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Zohar on the Torah |
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Parshat VaYeitzei – Zohar, Page 149b Translated and adapted by Mr. Simcha Treister Come and see: It is written “And he (Yaakov) dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and he saw angels of Elokim ascending and descending on it.”[1] Now could it be that the holy Yaakov, who represents the perfection of the forefathers, only merited to have the Holy One blessed be He appear to him in a dream? Furthermore he was at the site of the future Temple on Mount Moriah yet only perceived Hashem in a dream! But Yaakov was not yet married at that time and was therefore incomplete and not worthy of perceiving the spiritual at the level of prophecy. The Tzadik of the generation, his father Yitzchak, was also still alive at that time and therefore the primary source of Divine revelation still appeared through him. Now you might say that even after he was married, it is written that Yaakov “saw in a dream”[2] the striped spotted and speckled rams, but that was outside Israel, which is the Holy Land, where the level of prophesy can be attained, and also then Yitzchak was alive. It was only later, when Yaakov returned to the Holy Land with his sons the tribes, accompanied by Rachel and Leah and the Holy Shechina which dwelled with them, as it is written “the mother of sons is happy”[3], that Yaakov reached the level of seeing a vision. Of this time it is written, “Elokim appeared to Yaakov”[4], and “Elokim said to Yaakov in a night time vision”[5]. It is not written that Yaakov “dreamed” during this period because he was at a different and higher spiritual level. Come and see, dreams are facilitated through the angel Gavriel, who is 6 levels below the level of prophecy. [Prophecy is associated with the sphirot of Netzach and Hod of Atzilut. From Hod count six sphirot, Yesod, Malchut, Chochma, Bina, Chesed - to arrive at Gevura of the world of Beriah from which dreams emanate. Gavriel constricts the burst of abundance received by the dreamer, or prophet, from the Infinite Light. This constriction enables the subconscious to view things that the conscious mind will be able to relate too.] There is another type of revelation called “A reflection of prophecy” or “Mareh”, which is a vision seen as if in a mirror. This revelation is through the level of Malchut that is called the Life Force that Rules the Night. You could also say that this level is associated with Gavriel as Daniel says, “And I heard a man’s voice resounding between the banks of the river Ulai, and he called and said, Gavriel, make this man understand the vision”[6]. It is correct that Gavriel is associated with both these levels of dreams and visions, although more so with a “Mareh” because a vision is even harder to decipher. A dream is more readily understandable, and more clearly decipherable, than that which would be seen in a reflection of prophecy. Gavriel is specifically appointed to explain the subject matter of the reflected prophecy because it is more hidden. A mirror reflects all faces. That is why the names used to describe Hashem’s appearance in these visions, “Vayaira”[7] and “Vaeira”[8], are similar to the word Mareh meaning mirror. Thus it is said that the forefathers saw a vision of El Shadai which was in fact a reflection of the level of Malchut of Atzilut. This vision encompasses all other symbols and shapes of the higher worlds, but is only like a mirror that reflects back that which is in front of it, and not what stands behind it. [In a vision, the spiritual content of the lower world is revealed so that its higher source can be grasped.] |
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Ascent of Safed
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