Link to this text: www.sefaria.org/sheets/174819
Part One: The Sitra Achra
In Kabbalistic tradition, the Sitra Achra is the "other side", the side of impurity, and what is also called in some more recent sacred literature, "he who must not be named" or "the Dark Lord". When we have our minds set on self-transcendent truth (upper three sefirot) and our bodies doing love and justice (hesed and din and the other seven lower sefirot), then we are in צלם אלוקים - the divine image. But when we instead organize our minds and bodies around selfish violence, hate, anxiety, self-aggrandizement and other evils, then we are also in an image, we are in the image of elohim acherim - false gods - the Sitra Achra.
It seems clear that all people and peoples (and religions and cultures) have the potential to manifest Elohim in a unique way and also have a potential to manifest elohim acherim or evil in a unique way. Borrowing from Carl Jung, I think of this unique potential for evil as the shadow.
In today's tour, we will be journeying into the heart of what I see as the shadow of Israel in contemporary reality: the West Bank regime. The West Bank regime is a system of government based on Jewish supremacism that systematically violates the human rights of Palestinians for the (perceived) benefit of the dominant Jewish population. Clearly, a regime predicated on victimizing an ethnic-national population cannot be regarded as a legitimate expression of the Leviathan (public authority; the power of the state) so that this regime consists of state sponsored organized crime. A review of works by some experts suggest that relevant legal categories for the regime would be Apartheid, Colonialism and/or War Crimes.
It cannot be be over emphasized that in this conception the settlers are not the Sitra Achra, but rather they are us, and the West Bank regime is our shared Sitra Achra. When we settle Israeli citizens on the West Bank, we violate their human rights by endangering their lives, implicating them in crimes, exposing them to international sanctions and so forth. Obviously, the Palestinians are the hardest hit victims of our shadow. But we ourselves (including settlers) are also its victims.
In the West Bank regime, the unique energy and identity of Israel (People, Torah, Land) takes on the concrete this-worldly form of state policies aimed at dominating and dispossessing the Palestinian population. And we have deep roots in this form of violent supremacism. Defeating our shadow-urge to dominate and dispossess the Other in the Land is core, I believe, to the divine mission of Israel in history (see below). The story of our failure to defeat the shadow begins in the Five Books of Moses. [My narrative about the texts will continue under the heading of Pirush below]
וַיַּ֣רְא ה' כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם ה' כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃
The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time. And the LORD regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. The LORD said, “I will blot out from the earth the men whom I created—men together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.”
כְּתִיב (בראשית ו׳:ו׳) וַיִּנָּחֵם ה' כִּי עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, לְאַפָּקָא אָדָם דִּלְעֵילָּא, דְּלָא הֲוִי בָּאָרֶץ. וַיִּנָחֶם ה' הַאי בִּזְעֵיר אַפִּין אִתְּמַר. וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ, וַיֶּעְצַב לֹא נֶאֱמַר. אֶלָּא וַיִּתְעַצֵּב, אִיהוּ אִתְעֲצָּב, דְּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָיא מִלְּתָא. לַאֲפּוּקֵי מִמַּאן דְּלָא אִתְעֲצָּב. אֶל לִבּוֹ, בְּלִבּוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אֶל לִבּוֹ. כְּמַאן דְּאִתְעֲצָּב (ומקבל) לְמָארֵיהּ, דְּאַחְזֵי הַאי לְלִבָּא דְּכָל לִבִּין.
The Zohar Prizker Edition: Translation and commentary by Daniel Matt.
YHVH regretted having made ha-adam, the human, on earth - excluding Adam above, who was not on earth. YHVH regretted- referring to Zeir Anpin.
And He was pained, to His heart - it is not said, And He pained, but rather and He pained Himself, for the matter depended on Him, excluding the one who is not pained.
To his heart- it is not written in His heart but rather to His heart, like some expressing his pain and complaining to his master; for He displayed this to the heart of all hearts.
The overall purpose of Torah and Israel for the Zohar can be understood as trying to connect Zeir Anpin to Arich Anpin in God by connecting them in ourselves through Torah and Mitsvot. Then, rather than destroy the world, Zeir Anpin acts as the vessel through which divine energies flow into the world (they originate in Ein Sof, begin to manifest in Arich Anpin, and become part of the world of our experience in Zeir Anpin).
