Zohar Pinchas Section 18 - Three Craftsmen - Heaven, Earth, and Water

It is recommended to read / scan / study the Section prior to reading the Synopsis and the Relevance of the Passage Section.

Zohar Pinchas Section 18 - Three Craftsmen - Heaven, Earth, and Water

SYNOPSIS:

Rabbi Aba says that a person is made by the partnership between his father, his mother and God. He then refers to the three craftsmen made by God the heaven, the earth, and the water and with whom He produced the world. When these three were finished God commanded them to produce the body of man, and He provided the soul. When a person rejoices he is rejoicing with his parents, even though they may already have passed to the World to Come, and also with God.

THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE:

Water is the lifeblood of man and this planet. We are born in water inside the womb of our mother and water is our primary substance, comprising over 65% of our body. The cleansing and healing power of water flows to us and washes away the stains on our souls, the seeds of all sickness. The nurturing influences of our father and mother and our supernal Creator fill us with well-being and with the primordial energy of Creation. The life force within us intensifies.We have learned that when we rejoice in this world, our parents in the next world rejoice with us if our hearts are filled with love for the Creator. However, when we experience distress, our parents are not informed. The words that speak these spiritual truths eliminate distress from our lives and our world so that only joy and celebration fill all existence.

Pasook 121. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Pinchas

ד"א בְּעוֹשָׂיו, בְּגִין דב"נ אִתְעָבֵיד בְּשׁוּתָּפוּת, גַּבְרָא וְאִתְּתָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְעַל רָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם, בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ. דְּתָנֵינָן, תְּלַת אוּמָנִין עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְאַפָּקָא מִנְּהוֹן עָלְמָא, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן: שְׁמַיָּא, וְאַרְעָא, וּמַיָּיא. וְכָל חַד שִׁמֵּשׁ חַד יוֹמָא, וְאָהַדְרוּ כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין.

An alternative explanation of "they who made him" IS THAT IT REFERS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND THE PERSON'S FATHER AND MOTHER, since man is made in partnership between man, his wife, and the Holy One, blessed be He. And about this secret it is written: "Let Us make man" (Beresheet 1:26), "Us," implying a partnership WITH HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER. For we have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, made three craftsmen with whom to produce the world, namely, heaven, earth and water, and each one of them served for one day, AND THEN LATER each served FOR A SECOND DAY, as previously.

chanoch's Commentary

If people will think about who created them this Pasook is not a surprise. What is a surprise is the idea that each of the Craftsmen served for one day and then another day. Let us look at this teaching and evaluate the relationship of the day to the concept of male and female:

Sunday is unity and clearly relates to HaShem.

Monday is separation as well as sexual union. Why would there be only one person in charge of this day? If we follow the order of the pattern then this day was controlled by the Father and it would be male. It is also possible and i think it is actually mother who is responsible for this Creation.

Tuesday - in my opinion it is father.

Wednesday - This is the day that Sun and Moon were Created and it is also the day that the Moon diminished herself. In a sense this can only be created by the Creator.

Thursday - The Fishes and other water based lifeforms were created by Imma or Mother.

Friday was created by the Yesod which is Abba or Father.

Please remember the above is my opinion and may be incorrect.

Pasook 122. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Pinchas

יוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה, אַפִּיק שְׁמַיָא אוּמָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר. יוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא, אַפִּיקוּ מַיָּא אוּמָנוּתָא לַעֲבִידְתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וְגוֹ'. אִסְתְּלָקוּ פַּלְגָּא מַיָּיא לְעֵילָּא, וּפַלְגָּא מַיָּיא לְתַתָּא אִשְׁתְּאָרוּ. וְאִלְמָלֵא כַּךְ דַּמְיָא אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ, עָלְמָא לָא הֲוָה קָאֵים. יוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה, עֲבִידַת אַרְעָא וְאַפִּיקַת כְּמָה דְּאִתְפַּקְּדַת, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב, וּכְתִיב וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא וְגוֹ'.

On the first day heaven produced its craft, as it is written: "And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Beresheet 1:3). On the second day water gave of its craft, as it is written: "And Elohim said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters..." (Ibid. 6), where half the waters ascended on high and half remained below; and had the waters not divided there would have been no world. On the third day the earth did as it was commanded, as it is written: "Let the earth bring forth grass... And the earth brought forth grass" (Ibid. 11-12).

The Pasook is clear as to the relationship between HaShem, Heaven, and Earth and the First three days of Creation. Thus Chesed was created by Heaven. Gevurah was created by Water from this verse. This does not make sense since water is connected to Chesed. Tiferet was created by the earth.

