The Book of Zohar. Chapter “Who Is This?” (abridged)

169. Rabbi Elazar opened (the way for the Light into his Kli) and said (revealed what was discovered), “Who is this coming up from the wasteland?” WHO IS THIS (MI ZOT) is the common ground of the two worlds, Bina and Malchut, which are bound together. COMING UP – coming up to become the “Holy of Holies.” For MI is Bina, called the “Holy of Holies.” And she joins with ZOT (Malchut), so that Malchut could come up and inherit THIS, to become a bride (of the Creator) and enter (together with Him) the bridal canopy (the common Screen).

170. She comes up from the wasteland (exile, the darkness of this world) of the soft utterance of lips, as it is written in Song of Songs, “And your mouth is comely.” This is because the Hebrew word MIDBAR (desert/wasteland) is derived from DIBUR (speech). It is written that the mighty forces strike Egypt (man’s egoism) with all the plagues of the wasteland (lack of fulfillment), for the Creator did not create souls in the wasteland (emptiness and darkness), but in settlements (opportunities to fulfill themselves).

171. He asks: “How does Malchut ascend in speech?” And he replies: “When man first awakens in the morning (when the Upper Light begins to shine from the darkness), and opens his eyes (becomes aware of the world, the goal, and the path), he must bless his Creator (for the property of bestowal that he has received, for acquiring a soul). How is he to bless Him? The way it was done by the first (those who have acquired souls) Hassidim (those who have acquired the Light of Hassadim – the property of bestowal): they would prepare a vessel of water (the property of bestowal, Bina) beside them (with their uncorrected desires) from evening (in spiritual darkness), so that when they woke at night (due to the Upper Light that came to them), they would wash their hands at once (correct their desires “to receive” to desires of bestowal), and would rise (in all the thirty Sefirot of the soul’s height) to study the Torah (to correct their desires), having blessed it (for this property of correction).

When the rooster (the desire for the Light, for the property of bestowal) crowed, precisely heralding midnight (the initial point of correcting one’s desires), the Creator was with the righteous (those who desire to correct themselves) in the Garden of Eden (Malchut that rose to Bina). And in the morning (the Light shines, and hence) it is forbidden to perform a blessing with unclean hands (with the desires to receive).”

172. For when man is asleep (when spirituality is concealed), his soul leaves him (he cannot feel it). And as soon as his soul (the property of bestowal) departs from him, the impure spirit (the property of reception) replaces it at once, and it fills his hands (desires) and defiles them (with egoism), and hence it is forbidden to utter a blessing without washing one’s hands (correcting one’s desires).

173. But woe unto those who do not beware and do not guard the Creator’s glory, for they do not know the foundation of the world.

Related Material:
Baal HaSulam Article: “A Speech for the Completion of the Zohar”

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