"At evening time, there will be light"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi describes how there will be a day without day or night, until the evening, when there will be light, at which time, two evils will befall Jacob's children. But these occur so his children can be taken to "the good land." Rabbi Aba then poses a conundrum: "What is darkness?" The others determine that "darkness is Gehenom."

Relevance

The phrase, "day without day or night," refers to the potential darkness and destruction [God forbid] that may appear before the final redemption of mankind takes place. Two paths to redemption and eternal peace are always available to us, a Light - filled path that embodies mercy and protection, or a darkened path that embodies pain, torment, and suffering. Our egos constantly urge us towards the path of darkness. Through a meditative, intense reading of this passage, we can help ourselves, and the world at large, avoid the potential gloom and devastation that attends the path of darkness.

Ephraim Exile Jacob Light Menashe, King of Judah Sin Year Zohar

39. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse, "But it shall be one particular day which shall be known as Hashem's, neither day, nor night: but it shall come to pass that at evening time, there will be light" (Zecharyah 14:7). HE STARTED EXPLAINING THE VERSE, "AND HE TOOK... EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH" (BERESHEET 48:1), BUT EXPLAINED NO FURTHER. THE ZOHAR ELUCIDATES THE WORDS OF RABBI YOSI, STATING THAT HE wishes to say that two evils will befall the children OF JACOB: 1) they will be in exile in the land of their enemies, THIS BEING THE ASPECT OF EPHRAIM AND MENASHEH. 2) He will not look at them many years on account of their sinning against Truth, and so will abandon them in the land of their enemies. Eventually, He would take their children, to whom these TWO evils befell, and conduct them to the good land, as the verse says, "AND HE TOOK... MENASHEH AND EPHRAIM;" MEANING, HE WILL TAKE THEM, TO WHOM THE TWO EVILS BEFELL, AND CONDUCT THEM TO THEIR GOOD LAND.

39. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַה' לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה וְהָיָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב יִהְיֶה אוֹר, רוֹצֶה לְמֵימַר, תְּרֵין מְעַרְעֵין בִּישִׁין דְּאָתָן לִבְנוֹהִי לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּגָלוּתָא בְּאַרַע שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן, וְלָא יִסְתְּכֵי בְּהוֹן, כַּמָּה שְׁנִין סַגִּיאִין, עַל חוֹבֵיהוֹן בְּקוּשְׁטָא, הָכֵי יִזְנַח יַתְהוֹן בְּאַרַע שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן. וְיִסַּב בְּנַיְיהוּ דְּאַרַע לְהוֹן בִּישִׁין אִלֵּין, וְיַדְבֵּר לְהוֹן לַאֲרַע טַב כְּפֵירוּשָׁא דִקְרָא.

Ephraim Exile Menashe, King of Judah Throne

Evil Exile Hands Merit Sin Universe

41. These two ministers are two attributes, each containing two aspects; MEANING, EACH IS DIVIDED INTO TWO ATTRIBUTES. HE EXPLAINS, One ATTRIBUTE came and spoke before the Master of the Universe and was given permission to say what it liked. On the one hand, it saw it should be decreed that Yisrael should come out of exile, due to their fathers' merit. On the other hand, it saw they deserved to be sentenced TO REMAIN IN EXILE for their sins, for THE ACCUSERS said great evil things about them. There are four attributes in all. FOR EACH OF THE MINISTERS, THE TWO ATTRIBUTES CONTAIN TWO ASPECTS; MEANING, ONE FOR AND ONE AGAINST. But they did not have the fifth attribute, Yisrael's chieftain, and they spoke as they pleased. THE TWO MINISTERS SPOKE NOW FOR AND NOW AGAINST, FOR THEY HAD NOT THE FIFTH ATTRIBUTE, WHICH TURNS ALL INTO MERIT.

41. וְהוּא תְּרֵין מְכִילָתָן, בִּתְרֵין סָפִין, נָפַק חָדָא וּמַלֵּיל לָקֳבֵל רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, וְיָהֵיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ דִּימַלֵּל כָּל מַאן דְּבָעֵי, וְחָזֵי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גִּיסָא חָדָא לְמִגְזַר בְּהוֹן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּיִפְקוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא, בְּדִין אֲבָהַתְהוֹן. וּמִן גִּיסָא אַחֲרִינָא, רָעָא לְמִגְזַר עֲלֵיהוֹן, בְּדִיל חוֹבֵיהוֹן, דַּאֲמָרוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ בִּישָׁא סַגִּיאָה הָא ד' מְכִילָתָן, וְלָא הֲוָה בְּהוֹן מְכִילָתָא חֲמִישָׁאָה אַפַּטְרוֹפָּא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמַלִּילוּ כָּל דִּרְעוּ.

