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  • Parshah Terumah: Deciphering the Zohar

    Sunday, March 8, 2015

    "And YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel that they bring me an offering, of every man whose heart prompts him..." (Ex. 25:1-2). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying: "For Yah has chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His peculiar possession." (Ps. 135:4). How beloved is Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He, who desires them, and wants to be attatched to them and connect Himself with them to make them a single nation in the world, as it is written: "And what one nation in the world is like you people Israel?" (2 Sam. 7:23). They wanted Him and were attatched to Him, as it says, "For Yah has chosen Jacob unto Himself" and "For YHVH's portion is His people" (Deut. 32:9). He gave ministers and officers to the other nations and took Israel to His part."

    This first pasuk to the Zohar's commentary on Parshat Terumah is an introduction to the Zohar's particular spiritualization of Torah exegesis. Before we may understand the depths of the Zohar's insight into this parshah we must establish a firm understanding of the opening concepts embedded in this very first pasuk. Let's look at some of the key concepts in the narrative at hand:

    "For Yah has chosen Jacob unto Himself"- The Zohar spiritualizes every single person, place, thing and activity in the Torah's narrative as a spiritual analogy. The analogy of Jacob is embedded in the meaning of the Hebrew term Ya'akov, which is "supplanter, heel grabber." In the Torah we learn that Jacob is the youngest of two sons born to Isaac (laughter/joy) and Rachel (migration). Jacob was able to cunningly acquire the birthright from his elder brother Esau. Many have argued their various perspectives based upon the chitniyut haTorah (exterior Torah) in regards to the ethical and legal implications of a stolen birthright. However, in light of the true meaning of p'nimiyut haTorah (inner Torah) the story is one which has a very practical application. Jacob (supplanter) is a state of consciousness which is just higher than the animalistic consciousness represented by Esau. Esau, the hairy man, is the type of all humanity that is first expressed on its most basest level. In the struggle towards spiritual evolution the state of Esau must be supplanted by the state of Jacob representing a state of consciousness that is more mentally oriented and developes towards understanding as opposed to the satiation of the lower carnal consciousness of our animal being. The statement that YAH has chosen Jacob for Himself means that the Divine Purpose is that manking should rise from the instinctual real of self-gratification towards a more conscious way of living symbolized by Jacob.
    "...Israel for His peculiar possession"- In the Torah there is a story of Jacob wrestling with "a man" and overcoming after a long struggle through the darkness of night. Subsequently Jacob's name was changed to that of Israel. Israel, which means: contending, striving, who prevails, a prince, dominion and rulership with El, is a type of one who develops through the path of internal and external struggle ultimately prevailing. Jacob was a higher state of consciousness than Esau but represents a state of transience- one who wanders from place to place in search of ultimate meaning and fulfillment. The "man" that Jacob wrestles with at the ford of Jabbok (pouring out, emptying) is his own self. Jacob wrestles through the darkness of night (representing a failure of understanding at times of great trial) until he overcomes his fears and lack of understanding (remember Jacob represents a state of consciousness typified by understanding). Jacob overcomes himself and enters into a state of consciousness called Israel which is a man's highest significance, hence the reception of Jacob's blessing in being called Israel.

    "How beloved are Israel before the Holy One... who desires them..."- Israel in this reference is a collective known as Klal Israel. The collective Israelites represent our spiritual thoughts in us that belong to the land of Israel (conscious state of Israel). These spiritual thoughts pertain to the real and enduring ideas upon which man and the universe are founded. The purpose of these spiritual thoughts is to raise the consciousness gradually and to infuse us with a more enduring life and substance. When we affirm the spirituality of the mundane in order to elevate it and yearn for our own release from the bondage to material belief we begin to make connections to the intent of creation which is the Holy One Itself.

    To summarize this first pasuk we may say that the whole of creation is one conscious thought (this will be explained in the rest of the Zohar's narrative) and that each of us individually is a thought expression of a Singularity made manifest in a realm of duplicity. We are each involved in a process of evolutionary existence, moving from the principle of materialism to ever higher states of consciousness unfolding within us towards the Singularity of our Source. As we rectify and develop to higher states of sensory development so to does the Source develop in its own evolutionary process as we are each a thought of expression. In other words, just as we must harness our thoughts and spiritualize them the Source of our being is doing the same through us as we are all a thought from one Source.

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