"And he said, 'I will certainly return to you'"

Synopsis

The Zohar expounds upon the Right Column aspect of Abraham and the Left Column aspect of Isaac in the metaphysical scheme of things. Both the Right and Left Columns of energy are basic building blocks in Creation, similar to the proton and the electron. This spiritual truth is conveyed through the Biblical story where Abraham names his son Isaac as opposed to the tradition of the mother naming the child. The story is a metaphor, indicating the importance of the Right and Left Column - the desire to share and the desire to receive, respectively.

Relevance

Mankind's bavior always embodies a particular blend of the Right and Left columns of energy - our ego's desire to receive versus our soul's desire to share. We develop an awareness of the importance of the actions we take through the Right and Left Column pathways. This allows us to continually seek balance through the process of transforming our desire to receive for the self alone into actions of receiving for the sake of sharing with others.

Abraham Birth Door Grades Isaac Sarah Seasons Shechinah Tents

159. Therefore, it was this grade, NAMELY THE "TENT DOOR," WHICH IS MALCHUT, that informed Abraham OF YITZCHAK'S BIRTH, as we have explained the words, "And he said, I will certainly return to you at this season..." Although it reads, "And he said," it does not say who said. So this is the "tent door," BECAUSE "AND HE SAID" REFERS TO THE SHECHINAH. And Sarah heard this grade, WHICH IS THE "TENT DOOR," from which she had heard nothing before, AS IT WAS SPEAKING WITH ABRAHAM, as it is written, "And Sarah heard it THE WORDS OF the tent door," which declared "I will certainly return to you at this season, and, lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son."

159. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, כַּד אִתְבַּשַּׂר אַבְרָהָם, הַאי דַרְגָּא הֲוָה אֲמַר, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר, דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה. וַיֹּאמֶר, לָא כְתִיב מַאן הֲוָה, וְדָא הוּא פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל. וְעַל דָּא, וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת, הַאי דַרְגָּא דַּהֲוָה מַלֵּיל עִמֵּיהּ, מַאן דְּלָא הֲוָה שְׁמָעַת מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. דִּכְתִיב וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל, דַּהֲוָה מְבַשֵּׂר וַאֲמַר, שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ.

Abraham Circumcision Isaac Love

160. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה הוּא חֲבִיבוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, דְּהָא לָא נְפַק מִנֵּיהּ יִצְחָק עַד דְּאִתְגְּזַר, לְבָתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר אִתְבַּשַּׂר בֵּיהּ בְּיִצְחָק, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ כְּדֵין זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר, לָאו אִיהוּ זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּכְדֵין אִיהוּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ בוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ.

Abraham Chassadim Circumcision Darkness Foreskin Grades Holiness (Kedushah) Isaac Kedushah (Holiness) Light Waters

161. Come and behold, before Abraham was circumcised, his seed was not holy because it passed through the foreskin and clung to the lower foreskin. But after he was circumcised, his seed issued in holiness and it clung to the holiness of above, and he begot up above. Thus, Abraham clung to his grade, WHICH IS CHESED, properly. Come and behold, when Abraham begot Isaac, he was born holy, as should properly be. So these waters, WHICH ALLUDE TO ABRAHAM WHO IS CHESED, conceived and bore darkness. IN OTHER WORDS, ISAAC, WHO IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, WAS DARKNESS, BEFORE HE WAS CLOTHED WITH THE CHASSADIM OF ABRAHAM. AFTER HE ISSUED FROM ABRAHAM, HE WAS CLOTHED BY HIS CHASSADIM AND BECAME 'LIGHT.'