Pasook 123. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Pinchas

עַד הָכָא כָּל אוּמָנָא מֵאִלֵּין תְּלָתָא, אַפִּיק אוּמָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְעַבְדוּ מַה דְּאִתְפְּקָדוּ. אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ תְּלַת יוֹמִין אַחֲרָנִין. יוֹמָא ד', אִתְפְּקַד אוּמָנָא קַדְמָאָה לְמֶעְבַּד אוּמָנָא דִּילֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת וְגוֹ', וְהַיְינוּ שָׁמַיִם. בְּיוֹמָא חֲמִשָּׁאָה, אַפִּיקוּ מַיָּיא דְּאִיהוּ אוּמָנָא אָחֳרָא, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם וְגוֹ'. בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה, עַבְדַת אַרְעָא אוּמָנוּתָא דִּילָהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְגוֹ'.

So far each OF THE THREE CRAFTSMEN had produced of its craft and they had done what they had been commanded to do. Three other days remained IN THE ACT OF CREATION. On the fourth day, the first craftsman, HEAVEN, was commanded to do its craft, as it is written: "And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven..." (Ibid. 14), and so we have the skies. On the fifth day it was again the turn of the second craftsman, water, as it is written: "And Elohim said, Let the waters swarm..." (Ibid. 20). On the sixth day the earth again produced its craft, as it is written: "And Elohim said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures" (Ibid. 24).

This Pasook seems to be clear.

Pasook 124. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Pinchas

כֵּיוָן דִּתְלַת אוּמָנִין אִלֵּין אַשְׁלִימוּ עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ. אָמַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוּמָנוּתָא חֲדָא אִית לִי לְמֶעְבַּד, וְאִיהוּ אָדָם. אִתְחַבָּרוּ כַּחֲדָא, וַאֲנָא עִמְּכוֹן, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם, גּוּפָא דִּלְכוֹן, וַאֲנָא אֱהֵא שׁוּתָּפוּ עִמְּכוֹן, וְנַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם. כְּמָה דִּבְקַדְמֵיתָא הֲוָה בְּשׁוּתָּפוּ, הָכִי נָמֵי לְבָתַר. אַבָּא, דְּבֵיהּ עָבֵיד עֲבִידְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא, וְעֲבִידְתָּא דְּמַיָיא. וְאִתְּתָא, דְּאִיהִי אוּמָנָא תְּלִיתָאָה, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאַרְעָא. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִשְׁתְּתַף בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. וְעַל רָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

These three craftsmen having finished their tasks, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: I have one more creation to make, namely Man. Join yourselves together and let us, I with you, make Man. The body shall be made by you, but I will be a partner with you BY GIVING THE SOUL, and we shall make Man. And just as formerly the three craftsmen worked in a partnership IN THE ACT OF CREATION, so also was it subsequently WITH THE CREATION OF MAN. There is the father, with whom He made the works of heaven and the works of the water, FROM WHOM COMES THE WHITENESS IS IN MAN; and the woman, who is the third craftsman, like the earth, FROM WHOM COMES THE REDNESS IN THE BABY. And then there is the Holy One, blessed be He, who participated with them, FROM WHOM COMES THE SOUL. And in respect of this secret, the text has "they who made him" IN REFERENCE TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, A PERSON'S FATHER AND HIS MOTHER.

Again the Pasook seems clear

Pasook 125. from the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Pinchas

וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, חֶדְוָה בְּכָל שׁוּתָּפוּתָא הֲוֵי. דְּתָנֵינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ שָׁתִּיף לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחֶדְוָוה דִּילֵיהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָתֵי לְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְאַעְקַר מִתַּמָּן לַאֲבוּהִי וְאִמֵּיהּ, דְּאִינּוּן שׁוּתָּפִין בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְאַיְיתֵי לוֹן עִמֵּיהּ לְהַהוּא חֶדְוָוה, וְכֻלְּהוּ זְמִינִין תַּמָּן, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין. אֲבָל בְּעָקוּ דב"נ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לְגַבֵּיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְלָא אוֹדַע לַאֲבוּהִי וּלְאִמֵּיהּ, הה"ד בַּצַּר לִי אֶקְרָא יְיָ' וְאֶל אֱלֹהַי אֲשַׁוֵּעַ וְגוֹ'.

And even though his father and his mother might have departed from this world, a man rejoices with all the three partners of his making, as we have learned: When a man involves the Holy One, blessed be He, in his rejoicing, the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to the Garden of Eden, and takes his father and mother from there, for they are partners with Him, and brings them with Him to that rejoicing, and all of them are there together but people do not know it. When, on the other hand, a man is in trouble, the Holy One, blessed be He, is there with him alone, and He does not inform his father and mother, as it is written: "In my distress I called upon Hashem, and cried to my Elohim" (Tehilim 18:7).

This is a beautiful idea being expressed as an aspect of HaShem's Mercy.