The Book of Splendor

Main Text (Zohar)

In this manner, the righteous are fortunate before Him because they know how to sow upon all waters, as it is written: Happy are you who sow beside all waters Isaiah 32:20. This refers to those who sow for the sake of charity The Hebrew word for "charity," Tzedakah, is linked here to the act of sowing spiritual seeds. And regarding one who sows for charity, it is written: For Your kindness is great above the heavens Psalms 108:5. "Beside all waters" refers to Your kindness, which is the kindness "above the heavens"—this is the World to Come—and he sows upon all waters. In the book of Rav Yeba the Elder, he said as follows: It is written, The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the request by the word of the holy ones Daniel 4:14. All merits in this world, and all decrees and all requests, all stand in a single Palace where the Sanhedrin The supreme celestial court of seventy-one sages sit and deliberate on the judgments of the world. And this Palace is called the Palace of Merit Heikhala de-Zakhuta: The celestial courtroom where human actions are judged favorably, because when they judge a case, they first turn toward the merit of a person. This is not the case in that level of the Other Side Sitra Achra: The realm of evil or "dark" spiritual forces, for there is a place called "Guilt." This is because all the works of that place—of which it is written the woman of harlotry referring to the personification of the seductive, destructive force—are dedicated to turning a person’s deeds toward guilt and leading their actions into sin. Those of the Palace of Merit are like sweet waters, clear waters. But those of the Palace of Guilt belong to the darkness; they are called bitter waters, the bitter waters that bring a curse. In that Palace of Merit, these three things do not depend on merit: children, life, and sustenance A famous Talmudic dictum: these three depend on "Mazal" (destiny/constellation) rather than personal merit. And for them, in that place of Guilt, it is not written that they are sweet and clear, but rather like bitter, cursing waters. Therefore, it says "you who sow beside all waters"—the holy seed to give birth beside all waters of life, for the repair of the seed of all of them is only found Above.

The matter depends on the holy "Mazal" The celestial flow or "destiny" emanating from the highest levels of the Divine regarding all the waters of life. They are "sending forth the feet of the ox and the donkey" Isaiah 32:20, meaning they have no part in that evil side at all. They darken and direct all evil worship and are purified from that side, for all holiness is upon them. When the ox and the donkey are joined together, they are two evil plagues to the world. The ox comes from the side of the holy living creature, the side of holiness. The donkey, when it joins with the "shells" Kelipot: the husks of impurity of the Other Side, these two are evil plagues to the world.

Because of this, Simeon was the strength of harsh judgment, and when they were born together, the world could not endure it. For this reason, it is written: You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together Deuteronomy 22:10. Jacob explained this matter to his son, as it is written: I have acquired an ox and a donkey Genesis 32:6. And he lived in fear, for Jacob was greatly afraid of the deception involved.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt Exodus 1:8. In the book of Rav Hamnuna the Elder, it was said: What is the meaning of "there arose a new king over Egypt"? Come and see: all the nations of the world and all the kings of the world were only strengthened in their rule because of Israel. Egypt did not rule over the whole world until Israel arrived and entered there into exile; then they were strengthened over the other nations of the world. All of them are strengthened over the nations only so that Israel may be in their exile. Edom was not strengthened over all the nations of the world except because of Israel, for at the end of their exile, these nations were insignificant like other nations and were the lowest of all. But because of Israel, they were strengthened. Regarding Egypt, it is written from the house of slaves Exodus 20:2—they were called slaves because Egypt was as insignificant as the rest of the nations. Regarding Babylon, it is written: Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not Isaiah 23:13. Regarding Edom, it is written: Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are greatly despised Obadiah 1:2. None of them had strength except because of Israel. For when Israel is in their exile, the nations return to being strengthened over all other nations of the world. Why? Because Israel alone stands against all the nations of the world. When Israel went down into the exile of Egypt, immediately there was a "rising" for Egypt, and their dominion was strengthened Above over all other nations, as it is written: Now there arose a new king over Egypt. "There arose" means there was a rising for them to be strengthened; that level of the celestial minister of Egypt arose, and strength and dominion were given to him over all other nations, for previously that level Above had no dominion. And afterwards, this was reflected in the people below...