Chapter Sixty-Eight:
Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"
-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
__________________________________________________
68.
1.
"It’s quite clear, then, that the Torah itself has interior and exterior (aspects) just like everything else in the universe. (It thus follows that) those who study Torah (also) fall into (one of) those two categories, ... "
-- That is, it follows that Torah scholars either express more of the interior or “Jewish” aspect of Torah, or more of the exterior or “non-Jewish” aspect of it.
"... and that the more one toils in the interior (aspect) of the Torah and its mysteries, the more able is he to elevate the interior (aspect) of the world, i.e., the (actual) Jewish Nation, higher and higher over its exterior (aspect), i.e., the Gentile nations; and (the more able is he) to have them recognize and acknowledge the preeminence of the Jewish Nation. And (when that happens,) then the words, 'The (Jewish) people will take them and bring them to their place; and the House of Israel will inherit them in G-d’s land' (Isaiah 14:2), and 'Thus says G-d the L-rd, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and set up My standard to the peoples; and they will carry your sons in their arms, and carry your daughters on their shoulders' (Isaiah 49:22) will be realized."
2.
"But if, G-d forbid, the opposite happens and a Jew places less value upon the (study of the) interior (aspect) of the Torah and its mysteries, which deal with the ways of our souls and their levels, as well as with an aspect of the reasons for the mitzvot, than upon (studying) the Torah’s exterior (aspect), which deals with practicalities alone ... "
-- If a Jew who has access to Kabbalah refuses to take it seriously because it isn’t as weighty or relevant as the “revealed” Torah in his eyes since Kabbalah doesn’t touch upon practical halacha or help to explain abstruse themes in Tanach in more practical terms ...
" ... then even if he does in fact delve into the Torah’s interior (aspect) once in a while and grants it a little of his time, (that is,) when it’s neither 'night nor day', ... "
-- We’re actually bidden “to meditate upon (the Torah) all night and day” (Joshua 1:8) and are only allowed to delve into other things when its somehow neither night nor day, if that were possible. Those with little respect for Kabbalah would thus place it in the latter category and would only explore it now and again at odd moments, and begrudgingly at that.
" ... as if it were somehow superfluous, G-d forbid, then such a person degrades and demeans the interior (aspect) of the *world*, the (actual) Jewish Nation, and grants power to the exterior (aspect) of the world, the (actual) Gentile nations, over them and (he thus enables them) to humiliate and disgrace the Jewish Nation and to have *it* regarded as superfluous and of little worth, G-d forbid."
-- That is, if even Torah scholars deem Kabbalah of little worth, they’ll thus foster a sense among non-Jews that the Jewish Nation, who embody the heart of Torah that Kabbalah, is also of little worth. In fact, ...
"Not only that, but he’ll even enable the Gentile nations’ exterior (aspect) to overcome its interior (one)."
-- As we learned, the Gentile nations’ interior aspect is comprised of their righteous individuals while its exterior one is made up of their crass and destructive elements (see 65:1).
"And then the lower (elements) of the Gentile nations, those (among them who) destroy and ruin, will gain power and tower high over their interior (elements), the righteous gentiles, and be able to bring on (more of the sort of) ruination and heinous slaughter that our generation has witnessed, may G-d protect us from now on!"
3.
"Thus we see that the redemption and ascendancy of the Jewish Nation (indeed) depends upon our studying the Zohar and the (rest of the) interior (aspect) of the Torah."
-- This harkens back to the end of the last chapter where we learned that the Zohar indicates that our redemption will only come about through the study of the Zohar and Kabbalah.
"And (you likewise see that) on the contrary, all the ruin and decline of the Jewish Nation is a result of our abandoning and belittling the Torah’s interior (aspect) and considering it superfluous, G-d forbid."
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"
-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
__________________________________________________
68.
1.
"It’s quite clear, then, that the Torah itself has interior and exterior (aspects) just like everything else in the universe. (It thus follows that) those who study Torah (also) fall into (one of) those two categories, ... "
-- That is, it follows that Torah scholars either express more of the interior or “Jewish” aspect of Torah, or more of the exterior or “non-Jewish” aspect of it.
"... and that the more one toils in the interior (aspect) of the Torah and its mysteries, the more able is he to elevate the interior (aspect) of the world, i.e., the (actual) Jewish Nation, higher and higher over its exterior (aspect), i.e., the Gentile nations; and (the more able is he) to have them recognize and acknowledge the preeminence of the Jewish Nation. And (when that happens,) then the words, 'The (Jewish) people will take them and bring them to their place; and the House of Israel will inherit them in G-d’s land' (Isaiah 14:2), and 'Thus says G-d the L-rd, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and set up My standard to the peoples; and they will carry your sons in their arms, and carry your daughters on their shoulders' (Isaiah 49:22) will be realized."
2.
"But if, G-d forbid, the opposite happens and a Jew places less value upon the (study of the) interior (aspect) of the Torah and its mysteries, which deal with the ways of our souls and their levels, as well as with an aspect of the reasons for the mitzvot, than upon (studying) the Torah’s exterior (aspect), which deals with practicalities alone ... "
-- If a Jew who has access to Kabbalah refuses to take it seriously because it isn’t as weighty or relevant as the “revealed” Torah in his eyes since Kabbalah doesn’t touch upon practical halacha or help to explain abstruse themes in Tanach in more practical terms ...
" ... then even if he does in fact delve into the Torah’s interior (aspect) once in a while and grants it a little of his time, (that is,) when it’s neither 'night nor day', ... "
-- We’re actually bidden “to meditate upon (the Torah) all night and day” (Joshua 1:8) and are only allowed to delve into other things when its somehow neither night nor day, if that were possible. Those with little respect for Kabbalah would thus place it in the latter category and would only explore it now and again at odd moments, and begrudgingly at that.
" ... as if it were somehow superfluous, G-d forbid, then such a person degrades and demeans the interior (aspect) of the *world*, the (actual) Jewish Nation, and grants power to the exterior (aspect) of the world, the (actual) Gentile nations, over them and (he thus enables them) to humiliate and disgrace the Jewish Nation and to have *it* regarded as superfluous and of little worth, G-d forbid."
-- That is, if even Torah scholars deem Kabbalah of little worth, they’ll thus foster a sense among non-Jews that the Jewish Nation, who embody the heart of Torah that Kabbalah, is also of little worth. In fact, ...
"Not only that, but he’ll even enable the Gentile nations’ exterior (aspect) to overcome its interior (one)."
-- As we learned, the Gentile nations’ interior aspect is comprised of their righteous individuals while its exterior one is made up of their crass and destructive elements (see 65:1).
"And then the lower (elements) of the Gentile nations, those (among them who) destroy and ruin, will gain power and tower high over their interior (elements), the righteous gentiles, and be able to bring on (more of the sort of) ruination and heinous slaughter that our generation has witnessed, may G-d protect us from now on!"
3.
"Thus we see that the redemption and ascendancy of the Jewish Nation (indeed) depends upon our studying the Zohar and the (rest of the) interior (aspect) of the Torah."
-- This harkens back to the end of the last chapter where we learned that the Zohar indicates that our redemption will only come about through the study of the Zohar and Kabbalah.
"And (you likewise see that) on the contrary, all the ruin and decline of the Jewish Nation is a result of our abandoning and belittling the Torah’s interior (aspect) and considering it superfluous, G-d forbid."
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
posted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman at 8:34 AM
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