TUESDAY PRAYER: GEVURAH-MAIN READING OF THE WEEK – THE ZOHAR BOOK
READING: SUNSET MONDAY
Main Reading for PRAYER OF MANY, today with ENGLISH ZOHAR READING, page 154.
ARVUT OF : Robin Anderson
From the aforesaid, we see that the reason for the letters wishing for the world
to be created with them is that each of them believes that only its properties can
correct the world. The letter Shin thinks that the Light of Hassadim will bring the
souls to the goal of creation. However, the letters Kuf and Reish—KaR (cold)—do
not desire this Light, for receiving the Light of Mercy for the sake of bestowal is
pure, but receiving it for the sake of pleasure is impure.
THE LETTER OF TZADIK
- Subsequently, the letter Tzadik appeared before the Creator and said:
“Master of the world, You should create the world with me, for Tzadikim (the
righteous) are marked by me. You, who is called a Tzadik (righteous one), are
also recorded within me, for You are righteous and You love righteousness.
Therefore, my properties are suitable to create the world by.”
The Creator answered: “Tzadik, you are truly righteous, but you must
remain concealed and not be revealed to the extent required were the world
to be created by you, so as to not give the world an excuse.” The concealment
of the letter Tzadik is necessary, for first came the letter Nun, which was
then joined by the letter Yod from the Creator’s Holy Name Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey
(HaVaYaH), who stood above it as a mark of the bond between the Creator
and His creations, mounted the letter Nun and joined it on its right hand side,
thereby creating the letter Tzadik.
The reason for the necessity of concealing the letter Tzadik, which makes it
unsuitable for the creation of the world with it, is that when the Creator created
Adam, i.e., ZA, He created him as two Partzufim-objects—male and female,
connected to each other back to back. This is why the letter Yod stands with its
back to the back of the letter Nun, both facing opposite directions, just as the
letter Tzadik is depicted: the face of Yod turned upwards, while the face of Nun
is turned downwards.
And the Creator also said to Tzadik: “In the future I will revoke the
relationship of back-to back, and will join them face-to-face. In another place shall
you so rise as such, but not at the beginning of creation. For in the beginning of
creation, you must be connected back-to-back by the letters Nun and Yod, for this
form indicates that the Light in you is concealed. Therefore, the world cannot
be created with you.” The letter Tzadik then left.
Tzadik came to suggest that the world should be created with its properties,
for when it saw that the Tav’s request was turned down by the Creator due to
its heavy laws, and the letter Shin—due to the impure forces clinging to it—it
thought that its properties could be suitable for the creation of the world. After
all, it, too, contains the Creator’s seal, and no impure forces cling to it.