Zohar Mesora Section 1 - That you may know that there is Judgement

Zohar Commentary on Parasha Mesora - Section 1 - That you may know that there is Judgment

It is recommended that you study the Section prior to reading the Synopsis

METZORA

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Aba begins by reminding us that it is only those who study the Torah and abide by all her ways that are protected by guardian angels and have the Shechinah rest on them. He says that the sword in "be afraid of the sword" is the evil tongue of the serpent. God has a sword with which he punishes the wicked, and anyone who speaks with the evil tongue will be punished with it. Rabbi Elazar says that people do not try to understand God's will even though the supernal Announcer speaks to them every day.

Pasook 1. from the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Mesora

וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֺשֶׁה לֵאמֺר. זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְגוֹ'. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח, גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן. שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב. כַּמָה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אָרְחַיְיהוּ וּלְדַחֲלָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא יִסְטֵי מֵאָרְחָא דְּכַשְׁרָא, וְלָא יַעֲבוֹר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מִנָּהּ.

"And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: 'This shall be the Torah of the leper in the day of his cleansing'" (Vayikra 14:1-2). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse: "Be afraid of the sword: for wrath brings the punishments of the sword that you may know that there is judgment (Heb. shadun)" (Iyov 19:29). It is PRONOUNCED, "shadun," but spelled shedin (lit. 'demons'). Observe in how many ways people should guard their way, fear the Holy One, blessed be He, and not depart from the right way, and people should neither transgress the laws of the Torah nor ever leave her.

chanoch adds: When one speaks Loshon Harah the demons are given permission to abuse and impact someones life. The pleasure of Loshon HaRah does not equate at all with the effect. Learn this well. Study the laws of Loshon Harah and stop speaking Loshon Harah. Loshon Harah is the truth yet it is still evil. The truth is not an excuse or an explanation for speaking loshon Harah.

Pasook 2. from the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Mesora

דְּכָל מַאן דְּלָא לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּדַל בָּה, נְזִיפָא הוּא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, רְחִיקָא הוּא מִנֵּיהּ, לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִמֵּיהּ. וְאִינּוּן נְטוּרִין, דְּאַזְלִין עַמֵּיהּ, אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִנֵּיהּ, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּמַכְרְזֵי קָמֵיהּ וְאַמְרֵי, אִסְתְּלָקוּ סוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּלָא חָשׁ עַל יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וַוי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא שַׁבְקוּהוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּאָרְחָא דְּחַיֵּי.

He who does not learn the Torah and does not strive by her is scorned by the Holy One, blessed be He. The Shechinah does not rest upon him and the guardian ANGELS who accompany him TO PROTECT HIM depart from him. Moreover they stand before him proclaiming: 'Withdraw from this man, for he does not honor his Master'. Woe to him, for he is abandoned by the upper and lower beings and has no part in the way of the living.

chanoch adds: Are you willing to go through life without the protection of the Angelic Beings? This is the effect of choosing to not study Torah. This is especially true if one does not study the Torah of Loshon Harah.

Pasook 3. from the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Mesora

וְכַד אִיהוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כַּמָה נְטוּרִין זְמִינִין לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְכֺלָּא מַכְרְזֵי קַמֵּיהּ וְאַמְרֵי, הָבוּ יְקָרָא לְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא, הָבוּ יְקָרָא לִבְרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, אִתְנְטִיר הוּא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ.

When man makes an effort in serving his Master and learns the Torah, many guards are there to protect him. The Shechinah also rests upon him and everyone proclaims: 'Honor the image of the King! Honor the son of the King! He is protected in this world and the World to Come! Blessed be he!'

chanoch adds: AMEN

Pasook 4. from the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Mesora

ת"ח, בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא דְּאָמַר נָחָשׁ לְאִתְּתָא גָּרִים לְאִתְּתָא, וּלְאָדָם, לְמִגְזַר עָלַיְיהוּ מִיתָה, וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא כְּתִיב, וּלְשׁוֹנָם חֶרֶב חַדָּה. בְּג"כ, גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב, מִפְּנֵי לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא. כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב. מַאי כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב. דָּא חֶרֶב לַיְיָ', דִּתְנָן, חֶרֶב אִית לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּבֵיהּ דָּאִין לְחַיָּיבַיָּא. הה"ד חֶרֶב לַיְיָ' מָלְאָה דָם. וְחַרְבִּי תֺּאכַל בָּשָׂר. ובג"כ גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב. בְּגִין דְּתֵדְעוּן דְּהָכִי אִתְּדָּן, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ חֶרֶב בְּלִישָׁנֵיהּ, אִזְדְּמַן לֵיהּ חֶרֶב דְּשָׁצֵי כֺּלָּא, הה"ד זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע.

Come and behold: the evil tongue of the Serpent, with which he spoke to the woman, brought death upon the man, the woman, and the whole world. Thus, it is written: "And their tongue a sharp sword" (Tehilim 57:5), referring to the evil tongue. Therefore, "be afraid of the sword," NAMELY the evil tongue. What does the following verse mean? "For wrath brings the punishments of the sword." This is "the sword of Hashem," for as we learned, the Holy One, blessed be He, has a sword with which He punishes the wicked, as it is written: "the sword of Hashem is filled with blood" (Yeshayah 34:6). It is also written: "My sword shall devour flesh," (Devarim 32:42) FOR THIS IS THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT WITHIN MALCHUT. Therefore, "be afraid of the sword for wrath brings the punishments of the sword that you may know that there is judgment," WHICH MEANS that you know it has been so decreed, and THAT ANYONE who has a sword in his tongue “ NAMELY, HE WHO SPEAKS WITH THE EVIL TONGUE “ is punished with the sword that destroys all, FOR THIS IS MALCHUT FROM THE SIDE OF JUDGMENT. This is the meaning of: "This shall be the Torah of the leper"; THAT IS, MALCHUT FROM THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT, WHICH IS CALLED 'THIS', JUDGES THE LEPER FOR HIS EVIL TONGUE, BECAUSE PLAGUES COME FROM THE EVIL TONGUE.

chanoch adds: Our modern Kabbalists teach that one reason the Temple is not rebuilt yet is due to Loshon Harah. This is consistent with the earlier teachings that the Temple is not rebuilt yet due to Hatred for no reason. The effect of Loshon Harah is a period of time connected to judgment. This is the idea of the sword of HaShem and other words in this Zohar Pasook. Our generation is not sufficiently afraid of Loshon Harah. If we did we would never speak about a person in front of another person. If we were truly afraid we would never compliment someone in front of another person. These are just the beginnings of what one needs to learn about the Halacha of Loshon Harah.

Pasook 5. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Mesora

רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחוּזּוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. הַאי קְרָא הָא אִתְּמַר. אֲבָל ת"ח, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא שַׁמְעִין, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְכָרוֹזָא כָּל יוֹמָא קָארֵי קָמַיְיהוּ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּצָיִית לֵיהּ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ לְפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ.

Rabbi Elazar cited the verse: "Like the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time" (Kohelet 9:12). Although we have already learned this verse, come and behold: people are not aware of their Master's desire and do not listen to it, nor do they look to it. The supernal announcer goes before them every day to awaken them, but no one is there to listen to him and no one awakens his spirit to worship his Master.

chanoch adds: We should take this pasook and memorize it in the language we understand it. We should then contemplate this daily if not hourly. Evil time is a time of judgment. We live in a generation where people find it rude to say to someone please stop saying Loshon Harah. What do you think the outcome will be from not saying please stop or i will walk away? And then walk away if necessary. It might save your life or the life of someone else. That is how important NO LOSHON HARAH actually is.