All Prayer Texts

Jewish Mysticism
Moses Hayyim Luzzatto,’Adir ba-Marom, p. 215

The secret of worship (‘avodah) is to rectify Malkhut, to bring [her] close to the king, and the secret of the matter is “a king is enslaved to the land” (Eccles. 5-8), and this is the secret of “And the Lord God fashioned the rib that He had taken [from the man into a woman]” (Gen. 2-22). Understand this matter well for this is in truth the entire secret of worship. The Nuqba’ must be constructed from ’Abba’ and ’Imma so that she would be worthy to come to Ze‘eir ’Anpin, to unite with him. Her unification with him is the secret of unity (sod ha-yihud), for then the four letters of the Tetragrammaton are bound together in one unit… and this is the secret of the providence and the governance of all the worlds.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in “Tiqqun ha-Shekhinah- Redemption and the Overcoming of Gender Dimorphism in the Messianic Kabbalah of Moses Hayyim Luzzatto,” History of Religions 36 (1997) 289-332.

Isaac the Blind, Cited by Ezra ben Solomon of Gerona in his Commentary on Canticles, in Kitve Ramban, 2- 522

The Pious one, our teacher, blessed be his memory said- The essence of the worship of the enlightened (maskilim) and those who meditate on His name (hoshve shemo) is “and cleave to Him” (Deut. 13-5). This is a cardinal principal in the Torah with respect to prayer and blessings, that one must harmonize one’s thought and one’s faith as if it cleaved above, to unify the name in its letters and to comprise within it the ten emanations (sefirot) like a flame bound to the coal. With his mouth he mentions it according to is appellation [Adonai], but in his heart he unites it in accordance with its structure and how it is written [YHWH].

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Anonymous text that reflects as well the Provençal-Geronese tradition, 13th century. MS Berlin Or. Qu. 833, fol. 98a, cited in Scholem, “The Concept of Kavvanah,” p. 178, n. 38

The righteous, pious, and men of action [mentally] concentrate (mitboded) and unify the great name, blessed be He [YHWH], and stir the fire on the pyre of the hearth chamber in their hearts. Then from the pure thought all the sefirot are unified and bound one to the other, until they are drawn up to the fount of the flame whose sublimity has no end.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Ezra ben Solomon of Gerona, 13th century, Kitve Ramban 2-521

“I the Lord am your God,” for knowledge is the foundation and root of everything. Concerning this the rabbis, blessed be their memory, said, “Whoever has knowledge it is as if the Temple were built in his life.” The meaning of this is that such a person knows how to unify the Unique Name [shem ha-meyuhad, the Tetragrammaton] and it is as if he builds the palace above and below… If there is no knowledge no worship is possible, whether the worship of sacrifices or that of prayer… The Pious one [i.e., R. Isaac the Blind] said to his disciples, when you pray know before whom you stand, thus it says, “Know the God of your father, and serve Him” (1 Chron. 28-9), after the knowledge the labor of service should be in his bosom. “Who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” there is an allusion here to the fact that every person is obligated to unify His name, for that redemption was not by means of an intermediary, an angel or a seraph, but rather the Holy One, blessed be He, in His essence and glory went forth. Therefore a person must know how to unify the name, He is one and not two… and he must unify Him in the ten sefirot in the Infinite.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Azriel of Gerona, cited from Scholem, “The Concept of Kavvanah,” pp. 172-173, with some slight modifications.

Whoever fixes a thing in his mind with complete firmness, that thing becomes for him the principal thing. Thus, when you pray and recite benedictions, or (otherwise) wish to direct the intention to something in a true manner, then imagine (dimmah) that you are light and all about you is light, from every direction and every side, and in midst of the light a stream of light, and upon it a brilliant light, and opposite it a throne and upon it a good light… Turn to the right and you will find pure light, to the left and you will find an aura which is the radiant light, between them and above the light of glory, and around it the light of life. Above it is the crown of light that crowns the objects of thoughts, illumines the paths of ideas, and brightens the splendor of visions. This illumination is inexhaustible and unending, and out of its perfect glory come grace and blessing, peace and life for those who keep the path of its unity.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Eleazar of Worms , Sha‘ar ha-Sod, p. 155

In the place that He makes His glory appear there He desires the intention of the one who prays; thus one must set a fixed place for one’s prayers. When a person worships in the place where His glory is, and the Creator is in His glory and governs it according to His will to inform the prophet of the will of the Creator, and he worships it, he believes in the Creator… Within the image (dimyon) is the Creator who governs it. “They saw the God of Israel” (Exod. 24-10) and worshipped Him, the Creator within the image, “and through the prophets I was imaged” (Hosea 12-11).

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Eleazar of Worms, Hilkhot ha-Kavod, MS Oxford-Bodleian 2575, fol. 3a

Since it is written ‘For I fill both heaven and earth’ (Jer. 23-24), why does one need to pray in a Synagogue or in the Temple? Yet, there is a place in which the Holy One, blessed be He, shows the created glory to the prophet according to the need of the hour. One might ask- how can one bow down to something created? And consider these verses- It is written, ‘For I granted many visions, and through the prophets was imaged’ (Hosea 12-11). How could it be said, ‘Yet my own eyes have beheld the King Lord of Hosts’ (Isa. 6-5) when it is written ‘no man shall see Me and live’ (Exod. 33-20)? Rather the [vision] is nothing but a wonderful image (dimyon) and it appears as if he actually saw but it is nothing but a strong image. It is written, ‘upon this semblance of a throne there was the semblance of a human form’ (Ezek. 1-26); so too here [in the case of Isaiah] it is only an image.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Eleazar of Worms, Sefer Razi’el (Amsterdam, 1701), 8d