This is parallel to getting ourselves out of small-minded competition, depression, anxiety etc. (Zeir Anpin divorced from Arich Anpin) and into the space opened up by higher states of consciousness (Zeir Anpin connected to Arich Anpin; Atika Kadisha; Witness; White-Light; Presence).
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא׃ וְעַתָּה֙ הַנִּ֣יחָה לִּ֔י וְיִֽחַר־אַפִּ֥י בָהֶ֖ם וַאֲכַלֵּ֑ם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ לְג֥וֹי גָּדֽוֹל׃ וַיְחַ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י ה' אֱלֹקָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לָמָ֤ה ה' יֶחֱרֶ֤ה אַפְּךָ֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֙אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥חַ גָּד֖וֹל וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃ ...וַיִּנָּ֖חֶם ה' עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לְעַמּֽוֹ׃ (פ)
The LORD further said to Moses, “I see that this is a stiffnecked people. Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation.” But Moses implored the LORD his God, saying, “Let not Your anger, O Lord, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand...And the LORD renounced the evil/punishment He had planned to bring upon His people.
רַ֗ק מֵעָרֵ֤י הָֽעַמִּים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁר֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּ֖ה כָּל־נְשָׁמָֽה׃ כִּֽי־הַחֲרֵ֣ם תַּחֲרִימֵ֗ם הַחִתִּ֤י וְהָאֱמֹרִי֙ הַכְּנַעֲנִ֣י וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ ה' אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃ לְמַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יְלַמְּד֤וּ אֶתְכֶם֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכֹל֙ תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַחֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ס)
In the towns of the latter peoples, however, which the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive. No, you must proscribe them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods and you stand guilty before the LORD your God.
We as Israel (People, Torah, Land) carry the weight of this journey. Our mission in history is to cultivate ADAM - the divine-human image. To do so, we must conquer our own shadow. Our own Sitra Achra looks out at us from the West Bank regime. (Which again is not the settlers - in this conception they are us - the Sitra Achra is their shadow and ours.)
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃
When God began to create heaven and earth— the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
צמאון לאל חי (מתוך מאמר "זרעונים" מתוך ספר "אורות")
וכשתביעת האורה באה עד הנקודה היותר גבוהה אז מתחלת היא לשאוב שפע אור גדול מהמאור הגנוז שיש בקרבה פנימה, ומתוך תוכה מתגלה לה שהכל שואב אור ממקור היותר עליון, ושהעולמים כולם וכל אשר בהם אינם כי אם גילויים שהם נדמים לנו כעין נצוצות פרטיים מהתגלות האורה העליונה, אבל כשהם לעצמם הם כולם חטיבה אחת, התגלות אחת, שבה כלול כל היפי, כל האור, כל האמת וכל הטוב
Orot (Lights) - Seedlings
1. A Thirst for the Living God
(Trans. based on Ben Zion Bokser but I've made changes)
When the longing for the light reaches its highest point then it begins to draw a great profusion of light from the hidden radiance in side the soul, and from within itself it discovers that everything draws light from the highest source, and all dimensions of reality and everything in them - which seem to us like separate sparks of revelation of the divine light - are in fact one whole, a unitary manifestation in which is included all beauty, all light, all truth and all good.
If you combine revealed and supernal divinity in one whole you get the ten sefirot in their correct order; ADAM - the divine-human image; the unification of Zeir Anpin and Arich Anpin; the unification of the lower persona and the higher trans-personal self (which overcomes anxiety and depression by releasing the flow of divine creative energy and thus doesn't want to destroy humanity, Israel or the Seven Nations).
The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.
אין להגדיר את מהותה של כנסת ישראל בגבולים מיוחדים ובתוארים מוגבלים. כוללת הוא את הכל, והכל מיוסד על כלות נפשה לאלקים, על הרגשתה את המתק ואת הנועם העליון בכל עומק נשמתה, בכל יפעת תענוגיו. והתשוקה להאלהות בהתלהבות נפש אמתית, מתגלה היא בכל פינותיה, מתגלה בתורה ומצות, מתגלה במוסר ומדות, מתגלה בהתעלות נפשית, בשירה פנימית, בקדושת החיים, בצמאון אין חקר...
