1 1. At midnight Rabbi Aba speaks about the time of day and how judgment and joy and praise are aroused at different times of the day and night. He says that during sleep the soul rises above and is examined about its daily activities that are then recorded in the book. 1. "And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 'Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon'" (Bemidbar 4:21-22). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "Blessed is the man to whom Hashem imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Tehilim 32:2). The beginning and the end of this verse do not agree, BECAUSE THE BEGINNING SAYS, "IMPUTES NO INIQUITY," SEEMINGLY THAT HE HAS SIN BUT IT IS NOT ASCRIBED TO HIM. BUT AT THE END IT SAYS, "AND IN WHOSE SPIRIT THERE IS NO GUILE." We should look into it and it has already been established. 2. Come and see, During the afternoon prayers, judgment dwells in the world and Isaac, WHO IS SUPERNAL GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN, composes the afternoon prayer. FOR THEN THE MATING WAS COMPLETED IN THE SECRET OF: "HIS LEFT HAND IS UNDER MY HEAD" (SHIR HASHIRIM 2:6). THEREFORE, supernal Gvurah rules the world until the onset of night, because Gvurah receives the night, MEANING THAT NIGHT IS MALCHUT DRAWN FROM GVURAH, WHICH IS THE AFTERNOON PRAYER. When the time of the afternoon prayer begins, the left separates to receive MALCHUT and the night is aroused, WHICH IS MALCHUT. 3. After THE NIGHT is aroused, all the guards of the external gates are aroused in the world and spread out, and all the inhabitants of the world taste death. 4. We have learned that at exactly midnight, the left is aroused as before, AS DURING THE AFTERNOON PRAYER. The holy lily, WHICH IS MALCHUT, exudes fragrances, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT, and raises a voice in praise. Then her head rises and dwells above in the left, IN THE SECRET OF: "HIS LEFT HAND IS UNDER MY HEAD," and the left receives her. 5. This is then proclaimed in the world: The time has come to rise from sleep and praise the King. Praises then awaken and everything is fragrant. Praised is the lot of the one who awakens to effect this bond. When morning approaches and the right, WHICH IS CHESED, awakens and hugs her, there is universal union BETWEEN CHOCHMAH AND THE CHASSADIM. THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT NIGHT WHEN NO CHASSADIM EXIST. 6. Come and see, During the time when people sleep and taste of death, the soul rises up and gets to stand in its place, where it is examined about its daily activities which get recorded in the book. What is the reason for this? Because the soul rises up and testifies about all the person's activities and every single word that came out from his lips. file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/bibi/Mes%20documents/zohar/htm/37%20-%20Naso%20-%20idra%20raba.htm (1 of 129)2004/07/07 23:10:49 1 7. When that word that exits from the mouth of a person is worthy, a holy word of Torah study and prayer, that word then rises and cleaves the firmaments. It stands there until nightfall, when the soul rises and grasps that word and brings it before the King. 8. When the is word improper, one of the evil ones or of evil speech, that word rises to wherever it does to be recorded as a sin of that person. This is the meaning of: "Keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom" (Michah 7:5), MEANING FROM THE SOUL THAT GIVES TESTIMONY ABOUT HIS DEEDS. About this, it is written: "Blessed is the man to whom Hashem imputes no iniquity"; NAMELY, WHEN THE SOUL DOES NOT BEAR TESTIMONY AGAINST HIM, SO THAT A CERTAIN SIN WILL BE RECORDED. When is that? When "in whose spirit there is no guile" - THAT IS, WHEN HE DOES NOT SIN. 2. "And in the night His song shall be with me" We learn about the role of the Levites and the role of the priest in the Temple, and are told that the priest is the angel Michael and the Levite is the angel Gavriel, who must make the music. Information is given about how the songs and chants should be done with the lungs and the windpipe. We learn about the heart and the mouth, two thrones, and the meaning of the Shofar and the implements of speech. Lastly we are told that the Torah is more important to God than all the offerings and burnt offerings. