Observe that the moment the Sabbath begins and that blaze of fire is imprisoned, all fires of the harmful kind are similarly hidden away and supressed, including even the fire of Gehinnom, so that the sinners obtain a respite. Indeed, there is then a period of rest for all, both in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds. At the conclusion of the Sabbath, when Israel say the blessing over the light, all the fires that were hidden away re-emerge and return each to its place. Now it is in order to prevent any other fire being awakened that the injunction is given: “Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day”. But it may be asked, What about the fire on the altar?
The following is the explanation. Immediately on the entrance of the Sabbath, proclamation is made in all the heavens, saying: Make ready, O ye Chariot teams and legions, to meet your Master! Following this there comes forth out of the south a spirit that spreads itself over all those Chariot teams and legions of the side of the Right, who are wrapt with it as with a garment. That spirit is thus called ” the solemn robe of the Sabbath”. Then the tables of this world are prepared in a certain Palace. Happy is the portion of the man whose table here below appears there properly laid, everything prepared in the best manner, according to his means, so that he has no cause to feel ashamed.
When the Sabbath comes in it is incumbent on the holy people to wash away from themselves the marks of their weekday labour. For what reason? Because during the weekdays a different spirit roams about and hovers over the people, and it is in order to divest himself of that spirit and invest himself with another spirit, a spirit sublime and holy, that he must wash away the stains of the workaday world.
The inner meaning of this action is as follows. All the six days are concentrated within one sacred point, where they form a unity. There is another sextet of days that stand without and belong to the “other side”. Now, for holy Israel, for all those who lead a holy life during all the week, all the six days become as one with those six days that are within and that are concentrated into that central point wherein they are kept and guarded.
That point, again, is hidden during the six days, but at the entrance of the Sabbath it rises on high, where it is decorated and becomes unified with the whole cycle of days, all of whom become absorbed by it.
Observe this. There are days and days. There are common weekdays, as said already: these exist on the fringe, and for other nations, but there are the Sabbath1i.e. Sabbath as signifying, in an extensive sense, week, but, according to the Zohar, of a sanctified nature, partaking of the sanctity of the Sabbath. days, to wit, the weekdays as they exist for Israel. Now, when that point ascends, everything else is hidden away, it alone holding sway, and it assumes the name of Sabbath (SH a BB a TH).
That name, apart from its simple meaning of “rest”, has an esoteric significance associating that point with the Patriarchs. For the term SH a BB a TH is resolvable into the letter shin, betokening three,1To wit, by the three bars in its shape. and the term B a TH, signifying daughter, the whole indicating that the Sabbath-point, when it rises in its resplendence as an only and beloved daughter, joined to the three Patriarchs, who together with her form a complete unity. We have thus SH in (symbolic of the three Patriarchs), and B a TH (symbolic of the beloved daughter, the Sabbath-point), together forming a unity expressed in SH ab B a TH.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל שַׁבְּתָא, וְאִתְטָמַּר הַהוּא מָדּוּרָא, כָּל אֶשִּׁין דְּאֶשָּׁא קַשְׁיָא אִתְטְמָרוּ וְאִתְכַּפְיָין, וַאֲפִילּוּ אֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְחַיָּיבִין דְּגֵיהִנָּם, אִית לוֹן נַיְיחָא. וְכֹלָּא תַּתָּא וְעֵילָּא אִית לְהוּ נַיְיחָא. כַּד נָפַק שַׁבְּתָא, וּמְבָרְכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל נוּרָא, כְּדֵין נָפְקִין כָּל אֶשִּׁין דְּמִתְטַמְּרָן, כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וּבְגִין דְּלָא לְאִתְּעָרָא אֶשָּׁא אַחֲרָא, כְּתִיב (שמות ל״ה:ג׳) לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֶשָּׁא דְּמַדְבְּחָא אֲמַאי.
Observe that the moment the Sabbath begins and that blaze of fire is imprisoned, all fires of the harmful kind are similarly hidden away and supressed, including even the fire of Gehinnom, so that the sinners obtain a respite. Indeed, there is then a period of rest for all, both in the upper worlds and in the lower worlds. At the conclusion of the Sabbath, when Israel say the blessing over the light, all the fires that were hidden away re-emerge and return each to its place. Now it is in order to prevent any other fire being awakened that the injunction is given: “Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day”. But it may be asked, What about the fire on the altar?
