A Generation Goes and a Generation Comes

“What is the meaning of generation to generation [Psalms 146:10]? Rabbi Papias said: A generation goes and a generation comes [Ecclesiastes 1:4]. Rabbi Akiva said: ‘The generation came’ – it already came. What is this like? A king had slaves, and he dressed them with garments of silk and satin according to his means. The relationship soured, and he cast them out, repelled them, and took his garments away from them. They then went on their own way. The king took the garments, and washed them well until there was not a single spot on them. He placed them with his storekeepers, bought other slaves, and dressed them with the same garments. He did not know whether or not the slaves were good, but they were [at least] worthy of garments that he already had and which had been previously worn. [A generation goes and a generation comes] But the earth endures forever [Ecclesiastes 1:4]. This is the same as And dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life-breath returns to God Who gave it [Ecclesiastes 12:6]” (Bahir).

“Why is there a righteous person who has good, and a righteous person who has evil? This is because the righteous person was wicked previously and is now being punished. Is one then punished for his childhood deeds? Did not Rabbi Shim’on say that in the Tribunal on high, no punishment is meted out until one is twenty years or older? He said: I am not speaking of his present lifetime. I am speaking about what he has already been, previously. His colleagues said to him how long will you conceal your words? He replied: Go out and see. What is this like? A person planted a vineyard and hoped to grow grapes, but instead, sour grapes grew. He saw that his planting and harvest were not successful so he tore it out. He cleaned out the sour grape vines and planted again. When he saw that his planting was not successful, hear tore it up and planted it again. How many times? He said to them: For a thousand generations. It is thus written: The word He ordained for a thousand generations [Psalms 105:8]. It is in relation to this that they said, ‘Lacking were 974 generations’ [BT Hagigah 13b]. The Blessed Holy One stood up and planted them in each generation’” (Bahir).

“Inflicting the guilt of the fathers upon sons, upon the third and fourth generation [Cf. Exodus 20:5] – a single tree, planted once, twice, three times, and four times, and punished for its initial sins. Father, son, third, and fourth are one – when not mended and not caring to be mended. Correspondingly, the opposite of this, for a tree restored fittingly and standing firm” (Zohar 2:91b).

“Since we have begun to reveal, now is the time to reveal all. נשמתין, souls, issue from a grand and mighty tree of that river issuing from Eden, and all רוחין, spirits, issue from another, small tree. Neshamah, soul, from above; ruah, spirit, from below – joining as one, like male and female… When joining as one, they shine supernal radiance, and in the joining of the two of them, they are called, נר, lamp, lamp of YHWH [Proverbs 20:27]” (Zohar 2:99b).

Rolling Souls

“Seeing a גוּלגוֹלֶת, skull, floating on the water, [Hillel] said: ‘because you drowned others, they drowned you, and those who drowned you will themselves eventually be drowned’” (Ethics of the Fathers 2:7).

“It was taught, Rabbi Eleazar ha-Kappar said: Let one always pray to be spared this fate [of poverty], for if he does not descend his son will, and if not his son, his grandson, for it is said, בִּגְלַל because for this thing [Deuteronomy 15:10]. The School of Rabbi Ishmael taught: It is a גַלגַל, wheel, that revolves in the world” (BT Shabbat 151a).

“And this is the mystery of גִּלְגּוּל, rolling: The גַלגַל, wheel, does not move without the flow of water through the conduit. Likewise, the conduit is the mystery of the letter ו, by which the wheel is turned. And the secret of the matter is that just as the wheel will have no motion without the aqueduct, so too the wheel which is the letter י will have no גִּלְגּוּל, rolling, without the aqueduct which is the letter ו” (Ra’aya Meheimna).

“A spirit leaving this world who has not grown or spread in this world undergoes rolling and finds no rest, comes revolving into the world like a stone in a sling until it finds a redeemer to redeem it [Cf. 1 Samuel 25:29]… The spirit that he left, adhering to that vessel, is not lost – for nothing in the world, be it ever so small, lacks a place in which to be hidden and absorbed; it is never lost” (Zohar 2:99b).

The Violent Men of Your People Shall Exalt Themselves to Fulfill the Vision

“Rabbi Yose said, ‘How long must we endure this exile until that time arrives! Yet the blessed Holy One makes everything depend upon repentance – if they [Israel] prove worthy or not – as that verse has been explained: I, YHWH, will hasten it in its time – if they are worthy, I will hasten; if not, in its time [BT Sanhedrin 98a on Isaiah 60:22]… Rabbi Shim’on said to them, ‘The blessed Holy One does not want this to be revealed openly to the world. But verging on the days of the Messiah, even children of the world are destined to find hidden treasures of wisdom, thereby discovering calculations of the end” (Zohar 1:18b).