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd) 9. "From thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of carrying in the Tent of Meeting" (Bemidbar 4:47). This commandment IS THAT the Levites should sing in the Temple. Although this was already explained before, we need to add something new, for it is the priest who sacrifices the offering and he is THE ANGEL Michael, WHICH IS CHESED, CHESED BEING THE PRIEST. Levi is Gabriel, WHO IS GVURAH, AND GVURAH IS CALLED LEVI. And he should play music. 10. The secret of: "Yet Hashem will command his steadfast love (Heb. chesed) in the daytime" (Tehilim 42:9). That is Chesed OF ZEIR ANPIN, which is the High Priest, because Michael is a common priest in relation to his Master, CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. Nevertheless, EVEN THOUGH he is a common priest in relation to his Master and a king over the holy living creatures THAT ARE IN YETZIRAH, IT WAS SAID OF HIM: Let not be the blessing of a common priest be light in your eyes. That is what is meant by: "Yet Hashem will command His Chesed in the daytime." 11. "And in the night His song shall be with me" (Ibid.), which is Gvurah OF ZEIR ANPIN, since Shirah (lit. 'song') is similar to "The firstling of his herd (Heb. shoro), grandeur is his" (Devarim 33:17) and "the face of an ox (Heb. shor) on the left side" (Yechezkel 1:10). SHIRAH AND SHOR (LIT. 'OX') ARE IDENTICAL. Gabriel is the messenger OF GVURAH. It is incumbent upon him to sing and play music happily with the wine of Torah, study the Torah and fulfill: "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches" (Eichah 2:19). file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/bibi/Mes%20documents/zohar/htm/37%20-%20Naso%20-%20idra%20raba.htm (2 of 129)2004/07/07 23:10:49 1 12. He should say at dawn several penitential prayers (Heb. Slichot), supplications and petitions with all kinds of joyful chants in his throat, which is like a fiddle to produce the voice with the six parts of his lungs - THAT IS, FIVE LOBES OF THE LUNGS, with the rose lobe, WHICH IS A SMALL VENOUS LOBE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE LUNG, and in the six rings of the windpipe, that is ALLUDING TO the Vav, FOR ZEIR ANPIN, that comes out from the heart, where Binah is situated. As the authors of the Mishnah have explained, the heart has understanding. A son, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, comes out from Binah, the son (Heb. ben) of Yud Hei. THE LETTERS OF BINAH ARE BEN YUD HEI, which is Vav which alludes to a newborn chick with six wings, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN THAT HAS SIX SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. He shall raise them by the six rings of the windpipe, which are the six rungs of the throne, BECAUSE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN ARE SIX STEPS TO BINAH THAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE THRONE TO CHOCHMAH. 13. There are two thrones, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "A glorious throne exalted from the beginning" (Yirmeyah 17:12), MEANING THAT IT IS HIGHER THAN THE FIRST THRONE, INDICATING THAT THERE ARE TWO THRONES. They are the heart, WHICH IS BINAH AND the mouth, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The heart, AS WRITTEN: "Because Yah has sworn by His throne" (Shemot 17:16), IS BINAH, WHICH IS A THRONE FOR YUD-HEI, CHOCHMAH. AND THE HEART IS THE SECRET OF: "That Hashem will have war with Amalek" (Ibid.), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF the liver, THAT IS, Samael. The mouth is THE SECRET OF the seat (Heb. kiseh), that is, the throne (Heb. kes) of Hei. This is what is meant by: "Blow a Shofar at the new moon, at the full moon (lit. 'covering') (Heb. keseh)" (Tehilim 81:4), WHICH IS THE MOUTH, MEANING MALCHUT THAT IS THE THRONE OF THE LAST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. IT CONTAINS THE FIVE RESTORATIONS OF THE MOUTH, AS EXPLAINED BEFORE. 14. HE EXPLAINS: What is the meaning of Shofar, WHEN IT SAYS: "BLOW A SHOFAR AT THE NEW MOON"? The windpipe alludes to the Vav, WHICH IS THE MYSTERY OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS REFERRED TO BY THE VAV. IT IS ALSO CALLED VOICE. It is the voice that ascends from the windpipe to the mouth, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS MALCHUT, where the Hei is. THAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORDS: "AT THE FULL MOON (HEB. KESEH) ON OUR FEAST DAY" (IBID.), WITH THE THRONE (HEB. KES) OF HEI, MEANING the five implements of speech: the lips, the teeth and the palate. There are two lips, TEETH INCLUDING regular teeth and molars, which makes them two kinds of teeth and a palate, so we have a total of five.