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Zohar on the Torah |
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Parshat Chayei Sarah – Zohar, Page 122b Translated and adapted by Mr. Simcha Treister “And the life of Sarah was one hundred year and twenty year and seven years these were the years of the life of Sarah”[1] [This literal translation of the verse requires explanation. Why one hundred year – not years, and why twenty year – not years? Why is the word “years” used to describe the least number seven, instead of the larger numbers? All of the years of Sarah’s life hint at hidden spiritual truths. One hundred years is the completion of the 10 sphirot, each sphira of which is made up of 10 sphirot. The number 100 thus hints at spiritual perfection. The number 20 hints at the sphirot of wisdom and understanding, which are counted in tens. Seven years hints at the 7 lower sphirot, each of which is counted as a single unit.] The life of Sarah was all a completion of the spiritual, the 100 and the 20 and the seven. Each of these units is appropriate. Rabbi Shimon said: Come and see the secret of this. What was different in all of them, that some are in units like 100 and 20, whereas the last seven are described as years? The explanation is that 100 years is all inclusive. This includes the completion of the higher spirit in the secret of the 100 blessings that are said every day. The unit of twenty years also hints at that which is hidden within in the hidden, the secret of the complete unity of the mind, where wisdom and understanding are both eternally united. The seven years are in a different category that the generality hinted by the use of units of 100 and then 10’s to describe her life. Even though all her years are one single unit, these last seven are each individually counted and spread out, some in strictness, some in mercy, in several sides and paths [as they represent the seven lower sephirot] so they are called “years”. This separation is not reflected in the bigger units of 100’s and 10’s as they represent the secret of eternal unity. All, in their completion are called “The life of Sarah” as they actually were created by her and stand in the spiritual world forever. Come and see (p124b): The days of a person are all created and exist at different spiritual levels. These days are a finished existence. [Thus the life span of 70 years represents the completion of the 7 sphirot of chesed, gevura, tiferet, netzach, hod, yesod, and malchut – each sphira of which is made up of 10 - hence the number 70 represents the completion of a person’s opportunity to rectify these sphirot in that incarnation.] A person completes his standing at that level of seventy years as allocated, as it stated in the verse: “The days of our years are 70”[2]. From the age of 70 there is no set spiritual level to live out because a person’s life span is specifically to rectify these seven sphirot. Thus the verse goes on to state that “if because of one’s strength they are eighty years”, the majority (of those later years) is hardship and pain, and as though they are empty and never existed. The opposite of this are the days of the righteous ones. Every one of their days have a spiritual standing, as is stated regarding Sarah “These were the life of Sarah” and also “These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life.”[3] Now you might ask about Ishmael, who was not righteous and yet it is stated “These are the years of the life of Ishmael.”[4] The reason is because he repented at the end of his life and this merit enabled his days to be called in a similar fashion. [1] Genesis 23,1 [2] Psalms 90,10 [3] Genesis 25,7 [4] Genesis 25,17 |
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Ascent of Safed
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