Zohar Lech Lecha - Section 26 - "After These Things

It is recommended to study the section prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha Section 26

It is best to study the Zohar in the following manner:

1. Read out loud the Aramaic Verse. If you need to transliterate in order to read with the sounds of the lettersthe verse see below. If you use the transliteration tool than make sure you scan the Aramaic first and last.

2. Read the English Translation - if you desire to understand and realize that your understanding will limit the energy you receive. This is why it is important to scan the aramaic verse first.

3.Write out your understanding of the verse. Send it to yeshshem@hotmail.com in an email. Use the Parasha Name and verse number in the subject. By sending your understanding you give yeshshem.com permission to post this to web page and any other uses Yeshshem may see a beneficial use.

4. Now read chanoch's Commentary or additions to enhance and or modify your own personal understanding.

SYNOPSIS:

In the material world, the Light of the Creator can only manifest through a physical medium or instrument, which Kabbalah refers to as a Vessel. Just as sunlight requires physical matter to reveal its radiance, spiritual Light requires a Vessel in order to express itself. Though many spiritual traditions teach renunciation of material existence, Kabbalah takes a very different view. Rather than meditating on a mountaintop above the fray and fracas of our daily existence, we must embrace the chaos of life, using it as an opportunity, as a vessel to reveal Light. Spiritual Light ignites in that momentary flash-point of character transformation.

THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE:

Acknowledging and rooting out the negative, dark side of our nature when confronting chaos and conflict, give us the opportunity to effect character change. Moreover, we must initiate the physical actions necessary to transform ourselves, change our world, and reveal the spiritual Light of the Creator. Accordingly, this portion strengthens us so that we successfully confront and transform life's challenges.

Pasook 261. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְּבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם וגו'. ר' יְהוּדָה פָּתַח אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא, אִשְׁתְּכַח אִתְעֲרוּתָא לְעֵילָא, דְּהָא לָא אִתְעַר לְעֵילָא, עַד דְּאִתְעַר לְתַתָּא. וּבִרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי, אֶלָּא בַּמֶה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ מַמָּשָׁא, וְלָאו אִיהוּ רֵיקַנְיָא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

"After these things, the word of Hashem came to Abram..." (Beresheet 15:1). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discourse by quoting, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me" (Shir Hashirim 7:11). As has been explained, this means that awakening below results in awakening above. There can be no awakening from above until there is awakening from below. In addition, blessings from above rest in a place of substance, not in an empty space.

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk is clear as written. This concept awakening from below is a hint to "returning light".

Pasook 262. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

מְנָלָן. מֵאֵשֶׁת עוֹבַדְיָהוּ, דַּאֲמַר לָהּ אֱלִישָׁע הַגִּידִי לִי מַה יֵּשׁ לָךְ בַּבָּיִת, דְּהָא בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, לָא שָׁרְיָין עַל פָּתוֹרָא רֵיקַנְיָא, וְלָא בַּאֲתַר רֵיקַנְיָא. מַה כְּתִיב, וַתֹּאמֶר אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ כֹּל בַּבָּיִת כִּי אִם אָסוּךְ שָׁמֶן. מַאי אָסוּךְ. אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ, שִׁיעוּרָא דְהַאי מִשְׁחָא, לָאו אִיהִי, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מְשִׁיחַת אֶצְבְּעָא זְעִירָא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

How do we know this? We know this from the wife of Ovadyahu, to whom Elisha said, "Tell me, what have you in the house" (II Melachim 4:2). He asked this because blessings from above do not rest on an empty table, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED ABOUT THE SHEWBREAD, nor in an empty place, AS IS TOLD OF THE WIFE OF OVADYAHU. "And she said, 'Your handmaid has nothing in the house but a pot of oil'"(Ibid.). AND HE ASKS, What is a pot? AND HE SAYS, There is only enough oil IN THE POT to smear the little finger.

chanoch's Commentary

With Rabbi Ashlag's comments the pasuk is clear as written. Know that this pasuk is teaching a spiritual law.

