Lailah tov, Rabotai (gentlemen). Lailah tov, Rabbeinu (our rabbi). Okay, Lailah tov. Baruch Hashem (Blessed is Hashem). All right, Rabotai, we have a big project tonight. Let’s try to finish the Zohar in Parashat Vayechi, one of the longest ones. We’ve got to make a run for it before the fireworks. I got us on top of page resh-mem-dalet? Yes. Okay. I’m not recording it because I don’t have juice. Ma fi juice. Want to record it, Adam? Okay. I’m recording it on the Zoom, Rabbi. It’s recording. Oh, it’s on the Zoom. Okay, so send it to Adam, yeah. I’ll turn, yeah. We have to give Adam a lot of Hakarat hatov for all his hard work; we appreciate it. He’s unbelievable. But we knew that already. Baruch Hashem, good guy. Vihi no’am Adonai Eloheinu aleinu uma’aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu uma’aseh yadeinu konenehu (May the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us; establish the work of our hands for us.).
Rabbi Abba havah yativ leilya chad vekam lemil’ei be-Orayta (Torah) (Rabbi Abba rose to learn.). Rabbi, which page of the Zohar, mechilah (pardon)? “Page resh-mem-alef, amud bet,” he answered. “Okay, thank you, Rabbi.” Rabbi Abba havah yativ leilya chad vekam lemil’ei be-Orayta. So Rabbi Abba was up at night, and he was learning. Ad dehavah yativ, ata Rabbi Yose batash apitcha (While they sat, Rabbi Yose knocked.). In the middle of the learning, who came to the door? Rabbi Yose knocked on the door. Amar, sifta betufsera shechicha. He said, “If you go to the princes and look in their chests, you’ll see Tachshitim (jewelry), you’ll see jewelry.” So, therefore, he said there must be Chidushim (novel insights) over here, so I came over here to hear some Chidushim, some jewelry, Tachshitim. Yatvu vela’u be-Orayta (They sat learning Torah all night.). Ad dehachi kam berei de’ushpiza veyetiv kamayehu (Then the host’s son joined them.). It seems they were in the Achsanya (inn), like a hotel.
Amar lon, mai dechtiv (He said, “What is written?”) about Rahab the Zonah (prostitute): Vehachayitem et avi ve’et imi (You shall keep my father and mother alive). Right? What did she say? “You save my father and mother.” Uchtiv (and it is written), Unetatem li ot emet (true sign) (And you shall give me a true sign). And she asked for a sign. Mai ka ba’at minayehu (What was she asking them?). What was she asking over here? What’s the Sod (secret)? Amar Rabbi Abba ya’ut sha’alt (Rabbi Abba said, “Good question.”). Aval i shama’at midei eima beri (But if you heard, tell me.). Maybe you heard something, Kavod (honor). Yeah, we heard chachamim (sages); they learn Torah from anybody. Kabel et ha’emet mimishe’amaro (Accept the truth from whoever says it.). It doesn’t matter who’s saying it. He’s a kid, he’s a amar. Amar, tu she’elta (He said, “Another question.”). So then he said, “I have another She’elah (question).” Deha inun yehavu lah mah dela ba’at minayehu (They gave her something unrequested.). They gave her what she didn’t ask for. Why? Dechtiv et tikvat hashani (the scarlet thread), or Et tikvat Chut hashani (scarlet thread) hazeh tiksheri bachalon (This scarlet thread you shall tie in the window.). So they tell her, “Put the red string.” Where is the red string, Rabotai? Chut hashani, put it on the window. She didn’t ask for a red string. She said, “Ot emet (true sign),” whatever that means, and they gave her a red string.
Ela hachi olifna (Rather, we learned this.). She was asking for a Siman (sign) of life, which is the letter vav of Shem Havayah. The vav is Tiferet (beauty). Tiferet is the Guf (body). So, therefore, she was asking for Ot emet: Give me a Siman of the vav. What for? So that she’ll have life. Dechtiv, Vehachayitem et avi ve’et imi, ve’amrah simana dechayei la sharya ela be’ot emet (Life’s sign rests only on truth.). That’s the sign of life. Umai ihu ot emet, da ot vav begin deveih sharyan chayin (True sign: vav, life dwells there.). Right? We know that Tiferet is where the life is. Hachi olifat simana deMosheh kaba’at (So we learn this from Mosheh.). We learn this from Moshe Rabenu. How do we know? Ve’inun amai yehavu lah tikvat chut hashani (Why bless her with the scarlet thread?). So why did they give her Chut hashani? Chut hashani, kanireh, the red—red is Malchut (kingship). So, she was asking for Ot emet, vav, Tiferet, and they gave her Chut hashani. Why? The deeper way of learning it is that they gave us something that corresponds to Malchut.
Ela inun amrei, Moshe ha istallak me’alma (They said, “Moshe has left.”). Because Moshe Rabbeinu is not in the world anymore. Deha itkanish shimsha (For the sun has set.), the sun came down—which is Moshe, the Ze’eir Anpin (small face), which is Tiferet. Veha meta zimna desihara (The moon’s time has now come.), now is the time of the moon, Yehoshua. Simana desihara it lan lemehab lach (We have a moon-sign to give you.). We can’t give you a Siman of Moshe. Moshe’s not around anymore; we’ll give you a Siman of Yehoshua. Umai ihu (And what is it?)? Tikvat Chut hashani, is it? Kema de’at amar (As it says), kechut hashani siftotayich (lips like a scarlet thread.). Aha, because Malchut gets the Gevurot (strengths), right? The Nukva (female aspect) gets the Gevurot, which is red. So, therefore, Chut hashani is Keneged (corresponding to) Malchut, Keneged Yehoshua. The Ze’eir Anpin gives to Malchut. Malchut doesn’t have anything: Leit lah migarmah chelum (She has nothing of her own.). It receives from the Ze’eir Anpin. So, therefore, yes, Keneged Yehoshua. We can’t give you the Ot emet; Moshe Rabbeinu is not around anymore. Simana de-Yehoshua yehe gabach, begin deshultanuta desihara hashta (The moon rules now.). Now’s the time of the Malchut of Yehoshua.
Kam Rabbi Abba ve-Rabbi Yose veneshkuhu (They rose and kissed him.). He deserves a kiss. Amru vadai zamin at lemehei reish metivta o gavra raba be-Yisrael (They foresaw his future greatness.). Wow. “One day you’re going to be a Rosh Yeshiva.” They knew already; they saw he was going to be great. Umanu (And who?)? Rabbi Bun, right? We see Rabbi Bun in the Yerushalmi a lot, right? The Bun, amar Rav Bun, this is it. This is his beginnings.
Tu sha’il ve’amar (He asked another question.). Benoi de-Ya’akov kulehu tereisar shivtin istaderu letata kegavna dele’eila (Ya’akov’s sons mirrored the order above.). The 12 tribes, the 12 sons of Ya’akov, were also a Merkavah (chariot) for the Shechinah (Divine Presence), like the yud-bet malachim (twelve angels) that we learned above, who are a Merkavah for the Shechinah. They were Tzaddikim (righteous people). Amai akdim bevirkan Zevulun le-Yissachar tadir (Why bless Zevulun first, always?). Good She’elah. Yissachar is older; why does Zevulun get the Berachah (blessing) first? Veha Yissachar ishtadlutia be’Orayta (Yissachar’s effort is in Torah.). Ah, Yissachar studies Torah. Ve-Orayta akdim bechol atar (Torah comes first everywhere.); that’s the point. The point is that Yissachar studies Torah; you’ve got to give Kavod to Torah. Amai akdim le-Zevulun birkan (Why bless Zevulun first?). Why did Zevulun go first? Avoi akdim leh, Moshe akdim leh (Father and Moshe put him first.). Ya’akov puts Zevulun first; Moshe puts Zevulun first. Why? Ela Zevulun zachah al de’apik pita mipumeih veyahav lepumeih de-Yissachar (Zevulun gave his bread to Yissachar.). Wow. He took bread from his own mouth and gave it to Yissachar; he fed Yissachar. Beginei kach akdimu leh bevirkan (Therefore, they blessed him first.). Meihacha odifna (What do we learn from here?). What do you learn from here? Man desa’id lemarei de’Orayta (Whoever supports a Torah scholar.), somebody who helps somebody who’s learning Torah, natir birkan me’eila umitata (Blessings protect him above and below.). You get the Berachah from above and below.