Daily Zohar # 4886 – Acharei Mot – You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Acharei Mot
Continued from previous DZ
#393
We have learned: In the Tikunim (rectifications) of the Shechinah, we have explained these prohibited relationships (עֲרָיוֹת, arayot), even those that appear both openly and secretly. Among them are “her daughter’s daughter” and “her son’s daughter.” For the world needs them, and they are necessary for the world’s settlement, as we have established. But one who reveals (or transgresses) one of these forms of ervah (sexual immorality) woe to him and to his soul — for by doing so, he causes the revealing of other forbidden relationships.
Explanation (Hasulam): These verses, which refer to forbidden relationships — such as a woman and her daughter or granddaughter — are interpreted symbolically. Specifically: “Woman and her daughter” refers to Binah (the upper mother) and Malchut. Binah is considered concealed, meaning it does not receive direct Light of Chokhmah. Malchut, in contrast, reveals the Light of Chochmah, but only in its lower part (from the chest down). Malchut itself is split into two aspects: Above the chest — concealed (no direct light of Chokhmah). Below the chest — revealed (the place where Chokhmah appears). This division also applies to Zeir Anpin (the son). In him, too, the lower part is considered the “female” aspect because Light shines upward there — the direction in which Chokhmah can be revealed. Thus, The lower part of Malchut (from the chest down) is the granddaughter of Binah. The lower part of Zeir Anpin is the granddaughter through the son since Zeir Anpin is Binah’s son, and his lower aspect is his “daughter.”
Notes:
The Zohar explains that even the Torah’s laws of forbidden relationships (arayot) contain hidden spiritual meanings. The dynamics between Binah, Zeir Anpin, and Malchut reflect inner divine structures where the flow of Light is controlled. Misusing or misaligning these spiritual channels — whether in action or symbolic interpretation — causes spiritual damage, just as physical violations do. Therefore, transgressing one spiritual boundary can open pathways to further damage, just as one revealed ervah leads to others. This is why these teachings must be handled with reverence by those with the proper wisdom.
#394
We have learned that the final word of the Ten Commandments is: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (לא תחמוד אשת רעך) — for this includes all the others. Anyone who covets another man’s wife, it is as if he has transgressed the entire Torah. However, there is nothing that stands in the way of repentance (teshuvah). Especially when one has accepted punishment, as King David did. Rabbi Yossi said: We have learned that for anyone who sins and then separates himself from that sin, repentance is greatly effective for him. But if he does not separate himself from the sin, his repentance is not accepted and does not benefit him. He asks: If so, how is it that David did not separate from Bat Sheva afterward? He answered: Bat Sheva was truly meant to be his, and he took what was his — for her husband had died.
Notes:
The commandment “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exodus 20:14 / Deuteronomy 5:18) serves as a climactic moral principle that reflects the gravity of internal desire as a root of transgression. The sages teach that coveting another’s wife can lead to a cascade of violations, thus embodying the principle that transgression in thought leads to transgression in action (עֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה). Yet, even in the gravest of sins, nothing stands in the way of teshuvah. The case of King David and Bat Sheva, while ethically and theologically complex, is treated in the Midrash and Talmud as a paradigm of this principle. The sages note: “Whoever says that David sinned is mistaken… Bat Sheva was destined for him from the six days of Creation” (Shabbat 56a).
David’s suffering and sincere repentance, especially as expressed in Psalm 51, are regarded as a model of repentance, demonstrating how teshuvah, even when preceded by failure, can lead to spiritual elevation. According to Midrash Tehillim 51, Bat Sheva was predestined to be David’s wife from the beginning, and the sin was in the manner and timing, not the ultimate union itself. Therefore, after Uriah’s death, their marriage was not a continued sin, and his repentance was accepted. As the Zohar points out, true teshuvah requires separation from the sin, and in David’s case, it was considered tikun through suffering and remorse.

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