Zohar Beha'Alotcha Section 2 - Happy is He Who Knows the Joyful Note

It is recommended to read the Zohar Section prior to Reading the Synopsis

Zohar Commentry on the Parasha BEHA'ALOTCHA

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Aba tells how God drew the children of Yisrael near to Him when they left Egypt and how He raised them to unite through His name; only then were they called 'free men'. He killed all the firstborn of those who kept Yisrael in chains, and thus freed them completely, not through an intermediary, but directly. Rabbi Aba gives the reason for marking the blood over the lintel and on both side posts during the killing of the firstborn. He says that on certain occasions offerings are not sufficient; prayers and petitions are also required, and it is necessary to demonstrate deeds with the Shofar as the blowing of the Shofar arouses mercy.

Pasook 5. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה יְיָ' בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ יְהַלֵּכוּן. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל ת"ח, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאוֹלִיף לוֹן אָרְחוֹי, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְמֵיטַר פִּקּוּדֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמִזְכֵּי בְּהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְקָרִיב לְהוּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפְקוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, דְּהָא כְּדֵין אַפִּיק לוֹן מֵרְשׁוּתָא אַחֲרָא, וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין אִקְרוּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּנֵי חוֹרִין מִכֹּלָּא. דְּלָא יָתְבוּ תְּחוֹת רְשׁוּתָא אַחֲרָא, וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְאַחֲדָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, דְּסָלִיק עַל כֹּלָּא, דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין.

Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "happy is the people that know the joyful note: they shall walk, O Hashem, in the light of Your countenance" (Tehilim 89:16). This verse has been explained. However, come and behold: praised are Yisrael, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the holy Torah and taught His ways, to adhere to Him and keep the commandments of the Torah in order to achieve merit through them in the World to Come. And He drew them near when they came out from Egypt, since He withdrew them from another dominion and raised them to unite with His name. Only then Yisrael were called 'free men' in every respect, in that they no longer sojourned under someone else's authority. He raised them to unite with His Name, which is loftier above all and has dominion over the highest and the lowest.

chanoch's Commentary

This Zohar Pasook starts to hint about the Shofar being a tool to connect with HaShem. It explains that one needs to be free to choose the Creator as the essence that one connects with. This connection to the Creator is through the Hebrew letters and his various Names which includes each verse of the Torah as explained and demonstrated by my commentary in the first section of this Zohar commentary on the Parashsa Beha'Alotcha.

Pasook 6. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

וּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, קָרָא לוֹן בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה. וְקָטַל כָּל בְּכוֹר דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וְשָׁרָא קְטִירִין וְאִסָּירִין דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, בְּגִין לְאַפָּקָא לוֹן, וְעָבֵד לוֹן בְּנֵי חוֹרִין מִכֹּלָּא. וע"ד לָא בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָא מַלְאָךְ, וְלָא שָׂרָף, אֶלָּא אִיהוּ. וְעוֹד, דְּהָא אִיהוּ יָדַע לְאַבְחֲנָא וּלְמִנְדַּע כֹּלָּא, וּלְמִשְׁרֵי אֲסִירִין, וְלָאו אִינּוּן בִּרְשׁוּתָא דִּשְׁלִיחָא אַחֲרָא אֶלָּא בִּידֵיהּ.

In His love for them, He called them: "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22), similar to the above, LIKE ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'FIRSTBORN'. He killed all the firstborn above and below, FROM THE OTHER SIDE, and He loosened and untied the knots and shackles, WHICH THE EGYPTIANS TIED SO THAT YISRAEL WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE EGYPT, in order to take them out. He made them free of everything. Thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish TO TAKE THEM OUT THROUGH an angel through a seraph, but only through He Himself. Moreover, only He could distinguish BETWEEN A FIRSTBORN AND A NON-FIRSTBORN, and know everything and release the bond. It is not within the authority of any other emissary, but rather in His hand.

chanoch's Commentary

Our Sages and the Zohar are very clear only the Creator can know who is a first born and who is not a first born. Why is that? In my opinion the information is encoded in two separate worlds. This means that the knowledge of who is a first born requires information to be available from both the world of Assiya and the world of Yetzirah. It is not solely in the DNA records of each world but must be available to have the records from both worlds simultaneously. Angels are not able to be in two worlds at once. Only human beings of created entities have that capability. Of course the Creator has that capability as well.