161. וְתָּא חֲזֵי עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם, הַהוּא זַרְעָא דִילֵיהּ לָא הֲוָה קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דִּנְפַק בְּגוֹ עָרְלָה, וְאִתְדְּבַק בְּעָרְלָה לְתַתָּא. לְבָתַר דְּאִתְגְּזַר, נְפַק הַהוּא זַרְעָא בְּגוֹ קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְדְּבַק בִּקְדוּשָׁה דִּלְעֵילָא, וְאוֹלִיד לְעֵילָא, וְאִתְדְּבַק אַבְרָהָם בְּדַרְגֵּיהּ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד אוֹלִיד אַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק, נְפַק קַדִּישָׁא כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת. וְהַאי מַאי אַעֲדוּ, וְאוֹלִידוּ חֲשׁוֹכָא.

Isaac

Fire Isaac Levites Water Wine

163. He replies, But we have learned that fire, WHICH IS THE LEFT ASPECT AND GVURAH, received water, WHICH IS THE RIGHT ASPECT AND CHESED, as water came from the aspect of Gvurah. THIS MEANS THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT WERE COMBINED AND BECAME INCLUDED IN EACH OTHER. THUS, THE LEFT ASPECT BECAME THE ASPECT OF THE WINE THAT GLADDENS ELOHIM AND MAN. And it is required of the Levites, WHO ARE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN, that they bring happiness to that side, NAMELY THE LEFT SIDE, with musical instruments and praising songs that correspond to that side. THIS MEANS THAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND PRAISING SONGS ARE ALSO DRAWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE. And this is why Isaac means laughter and enjoyment; he came from that side, THE LEFT SIDE, and clung to it.

163. אָמַר לוֹ הָא אִתְּמָר, דְּאֶשָׁא נְטַל מַיָא, דְּהָא מַיָא מִסִּטְרָא דִגְבוּרָה קָא אַתְיָין. וְדָא שָׁאֵיל, לְלֵוָאֵי דְּאִינוּן בְּדִיחִין לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא, בְּמָאנֵי זֶמֶר וְתֻשְׁבְּחָן, לָקֳבֵיל הַאי סִטְרָא, בְגִין כָּך יִצְחָק אִיהוּ חֶדְוָה, בְּגִין דְּאָתֵי מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְאִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ.

Abraham Fire Isaac Water

164. Come and behold, Isaac himself is pleasure and laughter because he exchanged water for fire, and fire for water. THUS, THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARE INCLUDED IN EACH OTHER - BECAUSE ISAAC IS THE ASPECT OF THE LEFT, WHICH IS THE FIRE THAT BECAME INCLUDED WITHIN THE WATER, WHICH IS CHESED AND THE RIGHT ASPECT. THIS CAUSES ALL DELIGHT AND HAPPINESS TO BE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE. This is why the Holy One, blessed be He, named him ISAAC (LIT. 'HE WILL LAUGH') even before be came into the world, and announced it to Abraham.

Abraham Fire Isaac Water Women

165. Come and behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, allowed all children, EXCEPT ISAAC, to be named by their parents. Even women named their children. But here the Holy One, blessed be He, did not allow Yitzchak's mother to name him - only Abraham. As it is written, "And you shall call his name Isaac" (Beresheet 17:19)" - you and no one else, in order to exchange water with fire, and fire with water, WHICH REFERS TO THE INCLUSION OF THE LEFT WITH THE RIGHT AND THE RIGHT WITH THE LEFT, so that Isaac may be included within his side, THE RIGHT SIDE.

165. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָלְהוֹ אָחֳרָנִין שְׁבַק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְמִקְרֵי לוֹן שְׁמָהָן, וַאֲפִילּוּ נָשֵׁי הֲווֹ קָרָאן לִבְנַיְיהוּ שְׁמָהָן, אֲבָל הָכָא לָא שְׁבַק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִמֵּיהּ, לְמִקְרֵי לֵיהּ שְׁמָא, אֶלָּא לְאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק, אַנְתְּ וְלָא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין לְאַחְלָפָא מַיָּא בְּאֶשָׁא, וְאֶשָׁא בְּמַיָא, לְאַכְלָלָא לֵיהּ בְּסִטְרֵיהּ.