Pasook 263. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

אֲמַר לָהּ, נִחַמְתַּנִי. דְּהָא לָא יְדַעְנָא, הֵיאַךְ יִשְׁרוֹן בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, בְּדוּכְתָּא רֵיקַנְיָא, אֲבָל הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִית לָךְ שֶׁמֶן, דָּא הוּא אֲתַר, לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן. מִנָּלָן דִּכְתִיב כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב וגו'. וְסֵיפֵיהּ מַה כְּתִיב, כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה ה' אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם. וּבְאַתְרָא דָּא שָׁרָאן בִּרְכָאן.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

ELISHA said, You have relieved me. Because I did not know how the blessings of above would rest in an empty place. But now that you have some oil, this is the place where the blessings shall rest. How do we know this? Because it is written, "It is like the precious ointment..." (Tehilim 133:2). And how does the verse end? With the words, "for there Hashem has commanded the blessing, even life for evermore" (Ibid.). SO in this place, NAMELY IN THE OIL, there are blessings.

chanoch's Commentary

This refers to items connected to the right column as we have learned earlier.

Pasook 264. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

וְאִי תֵימָא כְּטַל חֶרְמוֹן שֶׁיּוֹרֵד עַל הַרְרֵי צִיּוֹן, וְלָא כְתִיב שֶׁמֶן אֶלָא טַל. אֶלָּא, אִיהוּ שֶׁמֶן, וְאִיהוּ טַל. הַהוּא טַל, אִיהוּ, דְּאַטֵּיל קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִמִּשְׁחָא עִלָּאָה. דְּהַהוּא שֶׁמֶן נְפַק לְסִטְרָא דְּיָמִינָא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

You might think that because in the words, "like the dew of Chermon descending upon the mountains of Zion" (Ibid.), FOLLOWED BY THE WORDS "FOR THERE HASHEM HAS COMMANDED THE BLESSINGS," dew is mentioned rather than oil. DEW IS THEN THE PLACE FOR THE BLESSING AND NOT OIL. BUT, HE REPLIES, It is oil and it is dew, MEANING THAT THEY ARE THE SAME. BECAUSE this dew is what the Holy One, blessed be He, drew out of the supernal oil, which comes out of the right side.

chanoch's Commentary

With Rabbi Ashlag's comments the pasuk is clear as written.

Pasook 265. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

תְּרֵין אִינוּן: יַיִן וְשֶׁמֶן. וְאָזְלוּ לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, יַיִן לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, שֶׁמֶן, לִסְטַר יָמִינָא. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְיָמִינָא, נָפְקֵי בִּרְכָאן לְעָלְמָא, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְמְשַׁח מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּבְגִין דְּשֶׁמֶן הֲוָה אִתְתַּקַּן לְתַתָּא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, שֶׁמֶן אִזְדַמַּן לְעֵילָא, אֲרִיקוּ דְּבִרְכָאן.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

These are two things wine and oil and they flow to two sides. Wine flows to the left and oil to the right. And from the right side all blessings come forth and descend to this world, and from there, the holy kingdom, WHICH REFERS TO THE KINGS OF YISRAEL, is anointed. Because oil is first prepared below, MEANING THAT SHE HAD THE POT OF OIL, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE AWAKENING FROM BELOW, then the oil was available from above, referring to the flowing of the blessings FROM ABOVE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE AWAKENING FROM ABOVE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "UPON HER SONS, WHO BROUGHT THE VESSELS TO HER; AND SHE POURED OUT" (II MELACHIM 4:5).

chanoch's Commentary

With Rabbi Ashlag's comments the pasuk is clear as written.

Pasook 266. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

תָּא חֲזֵי, מֵאִתְעֲרוּתָא דְּהַאי שֶׁמֶן דִּלְעֵילָא, קָאֵי לַאֲרָקָא עַל דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא בְּנוֹי. מנ"ל, דִּכְתִיב, וַיַּעֲמֹד הַשֶּׁמֶן. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיַּעֲמֹד. וּכְתִיב הָתָם שֹׁרֶשׁ יִשַּׁי, אֲשֶׁר עֹמֵד לְנֵס עַמִּים.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Come and behold, From the awakening of this oil above, it was poured on David and Solomon, so that their sons would be blessed. How do we know this? It is in the verse, "And the oil stopped (lit. 'stood')" (II Melachim 4:6). THIS IS ANALOGOUS TO WHAT IS written elsewhere, "a root of Jesse, that stands for a banner of the people..." (Yeshayah 11:10). Because this verse alludes to David, Solomon, and their descendants, who are from the root of Jesse, then here as well the verse alludes to David, Solomon, and their descendants.

chanoch's Commentary

With Rabbi Ashlag's comments the pasuk is clear as written.