When a person prays he should direct his heart [with proper intention] as it says ‘I have placed the Lord before me always’ (Ps. 16-8). Therefore they established [in the formulation of blessings] ‘Blessed are You, Lord,’ like a person speaking to his friend.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Anonymous text from the German Pietists, MS JTSA Mic. 1878, fol. 108b

The essence of intention is in the first three blessings [of the eighteen benedictions] for they are the praise of the Creator, blessed be He. When a person says, “Blessed are You, Lord,” he should not think about the glory seen by the prophets as it appears on the throne, but rather about the Lord who is God in the heavens above, without limit, whose place is hidden and concealed. For with respect to the visible glory (ha-kavod ha-nir’eh) the throne of glory is created to indicate to the prophets that there is a God. But with respect to Him there is no sitting and no image at all. It seems to me that one should also not pray to the hiding-place of his glory (hevyon ‘oz), but rather to the great light (ha-’or ha-gadol), concerning which it is written, “for no man shall see Me and live” (Exod. 33-20), and within it are comprised the glory and strength, “God is the Lord,” blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Eleazar of Worms, Sode Razayya, p. 37

The Creator is actually close to you, i.e., He fills everything and nothing is hidden from Him. It is written, “for God is in heaven” (Eccles. 5-1), for the essence of His glory is seen above… Thus the sages said in Yevamot, “the one who prays should cast his eyes downward and his heart upward.” The Creator is next to him, but His glory is above, alongside the high and exalted throne.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Sefer Hasidim, § 1585, p. 387

When a person prays the Shekhinah is facing him, as it says, “I constantly place the Lord before me” (Ps. 16-8). Even though it says “the Lord before me,” he should only cast his intention above to the heavens. Since he does not know where the Temple is he should think in his heart during his prayer as if the glory were facing him within four cubits, and its height is above heavenward… Similarly, the one who reads the Torah on the seventh, second or fifth day, when he reaches a name [of God], if he can have the intention he should [cast his] intention toward Him. The one who sits in the east should consider in his heart as if the Shekhinah were facing west and his face is opposite him… The one who passes before the Ark (ha-‘over lifne ha-teivah, i.e., the one who leads the public prayers)… should intend in his heart as if the Shekhinah in heaven corresponds to the Ark… When [the cantor] says [the qaddish] yitgaddal [we-yitqaddash shemeih rabba’, “magnified and sanctified be His great name”], they should turn toward the Torah scroll, and if he is worthy, he should take hold of the Torah, and the people should intend their heart toward the Torah. Therefore, [the congregation should] say, “Exalt [the Lord our God] and bow down to His footstool” (Ps. 99-5), for the Torah is His footstool. [The expression] hadom raglav [His footstool] is written five times in Scripture corresponding to the Torah scroll which comprises the Pentateuch, and the two staves in the Torah scroll correspond to “His legs are like marble pillars” (Cant. 5-15).

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Eleazar of Worms, Sefer ha-Roqeah, p. 208.

When the Torah scroll is returned to its place [in the Ark], and when one bows down to it, the verse “Exalt the Lord our God [and bow down to His footstool]” (Ps. 99-5) is said. In the blessings of the Torah as well we bow down to the glory of the Torah. When we return [the Torah] “Let them praise [the name of the Lord, for His name alone is sublime; His splendor covers heaven and earth]” (ibid. 148-13) is said, to indicate that one does not bow down because of the divinity that is in the Torah (’elohut she-ba-torah), but rather he bows down to the Holy One, blessed be He, for His Presence rests upon it [the Torah], and not because it too is a god, for “His name alone is sublime.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Sefer Hasidim § 637

There is no throne without the Torah, and this is [the import of the poem] “At the time before creation He established the Torah and the throne.” Therefore the Torah is read on Sabbath. And there occurs seven times in Scripture [the expression] “enthroned on the cherubim” (yoshev ha-keruvim). Therefore, [on Sabbath] seven [sections in the Torah] are read, and it is as if the Shekhinah were placed on the throne of the cherubim.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Zohar 2-129a

It is necessary to fall on one’s face [during the prayer of supplication]. What is the reason? For at that moment it is the time of sexual union, and every person must be ashamed before his Master and cover his face with great shame, and contain his soul in that union of souls.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Anonymous 13th century kabbalistic text, MS Florence 44.13, fol. 23a

A person closes his eyes and places his hands over them, and appears as someone who has died, i.e., he is like someone without hands, eyes, or feet, and all of his actions are abandoned for the Lord… There is another hidden secret- at the moment one prays [the prayer of the eighteen benedictions] in his worship he intends the true unity, and the action that a person does below causes an act above, resulting in the copulation and union above. A person must hide out of shame for his Master and close his eyes in order not to look at the moment of copulation. Even though it is impossible to see above, “for no man shall see Me and live” (Exod. 33-20), nevertheless the knowledge of the sages constitutes their vision. On account of this they said that it is forbidden to look at the fingers of the priests when they spread out their hands, for the Presence rests on their hands at that moment, and it is forbidden to look at the Presence. Even though it is impossible to see, as we said, he must hide eyes.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in Through a Speculum that Shines- Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, Princeton- Princeton University Press, 1994.

