## Zohar, Lech Lecha

###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:1
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:1)

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה יָתִיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, וְהֲוֵי עִמֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק וְרַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי, הַאי דִכְתִיב לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ, כֵּיוָן דְּכֻלְהוּ נָפְקוּ לְמֵהַךְ, אַמַּאי לָא אִתְּמָר לֵיהּ דְּכֻלְהוּ יִפְקוּן.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Eleazar was sitting one day before his father, R. Simeon, and with him were R. Judah and R. Isaac and R. Hizkiah. Said R. Eleazar to R. Simeon: In reference to this verse, GET THEE FORTH FROM THY LAND AND FROM THY KINDRED, since they all went forth, why was not Abram told that they should go?


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:2
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:2)

דְּהָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּתֶרַח הֲוָה פְּלַח לְעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַר בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא טַב לְמֵיפַק בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְחָמִינָן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בִּתְיוּבְתָּא דְּחַיָּיבַיָא וּשְׁרָא לְמֵיפַק אַמַּאי לָא כְּתִיב לְכוּ לָכֶם, אַמַּאי לְאַבְרָהָם בִּלְחוֹדוֹי לֶךְ לְךָ.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
For though Terah was an idolater, yet since he had the good impulse to go forth with Abram, and since, as we know, God delights in the repentance of sinners, and Terah actually began the journey, why is it not written “get *ye* forth”? Why was it said to Abram alone “get *thee* forth”?


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:3
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:3)

אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אִי תֵימָא דְּתֶרַח כַּד נָפַק מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים בְּגִין לְאַהֲדָרָא בִּתְשׁוּבָה הֲוָה, לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא כַּד נָפַק לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא נָפַק, דְּהֲווּ כֻּלְהוּ בְּנֵי אַרְעֵיהּ בָּעָאן לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָזוּ דְּאִשְׁתְּזִיב אַבְרָהָם הֲווּ אָמְרֵי לֵיהּ לְתֶרַח, אַנְתְּ הוּא דְּהֲוִית מַטְעֵי לָן בְּאִלֵּין פְּסִילִין, וּמִגּוֹ דַּחֲלָא דִּלְהוֹן נָפַק תֶּרַח, כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא לְחָרָן לָא נָפַק מִתַּמָּן לְבָתַר, דִּכְתִיב וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט, וְאִילוּ תֶּרַח לָא כְּתִיב (ביה וילך, אלא ויצא).

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Simeon replied: If you think that Terah left Ur of the Chaldees in order to repent of his past life, you are mistaken. The truth is that he was running away for his life, as his fellow-countrymen wanted to kill him. For when they saw that Abram was delivered (from the fiery furnace) they said to Terah, “It is you who misled us with those idols of yours”, and it was through fear of them that Terah left. When he reached Haran he did not go any further, as it is written, “And Abram went as the Lord had said to him, and Lot went with him”, but Terah is not mentioned.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:4
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:4)

פָּתַח וְאָמַר (איוב ל״ח:ט״ו) וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָּה תְּשַׁבֵּר. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם, דָּא נִמְרוֹד וּבְנֵי דָּרֵיהּ דְּנָפַק אַבְרָהָם מִנַּיְיהוּ דְּהֲוָה אוֹרָם. וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָּה תְּשַׁבֵּר, דָּא נִמְרוֹד.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Simeon expounded in this connection the text, “And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm is broken” (Job 38, 15). The words “and from the wicked their light is withholden”, he said, can be referred to Nimrod and his contemporaries, from whom Abram, who was their light, departed. “The high arm is broken” refers to Nimrod.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:5
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:5)

דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיִּמְנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם, דָּא תֶּרַח וּבְנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ. אוֹרָם, דָּא אַבְרָהָם. הָאוֹר לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא אוֹרָם דְּהֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן. וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָּה תְּשַׁבֵּר, דָּא נִמְרוֹד דְּהֲוָה מַטְעֵי אֲבַתְרֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב לֶךְ לְךָ. בְּגִין לְאַנְהָרָא לָךְ וּלְכָל אִנּוּן דְּיִפְקוּן מִינָךְ מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
Or we may refer them to Terah and his household, whose light was Abram. It does not say “light”, but “*their* light”, viz. the light that was with them. “The high arm is broken” refers to Nimrod, who led astray the whole of mankind. Therefore it is written *lech lecha* (lit. go for thyself), to give light to thyself and to all that shall follow thee from now onwards.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:6
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:6)

תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (איוב ל״ז:כ״א) וְעַתָּה לֹא רָאוּ אוֹר בָּהִיר הוּא בַּשְּׁחָקִים וְרוּחַ עָבְרָה וַתְּטַהֲרֵם. וְעַתָּה לא רָאוּ אוֹר, אֵימָתַי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ. בָּהִיר הוּא בַּשְּׁחָקִים. דְּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַדְבָּקָא לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם בְּהַהוּא אוֹר דִּלְעֵילָא וּלְאַנְהָרָא תַּמָּן.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Simeon further discoursed on the text, “Now they see not the light; it is bright in the skies, and a wind passeth and cleanseth them” (Job 37, 21). “Now they see not the light”, i.e. Abram’s family saw not the light when God said to Abram, “Get thee forth from thy land and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house”. “It is bright in the skies” means that God willed to make Abram cleave to that supernal light and to shine there.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:7
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:7)