אֶלָּא כַּד עָאל שַׁבְּתָא, כָּרוֹזָא קָרֵי בְּכוּלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין, אִתְתְּקָנוּ רְתִיכִין, אִתְתְּקָנוּ מַשִׁרְיָין, לְקַדְמוּת מָארֵיכוֹן. כְּדֵין נָפִיק חַד רוּחָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדָרוֹם, וְהַהוּא רוּחָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ עַל כָּל אִינּוּן חֵילִין וּמַשִׁרְיָין דְּלִסְטַר יְמִינָא, וְאִתְלַבְּשָׁן בֵּיהּ, וְהַהוּא רוּחָא אִקְרֵי לְבוּשָׁא דִּיקָר דְּשַׁבְּתָא. כְּדֵין פָּתוֹרֵי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִתְתַּקְּנָן בְּחַד הֵיכָלָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּסִדּוּרָא דְּפָתוֹרֵיהּ אִתְחָזֵי תַּמָּן כְּדְקָא יָאוּת, וְקַיְּימָא כֹּלָּא מִתְתַּקְּנָא, בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא, אִינִשׁ כְּפוּם חֵילֵיהּ.
The following is the explanation. Immediately on the entrance of the Sabbath, proclamation is made in all the heavens, saying: Make ready, O ye Chariot teams and legions, to meet your Master! Following this there comes forth out of the south a spirit that spreads itself over all those Chariot teams and legions of the side of the Right, who are wrapt with it as with a garment. That spirit is thus called ” the solemn robe of the Sabbath”. Then the tables of this world are prepared in a certain Palace. Happy is the portion of the man whose table here below appears there properly laid, everything prepared in the best manner, according to his means, so that he has no cause to feel ashamed.
כַּד עָאל שַׁבְּתָא, אִצְטְרִיכוּ אִינּוּן עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא לְאַסְחָאָה גַּרְמַיְיהוּ (קל"ו ע"ב) מִשִּׁמוּשָׁא דְּחוֹל, מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דִּבְחוֹל, רוּחָא אַחֲרָא אַזְלָא וְשַׁטְיָא וְשָׁרָא עַל עַמָּא. וְכַד בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְנָפְקָא מִן הַהוּא רוּחָא, וּלְאַעֲלָא בְּרוּחָא אַחֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, בָּעֵי לְאַסְחָאָה גַּרְמֵיהּ, לְמִשְׁרֵי עָלֵיהּ הַהוּא רוּחָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא.
When the Sabbath comes in it is incumbent on the holy people to wash away from themselves the marks of their weekday labour. For what reason? Because during the weekdays a different spirit roams about and hovers over the people, and it is in order to divest himself of that spirit and invest himself with another spirit, a spirit sublime and holy, that he must wash away the stains of the workaday world.
תָּא חֲזֵי רָזָא עִלָּאָה דְּמִלָּה, כָּל אִינּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין, (קימא מלה דכלא) אִתְאַחֲדָן בְּרָזָא דְּחָד נְקוּדָה קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ יוֹמִין אִתְאַחֲדָן בֵּיהּ. וְאִית יוֹמִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּקַיְימִין לְבַר בְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְאִית יוֹמִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּקַיְימִין לְגוֹ (הקדמה ה' ע"ב) מֵעִגּוּלָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְאַחֲדָן בִּנְקוּדָה קַדִּישָׁא.
The inner meaning of this action is as follows. All the six days are concentrated within one sacred point, where they form a unity. There is another sextet of days that stand without and belong to the “other side”. Now, for holy Israel, for all those who lead a holy life during all the week, all the six days become as one with those six days that are within and that are concentrated into that central point wherein they are kept and guarded.
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקִין בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, כָּל יוֹמָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, אִתְאַחֲדָן כָּל אִינּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין, בְּאִינּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין דִּלְגוֹ דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן בְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה, אִתְאַחֲדָן בְּהַאי, בְּגִין לְנַטְרָא לוֹן. וְכָל אִינּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין (ד"א ואינון שית יומין דלגו) דְּשַׁבְּתָא, הַהִיא נְקוּדָה טְמִירָא אִיהִי. כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל שַׁבְּתָא, כְּדֵין סַלְּקָא הַהִיא נְקוּדָה, וְאִתְעַטְּרָא וְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ טְמִירִין בְּגַוָּהּ.