Zohar 1-65a

The mystery of the sacrificial offering, when it ascends, [is that] all [the sefirot] are bound together and illuminate one another. Then they all subsist in ascension, and thought is crowned in ein sof.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 3-11b

These ten names by which the Holy One, blessed be He, is called are connected this in that in a complete unity. And they are holy crowns of the King by which He is known, and they are His name, and He is they. And when they are all connected as one on the scent of the incense, then the incense (ketoret) is called the bond (kishura) that binds as one. Meritorious is the lot of the righteous who know the paths of the Torah and know how to declare the Glory of their Master. Of them it is written, “and they shall come and see my glory” (Isaiah 66-18).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Joseph Gikatilla, Sha’arei Orah, Vol. 1, p. 167

Consider and know how deep the power of prayer is, and from which place it begins and to which it emanates forth as a chain. By means of prayer, properly performed, all of the sefirot are united, and the overflow pours forth from above to below, and the upper and lower entities are blessed by he who prays.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Moses de Leon, The Book of the Pomegranate, p. 111

When a man endeavors below to arrange his worship and perform the commandments, [he] sustains the worlds and stands them in their order.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-201a

The prayer of man is a labor of the spirit, and it subsists in the supernal mysteries, and people do not know that the prayer of man punctures auras, punctures firmaments, opens gates and ascends above.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 1-15a

Concealed with all concealment of the secret of ein sof, His light broke and did not break through its aura. It was not known at all until, from within the force of its bursting through, there shone forth a single concealed supernal point.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Joseph Gikatilla, Sha’arei Orah, Vol. 1, p. 164

[During prayer] it is appropriate [for a man] to ascend his intention above, above, within the world to come [i.e. bina] until the place of keter, which is eheyeh, which is ein sof.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 1-65a

Come and see. Everything is made in the mystery of faith, to be sustained this in that, and to ascend above to where it is necessary, to ein sof. Rabbi Shimon said, I raise my hands above in prayer, for when desire enters above, above, it exists on that desire that is not known, and is not grasped at all, ever; the most concealed head above. And that head brings forth that which it brings forth, and it is not known, and it enlightens what it enlightens, all in concealment. The desire of supernal thought is to pursue after it and to be enlightened from it. One curtain is spread, and from within that curtain, in the pursuit of that supernal thought, it reaches and does not reach that curtain, enlightening that which it enlightens, and thus, it is the supernal thought, shining with concealed brightness that is not known, and that thought does not know. And thus, it strikes the brightness of the thought that is not known, in the brightness of the curtain that endures, shining from the brightness that does not know and is not known and is not revealed. Thus, this brightness of thought that is not known strikes the brightness of the curtain, and they shine as one, and they create nine courtyards. And the courtyards are not lights and they are not spirits and they are not souls and there is none who can withstand them. The desire of all nine enduring lights which all exist in thought, which is one of them, all pursue after it, when they exist in thought, and they do not cleave and they are not known, they do not exist in desire, and not in supernal thought; they grasp it and do not grasp. In these exist all of the mysteries of faith, and all of these lights shine from the mystery of supernal faith downward, all of them are called ein sof. The lights reach until here, and they do not reach and they are not known. Here there is no desire and no thought. Thought shines and it is not known from where it shines. Thus, it garbs itself and is concealed within binah, and it shines to that which it shines, and this enters into that until everything is combined as one. And in the mystery of the sacrifice, when everything ascends, it is bound this in that, and it shines this in that, and thus, everything exists in ascension, and thought is crowned in ein sof. That light that shines from supernal thought that is not known at all is called ein sof, and from it is found and exists and shines to that which it shines, and upon this everything exists. Meritorious is the lot of the righteous in this world and in the world to come.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-215b

Prayer is the adornment of adornments that are adorned as one, and they are four. The first adornment is the adornment of oneself to be perfected. The second adornment is the adornment of this world. The third adornment is the adornment of the world above with all of its heavenly hosts. The fourth adornment is the holy name, in the mystery of the holy chariots, and in the mystery of all the worlds above and below.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-238b

Come and see. The community of Israel needs to ascend above and cleave within the sun. He opened and said, “this is the teaching of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering…” (Lev. 6-2). Rabbi Shimon said, it is written, “man and beast you shall redeem” (Ps. 36-8). The burnt offering ascends, and the connection of the community of Israel above and its cleaving is within the world to come, so that everything will be one. The burnt offering is called the Holy of Holies, and because of this it is called a burnt offering that ascends and is crowned so that everything will be one in one connection in joy. And since it ascends above, above, it is written, “this is the teaching of the burnt offering [or alternately, that which ascends],” mystery of male and female as one, the oral Torah and the Written Torah, the offering that ascends into the world to come to be connected within that which is called the Holy of Holies, Truly! And the burnt offering is also the Holy of Holies.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Moses de Leon, Seder Gan Eden, p. 137

[On the Sabbath eve, the souls of the righteous ascend to the supernal garden of Eden,] and there in the firmament of ‘aravot stands Michael the great prince, and there is an altar before him, and all of the souls of the righteous are offered on that altar, and then, by the sign of the perfumed scent that their actions created in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, returns his spirit to Him, because by the spirit that goes forth [i.e. the exhalation] they come into this world, and that spirit goes back and returns him to Him, and because of this, men return to their first cause.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-213b

Meritorious is the lot of one who has entered and exited, and knows how to gaze into the mysteries of his master and to cleave to Him. With these mysteries a man can cleave to his master and know the entirety of Wisdom in the upper mystery. When he worships his Master in prayer and desire and intention of the heart, his desire cleaves like a flame to a coal, to unite the lower firmaments of the side of holiness, to crown them in one lower name, and from there and beyond to unite the upper, inner firmaments so that everything will be one in that upper firmament that stands upon it. And while his mouth and lips whisper, his heart intends and his desire ascends above, above, to unite everything in the mystery of mysteries, for there come to rest all desires and thoughts in the mystery that exists in ein sof, and to intend in this in each and every prayer, each and every day, to crown all of his days in the mystery of the supernal days. At night, he should pour forth his desire, and he will pass from this world, and his soul will leave him and return to the master of all.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Moses de Leon, The Book of the Pomegranate, p. 171.

