Zohar Ki Tisa Section 1 - "Give Each Man a Ransom for HIs Soul"

It is recommended to read / scan / study the section prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar on Parasha Ki Tisa Section 1 - "Give Each Man a Ransom for His Soul"

SYNOPSIS:

We are reminded that heavenly blessings do not accrue to anything that has been counted or numbered, and yet the children of Yisrael were subjected to a census. Yisrael were blessed nonetheless because they were ransomed.

Pasook 1. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 1 Sulam Commentary

וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר. כִּי תִשָּׁא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְקוּדֵיהֶם וְגוֹ', ר' אַבָּא וְר' אָחָא וְר' יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָה לְצִפֹּרִי. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְרַ' אֶלְעָזָר דַּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְר' חִיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ. א"ר אַבָּא, וַדַּאי נִשְׁתַּתֵּף בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא. אוֹרִיכוּ לְהוּ, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטוּ גַּבַּיְיהוּ, א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי כְּתִיב, עֵינֵי יְיָ' אֶל צַדִּיקִים וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם. הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא וְכוּ'.

Transliteration

Translation

"And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 'When you do take the sum of the children of Yisrael after their number" (Shemot 30:11-13). Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Yosi were traveling from Tiberias to Tzipori. While they were traveling, they saw Rabbi Elazar coming with Rabbi Chiya. Rabbi Aba said: we shall surely join the Shechinah. They waited until they reached them. As soon as they came to them, Rabbi Elazar said: it is most certainly written: "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry" (Tehilim 34:16). This passage is difficult; (THE END OF THE SUBJECT IS IN THE PORTION OF PEKUDEI, PARA. 68F).

chanoch's Commentary

The reason that the passage is difficult comes from the clear question that students of Kabbalah ask. Why does HaShem listen to the cry of the Righteous and not to others? Also why does HaShem need to watch the Righteous and not others? The answer to these question given by religious people is the Righteous does what HaShem wants to do and thus are rewarded. Yet this does not answer the questions asked. The Righteous do what is right - this is by definition. Other people sometimes do what is right and then they are called Righteous so why does HaShem watch and listen to them when they do the right thing? In the Parasha of Pekudai paragraph 68. the questions are answered from the concept of the cure is prepared before the disease. HaShem watching and listening to the Righteous is the cure that allows HaShem to order the Angels to assist the Righteous in their Righteous actions since the Angels following the letter of the plan of Creation do not undetrstand the idea of the spirit of the law, which human beings are capable of determiniing and acting to do the right thing. This is an amazing spiritual law.

Pasook 2. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 1 Sulam Commentary

ת"ח, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, לֵית בִּרְכָתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא שַׁרְיָיא עַל מִלָּה דְּאִתְמְנֵי. וְאִי תֵּימָא, יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵיךְ אִתְמְנוּן. אֶלָּא כּוּפְרָא נָטִיל מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְחוּשְׁבָּנָא לָא הֲוֵי עַד דְּאִתְכְּנִישׁ כָּל הַהוּא כּוּפְרָא, וְסָלִיק לְחוּשְׁבָּנָא. וּבְקַדְמֵיתָא מְבָרְכִין לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְבָתַר מִנַיִן הַהוּא כּוּפְרָא, וּלְבָתַר אָהַדְרָן וּמְבָרְכִין לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָאן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא וּבְסוֹפָא, וְלָא סָלִיק בְּהוֹן מוֹתָנָא.

Transliteration

Translation

Come and behold: it has been established that celestial blessing does not dwell on something that is numbered. And if you ask how Yisrael were counted, he took from them a ransom for themselves. And they did not count until all the ransom that was gathered was counted. THUS at first Yisrael are blessed WHEN THE RANSOM IS RECEIVED, afterwards, once they counted the ransom, Yisrael are blessed again. So we find that Yisrael is blessed at the beginning and at the end, and they did not suffer a plague.

chanoch's Commentary

It is important to understand what is being expressed in this Pasook. Beginning is the Sefirah of Chochmah flowing down to Malchut which is the end. This is direct light - usually considered judgment. When it is pushed back through the idea of Malchut not being able to have light of its own and the metaphor of the curtain another Blessing is necessary since returning light has its own level of Chochmah. It is only by merit / clothing of the light within both Ohr de Chochmah and Ohr de Chassadim that it is capable of entering into the physical world and bypassing the negative entities waiting to absorb its light.

