About Melchizedek in the Zohar

From the Zohar, Volume 19 entitled Balak, Section 10 entitled "Hashem, You are my Elohim; I will exalt You", we read:

10. "Hashem (the Name, polite substitute for the name of G-d), You are my Elohim (G-d); I will exalt You"

Rabbi Elazar explains the secret of the high point that is concealed and unknown, and the level where inquiry may first be made. He talks about the word of Melchizedek the High Priest, that corresponds to Divine Lovingkindness (Chesed) of the small face (Zeir Anpin) standing over the Divine Kingdom (Malchut). We hear the three meanings of "You" in the title verse, and Rabbi Elazar goes on to give two explanations of "For You have done wonderful things." He says that the actual form of the aleph is the beginning of the higher secret of primordial man, and he tells us why it has a numerical value of one. We learn that the prophets receive from Divine Victory (Netzach) and Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (Hod) that are called 'counsels'. Rabbi Elazar says that the title verse is a concise vehicle for the entire concealed secret meaning of the faith, in that the Name (Hashem) is Divine Wisdom (Chochmah), "my Elohim" is Divine Understanding (Binah), "You" is Divine Lovingkindness (Chesed), "wonder" is the three Columns: Divine Lovingkindness (Chesed), Divine Might (Gvurah) and Divine Beauty (Tiferet), "counsel from afar" is Divine Victory (Netzach) and Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (Hod), "faithfulness" is Divine Kingdom (Malchut), and "truth" is Divine Foundation (Yesod).

156. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse: "Hashem, You are my Elohim; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done..." (Yeshayah (Isaiah) 25:1). This verse in the scripture is the secret of the Faith. [Point (Yud) Take (Hei) Line (Vav) Take (Hei)] G-d is the top secret and is the beginning of the higher point that is concealed and not known, THAT IS, Father (ABA) AND Mother (IMA) UP HIGH, WHO ARE THE SECRET OF Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH), IN WHOM THE Point (YUD) DOES NOT LEAVE THE AIR. AND THEY ARE CONCEALED FROM Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH), ENTIRELY UNKNOWN. "My Elohim" is the secret meaning of "a still small voice" (I Melachim 19:12) THAT IS Israel, the Elder (YISRAEL-SABA) AND Divine Comprehension (TEVUNAH), WHICH IS THE SECRET MEANING OF Divine Understanding (BINAH). That is the beginning of that which may be inquired into, SINCE IN IT THE Point (YUD) GOES OUT FROM THE AIR, INTO GREATNESS. HOWEVER, it becomes concealed and unknown, and there is no one that responds to it; ALTHOUGH IT IS AVAILABLE FOR INQUIRY, AVAILABLE TO BE REVEALED, SINCE THE Point (YUD) HAS LEFT THE AIR IN IT, AND RETURNED TO THE LIGHT OF Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH), THERE IS NO ONE TO RESPOND TO THE INQUIRY SINCE Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH) DOES NOT GET DISCLOSED IN ITS PLACE, BUT RATHER IN THE PLACE OF the Small Face (ZEIR ANPIN) AND Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT), because it is concealed, covered and hidden.

157. AFTER EXPLAINING THAT G-d (YUD HEI VAV HEI) IS THE SECRET OF Father (ABA) AND Mother (IMA) THAT STAND ABOVE ANY QUESTIONING, AND "MY ELOHIM," THAT SECRET OF Israel the Elder (YISRAEL-SABA) AND Divine Comprehension (TEVUNAH) THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR INQUIRY, BUT THERE IS NO ONE TO RESPOND TO IT, HE EXPLAINS NOW: "You" that is right, MEANING Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED) OF the Small Face (ZEIR ANPIN), is the start of what is available for inquiry and for a response to it. HOWEVER, THAT IS MERELY THE BEGINNING OF THIS REVELATION, BUT IS NOT YET REVEALED IN IT, ONLY WHEN IT IS IN Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT). That is CALLED 'the High Priest', as it says, "You shall be a priest forever, after the manner of Melchizedek" (Tehilim [Psalm] 110:4). HE INQUIRES: What is the meaning of: "After the manner (lit. 'word') of Melchizedek"? HE RESPONDS: This is only the priest forever, Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED) OF the Small Face (ZEIR ANPIN), that is standing over the word, WHICH IS Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT), because this word does not endure except through the right, WHICH IS Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED). What is that word? That is Melchizedek, the name OF Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT). The reason it says "divrati (lit. 'word of' also: 'my word')" INSTEAD OF 'DAVAR' IS because it was connected with David, SINCE DAVID WAS THE CHARIOT TO Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT). All the words of DAVID'S praise came through that word and, therefore, it says, "My word," MEANING MY Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT). As a result of this, "you" is a priest, WHICH IS Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED). We have already explained that there are three areas and each one is called "you," BECAUSE Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH) IS CALLED "YOU" AND Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED) IS CALLED "YOU," AS IS WRITTEN HERE. AND Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT) IS CALLED "YOU."

