| |
The Rose: Part 2
Adapted from the Zohar by Peretz Auerbach; click here
for the introduction to the series.
Just as a rose, which is found
amidst the thorns, has within it the colors red and white, also Knesset
Yisrael has within her both judgment and loving kindness. (Zohar I, Intro. pg 1)
"Just as a rose...": Here, the Zohar compares
Knesset Yisrael to a beautiful rose. She is surrounded by thorns
representing the kelipot (i.e. the powers of evil). This root in the
spiritual worlds brings about the present state in which the innate holiness of
our world is concealed by kelipot.  | " Our service of
G-d can be likened to a gardener who takes care of his garden and prunes away the thorns..." | | |
Our service of G-d can be likened to a gardener who
takes care of his garden and prunes away the thorns. Only with constant vigil
against the encroaching weeds and thorns is the gardener able to maintain his
garden. In our spiritual gardening tasks, we must prune away the husks from
every aspect of Creation, allowing the divinity within to flourish and bloom
forth in shining revelation. On a personal basis we must constantly strive to
perfect ourselves in thought, speech, and action. And in the same way we must
remove the kelipot from the way we treat our fellow.
A bad action against G-d, like desecrating the Shabbat
or against one's fellow, i.e. stealing, creates kelipot, causing a
concealment of the divine light. Conversely, when someone withholds from such
desecration, he removes a kelipot and causes revelation of the divine
light.
"...which is found amidst the thorns": This parable
for malchut - being surrounded by the kelipot - is a further
allusion to the Shechina in exile. There are times in history when the
Shechina dwells among us, for instance when the Temple was standing. These
periods can be followed by periods of spiritual exile where G-d's imminence is
not perceived. This is on the macro-level of history. This, however does not
abrogate our responsibility of spiritual labor, as on the micro-level; we can
still bring about divine revelation through good deeds and acts of kindness. | | " Learning Kabbala gives us the inner fortitude to endure in exile..." | | |
By starting with the lesson about the Shechina
in exile, the Zohar hints to us that learning Kabbala gives us the inner
fortitude to endure in exile. And furthermore, this learning is an integral part
of the remedy.
"...has in it the colors red and white": Knesset
Yisrael corresponds to the sefira of malchut. This attribute
is composed of both the powers of loving-kindness and judgment. Each person,
according to the nature of his soul root above, will tend to be drawn towards
one more than the other. This is why some people are inclined to see the world
in a strict, judgmental way and others are inclined to see things in a kind,
loving way.
"...both judgment and loving-kindness": In this
statement, the Zohar introduces the right-left dynamic of judgment and
loving-kindness. The word in the Aramaic text for "loving-kindness" is "rachmai"
whose Hebrew equivalent would seem to be "rachamim", which always means
"mercy". However not every Hebrew word has an exact Aramaic equivalent.
Therefore, this word "rachmai", depending on its context, can be used to
mean either "loving-kindness" or "mercy". Here the connotation of "rachmai"
is "loving-kindness", which is on the right side of the sefirot, opposite
judgment, which is on the left. Malchut, here represented by Knesset
Yisrael, is one of the middle sefirot which receives from both sides.
Let us now look at the deeper meaning of the
comparison between the colors of the rose on the one hand, and the concepts of
judgment and loving-kindness within Knesset Yisrael on the other. If one
tries to describe the beauty of a Beethoven symphony to a person who cannot
hear, there will never be the right words to convey the emotional content. Try
explaining to the same person the concepts of justice and fairness and he will
surely be able to attain a grasp of their nature. Knesset Yisrael (the
Upper Rose) is within the realm of Concept, and therefore her attributes are
judgment and loving-kindness. The Lower Rose expresses in malchut the
sefira of actualization - and therefore of experience, hence her attributes
express themselves as colors.
To proceed to the next entry in this series of articles
on the Zohar, The Rose: Part 3 - click here.
|
