TIFERET: MAIN READING OF THE WEEK – THE ZOHAR BOOK

Main Reading for PRAYER OF MANY, today with ENGLISH ZOHAR READING, page 132.

ARVUT OF : Robin Anderson

The letters Aleph and Ayin do not have any particular sound, and only
the accompanying punctuation mark determines their pronunciation.
The letters Bet, Chaf and Peh with a dot inside them are pronounced
as “b,” “k,” and “p.” The absence of a dot changes their pronunciation to
“v,” “ch” and “f.”
The letter Hey is not pronounced, but rather aspirated.
The shapes of the letters Mem, Nun, Tzadik, Peh, Chaf (pronounced
MANTZEPACH) change when placed at the end of a word, as seen in the
table of letters.
The shape, external form of letters: the protruding element of a letter indicates
that the Light in this part of the letter is greater than in the other. The filling
(Miluy) indicates the height of the degree. A punctuation mark (Nikud) indicates
the origin of each part of the Partzuf: whether it came from the Upper Partzuf (and
constitutes its part in the present one), from the lower Partzuf, or from itself.
The Kelim-Sefirot themselves are called “letters,” and their punctuation
marks (Nekudot) indicate the Light that enters and exits them. The Light of Bina,
ZA, and Malchut can enter the Kelim, but the Light of Keter or Hochma cannot.
A dot above a letter (Holam) signifies the Lights Keter and Hochma, which never
clothe the Kli, hence the location of the dot above the letter.
Two horizontally positioned dots (Tzere) allude to Sefirot Hochma and Bina,
that Bina does not receive the Light of Hochma, and contains only the Light of
Hassadim, the Light of Mercy (AVI back-to-back). Bina herself is also called Tzere,
for ZA receives everything from her. If there is a third dot (Segol) between these
two dots, it means that ZA raised his request for the Light of Hochma to AVI.
Such a request of ZA in AVI is called Daat. Daat receives the Light of Hochma
in order to pass it on to ZA. The punctuation mark Kamatz (a “T” shaped mark
under the letter) indicates that ZA collects (Mekabetz) the Light of Hochma.
A dot indicates Malchut with a reflecting screen, but not a receiving one.
Such a form testifies to the absence of Light in the Kli; it is merely a black dot,
as the law of restriction rules over it.
The Sefira Hod is an inclusion of Malchut’s properties into ZA, out of which
ZA makes a whole Partzuf Malchut. The letter Hey in the word Hod signifies Keter
in Malchut, and the nine lower Sefirot of Malchut are located among the impure
forces that cling to them. This is designated by an elongated leg of the letter Kuf
(dipping below the line), which indicates that the impure forces receive their
strength from the spiritually pure forces through this element, the Kuf.