THEMES of Featured Zohar Articles

The Hebrew word for "Tabernacle/Mishkan", has a numerical value of 410, the same numerical value as the name of the central prayer relating to G‑d's unity, the "Shema". This theme, connecting the Tabernacle with Prayer, is continued in this week's Zohar, which dwells on the "Heichalot/Chambers", in the spiritual worlds.

The Zohar notes that the rectification of the body through prayer is a striking concept. The prayer shawl is made of wool and encompasses the body. The tefillin are made of animal skin and parchment and are worn directly on the skin and the first part of the prayer deals with sacrifices that are related to the blood. Thus all three levels: external, surface, and internal are rectified by the morning prayers.

The Zohar teaches that smell sustains the Nefesh in man; the soul enjoys the smell - not the body. Thus, when Shabbat departs a person should smell aromatic spices when the extra Ruach which a person receives when Shabbat enters has now departed and the Nefesh of the person is left bereft. (Ruach is derived from the same root as re'ach/smell.)

The wise men who made the Tabernacle needed to make an accounting of all the works they had done in order to arouse the Jews' pleasure in their donations and the vessels that had been made with them. This pleasure brought a vital spirit to these vessels and further established the Tabernacle's work.