Picking Up The Thread

Good morning and Shabbat Shalom

I’m ready to pick up where I left off yesterday, finally. I have been struggling with my website layout for more than an hour already and it was frustrating. I managed to solve one problem, but a second one remains untouchable no matter what I have tried. I have been trying to follow the suggestions of Grok but it’s been more or less a disaster. I still can’t decide how much to write out of my journal entries each day and whether or not to continue with the videos. Writing is more time consuming. That’s one thing. I also miss the informality and naturalness of the video blog format. I wonder whether Elementor has a widgit for adding a video without having to subscribe to the pro version. I’ll have to check. For now, I’m going to write a little and continue with my videos because it feels hard to let them go.

Zohar for Us

שֶׁכָּתוּב, כִּי גָּבֹהַּ מֵעַל גָּבֹהַּ שֹׁמֵר וּגְבֹהִים עֲלֵיהֶם.
as it is written: “For the high one is watched over by a higher one, and there are higher ones over them.”וְכֵן בְּכָל כּוֹכָב וּמַזָּל.
And likewise in every star and constellation.כְּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּכָל מָשָׁלָה.
As it is written: “And His kingdom rules over all.”וְזֶהוּ וּבְיַד הַנְּבִיאִים אֲדַמֶּה.
And this is “And by the hand of the prophets I will be likened.”וּלְכָל אֶחָד נִדְמֶה כְּפִי כֹּחוֹ שֶׁהִיא נִשְׁמָתוֹ.
And to each one it appears according to his strength which is his soul.וְהָבֵן, אָמֵן בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ.
And understand: Amen with all his strength.יְהוָ”ה הוּא בְּכֶתֶר, שֶׁהָיָה קוֹדֵם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם,
YHVH is in Keter, which was before the world was created,הוּא וּשְׁמוֹ לְבַד בְּכֶתֶר.
He and His name alone in Keter.כְּשֶׁבָּרָא הָעוֹלָם בְּמִדַּת רֵאשִׁית יָרַד עָלָיו,
When He created the world with the attribute of “beginning” it descended upon him,וְלֹא הָיָה חָסֵר מִלְּמַעְלָה,
and nothing was lacking above,וְכֵן בְּכָל סְפִירָה, כְּמַדְלִיק נֵר מִנֵּר וְאֵינוֹ חָסֵר מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְלֹא מֵחֲבֶרְתָּהּ עַד אֵין סוֹף וְאֵין תַּכְלִית.
and so in every Sefirah — like one who lights a candle from a candle and nothing is lacking from the first nor from its companion up to Ein Sof and no end.וּמִי שֶׁמַּכִּיר אוֹתוֹ בְּזֹאת,
And whoever recognizes Him with Zot,כְּמוֹ שֶׁמַּכִּיר אוֹתוֹ בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים,
as he recognizes Him in the upper and lower realms,בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהִיא כְּלוּלָה מֵהָעֶלְיוֹנִים,
because she is included from the upper ones,וְהִיא יִחּוּד וְקֶשֶׁר כֻּלָּם,
and she is the unification and connection of all of them,וְהִיא מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים,
and she clothes herself in the lower ones,וְעַל זֶה אָמַר הַנָּבִיא אַל יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל, כִּי אִם בְּזֹאת.
and concerning this the prophet said: “Let not the one who glories glory, except in Zot.”הִיא נִקְרֵאת נְבוּאָה מִצַּד שֶׁל הַנְּבִיאִים.
She is called prophecy from the side of the prophets.חָכְמָה מִצַּד הַחֲכָמִים,

