Full Zohar Online - Emor

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Fear Food Righteous

30. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, וַהֲווֹ עִמֵּיהּ ר' יְהוּדָה ר' יוֹסֵי ר' חִזְקִיָּה. פָּתַח ר"ש וְאָמַר, טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו יִזְכּוֹר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ. טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, אִינּוּן דַּחֲלֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּדָחִיל לֵיהּ, אִתְקְרֵי מֵאִינְשֵׁי דְּבֵיתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְעָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ יָרֵא אֶת יְיָ.'

Congregation Fear Food Maidens Midnight Righteous Torah Wisdom

31. HE ASKS, What is the meaning of, "He has given food to those who fear Him," AND HE ANSWERS THAT this resembles the words, "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household" (Mishlei 31:15). SINCE THE RIGHTEOUS ARE HIS HOUSEHOLD, THEY RECEIVE THIS FOOD. From this we learned that whoever studies Torah at night and rises at midnight when the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, awakens to arrange the house for the King, THAT IS, TO DRAW THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH FOR HIM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH, "THROUGH WISDOM A HOUSE IS BUILT" (MISHLEI 24:3), such a man takes his part with her, and is considered to be of the household of the King. He is given daily from the allotments of the house. This is the meaning of, "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens." "FOOD" REFERS TO THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, WHILE "PORTION" (ALSO: 'LAW') IS THAT THEY WILL NOT DRAW FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS. Who are her household? Those who join her to study Torah at night are considered her house, her household members. Hence IT IS WRITTEN, "He has given food to those who fear Him."

31. מַהוּ טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו. אֶלָּא כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ. מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּכָל ב"נ דְּלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּלֵילְיָא, וְקָם בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְעֲרַת לְאַתְקְנָא בֵּיתָא לְמַלְכָּא, הַאי אִשְׁתְּתַּף בַּהֲדָהּ, וְהַאי אִקְרֵי מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְיָהֲבִין לֵיהּ כָּל יוֹמָא מֵאִינּוּן תִּיקוּנֵי בֵּיתָא, הה"ד וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ, וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֵיהַּ. מַאן בֵיתָה. כָּל אִינוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּתְפֵי בְּהַדָה בְּלֵילֵיא, אִקרוּן בֵּיתָהּ. ובג"כ טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו.

Brit (Covenant) Congregation Covenant (Brit) Earth Food Judgment Righteous Torah Zeir Anpin

32. HE ASKS, What is "food," AND HE ANSWERS, It is real food (lit. 'prey'), FOR SHE DEVOURS AND TAKES BY FORCE, WHICH ALLUDES TO JUDGMENTS THAT ARE REVEALED WITH CHOCHMAH. For she receives from a lofty faraway place, as it is written, "she brings her food from afar" (Mishlei 31:14), THAT IS, CHOCHMAH, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "I SAID, I WILL BE WISE; BUT IT WAS FAR FROM ME" (KOHELET 7:23). Who obtains this food? This is shown by the end of the verse, "He will ever be mindful of His covenant" (Tehilim 111:5). THIS MEANS whoever strives in the Torah to partake of it at night, AS THE TORAH IS CALLED A COVENANT. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed be He, has another certain supernal Righteous, WHO IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and this MAN joins him TO BESTOW UPON MALCHUT, and both inherit the Congregation of Yisrael, as it is written, "righteous; they shall inherit the land forever" (Yeshayah 60:21). THIS MEANS THAT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN WHO IS OCCUPIED WITH THE TORAH AT NIGHT AND THE SUPERNAL RIGHTEOUS WILL INHERIT MALCHUT CALLED EARTH.

32. מַהוּ טֶרֶף. טֶרֶף מַמָשׁ, דְּאִיהִי נַטְלָא מֵאֲתַר רְחִיקָא עִלָּאָה, דִּכְתִיב מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ. וּמַאן זָכֵי לְהַאי טֶרֶף, סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אוֹכַח, דִּכְתִיב, יִזְכּוֹר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ. מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאִשְׁתַּתְּפָא בַּהֲדָהּ בְּלֵילְיָא. וְלָא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּצַדִּיק חַד עִלָּאָה אִית לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהוּא אִשְׁתְּתַּף בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְיָרְתִין תַּרְוַויְיהוּ לִכְנִישְׁתָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ.

"He has given food to those who fear Him"