Awakening and Desire Lech Lecha [Go Forth] 28) Since the Creator saw his awakening and his desire, He immediately revealed Himself to him and told him, “Go forth,” to know yourself and to correct yourself. 223) “Who has aroused one from the east” is Abraham, who took the awakening to the …
Love
May He Kiss Me with the Kisses of His Mouth Teruma [Donation] 371) Why made King Solomon, who brought words of love between the upper world, Zeir Anpin, and the lower world, Malchut, and the beginning of the praise of the improvement of love that he introduced between them, “May he kiss me.” …
Love of Friends
From War To Brotherly love Aharei Mot [After the Death] 65) How good and how pleasant. These are the friends, as they sit together inseparably. At first, they seem like people at war, wishing to kill each other. Then they revert back to a state of brotherly love. The Creator, what …
Light
Shines Gradually Brighter Until the Day Is Set VaYishlach [Jacob Sent] 90) When the Creator erects Israel and delivers them from exile, a very small and thin vent of light shall open to them. And then another, a little bigger opening will open for them, until the Creator opens for them …
Letters
Creation of the World with Letters VaYigash [Then Judah Approached] 2) Everything was created in the Torah, and everything was perfected in the Torah. And as the Torah begins with Bet, the world was created in Bet. This is so because before the Creator created the world, the Nukva, all the letters came before …
Men and Women
A Candle Is a Mitzva and Torah Is Light Teruma [Donation] 729) A candle is a Mitzva [correction/good deed]. A candle is a Mitzva with which women are rewarded. It is a Sabbath candle. Although women are not rewarded with the Torah, since the men are rewarded with the Torah, they illuminate for that candle, …
Exile and Redemptio
On My Bed at Night Ki Tazria [When a Woman Delivers] 1) “On my bed night after night I sought him whom my soul loves.” The assembly of Israel spoke before the Creator and asked Him about the exile, since she is seated among the rest of the nations with her …
Nature
Earth Is Round New Zohar, Beresheet [Genesis] 619) The world is as round as a ball. When the sun comes out in the east, it goes in a circle until it reaches below the earth, and then it becomes evening. At that time, it gradually descends by circles of certain steps, descending and …
Zivug [Coupling]
The Creator Makes Zivugim Lech Lecha [Go Forth] 346) All the souls that are destined to come into the world stand in Zivugim, Zivugim[Zivugim—plural of Zivug (coupling)] before Him. Each divides into male and female, and when they come into this world, the Creator makes Zivugim, as it is written, “The daughter of so and so …
Good and Evil
Tetzaveh [Command] 86) Moreover, words of Torah settle in only there, since there is no light except for that which comes out of that darkness. This is so because when that side surrenders, the Creator rises above and His glory grows. Also, the work of the Creator is only out of …
Days of the Messiah
Children of Ishmael VaEra [And I Appeared] 201) Four hundred years, the appointee of the sons of Ishmael stood and asked before the Creator. He told him, “Do those who were circumcised have a part in Your name?” The Creator told him, “Yes.” He told him, “But Ishmael was circumcised, why …
Exodus from Egypt
As a Lily among Thorns Ki Tissa [When You Take] 31) “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” The Creator wished to make Israel similar to what is above, so there would be one lily in the earth that is like the lily above, Malchut. And the …
The Evil Inclination and the Good Inclination
At first, the Evil Inclination Is like a Guest VaEtchanan [And I Pleaded] 150) What is the evil inclination similar to? When it comes to bond with a person, it is as iron before it is placed in fire. After it is heated, it is brought back entirely like fire. 151) …
Fear
Fear—the First Commandment Introduction of The Book of Zohar 189) “In the beginning God created.” This is the first Mitzva (commandment). This Mitzva is called “fear of the Creator,” called Resheet (beginning), as it is written, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear of the Creator is the beginning of knowledge because this …
Jerusalem
No Torah, No Jerusalem VaYetze [Jacob Went Out] 85) Rabbi Hiya and Rabbi Hizkiyah were sitting under the trees of the field of his strength. Rabbi Hiya dozed, and saw Elijah. Rabbi Hiya said to Elijah, “From my lord’s proof of the way, the field—which is the Nukva—shines.” Elijah said, “I have …
