The Zohar is one of the classic texts of the Kabbalah, which means “received tradition,” for the teachings of Kabbalah were handed down from master to student, from generation to generation (see Introduction). But “Kabbalah” also means “parallel,” from the Hebrew word “hakbalah,” because Kabbalah in general, and the Zohar in particular, draws parallels between things which have no apparent connection whatsoever. The Zohar does this by examining the spiritual root of things above, and finding that ultimately everything is connected in and through their original source.
The Zohar in its present form is almost as large as the entire Talmud, and equally complex, if not more so. Facing the daunting task of providing an accurate, authentic, yet understandable translation of the Zohar, it occurred to me that selections from the Zohar arranged according to the order of the verses as they appear in the Torah might make it more accessible. Several leading kabbalists, foremost among them Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the revered Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, concurred with this view. This work has thus been arranged as a verse-by-verse Biblical commentary – something which has not been done before in English. Furthermore, explanations from the classical commentaries have been woven into the original text (in a smaller font size to distinguish them from the text of the Zohar), together with cross-references and further explanation in footnotes – also the first time this has been done in English.
This volume covers stories which will probably be very familiar to the reader – the creation of the world, the creation of man, the story of Noah and the flood, and the life of Abraham, until the binding of Isaac. These verses also provide insight into some of the passages most representative of the Zohar’s world-view and present us with a glimpse into the inner-dimensional realm of Kabbalah.
