The article, “The Rose” in the Introduction of The Book of Zohar says that a rose has two states: Smallness (Katnut) and Greatness (Gadlut).

A state of smallness is the beginning of its creation when it contains only the Sefira Keter. This state is called “a rose among the thorns.”

The state of greatness is called plainly “a rose” or “the assembly of Israel,” when all negative qualities grow and are transformed into positive ones.

Thorns symbolize our negative qualities. When we want to turn on each other with our thorns, we begin to understand that our positive growth lies in our correct attitude toward each other with our petals.

The state of smallness (Katnut) is when we stop using our negative qualities. It is called smallness because in this state we cannot receive the upper light. The state of greatness (Gadlut) is when we bloom like a rose, and through wishing each other good, love, and mutual assistance, we ascend to the level of the Creator.

In other words, as Rabbi Akiva said, “Love your neighbor” is the state of greatness when you can use all your desires for the sake of others. When you simply do not harm anyone, this is the state of smallness, in which you kind of restrain yourself, as if limiting yourself with the thorns of a rose.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23

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What is a rose? It is the Assembly of Israel, meaning Malchut (Introduction of The Book of Zohar, “The Rose”).

A rose is an external equivalence to the assembly of souls, and a more internal quality is the connection of all who wish to come together and direct themselves to the Creator. That is why they are called Israel, Isra-El—meaning. straight to the Creator. Thus, they draw closer to each other in order to rise closer to the Creator with their properties of kindness and connection.

Knesset is from the word “Kinus.” “assembly.” Israel is Yashar Kel, meaning those who are directed at the Creator. Malchut is the lowest, but at the same time the most defining part of society.

The connection between souls at the lowest level, which can rise to the highest level, is called Malchut. That is, it is our connection based on the most basic, most egoistic desires.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23

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Rabbi Hizkiya began: “It is written, ‘As a rose among the thorns.’” What is a rose? It is the Assembly of Israel, meaning Malchut. There is a rose, and there is a rose. Just as a rose among the thorns is tinged with red and white, the Assembly of Israel contains Din [judgment] and Rachamim [mercy].

Just as a rose has thirteen petals, the Assembly of Israel consists of thirteen qualities of Rachamim, surrounding it on all sides (Introduction to The Book of Zohar, “The Rose”).

Comment: The article “The Rose” is the first article in the Introduction to The Book of Zohar. When reading these lines, it is clear that something is encoded here. It probably says something important here if these are the first words in such a great book.

My Response: The fact is that the rose means an assembly of souls that receive some kind of fulfillment from above from the Creator and then distribute it among the lower layers of souls. In this way, it descends into our world.

Question: But why rose? We know that there is a root and a branch. That is, a Kabbalist sees some kind of root (spiritual state) and its consequence in our world. Why rose?

Answer: This is what the authors of The Book of Zohar saw. They felt, learned, and revealed that the entire spiritual system descending from above from the Creator to humanity is such a structure.

As a rose among the thorns, the mercy of the Creator, His influence on us, consists of two opposite forces, white and red. White is the quality of bestowal and love. Red, on the contrary, is the quality of rigidity and judgment.

Both qualities are being looked at relative to the upper system that governs souls sometimes by mercy, sometimes by judgment. This already depends on people. That is why they are told about this.

The authors of The Book of Zohar saw the assembly of all souls in our world in the form of a rose, how it blooms, how it is controlled by two forces, and how the descent of the upper forces on it, on the entire society, and on all of humanity depends on its internal state.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23

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Just as a rose among the thorns is tinged with red and white, the Assembly of Israel contains Din [judgment] and Rachamim [mercy] (Zohar for All “The Rose,” Item 1).

When we talk about the gathering of souls, we mean people who are internally connected to each other, although they are not aware of it. And the realization of their common connection is called a “rose.”

Question: Are souls the common connection of all people in the world?

Answer: The common connection of all people in the world is “like a rose among thorns.” And this is called the soul.

And the thorns symbolize judgment, tough management. If you don’t want to be like a rose, to bloom and spread, then you will feel the control from above with the help of judgment and tough management.

Question: Speaking in Kabbalistic language, souls are our inner desires that are always subject to some kind of restrictions. Why are these restrictions necessary?

Answer: To guide us toward better development. After all, it is up to a person to determine how to use harmful egoistic qualities that are hard as thorns in him.

It is precisely because the rose grows between the thorns that we have the opportunity to correctly use the painful management that is directed as if against us, but only in order for us to be corrected and constantly correct ourselves in a good connection between us.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23

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Just as a rose has thirteen petals, the Assembly of Israel consists of thirteen qualities of Rachamim, surrounding it on all sides (Introduction of The Book of Zohar, “The Rose”).

