Presenting the Present

Korach's approach of creating disunity in order to advance his own political agenda is in contrast to the way we are supposed to act.

Rebbe Elazar was standing in the presence of his father Rebbe Shimon and asked him about the verse "See life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity…for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

This verse seems to advise a person to enjoy the physical pleasures of this life to the best of his ability!

He replied: Come and see. This verse contains a secret. A person should always include "life" [the intellectual sefirot of chochma and bina] with that place [malchut, also referred to as the "wife"]. One cannot move without the other.

In the same way as the decisions and thoughts of a person give life to his limbs, so in the spiritual realm Zeir Anpin needs Malchut in order to actualize the Higher Will.

A person should include the attribute of night with the attribute of day and the attribute of night within that of day.

"Day" is the light of Zeir Anpin, i.e. the emotions, such as kindness (chesed). These should be consciously brought into focus where there is a lack of love and a lack of consciousness, i.e. "darkness". See life with the wife whom you love…

This is what is meant by the words "See life [to draw down the abundance from Zeir Anpin] with the wife whom you love [Malchut]." [Through this you cause unity in the world.] And what is the reason for doing this? It is because she [Malchut] is your portion in life and life can only dwell there.

"And in your labor in which you labor under the sun" - this labor is like that mentioned in the verse "Know Him in everything you do and He will straighten your path for you." (Prov. 3:6)

The Ramak explains that this verse is an instruction to sanctify everything we do in life by intending to cause spiritual unity. Thus a person building a house should say that this house is like the Shechina and I build this house in order to adorn the Shechina with mitzvot like accepting guests and having children. This then is as though the higher spiritual man is becoming one with the Shechina. In the same way when a person buys earrings or a dress for his wife, he should intend to be decorating the Shechina. When a person acts in this way and has this meditative intention, then G-d will appear in his life and he will see the divine providence in all that surrounds him.

Zohar, parashat Korach, p.187b; translation and commentary by Simcha-Shmuel Treister

Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.