[I recently purchased the new, English translation of the Zohar, the book that laid the foundation for Jewish mystical thought and the Kabbalah. It is the most important book in Judaism after the Bible and the Talmud. As I go through the Zohar, I will be publishing excerpts here for any readers who may be interested in addition to my series of commentaries on each week’s Torah portion.]
Haqdamat Sefer HaZohar (1:3a)
Rav Hamnuna Sava said, “We find the letters backward: ב (bet) first, followed by ב (bet): בראשית (Bereshit), In the beginning, followed by ברא (bara) created. Then א (alef) first, followed by א (alef): אלהים (Elohim), followed by את (et).
“The reason is: When the blessed Holy One wished to fashion the world, all the letters were hidden away. For two thousand years before creating the world, the blessed Holy One contemplated them and played with them. As He verged on creating the world, all the letters presented themselves before him from last to first.
“The letter ת (tav) entered first of all. She said, ‘Master of the worlds, may it please You to create the world by me, for I complete your seal: אמת (emet), truth — and You are called Truth. It is fitting for the King of Truth to begin with a letter of truth and to create the world by me.’
“The blessed Holy One replied, ‘You are seemly and worthy, but not deserving to initiate Creation, since you are destined to be marked on the foreheads of the faithful who fulfilled the Torah from א (alef) to ת (tav), and by your mark they will die. Furthermore, you are the seal of מות (mavet), death. So you do not deserve to serve as the instrument of Creation.’ She immediately departed.
“The letter ש (shin) came before Him. She said, ‘Master of the worlds, may it please you to create the world by me, for by me you are named שדי(Shaddai), and it is fitting to create the world by a holy name.’
“He replied, ‘You are seemly, you are good, and you are true, but since letters of deceit take you as their accomplice, I do not wish to create the world by you. For a lie cannot exist unless ק”ר (qof-resh) take you.’ So whoever wants to tell a lie will first lay a foundation of truth and then construct the lie. For ש (shin) is a letter of truth, a true letter of the patriarchs, who were united in it; ק”ר (qof-resh) are letters that appear on the evil side. In order to survive, they entangle the letter ש (shin), forming קשר (qesher), conspiracy.’ Seeing this, she left His presence.
“The letter צ (tsadi) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please you to create the world by me, for צדיקים (tsaddiqim), the righteous, are sealed by me, and You, who are called צדיק (tsaddiq), Righteous, are signified by me, as is written: For God is צדיק (tsaddiq) – loving righteousness (Psalms 11:7). It is fitting to create the world by me!’
“He replied, ‘צ (tsadi), you are צדיק (tsaddiq), but you should remain hidden — not so revealed — so as not to provide the world a pretext.’ How so? She is נ (nun). י (yod) from the name of the holy covenant comes and rides on her, is united with her. This is the mystery: When the blessed Holy One created Adam, He created him with two faces. So the י (yod) faces backward, like this: צ. They were not turned face-to-face, like this: [].* It looked upward, like this: [].** It looked downward, like this: [].*** The blessed Holy One said to her, ‘Turn back, for I intend to split you and transfigure you face-to-face, but you will arise elsewhere.’ She left His presence and departed.
“The letter פ (peh) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for I signify פורקנא (purqena), the redemption, that You will someday bring to the world, also called פדות (pedut), deliverance. It is fitting to create the world by me!”
“He replied, ‘You are seemly, but you signify hidden transgression, like a serpent striking, then tucking its head inside its body: So one who sins bows his head, stretching out his hands.’
“Similarly ע (ayin) stands for עון (avon), iniquity. Although she said, ‘I imply ענוה (anavah), humility,’ the blessed Holy One replied, ‘I will not create the world by you.’ She left his presence.
“The letter ס (sameach) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please you to create the world by me, for by me סמיכא (semicha), support, exists for those who fall, as is written: סומך אל (Somech God), God supports, all who fall (Psalms 145:14).’
“He replied, ‘So you are needed where you are; do not move! If you leave, what would happen to the fallen, who depend on you?’ She immediately left His presence.
“The letter נ (nun) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please you to create the world by me, for by me you are called נורא (nora), awesome, in praises (Exodus 15:11). By me, the praise of the righteous is called נאוה (navah), comely (Psalms 33:1).’
