Yisrael corresponds to all the other nations of the world

Synopsis

Continuing the discussion of the previous section, Rabbi Yitzchak explains that the single nation of Yisrael is equivalent to all of the seventy other nations, and therefore whoever rules over Yisrael dominates the whole world. Because of this powerful status, the children of Yisrael are subjected to the rule of other nations in order that the world may be elevated through them. Rabbi Yitzchak also explains the great symbolic significance of the numbers one and seventy in this context. Seventy is the number of nations, the number of Yisrael who came into Egypt, and the number of Names for God, while God is One and Yisrael is one, on a par with the rest of the world.

Relevance

When we are born into this world, our Evil Inclination (the body) is given dominion over our soul. Our purpose in life is to gradually conquer all of the various aspects of our Evil Inclination. This effort allows us to perfect our soul and, in turn, correct our physical body. Heaven on Earth will materialize for all mankind when a significant amount of people achieve this ultimate transformation. Reading these passages of the Zohar is equivalent to attaining that transformation - such is the power of these divine verses.

Yisrael can be likened to the heart of the human body, whereas the other nations of the world correspond to all the organs. If the heart cannot deliver sufficient blood to each area of the body, illness and disease inevitably set in. In our personal lives, each time we resist a reactive urge, a powerful heartbeat propels Light through the spiritual arteries that interconnect all nations. The Light that is generated becomes the "blood" that nourishes the body, the soul, and all the nations of the world.

If we do not undertake this spiritual path, the other nations experience malnutrition. This is the underlying cause behind hatred towards Yisrael and, on a personal level, the reason for the chaos and darkness in our own lives. Hence, each of our actions simultaneously contributes to or subtracts from our personal welfare and the global state of the world. All is interconnected.

Here, the readers of the Zohar play the role of the heart, nourishing all the world with spiritual Light, healing the wounds between the nations, and healing personal ailments. The entire body of mankind is unified by this effort. Love becomes the blood that courses through our spiritual veins - which are the relationships that connect one man to another, and one nation to a another.

Egypt

285. רִבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר, כָּל אוּמָה וְאוּמָה אִית לָהּ שַׂר לְעֵילָּא, וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא לְדֵין, אַנְחִית לְדֵין, וְכַד יָהִיב שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא לְהַהוּא שַׂר, לֵית לֵיהּ שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא, אֶלָּא בְּגִין יִשְׂרָאֵל, הה"ד הָיוּ צָרֶיהָ לְרֹאשׁ.

Egypt Jacob Seventy Soul, The

286. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן לָקֳבֵיל כָּל שְׁאַר אוּמִין דְּעָלְמָא, מַה שְׁאַר עַמִּין אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִים, אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן שִׁבְעִים, הה"ד, כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב הַבָּאָה מִצְרַיְמָה שִׁבְעִים. וּמַאן דְּשָׁלִיט עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּאִילּוּ שָׁלִיט עַל כָּל עָלְמָא.

Egypt Grades Seven Ten

287. Rabbi Aba said, From here IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT YISRAEL IS SEVENTY, AS IS WRITTEN, "And the children of Yisrael were fruitful, and increased abundantly and multiplied and became exceedingly mighty" (Shemot 1:7). We have here seven LEVELS, and every level INCLUDES ten; thus, there are seventy. What is written after this? "Now there arose a new king over Egypt" (Ibid. 8). BY REASON OF HIS DOMINION OVER YISRAEL, THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE SEVENTY NATIONS, HE WAS CONSIDERED AS A NEW KING.

Earth

288. Rabbi Huna said, Why were the children of Yisrael enslaved among all the nations? It was in order that the world should be elevated through them. For they correspond to the whole world. And it is written, "On that day Hashem shall be One and His Name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). As THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is One, so is Yisrael one, as it is written, "One nation in the earth" (II Shmuel 7:23). As the name OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, is One and is explained in seventy NAMES, Yisrael is also one and interpreted by seventy.

288. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא, אֲמַאי אִשְׁתַּעֲבִידוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל הָאוּמִין, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּאַר בְּהוֹן עָלְמָא, דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵיל כָּל עָלְמָא, וּכְתִיב, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד. וּמַה הוּא חַד, אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל חַד, דִּכְתִּיב גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. מַה שְּׁמֵיהּ חַד, וּנִתְפְּרַשׁ בְּע,' אוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל חַד, וּנִתְפְּרַשׁ בְּשַׁבְעִין.