Every Friday, the Hok presents a selection from the Zohar related to the Sabbath. To internalize the teaching and apply it on the Sabbath, even in thought alone, will do wonders!

There are three kinds of people who bring bad things on themselves. The first is he who curses himself [for he thereby opens a door for the Satan to accuse him] ; the second is he who throws away bread or bread crumbs as big as an olive [for by doing so despises Supernal nourishment as well and therefore his source of sustenance is cut off] and the third is he who lights the candle when the the Sabbath is over before Israel has recited Kedusha deSidra [because it is still the Sabbath day, until the community proclaims its end], because with that fire, he lights the flames of Purgatory before the time has come. There is a special place in Purgatory for those who profane the Sabbath. Those who are punished in this inferno curse the person who lit a candle before its time, and they say to him, "Behold: G‑d will throw you about mightily and He will seize you firmly. He will violently roll and toss you like a ball into [exile in] a vast land." (Isaiah 22:17-18)

It is not proper for him to light fire
[as the Sabbath is not over] until Israel [i.e. the congregation in the synagogue] proclaims its end in [the Maariv] prayer and recite Havdala on a cup [of wine]. For until that time, it is still the Sabbath day and the sanctity of the Sabbath still rests upon us. So after the blessing over the cup is performed, all those hosts and legions that govern the weekdays return to their positions, each one according to the appointed service for which he is responsible. Because as soon as the Sabbath day begins and the day is sanctified, holiness is aroused and governs the world; worldliness is removed from its rule. Only when the Sabbath is over do they regain their position again. But although the Sabbath is over, they do not regain their positions until that moment when Israel says, "Blessed are You, G‑d, who separates the holy from the profane." Then the holiness of the Sabbath is removed, and all the hosts that govern the weekdays are aroused and return to their positions, each one according to the position for which it is in charge.

BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida include this for the Sabbath day? What are they trying to teach us?

The Zohar describes disparaging behavior and the Zohar is most shocked by one who negligently ignores the rest of his community at the Sabbath's end, even more than he who negligently curses oneself or negligently tossing bread. This third problematic behavior proverbially gives the Shechinah a "hot-foot" by shortening her open rule over the world.

It seems that all three show a lack of concern for holy matters: (1) speech needs to be holy, and one too needs to regard himself as a holy creature; (2) all food is holy, and is a gift from G‑d not to be despised, (3) the Sabbath is a palace in time, and it has a proper measure, that should not be cut-off by those in a hurry to rush back to the weekday.

Through negligence, not paying mindful attention to these factors, one perhaps opens oneself to negativity. This is an important first lesson in the spirit of the laws of the Sabbath and the laws of life.


Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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