Zohar Commentary Section 4 on Parasha Beha'Alotcha - When You Light the Candles

It is recommended to read the Zohar section prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar Commentary on the Parasha BEHA'ALOTCHA

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Yosi enters a cave where he hears a voice saying what will happen when the seven lamps are lit. When he brings Rabbi Elazar into the cave they encounter two people studying the Torah. The rabbis discuss the kindling of the lamps and the offering of incense. The lighting of the candles is the secret of drawing out the abundance of Chassadim from Chochmah.

Pasook 20. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

אָזְלוּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, כַּד רָמַשׁ לֵילְיָא, סְלִיקוּ לְחַד אֲתָר, וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ חַד מְעַרְתָּא. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, לִיעוּל חַד גּוֹ מְעַרְתָּא, אִי אִשְׁתְּכַח אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ יַתִּיר מְתַּתְקָּן. עָאל ר' יוֹסֵי, וְחָמָא מְעַרְתָּא אַחֲרָא בְּגַוָּיהּ, נְהוֹרָא דִּשְׁרָגָא בֵּיהּ, שָׁמַע חַד קָלָא דַּהֲוָה אָמַר, בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. הָכָא נָטְלָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל נְהוֹרָא, וְאִמָא עִלָּאָה מִתְעַטְּרָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ בּוּצִינִין מִינָהּ נַהֲרִין. בָּהּ תְּרֵין טוּפְסִירִין דְּקִיקִין פַּרְחִין, שׁוּשְׁבִינִין כֻּלְּהוּ קֹטְרִין לְגַבֵּי עִלָּאָה, וּמִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא.

They went along all that day and, when nightfall came, they went up to a place and found a cave. Rabbi Elazar said: Let one enter into the cave, for perhaps he will find there a place that is better suited. Rabbi Yosi entered and saw another cave within it and the light of a candle shining in it. He heard a voice that said: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light towards the body of the candlestick" (Bemidbar 8:2). Here, the Congregation of Yisrael, THAT IS MALCHUT, received light, as supernal Ima, THAT IS BINAH, is adorned, and all the candles, THAT ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, illuminate within and from her. THEY SAID ABOUT THEMSELVES: Two refined souls soar from her; that is, they uplift Mayin Nukvin (Eng. 'Female Waters') with their Torah study. All the best men MEANING ALL WHO UPLIFT FEMALE WATERS THROUGH THEIR TORAH THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 'GROOMSMEN' connect MALCHUT to the upper one, WHICH IS BINAH. From there, THEY DRAW HER LIGHT downwards.

chanoch's Commentary

Bamidbar 8:2 has two different translations from this Zohar Pasook and the translation from the Kabbalistic Bible. IN this one it says the candles are to be lit to give light towards the body of the candlestick or actually the Menorah. In the Kabbalistic Bible the translation is to give light to the front of the Menorah. What is the difference? The Zohar translation indicating body indicating emotions and the 6 Sefirot of Zeir Anpin. The Kabbalistic Bible indicating "front" is indicating Malchut which is attached to Zeir Anpin. The Hebrew actually has both ideas inherent in the word.

Pasook 21. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

שָׁמַע ר' יוֹסֵי וְחַדֵּי, אָתָא לְגַבֵּי ר' אֶלְעָזָר, אָ"ל ר' אֶלְעָזָר, נִיעוּל דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לָן הַאי יוֹמָא, לְאִתְרַחֲשָׁא לָן בְּנִסִּין. עָאלוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ, חָמוּ תְּרֵין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דַּהֲווֹ לָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, מַה יָקָר חַסְדֶּךָ אֱלֹהִים וּבְנֵי אָדָם בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ יֶחֱסָיוּן. קָמוּ אִלֵּין, וְיַתְבֵי כֻּלְּהוּ, וְחַדּוּ כֻּלְּהוּ, אָמַר רִבִי אֶלְעָזָר, מָה יָקָר חַסְדְּךָ אֱלֹֹהִים, דְּאַשְׁכַּחְנָא לְכוּ. חֶסֶד עָבַד לָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּאֲתָר דָּא, הַשְׁתָּא אַדְלִיקוּ בּוּצִינִין.

