Zohar – Naso (“Elevate!”)
_Verse 53
וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹֹהִים עוֹלִים וְיוֹרְדִים בּוֹ. אִלֵּין הֲבָלִים דְּסַלְּקִין וְנָפְקִין בְּגוּפָא, בְּהַאי סֻלָּם. אִיהוּ חַד, שְׁבִיעָאָה דְּכֹלָּא. וְאִיהוּ מֻצָּב אַרְצָה, תְּרֵין. וְרֹאשׁוֹ מַגִּיעַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה, תְּלַת. וְהִנֵּה מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹֹהִים עוֹלִים, תְּרֵי. וְיוֹרְדִים תְּרֵי. אִינּוּן לָקֳבֵל ד’ רוּחוֹת וְהַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ. וְרָזָא, דְּמִלָּה הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל. אִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה, לָקֳבֵל כּוּרְסְיָיא, דְּאִיהוּ הַסֻּלָּם, וְהַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְד’ יְסוֹדִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה. לָקֳבֵל שִׁבְעָה יוֹמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית. אִית כָּל בִּרְיָין דִּשְׁמַיָּא, וְיַמָּא, וְאַרְעָא. כְּגוֹן חַיוֹת עוֹפוֹת בְּהֵמוֹת דָּגִים, וְכַמָּה תּוֹלְדִין דְּתַּלְיָין מִינֵּיהּ
“And behold the angels of Elohim ascending and descending on it” (Ibid.). This refers to the breaths that go up and leave the body through this ladder. That is one, the seventh among them. That which is “set up on the earth” (Ibid.); two. “And the top of it reached to heaven” (Ibid.); three. “And behold the angels of Elohim ascending:” two; “and descending” are two. They correspond to the four directions, the heavens and earth, being the secret meaning of: “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says Kohelet, ‘vanity of vanities; all is vanity'” (Kohelet 1:2). These are the seven breaths (or: ‘vanities’) corresponding to the throne. They are the ladder, the heavens, the earth and the four elements of the universe, totaling seven, congruent with the seven days of Creation – are all the creatures of the sky, sea, and land; that is, the animals, birds, beasts, fish and many other offspring coming from them.
As soon as you need something, you ruin everything. You have to be on the level where you do not need it but you “desire to reveal it.”
