Kabbalah Library
Zohar for All, Volume 7
The Garments of That World
226. How would it help the dead? What benefit does he have in that? One who wants to ask should be told that the eyes of the dead should be opened so as to show that he is still ready to return to the vision of this world as in the beginning, when he rises in the revival of the dead.
227. Of course, if the vision of this world has not been entirely concealed from him and he did not lose everything, he will have no vision or part in that world, since this world is opposite from that world where we are. At the time of the revival of the dead, there will not be even as a hairsbreadth from the works of this world, since first, everything will be lost in that dew of resurrection and will remove all the filth from him. Afterwards, it will become like that dough, and from it, the body will be made as a new created being. It is likewise here, in the upper world before the resurrection.
228. Rabbi Shimon said, “Indeed, I knew that they are clothed there in a garment of honor of a pure and holy body. Is there like it in this world? is there a person who is seen here in the same body like the one that stands in that world?”
229. Two youths asked this question, two boys who clothed after they suffered the affliction for a sin that it is inappropriate to disclose. It was so in this world, since it is written, “And it came to pass on the third day, that Ester wore royal apparel.” She wore the same form as that of that world. Royal means the holy spirit since the kingdom of heaven, which is Malchut of ZA, called “heaven,” wind blows from the wind of that air of that world and Ester dressed in it.
230. When she entered before King Ahasuerus and he saw a clothing of light, her shape appeared to him as similar to an angel of God, and his soul departed from him for a moment. Mordechai, too, wore a clothing of that world, as it is written, “And Mordechai came out from before the king in royal attire.” Royal attire indeed, a shape of that world. This is why it is written that the fear of Mordechai fell upon them, the fear of Mordechai and not the fear of Ahasuerus, meaning not because Ahasuerus extolled him, but because of his garment from that world. The righteous in this world dress in clothing that is called “royal attire.”
231. The air of the Garden of Eden is the blowing of the holy spirit [also “wind” in Hebrew], and the righteous cloth in it similar to how they were in this world. Afterwards, the holy spirit is on the head of each one, he crowns himself with it, and it becomes a crown for him. So it was for Mordechai, as it is written, “in royal attire,” meaning in a shape of that world. Afterwards, it is written, “And a great crown of gold,” the crown that is on the head of the righteous in that world.
When Israel received the Torah, they, too, had a clothing of that world, until they sinned, as it is written about them, “And the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb,” meaning they stripped off from the clothing.
232. It is also written about Joshua the high priest, “Remove the filthy garments from him,” and it is written, “[they] clothed him with garments.” These are the garments of that world. This implies that first we must close the eyes from any vision of this world, which is regarded as filthy clothes, and then he can merit the vision of that world, which is the new clothes with which Joshua was dressed.
This implies that as long as the body of this world, called “filthy clothes,” exists in the grave, the spirit does not dress in a garment of that world, for it is written first, “remove the filthy garments from him,” and then “clothed him with garments.” It is also written, “And the angel of the Lord stands.” The crown is called the “angel of the Lord” that stands on the head of the righteous. It stands on the head from above after they are clothed in this garment of honor.
233. Two bodies cannot be together. As long as the body of this world is present, the spirit does not receive another clothing, of that world. When the one of this world has passed, the other one is immediately ready. One goes out, and one comes in. It is like the good inclination and evil inclination in this world; the Creator does not want the two of them to be together in one body. Rather, if the evil inclination rules, the good inclination runs away, and if the good inclination rules, the evil inclination runs away.
234. About what is it written, “And Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him”?
235. When a person is in that world, what benefit is there for Satan to accuse him? Is it not enough that he took out his soul and killed him? Satan’s passion was only that a righteous would not dress in a pure and holy garment. When Satan saw that his garments were filthy, he was repelled and was not counted, and this is what he slandered about him. If he were to clothe in garments of honor, the clothing of filth and the work of Satan is immediately canceled and passes from the world. For this reason, Satan did not want this.
236. As long as he did not clothe in a garment of that world, the spirit visits his filthy body, and Satan wants it. When he dresses in that garment of honor of that world, all the colors of the evil inclination and his body are canceled and he never has any memory of him.
237. The spirits visit the cemeteries at the beginning of each night. If the body has passed from the world, why do they visit the grave? It is not about the body but about the soul. As long as the flesh of the body is present, the spirit visits the soul and the soul visits the body. But when the flesh of the body has gone from the world, the visiting of the spirits is to the soul, which has subsided and remains silently within the bones of the body, for one bone always remains of him in the grave, and from it he is built for the revival of the dead. This is why at the beginning of each night, the spirit visits the soul and not the flesh.
