Zohar Tazria Section 5 - Surely a Man Walks in an Image

Surely a Man Walks in an Image - Zohar Tazria Section 5

It is recommended to read the Synopsis after one has studied the Section

Zohar Commentary on Parasha TAZRIA

SYNOPSIS:

We learn that when a man and his wife are about to mate, God gives the spirit of the child who will be conceived to a minister, and tells him where it should go. God commands the spirit to be righteous, and then the spirit descends with an image. As long as he has that image with him, he exists in the world, but when it leaves him he dies. We read about the witchcraft described in the book of the sorcerers of Asmodeus, where they knew how to give over their images to the Other Side. We are told that one must never throw objects in his house because they are then of the other side. When that man who gave over his image to the other side dies, the evil spirit that was attached to his supernal image takes it away from him, so that it will never return. Before a soul is born it is shown the reward of good and evil, and the holy image stands by it; when it is born the image becomes part of it, and his life depends on it.

Pasook 14. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אָתֵי לְאִתְקַדְשָׁא לְאִזְדַוְּוגָא בְּנוּקְבֵיהּ, בִּרְעוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּילֵיהּ, אִתְּעַר עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. וְרָמִיז קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַד שְׁלוּחָא מְמָנָא עַל עִדּוּיֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וּמָנֵי בִּידֵיהּ הַהוּא רוּחָא, וְאוֹדַע לֵיהּ, לְאָן אֲתַר יִפְקוֹד לֵיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, וְהַלַּיְלָה אָמַר הוֹרָה גָּבֶר. הַלַּיְלָה אָמַר, לְהַהוּא מְמָנָא, הוֹרָה גָּבֶר מִפְּלַנְיָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפְקִיד לֵיהּ, לְהַהוּא רוּחָא, כָּל מַה דְּאַפְקִיד, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.

Come and see, when man is about to be sanctified and mate with his wife with his holy will, a Holy Spirit is aroused upon him, included of male and female, SINCE HE IS BORN AND COMES FROM ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT THAT ARE THE SECRET OF MALE AND FEMALE. The Holy One, blessed be He, indicates to a minister appointed over the conception of men and hands him that spirit and lets him know where to put it. That is the meaning of, "and the night which said, There is a man child conceived" (Iyov 3:2). THIS MEANS that the night, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED NIGHT, said to that minister, "There is a man child conceived" by so and so, SO HE WILL PUT THE SPIRIT THERE. And the Holy One, blessed be He, commands that spirit whatever He does, THAT IS, HE MAKES IT SWEAR TO BE RIGHTEOUS, ETC. This has already been explained.

chanoch's Commentary

In the verse Leviticus Chapter 12:2 it uses two Hebrew words one is Yalda which is not translated usually in this verse since its usual translation is girl child. The second word is Zachar which is translated as male. Most translators do not know how to explain the verse if it says "If she gets pregnant with a girl boy child" so they ignore the word Yalda and translate it as if she gets pregnant with a male child. What the Zohar is telling us over 2000 years ago each soul has aspects of male and female. This wisdom has many different levels. The spirit is given to the "minister" or angel and told the minister where to put the soul meaning in which body. It can also mean that it is told to take both aspects of the soul male and female and split it into the two parts and put one part in this body and the other part in that other body with the different parents. Also the Holy One tells the soul what He wants that soul to do within the Plan of Creation. There is so much wisdom in this one Pasook.

Pasook 15. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

כְּדֵין רוּחָא נַחְתָּא, וְחַד צוּלְמָא עִמֵּיהּ, הַהוּא דְּקָאֵים בְּדִיוּקְנֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, בְּהַהוּא צוּלְמָא אִתְבְּרֵי, בְּהַהוּא צוּלְמָא אָזִיל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ. בְּעוֹד דְּהַאי צוּלְמָא אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ, קָאֵים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּתְרֵין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא, וּשְׁלֹמֺה מַלְכָּא אַזְהַר לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא וְאָמַר, עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, תְּרֵי.

The spirit then descends with an image, the same IMAGE that assumes the supernal shape CALLED THE IMAGE OF ELOHIM. One is created with that image and walks about with it in this world. This is the meaning of, "Surely every man walks in a vain show (or: 'image')" (Tehilim 39:7). As long as that image is with him, man exists in this world, BUT IF THE IMAGE IS GONE FROM HIM HE DIES. These are two IMAGES (HEB. tzelamim) that join together. King Solomon warned people, saying, "Before the day cools, and the shadows (Heb. tzelalim) flee away" (Shir Hashirim 2:17), two of them.

chanoch's Commentary

In Genesis it says HaShem Created Man in Tzelem Elohim. The word Tzelem is usually translated as Shadow. This pasook is telling us that this Tzelem is the active aspect of the soul. It is the power and energy source for the soul. There are two of them since it is always necessary to have two poles a sharing and receiving. If one does the binding by striking it turns on the light. If one does not it looses its light. This is the system that powers and runs the universes. There are two "shadows" to each person. Another understanding is that these two "shadows" are the good and negative inclinations that were meant to assist man from the outside of his body not be inside his body. This only happened due to the action of Adam and Chavah.