Because man is encompassed by all spiritual things, and there is within him the image of all worlds and things revealed and concealed, thus, because it is from the root of thought that is in man that all things emanate forth as a chain and they go forth in their order in a supernal fashion, when he reaches the secret of the concealed and hidden things, it is important to look into and have intention in them, in his heart and spirit, in the bond of his soul and thoughts, like a flame bound to a coal.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Moses de Leon, The Book of the Pomegranate, p. 225.

For a man who loves his creator, when he arrives as the recitation of the shema, in the verse, “and you shall love,” he should intend his mind and thoughts to the love of his creator as though he is giving his soul to Him in love and with a perfect heart, and he should receive death upon himself. It is an obligation for every man to resolve upon this every day.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 3-120b-121a

Come and see. Once a man performs his worship in this manner, in performance and utterance, and he connects the connection of unification, it is by his actions that the upper and lower entities are blessed. Thus, a man must regard himself after he completes the amida prayer as though he has died from the world, for he is separated from the tree of life, and he gathers his legs into the tree of death, which repays him his charge, as it is said, “and he [Jacob] gathered his feet into the bed [and died]” (Gen. 49-33), for he declared his sins and prayed over them. Now, it is necessary to be gathered unto that tree of death and to bow down and say to it, “To you, God, I offer my breath” (Ps. 25-1). At the beginning, it was given to you as a charge. Now you have bound unification, and performed the performance and utterance as it appropriate, and I will declare my sins. Thus, “I have imparted my breath to you,” truly! And a man regards himself as though he has passed from the world, for his breath is imparted to that place of death, and because of this, it [i.e. Ps. 25-1] does not contain the letter vav, for the letter vav is of the Tree of Life, and this is the tree of death… And thus, he gives himself to death, truly, and imparts his breath to this place. This is not a trust [of the soul] as at night, but rather like one who has truly departed from the world. This adornment requires the intention of the heart, and then, the Holy One, Blessed be He, has mercy on him and forgives and absolves his transgressions. Meritorious is the man who knows how to worship his Master with desire and intention of the heart.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Joseph Gikatilla, Sha’arei Orah, Vol. 2, pp. 90-91

[Prayer] rises from sefirah to sefirah until it arrives at desire [ratzon], which cleaves in keter… and when the prayer arrives at the place of desire, all of the gates above and below are opened before him, and there is no impediment or obstacle to his entreaty, for he is in the world of mercy… and he is able to perform signs and wonders, because it is as though at that moment the world was created… and thus you can understand the secret of the prayer of the righteous who prayed and derived all of their needs by means of miracles and wonders, because they entered into the world of mercy in their prayer, which is the place from which the world is renewed.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-200b-201a

And moreover, it should be his desire that the lower entities should be blessed from these blessings of concealed delight. Thus, he must fall on his face and deliver his breath at that time that is the gathering of breaths and spirits. Thus, it is the time to deliver his breath within those breaths that are gathered, for then [he is in] the bundle of life, as is appropriate. We heard this word in the mysteries of the Holy Flame [Rashbi] and I have not been given permission to reveal it except to you supernal righteous ones. For if at that time that souls and spirits are gathered in the desire of one cleaving, he should pour his heart and desire into this and give over his breath in the cleaving of that desire to be encompassed it in that cleaving. If it is received at that time, in that desire of these breaths and spirits and souls that are gathered, such a man is bundled in the bundle of life in this world and in the world to come. Moreover, when the king and queen desire to be encompassed from all sides, from above and from below, and to be crowned in souls on all sides, [they are] crowned in souls from above and [they are] crowned in souls from below. And if a man directs his heart and his desire to all of this, and he delivers his breath from below in the cleaving of breath, as it has been said, then the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him ‘peace below,’ in the manner of that peace above. And one who blessed the queen and encompasses her and crowns her in all crowns, so too, the Holy One, blessed be He calls such a man ‘peace below,’ as it is said “and God called him peace” (Judges 10-24). And all of his days they will thus call him “peace above,” in order that he will be encompassed and crowned in the Queen below, in the manner of the peace above. And when that man ascends from this world, his soul ascends and punctures in all of these firmaments, and there is none who can stay his hand. And the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him and says “He shall enter in peace” (Isaiah 57-2), and the shekhinah says “those who rest in their graves…” And the thirteen gates of pure balsam are opened for him, and there will be none who can stay his hand. Because of this, meritorious is the one who pours forth his heart and desire for this, and of this it is written, “each who is willing in his heart, let him bring an offering to God” (Ex. 35-5), to the supernal king, as it is said.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-216a-b