וְרוּחַ עָבְרָה וַתְּטַהֲרֵם. דְּהָא לְבָתַר תָּבוּ בִּתְיוּבְתָּא תֶּרַח וְכָל בְּנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ (נ"א וכל בני מאתיה). בְּנֵי בֵיתֵיהּ (נ"א בני מאתיה) דִּכְתִיב וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן. תֶּרַח, דִּכְתִיב וְאַתָּה תָבֹא אֶל אֲבוֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְגו'.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
“A wind passeth and cleanseth them”: because subsequently Terah and all his household repented, as it is said, “and the souls which they had saved (lit. made) in Haran”, referring to Terah’s household, and further, “and thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace” (Gen. 15, 15), which shows that Terah joined Abram.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:8
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:8)

**סִתְרֵי תּוֹרָה** וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָדוֹל הַאי בִּרְכְּתָּא חָדָא, וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ תְּרֵין, וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ תְּלַתּ, וְהְיֵה בְּרָכָה אַרְבַּע. וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ חָמֵשׁ, וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאוֹר שִׁיתּ. וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כָּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹתּ הָאֲדָמָה הא שֶׁבַע. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְּבָּרְכוּ בְּאִלֵּין שֶׁבַע בִּרְכָאן, מַה כְּתִּיב וַיֵּלֶךָ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְיָ לְנָחֲתָּא לְהַאי עָלְמָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּפָּקְדָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
(There are seven blessings in this passage) One, "And I will make of you a great nation"; two, "and I will bless you"; three, "and make your name great"; four, "and you shall be a blessing"; five, "And I will bless them that bless you"; six, "and curse him that curses you"; and seven, "and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed." And after he received these seven blessings, it is written, "So Abram departed, as Hashem had spoken to him." (Meaning he went) down to the world, as he was commanded to do.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:9
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:9)

מִיָּד וַיֵּלֶךָ אִתּוֹ לוֹט. דָּא אִיהוּ נָחָשׁ דְּאִתְּלַטְיָא וְאִתְּלַטְיָא עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים לְפִּתְּחָא לְאַסְטָאָה לְגוּפָּא, ולא תִּפְּעוֹל נִשְׁמָתָּא פּוּלְחָנָא דְאִתְּפַּקְדַתּ עַד דְּיַעַבְרוּן עֲלָהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא י"ג שְׁנִין, דְּהָא מִתְּרֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָא נִשְׁמָתָּא אִתְּעָרַתּ לְמִפְּלַח פּוּלְחָנא דְאִתְּפַּקְדַתּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב. וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. שֶׁבַע וְחָמֵשׁ תְּרֵיסַר אִנּוּן (ותרין עלאין עלייהו ארבע סרי אנון).

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
Immediately, "Lot went with him." This is the serpent that was cursed and caused the world to be cursed. The scriptures call the serpent by the name Lot, because Lot means 'a curse' in Aramaic. The serpent was cursed and brought curses on the world. So he accompanies the soul during its stay in this world. And the serpent stands at the opening, in order to mislead the body. And this is why the soul will not start fulfilling the mission it was commanded to perform until it has completed thirteen years in this world. Because from the twelfth year onward, the soul is aroused to fulfill its task. Therefore, it is written, "and Abram was seventy five years old" (Gen. 12:4) and seven and five equals twelve. and curse them that curse you, and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed."


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:10
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:10)

וּכְדֵין אִתְּחֲזִיאַתּ נִשְׁמָתָּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. דְּאִיהִי אַתְּיָא מֵחָמש שָׁנִים דְּאִנּוּן תּ"ק פַּרְסֵי דְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי. וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה דָּא אִיהוּ הַהוּא אִילָנָא מַמָּשׁ דְּאִיהוּ שְׁבִיעָאָה לְדַרְגִּין וְשִׁבְעִין שָׁנָה אִתְּקְרֵי.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
And then the soul can be seen in this world, because it comes from the "five years," which are the five hundred parasangs of the Tree of Life. "And seventy years" refers to the same tree, which is the seventh among the grades, namely, the Nukva, which is the seventh Sefirah among the seven Sefirot: Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut. And then the soul is acknowledged as the offspring of Zeir Anpin and the Nukva. Then the soul departs from the filth of the serpent and enters to the holy work. And so it is written, "when he departed out of Charan" from the wrath and aggression of the Satan, who until now had ruled over the body by deceiving it.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:11
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:11)

כְּדֵין נָפְּקַתּ מֵהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְנָחָשׁ וְעָאלַתּ בְּפּוּלְחָנָא קַדִּישָׁא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב בְּצֵּאתּוֹ מֵחָרָן (ימי ע' שנה לא ספורות חיים מההוא ארבע סרי) מֵהַהוּא רוּגְזָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּהַהוּא (שטן) נָחָשׁ דְּהֲוָה אַסְטֵי לֵיהּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא לְגוּפָּא וְשָׁלְטָא עֲלוֹי.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:12
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:12)

