ב"ה
THEMES of Featured Zohar Articles
Kabbalah explains that Jacob wished to impress Esau with his power over sorcery.
The entire world then knew that
Laban was the Grand Sorcerer, and whomever he wished to destroy could not
escape. Thus Jacob told Esau, "I have
been staying with Laban [and have successfully escaped unharmed]…," wishing to
impress Esau so that he would not try to hurt him.
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Esau became frightened enough to seek peace instead of war.
The ox is the primary example of the causation of damage in the Talmud and the donkey symbolizes impurity and lust. When the strength of the ox is harnessed to the stubbornness of a donkey, damage is caused to the world.
The gifts Jacob was giving Esau was proof of the fact that he had succeeded in mastering Laban and these powers of ox and donkey were also subservient to him. |
When the supports of the Torah are broken, the Torah itself is shaken.
The forces of evil wished to break the force of the Torah by attempting in every possible way to interrupt Jacob’s voice, but he was found strong on all sides, his arms strong and the Torah firmly entrenched therein.
When he saw that he could not strike at the Torah itself, he weakened the power of its upholders; for without upholders of the Torah there will be no "voice of Jacob", and the hands of Esau will operate freely. |
Audio | 7:29
Based on Zohar Breishit 144B
Man has two angels, one is on his right and the other on his left, who observe man in everything he does - called the 'Good Inclination' and the 'Evil Inclination'.
When a man strives to observe the commandments of the Torah, the Good Inclination overpowers the Evil Inclination, making the Evil Inclination into its slave. |
Intermediate
One's inclination toward evil, as well as that toward good, brings a person close to G-d.
The Zohar teaches that the Evil Inclination is constantly ready to cause a person to do wrong in the eyes of G-d, demand "needs" at any particular time, and doesn't leave a person from the time he is born until the day he dies. This same Inclination then goes on to prosecute the person in the spiritual after-world for his acting on those demands.
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The smaller, plain text is the explanation of the translator/editor.
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