One who prays from love cleaves to a supernal place above and cleaves in the holiness of the world to come, since such a one ascends to be crowned and to cleave in the right side. And if you argue that worship is from the side of fear, such is not worship, it is a valuable worship, but it does not ascend to cleave above. And when [one] worships from love, he ascends and is crowned above, and cleaves to the world to come, and this is a man who is worthy of the world to come. Meritorious is his lot, for he rules over the place of fear, and there is none who rules over the gradation of fear other than love, the mystery of the right, the mystery of the union that is required of the one who is worthy of the world to come, to unite the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to unite the limbs and gradations above and below, and to encompass everything and to ascend everything to the place that is required to bind bonds… And afterwards, when this is encompassed in that in one combination, then it is necessary to unite limbs and to combine two Tabernacles as one in all limbs, in the desire of the heart, to ascend in the cleaving of ein sof, and to cleave all there to make one desire above and below. The mystery of this is ‘will be’ (yihiyeh), as it is said, “God will be one” (Zechariah 14-9), in the mystery of “will be.” Yod to unite and cleave in heh, which is the inner courtyard of the concealed place of this supernal point which is yod. And this is the mystery of “God (YHWH) our Lord,” these two letters, yod heh, to encompass all limbs in that place where they came from, which is the inner courtyard, to return things to their place, root, foundation and source, to that place of the source of the covenant. And after these, two other letters come to unite and cleave yod in heh. This is the mystery of the holy covenant, and this heh is the courtyard, the concealed place of this mystery of the holy covenant which is yod. And even though we have established that vav is second, yod is its mystery, to unite them as one. One, to unite from there and to ascend everything as one, and to ascend desire and to connect everything from below to above as one in one connection, to ascend his desire in trembling and mercy above, above, to ein sof, and his desire will not depart from all of these gradations and limbs, but rather, his desire will ascend in all of it and cleave to them to make everything one connection in ein sof. And this is the unification of Rav Hemnuna Saba, that he learned from his father, and his father from his teacher, until the mouth of Elijah… even though we have established this in many mysteries, all of these mysteries amount to one… YHYH is the sign of this mystery. And thus it is taught, one, mystery of above and below and the four directions of the world, thus it is to unite above and below, as it is said, and the four directions of the world. These are the mystery of the supernal chariot, to encompass everything as one in one bond, in one unity, until ein sof, as we have established.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-138b

It is written, “And you, oh God, do not withdraw; my strength, hasten to my aid” (Ps. 22-20). King David said this when he was adorning and arranging the praises of the King, in order to combine the sun in the moon. When he was adorning and ordering his praises to combine, he said, “And you, oh God, do not withdraw…” “And you, oh God,” the mystery of the combination as one without separation. “Do not withdraw.” Once she ascends to be crowned in her husband and everything in the supernal world, and from there she must ascend to ein sof and to be connected in all above, above, because of this [it says] “do not withdraw,” to ascend from us and leave us. Because of this, in the order of prayers Israel asks to be encompassed there and to cleave to Him from below, so that if the glory desires to ascend, Israel below will be united in Him, grasping Him, so that He will not leave them and withdraw from them. This is why prayer is in a whisper, like one who speaks privately with a king. While he is secretly with the king, he does not withdraw from him at all. “My strength (eyaluti).” Just as a deer or hart, when it hears something, withdraws, and then returns to that place that it left, so too, the Holy One, blessed be He, even though He ascends above, above, in ein sof, He returns immediately to His place. Why is this? Because Israel below is united in Him, and they do not abandon Him, to be removed from Him, and of this [it is said] “my strength, hasten to my aid.” Because of this we must unite in Him, in the Holy One, blessed be He, and to unite in Him as one who is drawing something down from above to below, so that man will not be removed from Him even for one hour. This is why one must connect redemption to prayer. One must unite in Him and speak with Him in a whisper privately, so that He will not withdraw from us and He will not leave us, and of this it is written, “And you who cleave to God your Lord, you are all living this day” (Deut. 4-4). “Happy is the people for whom such this is, happy is the people for whom God is their Lord” (Ps. 144-15).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Sha’arei Orah, Vol. 1, p. 109

Know that one man can only connect the measure of a man, but if all of Israel were to connect [redemption to prayer] in accordance with the measure of all complete perfection necessary to bond and unite redemption to prayer, then they would all be redeemed… ‘your youth is renewed like the eagle’s’ (Ps. 103-5).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-134b

We must unite the upper world in one, and unite the lower world in the mystery of one, this in six directions and this in six directions. Thus, six words here in the mystery of six directions, and six words here in the mystery of six directions, ‘[On that day] God [will be] one and His name one’(Zechariah 14-9).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-43b

“Hear oh Israel, YHWH, our Lord, YHWH [is one]” (Deut. 6-4), thus, all is one. On this He is called One. These are three names. How can they be called one? Even though we call them one, how can they be one? Rather, in the vision of the holy spirit it is known, and these in the vision of the closed eye, to know that these three are one. And this is the mystery of the voice as it sounds. A voice is one, and it is three aspects- fire, spirit, and water, and all of them are one in the mystery of the voice. So too, “YHWH, our Lord, YHWH,” these are one. Three aspects, and they are one. This is the voice that a man produces in the unification, to draw his desire in unification from ein sof until the end of all, with this voice that is made with these three that are one. This is the daily unification that is revealed in the mystery of the holy spirit. And several aspects of unification are aroused, and all of them are true. One who performs this, performs, and one who performs this, performs. But this unification that we arouse from below in the mystery of the voice that is one, this is the clarification of the thing in principle.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-133b

When Israel unifies the unity of the mystery of “Hear, oh Israel” (Deut. 6-4) with a complete desire, this then goes forth from the concealment of the supernal world, a single light, and that light strikes within the hardened flame and is shattered into seventy lights, and these seventy lights are in the seventy branches of the tree of life. Thus, that tree sends up scents and perfumes, and all of the trees of the garden of Eden send up scents and praises to their Master. In this way, the queen is adorned to enter the wedding canopy with her husband. All of these supernal branches combine in one supernal delight, and in one desire to be one with no separation at all. And thus, her husband is adorned for her, to enter the wedding canopy in one unification, to be united in the queen, and to this end we arouse her and say “Hear, oh Israel,” adorn yourself, for your husband is coming to you with his adornments ready to receive you. “God, our Lord, God,” one, in one unification, in one desire without separation, for all of these limbs are all made one and ascend in one delight. Once Israel says, “God is one” in the arousal of the six directions, then all of these six directions are made one, and they enter in one pleasure. And the mystery of this is a single [letter] vav, simple, by itself, with no other cleaving to it, but rather it by itself, removed from all, and it is one.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-133b-134a

