"And these are the names"

Synopsis

An explanation of, "And these are the names,"proceeds from a discussion of the meaning of the quotation, "And they who are wise..." This, we learn, contains the secret of the Firmament, which illuminates the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. Those imbued with supernal Wisdom - the internal and external angels, and the life-giving souls born of the Tree of Life - inhabit the Tree, and these beings merit eternal life. The branches of the Tree spread over all forms and beings of Holiness, and the fruit of the Tree gives life to all. The side of Impurity, however, does not dwell in the Tree of Life, and derives no nourishment from it. There follows a description of the splendor of the Tree, which ascends to great heights, and the one radiation in the Tree, which contains the colors white, red and green. Rising in direct light and descending in returning light, these colors come to rest only in the Tree. From this Tree, the twelve Tribes of Israel went down into the exile of Egypt with the light that does not illuminate (Malchut), accompanied by multitudes of heavenly hosts.

Relevance

This passage explains that those of us who embrace the "secret of wisdom--which is the Holy Zohar - sparkle and shine with the Light of Chochmah. Chochmah is one of the highest spiritual dimensions of the Upper World. This is the flawless reality known by the code term "Tree of Life."

The Tree of Life is the source of our joy. It is the place that wisdom and pleasure come from. It is a realm of immortality and eternal peace. When we are connected to this divine dimension, we know only fulfillment, joy, and perfection. The turmoil of human existence occurs when we find ourselves disconnected from the Tree of Life, languishing in our physical domain of darkness known as the Tree of Knowledge reality.

The opening verses of this powerful section of Zohar unite us with the Tree of Life. Immediately, order emerges from chaos. We are impervious to the negative influences of the twelve constellations.

The illumination we generate by virtue of these verses banishes darkness from our lives and from all existence. We ignite the forces of immortality, expelling death from human existence. We become wise in the ways of the Creator.

Upon the merit of this passage, our exile ends as we rise out of Egypt (the material world of pain and suffering) and experience the Garden of Eden forevermore.

1. "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob, every man came with his household" (Shemot 1:1). "And they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). "And they who are wise," are those who observe the secret of wisdom; "shall shine," means they illuminate and sparkle with the shine of supernal Chochmah; and "as the brightness," MEANS the brightness and sparkle of the river that emanates from Eden. This is the concealed secret that is called 'firmament'" for in it are located the stars and the constellations, the sun, WHICH IS THE ZEIR ANPIN, and moon, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, and all the candles that give light, WHICH ARE ALL THE LIGHTS THAT ARE IN THE WORLDS BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH.

1. וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה אֵת יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים יַזְהִירוּ כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים כַּכּוֹכָבִים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד וְהַמַּשְׂכִּילִים: אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִסְתַּכְּלֵּי בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא. יַזְהִירוּ: נַהֲרִין, וְנֹצְצִין בְּזִיוָא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. כְּזֹהַר: נְהִירוּ וּנְצִיצוּ דְּנַהֲרָא דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן. וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא סְתִימָא, דְּאִקְרֵי רָקִיעַ. בֵּיהּ קַיָימִין כּוֹכָבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן בּוּצִינִין דִּנְהוֹרָא.

Angels Animals Firmaments Heaven Shadow Spices Tree Tree of Life Vessels

2. The brightness of this firmament illuminates the garden, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the Tree of Life, WHICH IS TIFERET, stands in the center of the garden - THAT IS, IN THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Its branches, ITS SFIROT, cover all forms, NEFASHOT, trees, RUCHOT, and spices, NESHAMOT, in the garden that are in fitted vessels, MEANING THEY HAVE THREE COLUMNS, RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL. And all the wild animals, WHO ARE THE EXTERNAL ANGELS, find shelter in its shadow. And all the birds of the sky, THE INTERNAL ANGELS, sit under its branches.