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor awake my love, until it pleases” (Song of Songs 8:4).

“Rabbi Yohanan: The blessed Holy One said, ‘I will not enter the heavenly Jerusalem until I can enter the earthly Jerusalem.’ Is there then a heavenly Jerusalem? Yes; for it is written, Jerusalem built like a town that is joined fast together [Psalms 122:3]” (BT Ta’anit 5a).

“Enhance Zion with Your favor, build the walls of Jerusalem [Psalms 51:20]. Enhance Zion with Your favor - informing us as follows: Why enhance? It seems that she already has goodness, and now, enhance that goodness. Certainly so! For ever since the day that the blessed Holy One engaged in building the Temple above until now, that goodness of favor has not settled upon that edifice, and so it has not been completed. However, when favor above rouses, with goodness will He tend and kindle the lights of that edifice and that creation, so that even the angels above will be unable to gaze at the Temple or at the structure. Then the whole work will be completed. Build the walls of Jerusalem. Now, since the day that the blessed Holy One engaged in building the Temple until now, has He not built them? If He has not built the walls of Jerusalem, then certainly not the Temple! However, all actions of the blessed Holy One differ from the actions of human beings. When human beings built the Temple, they first constructed the walls of the city and finally the Temple – walls of the city first to protect them, then building the Temple. Not so with the Blessed Holy One; rather, He builds the Temple first, and finally, when He lowers it and sets it in place, then He will build the walls of Jerusalem, the walls of the city. Thus, Enhance Zion with Your favor, first; and then, build the walls of Jerusalem” (Zohar 2:108b)

“The violent men of your people shall exalt themselves to fulfill the vision; but they shall fall” (Daniel 11:14).

The Glory of this Latter House Shall be Greater than that of the Former

“ Rabbi Aba said: I have remembered a certain matter I heard from the Holy Lamp [Rabbi Shim'on bar Yohai] who heard it in the name of Rabbi Eliezer. One day a clever gentile came and said to him: Old man, old man, I have three questions that I want to put to you. The first is: You say that another Temple will be built for you, but the Temple is not to be built more than twice. The First Temple and the Second Temple [are mentioned] but you will not find a Third Temple in the Torah, and that which you had to build has already been built, and there will never be another one, for Scripture has referred to the two houses of Israel: The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former [Haggai 2:9].

Also, you say that you are closer to the supernal King than all other peoples. Whoever is close to the King is forever rejoicing, without pain, without fear, without troubles. But you are perpetually in pain, trouble and agony, more than anyone else [Cf. Proverbs 3:12: For whom YHWH loves He rebukes, and Isaiah 53:10: YHWH delights in crushing him by disease, see also BT Berakhot 5a]. Look at us – no pain, trouble nor agony approaches us at all, from whence it follows that we are close to the supernal King and you are far from Him, and this is why you have pain and trouble and sorrow and agony, which we do not have.

Furthermore you do not eat of an animal found dead or an animal not ritually slaughtered so that you will be healthy and your body healthy. We eat anything we want and we are physically strong and healthy and all our limbs are fit. You do not partake and all are sick with bad illnesses and broken more than all other peoples. You are a people whom God hates above all. Old man, old man, do not say anything to me because I shall not listen to you [Cf. Proverbs 18:2: The fool does not desire understanding, but only to air his thoughts, and Proverbs 26:4-5: Do not answer a dolt by his folly, lest you, too, be like him. Answer the dolt by his folly, lest he seem wise in his own eyes], nor accept it from you. Rabbi Eliezer lifted up his eyes, looked at him, and turned him into a heap of bones.

When his anger had subsided, he looked back, cried, and said: YHWH, our Master, how majestic is Your name in all the earth [Psalms 8:2]. How strong is the power of the Holy Name that is strong in all the earth, and how beloved are the words of Torah, for nothing is so minor that it will not be found in the Torah, and even the smallest thing in the Torah issued from the mouth of the blessed Holy One. Those matters that that wicked one asked, I too, once asked of Elijah, and he replied that in the academy on high [these very matters] were laid out before the blessed Holy One as follows:

When Israel came out of Egypt the blessed Holy One wanted to establish them in the land as are the holy angels on high, and He wanted to build a temple for them, bring it down from the upper heavens, and plant Israel in the land as a holy planting, after the pattern of the supernal form, as is written: You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance [Exodus 15:17]. And where would that be? In the place, YHWH, which You have made, for You to dwell in [ibid.]. In that which which You, YHWH, have made, and in no other. In the place, YHWH, which You have made, for You to dwell in – the First Temple. And in the sanctuary, YHWH, which Your hands have established – the Second Temple. Both of them are the work of the blessed Holy One.

