The Symbolic Use of HaShem's Marriage to Yisrael in the Zohar
The concept of HaShem' s marriage to Yisrael is well attested to in Judaism."For thy Maker is thy husband," declares The Holy One of Israel - Isa.54: 5.
Though rejected by modern scholarship, the allegorical interpretation of Shir Ha Shirim (The Song of Songs) as depicting the spiritual marriage between God and Israel after the ‘Revelation at Sinai,' is widely accepted by the Midrash, Targum, Talmud and mediaeval Jewish commentators (1.) The Zohar also embraces the idea of Yisrael as HaShem's kalah (bride). For the Zohar, marriage and the interaction between husband and wife mirrors the relationship between G-d the husband and Yisrael his wife/bride. HaShem's marriage relationship with His people is not just with the entire nation but also expresses itself in a personal intimate way with individuals.
In the Idra Zuta, the section of the Zohar that describes the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's death, the Rashbi contextualizes his personal relationship with HaShem within the framework of Shir HaShirim. He describes his personal and intimate relationship with HaShem in terms of Divine love that, according to Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, "is the highest spiritual level to which a mortal can aspire." (2.)
Rabbi Shimon declares, "I am my Beloved's, His desire is upon me. All the days I was connected to this world, I was attached with one connection to The Holy One, Blessed be He, and hence now, "His desire is towards me." (Shir Ha Shirim 7:11 as quoted in the Zohar Vol. 22. Ha'azinu: Section 6 Verse 31) Though his relationship with G-d is matrimonial, he considers himself to only be in the stage of betrothal. This is why the Idra Zuta describes the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's death as a "hillula," a term which refers to a wedding celebration. The use of this term may be explained as follows: attachment to God's divine presence in this world can be likened to the act of betrothal in the World to Come - to marriage. (3.)
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the theme of HaShem's marriage to his Bride, Israel, in the light of Judaism and as it relates to the Zohar and, in particular, IdraZuta. Secondly, to grasp the concept of "Divine Love" in order to incorporate it into our own personal relationship with our "Heavenly Bridegroom."
The Idra Zuta in Context.
The Idra Zuta or " lesser assembly" is written as a part of the Zohar's commentary on Parashah Haazinu which can be found in Devarim 32:1-48. This parashah is a part of Moshe's final discourse to Yisrael just prior to his death. The Zohar chooses to include the Rashbi's final discourse to his inner circle prior to his own death to serve as a parallel to Moshe's final discourse just before his death. Moshe expounds upon the past and future scope of Jewish history, including the future redemption and all of its implications for the people of Israel. The Rashbi expounds upon the inner dimensions of the Torah given to Moshe by HaShem. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai compares Israel's relationship to that of a husband and a wife, a chatan (bridegroom) and kalah (bride). The future redemption will culminate with the Chatan - HaShem- uniting and becoming one with His Kalah, Israel.
These teachings are a continuation of the Idra Rabba or the "greater assembly" which is included in the Zohar's commentary on Parashah Nasso, which is found in Beimidbar 4:21-7:89. In the Idra Rabba, the Rashbi gathers with nine other scholars on a threshing floor, and they begin to expound upon the various meanings and configurations of the parzufin - the G-dly figure or personality that emerges as the outward expression of the Sefirot.(4) Three of these scholars die "due to the overwhelming power of these revelations." (Matt) According to the Zohar, "a dying man is blessed with a vision of the Shekhinah: No man dies before he sees the Shekhinah." (Zohar III, 88a) (5)
However, the "ability to abide in a continued relationship is not guaranteed, but is, in fact, contingent on the level of one's level of spiritual attachment."(6.) The unrighteous must be reincarnated so that they might be perfected (Gilgul for the purposes of tikun) or suffer the punishment of Gehenna.(7.) On the other hand, a righteous person continues to cleave to the Shekhinah, who escorts him or her into Gan Eden to eventually celebrate their wedding day with their "Heavenly Bridegroom."
At the time of his death, the Rashbi is so joyful because he realizes that he will not have to be reincarnated. His soul is about to ascend and unite with the Shekhinah. He will soon become one with his "Heavenly Bridegroom." He then continues to build upon the revelations of the Idra Rabba, unfolding the mysteries of the Zohar to his inner circle. There is one slight difference: the Idra Rabba was a group discussion, but in the Idra Zuta Rabbi Shimon alone unfolds the hidden wisdom of the Zohar.
Marriage Parallels in the Zohar and Judaism
The following are but a few of the numerous allusions found in the Zohar and Jewish literature which compare the matrimonial relationship to that of HaShem's marriage relationship with his Kala,h Yisrael.
Erusin or betrothal: Each day when a Jewish male puts on tefillin, he reminds himself of G-d's betrothal to Israel by reciting Hoshea 2:21-22: "And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; Yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in loving-kindness, and in compassion. And I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness; And thou shalt know the Lord." (8.)
