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A Golden Opportunity
Zohar, Shemot,
p. 7b; translation and commentary by Simcha Treister
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(From our sister-site,
Kabbala Online)
Parashat
Shemot talks of the exile and redemption of the Jewish people from their
first exile in Egypt. In this section of the Zohar, Rebbe Shimon compares
the Egyptian exile, where the Jews were given houses and food but were
enslaved nonetheless, with the later exiles and the ultimate redemption
through the leadership of the Mashiach.
Come
and see. It is written: For thus says the Lord G-d, My people went down
the first time to Egypt to live there; and the Assyrian oppressed them
without cause. (Isaiah 52:4)
The
Assyrians dispersed the exiled tribes to the furthermost corners of their
empire and took from them and deprived them of their own country. Egypt
provided the Jews with all of those good things [the land of Goshen and
houses and food] and was nonetheless punished with all those punishments
[the plagues and military destruction].
How
much more will be the punishment of Syria and Edom [Europe] and those
other peoples who anguish them and kill them and take their wealth. [This
punishment will be] at the time when the Holy One Blessed be He decides
to reveal the glory of His name on them. So it is written [about the war
of Gog and Magog]: "Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself;
and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall
know that I am G-d." (Ezek. 38:23). There in Egypt [when G-d manifested
His glory] there was one king [Pharaoh]. In the future [redemption His
glory will be manifested] to all the rulers of the world.
Rebbe
Shimon lifted up his hands and cried.
The
raising of the hands, which are each comprised of 10 fingers representing
the 10 sefirot, is the physical manifestation of connecting to the higher
sefirot, which are the containers of the manifestation of the Divine.
The tears shed by Rebbe Shimon were a heartfelt attempt to sweeten the
harsh judgment he foresaw.
He
said: Woe to he who is present at that time [of the coming of the Mashiach]
and happy is the portion of one who is present and found at that time.
Woe
to he who is present at that time because at the time when the Holy One
Blessed be He comes to redeem the deer [the Shechina from exile] He will
look at all those who stand with her and at all those who are found with
her. He will look at the actions of each and every one of them, and He
will not find one who is worthy and righteous, as is written: "And
I looked, and there was none to help" (Isaiah 63:5). Then how many
troubles will come upon troubles for Israel. Happy is he who is ready
at that time, because he who lives in faith at that time will be worthy
to receive the light of the joy of the King [because then G-d will rejoice
in His works]. It is of that time that the verse refers to; "I will
refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested".
(Zechariah 13:9)
Silver
is refined through heat. The impurities are burnt out. So will it be at
the time of the revelation of the Mashiach.
The
troubles will be like fire to purify the rebellious and the wicked. The
remainder will be tested as to their faith as gold is tested in the goldsmith's
forge to test if it is free of impurities. Happy are they who will have
the faith enabling them to endure these times because they will see the
direction of the seemingly chaotic events. Those who have no faith will
be subject to terror and fear which will give them the chance to rise
to the challenge - or fail the test.
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writing, from Kabbala Online.
Shmuel-Simcha
Treister is a lawyer from New Zealand who made aliya to Safed with
his family in 1993 to study Zohar. He continues doing so to this day.
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