Introduction to the Zohar (volume one of the Zohar)
by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag
Hakdamat Sefer HaZohar
(Para. 175 Perush HaSulam ( )
“The portion of the Holy One, Blessed be He is to gladden the poor as much as He can. For during the days of the festivals, The Holy One comes to see His broken vessels. He comes to them and, seeing that they have no cause to rejoice, He weeps for them and ascends above to destroy the world.” Zohar
Perush HaSulam:
In order to understand this passage and the [following] accusation of the high angels, we need first of all to understand the midrash (legend) of our sages concerning the creation of the world.
“When God said to the angels, ‘Let us make humankind in our image,’ Loving-kindness said, ‘Let Man be created, because he will do acts of loving- kindness.’ Truth said, ‘Don’t create humankind because they are all false.’ Righteousness said, ‘Let humankind be created because he will do acts of charity,’ and Peace said, ‘Don’t create humankind because he is entirely quarrelsome.’ What did God do? He took Truth and cast it down to the ground as is written, ‘You threw Truth down to the ground’ (Dan. 8:12).”
Study this carefully.
The explanation of this midrash is as follows: We are familiar with the teaching of our sages that a person should always practice Torah and mitzvot even when it is done not for its own sake, for through practicing Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake the person will come to practice for its own sake [Pesachim 50b]. For, on account of the low state of humankind, it is impossible for a person to straightaway practice Torah and mitzvot in order to give pleasure to the Creator. This is because “a man is born a young ass,” (Job 11:12) and because of the nature of the human being, it is impossible for a person to perform any movement that is not for their own advantage.
Therefore the person has no alternative initially but to practice Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake; that is to fulfill his or her will to receive for oneself alone. However, through his or her performing the mitzvot, (even when doing them for one’s own self) nevertheless the person draws down a flow of holiness. This light that the person brings down influences him or her, such that in the end, he or she comes to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake, that is to say, in order to give pleasure to the Creator.
Now Truth complained about the creation of Man, saying that Man was entirely false. He complained, “How is it possible to create Man in this way, a priori, seeing that Mankind will practice Torah and mitzvot in complete falsity, that is to say, not for its own sake.” However Chesed (loving-kindness) said, “Man should be created as Mankind will do acts of loving-kindness.” For the mitzvah of loving-kindness that the human does, of necessity clarifies his or her ability to give unconditionally and therefore through this mitzvah, the person’s will to receive is gradually transformed until he or she can practice the mitzvot in order to give. This being the case, it is certain that Man will eventually arrive at the aim of performing mitzvot for its own sake and for this reason Chesed claimed that Man should be created. Peace, however, protested that Man is wholly argumentative, since Man is unable to perform mitzvot in order to give unless there is some benefit accruing to himself or to herself. For this reason, Man is always found in a state of dispute with God.
It may seem to a person that he or she is a complete tzaddik (righteous person) whereupon he or she doesn’t feel their defects in any way. That is to say that they do not feel that all their dealings in Torah and mitzvot are not for its own sake. Then the person may go and rail against the Holy One, God forbid, that God is not good to them in the way in which he or she feels is appropriate for a complete tzaddik. It follows that the person is sitting on both sides of the fence. Sometimes he or she is at peace with God and sometimes he or she is in dispute with Him, God forbid. For this reason, Peace claimed that it was not worthwhile to create Man. But Righteousness said that Man should be created as he or she would do acts of charity, for through performing the mitzvah of giving charity to the poor, Man would gradually become closer and closer to the quality of unconditional giving until they would come to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake and merit to complete Peace (wholeness). Therefore Righteousness said that Man should be created. And after God heard the claims of both sides, He agreed with the angels of Chesed and Righteousness and cast Truth to the ground. In other words, He permitted the initial practice of Torah and mitzvot, even when it is not for its own sake, even though this is falsehood. The One threw Truth down to the ground because He accepted the argument of Loving-kindness and Righteaousness, that through practicing the mitzvot of loving-kindness and charity, in the end Man will come to Truth, that is to say, serving God only in order to give Him pleasure. For in the end, Man will come to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake and then Truth will rise up from the earth.
