Zohar: Siphra Dtzenioutha, Idra Rabba, Idra Zuta (The Kabbalah Unveiled)

The hairs of the Woman contain colours upon colours, as it is written, Cant. vii. 5 : “ The hair of Thy head like purple.” But herewith is Geburah, Severity, connected in the five Severities {i.e., vjhich are symbolized in the numerical value , 5, of the letter!' H final of IHVH, which is the Bride), and the Woman is extended on Her side, and is applied unto the side of the Male. Until She is separated from His side, and cometh unto Him so that She may be conjoined with Him, face to face. And when They are conjoined together, They appear to be only one body. Hence we learn that the Masculine, taken alone, appeareth to be only half the body, so that all the mercies are half ; and thus also is it with the Feminine. But when They are joined together, the ( two together) appear to form only one whole body. And it is so.

So also here. When the Male is joined with the Female, They both constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from Their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum. And therefore it is said, Gen. ii. 3 : “ Tetragrammaton blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.” For then all things are found (to exist) in the one perfect Body, for MTRVNIThA, Matronitha , the Mother {i.e., the Inferior Mother) is joined unto the King, and is found to form the one Body with Him. And therefore are there found to be blessings upon this day. And hence that which is not both Male and Female together is called half a body. Now, no blessing can rest upon a mutilated and defective being, but only upon a perfect place and upon a perfect being, and not at all in an incomplete being.*

And a semi-complete being cannot live for ever, neither can it receive blessing for ever. The Beauty of the Female is completed by the Beauty of the Male. And now have we established these facts ( concerning the perfect equality of Male and Female) , and they are made known unto the Companions. With this Woman ( the inferior H) are connected all those things which are below ; from Her do they receive their nourishment, and from Her do they receive blessing ; and She is called the Mother of them all. Like as a mother containeth the body (of her child before birth), and that whole body derivethits nourishment from her. (Otherwise, containeth a garden, and the whole garden is from her.) Thus is She unto all the other inferiors.

It is written, Prov. vii. 4 : “ Say unto Chokmah, Thou art my sister.” f For there is given one Chokmah (Male), and there is also given another Chokmah (Female). And this Woman is called the Lesser Chokmah in respect of the other. And therefore is it written, Cant. viii. 8 : “We have a little sister and she hath no breasts.”

For in this exile (i.e., separated from the King) She appeareth unto us to be “our little sister.” At first, * This section is another all-sufficient proof of the teachings maintained throughout the Qabalah, namely, that Man and Woman are from the creation co-equal and co-existent, perfectly equal one with the other. This fact the translators of the Bible have been at great pains to conceal by carefully suppressing every reference to the Feminine portion of the Deity, and by constantly translating feminine nouns by masculine. And this is the work of so-called religious men ! f Chokmah, Wisdom, the second Sephirah, is Male in respect of Binah, hut Female in respect of Kether. This is somewhat analogous to the Greek idea of the birth of Athene, Wisdom, from the brain of Zeus. indeed, she is small, but she becometh great and greater, until she becometh the Spouse whom the King taketh unto Himself.

As it is written, Cant. viii. 10 : “I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers.” “And my breasts,” &c., since they are full with the nourishment of all things ; * “ like towers,” because they are the great rivers which flow forth from Aima the Supernal. The Male is extended in right and left, through the inheritance which He receiveth ( i.e., from Chokmuh and Binah). But whensoever the colours are mingled together then is He called Tiphereth, and the whole body is formed into a tree (the Autz Ea-Chaiim, or Tree of Life), % great and strong, and fair and beautiful, Dan. iv. 1 1 . “ The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.”

His arms are right and left. In the right arm is Chesed and Life ; in the left is Geburah and Death. Through Daath are His inner parts formed, and they fill the Assemblies and Conclaves, as we have said. For thus is it written : “ And through Daath shall the Conclaves be filled.” * Compare the symbolism of the many breasts of the Ephesian Diana. f The “ Idra Zuta ” contains twenty-two chapters, the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, of the chapters of St. John’s Apocalypse, and of the verses of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th chapters of Lamentations of Jeremiah, &c. It is the number of the Qabalistical keys. J Notice that the tree of life is the united body, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil the separated. Afterwards is His body extended into two thighs, et intra hasc continentur duo renes, duo testiculi masculini.

Omne enim oleum, et dignitas, et vis masculi e toto corpore in istis congregatur ; nam omnes exercitus, qui prodeunt ab iis, omnes prodeunt et morantur in orificio membri genitalis. And therefore are they called Tzabaoth, the Armies ; and they are Netzach ( Victory , the seventh Sephira) and Hod ( Glory , the eighth). For Tiphereth is Tetragrammaton, but Netzach and Hod are the armies ; hence cometh that name, Tetragrammaton Tzabaoth. Membrum masculi est extremitas totius corporis? et vocatur Yesod, fundament um ; et hie est gradus ille qui mitigat foeminam. For every desire of the Male is toward the Female. Per hoc fundamentum ille ingreditur in foeminam ; in locum qui vocatur Tzion et Jerusalem. Nam hie est locus tegendus foeminas, et in uxore vocatur uterus.

And hence is Tetragrammaton Tzabaoth called Yesod, the Foundation (the ninth Sephira). Also it is written, Ps. cxxxii. 13 : Since Tetragrammaton hath chosen Tzion to be a habitation for Himself, He hath desired Her.” When Matronitha, the Mother, is separated, and conjoined with the King face to face in the excellence of the Sabbath, all things become one body. And then the Holy One — blessed be He ! — sitteth on His throne, and all things are called the Complete Name, the Holy Name. Blessed be His Name for ever, and unto the ages of the ages ! All these words have I kept back unto this day, which is crowned by them for the world to come. And now herein are they manifested, 0 blessed be my portion ! When this Mother is conjoined with the King, all the worlds receive blessing, and the universe is found to be in joy.

