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THE ZOHAR |
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BEHAR Leviticus XXV, 1-XXVI, 2 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES ... THEN SHALL THE LAND KEEP A SABBATH UNTO THE LORD. R. Eleazar introduced this portion with a discourse on the verse: "This is the law of the burnt-offering, the burnt-offering shall be", etc. (Lev. VI, 2). 'We have explained this verse', he said, 'to refer to the Community of Israel when she ascends to join the Holy King in perfect union. When night enters and the gates are closed, the lower judgements are aroused in the world, and asses, she-asses and dogs wander about; that is to say, the asses of their own accord, but the she-asses and dogs only if human beings practise sorceries with them. Then all men sleep, and a fire is kindled on the lower altar without [the curtain]. At midnight the north wind awakes, and from the lower altar there goes forth a flame of fire, and the gates are opened and the lower judgements shrink back into their holes. The flame of fire in its passage parts and travels in many directions and enters [108a] under the wings of the cock, which thereupon crows. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the company of the righteous, and the Community of Israel utters His praises until morning, when they are found to be discoursing on a certain secret. The daybreak is a time for flames and judgements, but then Abraham awakens and there is rest for all. Now when Israel entered the promised land, there were no lower judgements in it, and the Community of Israel was at ease in it upon the wings of the Cherubim, for Israel did not go to rest until they had brought the evening sacrifice and so caused judgements to depart. When the burnt-offering burnt on the altar, there was ease and comfort throughout, and the Spouse was with her Husband. Hence it is written, "and the earth shall rest a sabbath for the Lord"; for such it was literally.' R. Eleazar further quoted here the verse: "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve" (Ex. XXI, 2). 'Every Israelite', he said, 'who is circumcised and bears on him the holy impress has relief in the sabbatical year, because it belongs of right to him to find rest therein: and this is called "the Sabbath of the land". Truly there is freedom and rest in it; as the Sabbath is rest for all, so the sabbatical year is rest for all, for the spirit and the body. Observe that the He denotes rest for higher and lower -- the higher He for the higher and the lower for the lower. The higher He is seven years seven times, the lower He is seven years only; the one is a sabbatical year, the other a Jubilee; and when closely scrutinized, both are found to be one. 'In this rest of the land slaves are also required to partake. Hence it is written, "In the seventh year he shall go out free for nothing" (Ex. XXI, 2). What is meant toy "for nothing"? The words have the same inner meaning as in the verse, "We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought" (Num. XI, 5) -- that is to say, without pronouncing a blessing; for in Egypt the yoke of heaven was not upon them. What is the yoke of the kingdom of heaven? Just as an ox is put under a yoke in order that it may be of use, and otherwise it never does any work, so a man must first accept the yoke and then perform religious service: and without it he will not be able to serve God. This yoke will not rest upon one who is subject to another, and therefore slaves are exempt from the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. And if they are exempt from this yoke, they are exempt from all the rest of the religion, and therefore Israel ate in Egypt "for nothing". Here, too, the slave shall go forth to freedom, although so far all that he did was "for nothing", without the yoke of heaven, and he shall have rest. Later when he is free and has rest, he receives a yoke from the place which brought him forth to freedom. And if a man refuses to go forth to freedom, he impairs that place, since he leaves the yoke of the kingdom of heaven and accepts the yoke of a master. Therefore "his master shall bring him to Elohim" -- to the place which he impairs, "and bring him to the door or the doorpost", [108b] since this place is the gateway to the higher world. And since he was minded to impair that place, a blemish is left in his body, as it is written, "And his master shall bore his ear through". And since Israel at Mount Sinai placed "doing" before "hearing", therefore "hearing" is attached to this sabbatical year. 