph is the ox, and the Egyptians are donkeys, as it is written about them: “אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׂר חֲמוֹרִים בְּשָׂרָם”—”Whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23:20).
Notes:
This section portrays Joseph’s role as the culmination of Jacob’s spiritual mission. Jacob’s triumph over impurity paved the way for Joseph to rise to a position of dominance and to sanctify his environment. The symbolism of the ox (holiness and strength) overcoming the donkey (materialism and impurity) reflects the ongoing battle to elevate the spiritual over the physical.
#149
And therefore, afterward, the sons of Jacob fell among these donkeys, meaning the Egyptians, because the ox (שור), which is Joseph, joined them. Thus, both ox and donkey were together, and they (the Egyptians) bit into Israel’s bones and flesh, as it is the nature of a donkey to bite and break bones.
Until Levi arose, as he had previously, and scattered these donkeys—meaning he separated the ox from the donkey to subdue them, breaking their strength and removing the ox from their midst. This is as it is written: “וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף עִמּוֹ”—”And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him” (Exodus 13:19). Moses represents Levi, and Joseph is the ox that had been joined with them.
Notes:
The Zohar highlights the importance of maintaining spiritual separation and purity. The union of the ox (Joseph/holiness) with the donkey (Egypt/materialism) brought suffering to Israel, as improper unions create spiritual vulnerability. Through Levi’s intervention, represented by Moses, the holy was rescued, and the forces of impurity were subdued, illustrating the ongoing effort to sanctify and elevate the spiritual amidst physical challenges.

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