The wedding ring: The Tefillin also reminds one of the wedding ring. Hoshea 2:21- 22 is recited as the tefillin strap is wrapped around the left middle finger three times. "The strap is thus a renewal of the "marriage" between God and Israel, and is therefore wound around the finger just like a wedding ring." (9.)
The Shema: In Zohar Pinchas 53, the metaphor of marriage is used. The recital of the Shema is called a hupah (wedding canopy) - a symbolic declaration of unity between the Bridegroom and his Bride (Pinchas 53:337).
Kiddushin or Wedding ceremony: In the time of the Zohar, the first stage of Kiddushin - the giving of the ring - was a part of the betrothal. The Revelation at Sinai is commonly referred to in Judaism as G-d's marriage to Israel (Shemot 19:1-24:4; BT Taanit 26b; cp. Ez. 16:8). The Torah is likened to either a wedding ring or to a kettubah .The Torah, as a kettubah is HaShem's wedding contract with Israel.
The Veiling of the Bride: Again Kaplan, in his book Made in Heaven, states the kabalistic reason for the veiling of the bride. "The bride represents the nation of Israel, which is described as ‘the beautiful girl who has no eyes.' Israel follows God with utter blind faith, not questioning anything. So does the bride show that she has such utter faith in her husband that she is willing to walk blindly into marriage." (10.)
Nissuin or the two become one: Technically Nissuin follows Kiddushin because this is the time when the chatan and kalah are alone and become one by consummating the marriage. This face-to-face union of the male and female principles is referred to in the Idrah Zuta in Haazinu 22:47 vss.192-195. This concept of the male and female becoming one body or one flesh is an allusion to Bereshit 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall become one flesh." The idea of G-d as Bridegroom becoming one with his his bride is also alluded to in the New Testament. Paul of Tarsus, a student of Rabbi Gamliel, quotes Bereshit 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31. Here he compares the marriage relationship with HaShem's matrimonial relationship with Israel. Paul calls this relationship a "profound mystery (sod)"- (Eph. 5:32). The "mystical" union between husband and wife and G-d and Yisrael based on Bereshit 2:24 is also addressed in Rabbi Ezriel Tauber's book To Become One The Torah Outlook on Marriage. (11.)
Kittel (Yiddish for gown): The kittel is a white linen garment worn by men on four occasions- Pesach, Yom Kippur, one's wedding day, and the day of one's burial.
Burial in one's kittel reminds one that the day of one's death should be viewed as a hillula or a wedding celebration, the day when the Shekhinah escorts one into Gan Eden to ultimately become one with the "Heavenly Bridegroom." I believe that midrashicaly a women's tachrichim (burial garment) represents the same idea.
Concluding Remarks
G-d has betrothed Himself to each one of us in a personal, loving, and intimate way. He has betrothed Himself to us with righteousness, justice, loving-kindness, compassion and faithfulness. These are words of affection and romance that describe our ‘spiritual marriage' to Him. Marriage is in fact a mirror of our relationship with HaShem.
To reiterate, the Zohar understands the concept of ‘spiritual marriage' and emphasizes the "fact" that our relationship with G-d is matrimonial. The Zohar cites Shir HaShirim innumerably because Shir HaShirim describes the loving, intimate, personal relationship that Yisrael's "Heavenly Bridegroom" desires to have with His Bride. Since we are, in fact, His Bride, HaShem wants us to emulate Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and attach ourselves to Him and know "I am my Beloved's and His desire is towards me." (Haazinu 6:v31 quoting Shir HaShirim 7:11) G-d designed our relationship with Him to be personal, loving, intimate, and vibrant. Ha- Shem designed us to be His partner in creation and Tikkun Ha'Olam. Our marriage to Him is not limited to this world but is eternal and extends into the World to Come. As the time approaches for us to be dressed in our Kittel and Tachrichmim, let us look forward to our Hillula when we will become one with Him, our Heavenly Bridegroom.
Endnotes
- Rev. Dr. A. Cohen Editor, The Soncino Books of the Bible The Five Megilloth, London, Jerusalem, New York: The Soncino Press, 1946,p. XI
- Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Made In Heaven , New York/Jerusalem: Moznaim Publishing Corporation, 1983,p.9
- www.Yeshiva.org.il, Article on "Lag B'Omer"
- Gabriella Samuel, The Kabbalah Handbook, New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin,2007,p.264
- Daniel C. Matt, Zohar The Book of Enlightenment, Mahwah, and New Jerse: Paulist Press, 1983,p.293
- Simcha Paul Raphael, Jewish Views Of The Afterlife, and NorthVale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc., 1996,p.288
- DovBer Pinson, Reincarnation and Judaism The Journey of the Soul, Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson Inc., 1999, pps. 79-80
- All Scripture quotes are from The Soncino Books of the Bible
- Aryeh Kaplan p.50
- Aryeh Kaplan p.127
- Rabbi Ezriel Tauber, To Become One The Torah Outlook on Marriage, Monsey, New York: Shaleves, 1990