631. Kedusha [Holiness] and Tahara [Purity]

“The Torah is called Kedusha [holiness], for it is written, ‘for I the Lord am holy.’ This is the Torah, which is the upper, holy name. Hence, one who engages in it is purified and then sanctified, as it is written, ‘You will be holy.’ It does not write, ‘were holy,’ but certainly, ‘will be holy’” (The Zohar, Kedoshim, Item 13).

This means that the Torah purifies. The question is what is a Torah that purifies, by which they will certainly achieve Kedusha. He says that the Torah is the upper, holy name. This means that although when we look at the Torah, we see that the Torah speaks of corporeal matters, we must nonetheless believe that it is all holy names. Hence, by their merit, we purify ourselves and are rewarded with Kedusha.

However, we should understand what is Kedusha and what is Tahara [purity]. In the literal sense, it is just as if you have a purified Kli [vessel] in corporeality; you can put food in it, but if it is dirty, you cannot put anything inside.

Accordingly, we should say that Tahara pertains to the Kli, and the filling to the light. Since dirt pertains to the Kli, called “will to receive,” which is called a “dirty Kli,” we cannot fill it because anything that we will place in it will be soiled. That is, the will to receive is called Av [thick] and crass, and dirty, and the purification of the Kli means that we have corrected it to work in order to bestow. At that time, the Kedusha will come by itself, as it is known that no change happens from the perspective of the Emanator; He wants to give, but due to the disparity of form, the Kli is considered dirty and cannot be filled.

Hence, when he is purified, it is thanks to the Torah—which are the names of the upper, holy name—he is rewarded with the purification of the Kelim and subsequently with Kedusha. Kedusha means that he has been rewarded with attaining the holy names according to the merit of his Tahara.