Wisdom from the side of the sages,שֶׁכָּל סְפִירוֹת נִקְרְאוּ חֲכָמִים.
for all the Sefirot are called sages.וּכ”חַ אוֹתִיּוֹת הֵן לְכָל מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית,
And twenty-eight letters are for every act of creation,וְכֻלָּן הֵן בֵּין לִכְתִיבָה בֵּין לְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה בַּיָּדַיִם.
and all of them are both for writing and for everything that is done with the hands.שֶׁמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל כ”חַ פְּרָקִים הֵם בְּעֶשֶׂר אֶצְבָּעוֹת.
For the action of twenty-eight joints is in the ten fingers.וְזֶה הוּא סוֹד מֵהַכֹּחַ אֶל הַפֹּעַל.
And this is the secret of “from potential to actual.”וְהַכֹּל בְּחָכְמָה.
And everything is with wisdom.וְסוֹד הַדָּבָר כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ.
And the secret of the matter: “All of them You made with wisdom.”יֵשׁ חָכְמָה מִצַּד הָאוֹתִיּוֹת.
There is wisdom from the side of the letters.וְיֵשׁ חָכְמָה מִצַּד הַנְּקֻדּוֹת.
And there is wisdom from the side of the points.שֶׁאוֹתִיּוֹת הֵן בַּת קוֹל.
For letters are a Bat Kol (heavenly voice).וּבָהֶן סוֹד הַדִּבּוּר לִדְרָשָׁה וּלְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁתָּלוּשׁ בִּדְרָשָׁה.
And in them is the secret of speech for homiletics and for everything that depends on homiletics.תַּגִּים הֵם לְמַחֲשָׁבָה.
Tagin are for thought.וְהֵם בְּסוֹד זֶה הַפָּסוּק וְלַחְשֹׁב מַחְשְׁבוֹת.
And they are in the secret of this verse: “And to think thoughts.”וְכֻלָּם תְּלוּיִים בַּשְּׁכִינָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה.
And all of them depend on the lower Shechinah.וְהִיא הַכְּלָל שֶׁל כֻּלָּם.
And she is the inclusion of all of them.וּבְסוֹד הָא’ תִּמְצָא טְעָמִים וּנְקֻדּוֹת וְאוֹתִיּוֹת.
And in the secret of Aleph you will find cantillation marks and points and letters.וְכָךְ בְּכָל אוֹת וְאוֹת.
And so in every letter and letter.וְסוֹד הַדָּבָר שׁ’ שְׁלוֹשָׁה תַּגִּים לְמַעְלָה כְּמוֹ מִינִים שֶׁל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה
And the secret of the matter: Shin — three tagin above like the kinds of a Torah scrollבּוֹ רְשׁוּמִים כְּתָרִים וּנְקֻדּוֹת וְאוֹתִיּוֹת, וְכָךְ בְּכָל אוֹת וְאוֹת.

in which crowns and points and letters are inscribed, and so in every letter and letter.שׁ שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל בִּינָה, שַׁבָּת הַקָּטָן מַלְכוּת.
Shin — the great Shabbat is Binah, the small Shabbat is Malchut.ב’ שְׁתֵּי זְרוֹעוֹת גְּדֻלָּה גְּבוּרָה.
Bet — the two arms: Gedullah (greatness) and Gevurah.ת’ תִּפְאֶרֶת, בּוֹ שְׁקוּלָה שַׁבָּת לְכָל הַתּוֹרָה.
Tav — Tiferet; in it Shabbat is equal to the entire Torah.שְׁלוֹשָׁה כְּתָרִים שֶׁל שׁ’ ג”ס עֶלְיוֹנוֹת.
Three crowns of Shin — the three upper Sefirot.וְכֻלָּם כְּלוּלִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה, שֶׁהִיא שְׁכִינָה עֶלְיוֹנָה.
And all of them are included in Teshuvah, which is the upper Shechinah.וְעָלֶיהָ נֶאֱמַר תְּפִלַּת כָּל פֶּה.
And concerning her it is said: “The prayer of every mouth.”וַהֲרֵי עַמּוּד הָאֶמְצָעִי נִקְרָא תְּפִלַּת כָּל פֶּה.
And behold the middle pillar is called “the prayer of every mouth.”אֶלָּא כֹּל הוּא ב”ן י”ה מִן בִּינָ”ה.
Rather Kol (all) is Ben Yod-Heh from Binah.וְהוּא עַמּוּד הָאֶמְצָעִי.
And it is the middle pillar.הוּא מְמוּצָּע בִּשְׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁהֵן יָה”ו שֶׁנִּכְלְלוּ בִּבִינָה.
It is the intermediary in three letters which are Yod-Heh-Vav that are included in Binah.וְהוּא מְמוּצָּע כְּגוּף בֵּין שְׁתֵּי זְרוֹעוֹת.
And it is intermediary like a body between two arms.וְהוּא אוֹת בְּצַדִּיק שֶׁהוּא כָּלוּל בְּאָ”ת.
And it is the letter in Yesod that is included in Aleph-Tav.שֶׁהִיא שְׁכִינָה תַּחְתּוֹנָה כְּלוּלָה מֵא’ וְעַד ת’.
Which is the lower Shechinah included from Aleph to Tav.וְהוּא כּוֹלֵל שָׁלוֹשׁ בְּרָכוֹת הַתְּפִלָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת וְשָׁלוֹשׁ אַחֲרוֹנוֹת.
And it includes the first three blessings of the prayer and the last three.וְהוּא כּוֹלֵל שְׁנֵי ו’ ו’ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם אֶל שְׁנֵי קְצוֹתָיו וְחֻבָּר.
And it includes two Vavs, as it is said concerning them: “To its two ends and it was joined.”שֶׁהֵם י”ב בְּרָכוֹת הַתְּפִלָּה.
Which are the twelve blessings of the prayer.שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ אֶמְצָעִיּוֹת.
That are called the middle ones.וְכָל ח”י הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁנִּכְלְלוּ בָּהּ.
And all the eighteen blessings that are included in her.שֶׁהֵן שָׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת ו’, שֶׁהוּא שְׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִים.
Which are three letters Vav, which are two faces.וְזֶה הוּא שִׁיעוּר קוֹמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקֶּרֶשׁ.
And this is the measure of stature, concerning which it is said: “Ten cubits the length of the board.”בְּמָה עוֹלֶה לְעֶשֶׂר, בְּאוֹת י’.