2. זֹהַר דְהַאי רָקִיעַ נָהִיר בִּנְהִירוּ עַל גִּנְתָּא. וְאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי קַיָּים בִּמְצִיעוּת גִּנְתָּא. דְּעַנְפּוֹי חַפְיָין עַל כָּל אִינּוּן דְּיוּקְנִין וְאִילָנִין וּבוּסְמִין דִּבְגִּנְתָּא, בְּמָאנִין דְּכַשְׁרָן. וּתְטַלְלִין תְּחוֹתֵיהּ כָּל חֵיוַת בָּרָא. וְכֹל צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא יְדוּרוּן תְּחוֹת אִינּוּן עַנְפִין.

Fruit Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Merit Other Side Soul, The Tree Tree of Life World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

3. The splendor of the fruits of the tree, WHICH ARE THE SOULS THAT ARE BORN FROM IT, gives life to all. It exists forever. The Other Side OF IMPURITY does not dwell in it, MEANING THAT THE OTHER SIDE HAS NO NOURISHMENT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN IN GREATNESS. Only the side of holiness is nourished. Fortunate are those who taste from it, for they live eternally, AS IS WRITTEN, "AND HE WILL TAKE ALSO FROM THE TREE OF LIFE AND EAT AND WILL LIVE FOREVER" (BERESHEET 3:22). They are called "they who are wise" and merit life in this world and in the World to Come.

3. זֹהַר אִיבָּא דְּאִילָנָא, יָהִיב חַיִּין לְכֹלָּא. קִיוּמֵיהּ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן אִינּוּן דְּטַעֲמִין מִנֵיהּ, אִינּוּן קַיְימִין לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין. אִלֵּין אִקְרוּן מַשְׂכִּילִים, וְזַכָּאָן חַיִּין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְחַיִּין בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Colors Hundred Light Lights Red Tree Zeir Anpin

4. The splendor of this tree, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, rises higher and higher. WHEN RISING it is a distance of 500 parasangs. WHEN RISING HIGHER, its spread is 600,000 parasangs. In this tree, there is one radiation, WHICH IS MALCHUT, in which body, all the colors - WHITE, RED AND GREEN, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE LIGHTS OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET - exist. These colors rise IN OR YASHAR ('DIRECT LIGHT') and descend IN OR CHOZER ('RETURNING LIGHT'), and do not settle anywhere except in this tree BECAUSE IT IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN.

4. זֹהַר אִילָנָא דָּא, זַקְפָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא. חֲמֵשׁ מְאָה פַּרְסֵי הִלּוּכֵיהּ, שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא אִיהוּ, בִּפְשִׁיטוּתֵיהּ. בְּהַאי אִילָנָא, קַיְּימָא חַד זֹהֲרָא, כָּל גַּוְונִין קַיָּימִין בֵּיהּ אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין סָלְקִין וְנַחְתִּין, לָא מִתְיַשְׁבֵי בְּדוּכְתָּא אַחֲרָא בַּר בְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא.

Camp Egypt Exile Lights Tree Twelve Twelve Tribes of Israel

5. When THE LIGHTS emanate from it, FROM THE TREE, to appear in the glow that does not illuminate, THESE LIGHTS sometimes settle and SOMETIMES do not settle in it; they sometimes exist and sometimes do not exist, because they settle in no other place EXCEPT THIS TREE. From this tree emanated twelve tribes whose boundaries are therein contained. They descended in this splendor that does not illuminate, into the exile of Egypt with many supernal camps. This is the meaning of, "And these are the names of the children of Israel..."

5. כַּד נַפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ לְאִתְחֲזָאָה בְּגוֹ זֹהַר דְּלָא נַהֲרָא, מִתְיַשְּׁבָן וְלָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָן, קַיְימָן וְלָא קַיְימָן, בְּגִין דְּלָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָן בְּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא. מֵאִילָנָא דָּא נַפְקֵי תְּרֵיסַר שְׁבָטִין. דְּמִתְּחַמָּן בֵּיהּ, וְאִינּוּן נַחְתּוּ בְּהַאי זֹהַר דְּלָא נַהֲרָא, לְגוֹ גָּלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין עִלָּאִין, הה"ד וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ.'