'It is written: "Six years thou shalt sow thy land and in the seventh year thou shalt let it rest", etc. Why so? "That the poor of thy people may eat" (Ibid.). For the poor are attached to that place, and therefore let them eat. Hence he that loves the poor brings peace to the Community of Israel and increases blessing in the world, and brings joy and strength to the place which is called Righteousness that it may pour down blessing on the Community of Israel.' [110b] AND IF YE SAY, WHAT SHALL WE EAT, ETC. R. Judah cited here the verse: "Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness" (Ps. XXXVII, 3). 'Observe', he said, 'that, as we have learnt, the deed below arouses the activity above, as it says, "and ye shall do (lit. make) them", as much as to say, by your action below you make those above. Hence it says here, "Do (i.e. make) good", "good" being a reference to the Zaddik. When you do this, then that "good" is aroused, and then you may "dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness". The "earth" referred to here is the supernal earth, with which none can abide save he first arouse this "good"; but if he does that he may dwell in its midst and eat its fruit and delight in it. And the same meaning is in the words "follow after faithfulness". We may also take these words to mean, "Concentrate all thy thought upon Her". For if thou arousest not this good to meet Her, bestirrest thyself not to meet Her, this good departs from Her and thou canst not approach Her, as thou canst not approach a burning furnace, and if thou dost approach it will be in fear, like one who is afraid of death, for then a fire burns to consume the world. But if this "good" advances to meet Her and abides in Her, then thou needest not to fear, and then "thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and light shall shine upon thy ways" (Job XXII, 28). For the sons of faith bend Her to their will every day. Who are the sons of faith? Those who arouse this "good" to meet Her, and do not spare their substance, knowing that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them more, because they set in motion blessings before Him. Hence "if ye say, What shall we eat in the seventh year?" the answer is, "I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year"; just as it is written elsewhere: "See that the Lord ... giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days" (Ex. XVI, 29).' As R. Jose and R. Hiya were once travelling together, they saw in front of them two other men going along. They saw a man come up to them and say, I beg of you, give me some food, if only a piece of bread, because for two days I have been wandering in the wilderness without tasting anything. One of the two men thereupon took out the food which he had brought with him for the journey and gave him to eat and drink. Said his companion to him: 'What will you do for food, for I am going to eat my own ?' He replied: 'Do I want to eat yours ?' The poor man ate up all that he had save some bread, and this he gave him for the road. Said R. Hiya: 'God did not desire that this good deed should be done by us.' R. Jose replied: 'Perhaps that man was doomed to some punishment, and God sent this man to him so as to deliver him.' They resumed their journey, and soon after the man who had given his food became faint. Said his companion to him: 'Did I not [1211a] tell you not to give your bread away?' R. Hiya then said to R. Jose: 'We have bread, let us give him some.' Said R. Jose to him: 'Do you want to undo the merit of his good deed? Let us watch a little, for assuredly the pallor of death is on this man's face, and God prepared some merit for him in order to deliver him.' Meanwhile the man fell asleep under a tree and his companion left him. R. Jose and R. Hiya then saw a fiery adder by him. 'Alas for that man,' said R. Hiya; 'surely he will now be killed.' R. Jose replied: 'He deserves that a miracle should be done on his behalf.' At that point a snake came down from the tree with intent to kill the man, but the adder attacked and killed it, and then turned its head and departed. Said R. Jose: 'Did I not tell you that God desired to perform a miracle for him, and that you should not exhaust his merit ?' The man then woke up and began to go. R. Hiya and R. Jose came up to him and gave him food. When he had eaten they informed him of the miracle which God had performed for him. R. Jose then quoted the verse: "Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and follow after faithfulness" (Ps. XXXVII, 3). 'Happy', he said, 'is the man who does good with what he hath, because he arouseth good for the Community of Israel, to wit, with righteousness. [1] Hence it is written, "Righteousness delivereth from death" (Prov. X, 2). Why so? Because righteousness is the tree of life, and it rouses itself against the tree of death and takes those who are attached to it and delivers them from death. And what rouses it to do so? You must say, the charity which that man does; as it were, he performs it above also.' _______________ Notes: 1. Zedakah. i.e. charity.
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