Just as they (Kegavna)
This section deals with the secret of Shabbat. Malchut is called 'Shabbat' when she is united in the secret of one, so that Zeir Anpin should dwell upon her. Then the Holy Throne of Glory is united. We are reminded again of how, when the Shabbat enters, she unites and separates from the Other Side. The people bless her with joy, and must never address her with a verse of judgment, for all judgments are suspended. It would not be good to awaken the prosecutors below, who have fled to conceal themselves in holes beneath the sand of the great abyss because of the holiness of the Shabbat. Rather the holy people should have goodwill and great love, so that they arouse blessings above and below together.
The merging of lower and upper worlds is, perhaps, the most predominant theme that weaves itself throughout the Zohar. And nowhere else, we are told, is this unification more readily attainable than on the day of Sabbath. This passage provides the image of an egg as both symbol and analogy to illustrate this recurring theme. Fragile yet strong, the shell will only break when the time is right for birth. Enclosed in their shell, the white and the yolk can safely unite in secret. And later, by the splitting of the shell, new life arises from that union.
On Sabbath, the secret union takes place safe from harm, safe from evil. Afterward, the fruit of this blessed union comes to life among us. The great Light and unity of Shabbat shines in full splendor as we contemplate this profound Kabbalistic narrative. Judgments flee from our midst and the Other Side is expelled from our lives. The cosmic equivalent of the weekday Sabbath, the Age of Messiah, dawns as our eyes touch these words and our souls embrace these truths.
163. Just as THE SIX EXTREMITIES OF ZEIR ANPIN unite above, MEANING FROM THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN AND ABOVE, unto one, MEANING THAT THERE IS NO PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OTHER SIDE, MALCHUT also unites below, MEANING FROM THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN AND LOWER, in the secret of one, in order to be with them above, one in correspondence with one. For the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, who is one above, does not sit on His Throne of Glory, WHICH IS MALCHUT, until She also becomes in the secret of one like Him IN ORDER so it would be One in One. We have already established the secret of "Hashem is One and His Name One," FOR HASHEM IS ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS NAME IS MALCHUT AND THEY ARE ONE IN ONE.
163. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִינּוּן מִתְיַיחֲדִין לְעֵילָּא בְּאֶחָד, אוּף הָכִי אִיהִי, אִתְיַחֲדַת לְתַתָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד, לְמֶהֱוֵי עִמְּהוֹן לְעֵילָּא חַד לָקֳבֵל חַד, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶחָד לְעֵילָּא, לָא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָיא דִּיקָרֵיהּ, עַד דְּאִיהִי אִתְעֲבִידַת בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ, לְמֶהֱוֵי אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא רָזָא דַּיְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד.
164. This is the secret of Shabbat. MALCHUT IS CALLED 'Shabbat' WHEN She is united in the secret of one, so that ZEIR ANPIN should dwell upon Her, which is the secret of one. AND THIS IS THE SECRET OF the prayer of Shabbat eve, because then the Holy Throne of Glory, WHICH IS MALCHUT in the secret of one, is united into one. This was established so that the supernal Holy King, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, shall dwell upon Her.
164. רָזָא דְּשַׁבָּת, אִיהִי שַׁבָּת, דְּאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָ"ד, לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ רָזָא דְּאֶחָד. צְלוֹתָא דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא, דְּהָא אִתְאַחֲדַת כּוּרְסְיָיא יַקִּירָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָ"ד, וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה.
165. When the Shabbat enters, She unites and separates from the Other Side. All the Judgments pass away from Her, and She remains united with the holy light and becomes adorned with many crowns before the Holy King. All the dominions of anger and the instigators of Judgment flee, and there is no other dominion in all the worlds, EXCEPT HER.
165. כַּד עַיֵיל שַׁבְּתָא, אִיהִי אִתְיַחֲדַת וְאִתְפַּרְשַׁת מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל דִּינִין מִתְעַבְּרִין מִינָהּ, וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּאָרַת בְּיִחוּדָא דִּנְהִירוּ קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכָל שׁוּלְטָנֵי רוּגְזִין וּמָארֵי דְּדִינָא כֻּלְּהוּ עַרְקִין, וְלֵית שׁוּלְטָנוּ אַחֲרָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.
