"The heavens and earth were finished along with all their hosts" (Gen. 2:1). Rabbi Elazar quoted, "How great is your goodness which you have laid out for those who fear you. You have wrought for them who put their trust in you, before the sons of men" (Psalms 31:20).

Come and see! G‑d placed man in the world. He gave him the abilities to perfect himself in serving Him and to correct his ways [man was created with free choice to be able to perfect his service in the world] so as to merit the supernal light that G‑d saved for the righteous. Thus it is written: "No eye has seen Elo-him" (Isaiah 64:3)

The world...is preserved...by the breath of the children in the houses of learning.

And how can one merit this light? Only through Torah. He who occupies himself with Torah every day merits a place in the World to Come, and it is considered as if he had built the world for, through Torah, the world was built and completed. Thus, it is written , "G‑d founded the earth with wisdom, He established the heavens with understanding" (Proverbs 3:19), And it is also written, "And I will be a nurseling [in Hebrew,'amon'] with him, and I will be his delight every day" (Proverbs 8:30), Thus, whoever embraces Torah completes and preserves all the worlds. Come and see! G‑d made the world by a breath and by the breath of the mouths of those who study Torah it is preserved. It is preserved even more by the breath of the children in the houses of learning. "How great is your goodness" refers to the hidden good [the light in which Elo-him saw and said it was good, and it is hidden for the use of] "Those who fear you", relating to those who fear sinning - "You have wrought for them who trust in you." What is the meaning of "wrought?" It refers to the works of Creation. Rabbi Aba said that it refers to the Garden of Eden, which G‑d crafted on earth in the image of the Supernal shape for the righteous to strengthen themselves. The words are "wrought for them who put their trust in you, which you had laid out for those who fear you before the sons of men," because it is for humans and the other one is only for the supernal holy beings . Rabbi Shimon said that it was for the supernal Garden of Eden, but even so, it is for the "sons of men." For there gather the righteous, who do the will of their Master.

Whoever embraces Torah completes and preserves all the worlds. He who occupies himself with Torah every day...is considered as if he had built the world

"And they were finished" indicates that all the work that was to be done, both above and below, was finished, for the "heavens and the earth" represent above and below. Rabbi Shimon said that this represented both the works and craftsmanship of the written Torah and the works and craftsmanship of the Oral Torah,.All their hosts" refers to the details of Torah, the seventy alternative aspects of Torah, [which correspond to the 7 lower Sefirot of Zeir Anpin and Nok, for each one includes 10 Sefirot, 7 x10 = 70] "were finished" that both details and alternative aspects can coexist and complement each other. The Heavens and the earth represent the particular and general. "And all their hosts" are the inner meanings, of Torah and the rules of cleanliness and uncleanness in Torah.

The Heavens and the earth represent the particular and general.

BeRahamim LeHayyim: More fundamentals are stressed, namely the importance of the Torah study in general, and the secrets of the Torah in particular, and we will ideally wrestle with for the GaN (53) parshiot of the Torah.

"Man cannot live by bread alone, but rather all that comes from the mouth of G‑d"

Man cannot live by bread alone, but rather all that comes from the mouth of G‑d—the Torah messages of all levels of PaRDeS. Just because this selection helps us to satisfy our need to delve into hidden mysteries does not relieve us of our required work to build a vessel to receive such teachings.

This "cup" is the Oral Torah, and it is the receptacle of all "above" it. Just like the Sukkah is a receiver of blessings [Sukkot has the letters Kos (cup) T[iferet], meaning the Sukkah is like a cup that gets filled with blessings from G‑d], so too should we mold ourselves to be Mekubalim, those that receive from sacred sources.

As we begin this adventure of learning these important Zohars, it befits us to still prepare the Bride [HaKalah/the bride is the same letters as Halachah/Jewish law or legal path to follow] and engage in the learning from the other areas (Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, Musar, Jewish Law) from the wealth of Jewish sources.