It is impossible to define the essence of Knesset Yisrael in special limitations and limited descriptions. It contains everything, and everything is based on its love of God, the feeling of the sweetness and the supernal pleasantness in the depth of her soul, in all the beauty of its pleasures. The love for God and the true excitement of the soul is revealed in all its aspects, it is revealed in Torah and Mitsvot, it is revealed in morality and virtues, it is revealed in spiritual transcendence, in inner song, in the holiness of life, in the unfathomable thirst for God...
עצמות החפץ של היות טוב לכל, בלא שום הגבלה בעולם כלל, בין בכמות הניטבים ובין באיכותו של הטוב, זהו הגרעין הפנימי של מהות נשמתה של כנסת ישראל...
The essence of the will for good for all, without any limitation in the world of any kind in regard to the number of those who receive the good or the quality of the good, this is the internal core of the essence of the soul of Knesset Yisrael...
אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינֶנָּהּ דָּבָר חִיצוֹנִי, קִנְיָן חִיצוֹנִי לָאֻמָּה, רַק בְּתוֹר אֶמְצָעִי לַמַּטָּרָה שֶׁל הַהִתְאַגְּדוּת הַכְּלָלִית וְהַחְזָקָת קִיוּמָהּ הֶחָמְרִי אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָרוּחָנִי. אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא חֲטִיבָה עַצְמוּתִית קְשׁוּרָה בְּקֶשֶׁר חַיִּים עִם הָאֻמָּה, חֲבוּקָה בִּסְגֻלוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת עִם מְצִיאוּתָהּ.
Trans. based on Ben Zion Bokser:
Eretz Yisrael is not something apart from the soul of the Jewish people; it is no mere national possession, serving as a means of unifying our people and buttressing her material, or even her spiritual, survival. Eretz Yisrael is part of the very essence of the nation; it is bound organically to her very life and inner being.
אור השכינה הוא כנסת ישראל, האידיאל הישראלי השורה באומה כולה, העושה אותה לחטיבה אחת בכל דורותיה. כשהאורה הגדולה הזאת מתגלה בארץ, מתגלם בחיים המעשיים והשכליים, הכל מתברך. הנשמות הגנוזות בחביון מעלה מוסיפות אורה ותענוג. וכל נפש חיה מתעלה, העולם ומלאו מתרומם, הטללים אוצרים בקרבם שפעת ברכה, רוחות וגשמים כוללים בתוכם מניות חיים ועז, כל חי רוחני עליון ותחתון מתעדן...מפני שכנסת ישראל נחתת לאשראה בארעא...
The light of the Shechinah is Knesset Yisrael, the Israelite ideal which rests in the whole nation, which makes it one unit in all of its generations. And when this great light is revealed in the Land, it becomes embodied in practical and intellectual life, and all is blessed. The souls hidden in the supernal hiddenness add light and pleasure, and every living soul rises up, and the world in its entirety rises up, and the dew carries overflowing blessings, and the winds and rains contain quantities of life and strength, every living spiritual entity above and below is refined...because Knesset Yisrael has descended to become manifest in the Land...
I brought Rav Kook here because he is the historical father of the greater land of Israel movement, which supplied the religious-theological underpinnings of the West Bank regime, the earthly manifestation of Israel's Sitra Achra, our shadow, our potential to do evil and banish divinity. You'll see his face on posters across the city of Hebron, where he symbolizes the religious sanctification of the oppression and dispossession of Palestinians.
And I also brought Rav Kook because these statements about the divine purpose of creation, the divine mission of Israel in history, and the nature of Israel as People, Torah and Land, all express my own emunah (religious world view) far more powerfully than I could myself. I regard Rav Kook as a poet and prophet who captures in words what I felt when I came here in 1987 which inspired me to become a religious Jew and make aliyah and who expresses the core of emunat yisrael (the faith of Israel) as I understand it today.
In my experience, the Sitra Achra, and the Sitra d'kedusha (the Side of Holiness), come very close indeed. They seem as intimately connected to each other as different parts of my own mind.
יהי רצון May it be God's Will that the Land of Israel flow with justice and equity as the waters fill the sea.
לֹֽא־יָרֵ֥עוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֖יתוּ בְּכָל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֑י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ דֵּעָה֙ אֶת־ה' כַּמַּ֖יִם לַיָּ֥ם מְכַסִּֽים׃ (פ)
They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will become filled with the consciousness of God as the waters fill the sea.