Once He is united above in six directions, so too, She is united below in six other directions, in order that everything will be one above and below, and it is said, “On that day, God will be one and His name one” (Zechariah 14-9). One above in six directions, as it is written, “shema yisrael YHWH eloheinu YHWH ehad” (Deut. 6-4), six words corresponding to six directions. One below in six directions, as it is written, “baruch shem kavod malkhuto le’olam va’ed,” six other directions in six words. YHWH ehad, [God is one] above, “u-shemo ehad” [and His name is one] below. And if you say that it is written “one” above, and below it is not written “one,” va-ed is ehad through and exchange of letters [hilufei atvvan], the letters of the male do not exchange. The letters of the feminine exchange, and this is the superiority of the male over the female. And in order to avoid the evil eye, we exchange the letters, so that we do not say ehad [one] openly. But in the time to come, when the evil eye will be removed from the world and it will hold no power, then it will be read ehad openly.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-139b

One must intend his heart and desire in the twenty five [letters of the shema] and the 24 [letters of the baruch shem] and to ascend them with desire of the heart to the forty nine gates, as we have said. Once one has focused their intention in this, then he should focus his intention on that union in which one says “Hear, oh Israel,” and “Blessed be the glorious name of His kingdom for ever and ever,” encompassing the entire Torah. Meritorious is the lot of one who focuses his intention in this, for indeed it encompasses the entire Torah above and below. This is the mystery of the completed man, of male and female, and the mystery of faith.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 3-11b

These ten names by which the Holy One, blessed be He, is called are connected this in that in a complete unity. And they are holy crowns of the King by which He is known, and they are His name, and He is they. And when they are all connected as one on the scent of the incense, then the incense (ketoret) is called the bond (kishura) that binds as one. Meritorious is the lot of the righteous who know the paths of the Torah and know how to declare the Glory of their Master. Of them it is written, “and they shall come and see my glory” (Isaiah 66-18).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-219a-219b

The incense offering is beloved, for it is dear and beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He, more than all [other] forms of service and worship in the world. And even though prayer is the highest form of all, the offering of the incense is dear and precious before the Holy One, blessed be He. Come and see. What is the difference between prayer and the offering of the incense? Prayer is adorned in the place where Israel used to offer sacrifices. And of all of the sacrifices that Israel performed, none of these are not considered the same as incense. And moreover, what is the difference between the two? Prayer is the adornment to adorn that which is necessary. Incense does more, adorning and binding bonds, and making more light than all. What is it? For it removes filth and it purifies the mishkan, and everything shines and is adorned and is bound as one. For this reason we must place the offering of the incense before prayer each and every day and to remove filth from the world, for it is the adornment of all, in the manner of that precious sacrifice in which the Holy One, blessed be He, is aroused… Once everything is connected in this connection, all is crowned in the mystery of ein sof, and the mystery of the name shines and is crowned in all sides and all of the worlds in delight, and the lights shine, and sustenance and blessings are found in all of the worlds, in the mystery of incense. And if the filth is not removed, all is not made, for all depends on this. Come and see. Incense always comes first before all, and because of this, the offering [‘ovda] of the incense must come before prayer, with songs and praises, because all of this does not ascend and is not adorned and is not bound until the filth is removed. Why is it written, “And make atonement for the sanctuary” (Lev. 16-16) first, and then “[from the impurities of the children of Israel,] and from their transgressions, for all of their sins…” This is why we must make atonement for the sanctuary and remove the filth and purify the sanctuary. And then, songs and praises and prayers, all of them, as we have said. Meritorious is Israel in this world and in the world to come, for they know how to adorn adornments above and below. When we wish to adorn adornment from below to above until everything is bound as one bond in that supernal bond, when we desire to adorn adornment, we must do so through the inscribed letters by which the Holy One, blessed be He, is called.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 1-65a

Come and see. Everything is made in the mystery of faith, to be sustained this in that, and to ascend above to where it is necessary, to ein sof. Rabbi Shimon said, I raise my hands above in prayer, for when desire enters above, above, it exists on that desire that is not known, and is not grasped at all, ever; the most concealed head above. And that head brings forth that which it brings forth, and it is not known, and it enlightens what it enlightens, all in concealment. The desire of supernal thought is to pursue after it and to be enlightened from it. One curtain is spread, and from within that curtain, in the pursuit of that supernal thought, it reaches and does not reach that curtain, enlightening that which it enlightens, and thus, it is the supernal thought, shining with concealed brightness that is not known, and that thought does not know. And thus, it strikes the brightness of the thought that is not known, in the brightness of the curtain that endures, shining from the brightness that does not know and is not known and is not revealed. Thus, this brightness of thought that is not known strikes the brightness of the curtain, and they shine as one, and they create nine courtyards. And the courtyards are not lights and they are not spirits and they are not souls and there is none who can withstand them. The desire of all nine enduring lights which all exist in thought, which is one of them, all pursue after it, when they exist in thought, and they do not cleave and they are not known, they do not exist in desire, and not in supernal thought; they grasp it and do not grasp. In these exist all of the mysteries of faith, and all of these lights shine from the mystery of supernal faith downward, all of them are called ein sof. The lights reach until here, and they do not reach and they are not known. Here there is no desire and no thought. Thought shines and it is not known from where it shines. Thus, it garbs itself and is concealed within binah, and it shines to that which it shines, and this enters into that until everything is combined as one. And in the mystery of the sacrifice, when everything ascends, it is bound this in that, and it shines this in that, and thus, everything exists in ascension, and thought is crowned in ein sof. That light that shines from supernal thought that is not known at all is called ein sof, and from it is found and exists and shines to that which it shines, and upon this everything exists. Meritorious is the lot of the righteous in this world and in the world to come.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-238b