בְּאִילָנָא שָׁלְטָא עָרְלָה תְּלַתּ שְׁנִין. בְּבַר נָשׁ תְּלַתּ סָרֵי שְׁנִין דְּאִקְרוּן שְׁנֵי עָרְלָה, כֵּיוָן דְּאַעֲבָרוּ עַל גּוּפָּא אִנּוּן שְׁנִין וְאִתְּעַבְרַתּ (ד"א ואתערת) נִשְׁמָתָּא לְמִפְּלַח פּוּלְחָנָא קַדִּישָׁא, פְּקִידַתּ לְגוּפָּא לִרְעוּתָּא טָבָא, לִכְפּוֹף לְהַהוּא נָחָשׁ דְּהָא לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה כְּמָה דְהַוִּי,

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
The Orlah (lit. 'foreskin') rules over the tree for three years. In the human being, the first thirteen years are called the "Orlah years." After the body has lived these years, the soul is aroused to fulfill its holy task. It then receives full control over the body and inspires the goodwill necessary to overcome the serpent. And then the serpent will not be able to control the body as it did before.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:13
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:13)

דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶתּ שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְגו' (אברם דא י' את שרי דא ה'. י' דא נשמתא לנשמתא והוא זכר. ה' דא נשמתא דנוקבא). דָּא גּוּפָּא, דְּאִיהִי לְגַבֵּי נִשְׁמָתָּא כְּנוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא. וְאֶתּ לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו דָּא (יצר הרע) נָחָשׁ דּלא אַעֲדֵי כָּל כָּךָ מִן גּוּפָּא, בְּגִין דְּבֵקוּתָּא דְּגוּפָּא לָא אַעֲדִיוּ כָּל כָּךָ (זמנא ההוא) מִנֵּיהּ, אֲבָל אִתְּעֲרוּתָּא דְנִשְׁמָתָּא אַלְקֵי לֵיהּ תָּדִיר וְאַתְּרֵי בֵּיהּ וְאוֹכַח לֵיהּ וְכָפִּיף לֵיהּ על כָּרְחֵיהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
As it is written, "And Abram took Sarai his wife..." (Gen. 12:5). This refers to the body, which in comparison to the soul is like the female toward the male. "And Lot his brother's son" refers to the serpent that does not completely leave the body because the clinging of the body is not entirely gone from it. Nevertheless, the arousal of the soul strikes it always, warns and reproves it, and forces it to obey so that it cannot take control any more.


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:14
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:14)

וְאֶתּ כָּל רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ אִלֵּין עוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּעָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּאִתְּעֲרוּתָּא דְנִשְׁמָתָּא. וְאֶתּ הַנְּפֶּשׁ אֲשֶׁר עשוּ בְחָרָן, הַהוּא נְפֶּשׁ דְּהֲוַתּ בִּדְבֵקוּתָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָּא בְּחַבְרוּתָּא דְהַהִיא עָרְלָה בַּהֲדֵי גוּפָּא וְאַתְּקִין לָהּ לְבָתַּר, דְּהָא לְבָתַּר דִּתְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָא דְּנִשְׁמָתָּא אִתְּעָרַתּ לְאַתְּקָנָא לְגוּפָּא, תַּרְוַוייהוּ מְתַּקְּנִין לְהַהוּא נְפֶּשׁ דְּמִשְׁתַּתְּפָּא בְּתּוּקְפָּא דְנָחָשׁ וּתְּאוּבְתֵּיהּ בִּישָׁא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב וְאֶתּ הַנְּפּשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
"And all their substance that they had gathered..." refers to the good deeds that a person performs in this world because of the awakening of the soul. "And the souls (Nefesh) that they had made in Charan...", that Nefesh, which at first was attached to the foreskin of the body and clung to it and which later was amended (by the Neshamah). So after thirteen years, when the Neshamah is aroused to amend the body, both amend that Nefesh that participated in the harsh (judgments) of the serpent and its evil desires. As it is written, "and the Nefesh that they had made in Charan..."


###### Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:15
[Zohar, Lech Lecha 7:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Lech%20Lecha/r/7:15)

וְעִם כָּל דָּא נִשְׁמְתָּא אַתְּקֵיפַּתּ בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ לְתַּבְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּתּוּקְפָּא בְּשִׁעְבּוּדא דִּתְּשׁוּבָה (נ"א בשעבודא דאורייתא, ואמשיך ליה לגבי בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות בגין דלא יתגבר על רוחא כדבקדמיתא) הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִּיב ויַּעֲבוֹר (הכתוב בדף פ' אחר הגליון שורה ט"ו) (עד כאן סתרי תורה)

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
the reason this is written in the plural is because it refers to the Neshamah and the body, which together amend the Nefesh, the Neshamah by awakening the body, and the body by its good deeds. With all of this, the Neshamah continues to attack the serpent in order to break it, so that it will surrender and be enslaved under the influence of repentance. Therefore, it is written, "And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem" (Gen. 12:6), because Shechem is the dwelling place of the Shechinah. And that is because the power of the serpent has already been completely broken by the Neshamah. (End of Sitrei Torah)...