Kabbalah Library
Zohar for All, Volume 10
Ruth and Naomi Are Standing in High Degrees
476. Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, the three of them are standing in the shapes of the upper, hidden degrees. Ruth is Malchut; Naomi is Bina, and Boaz is Yesod. The seed of David was planted in the world out of the shape of the upper tree.
477. Naomi is as it is written, “And the pleasantness of the Lord our God will be upon us. And about that name, Noam, the name Naomi was planted in the world. It is written, “To behold the pleasantness of the Creator and to visit His hall.” The pleasantness of the Creator is repentance, Bina, the next world. To visit His hall is another world, below, Malchut.
478. Ruth is in the shape of the lower world, Malchut, which always satiates the Creator with songs and praises. Ruth is after Thor, since Ruth has the letters of Thor [in Hebrew], whose voice is different from the rest of the voices. So is the assembly of Israel, Malchut, who is called Ruth, different in voice, in praise, from all the other voices.
That Thor gives two voices simultaneously, one upper and one lower, a high voice and a low voice. So is the assembly of Israel, Malchut. She awakens above, from Bina, and awakens below, of her own, and it is in one time and in one voice.
479. “Do not keep silent, God! Do not be mum, and do not be still, God!” “Do not be mum” from awakening above, and do not be still from awakening below, and it is all in one time.
480. Boaz is in a high form, righteous, Yesod, mighty, the guardian of the covenant who overcome his inclination, a hero.
481. Who is close to the assembly of Israel? The righteous, Yesod. So how is it written that Boaz said, “There is a redeemer who is closer than I am,” for who is closer to Malchut than Yesod? However, indeed, a redeemer who is closer than I am is the first light, Hesed, who is called “good,” as it is written, “And God saw the light, that it was good.”
482. In Gematria, “the light” is Torah, who is called “a good lesson.” The righteous, too, Yesod, is called “good,” like him, as it is written, “Tell the righteous it will be well with them.” This is the first light, close and preceding that good of the righteous. This is why it is written, “closer than I am,” for I and he, good, but he, good, is better than I. Hence, if he redeems you, he will redeem for the better, for he is closer than I am. He is the one who begins and awakens first to embrace, and he is close, as it is written, “and Jacob kissed Rachel.”
The embrace of the right is the bestowal of the light of Hesed to Malchut prior to the coupling of Yesod. For this reason, the light of Hesed is regarded as closer to Malchut than the light of Yesod. Also, the light of kisses is the light of Hesed, which precedes the coupling of Yesodot. This is why it is written, “And Jacob kissed Rachel.”
483. “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side.” Should it not have written “a relative of hers”? The king that peace is his is ZA, who is righteous, Yesod of ZA. Thus, Bina is called “a king that all the peace is his,” and Yesod of ZA is called “a king that peace is his,” since Yesod of ZA is extended from Bina. Bina is Naomi. Thus, Boaz, Yesod of ZA, is a relative of Naomi, from whom he is extended, and not to her man Elimelech, who is Hochma.
484. However, as the next world, Bina, Naomi, is extended and revealed from a high thought, Hochma, who is called Elimelech, who stands over Bina, here, too, the righteous, Yesod of ZA, is equal in the very same manner to that upper thought whose name is Elimelech.
As the upper king, Hochma, whose name is Elimelech, is happy to bestow upon the next world, Bina, Naomi, and controls her, here, too, the righteous, Yesod of ZA, is a relative and is known as his equal, to delight and be the lower king, Malchut, in the very same manner as Elimelech is to Naomi. This is why it is written, “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side,” and not “a relative of hers.”
485. This is why he is called Boaz, with the letter of Bo [in him] Az [strong/brave]; there is courage and might in him to receive all the pleasures of the body, and all the best of the body from ZA, who is called Guf [body], and admit all of David’s semen and all the corrections of the kings and the commandments of the Torah into Malchut. For this reason, there is strength in him and he is not weak. He lives forever, as there is the power in him to receive all the delights, pleasures, the best of the body, that ZA, who is called “body,” gives to Malchut.
486. Now Ruth, Malchut, begins to be built in the world, bit by bit, until she connects in Boaz, in Yesod of ZA. The heart of the scroll is Naomi, Boaz, Ruth, who are Bina, Yesod of ZA, and Malchut.
487. It is written, “And Enoch walked with God, and he is gone because God took him.” God took him from this world of people, and Enoch is extended bit by bit until what happened happened, and he was situated in his place properly. He is the great and strong Matat, the minister of the Panim [face/anterior] from whom upper ones and lower ones a shaken, as well as rulers and high service men who approach him in order to rule and take away from him the power and holy crowns.
488. Also, the Creator drew Ruth after him, and took her from the other nations and brought her close to Him, to extract from her holy armies and camps.
