- Zohar
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- Vayak'hel
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- Chapter 27
He should not be put in a coffin
Rabbi Aba opens by telling us that Joseph was put into a coffin in Egypt. He deserved to be put in a coffin because he kept the holy covenant intact, and only the righteous are accorded that privilege. If a man impaired the covenant in the past and now also desecrates his coffin, he is sentenced and put into Gehenom, never to leave. Rabbi Aba says this is true only of those who did not repent enough to wipe out their misdeeds. If someone sinned and did not repent, he may not see the face of the Shechinah. Rabbi Aba explains that it was Betzalel who made the ark instead of those wise men who made the tabernacle because he was of a grade that symbolizes the holy covenant.
384. It is written concerning Joseph, "and he was put (Heb. vayisem) in a coffin (Heb. aron)" (Beresheet 50:26). HE ASKS: Why IS VAYISEM SPELLED with two Yuds? HE ANSWERS: It shows the connection between one covenant and another covenant, FOR YUD ALLUDES TO THE COVENANT, NAMELY, TO YESOD; AND THE TWO WRITTEN YUDS, CORRESPONDING TO THE TWO COVENANTS, one in the secret of the lower COVENANT, and the other in the secret of the upper COVENANT, THE ARK (HEB. ARON) OF THE COVENANT. Then he was placed in a coffin (Heb. aron). Why so? because he observed the holy covenant, which was established through him. Therefore he deserved to be put in a coffin. And everything is proper.
384. בְּיוֹסֵף מַה כְּתִיב, וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן תְּרֵין יוֹדִין אֲמַאי. אֶלָּא דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּרִית בִּבְרִית. רָזָא דִּלְתַתָּא בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. וְעָאל בַּאֲרוֹנָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּנָטַר בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְקָיָּים בֵּיהּ. לְהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי לְאַעֲלָה בַּאֲרוֹנָא, וְכֹלָּא כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי.
385. Rabbi Aba wept and said, woe to people who are unaware of that disgrace, and woe to the punishment exacted from all those who wish to be put in a coffin, AFTER THEIR DEATH. For only the righteous may be put in a coffin, who knows himself and sees that he did not offend the covenant, the sign of the holy covenant, during his lifetime, and kept it as he should. And if this is not so, he must not be put in a coffin (Heb. aron) AFTER HIS DEATH and impair the ark (Heb. aron). FOR THE IMPAIRMENT REACHES THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
385. בָּכָה ר' אַבָּא וְאָמַר, וַוי לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּלָא יַדְעֵי לְהַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא. וַוי לְהַהוּא עוֹנְשָׁא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּבָעֵי עָאל בַּאֲרוֹנָא. בְּגִין דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵיעַל בַּאֲרוֹנָא, בַּר צַדִּיק, דְּיָדַע בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בְּגַרְמֵיהּ, דְּלָא חָטָא בְּהַהוּא בְּרִית, אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, מֵעוּלְמוֹי, וְקָא נָטִיר לֵיהּ כַּדְקָא יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמֵיעַל בַּאֲרוֹנָא, וּלְמִפְגַם אֲרוֹנָא.
386. The inner meaning of this is that A MAN has to be connected with the sign of the holy covenant, the secret that is fit for him, WHICH ALLUDES TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and not for the other, THE OTHER SIDE. For the ark (or coffin), ALLUDING TO MALCHUT, is united only with the righteous who keeps the sigh of the holy covenant. And whoever impairs the member of the covenant and is nevertheless put in a coffin, woe to him, for impairing it in his life, woe to him for impairing it in his death. Woe to him who receives this punishment, for impairing the sign of the covenant, and the holy ark of the covenant. Woe to the disgrace, for which there will be forever upon him the revenge of this world and of that impairment. This is the secret of the verse "for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the share allotted to the righteous" (Tehilim 125:3).
386. רָזָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּאָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ, וְלָא לְאַחֲרָא. דְּהָא אֲרוֹן לָא אִתְחֲבָּר אֶלָּא בְּצַדִּיק, דְּנָטִיר אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּמַאן דְּפָגִים בְּרִית וְעָאל בַּאֲרוֹנָא, וַוי לֵיהּ, דְּפָגִם לֵיהּ בְּחַיּיוֹי. וַוי לֵיהּ דְּפָגִים לֵיהּ בְּמִיתָתֵיהּ. וַוי לֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא עוֹנְשָׁא. וַוי לֵיהּ דְּפָגִים אָת וְאָרוֹן קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. וַוי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא, דְּנַקְמִין מִנֵּיהּ נִקְמַת עָלְמִין, נוּקְמָא דְּעָלְמָא דָּא, וְנוּקְמָא דְּהַהוּא פְּגִימוּ. וְרָזָא דָּא כְּתִיב כִּי לֹא יָנוּחַ שֵׁבֶט הָרֶשַׁע עַל גּוֹרַל הַצַּדִיקִים.
