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In The Zohar, Emor – 2
180. In The Zohar, Emor – 2
I heard on Passover Inter 2, April 23, 1951, Tel-Aviv
In The Zohar (Emor 43): “Rabbi Hiyah opened, ‘I am asleep, but my heart is awake,’ etc. The assembly of Israel said, ‘I am asleep in the exile in Egypt, where my children were in harsh enslavement, and my heart is awake to guard them from perishing in the exile. The voice of my beloved knocks,’ this is the Creator, who said, ‘And I shall remember My covenant.’”
We must understand the meaning of sleep. When Israel were in Egypt, they were under their governance, and they, too, extended GAR de Hochma. Since Hochma [wisdom] does not shine without Hassadim [mercy], it is called “sleep.” This is called “the harsh enslavement in Egypt,” meaning with hard work, called Dinim de Dechura.
“And in all manner of service in the field,” which is considered Dinim de Nukva.
“But my heart is awake” means that even though she is asleep from the perspective of the left line, at which time Malchut is considered “the two great lights,” at that time Malchut is called “the fourth leg.” She is regarded as Tifferet, above the Chazeh. “But my heart is awake” means that the point of Man’ula [lock] is already there, which causes the determining of the middle line, the return to the dot that is considered Panim, by which they will not perish in exile.
This is the meaning of “Open for Me an opening like the tip of a needle.” This means that ZA tells Malchut to draw Hochma. And even though Hochma cannot shine without Hassadim, for which it is only called “like the tip of a needle,” “and I will open for you the upper gates.” That is, afterwards he will give her the Hassadim, and thus she will be given abundance. However, if she does not draw Hochma, meaning there will be no drawing of Hochma but of Hesed, this is called “Open to me, my sister.” Thus, from the perspective of Hochma, Malchut is called “sister.”