Pasook 267. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

תָּא חֲזֵי, מִשֻּׁלְחָן דְּלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, דְּבִרְכָאן נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן, וּמְזוֹנָא לְעָלְמָא, לָא בָעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא רֵיקַנְיָא, אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חָדָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּלְּקוּן בִּרְכָאן מִתַּמָּן, אוּף הָכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִין עַל שֻׁלְחָן רֵיקַנְיָא, דְּהָא בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָא, לָא שָׁרְיָין עַל שֻׁלְחָן רֵיקַנְיָא.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Come and behold, Just as the table of the Shewbread, from where all the blessings and replenishment of the world come, should not remain empty even for a moment, so that the blessings may not be removed from there, one should never recite blessings over an empty table. The blessings from above will not rest upon an empty table.

chanoch's Commentary

This is why the custom is to have some lechem - bread on a table when one is saying the Bercat Hamazon.

Pasook 268. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ. אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי, לְאַתְקָנָא לֵיהּ דּוּכְתָּא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, ולְבָתַר, וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Come and behold, it is then written, "I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me." First, "I am my beloved's," and then, "his desire is towards me." "I am my beloved's" to prepare a place for him at first BY THE AWAKENING FROM BELOW, and afterwards "his desire is towards me."

chanoch's Commentary

With Rabbi Ashlag's comments the pasuk is clear as written.

Pasook 269. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

דָּבָר אֲחֵר אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת עִמְהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, וּלְמִקְרַב גַּבֵּי דְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ. הה"ד אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ לְבָתַר. אָתֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִתְדַּכָּאָה, מְדַכְּאִין לֵיהּ.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Another explanation for "I am my beloved's" is based on the understanding that the Shechinah does not reside among the wicked. As soon as a person desires to purify himself and come close to the Holy One, blessed be He, only then does the Shechinah rest upon him. Therefore it is written, "I am my beloved's" first, and then, "his desire is towards me." Because when a person comes to be purified, he is purified.

chanoch's Commentary

This pasuk is clear as written. This is describing an additional spiritual law. Contemplate the pasuk to realize the spiritual law.

Pasook 270. from the Zohar Sulam Commentary on Parasha Lech Lecha

תָּא חֲזֵי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, דְּרָדַף אַבְרָהָם בָּתַר אִלֵּין מַלְכִין, וְקָטֵיל לוֹן קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲוָה אַבְרָהָם תּוֹהֶא, אֲמַר דִּילְמָא ח"ו, גָּרַעֲנָא הַהוּא אַגְרָא, דַּהֲוֵינָא אַהֲדַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לְגַבֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאַחִידְנָא בְּהוֹ, לְקָרָבָא לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְקְטִילוּ בְּנֵי נְשָׁא עַל יָדִי. מִיָּד אָמַר לוֹ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה וגו'. אַגְרָא קַבִּילַת עֲלַיְיהוּ, דְּהָא כָּלְהוֹ לָא יִזְכּוּן לְעָלְמִין.

Transliteration

Please use a Transliteration tool to read the Aramaic Verses. This enhances the energy transfer since it uses both sight of the Hebrew Letters and Sound as well. You may find a transliteration tool on the dailyzohar website or through an internet search for "Hebrew Transliteration".

Translation

Come and behold, "After these things," after Abraham pursued the kings, and the Holy One, blessed be He, killed them off, Abraham was wondering if perhaps "I have lost all the reward from bringing people to repent and return to the Holy One, blessed be He, and holding on to them to draw them nearer to Him since now people were killed by me!" Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be exceedingly great." You are receiving a reward for them, BECAUSE THEY WERE KILLED, because none of them shall ever be able to improve their behavior.

chanoch's Commentary

We learn in reincarnation that the good deeds of non-righteous people causes the effect of improved reward to those who are righteous.