Keeper of the covenant

Synopsis

Rabbi Yesa wonders why, when the children of Yisrael were exiled to Babylon and wept, they were remembering Zion and not Jerusalem. Rabbi Shimon's answer is that the whole purpose of the Righteous, Yesod, is to bestow blessings, and if the Shechinah is in exile it has no one to bestow blessings upon and therefore the Righteous has perished. Rabbi Yesa says that whoever respects God is honored in his life and in his death, as were Joseph and Pinchas. From Rabbi Shimon we learn why Pinchas was granted the priesthood, even though he had killed and all those who kill are normally barred from the priesthood.

Relevance

The righteous souls throughout history experience untold anguish over our exile, for they know the Thought of Creation is bestowing boundless blessings upon our souls. These blessings occur when the Shechinah rests upon us and we connect to Yesod, the gateway through which divinity pours into our world.

Here we employ the almightiness of the Righteous to summon forth and redeem the Shechinah from her exile (our exile) so that we may receive the abundance of Light from Yesod that was intended for us since the dawn of creation. The sorrow of saintly men herewith ceases, for even the simple meditation of the average reader will now ease the burden of the Righteous, who have carried us on their backs for millennia. Such is the power of the Zohar.

As Jacob fled the seductive solicitations of Potiphar's wife, we escape the tug and pull of the material world, of Satan, and of our egocentric impulses, which are all, in truth, one and the same. By virtue of Joseph's righteousness, we merit honor and peace in this world and into the World to Come. We become rulers over Egypt. We command all negative forces throughout the land, and are inspired to fervently embrace the Creator. Our inspiration, rising on the wings of Pinchas's zealous love of the Holy One, corrects our past sins and earns us long life, priestly holiness, and a portion of the World to Come.

Most importantly, the Angel of Death's lethal grip over mankind is unalterably broken. The pain, torment, and suffering associated with death dies by the hand of Pinchas. The court of supernal judgment is adjourned - permanently!

Babylon Exile Hands Jerusalem Righteous Rivers Shechinah Zion

17. Rabbi Yesa began: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, we also wept, when we remembered Zion" (Tehilim 137:1). HE ASKS, should it not have said Jerusalem since it is written, "If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning" (Ibid. 5). Why then, "when we remembered Zion?" AND HE ANSWERS: IT IS LIKE a man who had a precious and beautiful palace, and robbers came and burned it down. Whose is the anguish IF not that of the palace owner? Here also, whose anguish is it that the Shechinah is in exile, if not that of the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD? And this fits in with what they taught, as it is written: "The righteous perishes" (Yeshayah 57:1) literally, perished. FOR THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF YESOD IS TO BESTOW. BUT IF THE SHECHINAH IS IN EXILE HE HAS NO ONE TO BESTOW UPON, AND THEREFORE IT IS AS IF IT DOES NOT EXIST, BUT HAD PERISHED. Here also, "when we remembered Zion," MEANS when we remembered the anguish OF ZION, WHICH IS YESOD, because of its LACK OF mating, for the anguish is indeed his.

17. רִבִּי יֵיסָא פָּתַח, עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת צִיּוֹן. אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַםִ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלַםִ תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי, מַאי בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת צִיּוֹן. לב"נ דהו"ל הֵיכָלָא יַקִירָא, יָאָה וְשַׁפִּירָא, אָתוּ לִסְטִין וְאוֹקִידוּ לֵיהּ. צַעֲרָא דְּמַאן הוּא, לָאו דְּמָארֵיהּ דְּהֵיכָלָא. אוֹף הָכָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא שַׁרְיָא, צַעֲרָא דְּמַאן הוּא, לָאו דְּצַדִּיק. וְאַזְלָא הָא כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִיב הַצַּדִּיק אָבָד, אָבָד מַמָּשׁ. אוֹף הָכָא בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת צִיּוֹן, בְּזָכְרֵנוּ הַהוּא צַעֲרָא דִּילֵיהּ עַל זִוּוּגָהָא, צַעֲרָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא.

Brit (Covenant) Chariot Coffin Covenant (Brit) Egypt Joseph Water Waters

18. Rabbi Yesa said: Whoever respects the name of his Master in this matter, and keeps THE COVENANT, is privileged to have his Master respect him over all. How do we know this? Because regarding Joseph, it is written, "And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had... and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Beresheet 41:43). Furthermore, when Yisrael crossed the sea, Joseph's coffin entered the water first and the waters in front of it were unable to stay as they were. Therefore it is written, "The sea saw it, and fled" (Tehilim 114:3). What is the meaning of "and fled?" The sea saw him about whom this is written, "and fled, and went outside" (Beresheet 39:12).

18. אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, מַאן דְּאוֹקִיר שְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ בְּהַאי, וְנָטִיר הַאי, זָכָה דְּיוֹקִיר לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ עַל כֹּלָּא. מְנָלָן. מִיּוֹסֵף. דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּרְכֵּב אוֹתוֹ בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, וּכְתִיב וְנָתֹן אוֹתוֹ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא כַּד עָבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל יַת יַמָּא, אֲרוֹנָא דְּיוֹסֵף עָאל בְּגוֹ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְלָא הֲווֹ מַיָּא קַיְימִין עַל קִיוּמַיְיהוּ קַמֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנוֹס. מַאי וַיָּנוֹס. אֶלָּא רָאָה הַהוּא דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה.

