Zohar Chayei Sarah Section 5 - And Sarah's Life

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Zohar on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 5 - And Sarah's Life

SYNOPSIS:

Sarah's life is connected to the Mochin [another term for Spiritual Light] and the secret of Ten Sefirot that are contained within the dimension of Binah. The number 37 appears frequently here. This was Isaac's age at the time of his binding, for example, and it was because of his binding that Sarah died. The Angel of Death appeared before Sarah and told her that Abraham was about to sacrifice their son. These events convey the various levels of spiritual Light that Sarah's life revealed in this world.

THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE:

The metaphysical forces embodied by Sarah are instilled within us through thoughtful meditation upon these verses.

Pasook 23. of Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 5

וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה. אִינוּן חַיִּין, כֻּלְּהוּ לְעֵילָא, מֵאָה שָׁנָה לְעֵילָא. וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה לְעֵילָא, וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים לְעֵילָא, כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווֹ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת. אֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, מַאי שְׁנָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ, דַּאֲמַר שָׁנָה שָׁנָה, וּבְאִינוּן שֶׁבַע, דַּאֲמַר שָׁנִים. דִּכְתִיב מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְבָתַר שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים.

Transliteration - If you utilize the transliteration for sound please scan Aramaic Letters for the Energy

Vayihyu chayei sarah. Inun chayin, kullehu le'eila, me'ah shanah le'eila. Ve'esrim shanah le'eila, vesheva shanim le'eila, kullehu havo kidka ya'ot. Amar rabbi shim'on, ta chazei, raza demillah, ma shena bechullehu, da'amar shanah shanah, uve'inun sheva', da'amar shanim. Dichtiv me'ah shanah ve'esrim shanah ulevatar sheva shanim.

"And Sarah's life was..." All this life is above IN BINAH. A hundred year REFERS TO KETER above. "Twenty year" IS CHOCHMAH AND BINAH above. The seven years ARE THE SEVEN LOWER SEFIROT above. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE FIRST THREE AND THE LOWER SEVEN SEFIROT OF BINAH, WHERE SARAH RECEIVED LIFE, WHICH IS MOCHIN. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and look at the secret of all this. Why is the number seven followed by the word "years," while all other numbers are followed by the word "year?"

chanoch's Commentary

In other Kabbalistic writings the number 100 refers to Binah not Keter and the 20 refers to Direct and Returning Light. How do we reconcile these conflicting teachings? By remembering that each generation of writer is teaching the truth that applies to their generation.

Pasook 24. of Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 5

אֶלָּא מֵאָה שָׁנָה, כְּלָלָא דְכֹלָּא תַּמָּן, דְּאִתְכְּלֵיל אֲתַר עִלָּאָה, כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא, בְּרָזָא דְמֵאָה בִּרְכָאָן, בְּכָל יוֹמָא. וְכֵן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, דְּאִתְכְּלֵיל עִלָּאָה סְתִימָא דְכָל סְתִימִין, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב שָׁנָה רָזָא דְּיִחוּדָא, דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מַחֲשָׁבָה וְיוֹבְלָא לְעָלְמִין.

Transliteration - If you utilize the transliteration for sound please scan Aramaic Letters for the Energy

Ella me'ah shanah, kelala decholla tamman, de'itkeleil atar illa'ah, kolla kachada, beraza deme'ah bircha'an, bechol yoma. Vechen esrim shanah, de'itkeleil illa'ah setima dechal setimin, uvegin kach ketiv shanah raza deyichuda, dela itperash machashavah veyovela le'alemin.

The "hundred year" includes everything, NAMELY KETER, WHICH INCLUDES ALL TEN SEFIROT. EACH SEFIRAH COMPRISES TEN, AND TOGETHER THEY COMPRISE ONE HUNDRED. For there is included the highest and most secret place of all, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, with the hundred daily benedictions, MEANING THAT IT DAILY GIVES THE ABUNDANCE OF A HUNDRED BENEDICTIONS UPON MALCHUT FROM THE HUNDRED SEFIROT IN IT. ARICH ANPIN IS THE SECRET OF KETER OF ATZILUT. Also, the "twenty year," WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, INCLUDE ARICH ANPIN, the most concealed of all. For that reason, it is written "year" IN THE SINGULAR, which is the secret of unison, for a thought and a Jubilee (Heb. yovel). THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH never separate from each other, AS THE FIRST THREE SEFIROT ARE JOINED TO EACH OTHER AS ONE.

chanoch's Commentary

Rabbi Ashlag's comment is referring to the Gimmel Rishonot teaching regarding the Sefirot. Keter Chochmah and Binah are always unified and yet more than unified they are ONENESS itself. They are not the same since they have different names; yet they act as one. This is unity with diversity. This is what mankind needs to learn to bring Mashiach.