Pasook 16. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

וּבְסִפְרָא דְּחָרָשִׁין דְּאַשְׁמְדַאי, אַשְׁכַּחְנָא דְּאִינּוּן דְּבָּעוּ לְחַרְשָׁא חָרָשִׁין מִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ, יְקוּם לִנְהוֹרָא דִּשְׁרָגָא, אוֹ בַּאֲתַר דְּיִתְחֲזוּן אִינּוּן צוּלְמִין דִּילֵיהּ, וְיֵימָא אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּמִתַתְּקְנֵי לְאִינּוּן חָרָשִׁין, וְיִקְרֵי לוֹן, לְאִינּוּן סִטְרִין מִסְאֲבִין, בִּשְׁמָהָן מִסְאֲבִין דִּילְהוֹן, וְיַזְמִּין צוּלְמִין דִּילֵיהּ לְאִינּוּן דְּקָארֵי, וְיֵימָא דְּהוּא אִתְתָּקַּן בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְהוּ לְפִקּוּדַיְיהוּ, וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ נָפַק מֵרְשׁוּ דְּמָארֵיהּ וּפִקְדוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ, יָהַב לִסְטַר מִסְאֲבָא.

In the book of the sorcerers of Asmodeus, I found that those who wish to perform witchcraft from the left side and be attached to them, must stand by candle light, or wherever his images are seen, THAT IS, BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, and say the words suitable for these enchantments and address those aspects of impurity using their names of impurity. One then hands over his images to those NAMES OF IMPURITY he summoned, and says he willingly sets them AT THEIR DISPOSAL and at their command. Man THEN leaves the domain of his Master, and his Master's deposit, NAMELY THE SOUL GIVEN TO HIM AS A DEPOSIT BY HIS MASTER HE gives to the aspects of impurity.

chanoch's Commentary

This pasook is explaining the secondary aspect of a soul falling into and becoming trapped in the Klipot. It is the secondary aspect since it is their choice as different than the "breaking of the vessels". The idea of allowing oneself to be controlled by the negative system works this way.

Pasook 17. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

וּבְאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּחָרָשִׁין דְּאִיהוּ יֵימָא, וְיַזְמִין לוֹן לְצוּלְמֵי, אִתְחָזוּן תְּרֵין רוּחִין וּמִתְתַּקְּנִין בְּאִינּוּן צוּלְמִין דִּילֵיהּ, בְּחֵיזוּ דִּבְנֵי אֱנָשָׁא, וּמוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ מִלִּין לְאַבְאָשָׁא, וּמִלִּין לְאוֹטָבָא, לְזִמְנִין יְדִיעָן. וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵי רוּחִין, דְּלָא אִתְכְּלִילוּ בִּכְלָלָא דְּגוּפָא, הַשְׁתָּא אִתְכְּלִילָן בְּאִלֵּין צוּלְמִין, וּמִתְתַּקְּנָן בְּהוּ וּמוֹדְעִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מִלִּין לְאַבְאָשָׁא, וְדָא הוּא דְּנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וּפִקְדוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ, יָהִיב לִסְטַר מִסְאֲבָא.

By these words of witchcraft he uttered and by summoning HIS images, two spirits appear and settle in those images TO ASSUME human form. They tell him at specific times things to his own hurt and things to his own good. These two spirits that were not incorporated in a body, SINCE HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MAKE THEM BODIES BEFORE HE SANCTIFIED SHABBAT, are now incorporated in these images THAT MAN GAVE THEM. They settle in them and tell that man things to his own damage. Such a one left his Master's domain and gave his deposit, NAMELY HIS SOUL, to the side of defilement.

Pasook 18. of the Zohar Commentary on the Parasha Tazria

תָּא חֲזֵי, אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאַשְׁדָאָה מָאנֵי דְּבֵיתָא, וּלְאַפְקְדָא לֵיהּ לְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ, אוֹ מִלָּה אָחֳרָא דִּכְוָותֵיהּ, דְּהָא כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי נִימוּסִין זְמִינִין לְהַהוּא מִלָּה לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ, וּמֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא, לָא שָׁארוּ עָלֵיהּ בִּרְכָאן, דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא הוּא. כ"ש מַאן דְּאַזְמִין בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ עַל הַהוּא טִיבוּ עִלָּאָה דִּילֵיהּ, לְאָחֳרָא וּלְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא. דְּהָא, מֵהַהוּא דְּאַזְמִין לֵיהּ הֲוֵי.