An assembly of people who want to rise to the Creator in connection with each other reveals such possibilities of connection between them that raise them to the Creator. There are only 13 such opportunities.

This is a special number that indicates that people use all their opportunities to become similar to the Creator in good connection with each other.

By the way, in Judaism, the number 13 is considered lucky. This is the largest number of egoistic properties of a person that he can change from a negative use to a positive one.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23
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In the beginning, God created. “In the beginning” is the key, in which everything is hidden, and this is what closes and opens. (Introduction of The Book of Zohar, Chapter “Lock and Key”)

Question: In the article “Lock and Key” the word “In the beginning” (Beresheet) is constantly used. Why is it so important?

Answer: Beresheet includes the entire secret of concealment, and that is why it is so important. If we study the concealment and revelation of the Creator, then we examine everything around the word “Beresheet.” It is like a code with the help of which we enter into nature and reveal all its parts up to complete attainment.

Question: In principle, is the very word “Beresheet” (in the beginning) from which the Torah begins the key by which we reveal everything?

Answer: Yes, it is written so, “In the beginning, there was the word.”

Question: The article explains that Beresheet is Barah Sheet, that is, “created six.” What is the secret in this?

Answer: From the head part of this structure, which includes Keter, Hochma, and Bina, six parts are emanated: Hessed, Gevurah, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The last part, Malchut, is absolutely closed. Only if the previous six parts are correctly assembled, is Malchut revealed, from which a person can understand everything that exists before it, that is, the entire system of governance of the universe.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 5/21/23

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And the earth was empty and chaotic and the darkness over the face of the abyss, and the spirit of Elokim hovered over the face of the waters (Introduction of The Book of Zohar, “The Rose”).

The earth was empty and chaotic means that it has not yet begun to absorb into itself the quality of the Upper, the Creator. And the spirit of Elokim hovered over it; that is, it was getting closer to the earth and beginning to influence it from afar.

The earth (Eretz) is from the word “Ratzon,” desire. This is the general desire of a person.

The earth was empty means that the desire was not filled with the pleasures of bestowing to the Creator.

And the spirit of Elokim hovered over the water; that is, it has not yet begun to act in the depths of human souls.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 6/4/23

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Question: There are many interesting terms in the article “Lock and Key” from The Book of Zohar. It turns out that we have a lock, a key, and a gate. How do we work with these terms?

Answer: They are in our properties. If we get closer to each other, we will gradually approach the gate, find the lock, and even find out that we have the key to it. With the help of this key we will be able to open the lock, open the gate, and enter the halls of the Creator.

Comment: If I understand correctly, there are some secrets of the universe, and there are gates. First, I have to find the gate that symbolizes the transition from state to state. But there is a lock in the gate, some kind of a barrier, so that we cannot immediately reveal the property of bestowal.

My Response: We cannot reveal it all at once but only after six Sefirot. If the Creator were revealed to a person in his egoism, he would immediately run away from this because of his opposite properties.

And when he finds the key inside himself, he gradually opens the 49 locks of the gates (barriers), and approaching the 50^th gate, he understands that all life is in bestowal.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 5/21/23

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Question: In the article “Lock and Key” from the Introduction to The Book of Zohar it is written that countless treasures are hidden in the palaces. What are the palaces inside a person, and what are the treasures?

Answer: The palaces of the Creator are Kelim (Vessels), that is, great desires that can be revealed and filled with the upper light, with the upper treasures revealed in them, in these palaces. And they become like countless treasures.

However, we are not talking about treasures of our world where precious stones, gold, silver, and so on immediately come to mind. This means attainment, understanding, and mastery of all the secrets of nature.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction to The Book of Zohar” 5/21/23

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Question: The secret of the universe is that we would acquire the qualities of the Creator. He is pure bestowal without any thought of Himself. What is the secret here?

Answer: This is a secret because we do not have the quality of bestowal.

Question: But we are talking about it now, so it is no longer a secret. Everyone can read this.

Answer: Reading does not mean anything! You must feel this quality in you and with its help see the world! Then it will not be a secret anymore. So what if you just say that word?

Question: So the only secret is that one must become loving and bestowing like the Creator? Is that all?

Answer: It is Beresheet! It is “in the beginning”! Then everything is revealed further in order to come to equivalence of qualities with the Creator. That is, obtaining the qualities of the Creator is the means that in the future reveals His thought.
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From KabTV’s “Introduction of The Book of Zohar” 5/21/23

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