Israel and the Nations
The Creator Offered the Torah to Everyone Balak 140) “The Lord came from Sinai” is as it is written, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud.” “[He] came from Sinai” and appeared to them, “And dawned on them from Seir,” from what the children of Seir said, …
Life's Purpose
Contemplating in One’s Heart New Zohar, Beresheet [Genesis] 741) “I went down to the garden of nuts to see the buds of the valley.” See how much there is for man to contemplate and make precisions on each day, to search one’s actions, and to scrutinize all of one’s matters. One should take …
Souls
The Soul of Adam HaRishon VaEra [And I Appeared] 32) “And I appeared unto Abraham.” “Happy is the man for whom the Lord does not count iniquity.” How dense are people for not knowing and not observing why they are in the world. After all, when the Creator created the world, …
Ups and Downs along the Way
As Light Excels Over Darkness Ki Tazria [When a Woman Inseminates] 105) “As light excels over darkness.” The benefit of the light comes only out of the darkness. The correction of the white is black, for without the black, the white would be pointless. And because there is black, the white …
Poor and Rich
Alms for the Poor BeHukotai [In My Statutes] 20) …Woe unto people who do not know and do not consider the glory of their Master, for who makes the Holy Name every day? One who gives righteousness to the poor. 21) The poor is gripped in Din and all his feeding is in Din, …
Mixed Multitude
The Mixed Multitude Detain Israel in Exile More than All the Nations Pinhas 377) The mixed multitude are like the leaven in the dough, for they are mingled in Israel like leaven in dough. The nations of the world are similar to chaff. The mixed multitude detain Israel in exile …
Righteous and Wicked
The Righteous Must Buy the Wicked Teruma [Donation] 38) “Raise a donation for Me from every man,” from those who are called “men,” who have overcome their inclination. “Whose heart moves him,” meaning whom the Creator desires, as it is written, “To You my heart said.” “The rock of my heart.” …
Middle Line
Maase Merkava [The Act of Assembling] Pekudei [Accounts], 777 777) One who assembles a kind in its kind and knows how to connect what is connected, a palace in its palace, a degree in its degree, has a share in the next world. This is the wholeness of everything. And when …
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai [Rashbi]
Dwelling in the Cave Introduction of The Book of Zohar 187) Rabbi Pinhas, son of Yair, saw two birds coming and flying over the sea. He raised his voice and said, “Birds, birds, since you fly over the sea, have you seen the place where Yochai is?” He waited a …
Desire
Desire Reveals Sublime Secrets New Zohar, Beresheet [Genesis] 110) Happy are those who look into their will, matters of high secrets, to walk in the path of truth, to be rewarded in this world and to shine for them for the next world. It is written about them, “And they that are wise …
Peace
Her Ways Are Pleasant and All Her Paths Are Peace VaEra [And I Appeared] 183) “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” “Her ways are ways of pleasantness” are the ways of the Torah. Anyone who walks in the ways of Torah, the Creator brings upon …
Joy
Serve the Lord with Gladness VaYikra [The Lord Called] 109) “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Any work that a person wishes to do for the Creator should be done with gladness, willingly, so that his work will be whole. Higher Joy Tetzaveh [Command] 94) “Serve the Lord with gladness,” since man’s joy …
Torah
All the Good Chayei Sarah [The Life of Sarah] 219) “Open my eyes, that I may see wonders from Your law.” How foolish are people, for they do not know and do not consider engaging in the Torah. But the Torah is the whole of life, and every freedom and every …
Torah – Night Study
Thread of Hesed [Mercy/Grace] Miketz [At the End] 33) …When a person engages in Torah at night, a thread of mercy extends upon him during the day, as it is written, “By day the Lord will command His mercy, and in the night His song shall be with me.” Great Love …
Correction
Whatever You Find that You Have the Power to Do, Do Pinhas 134) “Whatever you find that you have the power to do, do.” How good it is for a person to exert to do his Master’s will while the candle is lit and is present over his head, since …