Rabbi Yosi heard this and was glad. He came to Rabbi Elazar. Rabbi Elazar said to him: Let us enter, since the Holy One, blessed be He, hastened before us on this day to produce miracles for us. They entered. As soon as they entered, they noticed two people who were involved in Torah study. Rabbi Elazar said: "how excellent is Your love, Elohim! Therefore the children of men shelter under the shadow of Your wings" (Tehilim 36:8). They stood up. Then they all sat down and were merry. Rabbi Elazar said: "how excellent is Your love, Elohim!" How excellent that I have found You. The Holy One, blessed be He, has done us grace in this place. Now light the candles meaning that they should converse in matters of Torah to raise Female Waters to kindle the Sfirot of Malchut from Ima, as was said above.

chanoch adds: We learn from this that Torah study of 3 or more is better than Torah study of only 2. This also refers to a teaching from the Talmud in Chagigah that the study of certain sections of the Torah should not be taught to more than 2 - This is the section of incest in Leviticus Chapters 18 and 20; Other sections should not be taught to more than 1 - this is the teaching of Creation in Genesis; Other sections can only be taught to 1 who already understands what he is to do - this is the teachings of the methods of Prophecy in the Sefer Yetzirah.

Pasook 22. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

פָּתַח רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר. בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת, בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ מַמָּשׁ, בְּאַדְלָקוּתָךְ. דְּהָא כַּחֲדָא אִתְעָבֵיד עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא תְּרֵין פּוּלְחָנִין. דְּאִינּוּן קִשּׁוּרָא חֲדָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן. שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת. כְּדִכְתִּיב, שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב. דִּכְתִּיב וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב וּבְהַעֲלוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה. מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא בְּהֵטִיבוֹ, וּמַאי שְׁנָא הָתָם וּבְהַעֲלוֹת. אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, כֹּלָּא חַד מִלָּה.

Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion saying, "when you kindle the lamps," MEANING when you actually light, that is, while kindling, because two services were done by the priest which are the same connection, and they are oil and incense, THAT IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, as is written: "ointment and perfume (lit. 'incense') rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9), and: "And Aaron shall burn upon it sweet incense... And when Aaron lights the lamps at evenings, he shall burn incense upon it" (Shemot 7-8). HE ASKS: What is the difference, that here it says, "When he dresses," and there it says, "lights"? Rabbi Yehuda says: DRESSING AND LIGHTING amount to the same thing, since dressing is like lighting.

chanoch's Commentary

This is a great secret in this teaching. Most eastern spiritual paths burn incense as part of setting their mood for meditation. Many of these combine the incense into a candle. This is not correct. There needs to be the burning of oil that represents Chochmah and the burning of incense that represents Binah and the meditator combines the two in his / her meditation. Learn this well. When you combine the two burnings in one candle you invite the negative system to join your meditation. To protect you the Creator established guards that prevent the meditator from going out of the earth bound planes / dimensions (in my opinion).

Pasook 23. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, בְּהֵטִיבוֹ: כד"א כִּי טוֹבִים דּוֹדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן. טוֹבִים: רָוֵוי חַמְרָא. כד"א, וַנִּשְׂבַּע לֶחֶם וַנִּהְיֶה טוֹבִים. ר' יְהוּדָה אָמַר, הֲטָבָה מַמָּשׁ. כד"א וְטוֹב לֵב מִשְׁתֶּה תָמִיד. וּבְהַעֲלוֹת, דְּהָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְּשַׁקְיָין וְאִתְרַוְויָין מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, כְּדֵין עִלָּאִין עִלּוּיָא, וּבִרְכָן אִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ בְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְחַדּוּ בְּכֹלָּא. וע"ד וּבְהַעֲלוֹת.