But when they angered Him in the wilderness, they died, and the blessed Holy One brought their children into the land, and the Temple was constructed by man, which is why it did not last. King Solomon knew that the Temple he built was the work of man and would not therefore last, which is why it is written: Unless YHWH builds the house, they who build it labor in vain [Psalms 127:1]. And indeed it no longer exists. In the days of Ezra, because of the sin, they had to rebuild which is why it did not endure. And up until now the first structure of the blessed Holy One has not been placed in the world, but concerning the future it is written: YHWH builds Jerusalem [Psalms 147:2]. He and no other. It is for this that we are waiting, and not for the work of man which has no permanence.’

The blessed Holy One will bring down the First Temple and the Second Temple from on high simultaneously. The First [Binah] will be concealed, and the second [Malkhut] will reveal the art of the blessed Holy One to all the world; perfect rejoicing and goodwill in all its existence. The First Temple, concealed ascending on high over the revealed, and all the world seeing the clouds of glory which will be the First Temple hidden in action, rising to the height of the glory of the heavens [Binah] and this is the building for which we are waiting.

So far this has not happened in the world, for even the city of Jerusalem will not be the result of man’s skill, for it is written: for I, says YHWH…. will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her [Zechariah 2:9]. If this is what is written about the city, how much more so will this be the case for the Temple, which is His dwelling place. And this action of the blessed Holy One should have been seen at the beginning, when Israel came out of Egypt, but it was delayed for the End of Days, for the final Redemption” (Ra’aya Meheimna).

“Come and see: Four hundred years, the minister of the children of Ishmael stood and begged before the blessed Holy One: ‘Whoever is circumcised has a portion in Your name.’ He said to him, ‘it is so.’ ‘Behold Ishmael who is circumcised. Why does he not have a portion in You like Isaac?’ He said to him, ‘It is not so, the one was circumcised properly and according to the full requirements, while the other was not so [as Ishmael do not fulfill פריעה ‘uncovering’]. Moreover, they cleave to Me as is specified, on the eighth day, while the others are distanced from me for many days [being circumcised only at age thirteen].’ ‘But still in all, since he is circumcised, would he not have a good reward for this?’ [Rabbi Hiyya said:] Woe is to the time that Ishmael was born into the world and was circumcised. What did the blessed Holy One do? He distanced the children of Ishmael from supernal cleaving and gave them a portion below in the Holy Land, because of their circumcision. And in the future, the children of Ishmael are destined to rule over the Holy Land for a long time when it is empty, like their circumcision, empty and imperfect. And they will prevent the children of Israel from returning to their place until the reward for the merit of the children of Ishmael reaches completion.

The children of Ishmael will cause great wars in the world and the children of Edom will gather against them, and wage war against them, one on the sea, one on the dry land, and one near Jerusalem. And they will rule over each other, but the Holy Land will not be given over to the children of Edom [Cf. Numbers 24:19]. At that time, a nation from the end of the earth will be roused against evil Rome and wage war against it for three months. Nations will gather there, and will fall into their hands until all the children of Edom will gather against it from all the corners of the world. Then the blessed Holy One will be roused against them. This is the meaning of For YHWH has a sacrifice in Botzrah [Isaiah 34:6]. And afterwards, it is written That it might take hold of the ends of the earth [Job 38:13]. He will destroy the descendants of Ishmael from the land, and break all [its] powers above. There will not remain any power of any people on earth, except the power of Israel alone. This is the meaning of YHWH is your shade upon your right hand [Psalms 121:5]. For the Holy Name is on the right, and the Torah is on the right. Therefore, everything stems from the right. We have learned that one should raise the right over the left, as it is written In His right hand a fiery law [Deuteronomy 33:2]. In the time to come: Save with Your right hand and answer me [Psalms 60:7]. And of that time, it is written: For then I will purify the language of the peoples, that all of them may call upon the name of YHWH and serve Him shoulder to shoulder [Zephaniah 3:9], and On that day YHWH will be one, and His name will be One (Zechariah 14:9)” (Zohar 2:32a).

