Zohar Matot Section 1 - The World is Maintained by Two Colors Only

It is recommended to read the Zohar Section first prior to reading the Synopsis.

Zohar Matot - Section 1 - The World is Maintained by Two Colors Only

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yitzchak talk about the wise-hearted women that spin and work with their hands, and from this they derive that those women combine Judgment and Mercy. We hear that Rabbi Elazar said that every woman is considered Judgment until she marries a man of Yisrael, who is compassion, and thus Judgment and Mercy are joined together. The rabbis explain why it is forbidden for men to have intercourse with women from the other nations. We hear that God called the souls of Yisrael Chesed so that the world would never be without love. From this it is clear that anyone who destroys Chesed will not exist in the World to Come. Matot ends with a reference to levirate marriage, where the childless man's brother restores Chesed to the world.

Pasook 1. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

וְכָל הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָא יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר. תַּמָּן תָּנֵינָן, א"ר יְהוּדָה, אֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְנַהֵג אֶלָּא בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונִין, דְּאָתוּ מִסְּטַר אִתְּתָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחַת חַכִּימַת לִבָּא. הה"ד, וְכָל אִשָׁה חַכְמַת לֵב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ וַיָּבִיאוּ מַטְוֶה אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן. וּמַאי מַתְיָּין. אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן, גַּוְונִין דִּכְלִילָן בְּגוֹ גְּוָונֵי.

“But all the female children that have not known man by lying with him” (Bemidbar 31:18). In relation to this, we learned that Rabbi Yehuda said the world is maintained by two colors only, WHITE AND RED – NAMELY CHASSADIM AND CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT that come from the aspect of the wise-hearted woman. Hence, it says, “and all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple” (Shemot 35:25). What did they bring? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS blue and purple, which are colors contained within colors; THAT IS, THERE ARE TWO MAIN COLORS – WHITE AND RED – AND BLUE AND PURPLE COLORS ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THESE TWO COLORS.

chanoch's Commentary

There are 7 colors in the rainbow which are the seven Sefirot:

Red is referred here as Chochmah of the left which is the left column.

White is referred to as Chesed which is also called the right column.

Rabbi Ashlag explains that the Color Purple is included in the Keter representing the right column.

The color blue is included in Malchut and really is the color called Techellet. Techellet is Malchut.

The other colors of the seven are Green, Yellow, and Orange. Sometimes black is considered Malchut as Black. Green is the Central Column. Yellow is Tiferet. Orange is Hod. Netzach appears to be missing. Can you guess which color it is? There are differing opinions related to color and the Sefirot.

Comment in the year 5776

Why is the verse about the girls who have not known a man being brought here? We have to understand why the Sages find the idea of a virgin with an intact hymen is something of value? And then how does this relate to colors of the Sefirot? Why i do not have a clear answer to these questions, what is clear to me is the word Betulah בתולה which is used in the month of Teshuvah and the month of Elul is extremely important even if i do not understand yet why. The shoresh for Betulah is Tal - Tav Lamed - which represents a mound that covers a wealth of archaeological information. The additional letters in the word Bet Vav Hai has a gematria of 13 which is unity. The idea of a virgin is concealing a path to unity, in my opinion.

Pasook 2. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשׂ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶיהָ. וּכְתִיב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ, מַאי טָווּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, טָווּ בְּדִינָא, טָווּ בְּרַחֲמֵי. א"ר יִצְחָק, אֲמַאי אִתְקַרְיָא אִשָּׁה. אָמַר לֵיהּ דִּכְלִילָא בְּדִינָא, וּכְלִילָא בְּרַחֲמֵי.

This is the meaning of: “she seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands” (Mishlei 1:13), SINCE WOOL PERTAINS TO THE RIGHT AND MERCY, AND FLAX TO THE LEFT AND JUDGMENT. It is also written: “did spin with their hands.” What is “spin?” Rabbi Yehuda says: They spin with Judgment and they spin with Mercy; THAT IS, THEY INTERLACE RIGHT AND LEFT WITH EACH OTHER, AND THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT ARE SWEETENED BY THE MERCY OF THE RIGHT. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Why is a woman (Heb. ishah) so called, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM FIRE (HEB. ESH)? He said to him, She contains Judgment and Mercy. SHE IS THEREFORE CALLED ‘ISHAH,’ THE LETTERS OF ESH-HEI, ESH BEING JUDGMENT AND HEI MERCY.

chanoch adds: Please remember everything is all relative to the souls or the frame of reference. No frame of reference is being clarified in this Pasook. Flax is left column since it is cotton and grows representing the desire to receive. Flax is left column relative to wool which comes from a lamb who is a negative animal and is being grown out from the negativity. It is being transformed from desire to receive for oneself alone into desire to receive in order to share. A women contains both Mercy and Judgment as indicated in the Pasook. This would be central column if the two energies are in balance. If judgment is stronger in an individual women she is connected to Malchut. If Mercy is stronger she is connected to Binah. Yet a woman is called left column relative to a man. Always keep relativity in mind.