Pasook 25. of Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 5

שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים: אִלֵּין אִתְפָּרְשָׁן, וְנָפְקָאן מִכְּלָלָא סְתִימָאָה דִלְעֵילָא. וְאַף עַל גָּב דְּכֹלָּא יִחוּדָא חָדָא, אֲבָל מִתְפָּרְשָׁן, בְּדִינָא וְרַחֲמֵי, בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין וְאוֹרְחִין, מַה דְּלָא הֲוֵי הָכֵי לְעֵילָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב שָׁנָה, רָזָא דְּיִחוּדָא, דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעָלְמִין. וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן חַיִּים, וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה, דַּהֲווֹ מַמָּשׁ, דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ וְאִתְקַיְּימוּ לְעֵילָא.

Transliteration - If you utilize the transliteration for sound please scan Aramaic Letters for the Energy

Sheva shanim. Illein itpareshan, venafekan mikkelala setima'ah dil'eila. Ve'af al gav decholla yichuda chada, aval mitpareshan, bedina verachamei, bechammah sitrin ve'orechin, mah dela havei hachei le'eila. Uvegin kach ketiv shanah, raza deyichuda, dela itperash le'alemin. Vechullehu ikrun chayim, vayihyu chayei sarah, dahavo mammash, de'itberi'u ve'itkaymu le'eila.

But the seven years, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN LOWER SEFIROT OF BINAH, are separated from each other and from that which is hidden above, ARICH ANPIN. Although everything is united and all are equal, THE LOWER SEVEN pertain to Judgement and Mercy in many aspects and paths. This is not so IN THE FIRST THREE SEFIROT OF BINAH, FOR ARICH ANPIN IS ENCLOTHED IN THEM above THE CHEST, WHERE THERE IS NO JUDGEMENT AT ALL. For that reason, it is WRITTEN "SEVEN YEARS" AND NOT 'SEVEN year', AS WITH THE FIRST THREE SEFIROT. THE WHOLE TEN SEFIROT, THE FIRST THREE AND LOWER SEVEN, are called life. Therefore it is written, "And Sarah's life was...", for it existed. It was created substantively and existed above, IN THE TEN SEFIROT OF BINAH.

chanoch's Commentary

Consider this Pasook with deep concentration. Binah has 10 Sefirot - 3 Above and 7 Lower sefirot. What is the difference? How do they unify and what does the word life truly mean?

Pasook 26. of Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Chayei Sarah Section 5

אֲמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְהָא כַּד אִתְעַקַּד יִצְחָק, בַּר תְּלָתִין וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְעַקַּד יִצְחָק, מִיתַת שָׂרָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ. מֵאַיִן בָּא, מֵהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, בָּא מִלְּמֶעֱקַד לֵיהּ לְיִצְחָק, וְאִינוּן תְּלָתִין וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנִין, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְילֵיד יִצְחָק, עַד שַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְעַקַּד, אִינוּן הֲווֹ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה וַדַּאי, כְּחוּשְׁבַּן וַיִּהְיוּ, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּ"א תְּלָתִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲווֹ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר, מִדְּאִתְיְלֵיד יִצְחָק עַד דְּאִתְעַקַּד.

Transliteration - If you utilize the transliteration for sound please scan Aramaic Letters for the Energy

A-mar rab-bi chi-yai, ha o-ke-mu-ha, de-ha kad it-'ak-kad yitz-chak, bar te-la-tin ve-she-va she-nin ha-vah, ve-chei-van de-'it-'ak-kad yitz-chak, mi-tat sa-rah, dich-tiv vai-ya-vo av-ra-ham lis-pod le-sa-rah ve-liv-ko-tah. Me-'a-yin ba, me-har ham-mo-ri-yah, ba mil-le-me-'e-kad leih le-yitz-chak, ve-'i-nun te-la-tin ve-she-va she-nin, mi-yo-ma de-'it-y-leid yitz-chak, ad sha'-ta de-'it-'ak-kad, i-nun ha-vo chai-yei sa-rah vad-da, ke-chu-she-ban vai-yih-yu, be-gi-mat-ri-ya" te-la-tin u-she-va she-nin ha-vo, ke-mah de-'it-te-mar, mid-de-'it-ye-leid yitz-chak ad de-'it-'ak-kad.

Rabbi Chiya said that it has been explained WHY THE DEATH OF SARAH IS WRITTEN RATHER THAN THAT OF THE OTHER WOMEN. Isaac was 37 years old when he was bound, and because he was bound, Sarah died, as is written, "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her" (Beresheet 23:2). From where did he come? From Mount Moriyah, where he was binding Isaac. The 37 years from the time that Isaac was born until the time he was bound were the life of Sarah, for "vayihyu (was)" is 37 years in numerical value the years from Isaac's birth to his binding. In order to mention this, Sarah's death is mentioned in the Torah.

chanoch's Commentary

Do we learn that a woman has no other desire than to raise her children. This pasook would seem to teach this. Yet we have to keep in mind the generations. In earlier generations that may have been true. In our generation the female is growing to the level of the male. Thus women have additional desires and strives to balance these conflicting priorities just as men do.