The firmament that divides and unites

Synopsis

All the worlds were created with boundaries, and these boundaries are reflected within the human body. For example, reasoning takes place only within the boundaries of the head. Each of the Ten Sfirot represent domains of particular spiritual forces. Human behavior should also reflect and respect this idea. The ego's natural tendency is to penetrate another person's boundary. The effect is a volatile combination of spiritual energies, which is the source of conflict. The benefit derived from this section of the Zohar awakens our tolerance and respect for others, and an awareness of the need to remain within our own boundaries.

Firmaments Holiness (Kedushah) Holy Name Kedushah (Holiness) Seven Water Waters

365. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם, ר' יְהוּדָה אֲמַר, שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים אִנוּן לְעֵילָא, וְכָלְהוֹ קַיְימָא בִּקְדוּשְׁתָּא עִלָּאָה, וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּהוֹ אִשְׁתַּכְלַל, וְדָא רָקִיעָא הוּא בְּאֶמְצָעוּת מַיָא.

Firmaments Grades Living Creatures Mochin Waters

366. This firmament rests on other living creatures and it divides the upper and lower waters. The lower waters cry to the upper waters TO RAISE THEM TO THEM, and they drink from the firmament that separates between them, because all waters, NAMELY ALL THE GRADES, are included in this SUPERNAL FIRMAMENT. Thus, after TRANSMITTING THE MOCHIN TO THE SUPENAL LIVING CREATURES - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET - it brings it down to the SMALL living creatures FROM THE CHEST DOWNWARD, who draw from there THE MOCHIN OF CHOCHMAH.

366. דָּא רָקִיעַ קַיְימָא עַל גַּבֵּי חֵיוָותָא אָחֳרָנִין, וְאִיהוּ אַפְרֵישׁ בֵּין מַיִין עִלָּאִין לְמַיִּין תַּתָּאִין, וּמַיִין תַּתָּאִין קָרְאִין לְעִלָּאִין, וּמֵהַאי רָקִיעַ שָׁתָאן לוֹן, דָּא הוּא דְּמַפְרִישׁ בֵּינַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּכָלְהוֹ מַיָא בֵּיהּ כְּלִילָן, וּלְבָתַר נָחֵית לוֹן לְהָנֵי חֵיוָותָא, וְשָׁאֲבִין מִתַּמָּן.

Bride Eden Flow Freezing Lights Mochin Rivers Water Waters Wind

367. It is written: "A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed" (Shir Hashirim 4:12). THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE IS CALLED "a garden enclosed" when all THE LIGHTS are enclosed and included within her. AND SHE IS CALLED "a spring shut up" when that river that flows OUT OF EDEN enters THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE to water her FROM EDEN. So it comprises THE ENTIRE MOCHIN, but does not bring forth THEIR ILLUMINATION, because the waters - WHICH SIGNIFY THE MOCHIN - are frozen and stand stiff in it. What is the reason FOR THEM FREEZING? HE REPLIES: Because the Northern wind blows into these waters. They freeze into ice and cannot flow out. Had it not been for the Southern aspect, NAMELY THE RIGHT COLUMN, that shattered the power of this ice, the waters would have never flowed out.

367. כְּתִיב גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה, גַּל נָעוּל מַעְיָן חָתוּם. גַּן נָעוּל, דְּכֹלָּא אַסְתֵּים בֵּיהּ, דְּכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלֵיל בֵּיהּ. גַּל נָעוּל דְּהַהוּא נָהָר נָגִיד וְנָפֵיק, וְעַיֵּיל בֵּיהּ, וְכָלֵיל, וְלָא אַפֵּיק, וְקָרְשֵׁי מַיָא בֵּיהּ, וְקָיְימֵי, מ"ט בְּגִין דְּרוּחַ צָפוֹן נָשִׁיב בְּאִנוּן מַיָא, וְאִתְקְרִישׁוּ וְלָא נָפְקֵי לְבַר, עַד דְּאִתְעֲבֵיד קֶרַח, וְאִלְמָלֵא סִטְרָא דְדָרוֹם, דְּאַקִישׁ תָּקְפֵּיהּ דְּהַאי קֶרַח, לָא נַפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ מַיָּא לְעָלְמִין.

