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From Tikunei Zohar 13, p.29a; translated and annotated by Simcha Treister
Tikun 13 of the Tikunei Zohar discusses the 10
different types of melodies that King David used in composing his book of
Psalms. Each of these thematic melodies reflects one of the ten sefirot
in malchut. The eighth sefira is hod (often translated as
"thanksgiving"), and the miracle of Chanuka is also connected to eight because a
one-day supply of pure oil for the Temple menorah lit after the defeat of the
Greeks lasted eight days. In the discourse below Rebbe Shimon exposes some of
the secrets underlying these connections.
The eighth [rectification of the sefirot of
malchut] is "thanksgiving" [in Hebrew, "hodaya"]. Through this
sefira [hod] King David would praise G-d with the words "Praise
[in Hebrew, "hodu"] be G-d". This praise is certainly connected to
the sefira of hod.
King David was from the tribe of Judah and ruled that
tribe first as king. The name "Judah" is derived from the Hebrew word for
"praise" - "odeh", as Leah said when naming her fourth son: "Now I
will praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah" (Gen. 29:35) Clearly
the book of Psalms is full of praises of G-d, and this shows David's worth as
King of the Jews - called "Yehudim" (after "Judah") - "Those Who Praise
G-d".
The words "laminatzeach" and "hodu" hint
at the sefirot of netzach and hod.  | | " Netzach and hod raise up malchut by revealing wonders and miracles that elevate the awareness of how the Divine works in reality..." | | |
The word "lamnatzeach" is translated as "To the
chief musician" e.g. Psalms 4:1. A translation suggested by Avraham Sutton in
his work "The Psalms of King David" is "The Master of Creation who grants
victory with His melodies". The idea is that the word "lenatzeach" means
"to be victorious" or "to overcome". In connecting to the sefirot of
netzach and hod, King David and all who recite Psalms with this
intent arouse a response from those sefirot in Zeir Anpin.
These sefirot are the source of miracles.
The Hebrew word "ness", meaning "miracle", also
means "to raise up". The legs in the body represent the sefirot of
netzach and hod. Just as the legs elevate the torso, so do netzach
and hod raise up malchut by revealing wonders and miracles that
elevate the awareness of how the Divine works in reality. The festivals of Purim
and Chanuka represent these two sefirot in time. Put another way, there
is no sense of thanksgiving greater than that felt after a miracle and no
victory more complete than a miraculous one.
These sefirot were praised by Moses with the
word "Az" [meaning "then"] in the verse:
"Then [in Hebrew, "Az"] sang Moses and
the people of Israel this song to the Lord."
(Ex. 15:1)
The song sung by all Israel when they saw the Egyptian
army drown in the Red Sea started with the word "az" spelled
alef-zayin. The numerical value of this word is 1+7 = 8, and it is
therefore connected with the eighth sefira of hod.
This is because of the hod that was given to
Moses. | | " It is the understanding of the miracle that gives such power to the feeling of thanksgiving..." | | |
Hod is the eighth sefira (counting from keter),
and bina consciousness flows as far as hod on the left side of the
Tree of Life. Hod is therefore also called "honor", a word also used to
describe bina. Thus Moses is told to "Put some of your honor upon him
(Aaron)." (Numbers 27:20) It is the understanding of the miracle that gives such
power to the feeling of thanksgiving that it arouses.
"Then [in Hebrew, "Az"] you shall call,
and G-d [ Havayah] will answer."
(Isaiah 58:9)
When you call from the sefira of hod,
the eighth sefira, then Havayah, the sefira of tiferet
will answer. Here the prophet is explaining that the sefira of tiferet
collects and distributes the divine abundance to hod.
Circumcision is on the eighth day, and this is because
after hod comes circumcision, which is in the sefira of yesod,
called "tzadik"; in it [yesod] the yud of the circumcision
is revealed [i.e. the crown of the circumcision], which is the tenth of the
sefirot.
And it is in relation to hod that there are
eight days of Chanuka after 24 days [of the month of Kislev]. These 24 days are
equivalent to the 24 letters in the verse [said after the first verse of the
Shema] "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever". Immediately
thereafter "And behold in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off." (Gen. 8:11) | | " Olive oil...illuminates only after it has been crushed and refined..." | | |
The eight oil lights lit over Chanuka correspond to
the sefirot of chochma, bina, daat, chesed,
gevura, tiferet, netzach and finally on the eighth day,
hod. The ultimate completion of the lamp lighting ceremony is on the eighth
day representing the unification of the sefirot in hod. The 24
days before Chanuka represent the harsh rule of the Greeks that intensified
during the period of the rebellion. This suffering was born by the Jews in order
to sanctify the name of G-d "below" in this world and thus corresponds to the 24
letters of the phrase blessing His kingdom - even in the midst of the hardest
struggle for survival. Immediately after the victory, the dove, which is the
symbol of peace, shows an olive branch in her mouth.
The oil used in the lamp was olive oil and as is
known, olive oil signifies the sefira of chochma. It illuminates
only after it has been crushed and refined. This "wisdom" is lit on the first
day and is then drawn each day through the sefirot until it reaches
hod, the sefira of (now) fully conscious thanksgiving.
Caf -Hei [the numerical value of 25] dwells
on Israel on the 25th of Kislev.
The letters caf and hei correspond to
the 25th day of Kislev, which is the first day of Chanuka. The word "kah"
is spellled by the letters caf and hei, and it signifies the
Shechina and the unification of three holy names with the name Havayah:
Eh-yeh Havayah, Elo-him Havayah and Ado-nai
Havayah. These three names have 25 letters.
These are "Shema Yisrael".
"Shema Yisrael..." - "Hear O Israel, G-d our Lord
is one G-d." (Deut. 6:4) has a total of 25 letters. This verse attests to the
unity of G-d and is recited as part of the daily prayers, both morning and
evening. These three names relate to G-d as manifest in the worlds of Beriya,
Yetzira and Asiya.
And this is Chanuka - the two words "chanu" and
"kah".
"Chanu" means a resting place - as in
the Modern Hebrew "chanaya" meaning car park. "Kah" ("25")
reflects the unity of G-d in the 25 letters of the Shema. Thus the name
of the holiday can thus be understood as meaning the dwelling place of the
unification of G-d.
Hod represents the final extent of the judgments
in the sefira of bina, the clearest distillation of bina
consciousness. After hod comes the collective sefirot of yesod
and malchut. It is no coincidence that "the Great Lamp" Rebbe Shimon bar
Yochai passed away on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, which
corresponds to the sefira of hod within hod. Also of
interest is the concept that the number eight is above nature, which is
represented by the number seven. It is therefore associated with an awareness of
the miraculous. The number eight on its side is the same as the symbol for
infinity that is also above nature. In addition, the Hebrew word for the number
eight is "shemona", and it has the word "shemen", meaning
"oil" as its root. Thus we see a connection between "miracles", "eight" and
"oil". Happy Chanuka!
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