Holiness, Zohar and The Final Redemption

BS"D

Those who were dancing were considered crazy in the eyes of those who could not hear the music.

If the eye does not see it, than the heart can not desire it.

We all want happiness, but as long as we are busy chasing after physical desires and pleasures, we will never be able to get what we want. The eye is never satisfied with what it sees. We all know that there is no lasting satisfaction when it comes to physical desires. A gambler never feels satisfied with his wins, he always wants more. A woman never feels satisfied after a day of shopping, there is always another store to visit or a new season of fashion to come.

So then how do we get happiness and satisfaction that lasts? The answer is, we need to change our way of looking at things - literally. That is, we need to stop looking at things. The more we look at things in this physical world, the more we will desire them, and the less happy we will be. If we close our physical eyes, than we will understand and develop a way to see things with our spiritual eyes - this is the start of true happiness.

This is the Jewish concept of modesty in marriage. You see, the less we inappropriately look look at our wives in a physical way, the more we will be able to desire them in a spiritual way. Therefore if you really want your marriage to last and be special, you need to learn to see your wife in a spiritual way, this can only happen if you are able to weaken and lessen your physical desire for women. I know this sounds crazy, let me explain. You see, if you see your wife physically, then she is just one of billions. However, if you learn to see her spiritually, then she is the only one for you. As the Zohar describes how Adam felt when he 'saw' Chava, "All other women were like monkeys to him."

Have you ever tried to read braille? I have, I cant even notice a difference to the touch. So how is it that a blind person can read a whole book just by running his finger over those dots? The answer is, since one of his senses has been removed, the others get stronger and more sensitive. In the same way, if we weaken and lessen our intake of the physical world, than we will automatically increase our sensitivity and perception of the spiritual world. Chazal tell us that most of the desire for the physical world comes in through our eyes. Therefore, if we guard what our physical eyes see, then we will allow room for the development of our spiritual eyes. This will lead to happiness and holiness.

The end of the evil and falsehood in the world is coming soon. We all know that there is a war coming and we all can feel that something big is getting ready to happen. Our prophets and holy books tell us that holiness is the most precious asset to have when the final showdown happens. The survivors will walk on the path of holiness says the prophet Yeshaya (Isaiah). The secret is out, you do not need to store gold or food to make it through to the end, you need holiness. There is no faking holiness, those who try to fake it are in for a big surprise. Only prayer and a genuine effort to remove all the impurities and falsehood from yourselves will work.
 
With that being said, there is one more thing we all can do to help give us the will and desire for holiness, and that is to read the Zohar.

As Rav Arush wrote in a letter a few weeks ago, "The reading of the Zohar will give a person the will and desire to make teshuva and purify himself to guard the holy brit"

The Chafetz Chaim would always encourage the study of Zohar and he said that without the study of the secrets of the Torah, it is as if we are groping around in the dark. He would also learn the Zohar on the parasha every single Shabbat and he would tell others to do the same, even unmarried men (Meir Einei Yisrael, vol 3 pg 556).

The Chazon Ish said that there is no greater mussar sefer than the Zohar (Ma'ase Ish, vol 3 pg 98).

The Vilna Gaon writes in his sefer Even Sheleima, ch 11, "The geula will only come in the merit of Torah study, but it is primarily dependent on the study of Kabbalah"
As the holy Zohar tells us, one who studies the Zohar will be spared any suffering when the Mashiach arrives, "For in the future, Yisrael will taste of the Tree of Life, which is the book of the Zohar, and will thus experience the final redemption through mercy."
In the Tikkunei Zohar, end of the 6th tikkun it says, "From this book of yours, elevated people will be sustained, until this book is revealed to those below in the last generation in the end of days. And because of it, you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants" And the Vilna Gaon wrote in his commentary, "They will be redeemed in the merit of studying the Zohar."

To find out more about Zohar learning and for free Zohar downloads (with Lashon Kodesh translation) go to
http://www.theholy-zohar.blogspot.com/ or email theholyzohar@gmail.com

Yehoshua Goldstein

Rebbe Shimon's Promise

"In the future, when Am Yisrael will merit to taste from the Tree of Life which is this book of the Zohar, they will be redeemed from their exile in mercy" (Zohar parashat Nasso).

Therefore, the best advice to sweeten the birth pains before the coming of the Moshiach is to read the holy Zohar. It is fitting to be read by men, women and children and it has the ability to purify the body and soul as well as cancel any harsh decrees that may be upon Am Yisrael even if one does not understand a word they are reading.

Rebbe Shimon is fitting to be relied upon in a time of great need.

 

Importance of Zohar Study

Earlier this week I was very privileged to be present at a meeting between the Admor of Holmin - Rav Shalom Yehuda Gross and Rav Shalom Arush at the house of Rav Arush.

I will now do my best to recall what was happened at that meeting. Rav Arush was very happy to greet Rav Gross and he kissed his hand when he entered. Then Rav Gross kissed Rav Arush’s hand and they sat down at the table. Rav Gross started to explain about his operation (Mifal Zohar Haolami) which is involved in printing and distributing Zohar Hakadosh all over Israel and the world. He said that only in the merit of studying the Zohar Hakadosh will we be redeemed from this exile in mercy as Rebbe Shimon promised us in the Zohar. He also said that the study of Zohar is able to cancell any harsh decrees upon the Jews. Rav Arush agreed about the importance of the study of Zohar.
Then Rav Gross went on to say that the situation in the world is not very good at all right now, and we need Zohar study to help give us more merits. Rav Arush added that he had also heard a few times from his Rav, Rav Yehuda Zeev Leibovich zt”l that the situation in the world was very dangerous now. Then Rav Gross handed Rav Arush many of his Zohar sefarim and publications and Rav Arush was very happy to receive them. He picked one set of sefarim up “Zohar Shabbat” and he was admiring its beauty for a long time (no doubt he was getting pleasure from the burst of spiritual light in those Zohars).
Rav Gross began telling a story about the Baal Hasulam, a commentator on the Zohar in the last hundred years and about how in the last world war, in heaven they took away the power from Hitler (may his name be erased) to invade Israel exactly coinciding with the printing of the Baal Hasulam’s Zohar commentary. Rav Arush then spoke highly of the Baal Hasulam and said that Rav Leibovich was very close to the Baal Sulams Zohar commentary. Then Rav Arush mentioned how he wanted to have everyone in his yeshiva start reading the Zohar everyday. He said to Rav Gross, “Now that you have come here to me, we must begin learning the Zohar, we must have the yeshiva learning the Zohar.” Then Rav Gross handed him a letter endorsing the study of Zohar and Rav Arush wrote as follows,
It is very important for every single person to read the Zohar Hakadosh. We have a promise from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov that through the study of the Zohar, we will be redeemed with mercy from this exile.Rav Gross was very happy to hear this and even told Rav Arush that he would send more of the Zohars and other sefarim so that they could put them and learn them in the yeshiva.
They then got up and walked out of the Rav's house side by side.
A few days later, I brought Rav Arush a six volume set of the Zohar Hakadosh which is broken up to be read in the course of one year. The Rav was very impressed with it's beauity and he said that the Admor (Rav Gross) gives him such happiness. Then he said that he was going to begin that very day on the one year cycle of reading the Zohar.
May the promise of Rebbe Shimon and Rebbe Nachman be fulfilled and may we merit a merciful redemption in the merit of the study of Zohar Hakadosh, Amen.

I wanted to clarify a point that people often get confused, there is a big difference between the reading of Zohar and the study of Kabbala. Although the Zohar is the primary Kabbala text, when one reads it, one is in no danger of what is called delving too deep into the study of Kabbala. Although it is true that only fitting people should learn the Kabbala from fitting teachers, the study or reading of Zohar is quite the opposite. the words itself are able to spiritually arouse a person and have the ability to purify the soul even if one has no idea what he is reading and even if he is making many mistakes, it gives great pleasure to Hashem. Reading of Zohar is something that is fitting for men, women and even young children (heard from Rav Gross, and Rav Benayahu Shmueli, Rosh Yeshiva of Nahar Shalom and a close student of Rav Kaduri Z"L).

For more info on the study of Zohar, you can go to http://www.thezoharinenglish.com/. Not only that, but it also is able to cancell any harsh decrees upon Am Yisrael, G-d forbid, and there is a promise by Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai himself that with the study of this book (the Zohar) we will be redeemed from the exile with mercy, Amen.