This is also the inner meaning of the breaking of the vessels that occurred before the creation of the world. For, through the breaking of the vessels of holiness and their falling into the worlds of Briyah, Yetzirah, Assiyah of separation, there fell with them sparks of holiness into the worlds of uncleanliness (the shells). From this event all types of pleasures and lusts came within the province of the shells, which then pass them on to Man for him or her to receive and enjoy. They are the cause of all manner of sins such as robbery, plunder and murder. However, together with this, God gave us Torah and mitzvot. Even if a person initially practices them not for its own sake, that is to say to get pleasure for his or her own will to receive and to fulfill his or her lowly appetites, according to the power of the breaking of the vessels, nevertheless the practice of Torah and mitzvot will in the end bring a person to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. Then the person will merit the Purpose of Creation, which is to receive all the pleasantness and the good that God thought in the Thought of Creation.
This is what is said above, “on the Festivals, God comes to see his broken vessels.” For on festivals, when a person carries out the mitzvah of being joyful on a festival, as a result of all the light that God is giving him or her, then God goes to visit His broken vessels, through which the opportunity of practicing Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake was given, as we have explained above. And God goes to see to what extent they have completed their task of bringing a person to practising Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. “He sees that they have no cause to rejoice and He weeps over them.” He sees that the broken vessels have no reason for rejoicing, so He weeps over them for He sees that no clarification has yet been made from them. This is to say that they have not brought Man at all to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. Rather, people rejoice in their festivals only for their own pleasure. For this reason, He weeps over the vessels, which is to say that it is as if He regrets that He broke them, for He only broke them and He only cast Truth down to earth for the good of Man, to enable Man to begin to work not for its own sake and afterwards to come to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. But when God sees that people have not moved from their own appetites to receive for themselves, it is as if He broke them for nothing and so He weeps over them. “Then He ascends above to destroy the world.” It is, as it were, as if He rises up to remove the flow of plenty from the world and to destroy it. For when the practice of Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake is not fitting to bring a person to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake, it appears that the Divine flow is harmful to the person in that it embeds a person deeper in the shell of receiving for oneself alone and it would therefore be more beneficial to the person if God were to stop the flow and cut it off altogether.
Translation by Yedidah Cohen
Go back to the Right and Left and the Bride in the Center
by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag
Hakdamat Sefer HaZohar
(Para. 175 Perush HaSulam ( )
“The portion of the Holy One, Blessed be He is to gladden the poor as much as He can. For during the days of the festivals, The Holy One comes to see His broken vessels. He comes to them and, seeing that they have no cause to rejoice, He weeps for them and ascends above to destroy the world.” Zohar
Perush HaSulam:
In order to understand this passage and the [following] accusation of the high angels, we need first of all to understand the midrash (legend) of our sages concerning the creation of the world.
“When God said to the angels, ‘Let us make humankind in our image,’ Loving-kindness said, ‘Let Man be created, because he will do acts of loving- kindness.’ Truth said, ‘Don’t create humankind because they are all false.’ Righteousness said, ‘Let humankind be created because he will do acts of charity,’ and Peace said, ‘Don’t create humankind because he is entirely quarrelsome.’ What did God do? He took Truth and cast it down to the ground as is written, ‘You threw Truth down to the ground’ (Dan. 8:12).”
Study this carefully.
The explanation of this midrash is as follows: We are familiar with the teaching of our sages that a person should always practice Torah and mitzvot even when it is done not for its own sake, for through practicing Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake the person will come to practice for its own sake [Pesachim 50b]. For, on account of the low state of humankind, it is impossible for a person to straightaway practice Torah and mitzvot in order to give pleasure to the Creator. This is because “a man is born a young ass,” (Job 11:12) and because of the nature of the human being, it is impossible for a person to perform any movement that is not for their own advantage.
Therefore the person has no alternative initially but to practice Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake; that is to fulfill his or her will to receive for oneself alone. However, through his or her performing the mitzvot, (even when doing them for one’s own self) nevertheless the person draws down a flow of holiness. This light that the person brings down influences him or her, such that in the end, he or she comes to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake, that is to say, in order to give pleasure to the Creator.