Come and see. The community of Israel needs to ascend above and cleave within the sun. He opened and said, “this is the teaching of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering…” (Lev. 6-2). Rabbi Shimon said, it is written, “man and beast you shall redeem” (Ps. 36-8). The burnt offering ascends, and the connection of the community of Israel above and its cleaving is within the world to come, so that everything will be one. The burnt offering is called the Holy of Holies, and because of this it is called a burnt offering that ascends and is crowned so that everything will be one in one connection in joy. And since it ascends above, above, it is written, “this is the teaching of the burnt offering [or alternately, that which ascends],” mystery of male and female as one, the oral Torah and the Written Torah, the offering that ascends into the world to come to be connected within that which is called the Holy of Holies, Truly! And the burnt offering is also the Holy of Holies.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-213b

Meritorious is the lot of one who has entered and exited, and knows how to gaze into the mysteries of his master and to cleave to Him. With these mysteries a man can cleave to his master and know the entirety of Wisdom in the upper mystery. When he worships his Master in prayer and desire and intention of the heart, his desire cleaves like a flame to a coal, to unite the lower firmaments of the side of holiness, to crown them in one lower name, and from there and beyond to unite the upper, inner firmaments so that everything will be one in that upper firmament that stands upon it. And while his mouth and lips whisper, his heart intends and his desire ascends above, above, to unite everything in the mystery of mysteries, for there come to rest all desires and thoughts in the mystery that exists in ein sof, and to intend in this in each and every prayer, each and every day, to crown all of his days in the mystery of the supernal days. At night, he should pour forth his desire, and he will pass from this world, and his soul will leave him and return to the master of all.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 3-120b-121a

Come and see. Once a man performs his worship in this manner, in performance and utterance, and he connects the connection of unification, it is by his actions that the upper and lower entities are blessed. Thus, a man must regard himself after he completes the amida prayer as though he has died from the world, for he is separated from the tree of life, and he gathers his legs into the tree of death, which repays him his charge, as it is said, “and he [Jacob] gathered his feet into the bed [and died]” (Gen. 49-33), for he declared his sins and prayed over them. Now, it is necessary to be gathered unto that tree of death and to bow down and say to it, “To you, God, I offer my breath” (Ps. 25-1). At the beginning, it was given to you as a charge. Now you have bound unification, and performed the performance and utterance as it appropriate, and I will declare my sins. Thus, “I have imparted my breath to you,” truly! And a man regards himself as though he has passed from the world, for his breath is imparted to that place of death, and because of this, it [i.e. Ps. 25-1] does not contain the letter vav, for the letter vav is of the Tree of Life, and this is the tree of death… And thus, he gives himself to death, truly, and imparts his breath to this place. This is not a trust [of the soul] as at night, but rather like one who has truly departed from the world. This adornment requires the intention of the heart, and then, the Holy One, Blessed be He, has mercy on him and forgives and absolves his transgressions. Meritorious is the man who knows how to worship his Master with desire and intention of the heart.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-200b-201a

And moreover, it should be his desire that the lower entities should be blessed from these blessings of concealed delight. Thus, he must fall on his face and deliver his breath at that time that is the gathering of breaths and spirits. Thus, it is the time to deliver his breath within those breaths that are gathered, for then [he is in] the bundle of life, as is appropriate. We heard this word in the mysteries of the Holy Flame [Rashbi] and I have not been given permission to reveal it except to you supernal righteous ones. For if at that time that souls and spirits are gathered in the desire of one cleaving, he should pour his heart and desire into this and give over his breath in the cleaving of that desire to be encompased it in that cleaving. If it is received at that time, in that desire of these breaths and spirits and souls that are gathered, such a man is bundled in the bundle of life in this world and in the world to come. Moreover, when the king and queen desire to be encompassed from all sides, from above and from below, and to be crowned in souls on all sides, [they are] crowned in souls from above and [they are] crowned in souls from below. And if a man directs his heart and his desire to all of this, and he delivers his breath from below in the cleaving of breath, as it has been said, then the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him ‘peace below,’ in the manner of that peace above. And one who blessed the queen and encompasses her and crowns her in all crowns, so too, the Holy One, blessed be He calls such a man ‘peace below,’ as it is said “and God called him peace” (Judges 10-24). And all of his days they will thus call him “peace above,” in order that he will be encompassed and crowned in the Queen below, in the manner of the peace above. And when that man ascends from this world, his soul ascends and punctures in all of these firmaments, and there is none who can stay his hand. And the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him and sais “He shall enter in peace” (Isaiah 57-2), and the shekhinah says “those who rest in their graves…” And the thirteen gates of pure balsam are opened for him, and there will be none who can stay his hand. Because of this, meritorious is the one who pours forth his heart and desire for this, and of this it is written, “each who is willing in his heart, let him bring an offering to God” (Ex. 35-5), to the supernal king, as it is said.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-216a-b