387. When a man is judged in that world, his deeds are examined. If he used to impair the secret of the holy covenant stamped in his flesh, and now he also desecrates his coffin, he is not of the righteous. They look at him and sentence him to be excluded from the community of mankind, and from those who were given eternal life. He is given to that side, which has no part in the secret of man, NAMELY, THE OTHER SIDE, AS MENTIONED. When he is delivered to that side, woe to him, for he is put in Gehenom, never to leave. Upon this says the verse "and they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me'..." (Yeshayah 66:24). These stay apart from mankind, THAT IS, THEY WERE LEFT OUT OF HUMANITY.
387. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדַיְינִין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, מִסְתַּכְּלָן בְּעוֹבָדוֹי, אִי הֲוָה פָּגִים רָזָא דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא דְחָתִים בִּבְשָׂרֵיהּ. וְהַשְׁתָּא פָּגִים אֲרוֹנָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּהַאי. הַאי לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא. מִסְתַּכְּלִן בֵּיהּ, וְדַיְינִין לֵיהּ, וּמַפְּקֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר מִכְּלָלָא דְּאָדָם. כֵּיוָן דְּאַפְקֵי לֵיהּ מִכְּלָלָא דְּאָדָם, אַפְקֵי לֵיהּ מִכְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ אַחֲרָנִין, דְּאִתְעַתְּדוּ לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא, וְיַהֲבֵי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בְּרָזָא דְּגוּפָא דְּאָדָם. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּמְסַר לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וַוי לֵיהּ, דְּאַעֲלִין לֵיהּ בְּגֵיהִנָם, וְלָא נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. ע"ד כְּתִיב וְיָּצְאוּ וְרָאוּ בְּפִגְרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפּוֹשְׁעִים בִּי וְגוֹ'. אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ מִכְּלָלָא דְּאָדָם.
388. That is true only for those who did not repent completely, enough to wipe their misdeeds. It is nevertheless better for them not to be put in a coffin, for as long as the body exists, the soul is judged and does not go to its place, save the high righteous worthy of ascending in their bodies. Happy is their portion in this world and in the World to Come.
388. וְהָנֵי מִלֵי כַּד לָא עָבֵד תִּיוּבְתָּא שְׁלֵימָתָא. תִּיוּבְתָּא דְּאִיהִי אִתְחַזְיָיא לְחַפְיָיא עַל כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי. וְעכ"ד טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא יֵעוּל בַּאֲרוֹנָא, דְּהָא כָּל זִמְנָא דְּגוּפָא קַיָּים, נִשְׁמְתָא אִתְדְּנָת, וְלָא עָאלַת לְאַתְרָהּ. בַּר אִינּוּן חֲסִידֵי עֶלְיוֹנִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְסַלְּקָא בְּגוּפֵיהוֹן, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
389. For there is not a graver offense before the Holy One, blessed be He, than that of lying and impairing the holy sign of the covenant. That person may not see the face of the Shechinah, if he thus sins, as is written: "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Hashem" (Beresheet 38:7) and also "nor shall evil dwell with You" (Tehilim 5:5), FOR THIS OFFENSE IS CALLED 'EVIL'.
389. בְּגִין דְּלֵית חוֹבָא דְּקַשְׁיָא קַמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּהַאי מַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר וּפָגִים לְהַאי אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְדָא לָא חָמֵי אַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, עַל חוֹבָא דָּא כְּתִיב וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי יְיָ'. וּכְתִיב לֹֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע.
390. It is written: "and Betzalel made the ark" (Shemot 37:1). HE ASKS: Why did not the wise men who made the tabernacle proceed to build the ark? HE REPLIES THAT Betzalel was of the grade of the ending part of the body, which symbolizes the holy covenant, and kept it. Therefore he deserves the part allotted to him, THE ARK HE MADE, NAMELY, MALCHUT. He strove in what he did, and not another. All the friends came and kissed Rabbi Aba.
390. מַה כְּתִיב הָכָא, וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרוֹן. וְכִי אֲמַאי לָא עָבְדוּ אִינּוּן חַכִּימִין, דְּעָבְדוּ מַשְׁכְּנָא, יַת אֲרוֹנָא. אֶלָּא בְּצַלְאֵל, סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא, וְנָטַר לֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ קָאִים בְּעַדְבָא דְּחוּלָקֵיהּ. אִיהוּ אִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְלָא אַחֲרָא. אָתוּ כֻּלְּהוּ חַבְרַיָּיא, וְנַשְּׁקוּ לֵיהּ.