Zohar from Scratch #28 The Eighth Precept of Conversion and The Ninth Precept Showing Mercy to the Needy

(ו) פִּקּוּדָא תְּמִינָאָה לְמִרְחַם גִּיּוֹרָא (על) דְּעָאל לְמִגְזַר גַּרְמֵיהּ (יתרו ע' ע''א) וּלְאָעֳלָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְאִיהִי אָעִילָא לוֹן תְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא לְאִנּוּן דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא מְסָאֳבָא וּמִתְקָרְבִין לְגַבָּהּ. דִּכְתִיב תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהַאי נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה דִכְלִילָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְכֹלָּא הִיא אִזְדַּמְּנַת. הֲדַר וְאָמַר לְמִינָהּ. כַּמָּה אַכְּסַדְּרִין וְאִדְרִין דָּא לְגוֹ מִן דָּא אִית לָהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ דְּאִיהִי חַיָּה תְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא.

(ז) גַּדְפָא יְמִינָא אִית לָהּ תְּרֵין אַכְּסַדְּרִין. וּמֵהַאי גַּדְּפָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁן לִתְרִין אוּמִין (משפטים צ''ה ע''א) אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִנּוּן קְרֵיבִין בְּיִחוּדָא (נ''א ביחוסא) לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאָעֳלָא לוֹן לְגוֹ אַכְּסַדְּרִין אִלֵּין. וּתְחוֹת גַּדְפָא שְׂמָאלָא אִית תְּרֵין אַכְּסַדְּרִין אָחֳרָנִין וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן לִתְרֵין אוּמִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִנּוּן עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב. וְכֻלְהוֹן אִקְּרוּן נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. וְכַמָּה אִדְרִין סְתִימִין אָחֳרָנִין וְהֵיכָלִין אָחֳרָנִין בְּכָל גַּדְפָא וְגַדְפָא. וּמִנַּיְיהוּ נָפְקוּ רוּחִין לְאַפְרָשָׁא (שלח לך קס''ח ע''א) לְכָל אִנּוּן גִּיּוֹרִין דְּמִתְגַּיְּירִין. וְאִקְרוּן נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֲבָל לְמִינָהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ עָאלִין תְּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר. אֲבָל נִשְׁמְתָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקָא מִגּוֹ גּוּפָא דְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא, וּמִתַּמָּן פָּרְחִין נִשְׁמְתִין לְגוֹ הַאי אֶרֶץ גּוֹ מְעָהָא לְגוֹ לְגוֹ. וְרָזָא (מלאכי ג׳:י״ב) כִּי תִהְיוּ אַתֶּם אֶרֶץ חֵפֶץ. וְעַל דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּן יַקִּיר דְּהָמוּ מְעָהָא עֲלֵיהּ וְאִקְרוּן (ישעיהו מ״ו:ג׳) הָעֲמוּסִים מִנִּי בָּטֶן וְלָא מְגַדְּפִין לְבַר. וְתוּ

(6) 6. The eighth precept is to love the convert who comes to be circumcised and desires to enter under the wings of the Shechinah. And She (Malchut) takes under Her wings those who separate themselves from the defiled Other Side, and approach Her. As it is written: "Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after their kind" (Genesis 1:24). And in case you might say that this living soul, which includes Yisrael, is assigned to everyone, He repeats, "after their kind". O how many corridors and chambers, one inside the other, does the earth which is living have under its wings!

(7) 7. The right wing has two chambers, and from this wing, two nations come forth. They are close with regard to Unity to Yisrael and enter into these chambers. And under the left wing there are two additional chambers that are divided between two other nations, which are Ammon and Moab. And they are all called living soul. And how many other closed chambers are there in each and every wing. From these chambers souls go forth and are divided among those proselytes who are converted, and these are called living soul, but "after their kind." They all enter under the wings of the Shechinah, but do not go beyond. But the soul of Yisrael comes from the body of that tree. And from there, the souls fly off down into this earth, down deep inside its bowels! And the secret behind this is as written: "For you shall be a land of delight" (Malachi 3:12). Therefore, Yisrael is the darling son for whom She yearns from the bottom of Her heart. And Yisrael are called "who are borne by Me from birth (lit. 'belly')"(Isaiah 46:3) and not from the wings that are on the outside. And furthermore,

(כד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים תּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ נֶ֤פֶשׁ חַיָּה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ בְּהֵמָ֥ה וָרֶ֛מֶשׂ וְחַֽיְתוֹ־אֶ֖רֶץ לְמִינָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
(24) God said, “Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind.” And it was so.