And the Rainbow Dons These Garments When She Appears Before the King

“Rabbi Yosi said: ‘A rainbow comes to protect the world. It is like a queen wearing royal apparel who appears before the king every time he is about to strike his son because he has sinned against him. The king sees her and his anger with his son leaves him and he rejoices with her, as it is written: and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant [Genesis 9:16]. And this is why a rainbow appears in the world, only in the royal apparel of Malkhut. When there is a righteous person in the world, he upholds the covenant and thus protects the world [Cf. BT Hagigah 12b: The earth stands on one pillar named Righteous, as it is written: The righteous one is the foundation of the world (Proverbs 10:25)]. But if there is no righteous person, then there is a rainbow to indicate that the world is about to perish but [survives] because of it’…

Rabbi Elazar said: This rainbow has never worn anything except the apparel of the patriarchs [namely] green, red, and white. The raiment of Abraham is green, and it was so colored when Ishmael issued from him. Red is Isaac, who acquired this color when Esau issued from him. This אָדוֹם, red, stretches down to the planet מַאְדִים, Mars, which Esau is clinging to. White is the fine garment of Jacob, whose good countenance never changed. Rabbi Aba said: ‘That is good, but the Holy Lamp [Rabbi Shim'on bar Yohai] said, White is Abraham, who was purified in the white-hot heat of the fire [by Nimrod, see Bereshit Rabbah 38:13]. Red is obviously Isaac, and green is Jacob, who is between the other colors. About him it is written Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale [Isaiah 29:22] because his whole bed was perfect. Jacob shall not now be ashamed – because he shall not be seen in red like Isaac, who fathered Esau. Neither shall his face grow pale – he shall not be seen in white like Abraham, who fathered Ishmael. Instead he took the colors and enveloped them to adorn himself in his ancestors [and for his son Joseph/Yesod he stitched a multi-colored tunic, Genesis 37:3]. And the rainbow dons these garments when She appears before the King…

But how can the Queen put on royal apparel in Exile? For in Exile the blessed Holy One draws away from the Queen. No She is dressed in gloomy darkness and says: Do not gaze upon me, because I am black (Song of Songs 1:6)… When His anger at His son [Israel] leaves him, Then the king’s wrath was pacified [Esther 7:10]. And the King says to Her, with the Amidah prayer before Him, What is your petition? and it shall be granted you: and what is your request [Esther 5:6]. Then She asks for Her redemption and that of Her sons [of Israel], as it is said: let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request [Esther 7:3]. But a rainbow that appears in the world at a time of Exile is of the servant [Metatron]. And sometimes She comes out completely, when Her sons act correctly, while at other times She does not come out completely, when Her sons do not act correctly” (Ra’aya Meheimna).

They Appear in it as a Crystal Facing the Sun

“By what way does the light fan out” (Job 38:24).

“At the head of potency of the King. He engraved engravings in luster on high. A spark of impenetrable darkness flashed within the concealed of the concealed, from the head of Infinity – a cluster of vapor forming in formlessness, thrust in a ring, not white, not black, not red, not green, no color at all. As a cord surveyed, it yielded radiant colors. Deep within the spark gushed a flow, splaying colors below, concealed within the concealed of the mystery of Ein Sof. It split and did not split its aura, was not known at all, until under the impact of splitting, a single, concealed, supernal point shone. Beyond that point, nothing is known, so it is called רשית, Beginning, first command of all… Zohar, Radiance! Sowing seed for its glory, like the seed of fine purple silk wrapping itself within, weaving itself a palace, constituting its praise, availing all” (Zohar 1:15a).

“Above the white light hovers a concealed light, encompassing it. Here abides supernal mystery. You will discover all in the ascending flame, wisdoms of the highest… The universe diffracts into forty-five hues of colored light. Seven disperse into seven abysses, each one striking its own abyss, stones gyrating. The light penetrates those stones, piercing them, and water issues from them, each one sinking within an abyss, covering both sides. Water flows through those holes, light penetrates, striking all four sides of the abyss. Each light whirls around its partner, converging as one, splitting the water” (Zohar 1:51a-52a).

“In this quadrisected expanse, all colors are included, four colors seen within, engraved quadruply, higher and lower secrecies inscribed in four engravings. When the colors of these four scatter, they total twelve: green, red, white, and a color blended of all colors as is written: Like the appearance of the bow in the cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance – the appearance of the semblance of the glory of YHWH [Ezekiel 1:28] – appearance of the colors of all. So, I have set My bow in the cloud [Genesis 9:13]” (Zohar 1:71b).

“Come and see: There are four lights. Three of them are concealed, and one revealed. A shining light [Hesed]. A light of radiance [Gevurah], shining like the heavens in purity [Tif’eret]. A light of purple, absorbing all lights [Yesod]. A light that does not shine [Shekhinah] but gazes toward these, receiving them, and they appear in it as in a crystal facing the sun. These three that we have mentioned are concealed, and stand above this one, which is revealed… This is the mystery: Close your eye and turn your eyeball, and those shining, glowing colors are revealed. Permission to see is granted only with eyes shut and concealed, for they are supernally concealed, standing above those colors that are seen and do not glow” (Zohar 2:23b).