Like as the Male ( Microprosopus ) existeth from the Triad ( Kether , Chokmah, and Binali ), and His beginning is with the Triad, in this same manner are all things disposed, and the end of the whole body is thus ; also the Mother {Inferior') receiveth not the blessing except in the Syntagma of the Triad, and these paths are Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. And She is mitigated, and receiveth blessing in that place which is called the Holy of Holies below. As it is written, Ps. cxxxii. 3 : “ Since there Tetragrammaton giveth His blessing.” For there are two paths ; that which is above, and that which is below. Hence there is permission granted unto none to enter therein, save unto the High Priest, who entereth from the side of Chesed, in order that none other might enter into that supernal place save that which is called Chesed.

And He entereth into the Holy of Holies, and the Bride is mitigated, and that Holy of Holies receiveth blessing, in the place which is called Tzion. But Tzion and Jerusalem are two paths, one •denoting Mercy, and the other Justice. For concerning Tzion it is written, Isa. i. 27 : u Through Meshephat, Judgment, it is redeemed.” And concerning Jerusalem it is written, ibid. 21 : “Justice, Tzedeq, abideth in Her,” as we have before explained. And every desire of the Male is toward the Female. But thus are these called, because hence proceed blessings for all the worlds, and all things receive blessing. This place is called Holy, and all the holinesses of the Male enter therein, through that path of which we have spoken. But they all come from the supernal head of the Male skull, from that portion of the supernal brain wherein they reside.

And this blessing floweth down through all the members of the body even unto those which are called Tzabaoth, the Armies. And all that which floweth down throughout the -whole body is congregated therein, and therefore are they called Tzabaoth, the Armies ; because all the armies of the superiors and inferiors go forth therefrom. And that which floweth down into that place where it is congregated, and which is emitted through that most holy Yesod, Foundation, is entirely white, and therefore is it called Chesed. Thence Chesed entereth into the Holy of Holies ; as it is written, Ps. cxxxiii. 3 : “ For there Tetragrammaton commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

Eabbi Abba said : “ Scarcely could the Holy Lightbearer ( i.e ., Rabbi Schimeon ) finish the word c life * before his words ceased altogether. But I was still writing them down, and thought that there would still be more for me to write, but I heard nothing. “ But I raised not mine head, since the light around him was so great that hereunto I could not look that way. “ Therefore I trembled, and I heard a Voice, which cried aloud and said, Prov. iii. 2 : 1 Length of days and years of life,’ &c. “ I heard another Voice, Ps. xxi. 5 : ‘ Seeketh life from thee,’ &c. “ Through that whole day the fire departed not from the house, and there was no one who could come near unto him, because they were unable, for the fire and the light encircled him through that whole day.

“ But I fell upon my face on the ground, and cried aloud. “ When therefore the fire was withdrawn, I saw that that Holy Light-bearer, the Holy of the Holy Ones (i.e., Rabbi Schimeon ) had been taken away from this world. “ But having been turned round, his body had fallen on his right side, and his face still bore a smile. “ And Rabbi Eleazar, his son, arose, and having taken his hands in his, kissed him ; but I kissed the dust which was beneath his feet. u The Companions wished to mourn for him, but they could not speak. Yet the Companions began to weep, and Rabbi Eleazar prostrated himself thrice, and could not open his mouth. At last he began, and said : u 0 my father ! 0 my father ! there were Three,* and into One have they returned.

“ Now shall the living creatures (the Cherubim) rush forth ( from the Name) ; the birds shall fly upward and hide themselves in the opening of the Great Sea, and all the Companions shall drink their blood.” But Rabbi Chiya arose upon his feet and said : “ Hitherto hath the Holy Light-bearer (Rabbi Schimeon) taken care of us (otherwise, hath occupied himself with us). Now is the time not fitting for any other thing savo to pay him due honours.” Therefore Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Abba arose, and put upon him the sepulchral garment ; and who ever saw such a disturbance and mingled crowd of learned men ? Through the whole house ascended fragrant odours (of spices brought for the dead). Then they placed him in the coffin : and no man except Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Abba did these services for him.

But the lictors and soldiers came from Kaphar (otherwise, from Tzipori and Tardaia, or doctors andleamed men from the country), and drove them away.f But the inhabitants of Maronaea rescued them with great tumult, because they thought that he was not to be buried there. When therefore the sepulchral bier was borne * Keferring to Rabbi Schimeon, Eabba Abba, and himself having symbolized Kether, Chokmah, and Binah. t Knorr de Rosenroth adds a Latin note here to the effect that it is doubtful whether this was for insult, or because they were jealous of the honour of burying him. forth, he ( i.e . the body of Rabbi Schimeon j) was raised above it in the air, and a fire flamed around him.

And a Voice was heard ( saying ) : “ Come ye and assemble together, and enter in unto the nuptials of Rabbi Schimeon. Isa. lvii. : ‘ Let him enter in with peace, and let them rest in their chambers.’ ” When he was carried into the sepulchral cave, a Voice was heard in the cave saying: “This is He who disturbed the earth, and made the kingdoms tremble.” How many liberties are stored up in heaven for thee ! This is that Rabbi Schimeon Ben Yochai, con- .cerning whom his Lord was glorified daily. Blessed is his portion above and below ! How many highest treasures are reserved for him !

Concerning him it is said, Dan. xii. 13 : “ But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Hereunto is the Lesser Holy Assembly.