Mezuzah as protection

Hi,

"Rabbi Abba said: How many holy forces are prepared [to provide protection] when a person places a mezuzah on his gate! They all announce, 'This is the gate of Gd, etc.'

"The share of Israel is meritorious, and thus the Jews are known as the children of the Holy King, for all of them bear His sign…they are marked in their homes with the mezuzah at the entrance."

(Zohar, Vaetchanan pg. 266a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

G-d weighs our speech

Hi,

"Every word of prayer that a person produces from his mouth ascends upward and pierces heavens and enters the place above. There it is evaluated as to whether it is good or not; if it is good then it ascends before the Holy King, to do its will. If not, it is moved outside…"

(Zohar, Metzora pg. 55a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The importance of speech

Hi,

"Even the breath of the mouth has a place and position, and Gd does with it what He does. Even a person’s word, even a person’s voice is not for nothing; all have a place and position."

(Zohar, Mishpatim pg. 100b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

An ancient Messianic prediction

Hi,

1648 was an awful year for Jewry; what do we make of this prediction?

"Leviticus 25:13 says, "In this (הזאת) Jubilee year, each will return to his lot." When הזאת is complete, which is 5408 (1648), then each will return to his lot, to his soul which is his lot and his portion."

(Zohar, Midrash haNe'elam I Toldot pg. 139a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Which body comes back in Techiyat haMeitim?

Hi,

"The last body in which the soul was planted, and in which it grew successfully and developed good roots, will rise up at that time."

(Zohar, Bereishit pg. 131a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The soul's existence before it enters this world

Hi,

"All of the souls which have existed since Creation, all stand before Gd until they descend to this world. In exactly the form they will manifest in that world, and in that physical appearance in which they will stand in that world, they stand above. When a soul is summoned to descend to the world, that soul, in that form in which it stands in this world, stands before Gd, and Gd makes it swear that it will guard the mitzvot of the Torah and not violate its laws."

(Zohar I pg. 233b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The identity of the Yonah

Hi,

"Yonah, who descends into the boat, is the soul of a person which descends to this world to live in the body of a person. Why is it called a “Yonah”? Because once it partners with a body like this, it suffers (yonah) in this world, as it is said, “And you shall not cause one another to suffer (tonu).”"

(Zohar, Shemot 199a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Be a donkey!

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: Yissachar is called a donkey?! If it's because he works in Torah, we should call him a horse, a lion or a leopard! Why is he a donkey?

"They said: It's because a donkey carries a burden and does not kick its master, as other animals do. It possesses no arrogance, and it is not concerned about sleeping in a prepared area."

(Zohar, Bereishit 681)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The shelter of the Divine Succah

Hi,

"It is written, “Any ezrach in Yisrael shall dwell in succot.” Anyone who is of the sacred Jewish root and stem shall dwell in succot, beneath the shade of Hashem."

(Zohar to Parshat Emor)

Chag sameach,
Mordechai

Silent prayer is more acceptable?

Hi,

"One who prays and rises before his Master should not make his voice heard in his prayer. One who makes his voice heard will not have his prayers heard. Why? Because true prayer is not the voice that is heard...

"Therefore, one should not make his prayer audible; rather, he should pray silently, with the voice that is not heard, and that is the prayer that will always be accepted."

(Zohar Bereishit pg. 209b)

May we be inscribed and sealed for a great new year,
Mordechai

Praying: Silent, Loud and in Tears

Hi,

Commenting on Tehillim 39:13, "Hear my prayer, Gd; lend an ear to my wailing. To my tears be not silent..."

"'Hear my prayer, Gd' - This refers to silent prayer.

"'Lend an ear to my wailing' - This refers to prayer in which one raises his voice in his trouble, like Shemot 2:23, 'And their wailing arose to Gd.' What is their wailing? In one's prayer, one raises his voice and turns his eyes above, as in Yeshayah 22:5, 'And wailing to the mountains.'

"And this prayer, 'To my tears be not silent,' ascends before the King and no gate can stand in its way, and tears are never returned empty.'"

(Zohar Bereishit pg. 132a)

May we be inscribed and sealed for a great year,
Mordechai

Inviting in the Ushpizin

Hi,

"one must rejoice each day with a shining countenance with these guests who dwell with him.

"And Rabbi Abba said: Initially it is written, 'You shall sit in succot seven days,' and then, 'they shall sit in succot.' In the beginning you shall sit and then they shall sit? Rather, first is for guests [the ushpizin] and then second for people of this world, as when Rav Hemnuna the Elder entered the succah: He rejoiced and stood at the entrance to the succah, outside, and said, 'Let us invite the guests!'"

(Zohar to Emor 103b-104a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of speech

Hi,

On the power of speech:

"Every word that a person produces from his mouth ascends upward, pierces heavens and enters a space higher still."

(Zohar, Parshat Metzora pg. 55a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The connection between Gd, Torah and human being

Hi,

"When a person is distant from Torah, he is distant from Gd. When a person brings himself close to Torah, Gd brings that person close to Him."

(Zohar Vayyikra 21:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Becoming a home for the Shechinah

Hi,

"Since the time of the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the children from their Father’s table, the Shechinah wanders, as it were, and cannot find rest, and the only thing that remains is the Torah.

"When the Jews, holy nation, speak appropriate words of Torah, then they become a mini-Temple for the Shechinah…as it is written, ‘From the day when the Temple was destroyed, Gd has nothing in His world other than the four cubits of Jewish law.’"

(R' Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh haChaim 4:34, citing the Zohar)

Have a great day,
Mordechai