(א) גִּיּוֹרִין לֵית לוֹן חוּלָקָא בְּאִילָנָא עִלָּאָה כָּל שְׁכֵּן בְּגוּפָא דִּילֵיהּ. אֲבָל חוּלָקָא דִלְהוֹן בְּגַדְפִין אִיהוּ וְלָא יַתִּיר. וְגִיּוֹרָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר (לך לך צ''ו ע''א) גֵּירֵי הַצֶּדֶק אִנּוּן דְּתַמָּן שָׁרָאן וְאִתְאַחֲדָן וְלָא לְגוֹ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. וּבְגִין כָּךְ תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ. וּלְמָאן, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׁ וְחַיְתוֹ אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ כֻּלְהוּ שָׁאֲבִין נֶפֶשׁ מֵהַהִיא חַיָּה, אֲבָל כָּל חַד לְמִינָהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לָהּ:

(1) 1. the proselytes have no part in the upper tree, especially not in its body (trunk). So their place is in the wings and not beyond. Therefore, the convert's place is under the wings of the Shechinah, and not higher. And the true proselytes are those who reside there - and not inside. This is why it is said: "Let the earth bring forth the living creatures after their kind." And to whom? "Cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after their kind" (Genesis 1:24). All draw their spirit from within that living creature, but each one according to its kind, as is appropriate to it!

(ב) פִּקּוּדָא תְּשִׁיעָאָה לְמֵיחַן לְמִסְכְּנֵי וּלְמֵיהַב לוֹן טַרְפָּא. דִּכְתִיב נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ. נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָ''ם, מְשׁוּתָּפָא כְּלַל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. בְּצַלְמֵנוּ, עֲתִירֵי. כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ, מִסְכְּנֵי. דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּדְכוּרָא עֲתִירֵי, וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּנוּקְבָא מִסְכְּנֵי. כְּמָה דְאִנּוּן בְּשׁוּתְּפָא חֲדָא. וְחָס דָּא עַל דָּא, וְיָהִיב דָּא לְדָא וְגָמִיל לֵיהּ טִיבוּ, הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְתַתָּא לְמֶהֱוֵי עֲתִירָא וּמִסְכְּנָא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא, וּלְמֵיהַב דָּא לְדָא וּלְגָמְלָאָה טוּבָא דָּא לְדָא.

(ג) וְיִרְדוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וְגו' רָזָא דְנָן חֲמֵינָן בְּסִפְרָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, דְּכָל מָאן דְחָס עַל מִסְכְּנֵי בִּרְעוּתָא דְלִבָּא, לָא מִשְׁתַּנִי דִיוּקְנֵיהּ לְעָלָם מִדִּיּוֹקְנָא דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן. וְכֵיוָן דְּדִיוֹקְנָא דְּאָדָ''ם אִתְרְשִׁים בֵּיהּ, שַׁלִּיט עַל כָּל בְּרִיָּין דְּעָלְמָא בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ט׳:ב׳) וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה עַל כָּל חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וְגו' כֻּלְהוּ זָעִין וְדָחֲלִין מֵהַהוּא דִיוּקְנָא דְּאִתְרְשִׁים בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּדָא הוּא פִּקּוּדָא מַעַלְיָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא בַּר נָשׁ בְּדִיוֹקְנֵיהּ דְּאָדָם עַל כָּל שְׁאָר פִּקּוּדִין.

(ד) מְנָא לָן מִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַר (חייבא). אַף עַל גַּב דְּחָלַם הַהוּא חֶלְמָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה מֵיחַן לְמִסְכְּנֵי לָא שָׁרָא עֲלֵיהּ חֶלְמֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאַטִיל עֵינָא בִישָׁא דְּלָא לְמֵיחַן לְמִסְכְּנֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, (דניאל ד׳:כ״ח) עוֹד מִלְּתָא בְּפוּם מַלְכָּא וְגו', מִיָּד אִשְׁתְּנֵי דִּיוּקְנֵיהּ וְאַטְרִיד מִן בְּנֵי נְשָׁא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם. כְּתִיב הָכָא עֲשִׂיָה, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (רות ב׳:י״ט) שֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עִמּוֹ הַיּוֹם בּוֹעַז.

(2) 2. The ninth precept is to show mercy to the needy and supply them with food. As it is written: "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). "Let Us make man" is used in the compound sense, indicating that it includes Male and Female. "In Our image", the rich; "after Our likeness", the poor. Because from the aspect of the Male, they are rich; from the aspect of the Female, they are poor. But as they are united as one, show compassion to each other, share with each other, and are benefactors to each other, so should man below behave. The rich and the poor should be united together as one, and should share with each other and be benefactors to each other.

(3) 3. "And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea" (Ibid.). We have seen this secret in the Book of King Solomon, where it says that if a person has pity on the poor from all his heart, his image shall not be changed and shall remain forever as that of the first man. As a result of having the mark of the image of Adam, he therefore shall rule over all creatures on earth by that image. As it is written, "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast" (Genesis 9:2). All have fear of that image and dread the image marked on him, because this is the most praised precept. It is above all the others, because by this precept, the Son of Man is able to elevate himself by the image of Adam.

(4) 4. How do we know this? From Nebuchadnezzar! Because even though he dreamt that dream, as long as he had mercy upon the poor, the dream did not come true. But because he cast the evil eye on the poor not to be gracious to them, what does the verse say? It reads, "While the word was in the king's mouth" (Daniel 4:28), his image immediately changed and he was rejected from people. This is why, "Let Us make man" (Genesis 1:26). Here the term "to make" is used. So in the verse it is written, "The man's name where I worked (lit. 'made') today is Boaz" (Ruth 2:19).

https://vitaltransformation.org/donate/ To Donate to Vital Transformation