The Book of Splendor

Main Text (The Zohar)

Regarding the Torah original: Oraita, Rabbi Yehuda said: Anyone who exerts themselves in the study of Torah in this world and gathers good deeds inherits the world of worlds. But anyone who does not exert themselves in the Torah in this world and does not perform good deeds inherits neither this world nor the next. Come and see: there is no dwelling place inherited in the world except according to one's station and what is fitting for them. Rabbi Isaac said: Come and see that there is no one who lacks good deeds entirely. Rabbi Yehuda said: If human beings only knew the love with which the Holy One, Blessed be He original: Kudosha Brich Hu, loves Israel, they would roar like young lions to pursue Him. At the hour when Jacob entered Egypt, the Holy One called to His heavenly retinue and said to them: "All of you, descend to Egypt and behold the life of My children." The Divine Presence original: Shekhinah, the feminine indwelling aspect of God, the Matriarch of the world, saw her children without a King. He said to her: "Come with Me, My bride original: Kallah, with your children, the doe of Eden, for the King is in all His works." This "bride" is the Shekhinah, who is like a bride under a wedding canopy. For it was taught that Rabbi Yehuda said: What is the meaning of that which is written:

"With me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon you shall come; you shall look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon..." (Song of Songs 4:8)
This refers to the Bride. "With me from Lebanon you shall come"—from Lebanon, which is the Supernal Holy Temple. "You shall look from the top of Amana"—this refers to the heights of the mountains from which the faithful look out, and where were they? With Jacob and his sons. "From the top of Senir and Hermon"—for they were destined to receive My Torah from Mount Hermon and to be protected original: le-nabacha, to be shielded or barked over like a guard dog during their exile. "From the dens of lions"—these are the mighty ones who are like lions, who look over them in all their labors. Rabbi Hasa said: "With me from Lebanon, my bride..."—is the King below while Lebanon is above? Hasa said to him: At the time the Shekhinah descended to Egypt, the Holy One spared His holiness, as we learned that the ministering angels went first, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, preceded them all, as it says, "And their King shall pass before them, and the Lord at their head" Micah 2:13. Rabbi Isaac said: "With me from Lebanon, my bride"—this is the Shekhinah. "With me from Lebanon you shall come"—from the Supernal Holy Temple. "You shall look from the top of Amana"—from Lebanon, which is the Supernal Temple, and it is also said to be the Temple below. And Rabbi Yehuda said: The Shekhinah has never moved from the Western Wall of the Holy Temple, as it is written:
"Behold, he stands behind our wall" (Song of Songs 2:9)
And its power hovers over the whole world. "From the top of Senir and Hermon"—from Lebanon the Torah went out to the world to protect Israel. "From the dens of lions"—these are the mighty ones. Rabbi Yudan says: "From the dens of lions"—these are the Torah scholars term: Talmidei Chachamim (Disciples of the Wise) who occupy themselves with the Torah in the study halls and synagogues, who are like lions and masters of the Torah. Little Rabbi Hiyya sat before the Rav and asked: What is the meaning of "lions' dens" in relation to the sons of Jacob? First there were twelve, and later seventy, as it is written:
"All the souls of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy" (Genesis 46:27)
Exactly seventy and no more. He said to him: This corresponds to the seventy nations that are in the world, and they [Israel] were the wine and the essence compared to all of them. Furthermore, he said: Come and see, there are spiritual "husks" term: Kelipot (shards or shells of impurity) that appear as mighty men, appointed over the seventy nations, and they emerge from twelve engraved boundaries that surround the Matron The Shekhinah to establish her toward the four directions of the holy world, to count the children of Israel. And this is what is written:
"For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven" (Zechariah 2:10)
This teaches that they stand for the sake of Israel like the four winds; just as the world cannot exist without the four winds, so too the world cannot exist without Israel.

And there arose a new king... Rabbi Hezekiah opened his discourse: "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel" Isaiah 63:7, as it is written, "And the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto Himself" Deuteronomy 14:2, and it is written, "For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" Deuteronomy 32:9. And Israel cleaves to Him, to the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written: "But you that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day" Deuteronomy 4:4.