Firmaments Head Living Creatures Waters

368. The appearance of that upper firmament is similar to the appearance of the frozen ice, which collects within it all the waters THAT ARE POURED ON IT. In this manner, the upper FIRMAMENT gathers upon it all these waters and separates the upper waters from the lower waters. The verse, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters," REFERS TO THE FIRMAMENT in the midst of the waters. THUS, WE MIGHT THINK THAT THE FIRST FIRMAMENT IS THE MIDDLE ONE. YET HE SAYS: It is not so, because "Let there be" precedes THIS FIRMAMENT, WHICH MEANS THAT that FIRMAMENT that was formed by this FIRST FIRMAMENT is in the "midst of the waters." But the one above it, REFERRING TO THE FIRST FIRMAMENT, rests on the heads of the living creatures - OVER CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ARICH ANPIN - AND NOT IN THE "MIDST OF THE WATERS" BETWEEN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET AND NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD.

368. וְחֵיזוּ דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא עִלָּאָה, כְּחֵיזוּ דְּהַאי קֶרַח דְּמִתְקַרְשָׁא וּמַכְנִיס בְּגַוֵיהּ כָּל אִנוּן מַיִין, כָּךְ הַהוּא עִלָּאָה, דַּעֲלֵיהּ כָּנֵישׁ כָּל אִנוּן, מַיִין, וְאַפְרֵישׁ בֵּין מַיִין עִלָאִין לְמַיִין תַּתָּאִין, וְהַאי דַּאֲמָרָן יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם, בִּמְצִיעוּת, לָאו הָכֵי, אֶלָּא יְהִי כְּתִיב, הַהוּא דַּהֲוֵי מִנֵּיהּ בִּמְצִיעוּת מַיָא הֲוֵי, וְאִיהוּ לְעֵיל, דְּקַיְימָא עַל רֵישָׁא דְּחֵיוָותָא.

Birth Body Darkness Firmaments Food Heart Holy of Holies Living Creatures Waters

369. Rabbi Yitzchak said: There is a membrane in the middle of a man's abdominal organs that separates them from the upper organs, THEREBY SEPARATING THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS - WHICH ARE THE FOOD ORGANS - AND THE HEART AND LUNGS - WHICH ARE THE ORGANS OF LIFE. THIS MEMBRANE BEGINS IN THE NAVEL AND STRETCHES UP TO THE CHEST IN A DIAGONAL LINE. It absorbs THE FORCE OF LIFE from the ORGANS OF LIFE above THE CHEST and distributes IT TO THE ORGANS OF FOOD below THE CHEST. The firmament is similar TO THIS MEMBRANE. IT IS THE BODY OF ARICH ANPIN THAT ALSO EXTENDS FROM THE NAVEL TO HIS CHEST and rests above the lower living creatures, THAT IS, ABOVE THE SFIROT OF NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, CALLED THE LOWER LIVING CREATURES. It separates the upper waters - WHICH ARE HIS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET - from the lower WATERS - WHICH ARE HIS NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD.

369. אָמַר רָבִּי יִצְחָק אִית קְרוּמָא, בִּמְצִיעוּת מֵעוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ, דְּאִיהוּ פָּסֵיק מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא, וְשָׁאִיב מֵעֵילָא, וְיָהֵיב לְתַתָּא, כָּךְ גַּוְונָא דָא, רָקִיעַ אִיהוּ בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וְקַיְמָא עַל אִנוּן חֵיוָתָא דִלְתַתָּא, וְאִיהוּ פָּרֵישׁ בֵּין מַיִין עִלָאִין לְתַתָּאִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, אִנוּן מַיִן אַעֲדוּ וְאוֹלִידוּ חֲשׁוֹכָא, וְעַל רָזָא דָא כְּתִיב וְהִבְדִּילָה הַפָּרוֹכֶת לָכֶם בֵּין הַקֹדֶשׁ וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים.