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Vayeira in the light of the zohar
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Lots daughters thinking that the world has perhaps ended again like after the flood go into their father tricking him with wine and sleeping with him each one bearing a child from their union.
Gen: 19 37. And the elder bore a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of Moab until this day. 38. And the younger, she too bore a son, and she named him Ben-ami; he is the father of the children of Ammon until this day.
In the portion Vayeira in the Zohar there is a special section called the Sitrei Torah (Concealed Torah).
Vayeira 331. The primordial Serpent penetrated the fruits of that Tree, this being the wine that it drank. And it begot two grades that are interrelated and surround the side of Unholiness. One is called Malcom, and the other Peor.
This verse is linked to the passages concerning Lot’s drinking wine and sleeping with his two daughters. Now Malcom is called the hidden advice and Peor the open advice that comes from the unholiness that was separated when the Tree of Knowledge was partaken of. When Lot separated from Abraham and went to Sodom to live he later was separated from that unholiness by the angel who redeemed him from there.
The two daughters are spoken of as coming from the evil inclination the one in a hidden way which relates to the elder daughter and Ben-Ami (son of the nation) while the younger bore Moab openly as the name (Me Av) ‘my father’ indicates the progenitor clearly.
We also learn in this Zohar section that Dovid is descended from both and that because he has aspects of both he is able to rule with strength since both of these aspects originated from the left side or the side of gevurah or strength. The secret to this is that even though these originated from the evil inclination they were in a process of tikkun – correction making them holy once more through Dovid and his mitzvoth.
Abraham once again travels this time to Gerar (Gimel-Resh-Resh) with the gematria (numerical value of the Hebrew letters) of 403. In Psalm 27:8 the word avakash (Aleph-Bet-Kuf-Sh) ‘I will seek’ also adds to 403. Abraham seeks Hashem in a further revelation in similar fashion to when he traveled to Egypt and Pharaoh. This time Sarah is taken by Abimilech who returns her after Hashem tells him to release her. Abimelech means ‘father is king’ and he asks Abraham much the same as Pharaoah asks, ‘why have you done this to me.’
Indeed what were the purposes of these visits and the subterfuge of naming Sarah as his sister both times? Abimelech refers to Chokmah as father and king. All along Abraham has been rising in the grades of Chokmah-Wisdom. Both Gerar and Egypt were places that did not follow the way of Hashem, where the people were idol worshippers. Still even in such places there are sparks of holiness to be revealed and reclaimed. This is why Abraham visits both times.
The symbolism of Sarah as his sister and wife are twofold. As sister it demonstrates that Sarah who represents the right side of the Tree of Life is always connected to Abraham as a brother and a sister are by birth bonded to one another. Sarah is the test by which both Egypt and Gerar are able to share somewhat in the correction of the evil inclination that Abraham has made his life’s work. Both times Abraham leaves with riches and these riches are the sparks of holiness that have been redeemed by both the actions of Sarah and Abraham.
As Abraham’s wife her Judgment or Gerurah balances his overflowing Chesed-Kindness. The two of them step inside of chaos and come out transforming the chaos in every way they may setting up the paradigm for future journeys to redeem the sparks from the evil inclination.
Following this episode the ultimate reward is given first the birth Ishmael and then the miracle of the birth of Yitzhak.
To be continued….
Previously....Vayeira Part One
Vayeira Part Two
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