Kabbalah Library
Zohar for All, Volume 6
Descending on the Head, Descending on the Beard
10. “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘No one shall make himself impure for the dead among his people.’” “Speak to the priests” in a whisper. As all the works of the priests are done in a whisper, so their speech is in a whisper. “Speak” and “said,” once and twice, to warn them about their sanctity, so they are not defiled. One who serves in a holy place should be holy in everything. “No one shall make himself impure for the dead,” for a body without a spirit is impure and the spirit of impurity is on him. The passions of the spirits of impurity are to the bodies of Israel, since the spirit of holiness has been emptied from them and they come to connect in the vessel of holiness, in the body, and the priests, who are holy—holiness over holiness—should not be defiled at all. It is written, “for the crown of his God is on his head,” and it is written, “for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord.”
11. The priest, like the priest of above, stands below, as it is written, “like the good oil on the head, descending on the beard, the beard of Aaron,” descending according to his qualities. “Like the good oil on the head,” the oil of anointment of the upper holiness, the abundance of Mochin is extended and emerges from the place of the deepest river, Bina. It is extended and emerges from the head of all the heads, the most hidden of all that are hidden, the Rosh of AA. “On the head,” the head of AK, AA.
12. “Descending on the beard,” the beard of honor, Dikna of AA. “The beard of Aaron, the high priest of above, Dikna of ZA, Hesed of ZA. Oil, the abundance of AA, descending according to the qualities of ZA. From those qualities of ZA, it is extended and comes out, and descends to the lower ones. In the same way, the high priest below is anointed and crowned with the anointing oil below, which corresponds to the high priest of above, Hesed of ZA.
13. “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, ‘No one shall make himself impure for the dead among his people.” The verse begins in plural form and ends in singular form. “No one shall make himself impure for the dead among his people” implies the highest priest of all, the high priest of above, ZA. The words, “The priest who is highest among his brothers” refer to the high priest of below, who is such as above. He must be in more holiness than everyone, and he is forbidden to be defiled even to his father and his mother.