Correction (Tikun) Holy Name Light Throne Tikun (Correction)

42. Then the fifth attribute arrived, WHICH WILL BE REVEALED AT THE END OF CORRECTION, to be upon the Throne of Glory of the Holy Name. It would say good things about Yisrael, and the two first measures would no longer be afraid to speak before Him GOOD THINGS ABOUT YISRAEL, AS THEY WERE BEFORE. For the fifth attribute, which was considered the rule of the night, now came out to shine upon them. Therefore RABBI YOSI opened the discussion saying, "But it shall be one particular day which shall be known as Hashem's, neither day, nor night: but it shall come to pass that at evening time, there will be light."

42. עַד דְּמָטָא לְוַותְהוֹן מְכִילָתָא חֲמִישָׁאָה, וַהֲוָה בְּכָרְסֵי יְקָרָא מִן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וַאֲמַר עַל בְּנוֹהִי דְיִשְׂרָאֵל טַב, וְלָא הֲווֹ רַתְיָין תְּרֵין מְכִילָתָן קַמַּיְיתָא לְמַלָּלָא קַמֵּיהּ, בְּדִין מְכִילָתָא חֲמִישָׁאָה, דְּאִתְמְתַל לְלֵילְיָא, וּנְפַק לִנְהוֹרָא דִלְהוֹן, וְע"ד פְּתַח, וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַה' לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה וְהָיָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב יִהְיֶה אוֹר.

Creation Darkness Face Hands Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Light Nukva Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

43. We have learned that the verse, "And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night" (Beresheet 1:5) MEANS THAT THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED DARKNESS, AND ALSO CALLED NIGHT, RECEIVES FROM DAY, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. It is also said, "And darkness was on the face of the deep" (Ibid. 2), MEANING, DARKNESS IS A KLIPAH, NOT PERTAINING TO HOLINESS. The verses contradict each other. Rabbi Elazar came to his father Rabbi Shimon and said to him: My father and master, what is the meaning of this CONTRADICTION? He replied to him, From the beginning, up to the sixth generation, THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, He created one Yud Hei Vav Hei, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH. He explains, This refers to THE SECRET OF Vav of the name YUD HEI VAV HEI, ZEIR ANPIN, upon which BINAH conferred the spirit of Chochmah. THEREFORE, until then, darkness was not known at all. Rabbi Elazar rose and kissed his father's hands.

43. תָּנִינָא וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹקִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה, וְהָתָם אֲמַר וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם, וְקַשְׁיָא דִידֵיהּ אֲדִידֵיהּ, אָתָא רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְר"ש אֲבוֹי, וא"ל אַבָּא מָארִי, מַאי דָא, א"ל, מִבְּרֵאשִׁית עַד ו' דוֹרוֹת בָּרָא ידו"ד אֶחָד, צָבֵי לְמֵימַר, ו' דִּשְׁמֵיהּ, יְהַב בֵּיהּ רוּחַ חָכְמָה, עַד הָכָא לָא הֲוָה מִנְדַּע מַהוּ חשֶׁךְ. קָם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וּנְשַׁק יְדוֹי דַּאֲבוֹי.

Creation Darkness Death Death and the Afterlife Earth Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Job Light Meditation Shadow Universe Wicked Wickedness

44. Rabbi Aba rose and asked, What is darkness? The friends turned around, MEANING, THEY SOUGHT HARD FOR AN ANSWER, but did not arrive at an answer to his question. They did something, NAMELY A CERTAIN MEDITATION, and a voice from before the Master of the Universe resounded this verse, "A land of gloom, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness" (Iyov 10:22). THIS DARKNESS MEANS Gehenom, for even before the world was created, it was stored for the wicked. FROM THIS, THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT DARKNESS IS GEHENOM. Woe to the wicked, who will abide in this darkness, when Elohim will do all this as it says in, "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples, but Hashem shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you" (Yeshayah 60:2). Happy is the portion of Yisrael, that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not create THIS DARKNESS for them. "Happy is that people, that is in such a case, Happy is that people, whose Elohim is Hashem" (Tehilim 144:15).

44. קָם ר' אַבָּא וּשְׁאַל, מַאי חֹשֶׁךְ. אִסְתַּחֲרוּ חַבְרַיָא וְלָא מָטוֹ מַאי דְּשָׁאֲלוּ, עֲבָדוּ עוֹבָדָא, וּמָטָא קָלָא מִן קֳדָם רִבּוֹן עַלְמָא, בְּהָא קְרָא, אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה וגו' צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים, וַתּוֹפַע כְּמוֹ אוֹפֶל, גֵּיהִנֹּם מִקַּמֵּי דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עַלְמָא, הֲוָה גָּנֵיז לְרַשִּׁיעַיָּא, וַוי לְהוֹן לְחַיָּיבַיָא, דִּיהוֹן כַּד יַעֲבֵיד אֱלָהָא יַת אִלֵּין, כִּי הִנֵּה הַחֹשֶׁךְ יְכַסֶּה אֶרֶץ וַעֲרָפֶל לְאוּמִּים וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח יי' וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה, זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּרָא לְהוֹן דָּא, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁיי' אֱלֹהָיו.