The Book of Splendor

Main Text (Zohar)

It is written: Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice Exodus 19:19. All of these [other prophets] were not included in this manner, for it is established that "Moses would speak," and it is also written, "And God remembered" original: v'yizkor v'dechar Elohim. And so it is written, Moses would speak. However, some say it is because it is written: And they said to Moses, "You speak with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with us" Exodus 20:15. Because of this, Moses would speak and God would answer him, for not a single word in the Torah is found to come from the mouth of Moses alone. And this is what they established: "The curses in the Torah specifically those in Deuteronomy Moses spoke from his own mouth." From this we learn they were spoken from his own mouth. These [in Leviticus] were from the mouth of the Might original: Gevurah - a term for God's attribute of Strength/Severity and those [in Deuteronomy] were from his own mouth—from that Voice to which he was attached, which is called by this name, and the matter is well-explained. And in the Book of Aggadah of the School of Rav, they said: even though the entire Torah was stated from the mouth of the Might, it was likewise stated from the mouth of Moses himself. And what is this? For example, the curses in the Torah, which were later included in the Might. This is the meaning of Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice. Moses would speak—this is the voice of Moses. And God would answer him with a voice—this is the Might which joined with that voice so that He would answer him with a voice like the voice of Moses. And he opened with words that began like the words of the Torah, therefore all were happy with him. They said: it is written, and the words he opened with shall be given to the day.

Rabbi Abba opened and said: It is written, And if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced and has no offspring... Leviticus 22:13. Worthy is the portion of Israel above all the nations who worship stars and constellations, for the Holy One, blessed be He, when He created the world, only created it for the sake of Israel so that they would receive the Torah at Mount Sinai and increase like the whole [creation] and be found righteous before Him. Come and see: when this world is perfected through Israel in the likeness of that which is above, and that path which they tread in their level reaches its height up to the Throne, like the essence of the sacrifice, the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees to draw the Holy Name from above to below so that it may be joined and bound together. For the Holy One, blessed be He, created [man], as it is written: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground... Genesis 2:7 to be a bond of one with the other, so that the world would be found in the likeness of that which is above. And if he prepares and rectifies himself thus, just as He created him male and female to be complete. And he is called "complete" original: chumta when they are whole in the likeness of that which is above. Just as the reason for pairing with one's mate is according to the law... in desire, to produce strength and dedication, so too is the priest's daughter. When they are complete in the likeness of that which is above, he inherits below in the likeness of the Holy Name upon him, and then the Holy Name is called upon him. But a man who does not wish to be completed in the Holy Name below, it would be better for him had he not been created, for he has no portion at all in the Holy Name. And when his soul departs from him, it is not found in him at all, for he lacks the image of his Master until he is bound, and there is no remedy for anything. This is the meaning of: And if a priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced. The priest's daughter is the Holy Soul, which is called the daughter of the King. For the wisdom of the Holy Soul emerges from the union of the King and the Matronit. Because of this, just as the body below is from male and female, so too is the soul above. If she becomes a widow—this is the body that went to the secular realm in its days. And divorced—that she was cast out from that portion of the Holy Name. And why all this? Because she has no offspring—to be found in the likeness of that which is above and to be bound to the Holy Name. And she returns to her father’s house—who is "she returns"? She returns to be rectified as she was at first, and then she returns to her father’s house, for the Holy One, blessed be He, is as in her youth, as in the beginning. Of her father’s bread she shall eat—to delight in the delight of the King. From here on: but no stranger shall eat of the holy thing. These are the "strangers"—the one who did not establish the Holy Name below and has no portion in it. He shall not eat of the holy thing—he has no portion in the delight of above which belongs to everyone, as it is written: Eat, friends; drink, and be drunk with love Song of Songs 5:1. Above is the delight of the holy.