Pasook 7. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקָטְלָא כָּל אִינּוּן בְּכוֹרֵי כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא, אָתוּ מְזַמְּרִין לְזַמְּרָא קַמֵּיהּ, אָמַר לוֹן, לָאו עִידָּן הוּא דְּהָא שִׁירָתָא אַחֲרָא, מְזַמְּרִין בָּנַי בְּאַרְעָא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא, אִתְּעַר רוּחַ צָפוֹן, וקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדֵין עֲבַד נוּקְמִין, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּין שִׁירָתָא בְּקוֹל רָם, וּכְדֵין עֲבַד לוֹן בְּנֵי חוֹרִין מִכֹּלָּא, וּמַלְאָכִין עִלָּאֵי, וְכָל מַשִׁרְיָין כֻּלְּהוּ, הֲווֹ צַיְיתִין לְהוֹן לְקַלֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ, רְשִׁימוּ לְבָתֵּיהוֹן, מֵהַהוּא דָּמָא, וּמִדָּמָא דְּפִסְחָא, בִּתְלַת רְשִׁימִין. עַל הַמַּשְׁקוֹף וְעַל שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת.

Come and behold: on the night that the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to slaughter all these firstborn, as we have learned, the singers came to sing for Him when night fell. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, told them that the time was not opportune TO SING ANY SONG, since the inhabitants of the earth were singing another song. At midnight, the north wind was stirring and the Holy One, blessed be He, was wreaking vengeance FOR YISRAEL. Yisrael were singing their song with loud voices and, at that moment, He made them free from everyone. The supernal angels and all the HIGHEST camps together were listening to the voices of Yisrael after they were circumcised, and marked their houses with that blood and the blood of the Paschal lamb with three marks, "upon the lintel, and on the two side posts" (Shemot 12:23).

chanoch's Commentary

What song was Israel singing? Was it Dai Anu? Or another song that we sing from the Hagadah? Or was it a song of joy for some (Israel) and a song of sadness for some (Egypt). It is my thinking that it was this mixture of songs. The Angels are meant to serve Man. This means that when men are in conflict with each other and not unified the Angels are not able to sing songs of praise to the Creator. This is an amazing teaching. If men truly understood what they are doing when they create conflict among each other and that stops the songs of joy and praise, what is truly happening is that is the cause of the stopping of the flow of Shefa. This is my opionion.

Pasook 8. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

מ"ט. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּמְחַבְּלָא כַּד אִיהוּ נָפִיק, וְחָמֵי הַהוּא דָּמָא דַּהֲוָה רָשִׁים עַל הַהוּא פִּתְחָא, חָיֵיס עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, הה"ד וּפָסַח יְיָ' עַל הַפֶּתַח וְגוֹ'. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, אִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי וְקָטִיל בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם, וְלֹא שְׁלִיחַ אַחֲרָא, רְשִׁימָא דָּא דְּעַל פִּתְחָא לָמָּה, וְהָא כֹּלָּא גַּלֵי קַמֵּיהּ. וְתוּ, מַהוּ וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית, וְלֹא יַשְׁחִית מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ.

What is the reason THAT THEY MARKED THE BLOOD OVER THE DOOR LINTEL AND THE TWO SIDE POSTS? It has already been explained. It is because it is a holy mark, and the Angel of Destruction had mercy upon Yisrael when he saw this blood that was marked on the opening. This is what is written: "Hashem will pass over the door..." (Ibid.). We must look closely here. If the Holy One, blessed be He, and no other messenger came and slew in the land of Egypt, what is the purpose of this mark over the door opening, since all is revealed to Him? In addition, what is the meaning of: "and will not allow the Destroyer" (Ibid.), WHICH MEANS IT WAS A MESSENGER? It should have said, 'and will not destroy'.

chanoch's Commentary

There is an important spiritual teaching that comes from these questions. What is the blood over the Lintel and the two side posts? What is the blood? Whose Blood is it? What does it mean that the Angel of Destruction has Mercy over Israel. The Angel of destruction is based on judgment and acts in a time of judgment. What does Mercy mean in this respect? Perhaps this spiritual teaching will become clear in the rest of this section.

Pasook 9. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְיָ' הִכָּה כָל בְּכוֹר. וַיְיָ': הוּא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ. וְהַהוּא בֵּי דִּינָא הָכָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא, בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא. דְּהָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח מְחַבְּלָא.

It most certainly is so, as it is written: "And Hashem smote all the firstborn" (Ibid. 29). "And Hashem" INDICATES Him, ZEIR ANPIN, and His courthouse, MALCHUT. That courthouse is present here. THEREFORE, IT SAYS, "THE DESTROYER." It is always imperative to show a deed BELOW in order TO AWAKEN A CORRESPONDING ONE ABOVE to be saved. BECAUSE OF THAT, IT WAS NECESSARY TO PLACE THE BLOOD OVER THE DOOR LINTEL AND THE TWO SIDE POSTS, TO AROUSE MERCY FOR THEM ABOVE. Similar to that are THE OFFERINGS on the altar; this is in order that the Destroyer shall not come there.

chanoch's Commentary

This Zohar is explaining that the Name HaShem represents Zeir Anpin and Malchut in unity. This indicates that HaShem was working with both Mercy and Judgment at the same time. This is something that we do not understand and this is something that only the Creator is capable of doing, Using opposite energies simultaneously.

