Daily Zohar # 4916 – Beresheet – Between the Mother and Daughter

Show DZ reading video

Hebrew translation:

.

Zohar Beresheet
Continued from previous DZ
#268
There are fifteen forbidden sexual relations (עריות), corresponding to the numerical value of Yud–He (י״ה) from the Holy Name YHVH (י־ה־ו־ה). And there are six additional forbidden relations, the six secondary cases (as mentioned in Yevamot, chapter 1), which correspond to the Vav (ו) in YHVH. Even before Israel went into exile, while the Shechinah was still among them, the Holy One, Blessed be He, commanded Israel: “עֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה” “The nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover” (Leviticus 18:7). Meaning, do not harm the Shechinah, who is the Mother of Israel. But this exile is considered a revealing of the nakedness (גילוי ערוה) of the Shechinah. As it is written: “וּבְפִשְׁעֵיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם” “Because of your transgressions was your mother sent away” (Isaiah 50:1). And Israel went into exile because of the sin of sexual immorality. The Shechinah went with them into exile. This is the “nakedness” of the Shechinah. As it says: “כָּל מְכַבְּדֶיהָ הִזִּילוּהָ” “All who honored her despised her, for they saw her nakedness” (Lamentations 1:8). This nakedness of the Shechinah is Lil-th, who is considered the Mother of the Erev Rav. Meaning, during exile, the power and flow (שפע) of the Shechinah — the Mother of Israel — passes to Lil-th, the Mother of the Erev Rav. The Erev Rav, who gain power during the exile, are called the sexual relations (עריות) of the Shechinah, and also the sexual relations of the Supernal Israel — that is, Zeir Anpin, the husband of the Shechinah. About the Supernal Israel, it is said: “עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ וְעֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה” “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father” (Leviticus 18:7) Because when the Shechinah is in exile, Lilth and the Erev Rav receive the Divine flow that should have gone to the Shechinah. Therefore, exile is considered the uncovering of the nakedness of the Supernal Israel.
Notes:
This paragraph teaches us that Israel’s sins, especially sexual immorality, bring about this spiritual exile and desecration.
#269
Those who transgress the prohibition of forbidden relations (גילוי עריות) cause a separation between the first He (ה) and the final He (ה) of the Holy Name (י־ה־ו־ה), such that the Vav (ו) — representing Zeir Anpin — cannot come between them. This is the meaning of the verse: “עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ לֹא תְגַלֵּה” “The nakedness of a woman and her daughter you shall not uncover” (Leviticus 18:17). The first He (ה) is Ima (Binah) — the Supernal Mother, and the final He (ה) is the Daughter (Malchut). When the Vav (Zeir Anpin) cannot come between them to receive from the Mother and give to the Daughter, both the Mother and the Daughter are damaged — because the interruption of the flow from Ima (first He) is itself considered nakedness. This is what the Sages meant when they said: “A woman and her daughter” — this refers to the Upper Shechinah (Ima) and the Lower Shechinah (Malchut). Why does this separation happen? Because during the exile, the Erev Rav — which comprises the five types: נ’ ג’ ע’ ר’ ע’ (Nega Ra, נגע רע “plague of evil”) — have the ability to receive the Divine flow (שפע) from the Vav (Z” A), which is between the two He’s.
Since the Erev Rav are in between the two He’s, the Holy One, Blessed be He (represented by the Vav) has no permission to connect them, lest the Erev Rav receive sustenance from Him. This is the secret of the verse: “וְנָהָר יֶחֱרַב וְיָבֵשׁ” “The river will dry up and be parched” (Isaiah 19:5) — meaning: The first He (Binah), which is called a river, will have its flow dried up, And the final He (Malchut) will be parched, lacking Divine abundance. Why? So that the Erev Rav will not receive sustenance from the Vav (Z” A), who is the Tree of Life. Therefore, during the exile — when the Erev Rav stands between them — the Vav cannot connect the first and final He of the Holy Name.
Notes:
The sin of forbidden relations creates a spiritual separation within the Holy Name — between Binah and Malchut. Because of the presence of the Erev Rav during exile, the Holy One (Z” A) cannot channel nourishment energy between them. This results in a loss of spiritual connection, a cut-off of flow, and prolonged exile.

{||}