“He replied, ‘נ (nun), return to your place, for because of you ס (samech) returned to her place. Depend on her.’ She returned immediately, leaving His presence.
“The letter מ (mem) entered. She said to him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for by me You are called מלך (melech), King.’
“He replied, ‘Certainly so, but I will not create the world by you, since the world needs a king. Return to your place, you along with ל (lamed) and ך (kaf), for the world should not be without a king.’
“At that moment, the letter כ (kaf) descended from His throne of glory and said, “Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for I am Your כבוד (kavod), glory.’
“When כ (kaf) descended from the throne of glory, 200,000 worlds trembled, the throne trembled, and all the worlds verged on collapse. The blessed Holy One said to her, ‘כ, כ, (kaf, kaf), what are you doing here? I will not create the world by you. Return to your place, for you imply כליה (kelayah), destruction — a decree of destruction (Isaiah 10:23). Return to your throne and stay there.’ She thereupon left His presence and returned to her place.
“The letter י (yod) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for I am the beginning of the holy Name. It is fitting for You to create the world by me!’
“He replied, ‘It is enough for you to be engraved in Me, to be inscribed in Me. My desire culminates in you. You should not be uprooted from My name.’
“The letter ט (tet) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for by me You are called טוב וישר (tov ve-yashar), good and upright (Psalms 25:8).’
“He replied, ‘I will not create the world by you, for your goodness is concealed and hidden within you, as is written: How abundant is Your goodness that You have hidden away for those in awe of You (Psalms 31:20). Since it is hidden within you, it plays no part in this world that I am about to create, but rather in the world to come. Furthermore, because your goodness is hidden within you, the gates of My Temple will sink, as is written: Her gates טבעו (tave’u), have sunk, into the earth (Lamentations 2:9). Further, facing you is ח (chet), and when you join together, you spell חטא (chet), sin. So these two letters are not inscribed in the holy tribes.’ She immediately left His presence.
“The letter ז (zayin) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for by me Your children observe the Sabbath, as is written: זכור (zachor), remember, the Sabbath day, to hallow it (Exodus 20:8).’
“He replied, ‘I will not create the world by you, for you imply war — a sharp sword ad a spear for battle, like a ן (nun).’ She immediately left His presence.
“The letter ו (vav) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for I am a letter of Your name.’
“He replied, ‘ו (vav), it is enough for you and ה (hay) to be letters of My name, included in the mystery of My name, engraved and carved in My name. I will not create the world by either of you.’
“The letters ד (daled) and ג (gimel) entered and made the same request. He replied to them as well, ‘It is enough for you to be with each other, sinc ethe poor will never cease from the world and need to be treated kindly. ד (daled) is poor; ג (gimel) גומל (gomel), renders, goodness to her. Do not separate from one another! It is enough for one of you to sustain the other.’
“The letter ב (bet) entered. She said to Him, ‘Master of the world, may it please You to create the world by me, for by me You are blessed above and below.’
“The blessed Holy One replied, ‘Indeed, by you I will create the world. You will be the beginning of Creation.’
“The letter א (aleph) stood and did not enter. The blessed Holy One said to her, ‘א ‚א, (aleph, aleph), why do you not enter My presence like all the other letters?’
“She replied, ‘Master of the world! Because I saw all the letters leaving Your presence fruitlessly. What could I do there? Furthermore, look, You have given this enormous gift to the letter ב (bet), and it is not fitting for the exalted King to take back a gift He has given to His servant and give it to another!’
“The blessed Holy One said, ‘א ‚א, (aleph, aleph)! Although I will create the world with the letter ב (bet), you will be the first of all the letters. Only through you do I become one. With you, all counting begins and every deed in the world. No union is actualized except by א (aleph).’
“The blessed Holy One fashioned high, large letters and low, small letters. So, ב , ב, (bet, bet): בראשית ברא (be-reshit, bara); א ‚א, (aleph, aleph): אלהים את (Elohim et). Letters above and letters below. They were all as one, from the upper world and the lower world.”
* Image of the letter צ with the top two points facing each other. ** Image of the letter צ with the top-right point looking upward. *** Image of the letter צ with the top-right point looking downward.
