Zohar Commentary on Parasha Section 3 - The Apple Tree and the Lily

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Zohar Commentary of the Zohar PORTION called Ha'Azinu

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Yitzchak says how blessed Yisrael is to be under the direct care of God rather than to have been assigned to one of His appointed ministers. He says that God is like an apple that has three colors and the Congregation of Yisrael, Malchut, is like a lily that has two colors. The three colors of the apple allude to Chesed, Gvurah and Tiferet, while the two colors of the lily allude to Judgment and Chesed. The Patriarchs are also the three colors joined in the apple.

Pasook 9. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha HaAzinu

רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל עַמִּין עכו"ם, דְּהָא כָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין אִתְיְהִיבוּ לְרַבְרְבָן מְמָנָן, בְּשֻׁלְטָנוּתָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּלָא יָהַב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא לְמַלְאָכָא, וְלָא לְשָׁלִיטָא אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא הוּא אָחִיד לוֹן לְחוּלָקֵיהּ, הה"ד כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ. וּכְתִיב, כִּי יַעֲקֺב בָּחַר לוֹ יָהּ. כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר, מַה תַּפּוּחַ מִתְפָּרְשָׁא בִּגְוָונוֹי, עַל כָּל שְׁאַר אִילָנֵי חַקְלָא, כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתְפְּרַשׁ וְאִתְרְשִׁים עַל כָּל חֵילִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, בג"כ יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ, אוֹת הוּא בְּכָל חֵילָא דִּלְעֵילָּא.

Rabbi Yitzchak opened with, "Like the apple tree" (Shir Hashirim 2:3). Happy is the portion of Yisrael more than all the idolatrous nations, because all the other nations were handed to appointed ministers to control them. As for holy Yisrael, happy is their portion in this world and in the World to Come that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them neither to an angel nor to another ruler, but took them for His own portion. This is the meaning of, "For Hashem's portion is His people" (Devarim 32:9), and, "For Hashem has chosen Jacob to Himself" (Tehilim 135:4). "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood": just as the apple tree is different in color from all the other trees in the field, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, separated and marked above all higher and lower legions. Hence His name is Hashem Tzva'ot, WHICH MEANS He is a sign (Heb. ot) throughout the celestial army (Heb. tzava).

chanoch's Commentary

The Name HaShem Tzva'ot can be translated as indicated in this Pasook as an "Army of Signs" or an "Army of Letters". In addition it can be translated as "Letters of Righteousness are coming". Letters of Righteousness is the Name of HaShem as we have learned to call out these letters of the Name of Hashem.

Pasook 10. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha HaAzinu

ת"ח, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּתַפּוּחַ, דְּאִית בֵּיהּ תְּלַת גַּוְונִין. כ"י כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה מַאן שׁוֹשַׁנָה. א"ר אַבָּא, שׁוֹשַׁנָה סְתָם, שׁוֹשַׁנָה דְּאִתְכְּלִילַת בְּשִׁית טַרְפֵּי, שׁוֹשַׁנָה דָּא גְּוָונֵיהּ חִוָּור וְסוּמָק. וְכֺלָּא הוּא תְּרֵין גְּוָונֵי, סוּמָק וְחִוָּור, הָכִי כ"י.

Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He is like an apple that has in it three colors, WHITE, RED AND GREEN THAT INDICATE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. The Congregation of Yisrael, WHO IS MALCHUT, is like a lily. What is a lily? Rabbi Aba said, It is a generic lily, a lily of six petals. The colors of such a lily are white and red, and it is all of two colors, red and white THAT INDICATE JUDGMENT AND CHESED. Such is the Congregation of Yisrael, WHO IS MALCHUT.

chanoch's Commentary

As we have indicated in previous classes and discussion of our Zohar classes - The color white represents right column or Loving Kindness and Chesed; Red is the color of judgment and left column or Gevurah; while Green is the color of the central column representing balance or Tiferet. In Malchut the colors are also Red and White according to this Zohar Pasook. This aspect takes some thinking. Malchut has no light of its own. When it is fulfilled it has the energy of white or Mercy or loving kindness. When it is in a state of lack it is considered Red or being in the frame of judgment.

Pasook 11. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha HaAzinu

קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּתַפּוּחַ, כ"י כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה. דְּהָכִי אָמְרָה כ"י, תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ. תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ בְּאָן אֲתָר הִיא. אֶלָּא אִלֵּין אֲבָהָתִין דְּאַמָרָן. ר' יוֹסֵי אָמַר, דָּא יוֹבְלָא. ר' אַבָּא אָמַר, כֺּלָּא שַׁפִּיר, אֶלָּא אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן דְּקָאַמְרָן, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן ג' גְּוָונֵי, דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן בַּתַפּוּחַ.

The Holy One, blessed be He, is like an apple tree; the Congregation of Yisrael is like a lily. For thus spoke the Congregation of Yisrael, "I roused you under the apple tree" (Shir Hashirim 8:5). HE ASKS, Where is this, under the apple tree, AND ANSWERS, These are the Patriarchs we mentioned, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE CALLED PATRIARCHS. Rabbi Yosi said, It is Jubilee, NAMELY BINAH CALLED APPLE TREE. Rabbi Aba said, Everything is correct, because the Patriarchs we mentioned are the three colors joined in the apple.

chanoch's Commentary

All of the 4 phases are being explained here. The apple tree is the Jubilee which is Binah which is always connected to Chochmah. Zeir Anpin is explaining the relationship of Binah flowing down to malchut. This occurs as chochmah the white color flowing into Malchut. All the 4 phases are being explained here.

Pasook 12. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha HaAzinu

ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, בְּאָן אֲתָר אִתְכְּלִילַת כ"י בְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה. בְּאִינּוּן נְשִׁיקִין דִּרְחִימוּתָא, דְּאִתְדְּבָקַת בְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, נַטְלָה תְּרֵי שׁוֹשַׁנִּים, כד"א שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים. ובג"כ אָמְרָה כ"י, יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ. בְּגִין דְּאִתְכְּלִילַת בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים, בִּתְרֵי שִׂפְוָון דִּילֵיהּ.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, How did the Congregation of Yisrael become a part of the lily? By loving kisses with which MALCHUT cleaved to the supernal King ZEIR ANPIN. Then she took FROM HIS TWO LIPS two roses, as written, "his lips like lilies" (Shir Hashirim 5:13). This is why the Congregation of Yisrael said, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" (Shir Hashirim 1:2), since then she is included in the lilies in his two lips THAT ARE CALLED LILIES.

chanoch's Commentary

As these codes from Shir HaShirim are explained we have all of the process of Creation being presented to us as codes.