Vayetze: Chapter 19

"And Hashem saw that Leah was hated"

Synopsis

The Zohar reflects on the symbolic importance of Jacob's relations with Leah, whom he hated in public but loved in private, and who bore him six sons and one daughter. Jacob was unaware that his true relationship with Leah was hidden. She had a direct relation to the Eternal Mother, and therefore most of Jacob's sons came from her. In this same way, God's true intentions are hidden from us.

Relevance

Our perceptions often deceive us, as hidden truths lurk behind the physical world. Though it appeared that Jacob hated Leah, a profound spiritual love existed on a deeper level. The lives of many of us are like that. Hence, the Light of this passage instills within us a keen awareness and desire to probe to hidden levels of the relationships and events that life presents us.

Daughter Hatred House Infertility Leah Rachel Women

147. "And Hashem saw that Leah was hated" (Beresheet 29:31). Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse, "He makes the barren woman to keep house, and be a joyful mother of sons, Haleluyah" (Tehilim 113:9). The verse, "He makes the barren woman (also: 'the principal part') to keep house," refers to Rachel, the principal part of the house, and "a joyful mother of sons" refers to Leah, WHO BORE SIX SONS AND ONE DAUGHTER.

147. וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה וגו.' ר' אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח, מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה הַלְלוּיָה. מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת, דָּא רָחֵל, דְּאִיהִי עִקְרָא דְבֵיתָא. אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, דָּא לֵאָה.

Asiyah Bliss Briyah Holiness (Kedushah) House Infertility Jubilee Kedushah (Holiness) Nukva Sabbatical Year Women Worlds Year Yetzirah Zeir Anpin

148. According to another explanation, "He makes the barren woman to keep house," refers to the Sabbatical year, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, which is the principal part, because the whole world is guided by her. ."..a joyful mother of sons..." refers to the Jubilee year, BINAH, on which all joy and bliss in all the worlds OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH depend. FOR THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN HAS NOTHING OF HERSELF EXCEPT WHAT ZEIR ANPIN RECEIVES FROM BINAH AND PASSES ON TO HER. THEN SHE PASSES IT ON TO ALL THE WORLDS. THUS, ALL JOY IN THE WORLDS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH COMES FROM BINAH. This verse comprises everything, because it includes all in the secrets of Holiness, NAMELY, THE HIDDEN WORLD AND THE DISCLOSED WORLD. Therefore, the verse ends with Halleluyah, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST OF ALL PRAISES IN THE BOOK OF TEHILIM.

148. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת, דָּא שְׁמִטָּה, דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא, דְּהַאי עַלְמָא, עֲלֵיהּ אִתְדַּבַּר. אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, דָּא יוֹבְלָא, דְּכָל חֵידוּ, וְכָל חֶדְוָה דְּכֻלְּהוּ עַלְמִין בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין. וְהַאי קְרָא, כְּלָלָא דְכֹלָּא הוּא, בְּגִין דְּהַאי כְּלֵיל כֹּלָּא, בְּרָזָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַל דָּא, סִיּוּמָא דִקְרָא הַלְלוּיָה.

Hatred Jacob Jubilee Leah Year

149. "And Hashem saw that Leah was hated." HE ASKS, Why was she hated? The sons of a hated wife cannot be decent sons, yet we see that all the good sons came from Leah. Now you say that Leah was hated. HE ANSWERS, Assuredly, the Jubilee year is always the Hidden World, and its words are never revealed. Therefore, all its acts were hidden from Jacob. THAT MEANS THAT SHE WAS LOVED BY HIM IN PRIVATE, BUT IN PUBLIC IT SEEMED AS IF SHE WAS HATED.

149. וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה, וְכִי אַמַּאי הִיא שְׂנוּאָה, וְהָא בְּנֵי שְׂנוּאָה, לָאו בְּנֵי מַעַלְיָא נִינְהוּ, וַחֲזִינָן דְּכָל אִינוּן בְּנֵי מַעֲלֵי, מִלֵּאָה נָפְקוּ, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה. אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי יוֹבְלָא אִיהוּ תָּדִיר עַלְמָא דְאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְכָל מִילּוֹי לָאו בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא נִינְהוּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, יַעֲקֹב אִתְכַּסְּיָין מִנֵּיהּ כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי.

Grades Nukva Point Rachel Sabbatical Year Stars Zeir Anpin

150. Come and behold, the lower world, WHICH IS RACHEL, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, is revealed; it is the beginning of the ascension of the grades. The supernal Chochmah OF ARICH ANPIN is the starting point for everything FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD, as the lower world is Chochmah, the starting point FROM BELOW UPWARD. Therefore, it is called "You," because it is a Sabbatical year and therefore disclosed.

150. תָּא חֲזֵי, עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא אִיהוּ, וְהוּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, לְסַלְּקָא בְּדַרְגּוֹי, כְּמָה דְחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, הוּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, הָכֵי נָמֵי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, חָכְמָה אִיהוּ, וְהִיא שֵׁירוּתָא דְכֹלָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קָרֵינָן אַתָּה, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שְׁמִטָּה, וְאִתְגַּלְּיָא.

Aba and Ima Blessing Jacob Jubilee Leah Levites Year

151. And the supernal world is the Jubilee year, NAMELY, LEAH WHO IS DRAWN FROM IMA, and we call it "he," because all of its words are hidden. (FOR THE WORD "HE" ALLUDES TO THE HIDDEN WORLD.) The secret is as it is written of Leah: "And he lay with her that night (lit. 'that night he')" (Beresheet 30:16). It is therefore written, "And the Levite shall serve he" (Bemidbar 18:23), WHICH MEANS THAT THE LEVITE SERVES in order to draw blessings from "he" to all THE WORLDS. "He" is ever the supernal secret world, and Jacob willingly cleaved only to what was revealed. This is the secret of the verse, "and cleave to his wife" (Beresheet 2:24).

151. וְעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹבְלָא, קָרֵינָא, הוּא, דְּכָל מִלּוֹי בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא אִינוּן. וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה דְלֵאָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיִּשְׁכַּב עִמָּהּ בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא. וְע"ד כְּתִיב וְעָבַד הַלֵּוִי הוּא. בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא מִנֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. הוּא: עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא תָּדִיר, וְיַעֲקֹב בַּמֶּה דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, לָא אִתְדַּבַּק בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בַּמֶּה דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, וְרָזָא דָא דִּכְתִיב וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ.

Aba and Ima Fear Hatred Incest Jacob Leah

152. "And Hashem saw that Leah was hated," BECAUSE SHE IS DRAWN FROM IMA. From here it is understood that man has an aversion toward incest with his mother, BECAUSE HIS MOTHER IS THE SECRET OF THE HIDDEN WORLD, OF WHICH IT IS SAID, "THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER." Moreover, a man may stay alone with his mother anywhere, and not fear OF BEING ALONE WITH HER. Thus, all was unknown to Jacob, because the supernal world (LEAH DRAWN FROM IMA) is completely undisclosed.

152. וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה. מֵהָכָא, דְּסָאנֵי בַּר נָשׁ עֶרְיָין דְּאִמֵּיהּ, וְיִתְיַחֵד בַּר נָשׁ עִם אִמֵּיהּ בְּכָל אֲתַר, וְלָא יִתְחֲשָׁשׁ, וְהָא אִתְעָרוּ, בֵּן מִתְיַחֵד עִם אִמּוֹ. וְכֹלָּא אִתְכַּסֵּי מִיַּעֲקֹב, דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה לָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא כְּלָל.

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