Curtain Death Death and the Afterlife Garments Holy of Holies Potiphar Temple, The

19. Come and see: He was honored in his life and honored in his death. Why in his life? Because during that time he did not want to cleave TO POTIPHAR'S WIFE, as it is written: "But he refused, and said to his master's wife..." (Ibid. 8), and, "that he hearkened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her" (Ibid. 10). For this reason he was honored in this world. Since it is written, "And she caught him by his garment...and he fled, and went outside," BECAUSE OF THAT he earned entry after HIS DEMISE into the heavenly curtain THAT IS IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES. And so it was befitting to him, RESULTING that he received his due in this world and in the other world.

19. ת"ח, זָכֵי לִיקָרָא בְּחַיּיוֹי וְזָכֵי לִיקָרָא בְּמִיתָתֵיהּ. בְּחַיָיו אֲמַאי. בְּגִין הַהוּא זְמַן דְּלָא בָּעָא לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בָּהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו. וּכְתִיב וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ לִשְׁכַּב אֶצְלָהּ לִהְיוֹת עִמָּהּ. בְּגִין כַּךְ זָכָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂהוּ בְּבִגְדוֹ, וּכְתִיב וַיָנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה, זָכֵי לְבָתַר דְּעָאל לְגוֹ פָּרוֹכְתָּא עִלָּאָה, וְהָכִי אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, דִּידֵיהּ נָטַל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְדִידֵיהּ נָטַל בְּעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא.

Deeds Egypt Pinchas Priests

20. Pinchas was privileged in this world and in the World to Come, and meritted to live and exist longer than all those who came out of Egypt. He also merited to serve as High Priest, both he and all his descendants after him. You may argue that he earned priesthood only after this act. However, this is incorrect, there are those who say that he had earned the priesthood previously. If so, how should we understand the words, "because he was zealous for his Elohim" (Bemidbar 25:13), which meaning is that he earned the priesthood because of this deed and had not gained it previously?

20. פִּנְחָס זָכֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזָכָה בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְזָכָה לְקַיְּימָא יַתִיר מִכָּל אִינּוּן דְּנַפְקוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְזָכָה לְכַהֲנָא עִלָּאָה, הוּא וְכָל בְּנוֹי אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא זָכָה לְכַהֲנָא עַד לָא עָבֵד עוֹבָדָא דָּא. לָא. דְּהָא אִינּוּן דְּאַמְרֵי דְּזָכָה קוֹדֶם. לָאו הָכִי אֶלָּא בְּמַאי אוֹקִימְנָא תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר קִנֵּא לֵאלֹהָיו, דְּמַשְׁמַע דִּבְגִין עוֹבָדָא דָּא רָוַוח כְּהוּנָתָא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה קוֹדֶם.

Cozbi, Daugher of Zur Deeds Egypt Pinchas Priests

21. HE RESPONDS: come and see, any priest who kills a person is considered forever unfit for the priesthood because he has marred his own level, BECAUSE PRIESTHOOD IS THE LEVEL OF CHESED AND KILLING A PERSON IS ITS OPPOSITION. SINCE Pinchas HAD KILLED ZIMRI AND COZBI, he was legally barred from remaining a priest. But because he was zealous for the Holy One, blessed be He, He had to reinstate him, and also his seed after him for all time, into the priesthood. THIS IS THE MEANING OF THE WORDS, "BECAUSE HE WAS ZEALOUS FOR HIS ELOHIM." Rabbi Yitzchak said, Come and see: Pinchas is recorded above and below. ABOVE MEANS before he came into the world BELOW, is as he was among those who came out of Egypt.

21. ת"ח, כָּל כֹּהֵן דְּקָטִיל נֶפֶשׁ, פָּסִיל לֵיהּ כְּהוּנָתֵיהּ לְעָלְמִין. דְּהָא וַדַּאי פָּסִיל הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ. וּפִנְחָס מִן דִּינָא פָּסִיל לְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה, וּבְגִין דְּקַנֵּא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְיַחֲסָא לֵיהּ כְּהוּנַת עָלְמִין, לֵיהּ, וְלִבְנוֹי אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, לְדָרֵי דָּרִין. א"ר יִצְחָק, ת"ח, רָשִׁים הוּא פִּנְחָס לְעֵילָּא, וְרָשִׁים הוּא לְתַתָּא, עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְעָלְמָא דְּהָא עִם אִינּוּן דְּנַפְקוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם אִתְמְנֵי.

Angel of Death Angels Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Death and the Afterlife Peace Pinchas

22. Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Chiya were walking in the wilderness. Rabbi Yosi said, This that is written concerning Pinchas, "Behold I give him My covenant of peace" (Ibid. 12), refers to peace from the Angel of Death, the Angel who will never have control over him or have power to judge him. If you were to suggest that he did not die, you would be mistaken. HE DID DIE but certainly not in the same way as others do and he lived longer than all the other members of his generation because he held on to that heavenly covenant. And when he did leave this world he departed from other people with a supreme longing and with wonderful devoutness.

22. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְר' יוֹסֵי וְר' חִיָּיא, הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא, א"ר יוֹסֵי, הָא דִּכְתִּיב בְּפִנְחָס הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם. שָׁלוֹם מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּלָא שַׁלִּיט בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין, וְלָא אִתְדָּן בְּדִינוֹי. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא מִית. וַדַּאי לָא מִית כִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וְאוֹרִיךְ יוֹמִין עַל כָּל בְּנֵי דָּרָא, בְּגִין דִּבְהַאי בְּרִית עִלָּאָה אָחִיד, וְכַד אִסְתְּלַּק מֵעָלְמָא, בְּתִיאוּבְתָא עִלָּאָה וּבִדְבִיקוּתֵיהּ שַׁפִּירָא אִסְתַּלָּק מִשְּׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא.