The Book of Splendor

Main Text (Zohar)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts" Isaiah 55:8. And because of this, the head of the whole matter is written: If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd Leviticus 1:3. It does not say "a bull" specifically, but rather "from the herd" original: "min ha-baqar" so that it shall be a male. Rabbi Isaac said: "From the herd" is stated generally, and the decree was issued: a male without blemish. A male and not a female, for the male is known Above representing the active, giving force and the female is known Below representing the receptive force. And so too: from the flock, from the sheep, and from the goats. All those that come Above must be male and not female, because the Burnt Offering Olah: literally "that which ascends" certainly "ascends upon the heart" a wordplay on the Hebrew 'Olah' and the rising of thoughts and it is known who stands over the heart. Because of this, it ascends Above and all are male; regarding this, the verse opens with the secret of the Burnt Offering more than all other sacrifices, for this is Thought, the head of all.

Rabbi Yehuda said: By the Living God! After Thought is aroused Above, it seeks to draw near and manifest Below even more. But he did not have the explanation in his hand. He came before Rabbi Shimon [bar Yochai] and said to him: The head of all is Thought, and the establishment of that Thought is the place where they search the "herd" baqar, and that establishment of the "Body of Wisdom" Guf ha-Chokhmah shows him how to establish it. Thus, from Thought, the male protects the head of all; the establishment of that Thought, when the action is performed, is "in the morning" ba-boqer - a pun on 'herd'. This is what is written: Woe to those who rise early in the morning... and the work of His hands they do not perceive Isaiah 5:11-12. For when the morning returns and they occupy themselves with it, it reaches that place where Thought ascends, and the deed certainly draws near to the day of Thought.

Rabbi Chiya was walking on the road and Rabbi Yehuda was with him. As they were walking, Rabbi Yehuda said: That which we have learned regarding the "Virgin of Israel" the Shekhinah/Community of Israel, who is blessed from the Seven the lower seven Sefirot/divine emanations who search "Bathsheba" literally 'Daughter of Seven', we have established this in several places. And in the Mountain of Mercy, the blessings of the assembly reside. But what of that which is written: And you, son of man, take up a lamentation for the Virgin of Israel Ezekiel 27:2 / Amos 5:2? Certainly, this was said concerning the Community of Israel, and this matter is difficult, for it is written: She has fallen, she shall rise no more, the Virgin of Israel. Now, I have seen all the companions explain this matter well. But by the life of the Torah, I was seeing it like two waters uncertainly, but in this lamentation, it is said that Wisdom is lacking.

He said to him: It is certainly so, and this word is more difficult to me than all else. We came before Rabbi Shimon with poor and downcast faces. He said to me: From that which is in your heart, it is known what you wish to ask, for your face is pale and your heart is troubled. I said to him: Tell me the meaning of what is written: She has fallen, she shall rise no more, the Virgin of Israel Amos 5:2. If a man has anger toward his wife and she leaves him, shall she never return? Heaven forbid! Especially regarding the children who were exiled with her.

He said to me: Is it not enough for you what all the companions have said? I replied: I have heard their words, but they are not settled in my heart. He said: Everything the companions said is all beautiful and appropriate, but woe to the generation when the shepherds are not found and the flock goes astray, not knowing where they are going, neither to eat nor to drink. This verse must be understood, and all is revealed for the times before us.

Come and see: In all the exiles that Israel was exiled, they all had an end and a limit, and in all of them, Israel returned to the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Virgin of Israel returned to her place at the time He decreed for her. But now, in this final exile, it is not so. She will not return as she did in other times. And this verse proves it, for it is written: She has fallen, she shall rise no more, the Virgin of Israel. Note that it does not say "He [God] shall no longer raise her up."

This is like a king who was angry with his Matronita Matronita: The Queen/Divine Presence and cast her out of his palace for a certain time. When that time arrived, immediately the Matronita would return and come before the king. This happened once, twice, and three times. But for the final time, she was distanced from the king's palace, and the king saw her from his palace at a distance. The king said: This time, it is not like the other times where she must come before me. Rather, I will go with all the people of my palace and I will seek her out. When he reaches her house, he will lift her from the dust. What greater honor is there for the Matronita than at that time? The Zohar reinterprets the verse: She will not rise on her own, but God Himself will descend into the exile to raise her up.