Pasook 3. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 1 Sulam Commentary

מוֹתָנָא אֲמַאי סָלִיק בְּמִנְיָינָא. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּבִרְכָתָא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּמִנְיָינָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתָּלַּק בִּרְכָתָא, סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְיָכִיל לְאַנְזְקָא, בְּגִין כַּךְ נַטְלִין כּוּפְרָא וּפִדְיוֹנָא לְסַלְּקָא עָלֵיהּ מִנְיָינָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְאִתְּמַר.

Transliteration

Translation

He asks: Why is a plague caused by counting? HE ANSWERS: Because the blessing does not dwell on anything numbered, and since the blessing has departed, the Other Side dwells on it and can harm. Therefore, we receive ransom and redeem it in order to do the counting. And we have already discussed and learned this.

chanoch's Commentary

why is it necessary to account for monies and materiels spent / used on the Temple? Why is it important to take a census of human beings? the typical answer given on the Pshat level of the Torah through the midrashim is that people get jealous of those in power and speak loshon Harah so Moshe accounted for all the donations so that no one could later say this is how he became wealthy. The answer to the second question given by the governments in power is that we need to know how to tax our population fairly so it is necessary to count what people are in our control. Actually in my opinion this is the control mechanism for abuse of the weaker members of society. Rabbi Ashlag is on record as a public zionist who said that the Communist regime and pattern of government is the correct one except for one mistake - they left HaShem out of the equation. A society that allows all members to take what is their needs from the society and give back to the society all that they can create is the method of government that works best. It just depends on a culture of worship of HaShem so that one does not need the motivation of greed and selfishness to distort these motivations.

this is Section 2 of Parasha Ki Tisa

Summary

Rabbi Shimon begins by speaking about the commandment to give half a shekel, and says it is like the Vav placed between the two Heis. The Faithful Shepherd, Moses, then follows with a discussion of the commandment to sanctify the month. He says that the holy moon, Malchut, is the bride that becomes hallowed by Gvurah of Zeir Anpin, in which are the Levites, who shall also be hallowed. Then when the moon becomes visible we bless it with Tiferet.

Pasook 4. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 2 Sulam Commentary

פִּקוּדָא לִיתֵּן מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ. מַאן מַחֲצִית הַשֶׁקֶל אִיהוּ כְּגוֹן חֲצִי הַהִין, וְדָא ו', מְמוּצָע בֵּין שֵׁנִי הֵהִי"ן. אַבְנָא לְמִשְׁקָל בָּהּ, דָּא י', עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הַשֶׁקֶל: דָּא יוֹ"ד. הֶעָשִׁיר לָא יַרְבֶּה, דָּא עַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, לָא יַרְבֶּה עַל י'. וְהָכִי אִתְּמַר בס"י, עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת בְּלִימָּה, עֶשֶׂר וְלָא אֶחָד עָשָׂר. וְהַדַּל לָא יַמְעִיט, דָּא צַדִּיק, לָא יַמְעִיט מֵעֶשֶׂר, כד"א עֶשֶׂר וְלָא תֵּשַׁע. מִמַּחֲצִית הַשֶׁקֶל, דְּאִיהוּ י'.

Transliteration

Translation - This pasook is spoken by the Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd) which is known to be the Soul of Moshe.

There is a commandment to give half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary. HE ASKS: What is the half-shekel? HE ANSWERS: It is like a half-hin, which is Vav, WHICH IS placed between the two Heis. The stone with which to weigh is Yud, "A shekel is Twenty gera" (Shemot 30:13), refers to Yud-Vav-Dalet. "The rich shall not give more" (Ibid. 15), refers to the Central Column, ZEIR ANPIN that should not give more than ten. And so have we learned in the Book of Formation, 'Ten Sfirot of nothingness “ ten, not eleven.' "And the poor shall not give less" (Ibid.) refers to the Righteous, THAT IS, YESOD. He must "not give less" than ten, as is said IN THE BOOK OF FORMATION, 'ten and not nine,' then half a shekel, which is ten.

chanoch's Commentary

Sections of the Zohar titled Ra'aya Mehimna is hard to decode and this is no exception. There are 6 Sefirot in Zeir Anpin. We are remined that the Vav connects the two Hai's. The energy of the upper Hai flows to the lower Hai through the 5 chassadim and 5 gevurot - or 10 sefirot that are resting / waiting in Yesod. Thus we learn that vav and Hai which is a gematria of 11 and is thought to include the 10 sefirot plus the negative system and be the lower worlds is truly the lower worlds composed of 10 sefirot of their own and 10 Sefirot of the upper worlds which is unified to 20 Sefirot / gerar of the Holy Shekel.

