Zohar Vayikra - Section 40 - River of Fire - Nahar Dinur

Please remember to remain a cause and not read the synopsis until after you have studied the section.

Zohar Commentary on PORTION VAYIKRA - Section 40 - River of Fire - Nahar Dinur

SYNOPSIS:

We are told that the souls of the righteous bathe and cleanse themselves in the river of fire but the souls of the wicked are consumed by it like straw by fire. The Faithful Shepherd describes the lion of fire that descends from the living creatures by the throne of Judgment and who burns the offering and the demons in charge of the sinning members. Then the living creatures in charge over the merits draw near from the throne of mercy, repentance. The name Yud Hei Vav Hei brings peace between the living creatures and allows water to draw near fire without either of them extinguishing the other.

Pasook 278. of Zohar Commentary on Parasha Vayikra

וְהַהוּא נָהָר, אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ, נָהָר דִּי נוּר נָגִיד וְנָפַק מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי. נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, טַבְלִין וּמִתְדְּכִין בֵּיהּ. וְנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דִּרְשִׁיעֵי, נִדוֹנִין בֵּיהּ, וְאִתְבְּעִירוּ קַמֵּיהּ, כְּקַּשׁ לְפָנַי אֵשׁ, וְהַיְינוּ אֵשׁ אוֹכֶלֶת אֵשׁ. יְהֹוָה אִיהִי חַמָה. נַרְתִּיקָהּ דִּילֵיהּ, אֲדֹנָי. וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא מוֹצִיא הקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַמָה מִנַּרְתִּיקָהּ צַדִּיקִים מִתְרַפְּאִין בָּהּ, וּרְשָׁעִים נִדוֹנִין בָּהּ.

It is written of that river, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him" (Daniel 7:10). The souls of the righteous bathe and cleanse themselves in it and the souls of the wicked are sentenced in it and consumed by it like straw by fire; namely, the fire devouring fire. Yud Hei Vav Hei WITH THE VOWELING OF ELOHIM, WHICH IS BINAH, is the sun. Adonai is its sheath. This is the mystery which has been explained that in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will take the sun out of its sheath, SO THAT THE NAME ADONAI, MALCHUT, WILL NOT COVER THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI WITH THE VOWELING OF ELOHIM, WHICH IS BINAH. THEN, THE FIRE OF JUDGMENT OF THE LEFT COLUMN OF BINAH WILL BE UNCOVERED WITHOUT THE SHEATH OF MALCHUT. The righteous are healed in it and the evil men are judged by it.

Pasook 279. of Zohar Commentary on Parasha Vayikra

וּמֵחֵיוָון דְּכוּרְסְיָא דְּדִינָא, הֲוָה נָחִית אַרְיֵה דְּאֶשָּׁא לְמֵיכַל קָרְבְּנִין, אִינּוּן דִּמְמָנָן, עַל כָּל אֵבֶר דְּחָב מְחַבֵּל קַטֵיגוֹר אֶחָד, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ, עָשָׂה עֲבֵירָה אַחַת, קָנָה לוֹ קַטֵיגוֹר א'. וּמִיַּד דְּנָחַת אֵשׁ שֶׁל גָּבוֹהַּ, וְאוֹקִיד לוֹן לְאִלֵּין אֵבָרִין וּפְדָרִין וְאֵמוּרִין דְּפָרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים וְעִזִּים. יְהֹוָ"ה דְּנָחִית כְּאַרְיֵה דְּאֶשָּׁא לְאוֹקְדָא לוֹן, אִתּוֹקְדוּן אֵבָרִים דִּלְהוֹן, אִתּוֹקְדוּן מְחַבְּלִים דִּמְמָנָן עָלַיְיהוּ, וּמִתְכַּפְּרִין חוֹבִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן אֵבָרִים דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא.

From THE FIRE OF the living creatures of the throne of Judgment, a lion of fire descends to devour AND BURN the offerings and the appointed chieftains, for to every sinning member there is a demon prosecutor APPOINTED OVER IT. We have established that he who commits one sin acquires one prosecutor. As soon as a fire descends from up high and burns the body parts, the fat and the portions of the bullocks, the sheep, the he-goats and the she-goats, WHICH IS A SECRET OF Yud Hei Vav Hei that descends like a lion of fire to burn them. Their members are burned and the demons in charge of the SINNING members are burned. Yisrael's sins are atoned for, who are the members of the Shechinah.

Pasook 280. of Zohar Commentary on Parasha Vayikra

בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, חֵיוָון מִתְקָרְבִין דִּמְמָנָן עַל זַכְוָון, דְּאִינּוּן מִכּוּרְסְיָיא דְּרַחֲמֵי, דְּאִיהִי תְּשׁוּבָה, אִימָּא עִלָּאָה. וּבְמָּה מִתְקָרְבִין. בְּשֵׁם יְדֹוָ"ד, דְּעָאל בְּהוֹן. וּבְגִין דָּא, קָרְבָּן לַיְדֹוָ"ד. דְּלֵית מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְקָרֵב חֵיוָון וִיסוֹדִין, לְאַעְלָאָה שְׁלָם בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אֶלָּא שְׁמֵיהּ, דְּקָרִיב בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַיִם לְאֵשׁ, וְלָא מְכַבֶּה דָּא לְדָא, וְקָרִיב רוּחָא לְעַפְרָא, וְלָא מַפְרִיד לֵיהּ.

The living creatures in charge over the merits then draw near from the throne of Mercy, repentance; NAMELY, the supernal Ima, BINAH. How do they draw near? By the name of Yud Hei Vav Hei which enters them. Therefore it is an offering to (lit. 'approaching') Yud Hei Vav Hei, for no one could draw near the living creatures and elements and bring peace between them except the name YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. By its name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, water draws near fire, NAMELY THE RIGHT COLUMN TO THE LEFT COLUMN, yet they do not extinguish each other. And air, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, draws near the dust, MALCHUT, with no one to separate them.

chanoch's Commentary

This is an esoteric section. It is talking about sacrifices which are called Korbonot in Hebrew. The shoresh of the word Korbon means to draw closer. How does one draw closer to HaShem? We bring sacrifices or we study the sacrifices. This is actually bringing the right column closer to the left column. It is bringing wate or chesed closer to Gevurah or fire. In our world fire is put out by water or water is transformed into steam by fire. When we bring a sacrifice we unite fire and water with the YOD HEI VAV HEI Name of HaShem. This is acting just like the metal pot that allows fire and water to be used together in our world to cook.

This also explains the idea of the fire taking the shape of a dog or a lion when consuming the sacrifice. when someone studies this section of the prayers it is recommended to visualize a lion to show your offering is being accepted with Mercy.