“This blue on the second day was tinged with other colors: red and black… This black is so dark that its color cannot be seen from within the darkness. The Holy Lamp said as follows: ‘This dark black color, where was it imbued? Well, when that red was smelted within blue and colors intermingled, a smelting of filth melted into the depths, out of which formed mire and mud, as is said: Its waters cast up mire and mud (Isaiah 57:20). From that clay of the depths emerged the darkness that is black – and not black but utterly dark, as is written: and darkness over the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2). Why is it called darkness? Because its color is dark and it darkens the faces of creatures” (Zohar 2:149b).

“These four colors blend with each other and merge with each other, and each lends some of its color to its neighbor, except for the white color in which all are incorporated when is needed and when it covers everything. As for all the colors below no one can revert the black, red, and green to look white. But here under the same supervision all join and bathe in the white color” (Idra Zuta, Zohar 3:287b-296b).

Rashbi

עִיר וְקַדִּישׁ מִן-שְׁמַיָּא נָחִת “And, behold, a watcher, a holy one came down from heaven” (Daniel 4:10, cf. Zohar 2:149b).

כִּי לֹא תִשָּׁכַח מִפִּי זַרְעו “It shall not be forgotten in the mouth of his seed” (Deuteronomy 31:21).

“The Torah is destined to be forgotten from Israel” (BT Shabbat 138b).

“I am able to exempt the whole world from judgment from the day that I was born until now…” (BT Sukkah 45b).

“Through this work [of Rabbi Shim’on bar Yohai], the book of Zohar, they will be redeemed from exile” (Ra’aya Meheimna).

“Now, why is he [Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Ila'i] called the first speaker on all occasions? – For Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Jose, and Rabbi Shim’on were sitting, and Judah, a son of proselytes, was sitting near them. Rabbi Judah commenced [the discussion] by observing, ‘How fine are the works of this people! They have made streets, they have built bridges, they have erected baths.’ Rabbi Jose was silent. Rabbi Shim’on Yohai answered and said, ‘All that they made they made for themselves; they built market-places, to set harlots in them; baths, to rejuvenate themselves; bridges, to levy tolls for them.’ Now, Judah the son of proselytes went and related their talk, which reached the government. They decreed: Judah, who exalted [us], shall be exalted, Jose, who was silent, shall be exiled to Sepphoris; Shim’on, who censured, let him be executed.

He and his son went and hid themselves in the house of study, [and] his wife brought him bread and a mug of water and they dined. [But] when the decree became more severe he said to his son, Women are of unstable temperament: ‘she may be put to the torture and expose us.’ So they went and hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and a water well were created for them. They would strip their garments and sit up to their necks in sand. The whole day they studied; when it was time for prayers they robed, covered themselves, prayed, and then put off their garments again, so that they should not wear out. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave. Then Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and exclaimed, Who will inform the son of Yohai that the emperor is dead and his decree annulled? So they emerged. Seeing a man ploughing and sowing, they exclaimed, ‘They forsake life eternal and engage in life temporal!’ Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately burnt up. Thereupon a heavenly echo came forth and cried out, ‘Have you emerged to destroy My world?: Return to your cave!’ So they returned and dwelt there twelve months, saying, ‘The punishment of the wicked in Hell is [limited to] twelve months.’

A heavenly echo then came forth and said, ‘Go forth from your cave!’ Thus they issued: wherever Rabbi Eleazar wounded, Rabbi Shim’on healed. Said he to him, ‘My son! You and I are sufficient for the world.’ On the eve of the Sabbath before sunset they saw an old man holding two bundles of myrtle and running at twilight. What are these for?’ They asked him. ‘They are in honour of the Sabbath,’ he replied. ‘But one should suffice you?’ – One is for Remember -and one for Observe. Said he to his son, ‘See how precious are the commandments to Israel.’ Thereafter their minds were tranquilized. Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir his son-in-law heard [thereof] and went out to meet him. He took him into the baths and massaged his flesh. Seeing the clefts in his body he wept and the tears streamed from his eyes. ‘Woe to me that I see you in such a state!’ he cried out. ‘Happy are you that you see me thus,’ he retorted, ‘for if you did not see me in such a state you would not find me thus [learned]. For originally, when Rabbi Shim’on ben Yohai raised a difficulty, Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir would give him thirteen answers, whereas subsequently when Rabbi Pinhas ben Ya’ir raised a difficulty, Rabbi Shim’on ben Yohai would give him twenty-four answers” (BT Shabbat 33b).