Pasook 3. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

ת"ח, דא"ר אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל אִתְּתָא בְּדִינָא אִתְקַרְיָא, עַד דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי. דְּתַנְיָא, מִסִּטְרָא דב"נ, אָתֵי חִוָּורָא. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִתְּתָא, אָתֵי סוּמָקָא. טַעֲמָא אִתְּתָא מֵחִוָּורָא, וְחִוָּורָא עָדִיף.

Come and behold. Rabbi Elazar said: Every woman is considered to be of Judgment, SINCE THEY ARE ROOTED IN THE LEFT COLUMN. IT IS SO until she tastes the taste of Mercy – THAT IS, MARRIES A MAN – AS A MALE IS ROOTED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, WHICH IS CHESED AND MERCY. We learned that it is from the side of the man that white is produced, SUCH AS THE BONES OF THE FETUS, FOR HE IS OF MERCY. From the side of the woman comes the red OF THE FETUS, THE RED OF FLESH AND SINEW, WHICH ARE OF JUDGMENT. When a woman tastes of the white – THAT IS, WHEN SHE IS MARRIED TO A MAN – white is more predominant in her, THOUGH HER ROOT IS THE RED.

chanoch adds: This is confirming what i said above. What is also being indicated is the injection of Sperm injects mercy into a women along with the physical sperm. This is an amazing teaching that takes a significant amount of contemplation. This pasook as a hint to the idea that each man who ejaculates into a women leaves a spiritual trace connected to the sperm. When many men are injected into a women they sometimes will be in conflict. This spiritual conflict is what causes the majority of prostitutes to have difficult lives.

Pasook 4. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

ות"ח אֲמַאי אֲסִירָן נְשֵׁי שְׁאַר עַמִּין, דְּיַדְעֵי מִשְׁכְּבֵי דְּכוּרָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּתָנֵינָן, אִית יְמִינָא, וְאִית שְׂמָאלָא. יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין. וג"ע, וְגֵיהִנָם. עָלְמָא דָּא, וְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקָבְלֵי דְּרַחֲמֵי, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין לָקֳבְלֵי דְּדִינָא. וּתְנָן, אִתְּתָא דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא. אִתְּתָא דְּטַעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּדִינָא, דִּינָא בְּדִינָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת, וְעָלַיְיהוּ אִתְקְרֵי וְהַכְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ לֹא יָדְעוּ שָׂבְעָה.

Come and behold: this is why women of the other nations, who know man by lying with him, are forbidden to be wed. We have learned that there is right – CHESED – and left – JUDGMENT – which are Yisrael and the other nations, AND ALSO the Garden of Eden, ON THE RIGHT, and Gehenom, ON THE LEFT. This world is ON THE LEFT and the World to Come is ON THE RIGHT. The children of Yisrael correspond to Mercy, ON THE RIGHT, and the other nations to Judgment, ON THE LEFT. We have learned that when a woman has a taste of Mercy – THAT IS, WHEN SHE MARRIES ONE OF THE MEN OF YISRAEL – Mercy overpowers JUDGMENT AND SHE TURNS INTO MERCY. When a woman has a taste of Judgment – THAT IS, WHEN SHE MARRIES A FOREIGNER WHO PERTAINS TO JUDGMENT, AS MENTIONED – Judgment cleaves to Judgment. THE JUDGMENT IN THE WOMAN ADHERES TO THE JUDGMENT IN THE FOREIGNER. It is written of them: “the dogs are insolently greedy, they never have enough” (Yeshayah 56:11).

chanoch's Commentary

Is this Pasook offensive? Read it closely and it won't be. The Jewish Halacha on all groups of Jews - Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Renewal, Reconstructionist, and all others do not allow non Jewish women to be wed to a Jewish man by a Rabbi. The definition of who is a Jew changes between groups. What the Zohar is saying is that there are spiritual differences between Nations. These spiritual Nations impact the people involved. My uncle who was married to 4 different non Jewish women would say "they are Jewish by injection". It may be offensive. He said it as a joke - a joke to hide his pain related to the pain of his parents. Ultimately what needs to be understood where this Halacha comes from. It comes from the verses in the Torah of the Parasha of Masei and relates to the concept of marrying within or without a Tribe of the Children of Israel. Look closely at this translation and realize that the Zohar is saying you are authorized to marry a non Jewish woman if she has not been with any other man. This is because she can accept the Mercy energy and it will cause chaos in their marriage. I can attest to this from the life of my uncle.

