Chapter Fifty-Five:

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

__________________________________________________

55.

1.

"All that thus answers the questions we asked, 'Why would mankind need all the supernal worlds that the Creator forged for it? What use are they to him?'”
-- See 3:4, 33:1, and 41:1.

"For now we see that it would be impossible for you to achieve (the level of) bringing satisfaction to your Creator without the help of those worlds."
-- Indeed, we were taught that we’re charged to convert our ratzon l’kabel to a ratzon l’hashpia and grant satisfaction to our Maker rather than to ourselves (see 14:1, 32:1, 40:2).

"As the more you purify your ratzon l’kabel, the more lights and degrees of the soul termed (your) N. R. N. C. Y., will you achieve (see 32:1). In fact, the lights of each degree you achieve helps you to purify it. And you’ll thus ascend in degrees to the point where you attain the bliss of (having fulfilled) the intention behind creation ..."
... which was that we enjoy all sorts of spiritual “goodness, delight, and tranquility” (13:2; also see Ch. 12 and 14:3).

2.

"Now, we’re taught that 'whoever comes to purify (himself) is helped' (Yoma 38b). The Zohar asks, though, what exactly he’s helped with, and it offers that he’s helped with 'a sacred soul' (Zohar 1, p. 62A). (What that means to say is that) it’s impossible to purify yourself to the degree (required) for the intention of creation (to be fulfilled) without the help of all the N.R.N.C.Y. levels of the soul ...
... that is, without the “sacred soul” that the Zohar refers to. For while all souls are in fact sacred and derived from G-d’s very Being, they’re only fully sacred and thus really souls when they’re in full-flourish and all five of their elements are manifest.

(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"

Chapter Fifty-Five:

Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag's "Introduction to the Zohar"

-- as translated and commented on by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

__________________________________________________

55.

1.

"All that thus answers the questions we asked, 'Why would mankind need all the supernal worlds that the Creator forged for it? What use are they to him?'”
-- See 3:4, 33:1, and 41:1.

"For now we see that it would be impossible for you to achieve (the level of) bringing satisfaction to your Creator without the help of those worlds."
-- Indeed, we were taught that we’re charged to convert our ratzon l’kabel to a ratzon l’hashpia and grant satisfaction to our Maker rather than to ourselves (see 14:1, 32:1, 40:2).

"As the more you purify your ratzon l’kabel, the more lights and degrees of the soul termed (your) N. R. N. C. Y., will you achieve (see 32:1). In fact, the lights of each degree you achieve helps you to purify it. And you’ll thus ascend in degrees to the point where you attain the bliss of (having fulfilled) the intention behind creation ..."
... which was that we enjoy all sorts of spiritual “goodness, delight, and tranquility” (13:2; also see Ch. 12 and 14:3).

2.

"Now, we’re taught that 'whoever comes to purify (himself) is helped' (Yoma 38b). The Zohar asks, though, what exactly he’s helped with, and it offers that he’s helped with 'a sacred soul' (Zohar 1, p. 62A). (What that means to say is that) it’s impossible to purify yourself to the degree (required) for the intention of creation (to be fulfilled) without the help of all the N.R.N.C.Y. levels of the soul ...
... that is, without the “sacred soul” that the Zohar refers to. For while all souls are in fact sacred and derived from G-d’s very Being, they’re only fully sacred and thus really souls when they’re in full-flourish and all five of their elements are manifest.

(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"