Now Truth complained about the creation of Man, saying that Man was entirely false. He complained, “How is it possible to create Man in this way, a priori, seeing that Mankind will practice Torah and mitzvot in complete falsity, that is to say, not for its own sake.” However Chesed (loving-kindness) said, “Man should be created as Mankind will do acts of loving-kindness.” For the mitzvah of loving-kindness that the human does, of necessity clarifies his or her ability to give unconditionally and therefore through this mitzvah, the person’s will to receive is gradually transformed until he or she can practice the mitzvot in order to give. This being the case, it is certain that Man will eventually arrive at the aim of performing mitzvot for its own sake and for this reason Chesed claimed that Man should be created. Peace, however, protested that Man is wholly argumentative, since Man is unable to perform mitzvot in order to give unless there is some benefit accruing to himself or to herself. For this reason, Man is always found in a state of dispute with God.
It may seem to a person that he or she is a complete tzaddik (righteous person) whereupon he or she doesn’t feel their defects in any way. That is to say that they do not feel that all their dealings in Torah and mitzvot are not for its own sake. Then the person may go and rail against the Holy One, God forbid, that God is not good to them in the way in which he or she feels is appropriate for a complete tzaddik. It follows that the person is sitting on both sides of the fence. Sometimes he or she is at peace with God and sometimes he or she is in dispute with Him, God forbid. For this reason, Peace claimed that it was not worthwhile to create Man. But Righteousness said that Man should be created as he or she would do acts of charity, for through performing the mitzvah of giving charity to the poor, Man would gradually become closer and closer to the quality of unconditional giving until they would come to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake and merit to complete Peace (wholeness). Therefore Righteousness said that Man should be created. And after God heard the claims of both sides, He agreed with the angels of Chesed and Righteousness and cast Truth to the ground. In other words, He permitted the initial practice of Torah and mitzvot, even when it is not for its own sake, even though this is falsehood. The One threw Truth down to the ground because He accepted the argument of Loving-kindness and Righteaousness, that through practicing the mitzvot of loving-kindness and charity, in the end Man will come to Truth, that is to say, serving God only in order to give Him pleasure. For in the end, Man will come to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake and then Truth will rise up from the earth.
This is also the inner meaning of the breaking of the vessels that occurred before the creation of the world. For, through the breaking of the vessels of holiness and their falling into the worlds of Briyah, Yetzirah, Assiyah of separation, there fell with them sparks of holiness into the worlds of uncleanliness (the shells). From this event all types of pleasures and lusts came within the province of the shells, which then pass them on to Man for him or her to receive and enjoy. They are the cause of all manner of sins such as robbery, plunder and murder. However, together with this, God gave us Torah and mitzvot. Even if a person initially practices them not for its own sake, that is to say to get pleasure for his or her own will to receive and to fulfill his or her lowly appetites, according to the power of the breaking of the vessels, nevertheless the practice of Torah and mitzvot will in the end bring a person to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. Then the person will merit the Purpose of Creation, which is to receive all the pleasantness and the good that God thought in the Thought of Creation.
This is what is said above, “on the Festivals, God comes to see his broken vessels.” For on festivals, when a person carries out the mitzvah of being joyful on a festival, as a result of all the light that God is giving him or her, then God goes to visit His broken vessels, through which the opportunity of practicing Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake was given, as we have explained above. And God goes to see to what extent they have completed their task of bringing a person to practising Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. “He sees that they have no cause to rejoice and He weeps over them.” He sees that the broken vessels have no reason for rejoicing, so He weeps over them for He sees that no clarification has yet been made from them. This is to say that they have not brought Man at all to practice Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. Rather, people rejoice in their festivals only for their own pleasure. For this reason, He weeps over the vessels, which is to say that it is as if He regrets that He broke them, for He only broke them and He only cast Truth down to earth for the good of Man, to enable Man to begin to work not for its own sake and afterwards to come to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake. But when God sees that people have not moved from their own appetites to receive for themselves, it is as if He broke them for nothing and so He weeps over them. “Then He ascends above to destroy the world.” It is, as it were, as if He rises up to remove the flow of plenty from the world and to destroy it. For when the practice of Torah and mitzvot not for its own sake is not fitting to bring a person to the practice of Torah and mitzvot for its own sake, it appears that the Divine flow is harmful to the person in that it embeds a person deeper in the shell of receiving for oneself alone and it would therefore be more beneficial to the person if God were to stop the flow and cut it off altogether.
Translation by Yedidah Cohen
Go back to the Right and Left and the Bride in the Center