Pasook 5. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לעכו"ם קְשׁוּרָה בּוֹ כַּכֶּלֶב. מַה כַּלְבָּא תַּקִּיפָא בְּרוּחֵיהּ חֲצִיפָא. אוֹף הָכָא דִּינָא בְּדִינָא, חֲצִיפָא בְּכֺלָּא. הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, תָּנֵינָן, כְּתִיב וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְכֶם הַיּוֹם. מ"ט. מִשּׁוּם דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתְיָיא מֵרוּחָא דֶּאֱלֺֹהִים חַיִּים. דִּכְתִיב כִּי רוּחַ מִלְּפָנַי יַעֲטוֹף, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב מִלְּפָנַי. ובג"כ, אִתְתָא דְּהִיא בְּתוּלְתָא, וְלָא אִתְדְּבָקַת בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְאִתְדְּבָקַת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא וְאִתְכְּשָׁרַת.

In relation to this, we have learned that a woman who is married to a foreigner is attached to him like a dog. Just as a dog has a strong impudent spirit, she WHO IS MARRIED TO A FOREIGNER is also most impudent, WHEN Judgment CLEAVES to Judgment. We learned that she who is married to one of the children of Yisrael, it says OF HER: “but you that did cleave to HaShem your Elohim are alive every one of you this day” (Devarim 4:4). What is the reason thereof? The soul of Yisrael comes from the spirit of living Elohim, as it is written: “but the spirit…should faint (also: ‘envelop’) before Me” (Yeshayah 57:16). This is understood from the phrase, “before Me,” WHICH MEANS FROM BEFORE THE SHECHINAH, NAMELY FROM ZEIR ANPIN CALLED ‘LIVING ELOHIM.’ Therefore, in a virgin woman, who does not cleave to the Harsh Judgment of the other nations, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, but cleaves to Yisrael, WHICH IS OF MERCY, Mercy is more powerful, and she is corrected FROM THE JUDGMENT IN HER.

chanoch adds: Do you understand how much pain has been caused by the Rabbi's using the letter of the law since they can never know if a non Jewish or even a Jewish woman has been with a Man so they err on the side of caution. This verse of the Zohar is the spirit of the law promulgated by Moshe dealing with the daughters of Zelophchad.

Let me put things into perspective and make the spirit of the law clear:

Jewish Man marries either a Jewish Virgin or non Jewish woman Virgin - here judgements are rectified.

Jewish Woman virgin or not marries a non Jewish man - Her judgments are increased and she cleaves to a foreign God it is said elsewhere in the Zohar.

Jewish Man marries a Jewish woman who has been previously married to a non Jewish man. He is incapable of changing her connection to the increased judgment.

Jewish Man marries a Jewish woman who has been previously married to a Jewish man. He may be her soul mate. Her judgments have already been corrected.

A Jewish Man marries a convert who has never been married. It is the same as a Jewish woman above.

A Jewish Man marries a convert who has been married before it will depend on the timing of her conversion and if she slept with a non Jewish man after her conversion. If she has not slept with a non Jewish man after her conversion she is considered a virgin spiritually.

Pasook 6. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Matot

ות"ח, כְּתִיב אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה. מַאי חֶסֶד. הוּא חַד מִכִּתְרֵי עִלָּאֵי דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל קָרָא לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֶסֶד. עַל תְּנַאי דְּיִתְבְּנֵי, וְלָא יִשְׁתֵּיצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא. מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב יִבָּנֶה. בג"כ תָּנֵינָן, מַאן דְּשֵׁצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא, אִשְׁתֵּיצֵי הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה, בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד חֶסֶד עִם מִיתָא. וְאִתְעָבֵיד בִּנְיָינָא, דִּכְתִּיב עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה.

Come and behold. It is written: “for I have said, ‘The world is built by Chesed’” (Tehilim 89:3). What is Chesed? HE ANSWERS: It is one of the King’s supernal Sefirot, NAMELY THE HIGHEST OF THE LOWER SEVEN SEFIROT. For the Holy One, blessed be He, named the soul of Yisrael Chesed, on the condition that it would build CHESED. Thus, Chesed will never cease. This is derived from the phrase, “is built,” WHICH REFERS TO CHESED THAT WILL BE BUILT. We have therefore learned that he who causes Chesed to cease in the world will perish in the world to come. Hence, it is written: “the wife of the dead shall not marry abroad to a stranger” (Devarim 25:5), in order to do kindness (Chesed) with the dead man, so that he will be built and established, as it is written, “the world is built by Chesed” (Tehilim 89:3).

chanoch adds: This pasook is dealing with levirate marriage. The brother brings the soul of the dead husband and in so doing causes Chesed to be increased in the world.

Commentary in the year 5776

The world is built on chesed - the word built is the same letters as Binah. The verse is confirming the idea that the "son" of HaShem - Yood Hai is Loving Kindness - Chesed. Learn this teaching well and often.