158. NOW HE EXPLAINS THE WORDS: "I WILL EXALT YOU" THAT IS IN THE VERSE MENTIONED ABOVE. HE SAYS, "I will exalt You," meaning in all THREE NAMES, G-d (YUD HEI VAV HEI), "MY ELOHIM," AND "YOU," and together "I will praise Your name" as proper. That name is known TO BE Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT) CALLED 'NAME'. "For You have done wonderful things" (Isaiah [Yeshayah] 25:1): "WONDERFUL" IS A LANGUAGE OF CONCEALMENT THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE MADE a cover and attire to the concealed light of the Ancient of Days (G-d)(Atika), WHICH IS Divine Understanding (BINAH). The beginning of the top level, WHICH IS THE Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH) CONTAINED WITHIN, IS REFERRED TO AS concealed primordial man, so that he will be attired in the aspect of another light THAT IS Plurality of Divine Lovingkindness (CHASSADIM). Sysop Note: Chassadim is the plural in the second sense of the word Chesed. The use of the word Chassadim in this context alludes to more than one manifestation of Divine Lovingkindness from the One G-d of Israel (Father [Aba], Mother [Ima], and Son [Mashiach]), revealing G-d's Three in One, and One in Three Mystical Divine Nature.

159. Another explanation of: "For You have done wonderful things (Heb. pele)": NAMELY, You have made Aleph, SINCE PELA IS SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS OF ALEPH. What is the meaning of Aleph? We learned Aleph Bet, which is THE MEANING OF Aleph Binah, (lit. 'teach to understand'). Yet the form of the Aleph is three sides, RIGHT LEFT AND CENTER, (G-d Holy Trinity) that is the start of the higher secret of the Primordial Man. THAT IS THE THREE COLUMNS IN Divine Understanding (BINAH), THE SOURCE OF THE IMAGE OF MAN, WHO IS Brain (MOCHIN) OF the Small Face (ZEIR ANPIN). For in the form of the Aleph there are two arms, one from each side, THAT ARE THE TWO COLUMNS OF Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED) AND Divine Might (GVURAH) THAT ARE THE UPPER Point (YUD) AND HER LOWER Point (YUD), and the body in the centre; THAT IS THE Line (VAV) BETWEEN THE TWO Points (YUDS). All has one secret meaning, THAT IT IS IN ONE MEANING WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT PELE IS Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH) BEING CLOTHED IN a Plurality of Divine Lovingkindness (CHASSADIM), SINCE THIS CLOTHING DOES NOT HAPPEN EXCEPT THROUGH THE THREE COLUMNS. (Sysop Note: Divine Wisdom [Chochmah] of the Three Persons of the One G-d of Israel.) That is the secret of unification of this Aleph and that is also why Aleph HAS A NUMERICAL VALUE OF one. (Sysop Note: The Divine Mystery is explained in part: Three Persons in One G-d.) That is the meaning of: "For You have done wonderful things (Heb. pele)," WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ALEPH. And Rav Hamnuna Saba (the elder) said this, "For You have done wonderful things." This wonder is one level from these hidden wonders of Divine Wisdom (Chochmah). Which one is it? "There is a path which no bird of prey knows" (Job [Iyov] 28:7), WHICH IS THE FIFTIETH GATE (the final, full and complete redemption). And that is a wonderful thing.

160. "Counsels from afar" (Isaiah [Yeshayah] 25:1): HE ASKS: First he calls it "wonderful" AND DOES NOT SAY THERE 'COUNSELS OF OLD', yet here he says: "wonderful things - counsels of old (also: 'from afar')." WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? HE RESPONDS: It is because there he had to count the six ends of the higher levels. THEREFORE, HE SAYS, "Wonderful (Heb. pele), counselor, a mighty El (G-d), the everlasting father, prince of peace" (Isaiah [Yeshayah] 9:5). EL (G-d) IS Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED), MIGHTY IS Divine Might (GVURAH), THE FATHER IS Divine Beauty (TIFERET), EVERLASTING IS Divine Victory (NETZACH), PRINCE IS Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (HOD), AND PEACE IS Divine Foundation (YESOD). And here, he does not come to count THE LEVELS. HE ASKS: However, what are "counsels from afar"? HE REPLIES: They are the two willow branches, WHICH ARE Divine Victory (NETZACH) AND Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (HOD) AND ARE CALLED 'COUNSELS', since all the counsels of the prophets stem from there and are called 'counsels from afar' SINCE THE PROPHETS RECEIVE FROM Divine Victory (NETZACH) AND Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (HOD). "In faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah [Yeshayah] 25:1): These are two that are one, SINCE THEY ARE the river and the Garden THAT ARE Divine Foundation (YESOD) AND Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT). This RIVER, Divine Foundation (YESOD), comes out from Eden and this GARDEN, WHICH IS Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT), gets watered from it. We find here IN THIS SCRIPTURAL VERSE: "HASHEM YOU ARE MY ELOHIM," the entire concealed secret meaning of the Faith, AS DEFINED SINCE HASHEM IS Divine Wisdom (CHOCHMAH); "MY ELOHIM" IS Divine Understanding (BINAH); 'YOU' IS Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED); 'WONDER' IS THE THREE COLUMNS, Divine Lovingkindness (CHESED), Divine Might (GVURAH) AND Divine Beauty (TIFERET); 'COUNSEL FROM AFAR' IS Divine Victory (NETZACH) AND Divine Splendor/Acknowledgement (HOD); 'FAITHFULNESS' IS Divine Kingdom (MALCHUT); AND 'TRUTH' IS Divine Foundation (YESOD).