One who prays from love cleaves to a supernal place above and cleaves in the holiness of the world to come, since such a one ascends to be crowned and to cleave in the right side. And if you argue that worship is from the side of fear, such is not worship, it is a valuable worship, but it does not ascend to cleave above. And when [one] worships from love, he ascends and is crowned above, and cleaves to the world to come, and this is a man who is worthy of the world to come. Meritorious is his lot, for he rules over the place of fear, and there is none who rules over the gradation of fear other than love, the mystery of the right, the mystery of the union that is required of the one who is worthy of the world to come, to unite the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to unite the limbs and gradations above and below, and to encompass everything and to ascend everything to the place that is required to bind bonds… And afterwards, when this is encompassed in that in one combination, then it is necessary to unite limbs and to combine two Tabernacles as one in all limbs, in the desire of the heart, to ascend in the cleaving of ein sof, and to cleave all there to make one desire above and below. The mystery of this is ‘will be’ (yihiyeh), as it is said, “God will be one” (Zechariah 14-9), in the mystery of “will be.” Yod to unite and cleave in heh, which is the inner courtyard of the concealed place of this supernal point which is yod. And this is the mystery of “God (YHWH) our Lord,” these two letters, yod heh, to encompass all limbs in that place where they came from, which is the inner courtyard, to return things to their place, root, foundation and source, to that place of the source of the covenant. And after these, two other letters come to unite and cleave yod in heh. This is the mystery of the holy covenant, and this heh is the courtyard, the concealed place of this mystery of the holy covenant which is yod. And even though we have established that vav is second, yod is its mystery, to unite them as one. One, to unite from there and to ascend everything as one, and to ascend desire and to connect everything from below to above as one in one connection, to ascend his desire in trembling and mercy above, above, to ein sof, and his desire will not depart from all of these gradations and limbs, but rather, his desire will ascend in all of it and cleave to them to make everything one connection in ein sof. And this is the unification of Rav Hemnuna Saba, that he learned from his father, and his father from his teacher, until the mouth of Elijah… even though we have established this in many mysteries, all of these mysteries amount to one… YHYH is the sign of this mystery. And thus it is taught, one, mystery of above and below and the four directions of the world, thus it is to unite above and below, as it is said, and the four directions of the world. These are the mystery of the supernal chariot, to encompass everything as one in one bond, in one unity, until ein sof, as we have established.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-138b

It is written, “And you, oh God, do not withdraw; my strength, hasten to my aid” (Ps. 22-20). King David said this when he was adorning and arranging the praises of the King, in order to combine the sun in the moon. When he was adorning and ordering his praises to combine, he said, “And you, oh God, do not withdraw…” “And you, oh God,” the mystery of the combination as one without separation. “Do not withdraw.” Once she ascends to be crowned in her husband and everything in the supernal world, and from there she must ascend to ein sof and to be connected in all above, above, because of this [it says] “do not withdraw,” to ascend from us and leave us. Because of this, in the order of prayers Israel asks to be encompassed there and to cleave to Him from below, so that if the glory desires to ascend, Israel below will be united in Him, grasping Him, so that He will not leave them and withdraw from them. This is why prayer is in a whisper, like one who speaks privately with a king. While he is secretly with the king, he does not withdraw from him at all. “My strength (eyaluti).” Just as a deer or hart, when it hears something, withdraws, and then returns to that place that it left, so too, the Holy One, blessed be He, even though He ascends above, above, in ein sof, He returns immediately to His place. Why is this? Because Israel below is united in Him, and they do not abandon Him, to be removed from Him, and of this [it is said] “my strength, hasten to my aid.” Because of this we must unite in Him, in the Holy One, blessed be He, and to unite in Him as one who is drawing something down from above to below, so that man will not be removed from Him even for one hour. This is why one must connect redemption to prayer. One must unite in Him and speak with Him in a whisper privately, so that He will not withdraw from us and He will not leave us, and of this it is written, “And you who cleave to God your Lord, you are all living this day” (Deut. 4-4). “Happy is the people for whom such this is, happy is the people for whom God is their Lord” (Ps. 144-15).

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-43b

“Hear oh Israel, YHWH, our Lord, YHWH [is one]” (Deut. 6-4), thus, all is one. On this He is called One. These are three names. How can they be called one? Even though we call them one, how can they be one? Rather, in the vision of the holy spirit it is known, and these in the vision of the closed eye, to know that these three are one. And this is the mystery of the voice as it sounds. A voice is one, and it is three aspects- fire, spirit, and water, and all of them are one in the mystery of the voice. So too, “YHWH, our Lord, YHWH,” these are one. Three aspects, and they are one. This is the voice that a man produces in the unification, to draw his desire in unification from ein sof until the end of all, with this voice that is made with these three that are one. This is the daily unification that is revealed in the mystery of the holy spirit. And several aspects of unification are aroused, and all of them are true. One who performs this, performs, and one who performs this, performs. But this unification that we arouse from below in the mystery of the voice that is one, this is the clarification of the thing in principle.

Translated by Hartley Lachter

Zohar 2-133b

When Israel unifies the unity of the mystery of “Hear, oh Israel” (Deut. 6-4) with a complete desire, this then goes forth from the concealment of the supernal world, a single light, and that light strikes within the hardened flame and is shattered into seventy lights, and these seventy lights are in the seventy branches of the tree of life. Thus, that tree sends up scents and perfumes, and all of the trees of the garden of Eden send up scents and praises to their Master. In this way, the queen is adorned to enter the wedding canopy with her husband. All of these supernal branches combine in one supernal delight, and in one desire to be one with no separation at all. And thus, her husband is adorned for her, to enter the wedding canopy in one unification, to be united in the queen, and to this end we arouse her and say “Hear, oh Israel,” adorn yourself, for your husband is coming to you with his adornments ready to receive you. “God, our Lord, God,” one, in one unification, in one desire without separation, for all of these limbs are all made one and ascend in one delight. Once Israel says, “God is one” in the arousal of the six directions, then all of these six directions are made one, and they enter in one pleasure. And the mystery of this is a single [letter] vav, simple, by itself, with no other cleaving to it, but rather it by itself, removed from all, and it is one.

Translated by Hartley Lachter