166. And Her face, MEANING HER FIRST THREE SFIROT, shines with the supernal light and becomes adorned with the holy nation below, for they all become adorned from Her with new souls. Then the prayer begins of blessing Her with joy, with shining face and saying, 'Bless the blessed Hashem;' the particle 'Et' before Hashem is precise, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'ET,' in order to address Her with a blessing.
166. וְאַנְפָּהָא נְהִירִין בִּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת לְתַתָּא בְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִן בְּנִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין. כְּדֵין שֵׁירוּתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, לְבָרְכָא לָהּ בְּחֶדְוָה, בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, וְלוֹמַר בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ' הַמְבוֹרָךְ. אֶת יְיָ' דַּיְיקָא, בְּגִין לְמִפְתַּח לְגַבָּהּ בִּבְרָכָה.
167. It is prohibited for the holy people to start addressing Her with a Judgment passage, such as, "But He was full of compassion... " (Tehilim 78:38), because She has already separated from the secret of Other Side. All the prosecutors have separated and passed away from Her, and one who arouses Judgment below causes a similar arousal above. The Holy Throne, WHICH IS MALCHUT, cannot then become adorned with the Holy Crown, for the prosecutors below are aroused, THAT HERETOFORE were absent, and all went to conceal themselves in the hole of sand of the great abyss, BECAUSE OF THE HOLINESS OF THE SHABBAT. NOW THAT THEY WERE AROUSED FROM BELOW, they all return to dwell in their place AS DURING THE WEEKDAYS, and the Holy Place is distanced by them, WHICH IS MALCHUT, that seeks rest.
167. וְאָסִיר לְעַמָּא קַדִישָׁא לְמִפְתַּח לְגַבָּהּ בִּפְסוּקָא דְּדִינָא, כְּגוֹן וְהוּא רַחוּם וְגוֹ,' בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְפַּרְשַׁת מֵרָזָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל מָארֵי דְּדִינִין אִתְפָּרְשׁוּ וְאִתְעַבְּרוּ מִינָהּ. וּמַאן דְּאִתְּעַר הַאי לְתַתָּא, גָּרִים לְאַתְעֲרָא הָכִי לְעֵילָּא. וְכֻרְסְיָיא קַדִישָׁא לָא יָכְלָא לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בַּעֲטָרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, דְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּמִתְעָרֵי לְתַתָּא אִינּוּן מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא, דַּהֲווֹ מִתְעַבְּרִן וַהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ לְאִתְטַמְּרָא גּוֹ נוּקְבָּא דְּעַפְרָא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ תַּיְיבִין לְאַשְׁרָאָה בְּדוּכְתַיְיהוּ וְאִתְרָחֲקַת בְּהוּ אֲתָר קַדִישָׁא דְּבָעָאת נַיְיחָא.
168. Do not say that only this One BECOMES AROUSED ABOVE BY THOSE BELOW, but rather there is no one aroused above unless the children of Yisrael awaken below, as we have established in the passage, "At the full moon on our feast day" (Tehilim 81:4). It does not say 'the feast day' but rather "our feast day;" THAT IS BECAUSE THE HOLINESS OF THE HOLY DAY BECOMES AWAKENED ABOVE THROUGH THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL WHO SANCTIFY IT BELOW, AND IT IS THEREFORE OUR FEAST DAY. Therefore, it is forbidden for the holy people, who adorn themselves with the holy crowns of souls in order to arouse rest, to arouse Judgment. They should all rather have goodwill and great love, so that they arouse blessings above and below together.
168. וְלָא תֵּימָא דְּדָא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא לֵית אִתְעָרוּתָא לְעֵילָּא לְאַתְעֲרָא, עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְעָרֵי לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב בַּכֶּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ. לְיוֹם חַג לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ. וְע"ד אָסִיר לְעַמָּא קַדִישָׁא, דְּקָא מִתְעַטְּרִן בְּעִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּנִשְׁמָתִין, בְּגִין לְאַתְעֲרָא נַיְיחָא, דְּאִינּוּן יִתְעָרוּן דִּינָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בִּרְעוּ וּרְחִימוּ סַגִי, דְּיִתְעָרוּן בִּרְכָּאן עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כַּחֲדָא.