Kabbalah Library
Zohar for All, Volume 3
And the Children Struggled Together within Her
59) The heart and the liver struggled together because the evil inclination had been canceled from the heart. Struggling means that the force of the leaders of the body was broken because the evil inclination was canceled. Then the body says, “If so, why am I? Why was I created?” Promptly, it is written, “And she went to inquire of the Lord.”
60) “The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb.’” These are two proud ones, the heart and the liver. “And two peoples will be separated from within your body … and the older will serve the younger.” This is the liver, great and big, and operates before the heart. The liver absorbs the blood and uses it before the heart.
61) “The first came out red.” The liver is the first, and it is red. Why is it red? It is because it swallows the blood first. Why is his name called “first”? It is because he swallows the blood first, before any other food. He is the first for the blood, but not for the formation. “And the older shall serve the younger,” since he is greater and bigger in its measure from the heart, and serves the heart.
This portion comes to show the people of the world that although that wholeness will be in the land, the manner and nature of the world will not change. The liver hunts game, as it is written, “He had a taste for game,” and the heart thinks and dwells in tents, as it is written, “Jacob cooked a stew,” thinking thoughts, negotiating in the Torah.
62) The nature of the world never changes. It is written, “Jacob cooked a Nazid [stew],” as it is written, “for they Zadu [connived] against them.” Its translation is that they thought. That is, the heart thinks and reflects on the Torah, on knowing one’s Creator. It is written, “Esau came from the field, and he was tired.” The liver, whose nature is to go hunt game in its mouth and swallow, and cannot find it, is called “tired.”
It tells the heart, “Before you reflect on words of Torah, reflect on eating and drinking to sustain your body,” as it is written, “And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red, red,’” for such is my way, to swallow the blood and project to the rest of the organs. “For I am tired,” without eating or drinking.
And the heart says, “Give me the first and the best out of everything you swallow, give me your birthright,” as it is written, “And Jacob said, ‘Sell me today your birthright,’” the beginning of lust. Until the heart reflects and thinks of the food, the liver swallows. Were it not for those yearning and reflection of the heart about the food, the liver and the organs would not be able to swallow. So is the way of the servants; they do not eat until the master eats.