Rabbi Yosi said: "when he readies (lit. 'betters')," is as it is written, "for your love is better than wine" (Shir Hashirim 1:2), since those that are saturated with wine are better, or good, as it is written, "for then we had plenty of bread, and were well (also: 'better') off" (Yirmeyah 44:17). This means to say that whoever is satisfied with wine or bread, the secret of the lights in the first three Sfirot, that are considered 'good'. Consequently, "when he readies the lamps", means that he will draw abundantly the LIGHTS THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 'WINE' AND 'BREAD', WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM. Rabbi Yehuda says: it is a real improvement. He disputes what Rabbi Yosi said, that the bettering is a result of the abundant lights. Rather, the lights of the feast, which are the secret of illumination of Chochmah, are themselves considered bettering, as it is written: "but he that is of a merry (lit. 'good') heart has a continual feast" (Mishlei 15:15). "When...lights," MEANS during the time THAT THE SFIROT ARE filled and saturated from the water of the stream, SINCE THE STREAM IS BINAH AND ITS WATER IS FROM CHOCHMAH. The upper grades are then uplifted and blessings prevail in all, and all are glad. CONSEQUENTLY, MAKING GOOD THE LAMPS IS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT FLOWS FROM BINAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF WINE, AND THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES IS THE SECRET OF DRAWING OUT THE ABUNDANCE OF CHASSADIM THAT NEVER CEASES FROM THAT CHOCHMAH. Therefore, it is written: "when he kindles."

chanoch's Commentary

The Light of Chochmah is always present everywhere. This LIght of Chochmah is actually the way children understand God. He is everywhere and anywhere. The Light of Chochmah can only be revealed using the vessel (relative vessel) of the Light of Chassadim. To actually utilize the Light of Chochmah we need to separate the Light of Chassadim from teh Light of Wisdom so that we can be sure that the Light is not too strong for the human vessel which is the meditator. This may help you understand the pasook above.

Pasook 24. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Beha'Alotcha

רִבִּי אֲחָא אָמַר, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּעֲמִיקָא דְּכֹלָּא נָהִיר, נָהִיר בְּנַחֲלָא. וְנַחֲלָא, נָגִיד בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְאַשְׁקָאָה כֹּלָּא. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, בְּהַעֲלוֹת בְּגִין דְּהָא מֵעוּמְקָא דְּכֹלָּא נָפְקֵי, בְּהַעֲלוֹת דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא עִלָּאָה, דְּעֲמִיקָא דְּכֹלָּא, דְּאִקְרֵי מַחֲשָׁבָה. וְכֹלָּא חַד מִלָּה, וּכְדֵין כנ"י אִתְבָּרְכָא, וּבִרְכָּאן אִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.

Rabbi Acha said: During the time when the most profound of all that is, supernal Aba shines, it shines upon the stream, THE SUPERNAL IMA ABOVE. The stream flows in a straight way, MEANING THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, to irrigate all, MEANING ALL THE GRADES OF MALCHUT. Then it is written: "when lights (lit. 'raises')," since everything exudes from the deepest. "When...raises," MEANS that it comes from the deepest side that is referred to as 'thought', which is Aba. And all means the same, MEANING THAT IT IS THE SAME AS WHAT RABBI YOSI AND RABBI YEHUDA SAID. Then the Congregation of Yisrael is blessed, and blessings prevail throughout the worlds.

chanoch adds: This is the purpose of the burining of the incense and the burning of the oil and also the meditation. Its purpose is to draw the light of Chochmah along with the vessel of the Light of Chassadim into our physical world. That is why the Hebrew prayers are structured the way they are. Understand this well. KNow this well. Most religious Jews pray the Amidah without knowing this commentary. It is only when one reads the above Zohar Pasook and contemplates it that one is capable to draw this light of Chochmah into the physical world, in my opinion.