Come and see, one must not throw the objects in his house or any other such thing IN HIS ANGER and thus deliver them to the Other Side. He must not DO SO because many litigants and persecutors await to receive that object. From that time on, no blessings dwell on it, because it is of the Other Side. This is more so for whoever willingly summons that supernal good, THAT IS, HIS IMAGE, to another and to the Other Side. Since he summons HIS IMAGE, he is his.

chanoch adds: He has delivered himself to the other side. By becoming Angry and manifesting that anger by throwing objects. These objects now belong to the negative system and when the person uses the objects he is compromising his connection to the positive side. This is the idea that there are no Blessings.

Pasook 19. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

וְכַד קְרִיבוּ יוֹמִין דְּב"נ לְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, הַהוּא צוּלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּיָהֲבֵי לֵיהּ, אַתְיָא הַהוּא רוּחָא בִּישָׁא דַּהֲוָה מִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וְנָטִיל לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא צוּלְמָא, וְאִתְתָּקַּן בֵּיהּ וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְחֲזָר בֵּיהּ בב"נ לְעָלְמִין. כְּדֵין יִנְדַּע דְּהָא אִתְדַּחְיָא הוּא מִכֺּלָּא.

When the time draws near for man to depart from this world, the evil spirit that used to cleave daily to that supernal image that was given that man, and takes that image from him, it settles in it and walks away and THAT IMAGE will never return to that man. THAT MAN then realizes he is rejected in every sense.

chanoch adds: Do not read that the soul is lost for all time. It is the energy of the soul that is now being used by the other side in its attempt to attract other people. This soul then receives the effect of making a wrong choice in their next lifetime.

Pasook 20. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא נַחְתָּא לְאַעֲלָא לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, נַחְתָּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא, וְחָמָאת יְקָרָא דְּרוּחֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא קַיְימִין שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין. לְבָתַר אַזְלַא לַגֵּיהִנָּם, וְחָמָאת לְהוּ לְרַשִׁיעַיָּיא דְּצַוְוחִין וַוי וַוי, וְלָא מֵרַחֲמֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. וּבְכֺלָּא אַסְהִידוּ בָּהּ סַהֲדוּתָא, וְהַהוּא צוּלְמָא קַדִּישָׁא קַיְּימָא עָלֵיהּ, עַד דְּנָפִיק לְעָלְמָא.

Come and see, when the soul descends to be ushered into this world, it first DESCENDS to the Garden of Eden where it beholds the glory of the spirits of the righteous that stand in rows. It then goes to Gehenom where it sees the wicked crying, 'Woe, woe,' but none has mercy upon them. It is given testimony about any thing. THE WICKED TESTIFY HOW THEY ARE PUNISHED FOR EVERY SIN AND THE RIGHTEOUS TESTIFY TO THE GOOD REWARD THEY RECEIVE FOR EACH PRECEPT. That holy image stands by it until it comes into this world.

Pasook 21. of the Zohar Commentary on Parasha Tazria

כַּד נָפִיק לְעָלְמָא, אִזְדְּמַן הַהוּא צוּלְמָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּתַף בַּהֲדֵּיהּ, וְאִתְרַבֵּי עִמֵּיהּ. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֶּךְ אִישׁ. וּבְהַהוּא צֶלֶם אִשְׁתָּתָּפוּ יוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ, וְתַּלְיָין בֵּיהּ, הה"ד, כִּי תְמוֹל אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי אָרֶץ. כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ וַדַּאי. וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּמִתְעַבְּרָא אִתְּתָא עַד יוֹמָא דְּאוֹלִידַת, לָא יַדְעִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּמָּה אִינּוּן רַבְרְבִין, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן עִלָּאִין. הה"ד, מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ' וְגוֹ'.

When it goes out into the world that image comes to it, joins it and grows with it, as said, "Surely every man walks in an image." Man's days join that image and depend on it, FOR ONCE IT IS GONE, MAN DEPARTS FROM THE WORLD. This is the meaning of, "for we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow" (Iyov 8:9). Assuredly, "our days upon earth are a shadow," AS OUR DAYS DEPEND ON THAT SHADOW. From the day a woman conceives until the day she gives birth, no men know the deeds of the Holy One, blessed be He, how great they are, how superior. This is the meaning of, "Hashem, how manifold are Your works" (Tehilim 104:24).

chanoch adds: The Tzelem is both a power source for the soul and it is a recording device for each day and its actions. We are just not conscious of how the system is operating. Everything is recorded for later playback and for evaluating the consciousness of every action. These Tzelems are the mechanism.