Pasook 5. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 2 Sulam Commentary

א"ל רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, אַנְתְּ בַּשָׁמַיִם, רָחִים אַנְתְּ מִמָּארֵיךְ, לֵית תַּוָוהָא בְכָל אִינּוּן מִלִּין יַקִּירִין דְּיִפְקוּן מִפּוּמָךְ, דְּהָא מַאן דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא, אוֹ בְּרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, לֵית תַּוָוהָא, דְּיִפְקוּן מַרְגְלָאִין בְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ, מַלְיָין סְגוּלוֹת, מַלְיָין נְהוֹרִין. לְבַר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא, אִיהוּ תַּוָוהָא. א"ל בְּרִיךְ אַנְתְּ רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא. מִתַּמָּן וְאֵילָךְ אֵימָא אַנְתְּ, דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין נַחְתּוּ לְמִשְׁמַע מִינָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אַשְׁלִים מִלּוּלָךְ, אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָא אִית כְּעַן לְמֵימַר יַתִּיר, אֵימָא אַנְתְּ עַד זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא.

Transliteration

Translation

It seems that the author of the previous paragraph was Rabbi Shimon. And the Faithful Shepherd said to him: You are in heaven; you are loved by your Master, therefore it is no wonder that all these precious words come from your mouth. For if one is a king or a prince, there is no wonder his table is full of gems and treasures, and full of lights. For anyone else this would be a wonder. He said to him: Blessed are you, faithful shepherd; from now on you speak, for those above and below have come to hear. He said to him: finish your words. He said to him: I have nothing more to say for the time being. You speak.

chanoch's Commentary

We learn from the above that the reincarnation of Moshe in the generation of the Zohar was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. This is confirmed in the writings of the ARIzal.

Pasook 6. of Zohar Ki Tisa Section 2 Sulam Commentary

פָּתַח רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ. בְּגִין דְּסִיהֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא אִיהִי כַּלָּה, דְּמִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת ע"פ ב"ד, דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה, בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן לֵיוָאֵי, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת הַלְוִיִּם. וּלְבָתַר דְּאִתְחֲזֵי סִיהֲרָא דְּיֵאוֹתוּ לְאוֹרָה, מְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ בָּרָא שְׁחָקִים, וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם. וּבְמִי מִתְקַדֶשֶׁת וּמִתְבָּרֶכֶת, בְּתִפְאֶרֶת בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת לַעֲמוּסֵי בָטֶן. ע"כ רעיא מהימנא

Transliteration

Translation

The Faithful Shepherd opened the discussion with: The following commandment is to sanctify the month. The holy moon, NAMELY MALCHUT, is the bride that becomes hallowed by the Court of Law, which is Gvurah OF ZEIR ANPIN “ BECAUSE MALCHUT IS BUILT FROM THE LEFT SIDE, WHICH IS GVURAH, as therein, GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, are the Levites. For it is said of them, 'And you shall hallow the Levites.' ALSO MALCHUT, WHICH IS OF THE GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, NEEDS SANCTIFICATION. And afterwards, when the moon is visible and we can enjoy its light, MEANING AFTER IT RECEIVED MOCHIN, we bless it, 'Blessed are You, Hashem our Elohim, King of the Universe, With His utterance He created the heavens, and with the breath of His mouth, all their hosts.' And with what is it hallowed and blessed? It is with Tiferet (glory), because it is glory to those born by Him from birth.

End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd) which is considered to be the soul of Moshe Rabeinu.

chanoch's Commentary

The subject is continued in a different frame of reference. The moon is Blessed in 3 parts just as the Holy shekel is considered complete with 3 parts. The moon is the announcement of the Shabbat before, Rosh Chodesh itself, and the Blessing between the 7th and 14th day of the month. the Holy Shekel is the Yood which is the spelling out of the name of the letter Yood vav Dalet. It is from this that we learn that the three lower worlds are illusionary and will ultimately reintegrate into the world of Atzilut after the three worlds unify which is the coming of Mashiach.