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.