That point, again, is hidden during the six days, but at the entrance of the Sabbath it rises on high, where it is decorated and becomes unified with the whole cycle of days, all of whom become absorbed by it.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִית יָמִים וְאִית יָמִים. יְמֵי חוֹל, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, וְאִלֵּין קַיְּימִין לְבַר לְעַמִּין. יְמֵי הַשַּׁבָּת, דְּאִינּוּן יְמֵי הַשָׁבוּעַ, קַיְּימִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכַד סַלְּקָא הַאי נְקוּדָה, כֹּלָּא אִתְגְּנִיז, וְאִיהִי סַלְּקָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיהִי סַלְּקָא, אִקְרֵי שַׁבָּת.
Observe this. There are days and days. There are common weekdays, as said already: these exist on the fringe, and for other nations, but there are the Sabbath1i.e. Sabbath as signifying, in an extensive sense, week, but, according to the Zohar, of a sanctified nature, partaking of the sanctity of the Sabbath. days, to wit, the weekdays as they exist for Israel. Now, when that point ascends, everything else is hidden away, it alone holding sway, and it assumes the name of Sabbath (SH a BB a TH).
מַהוּ שַׁבָּת. אִי תֵּימָא בְּגִין שְׁבִיתָה, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת, יָאוּת הוּא. אֲבָל רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, כֵּיוָן דְּסַלְּקָא הַאי נְקוּדָה, וּנְהוֹרָא נָהִיר, כְּדֵין מִתְעַטְּרָא אִיהִי בַּאֲבָהָן, כֵּיוָן דְּמִתְעַטְּרָא אִיהִי בַּאֲבָהָן, כְּדֵין אִתְחַבְּרַת וְאִתְאַחֲדַת בְּהוּ, לְמֶהוֵי חַד, וְאִקְרֵי כֹּלָּא שַׁבָּת. שַׁבָּת: ש' בַּת. ש' הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, רָזָא דִּתְלַת אֲבָהָן, דְּמִתְאַחֲדָן בְּבַת יְחִידָה, וְאִיהִי מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ חַד. וְדָא אִיהוּ ש' בַּת, לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד.
That name, apart from its simple meaning of “rest”, has an esoteric significance associating that point with the Patriarchs. For the term SH a BB a TH is resolvable into the letter shin, betokening three,1To wit, by the three bars in its shape. and the term B a TH, signifying daughter, the whole indicating that the Sabbath-point, when it rises in its resplendence as an only and beloved daughter, joined to the three Patriarchs, who together with her form a complete unity. We have thus SH in (symbolic of the three Patriarchs), and B a TH (symbolic of the beloved daughter, the Sabbath-point), together forming a unity expressed in SH ab B a TH.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, שַׁבָּת הַגָּדוֹל, וְאִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא, אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי שַׁבָּת. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, בְּכָל אֲתָר נְקוּדָה דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא דְּכָל עֵינָא, אִקְרֵי בַּת. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים י״ז:ח׳) שָׁמְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁוֹן בַּת עָיִן, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי (נקודה) עִקָּרָא דְּכָל עֵינָא, אִקְרֵי בַּת.
(There is also a higher Sabbath similarly made up of the Future World (Binah) and the Central Point, which is also called bath.)
עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, אִיהוּ (ק"פ ע"א) הֵיכָלָא לְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה, וְכַד אִיהִי קַיְּימָא, וְנַטְלָא בְּגַדְפָּהָא לַאֲבָהָן, לְאִתְעַטְּרָא לְעֵילָּא אִקְרֵי כֹּלָּא שַׁבָּת. וְכַד אֲבָהָן מִתְעַטְּרָן לְעֵילָּא, בְּגוֹ נְקוּדָה עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי שַׁבָּת. נְקוּדָה תַּתָּאָה (ע' ע"ב) כַּד מִתְעַטְּרָא בַּאֲבָהָן אִקְרֵי שַׁבָּת.
When that lower Sabbath-point ascends, comes into view and bedecks itself, a spirit of rejoicing is suffused through the upper and the lower worlds.