With what does it ascend to ten? With the letter Yod.קָם זָקֵן אֶחָד פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַדַּאי ה’ יֵשׁ בָּהּ שָׁלוֹשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת ו’, שֶׁהֵן ח”י בְּרָכוֹת.
An elder arose and opened and said: Certainly the Heh has in it three letters Vav, which are the eighteen blessings.כְּמוֹ זֶה ה’.
Like this Heh.שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם, בְּרָכוֹת לְרֹאשׁ צַדִּיק.
Concerning which it is said: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous.”מַהוּ רֹאשׁ צַדִּיק, זֶה עַמּוּד הָאֶמְצָעִי.
What is “the head of the righteous”? This is the middle pillar.שֶׁבּוֹ שׁוֹרִים ח”י בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁל ה’ עֶלְיוֹנָה,
In which dwell the eighteen blessings of the upper Heh,וּמִמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִים לְה’ קְטַנָּה עַל יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיק,
and from it they are drawn to the lower Heh by means of the righteous,וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה גּוּף וּבְרִית אָנוּ מַחְשִׁיבִים אֶחָד.
and therefore we consider body and covenant as one.ו’ שֶׁהוּא בְּאֶמְצַע ה’ ה’, הוּא שִׁיעוּר קוֹמָה וְהוּא אַמָּה.
Vav that is in the middle of Heh-Heh is the measure of stature and it is an amah (cubit).וְעוֹלֶה בְּאוֹת י’ לְעֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ הַקֶּרֶשׁ
And it ascends with the letter Yod to ten cubits, as it is said concerning it: “Ten cubits the length of the boardוְאַמָּה וָחֵצִי הָאַמָּה רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ הָאֶחָד,
and a cubit and a half the width of one board,”זֶה ו’ י’, שֶׁהוּא בְּסוֹד הַזַּיִן.
this is Vav-Yod, which is in the secret of Zayin.שֶׁכָּל תַּגִּים בּוֹ נִקְרָאִים.
For all tagin in it are called.שְׁתֵּי כְּתֵפוֹת חוֹבְרוֹת,
Two shoulders joined,זוֹ כָּתֵף עֶלְיוֹנָה וְכָתֵף תַּחְתּוֹנָה, שֶׁהֵן יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל,
this is the upper shoulder and the lower shoulder, which are right and left,וְהֵן ה’ ה’.
and they are Heh Heh.אֶל שְׁנֵי קְצוֹתָיו הֵן ו’ ו’,
“To its two ends” — they are Vav and Vav,וּבָהֶם נַעֲשָׂה ה’ ה’ בְּחִבּוּר.
and in them Heh Heh is made in joining.וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה אֶל שְׁנֵי קְצוֹתָיו וְחֻבָּר.
And therefore: “to its two ends and it was joined.”בְּכָל מָקוֹם אַמָּה הִיא ו’.
In every place an amah is Vav.וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הִיא בַּת שִׁשָּׁה טְפָחִים.
And therefore it is six handbreadths.וְחֵצִי הָאַמָּה זוֹ י’.
And half the cubit is Yod.שֶׁשְּׁנֵי אוֹתִיּוֹת י’ הֵן שִׁיעוּר הָאַמָּה.
For two letters Yod are the measure of the cubit.וְאוֹת י’ שִׁיעוּר שֶׁלָּהּ שְׁלוֹשָׁה טְפָחִים, וְזוֹ ג’.
And the letter Yod — its measure is three handbreadths, and this is Gimel.וְעֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת זֶה הוּא שִׁיעוּר גּוּף הָאָדָם,
And ten cubits — this is the measure of the body of man,