534. Concerning the Groom

The Zohar, August 1977

The reason why there is such a requirement to delight the groom is that Hatan [groom] comes from word Nachut [inferior] in degree, as our sages said, “One who is of inferior degree receives a woman.”

All the holy names are not His essence, since “There is no perception or thought in Him whatsoever.” Rather, all the names are what they attained, as Maimonides said, “What we do not attain, we do not know by name.” Rather, all the names are according to how they attained Him. Thus, one who received Hochma [wisdom] from the Creator calls the Creator “Wise,” and one who received Gevura [strength] from the Creator calls Him “Strong,” and so forth.

By this we can understand what our sages said, “Why were they called ‘Members of the Great Assembly’? It is because they restored the former glory. That is, Daniel and Jeremiah could not say, ‘The Mighty and the Terrible,’ and the members of the great assembly did say it,” as explained in Masechet Kidushin.

Therefore, when we say Hatan [groom] in the sense of Nachut [inferior] in degree, it is when a person does not feel the greatness of the Creator because he is in a low state. When the person himself is in a state of being on a low degree, he calls the Creator “Groom.”

Our sages said, “A disciple in exile, his teacher is exiled with him.” Baal HaSulam interpreted that when one is in a state of “exile,” meaning that the Kedusha [holiness] threw him out from the land of Israel, he says that his teacher is also like him, meaning that his teacher is also in lowliness. Therefore, his teacher cannot help him out of the state he is in.

For this reason, a person must delight the groom, meaning that then, too, a person must serve the Creator with gladness. For this reason, at the end of correction, when everything has been corrected, “The whole earth will be full … and they shall all know Him, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” In other words, even though he was previously on an inferior degree, at that time they will be corrected.

This is the meaning of “Will rejoice over you … as the groom rejoices over the bride,” so even one who is on an inferior degree will be rewarded with joy because everything will be corrected. This is why we are required to increase the joy of the groom, for the corporeal branch implies the spirituality, which is that one should try, specifically when he is on a low degree, to increase the joy as though he were in utter completeness.