Prophet
A prophet is a person who speaks with the Creator, the upper force. It is one who is at a level of speaking. Speaking is disclosure, the emission of Hevel (fume, mist) from the mouth. Hevel of the mouth is the Ohr Hozer (Reflected Light) emitted from the Partzuf, from the soul, as the light of bestowal.
Also, there is a prophet who sees, who is at a higher level. Some prophets say, “I saw,” and some prophets say, “I heard.” It is a degree of a Kabbalist who is at two degrees—a degree of speaking or a degree of seeing.
Moses
Moses is the upper force in us, which pulls us toward bestowal, love of others, and thus to the love of the Creator. It is a force that gives us no rest. This force comes to us from the breaking of the soul as a spark of light within us. If the spark awakens in a person it is considered that the person received an invitation. It guarantees nothing, but the invitation to actually begin one’s holy work has been given.
Holy means bestowal. Climbing up the mountain of holiness means that a person rises above one’s ego with one’s point of Moses, and thus actualizes oneself.
Aaron
Aaron is the force opposite Moses. The two forces have to work together. Following them are the priests, Levites, and Israel. There are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our work is always in the middle line.
We see the two forces, Aaron and Moses, even before the whole of the middle line emerges. These two forces work together: Aaron puts order in a person, and Moses gives one the direction.
Token
A token is an illumination from a higher degree. It is an additional force by which one advances on each degree. A token is a distinction in all those states that occur in person unnaturally, in a state to which we are not used to in terms of power and intention on the current degree. That state occurs when a degree appears from above and reveals the token. The upper degree might come from the right or from the left.
The Klipa (shell/peel) is also in spirituality. Klipa and Kedusha (sanctity) are two lines between which we build ourselves. We take a little bit of the Klipa, correct it using the Kedusha, and in between we attain progress in the middle line, on the golden path. The same thing happens on the next degree, and the next, until we climb all 125 degrees.
From The Zohar: Take Your Staff
It was clear to the Creator that those magicians would make serpents. Hence, what is the importance of making serpents before Pharaoh? It is because there was the beginning of the punishments, meaning the primordial serpent that failed Adam and Eve. Pharaoh’s domination begins from the beginning of the serpent, from the left side. Then, when they saw Aaron’s staff turning into a snake, all the magicians were glad because so was the beginning of the wisdom of their snakes.
Zohar for All, VaEra (And I Appeared), items 118
Aaron’s snake consumed the snakes of the magicians. There is a difference between a snake, a crocodile, or a whale. There are many appellations to the same will to receive because on the path of correction, we go through different states that we express differently in our language.
The snake is the primordial serpent, the evil force, the force of reception in us, which fails us. We need to understand that all those failures are not really failures. Rather, when we are shown our faults, we are given a chance to ask for the light that reforms to correct them.
There are hidden opposites here: from above, we are always given something to deal with, something that is suitable for us, and over which we can ask for help. It is a state that we can correct. A person is never given a state that will fail him or her.
The magicians and the turning of the snake into a staff and the other way around happen so we will learn how to walk between the lines, in the middle line. We must learn how to turn the ego, our will to receive—which destroys us and grabs us by our feet until we cannot make another step forward—into a desire to bestow. It is an inner struggle, very hard internal work.
It happens so we would yell for help. Without asking for help will never discover the Creator. We are facing a barrier trying to discover the Creator; it is as if we are saying, “We don’t need You, we’re fine,” because we are detached from the sensation of the Creator. This is why we need this necessity; it is help made against us.
Were it not for the snake, Eve, the whole of the left side, and Pharaoh, whose heart the Creator hardens, we would not need the light that reforms. As a result, we would never move toward the Creator. Therefore, Pharaoh’s help is necessary, as it is said that Pharaoh brought the children of Israel closer to their father in heaven.
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