Pasook 10. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

הַאי בְּעוֹבָדָא, וּבְזִמְנָא דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ הַאי, כְּגוֹן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא, וּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא קַיְימִין עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעֵינָן מִלִּין, צְלוֹתִין וּבָעוּתִין, וּבָעֵינָן לְאַחֲזָאָה עוֹבָדָא כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְהָא אִתְּמַר, וּבְמָה. בַּשּׁוֹפָר. לְאַתְּעָרָא שׁוֹפְרָא אַחֲרָא. וַאֲנָן מְפִיקִין בְּהַהוּא קָלָא, רַחֲמֵי וְדִינָא כַּחֲדָא, כֹּלָּא כַּדְקָא יָאוּת. כְּמָה דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹפָר עִלָּאָה, אַפִּיק קָלָא דְּאִיהוּ כְּלָלָא כַּחֲדָא. וּלְאַתְעֲרָא רַחֲמֵי קָאַזְלֵינָן, וּלְתַּבְּרָא מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁלְטוּן בְּהַאי יוֹמָא. וְכַד רַחֲמֵי מִתְעָרִין, כֻּלְּהוּ בּוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין נַהֲרִין מֵהַאי גִּיסָא וּמֵהַאי גִּיסָא. כְּדֵין בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים.

This is by means of a deed, MEANING OFFERINGS. When it is not needed, for example, on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), which is the Day of Judgment, which those of wicked tongues stand ready to DENOUNCE YISRAEL, IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO GIVE MERE OFFERINGS. Speech is required; that is, prayers and petitions. It is necessary to demonstrate deeds, as we have explained. And we learned with what these must be demonstrated. It is with the Shofar, in order to invoke another Shofar, WHICH IS BINAH. We produce through the sound OF THIS SHOFAR Mercy and Judgment together, all as is required. This is just like that highest Shofar, WHICH IS BINAH, that emitted a sound, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, which is the inclusion OF CHESED, JUDGMENT AND MERCY together SINCE TIFERET, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, IS INCLUSIVE OF CHESED, JUDGMENT AND MERCY. To awaken Mercy, we awaken WITH THE BLOWING OF THE SHOFAR and break down the Prosecutors so that they shall have no dominion on that day. When Mercy is awakened, all the upper luminaries, THE SFIROT, illuminate from this side and from that side, MEANING FROM THE RIGHT AND LEFT. Then, "in the light of the King's countenance is life" (Mishlei 16:15).

chanoch's Commentary

There is action. There is speech. There is thought. Sometimes thought is sufficient to activate mercy along with judgment. An example is the look that suffices between a husband and a wife regarding the love they have for their children. Sometimes we need to say words and the highest of these words is our prayers in Hebrew. Sometimes we need to add an action to awaken Mercy like the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah. This is the meaning of the above Zohar Pasook. Actually there is more to realize from this Pasook. We always need to awaken Mercy though something we do. Even if it is look it is our action that awakens Mercy. This isbecause judgment is always present. Mercy takes one or more of the three items mentioned in my commentary: Action Speech and Thought.

Pasook 11. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא אִתְכְּוָון לְאַדְלְקָא בּוּצִינִין לְתַתָּא, וַהֲוָה קָרִיב קְטוֹרֶת בּוּסְמִין, בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא כְּדֵין בּוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין נַהֲרִין, וְאִתְקְטַר כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא, וְחַדוּ וְחֶדְוָותָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, הה"ד שֶׁמֶן וּקְטוֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב, וע"ד בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת.

Come and behold: the priest intended to light the lamps below and brought the offering of spiced incense. During that moment, the upper candles are shining, THAT IS, THE SFIROT, and everything connects together. Happiness and gladness prevail in all the worlds, and it is written: "ointment and perfume rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9). Therefore, IT IS WRITTEN: "when you kindle the lamps" (Bemidbar 8:2).

chanoch's Commentary

It is important to realize the meaning of ointment as being different than perfume and to realize that it takes both to cause us to be happy permanently. This is what happened when the High Priest would light the candles taht is the ointment and the incense that is the perfume. Today we need to read the section of the incense and its preparation from the daily prayers to replace the actions of the High Priest. It is also one of the steps that will help us acheive the level of consciousness of Mind Over Matter.