From: levene@aplpy.jhuapl.edu (Robert A. Levene)
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Out of context Zohar passage clarified
Date: 5 Oct 1992 07:47:04 -0500
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

A friend of mine wishes to submit the following:

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Carlson's citation of the Zohar (if indeed Carlson is its author) is a
gross mistranslation.  At best it shows a complete lack of
understanding of the passage's plain meaning, intention, and context.
The plain meaning is changed to the point of fabrication.  The context
is absolutely ignored -- the context being the manifestation of the
Unity into creation via various spiritual aspects referred to via
names of human roles -- e.g., Atikah Kadisha (the Holy Elder),
Khochmah (Wisdom/Father), Binah (Understanding/Mother), Ze'er Anpin
(Microprospus/Son, and Malchut (the Shekhina/Daughter).  In addition,
Carlson conveniently (for Christian theology) ignores the Zohar's
references to the female aspects; neglects the fourth part of the
passage to make it seem as if it refers to a trinity of personages
instead of the four it plainly addresses; and adds a reference to the
Messiah completely lacking in the original.  It could easily be
understood as an effort to deceive and/or mislead.

Here is a correct translation of Siman Nun Tet of the Zohar on Parshat
V'Etkhanan.  The sections in brackets supply the context:

     [The first] YHV"H: the head of all, the one who receives the 
     beneficence of Atikah Kadisha (the "Holy Elder"), and this 
     is called Av ["Father," which is the aspect called      
     Khochmah/Wisdom].

     Elokainu: the depth of the rivers and passages [through      
     which the beneficence is distributed to all.  This is the 
     aspect of Binah/Understanding, called Imah/Mother].

     [The second] YHV"H: the trunk of the tree, which is the 
     sum total of the roots [this is Ze'er Anpin/Son, who 
     unites Khochmah and Binah (Father and Mother) 

     One: Knesset Yisrael [the totality of Jewish souls, which is      
     the Daughter/Shekhinah] and all [of the above named aspects] 
     are One [all are manifestations of the Unity], and connected      
     each to the other with no separation between them; all are 
     One.

The Zohar continues its commentary on the Sh'ma in the next 
section (siman samech of V'Etkhanan) saying:

     Rabbi Yitzchak taught: this holy spiritual Merkavah 
     [vehicle, the four aspects described in siman nun tet] are 
     the four compartments of the Tefillin [on the head] that 
     Ze'er Anpin dons, as we learned.  Comprising another holy 
     merkavah are the four excerpts in one house [the Tefillin on 
     the arm -- referring to the lower four sephirot] that      
     Malchut [the Shekhinah] dons, as we detailed.
     
Clearly the preceding paragraph that Carlson so badly mangles has
nothing at all to do with the Christian concept of the trinity, nor
with their (erroneous) concept of the Messiah.  This is again
explicitly confirmed in the very next section of the Zohar (siman
samech alef, part of the Reiah Mehemnutah) which says:

     "This mitzvah [saying the Sh'ma] is to proclaim the Unity of 
     G-d's Name each and every day, because as we proclaim it's 
     Unity here below, it is proclaimed above in the same manner.  
     And so G-d is a Unity above and below. ..."

Obviously there is no reference to (ch"v) a trinity -- rather the 
opposite is found: an affirmation of Unity.  Nor is there any 
mention of the Messiah.  


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