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זוהר ויקרא — דף מח ע”ב

Summary

Rabbi Yitzchak said: come and see. Whoever is under the dominion of man (Adam) is called "Ish" (man), because he was established in the hue of Adam, from another level he had previously. For we learned, in a supernal secret of the Sifra DeTzniuta: when man was created, he descended in a holy, supernal likeness, and with him descended two spirits, from two sides, right and left, the totality of man. And the spirit of the right is called the holy soul (neshama), as it is written "and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." And the spirit of the left is called the living soul (nefesh), and it went and descended from above to below, and did not settle with the other.<br />
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When Shabbat entered and man would sin, from that left spirit were made creatures that spread through the world, and their bodies were not complete, and they joined with the body of this man, male and female, and were born into the world. And these are called "plagues of the sons of man." We learned: the higher ones among them did not attach below and hover in the air, and hear what they hear from above, and through them the others below come to know.<br />
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We learned: from the hard spark come forth three hundred and twenty-five sparks, engraved and bound together on the side of Severity (Gevurah), called Gevurot, and they become one. And when these enter a body, it is called "Ish." This is what we learned: "a man wholehearted and upright, a righteous man." But the man spoken of here, it is written of him "a man of war," for everything there rises to judgment, and everything is one. Rabbi Yehuda said: why? Rabbi Yitzchak did not have an answer at hand. They came and asked before Rabbi Shimon. He said to them: here is a still greater difficulty, for we learned that it is written "this one shall be called woman (isha), for from man (ish) she was taken," and we learned that this "man" refers to lovingkindness (chesed) — yet here you say it is judgment?<br />
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Rather, this is what we learned: everything rises upon a single scale, and everything is one. And because the lower judgments attach and bind themselves to his hair, he is called the harsh judgment; and when the hair of the head passes from him, it is sweetened, and the judgments below do not occur, and therefore he is called pure (tahor). For he is called pure only when he comes out from the side of impurity, and when he comes out from the side of impurity he is called pure, as it is written "who can bring the pure out of the impure" — out of the impure, surely; and here it is written "and if a man's hair falls from his head, he is bald, he is pure."<br />
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And come and see: on the head of this man is the hard spark, and therefore the skull of his head is entirely red as a rose, and the hairs are red within red, and from him hang lower crowns below that stir up judgments in the world; and when the hair passes from him and is shed, by the supernal lovingkindness everything is sweetened, and he is called pure in his name.<br />
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Rabbi Yehuda said: if he is called by his own name, he should be called holy (kadosh), not pure! He answered him: it is not so, for holy is called only when the hair hangs, for holiness depends on the hair, as it is written "he shall be holy, letting the hair of his head grow long." And this one is called pure, from the side of what hangs below him; and therefore the hair passes from him, and he is purified.<br />
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And come and see: whoever is from the side of judgment, and judgments attach themselves in him, is not purified until the hair passes from him; and once the hair passes from him, he is purified. And should you say: Adam — it is not so, for he is the perfection of all, and mercy is found in him; therefore it is not so with him, for all holinesses and holy ones were united in him. But this one is judgment, and judgments attach themselves in him, and he is not sweetened until the hair passes from him.<br />
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Come and see: the Levites who come from this side of judgment are not purified until the hair is removed from them, as it is written "and thus shall you do to them to purify them: sprinkle upon them the water of purification, and let them pass a razor over all their flesh etc." And so that they may be sweetened still more, the priest, who is from the side of supernal lovingkindness, must raise them up, as it is written "and Aaron shall wave the Levites as a wave offering before the Lord." So it is with this man above: when he wishes to be sweetened still more, supernal lovingkindness is revealed in him, and he is sweetened; and he, in turn, sweetens below.<br />

Torat Emet / Rav Pinhas Reuven — CC BY-NC-SA 2.5

in Hebrew

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